Heath-spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata) well into flower today on the Lizard, Cornwall @ukorchids.bsky.social

“If you build it they will come” to misquote a popular late ‘80’s movie ;) Large Red Damselfly (adult) and Darter sp. larvae both from the mini-ponds in the back garden #GardenWildlife #dragonflies #damselfly #Odanata Lovely stuff! @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Oops I missed #wildflowerhour by 48hrs .. so is it too late to share this Goldilocks Buttercup? I also missed the deadline for it being in flwr ;) #WestSussex #VC13 #wildflowers #missedtheboat ;)

When is a Bluebell .. not a Bluebell? #wildflowers #BuchanCountryPark #WestSussex Too early for #wildflowerhour ?

15 of 9 to Actinic last night incl. 2 Silver Y; 3 Mullein; Singles of Angle Shades and NFY Muslin Moth #teammoth #mothsmatter #migrantmothsuk #GardenWildlife

15 of 7 overnight across both Actinic and Blacklight traps. Frosted Green NFY and a crisp Lunar Marbled Brown added interest amongst the usual shades of brown #teammoth #mothsmatter #GardenWildlife VC11 SE Hants

First sighting of the year of Osmia Bicornis #Hymenoptera #GardenWildlife #BWARS #BeeHotel should be getting busy real soon

A short spell of potentially interesting weather from Sunday as very warm air from North Africa moves north over Europe. Monday night and Tuesday (away from the far west) look particularly interesting at this early stage. #teammoth

3 of 3 #teammoth to actinic last night An uptick given that a certain ol’ Irishman haunted the trap the night before ;) #mothsmatter #gardenwildlife

#wildflowerhour #bluebell #barrenstrawberry #woodanemone #commondogviolet in flwr NE #WestSussex #VC13 #wildflowers

My #Orchid season has just started, on one of my “local patches” NE West Sussex #Dactylorhiza fuchsii rosettes #wildflower #patchlisting wildflower meadow

This morning’s garden soundtrack was a large mixed flock of #gulls incl. the unmistakable cat calls of Mediterranean Gull. Ca. 7 miles inland from their breeding colony on #HaylingIsland #MedGull have been increasing in numbers locally for a couple of weeks now. They follow the plough #birdwatching

21 of 7 #moths to Actinic last night incl. singles of Mullein and Streamer, and two Brindled Beauty. Of the 12 Early Grey one did its utmost to blend in with the wall it was roosting on! #teammoth #mothsmatter #gardenwildlife

Always joyful to behold! Our first 2026 #gardenwildlife record of Bombylius discolor #Diptera #Bee-fly SE Hants VC11 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social it wasn’t the only critter sunning itself this afternoon .. hence the opportunistic photo ;) #BeeFlyWatch

I’ve always overlooked daffodils .. until a recent post on @bsky.app made me take a closer look and I’ve been rewarded with Norellia spinipes #diptera (noted for the first time on the 9th and then seen again today) NE West Sussex VC13 plenty of hx records on #iRecord but very few verified.

Slow worm made my fourth native #reptile specie sighting of the year NE West Sussex VC 13 Found under refugia mid-afternoon. @froglife.bsky.social @argroupsuk.bsky.social

NFG #bug #Hemiptera this morning, removed from a spider web in the #gardenwildlife whilst sorting moth trap: Arocatus longiceps / roeselii Not aware of any local London Plane .. so perhaps more likely the latter? Have agg. on #iRecord (or are they being treated as a single species now?)

5 of 3 to 20W actinic last night in SE Hants #teammoth #mothsmatter Clouded Drab being NFY Found a fourth Hebrew Character hiding in the log pile too!

21 of 8 last night across the two traps. The first time I have hit double figures this year of moths caught Looking forward to hitting double figures of species anytime soon #teammoth #mothsmatter VC11 SE Hants #gardenwildlife

I’ve deployed both #mothtraps this evening .. and I’m still feeling envious of those moth-ers who can launch an MV without their neighbours complaining! 🤣🤣🤣 #teammoth #mothsmatter

🙌 Woop Woop 🙌 my first #Bee-fly record of the year! Always a pleasure to see ❤️#Dark-edgedBee-fly #gardenwildlife #Diptera #SignsofSpring

Only a single Oak Beauty overnight to actinic in SE Hants #mothsmatter #teammoth #gardenwildlife

Today was the “Day of the #CommonToad” (Bufo bufo) with multiple sightings (Ca. 50 individuals) in the margins of a #WestSussex #Pond #Amphibians #SignsofSpring #Wildlife @froglife.bsky.social @argroupsuk.bsky.social

Today, I was more than happy to catch up with my first #reptiles of 2026 with 4 #Adder, and singles of #CommonLizard #GrassSnake on #Heathland NE #WestSussex @froglife.bsky.social @argroupsuk.bsky.social All records submitted to #iRecord

Our first #moth trapping session of 2026 and a single Common Quaker kept the ol’ twinkly eyed Irishman away. (20W actinic) #teammoth #mothsmatter

That was a cracking evening spent in the fire-light of #LittleWoodbury @butserancientfarm.co.uk listening to the tales of Slaine “The Horned God” @2000ad.bsky.social recounted by @jasonstoryteller.bsky.social Many thanks 🙏

Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrant) in flwr roadside on the Kent/Sussex Border 12/2/26 #Wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social (introduced/naturalised)

A chilling start to the evening with @nunkie.bsky.social #M.R.James #storytelling!

