Monthly meeting 12th March 2009

Greetings to new member Ricki Bull which brought the attendance at this months meeting to 18.

The evening started in the normal way with members giving details of records or other items of interest that have occured during the previous month.

Mark started the ball rolling with a total of 26 species recorded during the month which included moths from his trap at home plus species found on friends windows and walls and others recorded from the buildings where he works. Overall these included Yellow Horned, Small Brindled Beauty and Acleris ferrugana amongst others .

Les had recorded Double Striped Pug, Small Brindled Beauty, March Moth, Engrailed, Twin-spotted Quaker and Shoulder Stripe plus a number of more common species.

There was a short discussion at this point on the possibility of getting schools interested in mothing and moth recording and Grahame indicated that Bradfield College were eager for some sort of involvement. However volunteers are required to carry this forward, John Lerpiniere would possibly be willing to arrange but has not got a moth trap.

Nick had recorded only 7 species during the month but had been busy working on the next stage of the micro book and also designing the logo for the new website.

Other members gave details of their recordings during the month nothing unusual had turned up except Roy recorded a Bee Moth on the 21st February which is very early in the year for this species.

List of Species recorded during Meeting

*** Vernacular name from Jim Porter "British Micro-lepidoptera with Vernacular Names"

Grahame informed members of a new book and two that are being updated and reissued. Bernard Skinner's book "Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles" and "Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland" by paul Waring and Martin Townsend are being updated and reissued. The new book by Chris Manley is titled "British Moths and Butterflies a photographic guide"

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire wildlife trusts have a number of Training Courses during the coming year. A full list is shown below, where payment is required or further information regarding courses please phone Frances Watkins on

01865 863660.

Courses with a X beside them are free other courses have certain conditions which govern the costs payable.

NOTE the course on 27th June "Introduction to Moths of Windsor Great Park" is being led by Martin Harvey our county moth recorder.

Martin had no recording to report but he has updated the Monthly lists for Berkshire and these are now on the new website.

Details of two surveys one on Earthworms and the other featuring snails were given. Both can be done in your own back garden. Details from Martin, or from Here where you can become involved.

Later in the evening Martin described what pages are now available on the new website and showed how they were laid out. He also asked for suggestions for new pages and any comments on what was existing at present.

Although most members had seen some moths during the month the general feeling was that numbers of species and moths were small

A hard copy of the monthly meetings report has now been made available at the centre.