Can't visit Trentham without popping to the Kingfisher hide! One brief landing put a number of fly-bys.

Turned dull at Trentham Gardens but managed a tick in form of the caddis Limnephilus decipiens plus a hoverfly I have not seen for a good while Chalcosyrphus nemorum.

Next year's Green-veined Whites in the making. They may be common but they are quite pretty.

48 Lunar Underwings made up most of the catch. There is a small gap beneath the patio door and was interesting that a tight cluster of 8 gathered there. Wonder if its a pheremone thing. Also a Rush Veneer and Silver Y. #TeamMoth

Not a great photo but just had this confirmed as a Willow Emerald by the CR. It is from Womere on Cannock Chase, Staffs. Never really expected it there as there is only a small scrubby willow; more birches. Spreading slowly across the county.

One of my favourite spots on Cannock Chase has got to be Womere pool. Fantastic spot for dragonflies. Here is a fine Common Hawker, showing off the distinctive yellow leading edge (costa) to the wing.

Pleasant couple of hours on Cannock Chase. These were the only two Fallow Deer that we saw.

I don't usually run the moth trap on consecutive nights but as it was probably the last night of southerly winds I did. Got another Clifden Nonpareil, a Dewick's Plusia (below), Rusty-dot Pearl and Scarce Bordered Straw so a good decision! #TeamMoth

Pine Carpet and Small Dusty Wave in the moth trap last night (VC39). #TeamMoth

interesting assemblage here in (SJ93) best being a Clifden but also Scarce Bordered Straw NFG. Supporting cast of 20+ Lunar Underwings, Pine Carpet, Small Dusty Wave and first Merveille DJ. #TeamMoth

Some Black Darters out at Tanygriseau last week.

Couple of shots from early morning walks to Porthdinllaen. Still dull but sun just starting to break through. Buzzard, Rock Pipit and Stonechat.

Sea passage was quite good off Porthdinllaen last week. here are a couple of Gannets battling the winds.

Love to see and hear Sandwich Terns. Here are a few at Morfa Nefyn last week.

Peregrine Falcon having lunch at RSPB Conwy last week.

On a return visit to Tanygriseau, North Wales, was pleased to see the Ivy-leaved Bellflower still flowering and some Rusty-back Fern on a ruined building.

@naturelark.bsky.social Moira, is this just Trifid Bur-marigold or Beggarticks? The flower seems a bit small for the former.

Also at Trentham were Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies and Common Darters. Brown Hawkers would not pose for me!

We saw a number of Hornets hunting through the waterside vegetation but they wouldn't keep still. Then one landed and proceeded to have lunch! A hoverfly Helophilus pendulus was the hapless victim! Interesting that it bit its head off first.

I guess best of all at Trentham Gardens was a mating pair of Willow Emerald damselflies.

Trentham Gardens is great for dragonflies just now. We had dozens of these super Migrant Hawkers.

Plenty of Ruddy Darters at Trentham gravel pit.

Common Emerald Damselfly in the old gravel pit at Trentham.

A hunch paid off; my first Willow Emerald Damselfly in Staffordshire. At old Trentham gravel pit. A species spreading across the country from the SE. Only a few localities in Staffs so far I think.

I know they are getting "common" but always a thrill to have a Red Kite low over the garden.

Small Copper on Helenium in the garden. They are having a good year.

The yellow and black-banded hoverflies can be tricky to ID. Black antennae, yellow femurs (apart from the base), parallel bars on an orangey-yellow abdomen and frons with a black central stripe, makes this a female Epistrophe grossulariae.

back to reality. 12 species and not a rarity of lifer amongst them! #TeamMoth

Was expecting more but when one is a female European Corn Borer and a lifer to boot, that will do:) #TeamMoth

Hoverflies, like this Eristalis tenax, are major pollinators!

This is the largest of the 3 species of Helophilus hoverfly most commonly met with; it is Helophilus trivittatus. It differs from H. pendulus and H. hybridus in not having a black line down the face, mainly black tibia and paler lemon-yellow abdominal spots.

I guess it’s not unexpected to find Hemp growing wherever people feed the birds or go fishing as it is a constituent of seed mixes and some baits.

I last came across the striking Golden Plusia in July 1983! Long wait. New for the garden of course; also Rusty-dot Pearl, Dark Sword-grass and Beet Moth, so good night for migrants. #TeamMoth

Unusual to see a Chiffchaff feeding in the middle of what passes as a lawn.

These hoverflies with yellow bands can be tricky to identify. The short hairs on the abdominal segment margins and the well demarcated black frons mean that this is a female Eupeodes latifasciatus.

Missed that Rosy Rustic 😀 #TeamMoth

A new hoverfly for the garden today, Dasysyrphus tricinctus.

Having never seen the hoverfly Ferdinandea cuprea in the garden until last week, another turned up today. Is it having a good year I wonder?

Sometimes the moth trap by-catch produces the goods. This is the ichneumon Enicospilus ramidulus ✔️ #TeamMoth

At last 3 of the minute migrant Beet Moths Scobipalpa ocellatella in an otherwise dull moth trap. New for the garden and new for me too! Also 5 Orange Swifts; the most I've had in one go. #TeamMoth

Syritta pipiens is one of the commonest hoverflies around just now yet its small size means it is overlooked. These shots show the thickened hind femurs and grey sides to the thorax.

Amazed to get this scarce Staffordshire hoverfly in the garden. Ferdinandea cuprea. Only seen it once before - in Needwood Forest.

Any spider folk out there? This would seem to be Heliopachma flavipes as it has pale, unmarked legs but I guess it's not as simple as that :) It was on North Staffs Moors. Suggestions welcomed.

2 orangey moths last night; Orange Swift and the migrant Rusty-dot Pearl. #TeamMoth

Another insect in abundance on Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Gun Hill reserve was this distinctive fungus gnat Sciara haemeroboides. They were all over the grass flowers, especially Purple Moor-grass.

Our visit to Staffordshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Gun Hill coincided with a mass hatch of the bibionid fly Bibio pomonae. There were clouds of them everywhere. An impressive insect close up.

Rusty-dot Pearl was only my 3rd record. Other than that a very autumnal feel with Square-spot and Flounced Rustics and a Centre-barred Sallow. #TeamMoth

In a state of shock! Only 17 species but 2 lifers. A seemingly fictional Ni Moth - nice to have as a bycatch of its own lure - usually Silver Y and Dewick's Plusia :) But also Small Mottled Willow. #TeamMoth

Earwigs don't feature much on here so here is the female Common Earwig. Thought it looked good back-lit.

Two that I don't get very often; Lime-speck Pug - one of my favourites and Small Wainscot only once before in 2004 #TeamMoth