Suffolk Moth Society events 2025
Saturday 21st June – Poker Wood, Winston. Moth morning.
Joint Suffolk Moth Group/SNS event.
Meet at 10.30am in the field just off the road at TM185608.
We will be looking at moths caught the night before at the site, and discussing different ways to record moths.
This meeting is suitable for beginners who want to learn about moths. Numbers restricted to 10 attendees for this event, please contact Neil Sherman at moth@sns.org.uk to register interest. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be the opportunity to have a walk around the site afterwards to see the various habitats created and record other wildlife.
Friday 18th July – Tom’s Wood next to Raydon Great Wood (for general recording).
Meet at 9pm in the Car park for the Hadleigh Railway walk at TM060404.
We will head off from this car park after a short wait to the wood entrance along Clay Lane.
Friday 8th August – Lackford Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve.
Meet at 8.30pm along the road just before the reserve car park at TL800705.
This event aims to determine the location of the population of White-spotted pinion on the reserve, as it is now being noted annually.
Friday 15th August – Hen reedbeds for reedbed moths.
Meet at 8pm in the reserve car park off the A1095 at TM470771.
We will be recording both sides of the road if there are enough traps.
Saturday 4th October – Buckle’s Wood, Elmsett. (Daytime survey for leaf mines).
Meet at 10am in Elmsett Village Hall car park at TM057467.
A young woodland of mixed trees was planted in 2005, with wide flower-filled rides and glades. We will be walking around the site looking for leaf-mining moths. In the afternoon, we will move onto a second nearby site, so if you are coming for the full day, bring a packed lunch.
Moth trapping evenings are nice social events and a really good way to learn more about moths and moth trapping and improve our knowledge of the county’s moths. However, events take place outside in the dark and can run for a few hours until quite late at night (sometimes all night if conditions are really good!). So, there are a few things that you will need to bring along so that you have a safe and comfortable evening.
- a torch is essential (don’t forget to check the batteries are not running low)
- warm clothing (even if it is a hot day, it can get chilly after dark)
- suitable footwear (stout walking boots advisable for most meetings, wellies for wet sites)
- something to drink and a snack to eat
- something to sit on as we normally run a sheet light as a base and spend a lot of time close to this
- insect repellent
- eye protection against UV light as the bulbs we use emit a lot of it
- mobile phone (most people have one now anyway!)
- Hand sanitizer
Please try to arrive at the advertised time, take care of your own personal safety, and listen to the short introductory briefing by myself or another experienced recorder who is running the event about any hazards in the area, such as electric cables, slippery paths, etc. If under 16, children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Note that trap etiquette should be followed.
- Do not open other people’s traps unless the owner has invited you to do so.
- Do not pot up moths from other people’s traps, even from the outside surfaces. This is deemed bad manners.
The County recorder’s job on the night is to collate a full list of species for the landowner, so if lists are kept by individual trappers separate from the main evening list, this should be sent to the recorder as soon as possible.
Note that most moth trapping meetings are arranged for Friday evenings. If the weather forecast is poor for that evening, the event may still occur on Saturday night, so please contact me to find out or check either the moth group’s Facebook page or Whatsapp group for details of any changes.
If you have any queries before the event, please contact Neil Sherman (moth@sns.org.uk) Suffolk Moth Group