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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A new moth for me from a couple of nights ago, Many Lined trapped in an actinic trap in my Dibden Purlieu garden, a migrant with few Hants records. #teammoth @hantsbic.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

A picture of today's male Verge Cricket attracted to light in Dibden Purlieu, S. Hants last night. Looking increasingly likely to be calling from a verge near you in the next few years. @hantsbic.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

By-catch top billing in Dibden Purlieu, S.Hants last night, with a Verge Cricket in the trap. I managed to pot it, but they are amazingly quick. Pictures all a blur, hopefully better later. #teammoth

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

As an illustration of just how much sunshine we have had this month, we have just passed 1MWh of production for July. Of the other months this year every one, apart from April, was the poorest in the last four years. #solarpower

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

My best find today were these Fluted Bird's Nest fungi on the allotment, made up for the lack of veg!

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Moth trapping in S.Hants over the weekend attracted this bizarre visitor, a Wasp Nest Beetle, not just odd in appearance, but lifestyle too. A new species for me. #beetles #mothtrapping #gardenwildlife

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Plumed Fan-foot & Dewick's Plusia were the pick of last night's trap, both new for the garden, pretty good after 12 years trapping here in S.Hants. #teammoth #moths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Been away for four days and the garden mini-meadow has changed colour. #meadows #wildlife #garden

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Possibly the smartest Salticus scenicus I have ever seen, out on the shingle at Hurst Castle, Hants today. #spiders #UKspiders

Black and white jumping spider on a stone.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Myolepta dubia and Volucella inflata in the New Forest this afternoon on a failed late season search for Caliprobola speciosa, which I suspect is over for the year. #hoverflies #insects #NewForest

Myolepta dubia, a red and black hoverfly on bramble flower

Volucella inflata a black and caramel coloured hoverfly on bramble flower.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

When it stopped raining the insects came out. A few from LepeCP today. Wood Sage Plume, Marbled White, Ruptela maculata & Wool Carder Bee. All NFY and hopefully a sign of things picking up after a difficult period. #insects #moths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Just about reaching peak Ox-eye Daisy and Corky-fruited Water-dropwort in the garden mini-meadow. Field Scabious and Lady's Bedstraw piosed to take over. #LawnFlowers

What was once a grass lawn now lots of flowers, mostly white and cream at this time.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

This female Clouded Yellow today was the 33rd butterfly species I have recorded in my S.Hants garden. #butterflies #uk #gardenwildlife

Yellow butterfly resting with wings closed. A female Clouded Yellow, a migrant species, May is quite early for records in UK.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Not a moth, but a NFG Clouded Yellow just now suggests there are insects on the move.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Assume this to be Wall Lizard, seen today at Leckford, Hants, poor phone pic only. Also saw my earliest ever Stag Beetle in the garden.

Wall Lizard heading out of shot! Very long tail and chequered pattern.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Despite local authorities apparently having enlightened mowing policies my local one has cut most of the local verges so short as to have scalped the ground by the end of March. All cuttings left in place and only the planted daffodils and three-cornered Leek spared.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Ah! When I downloaded my pictures from the other day I see that my first Tephritid of the year was not Tephritis cometa but actually T.divisa. Post in haste regret at leisure!

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Another day, another Tephritid, this time Tephritis vespertina, in the garden with a good array of other insects enjoying the sunshine. Eristalis tenax & pertinax (m&f), Tree Bumblebee and at least 2spp of solitary bees.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

@dipteristsforum.bsky.social First Tephritid of the year today here in S. Hants, Tephritis cometa in the garden.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Disappointing to see an increase in Feral Pigeon influence in the Rock Dove population of The Mullet, Co Mayo when I was there recently. Perhaps 1/20 showed either "chequers" or darkened plumage. #ornithology #birds

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

I came across what seems to be Leopoldius calceatus on a low Ivy hedge on the Hants coast today not sure if this is a new county record but certainly a first for me. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

A "lifer" for me in the garden actinic trap last night, a Striped Hawk-moth, in very good condition as was the Small Marbled, a moth I had not seen before this year's influx. #teammate #hantsmoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Any Dipterist's out there, does this look like Phasia aurigera to you? Picture taken today in S.Hants garden also lots of Ectophasia crassipennis about too. #Diptera #flies

