With temperatures plummeting after a wet day in VC20 and a clear sky I've already avoided the empty trap with Winter Moths and a Brick! #teammoth

www.railstaff.co.uk/2020/03/23/a... Apparently my brother has decided to retire after 59 years working for Network Rail. He is getting a long serviced award! The article is 5 years old! @everylaststation.bsky.social @geofftech.bsky.social @busandtrainuser.bsky.social @thattallbloke.bsky.social

A nice haul in VC20 last night of 27:8, helped by a few female December Moths appearing, 16 in total (still not my highest count), there was a mating pair & some eggs. Late Clancy's Rustic & LYUW plus 3 Red-Green Carpets & a Chestnut (not yesterday's missing one) & the usual micros! #Teammoth

I was a bit optimistic taking my note book with me this morning in VC20! Mild temps arrived bit too late+it rained a bit. 6:5 in total, incl the disappearing Chestnut that bounced out of the egg box & on to the ground SOMEWHERE! It was quite a nice looking one & I wanted to get a photo! #Teammoth

The Times 27/11/2025 Nature Notes #teammoth

The grand total in my VC20 garden last night was 10:5 which included Dark Sword-grass & 6 December Moths; the Winter Moth and Red-green Carpet had gone by the time I wandered up the garden. Plus 1 x LBAM!! Only 1 slightly damp egg tray! #teammoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

After two nights of an empty trap in VC20, a single December Moth arrived some time overnight. #teammoth There are only so many photos that you take so I didn't!

4:3 moths were sheltering from the rain this morning in VC20, hoping not to be released I suspect! I almost needed my notebook! When it stops raining I will check nothing else was hiding, I wasn't hanging around this morning to check! #teammoth

Well it had to happen & the first night since the 9th Feb, I suffered the envitable! 0:0 not even a micro! (I was actually away for the rest of Feb & it might have happened again?) The moth trap will continue to be used but I don't take the note book as I can remember the numbers or not! #teammoth

I'm curious when posters report NFG macros - how long have they been trapping? For example I've recorded 425 macros in my edge of town VC20 garden since 2002, initially using an MV but mostly twin 30w now 25w actinic most of the time using a Skinner! What's everyone else time span #teammoth

A modest catch in VC20 last night with 17:12 incl. micros. A Merveille du Jour over a week since my last one brought this year's MduJ total up to 81 (av. over 19yrs is 15). 3 Winter Moths (none in Jan) making macro species 307 my highest ever garden yearly total! Plus a nice Satellite #teammoth

A very wet but mild night in VC20 didn't deter a few moths 16:13 macro 6:4 micro. My 218th garden record of Clancy's Rustic this year. 1st recorded 2020 (1), 2021 (1), 2022 (3), 2023 (92), 2024 (24 but away for 6 weeks in June/July). Now 218! #teammoth

My Monopis from last night is a *****r!! 8mm single wing & these 2 photos are the best I can get. It moves the minute you take it out of the fridge!!! Not helped by another dirty pot! Obsidentify suggests crocicapitella which would be NFG! Otherwise it was 23:14 macro & 9:4 micro in VC20 #teammoth

A quiet night in VC20 despite the mild temperatures. Wind and rain until midnight! 8:7 macro (yesterday 5:5) but it did include a Silver Y which normally wouldn't be noteworthy but only my 8th garden record of 2025! 18 year average is 29! #teammoth #migrantmoths

Mild in VC20 last night 16:9 macro incl penultimate (expected) NFY Scarce Umber! Anything else will be extra. Confirmation please of this frisky micro in the dirtiest pot I could possibly find last night. Obsidentify says 100% Crocidosena plebejana a rare Herts moth? Not NFG though. TIA

A grand total of 8:7 macro in VC20 last night (4.6c at midnight, min 2.9c!) with new for autumn Mottled Umber, a late Shuttle-shaped Dart + this micro 8mm single wing, I suspect a worn LBAM but is it? #teammoth

Help please with an ID request. Going through my Obs. images, I didn't name this moth. I should know it but the date stamp is the 13/08/23-I didn't download the App to ?2024 & I didn't trap he 12th this year? Obsidentify is having a hissy fit trying to identify it from the computer screen #teammoth

My optimism last night was short lived! 36:17 macro in VC20 was good but not perhaps as good as I hoped for? Garden Carpet appeared briefly last night. Satellite & a smart for a change Brick stood out plus the 20 +/- Tachystola acroxantha (Ruddy Streak) - they were everywhere #teammoth

Conditions in VC20 are looking far more favorable than last night - the wind has dropped and currently 14 c. A smart Satellite had already arrived #teammoth

Some weird temperatures in VC20 last night. By midnight dropped to 4.8c rising to 12 at day break & rain! 15:10 moths with a NFY!!!! Sprawler! At last LYUW have almost finished. #teammoth

Searching blackthorn yesterday in a new field near the A1 in VC20 for Brown Hairstreak, yealded 8 Blue-borderedCarpet eggs & 2 Oak Eggar(says Obsidentify)caterpillars + the star of the show 2 Brown Hairstreak eggs ✅ My phone doesn't take photos of eggs very well! @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social #teammoth

In VC20 it ended up being a very mild night but too windy for some moths. 53:20 macro including a Pink-barred Sallow, only my 2nd record this year & a month since that but no NFY. Grey & Blair's Shoulder-knot hiding on the fence didn't get missed this time! #teammoth

This motley crew turned up last night in VC20 with a min temp of 2.8c. 10:8 macro & no micro and needless to say no NFY #teammoth

