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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Our 21 day recce to Guyana is complete & boy what a country with sooo many wildlife highlights. Walk away Guianan Cock-of-the-Rocks, 10+ Giant River Otter encounters, 2 Goliath Bird-eating Spiders, some incredible Giant Amazonian Water Lily blooming inc pollinating chafers to name but 4 highlights

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

😂🤣 its a pretty standard mix but I think it has more to do with the place and trees. Aspens are naturally sap-rich and seem to be attractive to moths combined with being in an area of low natural sugars it makes the additional sugar mix irresistible. I also think the area has very good insect pops

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Thanks for tag Tim and hi Tom. Defo worth taking the trap but you might have more luck sugaring. I’ve had up to 1000 moths at sugar at this time of year on nights where temps hang at 1-2oC or even lower. Scottish moths are hardcore!

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

WOW! That’s immense. I’ve seen a fair few this autumn in the Med plus Scorcerer and I’d LOVE to catch one in the UK- top work

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Reckon it’s the same you had in Jan 24? It’s behaviour with the other duck made it feel like a new arrival. I suspect this bit of coast has a reasonable turn over of birds given the near annual status on Islay but with clearly different birds. I’m sure some, like the Rhuna bird is a returner tho

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Nope think that would be my 6th. @saloplarus.bsky.social and I had an awesome bird at the back of a skein of Barnacles arriving onto Islay one October. It ditched at the mouth of the estuary and left the Barnies to land on the salt marsh. Others in Lincs, Gwynedd, Western Isles, 2x Islay

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Just when I thought it was all over a quick swing by Ormsary on the Argyll coast produced this absolutely stunning drake Surf Scoter close inshore with Eider & Goosander. You just never know. #UkBirding

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

A magic week on Islay comes to an end in the morning. The Buff-breasted Sand reappeared today and gave brilliant views. The monumental arrival of Barnacle Geese continues and an Otter performed in front of the lounge window this evening. This place is just magic #UkBirding #BirdMigration

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

More great days on Islay. The Glossy Ibis that I stumbled across at the same site as the last two, 3wks ago appears to be a different bird. Storm Amy put on a show, Gannets leaving Loch Gruinart with Barnacles arriving en masse today, Leach’s Petrel, Grey Phal & Pec Sand all rounded off a good day

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Yep I completely agree. Masses of habitat and very few people looking. As you know the estuaries are huge and so many flooded fields. This week is going to be pretty passive birding for me but hoping for something else 🤞🤞🤞long billed Dow would do me fine.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

A great first day on Islay finding Buff-breasted Sand and as we watched a Pec circled over calling, clearly fresh in. Add in a plethora of raptors Barnacles, Arctic Tern & Long-t ducks, some weird Agarics, Chough, Otter, Bottlenose Dolphins & you have a good haul. It’s good to be back here

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

That is classic. The education system has failed big style somewhere along the way!

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Fab day on Royal Deeside with our Deeside Nature festival discovering a pair of Nuthatch feeding young (rarity here) then what we believe is Silky Gallows Spider hanging its Wood Ant prey at Mar Lodge, Lesser Twayblades in full bloom, WT eagle and some fab views rounded off a superb day.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Yesterday was the first day of our Deeside Nature Festival and it proved to be awesome! Events included a Black grouse safari, bumblebee talk, moth and wild sound evening, guided woodland walk, birding for beginners and more. Loads more happening over the next three days too #DeesideNatureFestival

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Thrift & Large Red-belted Clearwings in Aberdeenshire (VC92) this last few days, the former a couple of weeks early on the wing and great to see. #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

No sooner than I’d read the @britishwildlife.bsky.social article on Pot Beetles than I stumble across these beauties; Four-spotted Pot Beetle larvae (Clytra quadripunctata) in a Scottish Wood Ant nest down the glen. Thanks for article Brit wildlife & an insight into their fascinating life histories

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Cracker of a day around home in Crathie, Cairngorms with Hen Harrier over the garden (garden tick) plus Gos (Osprey and Peregrine yesterday), daytime Tawny, Pearl Bordered Frits & Narrow Bordered Bee Hawks & first Red Mason Bee for Deeside I believe. Now listening to Woodcock roading #SpringBliss

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

The only anomaly I can see for C.hastulatum are the strikingly pointed black abdominal segment patterning and the two blue eyes (segment 7?)

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Calling all European #Odanata experts. I found this Coenagrion yesterday in a mountain spring pool which looks remarkably similar to hastulatum however it’s in Armenia and miles from the known range. Eyes are green based, spear head mark plus separates side stripe. Comments welcome 🙏

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

This tour has been producing sooo many great birds and mammals. Yesterday we visited the stunning Noravank monastery in Armenia and enjoyed both Eastern & Western Rock Nuthatches feeding on ants in front us, at one point being side by side! Bears and Wolves have been stealing the show tho…

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Of all the things I was hoping to find today in Georgia today, a Bateleur was not one of them! This juv drifted in from Azerbaijan and over David Gareja before returning that way. First for Azerbaijan and 3rd for Georgia!

