This week I found myself working in Oxfordshire again and staying in an Airbnb in the village of Sutton Courtenay. As any moth trapper knows, a change of location always presents an opportunity, so the moth trap came along for the trip.
The timing could hardly have been better. Much of the week was dominated by hot, humid weather, with warm evenings and overnight temperatures remaining unusually high. These conditions are often ideal for moth activity, and I was eager to see what might be attracted to the light.
Sutton Courtenay sits within the Thames Valley landscape, surrounded by a mosaic of gardens, farmland, hedgerows and riverside habitats. Such a variety of habitats can produce an impressive diversity of moths, and the trap certainly didn't disappoint.
Each morning brought a fresh sense of anticipation as I examined the catch. Familiar species were present in good numbers, but the real excitement came from discovering several new additions to my life list. There is always something special about encountering a species for the first time, particularly when away from your usual trapping locations.
The warm and humid conditions appeared to keep moths active well into the night, and catches remained consistently good throughout the week. While the abundance of common species was impressive in itself, it was the quality of the catch that made the trip memorable.
Now comes the enjoyable task of updating the records and reflecting on which species proved to be the highlights of a very successful week.
Here are the species I added:
