Status
.....A common migrant to southern areas of the UK, but
usually much rarer inland. In Nottinghamshire, Small Mottled Willow tends to be
recorded only during good migrant years such as in 2006, when there were
records from Broadholme (multiple records), Kirton Wood, West Burton
Power Station, Keyworth and Lound Wood at Eakring.
2015 produced
more records, again including multiple records from Broadholme, with
singles from Misterton Soss and the Idle Valley NR. The most recent
county records are from Hollyside September 17th 2017, Rampton August
3rd 2018, Elkesley
September 6th 2024, Newthorpe September 8th 2024. 2025 records
include single moths at Stanton-on-the-Wolds June 30th, Misterton July 4th, Broadholme
July 29th, East Bridgford on August 7th, singles at South Muskham on
August 9th and 11th and two at Lound Wood on August 10th.
In 2026, there were large numbers
of Small Mottled Willow recorded from some parts of the
continent and good arrivals were noted from some southern parts of the
UK. Unusually early Nottinghamshire records included singles at East
Bridgford on May 24th, at Broadholme and Lound Wood on May 25th and at
Tuxford on May 26th. Other late May records included two at Colwick (one
dated May 28th), Misterton also on May 28th and Mansfield on June 1st.
But many more Small Mottled Willow were to come, with a number of sites
recording multiple counts, best of which (to date) seems to be 43 to a
20W Skinner light at Elkesley (Coombes, P.) on July 6th. Numbers, both
nationally and locally, surpassed all previous years and involved
massive numbers arriving in the UK. These subsequently bred again, to
produce even larger numbers, all the time with moths still arriving from
the near Continent, leading to many recorders getting double-figure
counts from many sites across Nottinghamshire during the course of 2026. |
