27th May : rounded off an amazing few days of trapping with 115/56 and another 19 new for '26 (bringing garden year total to 122 with 60 new since May 22nd!). Micros very much to the fore (thus the bleary eyes and pile of books out on the desk..) #teammoth

Yellow-legged clearwing to VES lure this afternoon 1445h, lure up since mid morning. Brief visit luckily landing in nearby bay tree for iPhone snap. VC5 nr. Taunton Somerset. #teammoth

Woodland moths and a couple of migrants to the low voltage LED traps in a disused Quantock hills quarry (with permission FoQ charity ): 3 cream spot Tiger, Green silver-lines, Marbled brown, Spruce carpet new this year. Dark sword-grass also NFY with Pale mottled willow. And geoffrella! #teammoth

@wheatersdave.bsky.social see below from Steve N so will miss tonight and build flagging energies for another potential blitz tomorrow night.

Night of 24/5/26: similar numbers to 22/5 (183/64 vs 157/60) but many changes: 24 more new for year notably Brown- (NFG), Small- and Ringed China-mark(s), Angle shades, Brussels lace and numerous micros. Migrants again with xylostella (10), SMW 11, ferrugalis 5, noctuella 1. Somerset VC5. #teammoth

Night of 22nd report: (where to start!?) 157/60 was quite a handful with 32NFY and 2 NFG: Eulia ministrana "The Minister" (rare in Somerset), Anania fuscalis "Rattle pearl" (also locally rare). To the bumper migrant crop (see earlier post) add Diamond-back and a few more SMW (30 total). #teammoth

@mothiduk.bsky.social could I please have your opinion on this one?

#teammoth I have drawn a blank on this micro, picture taken with headtorch illumination so colours may be off. It looks a little battered, also not helping. Any thoughts gratefully received.

@migrantmothuk.bsky.social thank you! Good night of migrant moths and plenty of excellent local moths : early counts made 25+ small mottled willow, 5 ferrugalis, 4 noctuella, silver Y. Totals well over 100/40 and plenty more to scrutinise. #teammoth

Pale-shouldered brocade has turned up around the country recently and pleased to join that club last night on a Quantock hills mire ( VC5 ) low voltage LED session. Of the others NFY were Neofaculta ericetella Yellow-barred brindle Treble lines Scalloped hazel Broken-barred carpet. #teammoth

1/2 : Surprised by scale of change in the moth trap last night : 27 of 19 species seen of which only 7 species were in the trap 5 days earlier. 9 NFY including Mullein NFG. Silver Y and Diamond-back again. Lychnis 2nd here, last 2020 : because campion now established in wildflower area? #teammoth

Successful hunt for Small pearl bordered fritillary at Clatworthy reservoir West Somerset today and some nice day-flying moths along for the ride: Speckled yellow, Brown silver-line, Silver Y (4) #teammoth

2 Diamond-back and a Silver Y nodded toward migration in a decent MV trap overnight. 29/17 included first sightings of Mocha, Chocolate-tip, Poplar hawk, Flame shoulder, "Many"-plumed and Silver-ground carpet. #teammoth

Dowsborough circuit this morning : first 2 spotted flycatchers, 12 pied flycatchers (1 female), 7 wood warblers inc 1 female with nesting matter. Array of other warblers, tree pipit, and an Emperor moth! Bacon and egg at the Carew Arms to celebrate. #somersetbirding

Low voltage LED popped out last minute on a humid night with a welcome shower of rain. Yielded 10/8 with 2NFG and a NFY. Monopis crocicapitella and Elachista argentella were the newbies, and 3 nicely green-tinted Bee moths gave a year tick. More trapping tonight given the migrant forecast. #teammoth

Fun 24 hours with the Leps: UV light found plenty of larvae of White-letter hairstreak on flowering elm with a group on Quantock hills last night; today on the hills I witnessed a gathering of several Emperor moths to lure. None lingered but I snapped a blurry memento. Just wow! #teammoth

Found in a garden shed today, really not sure what I'm looking at: hairy pupa perhaps of a hairy caterpillar species? Approx 2cm long. Thoughts #teammoth -ers, please?

Last night's MV trap gave 34 moths of 21 species, 10 new for the year & was not unlike the traps in late April 2025 albeit with no migrants thanks to the freshening northerly breeze in VC5 Somerset. Welcome returners included pale tussock, sandy carpet, dark spectacle, waved umber. #teammoth

It's that time of day. NB : Slight inclination of Robinson to the south 🤨. Roll in you clouds and come on down! #teammoth

Stitchwort flower moth Coleophora lutea on the host plant Stellaria holostea locally yesterday. Infrequently reported in Somerset (via Soms Moths site) and limited to southern counties acc. UKMoths website. Regular here, near Oake, TA4 VC5.

