On another beautiful summer day, three Common Swifts and four Black-headed Gulls – the trifling ornithological highlights of the day – were easily overshadowed by a stunning selection of Lepidoptera. The first ever Grey Pine Carpet for the island was in the moth trap at Cristin amid a host of commoner species that included two Confuseds, two Map-winged Swifts, ten Garden Tigers and the first Riband Wave of the year. As the sun rose above the ridge of the mountain, the day warmed considerably and a large numbers of day-flying species emerged; the heat rekindling life in their membranaceous appendages. At least a dozen Thrift Clearwings were on the wing, as well as a remarkable count of 40 Six-spot Burnets in the meadows. The most staggering event though, was a completely unprecedented mass influx of around 150 Diamond-back Moths amongst the thrift on the South End. Prior to the current year this small migrant species had only been recorded on Bardsey twice.
Day Flying Moths
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Thrift Clearwings (c) Steve Stansfield
(c) Steve Stansfield
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Diamond-backed Moth (c) Steve Stansfield
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Ribband Wave (c) Steve Stansfield
Buff Ermine (c) Steve Stansfield
Lackey (c) Steve Stansfield
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