Pink-barred sallow and Spruce carpet new moths to me trapping at a local mire on Friday evening. Plan to repeat these traps periodically, should be interesting. Meanwhile home LED actinic trap dominated by 34 Lunar underwing (in 67/12). Nomophila noctuella. Otherwise standard fare. #teammoth

Ninja campsite mothing turned up an interesting crambid tonight : pretty sure this is Evergestis limbata. I've emailed Bucks. county recorder. Anyone else know this moth? New to me (and not seen in Somerset I don't think). #teammoth

One of a pair of Hummingbird Hawk-moths seen nectaring on the kaleidoscope of salvias at Kingston Lacy NT garden yesterday, near Wareham, Dorset. OM-1/PanaLeica 100-400, ISO1000, f6.3 1/2000 sec #teammoth

A bevy of Beauties in last nights trap included a NFG Lilac Beauty that took my breath away. The migrants were mainly imagined whistling overhead in the southerly, heading for Minehead it seems. ECB, ferrugalis and a tired (?retrapped) Vestal consoled. Next, a camping (&ninja #teammoth ing!) break.

Some of the 2500+ shelduck at Stert Point in the strong westerly over high tide earlier this evening. A single Manx shearwater in the channel between the north end of Stert Island and the Point was a Somerset first for me. 4 Wheatears between North breach and Stert point. #somersetbirds

1/2 Trapped 2130-0400 TA4 VC5 Somerset and missed most of the showers. Temp down to 12degC, however. Trickle of migrants with 5 N. noctuella, 1 U. ferrugalis and a Vestal . Autumnal colours with Frosted Orange (NFY), Barred and Centre-barred sallow and some tired hornets. (contd .) #teammoth

This afternoon's Osprey at Noah's, Shapwick. Fishing in a very shallow Noah's Lake. Seems it's been here a few days. #somersetbirding

Required reading for wet Sundays when the trap is empty #teammoth

Migrants continued to appear on 25/8 (TA4 VC5 Somerset) with my first Scarce Bordered Straw of the year (NB green eyes!), 6 EC Borer and N. noctuella. A nepticule could be a locally scarce beet moth (taking advice). Among the NFY, Bordered Beauty and Centre-Barred Sallow also stood out. #teammoth

The fragile but crucial balance between animal and plant. At Langford Heathfield local nature reserve today. #WorldPhotographyDay #succisapratensis #devilsbitscabious #pierisnapi #greenveinedwhitebutterfly #somersetwildlifetrust

Full night with two LED traps brought 82/37 with 5 NFY including Small blood-vein and Six-striped rustic and a trio of migrants: my freshest Vestal of the year, same for ECB and a U. ferrugalis, the last moth I found on my second look through all the trays and equipment. #teammoth

A quiet trap just 2030-2330 with small numbers of regulars, a mercifully solo hornet, and a stealthy appearance (see photo) of the melanic form of box-tree moth. B-TM till a rare sight here with only 5 previous sightings (3 in one night) since NFG in October 2023. #teammoth

#teammoth Trapped night of 15/8 with new all LED set up (Robinson and bucket) : small mottled willow, ECB, Vestal, HBHM prob. migrants; codling moth/C.pomonella, chequered tortrix/A. selasella, Orange Swift and Maiden's Blush all NFY. 3 Copper underwing agg. my highest total of this. & 15 Hornets..

Modest catch, good in parts here at the Rectory on Monday night despite rain. Pinion-streaked snout was NFG , a freshly-polished wax moth, NFY. The Silver Y was tiny (15mm maybe): larval starvation? Other migrants : small mottled willow, rush veneer. And Jersey Tigers of course.. #teammoth

Meteorological quirk meant 148 moths of 50 species to MV light VC5 (TA4) 6/8. Biggest take of migrants of the year so far: Vestal, U. ferrugalis, N. noctuella 2, Small mottled willow (6), White-point, Angle shades. White-point and Small rufous among 5 new to the garden. 20+ hornets 😅. #teammoth

A night of extremes in VC5 for 30/5 #teammoth trap. Rustling noises low down in the Robinson turned out to be the 5cm+ restless bulk of a Great silver water beetle, while the Oak Eggar sat quietly in the LED bucket trap. Found on 2nd look were two new micros : Y. penella and (prob) C.?deauretella.

