Burning of the Midnight Lamp - Jimi Hendrix

To kick off with and not aware of any Government Warnings of such a thing we simple pass on the notification we have recieved from 2 of our stawart reads, just in case!

A wild goose near Weymouth has tested positive for H5N8, which is currently circulating Europe. The UK's Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed that routine monitoring has detected the H5N8 strain of avian influenza in a very small number of wild birds - including one goose in Weymouth.

With very little going on out there in the Wild World we will catch up with something that would have been far more appropriate at the inception of Phase II of the Bagsy Blog, but we are all Good Kids in hindsight. Having not explained the mechanics of Moth Traps and Mothing itself.  

There are a number of variations on design and construction of such things with my first, back in the early 70’, after being inspired by Martin Cade now Warden of the Portland Bird Observatory, being knocked up out of 2 redundant ammunition boxes. They were superseded by an equally abandoned plastic (recycled) dustbin which in turn was overtaken by the Rolls Royce of them all crafted by our friend Dave Foot.

 The foundation if you like is the modest, plastic

GARDEN PLANTER
into which a series of cut in half

EGG TRAYS

are laid (no pun intended) but brings with it a moment of conjecture, not disimilar to the perenial puzzle argued over for centuries by coffee drinkers as to whether you are a MIF or a MIL. Being an ex-military man this is a no-brainer as, in the same way as every article possible of your kit had to be folded to the size of a Seamanship Manual and placed in the exact correct spot,

 who in their right mind would want to put the rough edge against a smooth bulkhead  of the planter. There is always much mirth discussed when my fellow trappers pay a visit but no logic to their opposing view. As far as MIF's and MIL's are concerned I care not if the Milk goes in First or Last!

SMOOTH

A perspex plastic collar as a rain guard and being see-through
an opportunity to guage the catch before opening the trap.

Into this is fitted a silver lined (to reflect the light) funnel which cannels the
Insects to their bed for the rest of the night and into which is filled a

cruciform baffle arrangement, again to help coax the Moth into the egg trays.
along with an appropriate lamp holded into which is screwed an
Edison Screw 125 Watt Murcury Vapour Lamp.

The power, from various sources, (mains, generator etc) has to feed through a Choke which is where I become out of my depth as, Seawater Only, that does something to the wiggly amps?

With the whole jolly lot being topped off with a (as if you need telling) a

PUDDING BASIN

another guard against wet weather!

And finally, harking back to the “opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information” regarding the rough or smooth, there is one moment of conjecture we have no argument with.

I would rather have a full bottle in front of me, than a full frontal lobotomy!