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Living World

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Getting up close and personal with wild nature in Britain and beyond.

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The Living World

Living World: Migrating Moths

Migrating Moths

21/11/2010

BBC Radio 4 - Living World, Migrating Moths

At a moth trap on the Lizard in Cornwall, migrating moths from the continent make landfall

On the most southerly point in mainland Britain Lionel Kelleway visits moth expert Mark Tunmore at the old lighthouse station, where they spend the evening looking for moths.

11/18. Many people think it's just birds that migrate to and from the British Isles. In this Living World, Lionel Kelleway travels down to Church Cove on the Lizard peninsula where he meets moth specialist Mark Tunmore. Sitting with their backs against a stone wall of the old lifeboat station on a warm autumnal evening overlooking the sea, Mark discusses with Lionel why and how moths migrate from not only the near continent, but as far away as Africa. 

With a low pressure system promising an influx of migrant moths, Mark and Lionel set up 6 moth traps around the Cove, and as dusk gathers pace, the lights of the traps begin to glow ever brighter. What will make landfall tonight? All will be revealed at the dead of night.

In the morning will the number of moths change significantly? Only by opening the moth traps will they know the true picture of our migrating moths.

Presented by Lionel Kelleway
Produced by Andrew Dawes.

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