This subtler variation of the many guises of Marbled Green to actinic light yesterday: yet another new for garden in a rich year for moths locally. #teammoth

1/2 Best group of poss. migrant #teammoth 's for months last night TA4 VC5 Somerset: N.noctuella/Rush veneer, U. ferrugalis/Rusty-dot pearl, Dark sword-grass. Returners : Gold spot (last seen here 2020), Red underwing ('23) and Latticed Heath was NFG and a surprise as scarce.....(contd.)

First #teammoth -ing opportunity for a bit and jumped at it despite 20-30mph gusts. Steady as you go with 129/43 and some nice NFG in 7NFY: Sallow kitten, Hypatima rhomboidella, and nationally-scarce White-line snout. Face-plant specialist Catoptria falsella always welcome too!

First Jersey Tiger of the year : sitting waiting for me when I went in search of a watering can earlier... #teammoth

Big haul (400+/75) in near perfect conditions here nr. Taunton Somerset VC5 on 4/7/25. Notables: Minor shoulder-knot, Crocosema plebejana, A. yeatsiana NFG; favourite NFY: Herald, Copper underwing, Box-tree moth. 3x2W LED bucket took 7/14 NFY despite 125W MV 50m away! #teammoth ing always surprises.

A few heathland/woodland moths on today's Quantock Hills butterfly transect. Agriphila iniquitella/barred grass moth, Northern spinach, Cydia splendana/chestnut tortrix. Plus a full list of the regular high summer butterflies seen up there including this splendid silver-washed fritillary. #teammoth

An unexpected lesser spotted woodpecker on Over Stowey Common today. (Gus Robin is aware.) #somersetbirding

3 weeks in the lives of the local spotted flycatchers. #somersetbirding #spottedflycatcher

On goat willow next to dead hedge in my garden nr. Taunton VC5 : Italian bark moth M. italica ? Website suggests a scarce but increasing moth in Somerset. @mothiduk.bsky.social ? #teammoth ?

Flatford Mill Suffolk Moths & Butterflies course (D Brown, Field Studies Centre) : 22 lifers for me among 131 macromoths in 2 nights. Some good moths included sharp angled carpet, least carpet, brown-veined/obscure/silky wainscots. In good company and iconic surroundings. #teammoth

1/2 The night of 25/6/25 ranks as my best catch since starting mothing in 2020: 267 of 69 species (MV 125v, VC5 Somerset) would have finished me off a couple of years back but only creased me 😵‍💫 this time. Interesting migrants : Bordered straw NFG, Small mottled willow NFG and European corn borer....

Hurscombe nature reserve West Somerset today: just one very worn Small pearl bordered fritillary (9 found 2/6/25). 10 Silver Y but no other migrant moths found. Sandy carpet a nice find (my 2nd ever) in a long list of common moths. #teammoth #migrantmoths

@mothiduk.bsky.social what do you think about the paler browner clearwing in the lower 2 images? Just another currant clearwing with light markings?

5 minutes with the ALS TIP lure next to currant fields near Oake TA4, Somerset, and 20+ clearwings appeared: think they were all Currant clearwing but one was notably paler and browner albeit apparently having the thin bands on the abdomen like a currant. Any thoughts please? #teammoth

My wife's cousin lives in Western Australia and had fun with her children watching this moth emerge from a pupa they found. Do any of our Aussie #teammoth team-members know what this is as we'd love to feed back to these folk?

@mothiduk.bsky.social please could you advise on ID on a 2-3mm micromoth that came to the VES lure VC5 TA4 Somerset yesterday pm. Photo has been a challenge to say the least but the poor images I've gained are attached. Nematopogon granted, but is this 12.019 N. ruricolella? Moth retained #teammoth

Never thought I'd see the day! Washing day. #teammoth

1/2 Night of 11/6/25 lived up to expectations with a good haul of 69 moths of 47 species. Good mix of a warm humid night, clouding and rain as I wrapped up at 0500h. A 10 day gap in trapping so 12 NFY but 5 NFG a nice surprise: Green oak tortrix,Treble brown-spot, Small fan-foot, (contd) #reammoth

