Moth Traps

Moths like this superb Eyed Hawkmoth are reasonably common and easy to find in your garden if you have the right equipment!

As a birder I often get a little frustrated once the sun goes down, the birds go to roost and there's only owls left to look for, this of course is brilliant but Owling is time consuming and involves plenty of traveling.
I found the answer..........Moths!

I started trapping moths about 7 years ago, purely for something to do in the evenings when Birding subsides.
Moth Trapping is so easy, I set up the trap in the garden, switch it on, leave it overnight, then, in the morning reap the rewards of my (very little) effort.
There are several designs of moth trap, they range in price, mine was home made and plans are easy to find on the internet.
They are in principle all very similar and consist of a box and a light, so easy.
I tend not to trap if rain is forecast but many people do, it depends on the type of trap you have and the weather resistance of your electrics.
The box is set up with egg boxes inside it, this provides roosting areas for the moths, a light is placed on top and this attracts the moths. The moths then fly into the entrance of the box and find themselves stuck in a oneway street, they settle down to roost in the egg boxes and by morning they are fast asleep and ready for you to inspect and identify them....oh so easy!

Next thing is to find out what species they are, many books are available but Paul Waring, Martin Townsend and Richard Lewingtons book, The Field Guide to Moths of Great Britain is excellent and easy to use.

The variety of moths is simply incredible, 900 species of the larger types, the Macros which come in all colors, sizes and shapes. A further 1000 species of the smaller Micro Moths are covered in another book but I tend to stick to the Macros and ID of the smaller moths is so time consuming.
On a average Summer nights trapping, I will find approximately 120 moths of 40 different species inside the box, I'll generally grab a coffee, grab my guide, camera, notebook and pen then spend a pleasant hour sat in the garden going through the trap.
Bliss!
Why not give it a go, something a bit different but, incredibly rewarding and a great way to see the secret nature in your garden.