“Bahhh”. Further bulletins as warranted. Fair Isle.

The trap was empty this morning but the lounge wall tonight turned up the goods. Just what you need while having a pint of Puffin (beer). Pearly Underwing. #TeamMoth. #FairIsle.

Sunrise Fair Isle. A Wogan at the moth trap unfortunately #TeamMoth

First afternoon on Fair Isle. Several of these guys, Rush Veneers, around in the heather. Told not to expect Mothfest this far north. #TeamMoth.

58 of 20 last night. Nothing new but a few migrants. Dark Sword-grass, Clancy’s Rustic, L-album Wainscot and 4-spotted Footman. A couple of Rush Veneers too. #TeamMoth.

27 of 19, on the night of the tatty moth. My latest ever Oncocera semirubella and a Riband Wave that looked like it had been in a war zone. #TeamMoth.

12 of 9 last night. Almost surprised there was anything given the wind. First garden Black Rustic. Such a smart moth in its sleek black costume like a comic superhero ♥️. Definitely a favourite. #TeamMoth.

Now the rain has at last got into the ground the fungi have started coming up in Herts. A few from the weekend with the Herts & Beds Fungi Group #fungi.

Yesterday I put out some stuff about moths and trapping at Panshanger Park Heritage Day where I survey for them to show the public what we do. Hopefully to encourage a bit of moth appreciation. #TeamMoth. #Panshangerpark.

Only 14 of 12 last night, a big drop in numbers. A very worn Clancy’s Rustic was the first I have seen this year. #TeamMoth.

Only 3h40min last night before the rain. Got smacked in the face by a L-album Wainscot that then flew off again. On turning the trap over to tap it out found a very worn Plumed Fan-foot under the rim. Persistence pays with mothing. Nfm & nfg #TeamMoth.

Last night was looking fairly boring in Tring, Herts until this worn moth was found in the last trap. I am hoping this is a Portland Ribbon Wave. A potential county first for Herts

I like these things. Hypoxylon howeianum. They start out looking like miniature versions of those expensive chocolate truffles then turn into little hedgehogs. Fungus season arrives. #fungi.

I usually get a couple of Vestals in the garden every year but nothing so far this year. On a fungus meeting this morning when one flew past me and settled. First for the year in Balls Wood NR. #TeamMoth.

Got lucky with one for the garden last night, after thinking I might have missed out. My 50th new garden moth this year, in what has turned into a very good year. #TeamMoth. Second wave or are they breeding?

The home trap had a very limited range of common moths ( I stayed up till 4 to empty it, an excuse for a fry up and slow early breakfast in the small hours🙂). Probably the most miserable Dark Sword-grass ever in it but a nice Small Emerald on the outside. #TeamMoth

A short session locally with @rahtringbirder.bsky.social didn’t turn up a heap of moths but nice to find 2 Hedge Rustics and 2 Autumnal Rustics right at the end. #TeamMoth. Very damp by midnight with dew.

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Another ‘snooze and you lose’ moth from last night. On the patio window by the trap but gone half an hour later. Worn but only the fourth for the garden. #TeamMoth. 91 of 20, a drop in numbers.

Sometimes it’s worth getting the blues. Clifden Nonpareil arrived in the last few minutes. #TeamMoth.

Back on 25/07. I had a grey moth in the garden that I had no idea about. Thanks to @dcousins85.bsky.social for identifying it for me tonight. It turns out to be Porter’s Rustic, Athetis hospes. An immigrant. Not many Herts records. #TeamMoth. This really is turning into an extraordinary year.

Three from last night. Evergestis limbata, the 5th this year here, uncommon in Herts. Delicate, a few regularly every year. Old World Webworm, Hellula undalis, currently no Herts records, which left me questioning my sanity for a couple of hours as not even many east coast sightings. #TeamMoth.

Mid Herts last night. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

My second Small Marbled in garden last night. Plus a picture of part of the bottom of the trap which is covered in scales (lepis) after a visit from 50 Jersey Tigers. #TeamMoth.

My night was fairly pedestrian, and decidedly not cosmopolitan. But pleased you get one good migrant. #TeamMoth.

Out with the Essex Moth-ers last night at Fingringhoe. New for me were Sandhill Rustic and Agonopterix purpurea. It was very still which possibly limited the catch but several common migrants were caught by people. #TeamMoth An enjoyable night though.