Over Stowey Common: Sandy Beds to Crowcombe Park Gate, Quantocks today. Notable birds were: Cuckoo briefly 0800, Garden warbler 5, common whitethroat pair, Redstart 2 singing males, Wheatear pair, Red kite. Many Willow warbler, Linnet Skylark etc. #somersetbirding

Trapping on a mire in Quantock hills (300m altitude) overnight with 2 low power LED bucket traps. Clear skies, 1/2 moon and pre/post temps. 14->8 deg C. Brown silver-line 2 Hebrew Character 1 Early grey 1 Brindled pug 1 Red chestnut 2 : this last new to me (home trap 6 miles away 75m alt.) #teammoth

Common Heath and Green Longhorn (Adela reaumurella) seen on yesterday's birding walk on Quantock Hills. A. reaumurella was in a group of several hundred in flowering bilberry in woodland. #teammoth

Two yellow wagtails out on the marsh at Steart this morning. They were calling and occasionally flying at several places along the pathway to the south side of the breach. Warblers were everywhere with 2 lesser whitethroats in the hedge along the Parrett end of Otterhampton marsh. #somersetbirding

6 Diamond-back/Plutella xylostella among 53/15 to MV light VC5 Somerset last night. Tricky pugs featured with final score draw 2-2 Brindled v Oak-tree after VAR. Milder night with southerly airstream. #teammoth

Cuckoo in the mist, Ramscombe Mire, Quantock Hills today. Calling occasionally, mobile and easily lost as visibility worsened. #somersetbirding

Fluffy pupa attached to a moth sheet before I went away so detached and popped into a pot with loose lid. Patiently waiting on return : Knot grass NFY. #teammoth

Herts. and Middx. Moth Group ( @lizgoodyear.bsky.social et al.,) hit the big time last night on BBC's "Have I got news for you" presented by (of all people, friend to moths) Monty Don, when the brilliantly named "Moth Mumblings" newsletter got a mention. Good episode, too. #teammoth

Monday: any activity most likely over SW Ireland. Tuesday: The pick of the nights, especially over Western Britain (perhaps further east along the south coast) and Ireland. A significant fall of Saharan dust possible in the west. Wednesday: Migrant activity most likely over Eastern England #teammoth

Relevant to #teammoth -ers, many of whom are birders etc.

Year list up to 18 with March moth and Clouded drab last night. 35 moths of 8 species satisfactory especially as the wind didn't drop until 0400-0600. TA4 VC5 #teammoth

To any Welsh #teammoth -ers out there, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus. And that blur in front of the daffodils is a Hummingbird hawk moth (Gwalch-wyfyn hofrol) in my garden this morning! Earliest sighting here by far. #stdavidsday

#teammoth followers will be interested in this lovely piece of video from John.

At Hestercombe Gardens nr. Taunton VC5 today. Recently planted rows of Holm Oak next to some ancient specimens: all extensively colonised by a blotchy but colourful leaf miner that seems to check out as Ectoedemia heringella. This is fairly new to Somerset so keen to pool ideas please #teammoth

Oak Beauty the undisputed star of a busier trap last night: 23 moths of 7 species and 4 more for the year list (now at 13 after 3 trap nights). #teammoth

Here's the charts for Tuesday and Wednesday - looking good! #teammoth

We should see the 1st arrivals in the west tonight, however it's later in the period that looks most promising. There should be a direct airstream from N. Africa from Mon, with Tues & particularly Weds looking promising at this stage, when high concentrations of Saharan dust are possible. #teammoth

WeBS Tealham and Tadham moors yesterday: 75-80% of the moor is flooded, favouring ducks and gulls with the largest duck numbers I’ve seen in 5 years surveying there. Wigeon 520, pintail 108 most notable. #somersetbirding

10 moths of 7 species in and around MV Robinson and actinic LED Skinner last night despite ice on a nearby pool and quite a lot of rain. (Very) Early thorn with my usual early moths : Hebrew Character, A heracliana, Spring Usher, Dotted Border, Pale Brindled Beauty, Chestnut (4). Year #9. #teammoth

Thanks for sharing your moths and landscapes!

A mild night with temps 10 ->8 deg C very little wind or rain and 8 moths: 3 A. heracliana/ciliella, 2 December moth, Chestnut, Mottled umber and trap star my second garden record of Pale Brindled Beauty. All to MV Robinson, VC5 Somerset. #teammoth

Put together a few of my favourite birding photos from ‘25 in my Flickr account, link in bio, with some thumbnails here to maybe entice?

Irish eyes may be smiling elsewhere in Southern England but a bevy of heraclianas while setting up means my first trap of the year is no Wogan. Trap just out as the rain heads off up country. #VC5 #teammoth

The Curry Moor Tundra bean geese (image shows 2 of 4 seen, thanks James Packer) and a twilight Short-eared owl near the Parrett bookended a good day out with the bins. #somersetbirding

Great Northern Diver Clatworthy Reservoir W. Somerset this afternoon. Phonescoped. Came nice and close! #somersetbirding

Here's a nice little diversionary activity for #teammoth -ers while our little darlings are having their winter rest. Brown hairstreak butterflies are most easily surveyed by counting their eggs in wintertime. In 2 hours at a local reserve I found 6 eggs on 1st/2nd year blackthorn suckers. VC5 TA1

Ruby tiger caterpillar found on the white sheet underneath the MV Robinson moth trap this morning. I don't often see caterpillars, let alone in or near the trap, although I hear occasional reports of this. Does anyone know if some moth/butterfly larvae are attracted to (UV) light? #teammoth

10/5 better than expected here in TA4 VC5 as were the overnight conditions with light drizzle the worst of it. Having been away through November December moth (m and f) and mottled umber (2) were NFY. Also U ferrugalis, chestnut (2) winter moth (4) and a very fluffy Ruby tiger caterpillar. #teammoth