Tempted by the double figure temperature’s forecast and a cloudy sky, I got the #mothtrap out last night for the first time since mid-November. Rewarded with 3 of 3 #teammoth #gardenwildlife

Seems rather late in the year, but #Hedgehog poo was found on the garden path this afternoon? #GardenWildlife #mammals #hibernation @ptes-org.bsky.social #HedgehogStreet

10 of 8 last night #teammoth #migrantmothuk #gardenwildlife incl. singles of Ypsolopha ustella (NFG) White-point (mortally wounded) and Rusty Dot Pearl VC11 SE Hants #hantsmoths

I wasn’t going to put the moth trap again tonight having only had 5 of 3 last night. However an RDP to the kitchen window has changed my mind! #teammoth #migrantmothuk #mothsmatter #gardenwildlife #HantsMoths

This last week has seen Earthtongue sp. and Blackening Waxcap #WaxcapWatch appear on the road verge immediately adjacent to my house. Plenty of the former, only a single of the latter to date #fungi #VC11 #Hampshire @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk

#Samhain Blessings

Quite possibly the coolest #fungi that I have seen to date #FlutedBird’sNest (Cyathus striatus) on woodchip #BuchanCountryPark #WestSussex #VC13 #Autumn

40 of 18 last night: White-point making up a quarter of the catch. Three Merveille du Jour were quite splendid to see; and a single Palpita vitrealis added interest. #Hampshire #VC11 #teammoth #migrantmothsuk #mothsmatter

11 of 7 to Blacklight VC11 incl. singles of Endotricha flammealis and L-album Wainscot. 2 Barred Sallow NFY added some autumnal colour to the proceedings #teammoth #mothsmatter #migrantmothsuk

So a helpful BlueSky traveler has pointed out that my Devil’s Bit Scabious - (Succisa pratensis) is incorrectly labelled Devil’s Bit Scabious (Drosera rotundifolia) #ChunkyThumbs #WildFlowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

Devil’s Bit Scabious (Drosera rotundifolia) and Heather / Ling (Calluna vulgaris) in #flwr #WildFlowerHour #wildflowers Culswick, #Shetland this afternoon - seen on a slow walk to Broch of Culswick @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

ID advice welcome 🙏 #fungi #WaxCap #WaxcapWatch from #Shetland putative identifications as Vermilion Waxcap (Hygrocybe miniata) and Heath Waxcap (Gliophorus laetus) No ID books to hand so relying on a “well known” App for clues ;) on moorland SW mainland. @plantlifeuk.bsky.social

12 of 5 last night with singles of Blair’s Mocha & Clancy’s Rustic to add interest. SE Hants VC 11 #teammoth #migrantmothsuk #gardenwildlife to 25W Blacklight

72 of 18 last night in SE Hants VC11 Best of the bunch my second record of Portland Ribbon Wave. 3 Lunar Underwing were NFY I wonder how long it will be before they outnumber the Large Yellow Underwing (35 trapped last night)? #teammoth #mothsmatter #migrantmothsuk

My first garden record for Red Underwing (Catocala nupta) .. would have been easier to identify before it (presumably) got eaten by a #bat ? #teammoth #gardenwildlife SE Hampshire VC11 🙏 to #HantsMoths member for confirming ID

50 shades of brown (and yellow underwing) in the moth trap this morning the only splash of colour singles of Brimstone Moth and an unseasonal? Small Emerald #teammoth #gardenwildlife

Today’s highlight? when #Volunteers found a previously unrecorded location for Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) on site #orchids #wildflowers #BuchanCountryPark #WestSussex How these plants have gone unnoticed to date is beyond me? @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Home now (SE Hants VC 11) after an uneventful drive back from the Lizard. Stretching tired legs whilst watching Humming-bird Hawk-moth nectar on Red Valerian in the back garden. Never tire of these beauties! #teammoth #gardenwildlife

Last night’s trapping on Lizard, was woefully quiet with only 10 spp. to MV incl. singles of Palpita vitrealis, Dark Sword-grass a handful of Nomphila noctuella and a couple of Rusty-dot Pearl. #teammoth #migrantmothUK Thanks to @lizardnaturally.bsky.social for the loan of the traps

Away day trapping with 30spp. to MV 29th Aug, Lizard, Cornwall incl. singles of Convolvulus Hawk-moth, Palpita vitrealis, and a handful of Nomphila noctuella, and Udea ferrugalis #teammoth #MigrantMothUK