Tuesday 22 October 2013

A Late Moth and Butterfly record

I haven’t had much in my light trap for sometime but had a very nice looking moth last night which is a first for my Calgary backyard.  I believe it’s a Thaxter's Pinion Moth (Lithophane thaxteri).   In addition to this, last Friday, I decided to walk up Sulphur Mountain for some exercise and in search of bird and mammal photographic opportunities.  I wasn’t expecting to see any butterflies but just below the summit ridge walkway that leads to the Cosmic Ray Station, I was surprised to find a Milbert's Tortoiseshell flying around the rocks.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a macro lens with me so had to take the attached with my 400mm lens. 

It’s always nice to get a few October records and the new moth perhaps justifies keeping the light trap out for a little longer...

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