36 people—young and old—attended our 2024 Moth Evening, and about half were new to mothing. At about 9:30 p.m., David Brown, County Moth Recorder, led the group to a sheltered area of Abbey Fields and set up the moth traps. Equipment consisted of 80W mercury vapour lamps, a generator, and some hand-crafted boxes with egg-tray beds to provide a comfortable refuge for the moths who were attracted to the light.
David explained that the cold, wet spring and winter months meant that moth numbers were low, but we were delighted to find a handful of species, including Brimstone, Green Carpet, Common Rustic, Common Carpet, Sallow Kitten, Ruby Tiger, Dusky Thorn and Dark Arches. Each find was carefully checked against a reference guide and then released.
We thank David Brown, who began mothing in the late 1960s and eventually turned his hobby into a career.
