I spent this evening moth trapping at Bernwood Forest in Oxfordshire, hoping for a productive early-season session. It’s a fantastic site with a reputation for good diversity, but the conditions were far from ideal. The temperatures have been unseasonably cold lately, with recent morning frosts across Oxfordshire, and it definitely made its presence felt.
I ran the trap for around three hours, but the chill quickly set in and eventually forced me to pack up earlier than planned. Cold nights like these are never great for moth activity, and that was reflected in the modest number of species I recorded. Even so, I did manage to trap a few different species, which made the effort worthwhile.
With a bit of luck, a shift to milder nights should bring a noticeable increase in activity. Until then, it’s a case of making the most of the windows of opportunity, and wrapping up warm!
Below are the species I managed to trap:
