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Apart from Fin Whales the undoubted highlight of the #Scilly pelagic today was the incredible sight of at least 180 Grey Phalaropes in groups of up to 35 scattered across the sea. Just stunning 😳 With @aravindramesh19.bsky.social @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds

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Also seen from the Bishop Rock #Scilly pelagic today at least 600 Cory's Shearwater in rafts close inshore with @aravindramesh19.bsky.social @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds

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Today an extraordinary pelagic around Bishop Rock #Scilly. Staying close inshore the highlight was 2 Fin Whale surface feeding - on a (Herring?) bait ball with 100s Gannets, c100 Common Dolphin and 2 Minke Whale w/ @matthall95.bsky.social @aravindramesh19.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social

Fin Whale surface feeding with mouth open and pectoral fin out of the water

The dorsal surface and fin of a Fin Whale

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

First thing yesterday walking up to the airport with @aravindramesh19.bsky.social talking about how we should check the starlings at Old Town. Then this appeared with the first starlings we saw. Birders spend most of their time talking about this stuff and occasionally it happens 😀 #ukbirding #birds

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#Scilly magic - Short-toed lark and Lapland Bunting hanging out at Penninis, St. Mary's yesterday with @aravindramesh19.bsky.social @matthall95.bsky.social @oscardewhurst.bsky.social #ukbirding #birds

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

An amazing start to our now annual week on Scilly. Sora at Porthellick right in front of the hide 😍 with @matthall95.bsky.social @aravindramesh19.bsky.social and @oscardewhurst.bsky.social #Scilly #ukbirding #birds @birdguides.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Nice trap last night in #Bristol 27sp. Two long-awaited NFG Scarce Bordered Straw and Gem - both quite fresh. Also L-album, Angle Shades, Vestal, 7 Turnip, 11 Rush Veneer, RDP of the migrants. I tend to do well in rain as my trap is under cover #teammoth #moths @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

From an otherwise unremarkable trap today came a remarkable 7 Vestal in #Bristol All were this pink-flushed form (6/7 in pics) that are more common this year but I've not caught before - apparently the flushing caused by pupal stage heat. Where are they coming from? @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #moths

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Small Brindled Tortrix Gysonoma minutana I caught today had already been caught by a Zebra Spider - which I've not seen before at a moth trap. The moth is still pretty scarce in Avon after the first record in 2010 so I rescued it - sorry Zebra Spider !! #moths

Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

An excellent moth trap today w/ some great migrants - 4 Vestal 😳 , Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella (NFG ca. 3rd for Avon) + L-album Wainscot. Plus another 3 micros NFG Hypatima rhomboidiella, Gypsonoma minutana, and Heather Tortrix - pretty crazy 😀 #moths @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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The last two (I promise ...) of the beautiful Long-tailed Shrike in the evening sun yesterday 🥰 #birds #ukbirding #wildlifephotography

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And some perched shots of the Long-tailed Shrike in #Gloucs yesterday. One of the best birds I've seen - just beautiful #birds #ukbirding #wildlifephotography

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A couple more of the Long-tailed Shrike in #Gloucs yesterday. This time in flight and taking off #birds #ukbirding #wildlifephotography @birdguides.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Paid a visit to the Long-tailed Shrike yesterday after my wife decided to visit a friend in Swindon. What a stunning bird - an absolute joy to watch 😍 Completely unconcerned by the small group watching it and flying down to feed on insects feet away #ukbirding #birds #wildlifephotography

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A few nice moths from 3 mornings trapping in my garden in #Henleaze #Bristol last week - including two overdue lifers for me - Sallow Kitten and Beet Moth and a NFG - Cydia amplana #moths diversity was between 42 and 50 sp. per night

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Black-winged stilt giving a mallard what for at Suscinio #Brittany #France #birds #naturephotography

Black-winged Stilt from Suscinio #Brittany #France last week. Just look at that eye 😍 - oh and the legs ... #birds #naturephotography

I had a lovely couple of mornings at Suscinio #Brittany last week. A superb place for waders, terns and gulls. Images here are of green, wood and common sandpiper, spoonbill, and willow warbler #birds #naturephotography

Hummers in action from last week in #Brittany #France #moths so many around this year

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Over the three nights I trapped at the Golfe de Morbihan #Brittany last week with a 40w actinic, I caught a nice range of migrants, some of which are colonising and breeding in Britain and some of which are still very rare. Here's a selection @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #moths

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I did some moth trapping at the Golfe de Morbihan #Brittany last week. Most species were migrants with my personal highlight this Striped Hawkmoth, the 1st I've caught, on 4th August @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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As well as the dolphins already posted about from a pelagic with Faune Océan in the Mor Braz area of #Brittany #France on 1 August were ca. 300 Balearic Shearwater (an important summer feeding area), 1 Manx, 17 Euro Storm Petrel and an unexpected Guillemot #birds #ocean #wildlifephotography #Nikon

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Also seen from a pelagic with Faune Océan in the Mor Braz area of southern #Brittany #France on 1 August were a small group of Short-beaked Common Dolphins#cetaceans #ocean #wildlifephotography #Nikon

