The Supreme Court has dubbed Trump our King. And just days before our nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4th no less. It might sound like I’m exaggerating — but I’m not.

Some of the day-flying moths seen this weekend in South East #Northumberland. Highlight was a Beautiful China-mark in my garden, a new moth for me, and pretty uncommon here. Burnet and Cinnabar moths always a delight to see, and several very fresh Yellow Shell moths found at the coast. #TeamMoth

Hahaha! Welcome to #ManchesterCity, Elliot Anderson! A 5/10 performance, the worst #England player on the pitch, apparently, while Rashford, who literally ran the ball into the defenders nearly every time he got it, gets 8/10 www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Four of the Scopula/Eudonia moths last night. As usual, my brain can’t process subtle differences, so I’m still not convinced what I’ve got. At least 2 Eudonia lacustrata, I think, but two I’m not sure about at all: Eudonia mercurella possibly and Scoparia ambigualis? #TeamMoth #Northumberland

A strong letter in the Sunderland Echo cuts through the noise: Brexit was never the clear, coherent project its advocates claimed. As public opinion shifts toward Europe, the case for rebuilding our place in the continent grows stronger. #RejoinEU #Brexit

First trap for a couple of weeks, best of the year so far, 48 of 17, although half were Chrysoteuchia culmella. #TeamMoth Got a query about this Tortrix. Is it Grapholita janthinana? Several NFY: Barred Yellow Red-barred Tortrix Middle-barred Minor Sandy Carpet Green Carpet Riband Wave SD Wave

When it talks about the exceptional weather conditions being caused by Climate Change, why does the BBC prefix this with the phrase “Scientists say”? I know they are desperate to show balance, but this is a fact, not an opinion.

Nearly none. And the “nearly” is being generous. It felt like a bereavement when I woke up 10 years ago to the result, and still feels painful to dwell on a decade later. #FBPE

What a beast! Spotted this stunning Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina) at Xixi Wetlands near Hangzhou yesterday. The world’s largest hornet, which generated a similar sized hysteria, I was happy to watch this enormous wasp go about its business with no interest in me. #hymenoptera #hornet #Xixi

1. X is owned by a Nazi who is interfering in British politics. 2. Starmer and Labour post almost exclusively on X. 3. Musk is flooding X with content that's addictive and harmful to children. 4. Starmer continues posting on X. 5. Rather than censoring X, starmer bans kids from using social media.

Keir Starmer: I respect the founder of The Mloly Rose Foundation and the tragic event that led to the creation of this charity for suicide prevention and safer online environments Also Keir Starmer: Guess I'll just ignore the views or recommendations put forward by the Molly Rose Foundation.

Surely, after this, the Tories are toast? I know they’ll all defect to Reform, anyway, but giving up 1 of your party’s 3 places on a committee to a racist from outside your party, one too openly RW even for Farage’s motley crew of bigots and bastards? Really?

They say successful people wake up at 4:00 AM. Studies show they all have cats. 🤔

Still very few moths, but a small tortrix moth in the UV trap this morning gave me a surprise lifer. Eucosma campoliliana looks to be quite uncommon away from the coast in #Northumberland, so also nice to get this some 12km inland. #TeamMoth

Orchids everywhere I looked in #Northumberland this weekend. Bee-orchids and Northern Marsh Orchid from Lynemouth, Common Spotted Orchid from Linton Lane NR @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Some cracking moths at Linton Lane NR in #Northumberland today. Highlights were: Blood-vein, at least 6 Yellow-barred Longhorn, 15-20 Plum Tortrix, Hedya prunania, 2 Micropterix spp. - calthella and aruncella #TeamMoth

None of these tax dodging, foreign-based crypto billionaires and moneymen give a single shit about our country or democracy. They’re buying Farage power so he’ll remove our rights and protections to maximise their profits. It really is that simple and that corrupt. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Grifters UK

When he was an MEP, Farage excused his absences on basis that it was an illegitimate government and that sovereignty should reside in Westminster. He's now an MP in Westminster And he's been absent for 77 Parliament votes in a row. www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/whe...

A couple of uncommon #Northumberland moths this weekend, both new species for me. First was a Chinese Character to the UV trap on Saturday night, and then today, while taking a rest out on my bike, this longhorn moth, Cauchas rufimitrella, was fluttering about over sunny hedgerows. #TeamMoth

Holy fuck.

At last a decent #TeamMoth trap on Friday night in South East #Northumberland, with 4 lifers and a further 7 NFYs, including my first garden Poplar Hawkmoth. The 4 new moths for me in the captioned photos.

