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Joe Stockwell

@joestockwell.bsky.social
1.1K followers 115 following 417 posts

Birds and Moths. Weymouth, Portland and Abbotsbury Swannery. Sometimes further afield.

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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I'm not entirely sure what happened to my English in this post. I'll try harder next time.
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Reposted by Joe Stockwell
Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Eclipse Drake Scaup present for 2nd day, slightly hesitant on its purity yesterday as a duck we'reseeing less and less and less of each year let alone in this plumage! @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Eclipse Drake Scaup present for 2nd day, slightly hesitant on its purity yesterday as a duck we'reseeing less and less and less of each year let alone in this plumage! @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Nice start to the day with the autumn's first Jack Snipe @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Gavin, I had 254 Lunar Underwing a few nights ago! That was hard going 😆
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Siberian Chiffchaff from the first net round at the Swannery this morning @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Quiet local day with the family, lots of Chiffs in the gardens, Coal Tit calling from the Rodwell Trail, first Siskin of the Autumn for me, good Swallow passage around noon. Shoulder of lamb resting nicely, Rosè cooling. Good Sunday!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Something of a really frustrating "one that got away" this morning. This Yellow Wagtail appeared to be tagging a flock of Skylark, giving quite an odd, buzzy type call, followed by more descending flava'ish calls. Immediate thought was thunbergi but sadly without better views it wasn't clinched.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Presumed Great Black-backed X Herring just now at the Swannery, any opinion greatly recieved, these things are beyond me!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
3 Glossy Ibis over Weymouth Harbour while i'm having a pint!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Has to be my favorite part of the world, Mark. We used to stay about 50 minutes from there in Navarrenx, haven't been able to visit for ages, I miss those falls of Pied Fly! And €13 set lunches in random villages!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Tidying up a net ride when I became aware of some crunching behind me, astonished to find a Lesser Emperor devouring a Migrant Hawker just a meter from my head!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Black-winged Kites from Manche, Normandy last week. The absolute highlight of my morning walks, I'd pinned a site that I thought I might see one, never in a million years did I think I'd see as many as 6 in one morning! They were an everyday feature seemingly everywhere I birded within a 20km radius
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
After ringing just two birds today I decided to pack up at 2pm, I was very pleased to then flush this Tebenna micalis - Beautiful Twitcher from under my feet! A new moth for me and the Swannery.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A short visit to Domaine de Beauguillot on our way it was quiet, although quickly enlivened by a beautiful 1cy Hen Harrier just a short stroll from the parking area one of two seen today. Homeward bound now to join in the seemingly non-existent autumn birding around Weymouth and Portland!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
We're going tomorrow on the way home, Nick. Looks tremendous.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Pointe de Brévands again for an an hour with the family this morning, quieter but for a Tawny Pipit over which must be, like the UK a half decent bird in these parts now. A juv Little Gull flew past point blank for some great pics!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Morning mooch around Pointe de Brévands, has the feel of a proper migration hotspot if a little quiet today, several Bluethroat, Wryneck, Corn Bunting, flock of Terns, 2 Curlew Sand etc. Really nice!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Today has just had it all, glorious morning, Black-shouldered Kites all over the show, a vide grenier and some tremendous food and wine!
Canal Showstopper Black-shouldered KiteYours truly displeased at yet another stall of rubbish Wine
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Just having a spot of lunch in Carentan on the Cherbourg peninsula, 2 White Stork over, a Short-toed Treecreeper next to our Chalet, juv Honey Buzzard last night. It's never bad being in France!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Some unknown larva found demolishing our nicotiana plants a few weeks ago were suspected to be Golden Twin-spot, I fed a few up before pupation and yesterday a pristine GTS emerged!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Nice to get the Autumn Caspian Gull tally started this afternoon with this absolute monster 1cy bird, the first of many hopefully! @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
How times have changed, 7 Small Marbled in the Swannery traps last night and I barely blinked! Also Tufted Oak Knot-horn (tumidana), 3 Vestal, 2 Delicate and the regulars all present. Dark-Bordered Pearl (limbata) was new for the site the previous night.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Glossy Ibis east over the Swannery. May have landed but lost behind trees @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Sublime views of today's juv Black Tern at the Swannery, reappearing at 4:30 It showed superbly well around the tern rails, although just about annual lately they never show this well @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Completely blown out in every trap here, the disappointment compounded by that mighty list of migrants and rare orthoptera!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
