We spent Tuesday and Wednesday of this week in Thetford, visiting The Nunnery, headquarters of the BTO. Tuesday night we joined researchers as they attempted to catch Nightjars in order to retrieve data loggers from the birds. We failed, although we did enjoy close sightings of several churring males as well as a glow-worm and plenty of Gold Swift moths. We were also privileged enough to view a Nightjar nest containing two chicks, one of the nests the team is monitoring.

We set a moth trap overnight at The Nunnery. Wednesday morning, the trap was heaving with moths: hundred of individuals of at least forty species. The most interesting (for us, at least, coming from a mothing-in-west-London background as we do) were Scarce Silver-lines, Lilac Beauty, and Varied Coronet.

Scarce Silver-lines and Small Elephant Hawk-moth