The moth gods were on my side last night with 59:19 macro and a further 8:3 micro in VC20. Best, another NFY & even better omitted from my wish list until I saw here that it was turning up. Figure of 8 and only my 4th garden record in 23 years! Also a late Dark Arches #teammoth

Checking past years 76:20 macro is nothing amazing at the end of October but still good in my VC20 garden. No NFY and nothing special but 10 Brick stood out! #teammoth

There is a moral here? Never assume even if it was 6.2c at midnight in VC20! Walked up to the trap, expecting a blank - saved by 2 Epirritas on the greenhouse glass. But then the trap excelled again with 29:12 including 8 Brick. Spot the odd one out in the 1st photo - I nearly missed it! #teammoth

The weather gods in VC20 are not on our side tonight! The light is on but I'm pretty sure my walk up the garden tomorrow will be cold and almost, if not fruitless! I am glad all my sensitive plants are in the greenhouse waiting for me to turn on the heaters' thermostats @wjrpb.bsky.social #teammoth

A warmer night in VC 20 brought out a few moths with 45:16 (no micro) and NFY December Moth! A nice selection of Feathered Thorns (4) after an initial slow start. #teammoth

For many years Saffron Green Open Space near Arkley, has been searched for Brown Hairstreak eggs but in vain. Yesterday Rohan found 1 egg, E of Borehamwood close to the A1 & within 1 km of the site!!! @savebutterflies.bsky.social @hertscc.bsky.social hertsmiddx-butterflies.org.uk/news.php#17376

Torrential rain from 8.30pm didn't deter 55:20 macro in VC20 last night. Amongst the leaf debris were late Yellow-tail & Mother of Pearl. Also Sallow & Oak Nycteoline. Don't think it's Eastern?? #teammoth

With clear skies & temperature dropping to 6.6c in VC 20 I wasn't expecting a brimming trap but pleasantly surprised with 34:17 macro including NFY Juniper Carpet & a late Blood-vein. Plus an 'epirrita' hiding on the fence - I took some photos this morning #teammoth

My VC20 garden continues to amaze me. High counts of species not exceeded since the early 2000s & numbers & species holding up again this morning 82:22 macro+3 micro! Highest count of MduJs with 8. Adding yesterday's different species makes 31 species in 2 days! This Is October! Just 1 pic #teammoth

Someone didn't check the fence properly this morning - well it was pouring with rain! Added 3 more to this morning's count so 68:23 macro in VC 20. Nearly missed a NFY in Grey Shoulder-knot (missing in the spring) Usual set of rubbish photos ! #teammoth

Pretty good totals for mid October in VC 20 last night. 91:30 macros plus 3 micros! Nothing really notable but NFY a Brick plus 6 M du J including a mating pair which I think is a garden first? #teammoth

Moth numbers are still holding up in my VC20 garden with 69:21 macro last night and a further 7:6 micro! However, my species list for 2025 continues to rise with more surprises - a Vapourer which had dropped off my radar and the first record in the trap since 2022! #Teammoth

An decent night in my VC20 garden with a garden milestone - my 2025 macro count reaching 294, a 22 year garden best beating 2022s 293 & still 3 months to go! NFY Oak Rustic 4th garden record, Mallow, a rare visitor and RL Quaker plus a very pink Vestal. 35 of 17 macro and 5 micro species. #teammoth

My VC 20 garden moths cease to amaze me! Confirmation please! Obsidentify is 100% confident (as are the books) that this is a Pale Lemon Sallow, a lifer and very rare Herts moth! #teammoth @mothyblackburn.bsky.social @wjrpb.bsky.social

It's taken 5 years to repeat this - my 2nd record of Clifden Nonpariel! It was so big I nearly missed it! My eyes were focused on all the smaller moths as I turned the blue/grey egg box over-132 of 17 macro species last night in VC20. Also new season Satelitte. #Teammoth @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

198 of 28 macro species last night in VC20. Including 2 Lunar Yellow Underwings - 4th & 5th garden records. They do stand out amongst all the Large & Lesser Yellows #teammoth My 1st record in 2021 was in July all later ones have been in September.

A difficult trap to count as it was raining (not complaining) but 252/28 macro in my VC20 garden this morning. Highlight a Pearly Underwing, only my 3rd garden record in 20+years and first since 2022 #Teammoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Obsidentify is saying 100% this is a Cosmopolitan. Does anyone else agree? @stevenash71.bsky.social #teammoth white hindwings VC20 garden

I spoke too soon about Jersey Tiger numbers being lower this year. A record 460 +/- this morning in my VC 20 garden plus 2 wasps causing mayhem. Never wish for a Jersey Tiger! #teammoth @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @wjrpb.bsky.social

Exciting news from #Stanwell_Moor a sighting of #Brown_Hairstreak by Dave Miller today. However if a full length 3rd runway at #heathrow_airport is built the site will be lost!!! @hounslowcouncil.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social @lnhs.bsky.social

It would appear this form of Box-tree Moth isn't that common. Next time it turns up in my VC20 garden I will retain one rather than just photo it!! #teammoth

Raspberry Clearwing to HYL lure at 6.30 pm (went out at 2.30). Patience required with this moth! VC20 #teammoth @mothyblackburn.bsky.social

Finally managed to see a flying Brown Hairstreak in Essex. @lizgoodyear.bsky.social and I have found many eggs at Claybury Park (over a hundred last winter) but, until this morning, I hadn’t seen an adult there. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Great to find 7 second brood Four Spotted with Sharon Hearle in NE Herts today incl on a new farm margin plus a record shot! #teammoth

So I went to mist my Hemp Agrimony this evening, but I didn't need to do it as a White-letter Hairstreak was already gorging. Shot probably out of focus as it wouldn't stay still! @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social