I have a moth by my trap in VC20. Pale Brindled Beauty! Temperature down to 7c and drizzling a bit. I think it's going to be the only moth though, let's wait and see? #teammoth

Starting the weekend as we mean to go on: with more positive nature news! Butterflies are booming in Hertfordshire thanks to the efforts of @stalbanscouncil.bsky.social, @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social and several other organisations. 📷: Malcolm Hull

Just been up my soggy VC20 garden and a blank has been avoided with a......LBAM, the excitement was overwhelming! I thought it had stopped raining - wrong ☹️ #teammoth

5:5 or 5:4 in VC20 depending on other opinions. Deffo Early Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty, Winter Moth, Dark Chestnut but what about this one? Is it Dark or a standard Chestnut-thoughts please, some angles its Dark-then it turns into a Chestnut; it was a bit frisky & decided to go for a walk! #teammoth

Finally a moth!! Winter Moth by the trap. A moth in 2025 I had to wait until November to record one with a similar period of blank nights after the new year #teammoth

Well I've done it and despite what I said yesterday, the plug is back in the timer and the tubes are lighting up my VC20 garden! Well one can only hope...........plus one from the spring to brighten up the rest of the day! #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths…drum roll 12. Lilac Beauty. Not a first, not even a second or third, not even rare, but in my opinion the most beautiful moth to grace my moth world. Maybe not everyone’s choice but the colours & structure are exquisite. Just one this year on 23/06/25 #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 11. White-barred Clearwing. I love recording Clearwings but this is a specialty although known from the Horning VC27 area. Since 2023 I’ve only recorded Currant, so in the morning 30/05/25 I put the lure out & went out, got back & too my amazement there were 3! #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 10. Orange /Light Orange Underwing. Since 2021, a pilgrimage is made to Balls Wood VC20 (aspen/silver birch rich) hoping to get close up to one of each species. On 24/03/25 I photographed a co-operative Orange. On 03/04/25 with a friend we found Light Orange #teammoth

VC 20 Adult Moth stats for 2025 1/4 Garden moths recorded incl aggs = 18949 Micro (approx) 3800 Macro 15149 Garden species recorded = 482 Micro 173 Macro 309 New for garden 26 Micro 20 Macro 6 Years recording 2002 - 2025 #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 9. Fox Moth. I had seen a Fox Moth before, but only in flight & at 90mph! On 02/05/25 staying at friends in deepest darkest SN73, my 15w actinic proved it could attract moths & the night before! In the trap was this beautiful, furry Fox Moth, a wow moment. #teammoth

One goes away for 2 nights, pulls the plug out of the timer & covers the trap up. Gets home, notes temperature & predicted night time temperature plus the almost full moon. Even I'm not planning on turning it back on for the moment. Time for 2025 stats! Photo of Porthkerry Viaduct instead! #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 8. Alder Kitten. My first record at Horning VC27 was on 31/05/03. Every year since, I have hoped for a 2nd & every year I failed until 28/05/25 when there was one sitting in the trap! I was thrilled, then on 03/08/25 a second one. I think 2025 was a good year! #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 7. Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth. An annual target (to get a better photo) at Cranwich Camp (VC28) but no luck this year. But on 12/06/25, I was leaving my brother’s house in Horning VC27 & a split-second sighting!! Photo of Swallowtail seen earlier that morning! #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 6. Pale-lemon Sallow. Another lifer in my VC20 garden on 05/10/25 & totally off my radar. I assumed at first it was Dusky-lemon Sallow (my last record 2019) but Obsidentify said different! A rare Herts species & first modern record for this side of the county #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 5. 460 +/- Jersey Tigers in one night. I have a love hate relationship with this species & on the 14/08/2025 I wandered up my VC20 garden & was greeted with the sight of approx. 460 individuals plus several other moths! Previous highest had been 299 in 2023 #teammoth

New Year's resolution 'one' - improve photos! For Xmas I got a new toy; a thing to put on my mini tripod that holds my mobile phone steady. (probaby for those dreadful selfie sticks!). So this morning I thought I would try it out - luckily I found a moth by the trap in VC20! Mottled Umber #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 4. Cosmopolitan in my VC20 garden on the 17/08/25. For some this is a regularly recorded migrant moth but in Herts (& Middx) far from it & this will be the only the 2nd record on the map (previous 2020). Not an impressive moth but still great to record #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 3. Exapate congelatella Frost Tortrix. A complete surprise on 11/12/25 in my VC20 garden & 1st county record since 2007. Many people have given up trapping by Dec, but I stick it out to the end of the year. I looked at it & thought I have no idea what you are! #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 2. Gynnidomorpha permixtana Coast Straw. Riverside at Horning VC27 on 30/05/25 & retained because I thought it was a one or other of something else but it turns out to be a very rare moth pRDB1 feeding on Water-plantain with only 2 other sites in VC27 #teammoth