At Fingringhoe Wick last night this Great Silver Water Beetle, Hydrophilus piceus, decided to drop into my moth trap. To give scale to its huge size (5cm) I thought I would put my fingers by it, but it open up to fly just as I took the photo. It does show beautifully how it works though. #coleoptera

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

Jersey Tiger numbers dropped last night to 125. 68 species caught. Stayed with trap till 3 and got up to empty it at 4, bacon sandwich at 5 😋. Bucculatrix thoracella nfg, too small for my phone camera once tubed. Bombardier Beetle photo instead. #TeamMoth.

Jersey Tigers. 183 of them last night. No matter how pretty they are, they ruin a potential good night of mothing. #TeamMoth.

It’s still only August but September is just round the corner and it has come to stare at me. #TeamMoth.

Very quiet and disappointing session at Lemsford last night with @dcousins85.bsky.social and @rahtringbirder.bsky.social. Low numbers and only 52 species. Popped into the loo and looked up to see an Old Lady above me and then noticed a female Gypsy Moth next to me (no privacy 😂). #TeamMoth

You wait five years then they turn up like 🚌 🚌. 2nd garden Small Mottled Willow. At least in a different month. #TeamMoth.

Bedstraw Hawk-moth caught in Bishops Stortford by a lucky individual, who kindly let us see it. Well jealous. Superb creature. #TeamMoth.

Went to see the juvenile Black Stork yesterday. It gave excellent views in its favoured ditch. At the end it needed a little snooze 💤. Boyton, Suffolk.

We did a trapping session for the wood wardens in Sherradspark last night and there was an embarrassing lack of moths, 30 species. Not a great way to show people moths 😟. But a couple of Tanner Beetles turned up. #coleoptera. #longhornbeetles.

Survey in Panshanger Park Tuesday night with @rahtringbirder.bsky.social 124 species recorded so far. Nice to see the less frequent female Black Arches amongst several dozen males. Small Mottled Willow at the end. #TeamMoth.

Spodoptera exigua, Small Mottled Willow last night (nfg #724). Very worn specimen. But you get what you get, and inland the likelihood of perfect decreases. #TeamMoth.

The sun came out briefly today on our Botanical Tour and like magic out came Dark Green Fritillary butterflies and a Great Yellow Bumblebee. We also found some scarce plants for the Outer Hebrides with Lesser Water-parsnip and Sea Bindweed both performing well on Eriskay. #OuterHebridesWildlife

313 of 95 last night. Added 3 nfg (718). Caloptilia populetorum (photo), Epinotia ramella and Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing. The last you need more hands than I possess to hold, open wing and photograph at the same time, proving we were poorly designed. #TeamMoth.

Last weekend on the heath near Arne, Dorset. Smartest wasp I think I’ve ever seen. ♥️. Amazing to watch. Pseudepipona herrichii. #wasps #vespidae #hymenoptera. With @dcousins85.bsky.social. 🙏 to @gailashton.bsky.social.

A Beautiful Snout last night in New Forest garden, unfortunately on offer as half off. But new for us. Today a lovely find in the dunes was Small Velvet Ant. With @dcousins85.bsky.social #hymenoptera #TeamMoth.

Our Hants long-weekend garden moth list for three nights so far is 132. Last night’s highlight for us east anglia people was Horse Chestnut. Four-spotted Footman too. Large Emerald tonight. #TeamMoth.

This cranefly arrived on the side of the trap last night. Ctenophora ornata. It had obviously been in wars as two legs are missing. Stunning looking creature all the same. New Forest garden moth trap. #diptera.

Weekend with friends in New Forest, @dcousins85.bsky.social. Last night we trapped the garden and had a some new and nice moths. Plus early a walk in a bog and wood edge produce interesting things. #TeamMoth.

Hatfield Forest. Two Agonopterix species everyone was rather happy to see. A kaekeritziana and A angelicella. Photos of the same moth in each case, but shows how digital camera changes colours depending on background. #TeamMoth.

Hatfield Forest last night. “Birds do it, Bees do it” and apparently Ghosts do too. Ghost Moths. #TeamMoth.

79 species last night. I don’t have a Fig tree (though had contemplated getting one) so was surprised to see this Fig-leaf Skeletoniser on the trap. Garden #709. Saved me a few £, every little helps. #TeamMoth.

Watched the trap through the night again and it was back to normal with only 322 of 87 mostly common moths (possibly not enough air movement). An Oak Eggar was good to see (4th garden record). #TeamMoth. Some welcome rain this morning.