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Mothing continues to be good here in S.Hants, with Lunar-spotted Pinion NFG last night, but top spot went to the ladybird Calvia decemguttata aka the Jersey Ladybird, I got one a couple of weeks ago but it escaped before I got a picture. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Having yesterday bemoaned my failure to see a Lappet for many, many years, I caught one today! A wonderful beast indeed, but sort of eclipsed by this rather tatty Dark Umber, which is strangely very infrequently recorded in SW Hants and the first that I can ever recall seeing. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Fig Leaf Skeletoniser NFG this morning, I had only ever seen the larval feeding signs before and that not locally. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Ran 2 traps in the S.Hants garden last night, 125w MV & 20w actinic. More moths of more species in the MV but actinic had all the quality and all the migrants, including Small Mottled Willow, Bordered Straw and 2 Small Marbled (new moth for me). #teammoth

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

A new moth, at least as an adult, from the garden last night Acrocercops brongniardella. #TeamMoth

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Q. Is iRecord down at present? I don't seem to be able to enter records, either I cannot login at all or if I can the records don't upload. The backlog is growing fast!

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

An interesting Villa from a weedy field margin beside the Beaulieu River today, photos only unfortunately.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

I saw my first White Admiral of 2025 today in the New Forest when looking for hoverflies. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

The only butterfly I saw in the garden today was this newly minted Dark Green Fritillary, I see the odd one most years but typically much later in the season. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

A few from Ynyslas on Friday on a failed Pamponerus germanicus hunt. Philonicus albiceps, Dasypoda hirtipes, Thereva nobilitata & Yellow Shell.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

After a windy week it was good to get the butterfly transect done. Disappointing to find the small grassland that usually delivers well has been mown flat, not sure why, not for a crop and not grazed.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

I spend a lot of time in the New Forest and have held a licence to do casual invertebrate surveys. This year I have been asked to provide £10M public liability insurance by @forestryengland.bsky.social which is prohibitive and presumably intended to deter species recording, anyone else had this?

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Diaperis boleti from the New Forest today, appropriately on a bracket fungus.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Caliprobola speciosa still looking good in the New Forest this afternoon. #Diptera #Hoverflies #NewForest

A large, colourful hoverfly perched on a piece of bark.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

The snail-killing fly Pherbellia annulipes from a walk in the New Forest and 1 of 2 female Scaeva selenitica in the garden today, perhaps suggesting an arrival of migrants, both despite almost no sunshine today. #Diptera #Flies

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Sub-urban garden "mini-meadow" starting into summer now the spring flowers are over. It may not hold viable populations but does provide a stepping stone habitat for lots of species, e.g 31spp of butterflies recorded so far.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Despite rain threatening 4 Currant Clearwing to TIP on the allotment this afternoon. #TeamMoth #HantsMoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Now this is interesting....a second from the same Hampshire site. #Teammoth #Hantsmoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

An unexpected Flame Wainscot (unless I am mistaken - it has been known!) trapped on the S. Hants coast last night, could be a migrant, but there was also suitable habitat nearby, so you never know. Very rarely recorded in Hants with just one this century as far as I can see. #teammoth #Hantsmoths

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

I can goes years without seeing a Bee Hawk-moth, so seeing both species in the space of a few days in Hants has been a real treat. Picture won't win any prizes, but they are not the most cooperative of species. #teammoth

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

First Acrosathe annulata out at LepeCP on 30/04 with some already working on the next generation. A smart fly of sandy places looking great in the sunshine. #insects #flies

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

A great day out surveying, breeding birds early, then two butterfly transects and this evening waders on the New Forest. Highlights included my first Cuckoo of 2025, two Green Hairstreak & Andrena labiata new for the garden. #Hantsbirds #butterflies #bees

Green Hairstreak butterfly on Gorse flowers

Red-girdled Mining Bee on blue Forget-me-not flowers

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

First Brachyopa sp of the year today in the New Forest, I always find these tricky, but I think one this is bicolor as the scutellum is distinctly grey dusted. #insects #hoverfly #NewForest

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

NFY,NFG Black Redstart as I was eating lunch today, still waiting for the Hoopoe. #UKbirding #Hantsbirding

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

@hantsconnect.bsky.social have, on paper, a good verge cutting policy. Practice is rather different. This herb rich site on the A326 shows two ways you can destroy such a site. Cutting early & often leaving a mulch of cuttings & not cutting at all to promote brambles.

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

I never could do ferns (if it is one). Could someone direct me on this seen in a Lake District quarry earlier this week. #BSBI

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Bob Chapman @bobchapman.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

2 brent with colour-rings at LepeCP in the last few days, both ringed in N.Holland, this one in May 2024 and the other in 2023. Neither had been seen, earlier in the winter so I think migrants from further W, although they had not been reported away from NL previously. #UKbirds #Hantsbirding

A male Brent Goose with colour-rings, Lime X on left leg and Green 9 on the right, feeding on the inter-tidal shore.

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