Here's a superb Feline from the moth trap here in Normandy. No one despite a lot of followers seems to see my posts so perhaps tick if you see this. #moths

First time out with ALS "big six" clearwing lures this morning : MYO : 3 red-belted within 1/2 hr so taken down ; then VES , single orange-tailed within 1/2 hr. Any hints on strategy for the rest of the day (given I also have TIP/HYL/AND/API and just have the one little ALS trap)?? #teammoth

#BeTickAware and be aware of the symptoms of #LymeDisease. To know is to help prevent getting a proper nasty condition I promise you will not like. #birdingScotland #birdingWales #TeamMoth

1/2 This morning at Hurscombe Reserve, Wimbleball Lake Exmoor National Park/SW Lakes Trust. Despite the conditions (mainly cloudy cool with a stiff breeze) 9 Small Pearl-bordered fritillaries found on a sheltered steep bracken bank. Other butterflies and moths found around the reserve: (contd.)

Steady going with Thursday night's trap in apparently perfect conditions yielding 65/31 including Small dusty wave NFG Willow beauty NFY Flame NFY Brown silver-line NFY Common footman NFY Small yellow wave NFY Mottled rustic 2 NFY E. postvittana LBAM NFY. Keep on mothing.. #teammoth

Forwarded to Friends of the Quantocks chair in case they can publicise. Hard on the heels of 2024 Exmoor and Quantock heathland/moorland bird surveys, which may have affected volunteer numbers, but unlike the broader surveys these are limited to Dartford and Nightjar locally (Meadowlark elsewhere).

Rain on and off all night but 12 deg C and (as noted en route from the pub = decision time!) plenty of moths about on Saturday night (VC5 Somerset). 80 moths/39 species, 20 NFY and 3 NFG, 18th trap night of the year: White-pinion spotted NFG, Poplar grey NFG, Marbled orchard tortrix NFG. #teammoth

1/2 First attempt at al fresco mothing last night, at a damp heathland location (with permission). "51"/10 Brown silver line 20++, Scoparia ambigualis 12, Flame shoulder 5, Green carpet 5, Neofaculta ericetella 4, Angle shades, Purple bar, White ermine, Common carpet, C. ulicetana.... #teammoth

Grey pug and Alder moth were new to my VC5 garden last night, with year first showings for Silver Y, Spectacle and Heart and Dart. Just two hours trap time and some net swishing 😅 2130-2330 so pleased with 25/18 and may do this in preference to v. early starts for time being. #teammoth

Langford Heathfield reserve today for butterfly transect : scanty rewards on this mixed woodland and heathland site but some nice micromoths included this stunning Alabonia geoffrella and a grey tortrix that I can't pin down : @mothiduk.bsky.social please would you advise? #teammoth

Day-flying moths outnumbered butterflies on a cloudy Hatch Hill near Somerton, South Somerset yesterday. Five -spot Burnet, Anania fuscalis/rattle pearl : probable & apologies for a poor image, the best I could achieve; Cream-spot tiger moth; Latheonympha strigana / slender rufous tortrix. #teammoth

Worked hard to get 25/17 with all 3 of the NFG moths netted around the traps late evening : Little buff-tip /P.(!) combinella, Brown silver-line (I'd seen lots on the local brackeny hillsides, but never here) & Mottled pug. Clouded silver, Treble lines & Mottled rustic all NFY and early. #teammoth

See previous post and Martin Harvey's kind response. I have a Soft Shield fern in the garden and this is teeming with the same moth this evening. The Australian (and increasingly, Southern UK) moth Pachyrhaba steropodes favours this plant #teammoth

Two micros. I took from mixed woodland here in VC5 Somerset but cannot pin down. Heliozela sp.? & AN-other. Latter found in numbers in daylight flying around and landing frequently on croziers of fresh bracken : @mothiduk.bsky.social please can you advise? #teammoth any help gratefully received.

1/2 Fun time waving uv torches at elms late evening : we found at least one WLH caterpillar candidate way up out of reach. Learning curve is steep. Attracted kamikaze May bugs (ouch!) and moths. Thus, late decision to put a trap out when I got home. Trap wrapped up literally 0600. #teammoth (contd.)