The Bilobed One...

Every once in a while you catch a really nice moth that makes it all worth while. The Bilobed Looper Moth (lower two pix) is one such moth. Is a mothers' moth really, not too flashy but quite elegant with that massive silver stigma on each wing. In Ontario it is a migrant, some yaers there are a few, most years none. Over the years most of my records have been in my own humble back yard in the middle of Toronto!


This is Korscheltellus lupulinus. It is a Ghost Moth or, as they are called in UK, a Swift Moth. This one is a European introduction. I've been catching it in my back yard for the past three years, always in late May or early June. They are rather primitive-looking and have very short antenna.


Not rare at all, but yet another European import, this is my first Large Yellow Underwing of the year - enough said!



The Bilobed Looper Moth in all its glory. In UK, where this moth is a very rare vagrant, they call this one Stephens' Gem - a nice name. The larvae feed on a wide variety of plants and it is common south of Canada.

A Zale of a good time...

I was just up at the cottage near Parry Sound helping out with the building of a new outhouse - very important work as you might imagine! It was glorious weather and very nice to be up there. I managed a couple of nights of excellent mothing. I'll post pix of the highlights over the next few days...hope it doesn't get too boring!

Zales featured prominently, so here goes with a few Zale photos. They are rather nice are they not?


This one is Zale helata - the Brown-spotted Zale. It is on the wing in May and June. The larva feed on larch and pines.


I love this Zale! It is Zale lunifera - the Bold-based Zale. Brilliant with ash-gray backdrop overlined with crisp black squiggles. Another spring job, the larva feed on Black Cherry and White Pine.


This is Zale duplicata. I was well pleased with this one since I'd not seen it before. It is similar to Brown-spotted but is more boldly marked with black in the median area of the fore-wing.

I hope you are all Zale converts now...

Spring Colours...

I recently visited my friends down in South Walsingham near Long Point. I moth there a couple of times a year if I can. They have a wonderful property which includes a nice patch of Carolinian forest. The moths are great and I think the area has the potential to be one of the very best in the province. Shall keep going back to add to the old list...

Anyway, below are a few mothy highlights from the catch.


This lovely moth is a Colorful Zale, certainly one of the best of the genus.


And this is Gluphisia avimacula. A rather typical and somewhat hairy member of the Prominent family. It is on the wing in springtime for a short period.


No, not a butterfly - though often mistaken for one. In fact this is a Bluish Spring Moth. It flys by day and can be abundant where it occurs


Finally the superb Straight-lined Plagodis. Not an uncommon moth but very nice-looking all the same.

The wonders of Woodgrains...

They say good things come in threes, well last night it was as a pair! Two new moths for the back yard list and both in the genus Morrisonia. I am constantly amazed that I continue to catch so many "new" common moths in the back yard. It is totally remarkable that I had not trapped either of these before, especially after eight years of constant effort!


This is the highly distinctive Bicolored Woodgrain, fantastic-looking beast thinks MM. It is pretty common in late spring, the larva feed on Wild Cherry.


This one is the very grainy-looking Confused Woodgrain. So-called because it looks a little like some other species, notably one or two of the Apamea tribe. I like this one because it has all those fine lines that blend in so well on bark. Try looking for one of these in the wild! The larva feed on many trees and woody plants.


The Armyworm Moth. I commonly catch this moth but thought I'd put it in since it was the first of the season.

Very few birds this chilly morning, just the odd Yellow-rumped Warbler whizzing overhead. Yesterday I had Black-throated Green Warbler and Eastern Kingbird - both new for the yard year list.

Lovely Le Conte's...

If I'm woken up by Rain and thunder in the middle of the night in mid May then you can be sure I'll be on the Toronto Islands later that morning! And so it was that I got the ferry to Hanlan's at eight. Clearly there had been the expected arrival, not huge but big enough to litter the place with grounded migrants. Most were Swainson's Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-crowned Sparrows. However, there were also good numbers of Lincoln's Sparrows, Gray Catbirds and other warblers, notably Northern Parula and Cape May.

I am always filled with anticipation once I get to the southern edge of the airfield fence for it is here that I've found some great birds in the past. I was not to be disappointed on this occasion because I immediately flushed a brilliant Le Conte's Sparrow fron the fence-side grass. Instead of disappearing though it tried to hide within the fence affording amazing views. Of course it was a failure at the hiding game - way too peachy for that sort of thing!


Here is a singing Le Conte's Sparrow. Not the one from today cuz I didn't have a camera with me! No, this one was in Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota a couple of summers back.


Another view of the same bird - little exhibitionists they are at times...

On my trudge I also saw a nice Black-billed Cuckoo and a rather smart White-eyed Vireo. I only made it to Center Island due to the sun getting to me a bit and me not having any sunblock. Us moth men shun the sun you know...

After the first real warm night of the spring I was hopeful for at least a few moths in the trap. As usual the end result was rather poor. It is never exactly busy around here at the best of times! There were at least 12 Proteoteras moffatiana which is a distinct improvement.


Best moth was this nice Distinct Quaker.


Another unidentified tortrix, yet another to "work on later".

Quite busy on the bird front this morning with several new ones for the year. Best were several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore Oriole, Wood Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Gray Catbird, Bank Swallow and Indigo Bunting. Also around were White-crowned Sparrow, Bobolinks flying over, Yellow-runped and Nashville Warblers and a few other common migrants. OK for a tiny city back yard!

The 100th Post...

Howzat for a century! Nice to get the 100th post safely in the bag.

Not much going on this morning. In fact the past week has been very quiet, way too nice and sunny with clear cool nights. No good for bringing down birds or enticing the moffs into the trap.


I did catch this rather nice Maple Zale though. This is a fairly common moth in the back yard from mid spring through the summer.


This a a small twig-like tortrix moth that I've yet to identify. At first I thought it might be Pseudexentera faracana, then I considered Epinotia timidella - but it doesn't look quite right for either. Shall work on it later.

The only new bird for the year was a Least Flycatcher (see above). otherwise there was a nice singing White-crowned Sparrow, the odd Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Barn Swallow.