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Just got from a wonderful week around Le Golfe de Morbihan in #Brittany #France. On my first full day I took a pelagic with Faune Océan in the Mor Braz area. Fantastic view of Bottlenose Dolphins were one of the highlights of an excellent trip #cetaceans #ocean #wildlifephotography #Nikon

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Also from the 80w MV this morning a likely Golden-rod Pug, which is <10 records from Avon but which may need gen-det to confirm given it's rarity and it's similarity to Grey Pug #moths

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Another great trap with two NFG migrants - Tree-lichen Beauty and Ni Moth - both rare in Avon until 2026. Both exciting and worrying given context of successive climate-change driven heatwaves driving rapid colonisation of many migrant insect sp. #moths #climatechange @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

A crazy morning spent soaking wet under two bridges in #Bristol counting roosting Old Lady moths. Found 44 clusters of up to 120, with a total of 1760 moths 😳 often exquisitely arranged into overlapping tiles of lacework wings. Thanks 4 the pics Lior Kestenberg! #moths @savebutterflies.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Beautiful fresh Ni Moth in the traps at Henleaze Lake this morning among 61 other species was a new UK moth for me #moths #naturephotography @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

The Sparrowhawk family in #Badock'sWood @bristolbirding.bsky.social are moving around near the nest now with both adults (it was just the male up to now) hunting and bringing food to perches for the fledglings. This female has just had a meal and life is pretty good 😎 #ukbirding #birds

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Another day another lifer moth ! This time it was the first moth I saw out of the kitchen window at 0530 - another beautiful migrant, the Sulphur Pearl (Sitochroa palealis) among 'only' 50 species this morning - other pics are of orchard ermine (prob.) + ruby tiger #moths @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Sulphur Pearl (Sitochroa palealis) - this one likely to be a migrant but does breed in the UK with larvae feeding on wild carrot principally.

Probably orchard ermine given how grey it is but orchard/apple and spindle ermines usually aggregated unless dissected to identify

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

So the #Badock'sWood sparrowhawks that I've been following branched 3 days ago and fledged yesterday. Their development is so fast - from the left 7th, 10th, 14th (today's male). The adult female has clearly lost weight during the process - pics showing today and 7 May #ukbirding #birds

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

A few moth pics from last Friday in the garden. I've decided I must try harder again with #macro #photography Canary-shouldered Thorn (x2), Elephant Hawkmoth and Poplar Hawkmoth - stunners one and all #moths

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I've been following this family of Sparrowhawks in my local wood Badock's Wood #Bristol for nearly 3 months through nest-building, laying, incubating, hatching and now getting close to fledging with 4 healthy chicks nearly ready to go. A daily treat 🥰 @bristolbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

78 species #Moths at Henleaze Lake #Bristol this morning from 3 traps (2xMV + blacklight) included two lifers for me - a long awaited Dewick's Plusia 😍 and Brown-veined Wainscot plus NFY White Satin and Leopard and a few other migrants inc. 14 Rush Veneer and 8 Small Mottled Willow

Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Small Marbled this morning in my garden (2nd record after 1 last year) plus first Eyed Hawkmoth and Garden Tiger of the year #Henleaze #Bristol @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #nikon #naturephotography

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

A pretty busy heatwave for moths for me with 165 sp. recorded in 5 nights between Henleaze Lake #Bristol and my garden down the road. The best single moth was a #dreammoth for me in a catch of 107 sp. from the garden yesterday - Rosy Knot-horn (Oncocera semirubella) 😍 @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I spent the morning today looking for Large Blues on the Cotswolds. Saw 7 with at least 6 egg-laying females. This was the only one that opened it's wings and the only one that laid eggs on Marjoram, not Wild Thyme (shown here) @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Large blue laying eggs on Marjoram, not Wild Thyme, it's usual host plant

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Matt Hobbs @migrationmatt.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I've not done much trapping in 2026 but this female Pammene ignorata (Obscure Tortrix) was confirmed by gen-det from my garden on 28 May. 3rd Avon record after 2 in 2006 (2nd+3rd UK records). Does anyone know what the current UK status is? @migrantmothuk.bsky.social Apologies for pot pics 🙂

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The last few pics of Wood Warbler singing their hearts out in the Quantocks yesterday #ukbirding #bird #Nikon #wildlifephotography @somersetbirds.bsky.social

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Some more of yesterday's Wood Warblers in the Quantocks - this time caught taking off or in flight - sallying between song perches in their territory #ukbirding #bird #Nikon #wildlifephotography @somersetbirds.bsky.social

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My favourite sound of ancient woodland is a singing male Wood Warbler. This one on the Quantocks yesterday was a joy to watch switching song perches around it's display area #ukbirding #bird #Nikon #wildlifephotography @somersetbirds.bsky.social

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I saw many Pied Flycatchers on the Quantocks yesterday, all in a very particular valley combe Sessile Oak woodland habitat that they seem to do very well in. A beautiful fragile environment and a perfectly adapted species 😍 🌱 #ukbirding #birds #Nikon #wildlifephotography @somersetbirds.bsky.social

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