Three new additions in one day

 Yesterday at the new harbour (sailing club) area I noted White Campion and Long-headed Poppy. Neither are particularly scarce, but both had evaded recording in the Bay. The poppy had some interesting smaller plants in shallower areas, which surprisingly contained tiny versions of the flowers, That surprised me, though maybe it shouldn't have. Then last night Grey Pug put in an appearance in the moth trap - a long overdue record and also probably overlooked previously.

the smallest poppy in the world? 

Charles Hill

East of Braefoot point, below Monk's Cave, I staked out the moths from 22:00 for a couple of hours, adding 4 species to the Bay total. This is what I consider to be the eastern limit of Dalgety Bay. It skirts Aberdour golf course, but Monk's Cave is in the Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay administrative area and it ain't Inverkeithing. Anyway it has lots of lovely calcicole plants and a nice coastal grassland/heath feel about it. Enough Rock Rose to host NBA too.

Lepiled and Braefoot terminal

More than met expectations with more Annulet, which I expected, but also Lobesia littoralis and Agonopterix nervosa, which I hadn't.

As a bonus, on the way out I saw a badger galumph across the road and into the undergrowth.

Annulet

A.nervosa

Lobesia littoralis

Edit - I forgot about this Least Yellow Underwing! The DBY list now stands at 2507

Species 2500 for Dalgety Bay!

A last minute quick trip to Downing Point with the Lepiled produced an Annulet moth new to Dalgety Bay (and me) during a quick session from about 11 until midnight. This is a predominantly coastal species which is recorded from a handful of places on Fife's coast.

The broad make-up of the list:

And even broader:

White Plume Moth added to Dalgety Bay list - #2494

 A quick session last night produced White Plume Moth. This is a species which likes a bit of bindweed, of which there is plenty along the coastal path in this location.

Juniper Carpet in Dalgety Bay

Been a long time since last blog. Overnight a Juniper Carpet made its way into my MV trap. Quite a scarce moth and not seen in Fife for a while. 

Well, I woke up this morning ....

A pre-breakfast stroll around the eastern cliffs of Dalgety Bay turned up a remarkable three new flowering plant species (for Dalgety Bay) and a moth. I was sort of looking for something else (Spring Vetch, Purple Milk Vetch), but that'll do for one morning. I was supposed to be gathering flies but fortunately it was too windy.

Kidney Vetch

Common Centaury

Common Mallow

While searching the heath at Hopeward Point I noticed a really scabby Lotus, which at first I thought was a different plant until I realised it was being eaten alive by Coleophora discordella. That was new for me, so a nice random find.

Spring moths

 Very mild night in Fife last night so the trap came out of the loft. I seem to have skipped the late winter stage and gone straight to spring. Shame, as I would have liked some Ushers.

(cat #26 on PSL categories 2021 - see tab)

Tortricodes alternella, terrible photo

Pale Brindled Beauty

Chestnut, one of 6

Moths are go!

So the first proper spring moths are trickling onto the board already, with March Moh, Dotted Border and Common Quaker all putting in an appearance in Dalgety Bay. Might even be time to get the battery-powered gear out of the loft. once the wind drops, that is.