Thanks Pep. (Think I’ve got something in my eye 😢)

It’s in every paper every day, almost every news bulletin on every channel, frequently the headline. It’s no surprise. But my god, it’s a depressing state of affairs. What happened to my country? I don’t remember any news stories or BBC investigations into this for the first 40 years of my life. 😞

Count of Dodgy Crypto

Google very cleverly gives no useful answers or links in its first page any more other than the AI summary. All the other links on “search results page 1” are ads or hardly related, so getting any kind of answer without scrolling through 2 or 3 pages means using their copyright-infringing AI slop

Andrena scotica, the Chocolate Mining Bee, in #Northumberland today. #WorldBeeDay

1/ The latest Winter Gull Survey revealed that over the two decades since the last count, the total number of gulls wintering in the UK has decreased from 3.9 million to just under 2.5 million! 📉 #Ornithology #Seabirds 📖 Read the report www.bto.org/WinGSReport#Ornithology#Seabirds

League table doesn’t lie, sadly. They’ve been better than us overall across the last 9 months: more consistent and getting over the line in more close games. (Through gritted teeth:) well done Arsenal! And a Cup double is ample compensation! #ManCity #UpTheBlues

Wow 😳

Not sure if herons are strictly waders, but anyway here’s a Grey Heron on our neighbour’s roof for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme, #WadersOuttaWater.

Zilch in the UV trap over the weekend, but consolation came along in several shimmering Green Long-horn at Havannah NR, #Northumberland on Sunday. Also, a caterpillar I haven’t yet quite worked out (likely came off Scots Pine). #TeamMoth

The lovely, intricate, vibrant yellow flowers of Broom for this week’s #WildflowerHour theme of #CarrotsAndPeas. Havannah NR, #Northumberland.

Bournemouth and Fulham players who were sent off were just unlucky it wasn’t Doku they were tackling, as they’d probably not even have been booked.

www.youtube.com/shorts/dU7Df... You calling me stupid?

A Whimbrel and 9 Purple Sandpiper at North Blyth #Northumberland was some consolation on a miserably cold and wet bike ride this morning. Gannets and Sandwich Terns passing close by, too. To cap it all, a calling cuckoo at West Sleekburn in the cemetery. #NEbirding

A couple of micros knocked from plants in my #Northumberland garden today: Mompha subbistrigella (from Ivy) Argyresthia trifasciata (from ornamental cypress) #TeamMoth

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay themes are #SeaBirds or #Black. I guess this photo could be used for eider… (OK, a female Eider is brown, I know…)

The populist right don't give a crap about solving real societal problems. Just running a cretinous pantomime for people who mistake “owning the libs” for improving their own lives — while the men at the top quietly fill their pockets and walk away richer than ever.

Astounded to see a female Mandarin Duck fly from a tree near Hartburn Grange, #Northumberland. Nearest water Angerton Lake, I guess. Any previous records? #NEbirding

Warbler overload at East Chevington yesterday morning. Minimum numbers (mostly singing males): Cetti’s 5 Chiffchaff 12 Willow warbler 5 Whitethroat 2 Lesser Whitethroat 3 Sedge Warbler 6 Reed Warbler 1 Grasshopper warbler 3 Blackcap 1 Also, a pair of Marsh Harriers and an Otter #NEbirding

It’s not as if many of us don’t already know that Farage & co. (literally) are the UK equivalent of the #TrumpCrimeSyndicate, but it’s astounding how little traction this is getting in our mainstream media.

Finally, <something> in my UV moth-trap last night. Only 3/3*, but one lifer and one NFY. The Least Black Arches was a new moth for me, and the pug was the first Eupithecia this year. #TeamMoth #Northumberland *5/4 if I also count the porch light, where there were two Many-plumed Moths

Really looks to be a “good year” for #ladybirds in #Northumberland. Over the weekend, I’ve visited 4 locations each with 50+ 7-spot ladybirds, the local Nature Reserve having 80+ on vegetation within about 3-400m. Plenty of 14-spot, too, along with a surprising Eyed Ladybird on a nettle and a 2-spot

Two nice #beetles found today in #Northumberland take my British #panspecies list to 2000. Crepidodera fulvicornis, a copper-gold metallic leaf beetle was no. 1999, & a tiny weevil, Protapion apricans took me to 2000. Now 6 lifers for this year’s #CityNatureChallenge @panspecieslisting.bsky.social

A carpet of Bluebells and Ramsons, south east #Northumberland. #WildflowerHour

So much for thinking that my first year using a moth trap during the #CityNatureChallenge would boost my species count. 3 nights with the UV trap in #Northumberland: zero moths total 😳 Well, I can console myself with a handful of day-flyers and this caterpillar I haven’t yet identified. #TeamMoth

#CityNatureChallenge Day 1, recording in the North East England project, from #Northumberland. 90 Observations, 84 Species. One lifer (Tipula vittata) & 7 other NFYs. Best of the day, this parasited ladybird (Dinocampus coccinellae), although also happy to find a Lesser Whitethroat very near home

The richest man owns X. The second and fourth richest men control Google. The third richest man owns The Washington Post. The fifth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now the sixth richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?

And… we’re off! #CityNatureChallenge! Starting with a Brown House Moth. #Northumberland #TeamMoth @inaturalist.bsky.social