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

With snow clearing over the Caucasus we were treated to a lovely bit of raptor migration with Eastern Imperial, Steppe and Booted Eagles past together with Honey & Steppe Buzzards, Black Kites & a local Lammergeier. A good opportunity to test your raptor silhouettes #Raptors #WildDiscoverytour

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Stumbled across this stunning #orchid, the range restricted Steveniella satyriodes growing under Beech in the foothills of the Caucasus alongside Toothwort. Dingy skippers were out in force alongside Wood Whites - a very pleasant lunch stop on our tour.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

First full day in the Caucasus on our Georgia & Armenia tour & a clean sweep of all target species plus some bonuses. Great numbers of Güldenstädt’s Redstarts, but Great Rosefinch are proving challenging for all this year so fab to get 3 today.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

A famous French entomologist considered the ‘Prince of Entomologists’ by one student.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Latreille’s Latin, a great moth with a fab name and one I saw for the first time recently thanks to @davegrundy.bsky.social whilst guiding our Andalucia tour. The camouflage against this Cistus is just superb esp the fake lichen bits! Fingers crossed one appears in my UK trap in future #MothsMatter

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Back home after 3 weeks & 3 tours of southern Spain and boy have they been successful. Multiple Iberian Lynx sightings, just under 200 species of bird, awesome reptiles & amphibs and the most phenomenal floral displays you could imagine. Really can’t wait to run a tour there again next year!

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Nice to find 6 Cornifrons ulceratalis on a short walk yesterday afternoon on the hills above Punta del Acebuche south of Algerciras. This African migrant out numbered Rush Veneer and Painted Lady! #MigrantLepidoptera #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Spot the… One of my fave pics from yesterday on our tour. Can you spot the beautifully camouflaged creature and what is it?? #camouflage

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Axia margarita, probably one of the best looking moths in Spain and great to stumble across two in the Sierra du Andujar this week #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Just an handful of the 124 Yellow Horneds in the MV this morning amongst a total of 269 moths of 16 species. Pine Beauty always good to see alongside Rannoch Sprawler & the Diamond-backed moth so an eclectic mix & great March catch #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Wasn't expecting a migrant in the trap this morning but this appears to be a dark Diamond-backed Moth (Plutella xylostella). Crathie, Cairngorms #MigrantLepidoptera #MigrantMoths @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

The moths keep coming here in Crathie, Cairngorms with a trio of Sword Grass & a Red Sword Grass in to sugar. Crathie is quite possibly the best place in the UK for the former and I strongly suspect there is a significant link between Sword Grass and Juniper. #Teammoth #MothsMatter

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Thanks Richard - I do love a moth face!

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Yeah they are fab moths and hope you see them up here in due course

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

First night back home & despite the low temps I popped the moth trap out: 3 Rannoch Sprawlers the highlight of 37 moths, 9 sp most of which came in when temps were between -1.0 & -3.7oC which is pretty insane & testament to their tenacity. Crathie, Cairngorms #TeamMoth @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A Rannoch Sprawler resting on a Birch trunk

A Yellow Horned moth looking at the camera

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

A fascinating track showing the route a White-bellied Storm-petrel took which included all the NZ subs and around Macquarie. Despite travelling thru this region many times I’ve never seen this species in the subantarctic!

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

That’s crazy and amazing!! Great work. I’ve travelled and seabirded south of New Zealand on many many voyages and never seen WBSP - maybe I need to look harder, or maybe an anomaly? Time will no doubt unravel this further.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Wow that was fast! Thanks Danni. I’ll try and drop her a line to see if she can confirm.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Another day and another tagged seabird… this time a Brown Skua at Saunders Island, Falkland. Ring ABU and with a geolocator (?). Anyone know anything about it? Also great to see it with a recently fledged chick. Survivors of the HPAI wave across the isles. @scottishseabird.bsky.social? #Seabirds

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Some days in the office are better than others. These two encounters within 15mins of each other in the Gerlache Strait yesterday with 3 inquisitive Humpbacks followed by 2 female and a calf B2 Orcas that came in to check the bow out whilst others bubble washed at the stern! Absolutely sublime

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

A lovely show of Aurora Australis last night from a rather rolly ship but great to enjoy from the back deck as we steamed north from the Auckland Islands #Aurora

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

This is very cool! Thanks so much for researching and sharing this and the second tag too. All fascinating stuff.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

@drmichellelarue.bsky.social here’s another one I’ve just been shown, also from Franklin Island today.

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Dan Brown @danbrownnature.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Another one for the Ross Sea science & tagging network. A Weddell Seal on Franklin Island today bearing tag 4640. Who, I wonder, would be interested to know this? @drmichellelarue.bsky.social @scar-antarctic.bsky.social

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