2 Small Marbled were the first for a while, along with 35 Rush Veneer, 25 Small Mottled Willow, 5 Turnip, 3 Silver-Y, 2 Dark Sword-grass and singles Diamond-back, vitrealis and Pearly Underwing. Very blowy for the most part so I wasn't too disappointed!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
What's the point in taking the photo in the first place. Just ask AI to create it for you, save loads of money and time!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Poor returns trapping in Weymouth last night, although 5 Vitrealis were the first of the weekend, Campion something I see very infrequently, another Striped Hawk and the other routine migrants so all was not entirely lost
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Like busses!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Change of scene with a long weekend ahead, trapping in my Weymouth garden last night produced two new "in-trap" moths for me, finally a Striped Hawkmoth and Crescent Dart, might put two on tonight! (Left the moth camera at work 🤦‍♂️)
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Jersey Mocha the best from the Abbotsbury traps last night, first here for a few years. Numbers considerably down on previous nights.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Yes, and we suggested that!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Caspian Tern just flown over the Swannery grounds, quite purposefully north @swannerysteve.bsky.social
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Gem the pick of last nights migrants at the Swannery, also Small Marbled, 72 Small Mottled Willow, 20 Rusty-dot Pearl, 4 Diamond-back + Rush Veneer, 3 Silver-y, Willow Ermines up to 92 but they do occasionally breed here. First Radford's showing up the last two nights
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Many-lined the pick of the bunch at the Swannery last night - although chasing it half way across the site to pot it was not ideal! Also Small Marbled, 18 Small Mottled Willow, 5 Rusty-dot Pearl, 2 each Diamond-back Rush Veneer and a Pearly Underwing + loads of yearticks in 110+ species.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
First Clouded Yellow of the year flying about the Swannery meadows just now
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
DOUBLE Kidney even 🤦‍♂️
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Doube Kidney was a new moth for me last night at Abbotsbury, along with a few migrants, 2 Vestal, 4 Small Mottled Willow and 3 Diamond-back. This tiny and aberrant looking Clouded Border had me in a blind panic reaching for. Pot!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Early start to do the traps before a long day off site. Sadly the storms did nothing for the Abb traps other than filling them with beetles + hoverflies! A Blackneck however was a very nice addition to the yearlist, just my second ever + another Splendid Brocade amongst a big haul of commoner moths
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Last night definitely up there with the best ever mothing at the Swannery - a whopping 136 species including Splendid Brocade, 4 Tufted Oak Knot-horn, 19 Rusty-dot Pearl, 16 Diamond-back, Dark Sword-grass, incredible 5 new for site, best being a Bulrush Down Moth and 2 Wax Moth.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Sorrel Cap - Opostega salaciella from the Swannery last night. Too much to list/photograph but for a few goodies, more tonight please!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Small Marbled, 3 Small Mottled Willow, 2 Diamond-back, 2 Rusty-dot Pearl + Delicate at the Swannery last night, also the 3rd pinivorana of the year, 8 Species of Wainscot including a good emergance of Southern and Obscure. Interesting that the exposed actinic in grassland was by far the best trap!
Small Marbled Rhyacionia pinivorana - Spotted-shoot Moth Southern Wainscot with distinctive (and diagnostic) head pattern
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
I feel being alive and the right age when they were "big" really isn't something to be proud of! 😆
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Particularly dire trapping conditions did not inspire more than one trap at the Swannery last night, it did however contain an Ancylis myrtillana - Billberry Hook-wing. Presumably a wanderer from Hardy's Monument where Bilberry occurs. A Lime Hawkmoth was also of note.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Mullein caterpillar demolishing a stand of Water Figwort at the Swannery today. I spotted the frass and stripped leaves before finding the larva, bigger poo than a mouse!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
A modest catch last night including some lovely fresh specimens; Small Dusty Wave, Piniphila bifasciana, Caloptillia stigmatella and a better marked Cnephasia sp. than the norm her.
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Saw nigrata for the first time last week, brilliant looking things!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Lesser Cream Wave potted off the wall as I was packing away - it had been hiding in plain sight! New for the Swannery so all was not loast last night!
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Joe Stockwell @joestockwell.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Abject disappointment after doing my 3 Swannery traps this morning. 19 Small Mottled Willow, 10 Rusty-dot Pearl, 3 Diamond-back and a Dark Sword-grass the only migrants. Bugger!
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