My 12 days of Xmas in moths 1. Scarlet Tiger - I had been waiting patiently to record Scarlet Tiger as records got closer. My photo folders had countless photos sent to me by family & friends but none of my own but 2025 was the year it arrived in my VC20 garden with 2 individuals #teammoth

Nice to record some post Xmas moths in VC20 after 3 nights of those you no whats! 4:4 with Chestnut, Dark Chestnut, Winter Moth & Acleris sparsana. 3 New Year's resolutions: improve potting skills, try to get more photos in focus (only using mobile phone these days), learn left from right #teammoth

Will this be my last moth of 2025? Recorded last night in VC20, a single Chestnut hiding under an egg box! Happy Christmas to everyone & good luck in 2026 with everyone's moth journey. My trap will be on until the 30th so I haven't listed my standouts for 2025 yet! #teammoth

There is a Christmassy feel about my VC20 trap this pm with another Black-spotted Chestnut (photo tomorrow will confirm if a different individual to last week), what in the dark looks like a Dark Chestnut - just waiting for a Chestnut (one last night!) Temperature dropping, clear skies ☹️ #teammoth

That's a good start to the evening after 2 nights of nil moths. First a Chestnut & then on the water butt my first December Black-spotted Chestnut! This was at 5pm so it's not read the websites that suggest it might appear after midnight? #teammoth

@corvidcrazychap.bsky.social - I thought I would share my Harlow moth & butterfly pubs taken in spring 2021 during one of the lockdowns. Some of them don't look that appealing sadly!! I didn't find all of them! #teammoth. Names in descriptions. 1/4

Despite dropping temperatures, 12:5 last night in VC20. 5 Mottled Umber was more than is usual! Potted a micro early evening to realise it was Acleris hastiana only my 10th garden record! Picture of the macro haul, yes 6 Mottled Umber but which one was the one I recorded yesterday? #teammoth

What appeared to be a very quiet night in VC20 (just 4:4) - came a very big surprise in the form of Exapate congelatella!!! According to the website the first Herts record since 2007! Shows its worth trapping all year! #teammoth @mothyblackburn.bsky.social @lesevanshill.bsky.social

Yesterday, I went in search of Brown Hairstreak eggs at #BrookFarmOpenSpace in #LBBarnet. A new site in a known landscape. Pleased to find 19 eggs over 3hrs+.The books say young blackthorn growth, this female hadn't read the book! Record shot of egg on knarled blackthorn! @bc-hertsmiddx.bsky.social

After all my pessimism, it proved a quite productive trap this morning in VC20 with 11:9. I have convinced myself the Satellite is a different individual to the 8th (an advantage of taking photos). I think 1 of the Bricks I saw a few days ago. Also Red-green Carpet & Silver Y #teammoth #migrantmoths

My 'gowan' pessimism has been avoided. There is activity at the top of the garden #teammoth The Satellite might be yesterday morning's but the Mottled Umber is a new one!

A respectable 10:6 in VC20 last night although not everything stuck it out until the morning after it started to rain & 1 Mottled Umber found a spider's web☹️! Nearly missed the Dark Chestnut so it missed the photo call as did the Winter Moths & micros! Star a very smart Satellite #teammoth

Crediting @mothyblackburn.bsky.social I have been playing with my data since 2020 for macro species. I can't do the micros as until this year hadn't been counting species let alone numbers as they are too inaccurate (I just ticked as present/make an approx number up plus too many aggs!) #teammoth

Okay I am now predicting a 'gowan' in VC20. Today, we have had torrential rain; the sky has now cleared with a full moon and guess what the temperature is dropping! Still not using that word. #teammoth The only consolation is that if it is dry tomorrow I can go and look for Brown Hairstreak eggs!

The dreaded word being used was saved by these 2 in VC20. The temperatures rose, the rain didn't happen (although as I type is is raining) and there was some cloud. And my first attempt failed to send! #Teammoth

I didn't trap Monday night as it was VERY early start Tuesday. Got home put light on an hour late but still mild 8c, then it rained, then it dropped as far down as 1.2c 3:3 in VC20, December Moth, Satellite & Mottled Umber #teammoth I keep going!

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