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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 20h

Nitidinea fuscella 12.034 /brown dotted nest moth (to light in the house) a surprising rarity in Somerset, confirmed by CMR. #teammoth

9mm micromoth with longitudinal dark stripe the length of the wing and darker flecks spaced evenly on a straw coloured background (photo in glass tube)

Nitidinea fuscella a tiny moth apparently attracted to the blue LED of the remote doorbell chime

Somerset Moths website distribution map for reports of nitidinea fuscella.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 20h

Saturday night was still and drizzly with temps around 10 C so out went the traps after nearly 3 weeks break (VC5 nr Taunton). In 55/18, Satellite and Grey shoulder-knot NFG; Scarce bordered straw 4th/y, White-point 3, Turnip 2, Vestal 2, ferrugalis 3, noctuella 2. Autumn standards NFY=6. #teammoth

Scarce bordered straw :old straw coloured moth on a straw basket..

Grey shoulder-knot: moth with baroque beauty with fine greenish and gold markings on a pale grey background, plus paler cardboard tray

Green-brindled crescent, a highly photogenic moth with browns and iridescent green patterning, grey cardboard background

Worth the 6 year wait for my 1st Satellite: golden planet markings each with tiny white satellites on a brown chequered background; pale grey cardboard behind.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Lovely selection but must admit heart sank a little when I saw the Nov. moth and looked at the calendar. "Soon be Christmas " &c. &c.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Moths were scarce in my Quantock mire traps after a night of wind and rain. But it was great to see Neglected Rustic, declining in Somerset, and my second in a month at this site. Quite different colour pattern this time, more pale and pinker, perhaps more "neglecta" the southern subtype. #teammoth

Silvery pink moth with a shock of pink hairs (thoracic tuft) on a beige background.

Brown moth on a chequered cloth background, blue on white.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Closest I've come to joining the Pink Vestal club but one wing left by our pesky hornets was just sad. Garden year tick of Delicate and a first pristine Sallow raised the spirits. Best Micros : a well-marked quercana and a likely Vetch moth A. anthylidella but dissection required. VC5. #teammoth

Severed wing of a pinkish Vestal moth with deeper pink angled ruled line on grey background.

Sallow is a lemon yellow moth with light touch amber markings on wood background

Quercana, an uniquely marked brown on yellow shield-shaped micromoth on white background

Tiny 6-7mm deep brown moth (?Vetch moth) with prominent wing edge white spot : in a glass tube on white background

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Heathland mothing with the low voltage LED trap in deepest Somerset VC5 Saturday night. Heath Rustic and Hedge Rustic the most photogenic, and a couple of interesting micros await further assessment. #teammoth

Heath Rustic a largely pink (heather-toned) moth with zigzag black and white markings photographed on a buff cardboard background.

Hedge Rustic is dark, almost black but with a bluish sheen and some light coloured lines; here on Quantock sandstone.

Teleiopsis diffinis? A poorly marked tiny buff moth in a glass tube

Agonopterix nervosa? The name suggests sinews which aptly describes the ridges on this pale buff moth on a white surface

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Sounds interesting, good luck and hope there's a publication.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Will have a look out. Royal leaf miner indeed ! 👑

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Turns out (after dissection) this was Celypha woodiana/mistletoe marble, an unusual finding for Somerset and especially rare west of the Somerset levels and moors. #teammoth

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

On a so-called "quiet" day at @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social Harry Appleyard (Asst Warden) guided us round a Triangle tour that saw and/or heard some superb birds and more. Barred warbler (heard) joined Caspian gull, Pied flycatcher, Whinchat, flyover Osprey not to mention Willow emerald damselfly (✔️).

Caspian gull , image demonstrates v pale head of large overflying gull

Osprey a very large and powerful eagle seen in flight

Pied flycatcher: a small bird with pale breast and darker brown tones on back and wings

Yellow wagtail seen later near Spurn point, female flavissima has pale lemony breast and grey green head, back and wings

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Correction: Purple thorn in image 4 : apologies.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Fab shot of the SF Oli. They've all gone from around the house now and many clearly on the move south.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

It's the blurry males that are always the problem 😶‍🌫️ : love the photo

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Commiserations, but things can always be worse : at the height of a "hornet issue" a couple of summers back I had more hornets than moths one night (>50). And stopped trapping for a while...

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Bit stuck with this pale tortrix from a nearby garden (VC5) last night : Apotomis I think but while the dense key-like marking seems nearest to turbidana it's only 8mm long and that doesn't fit. If may be a bit worn : @mothiduk.bsky.social please could you and #teammoth ers come to my aid?

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Lesser whitethroat (pair) alongside Durleigh res. this am. Godwit (2), greenshank 2, green sand. 6, common sand. 4, dunlin 2. No terns seen. Wheatear (4) and v pale clouded yellow (?helice variant) with 9 others on fleabane at Huntspill late morning. #somersetbirding

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Big night of migrant moths and newcomers to MV last night VC5 Somerset. 314 of 63 species, 3 NFG: Ancylosis oblitella/saltmarsh knot-horn, Pyrausta despicata/straw-barred pearl, Tholera cespitis/Hedge rustic. Beet moth, scarce bordered straw 2, vestal 4, etc. Good conditions again tonight. #teammoth

Knot horn moth with transverse darker stripes on white plastic lid

Pyrausta despicata a tiny triangular dark moth with straw-coloured transverse banding in a glass pot.

Dark moth with pale lines on a patterned cloth background

Lilac beauty: large moth holding wings upright and showing rust orange and pale pink panels on a clear plastic surface.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Good trick with the (long) stick for hornetsb

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Great little blog post. It's true....

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Fingers Xd. Keep on posting, enjoy seeing and hearing yours images or no!

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Afraid not seen by me again, Jesika555. Do you post on another platform which then shares across to Bluesky - a suggestion from Google AI when I described the issue? Bluesky response was that it might be my phone and try another device but no difference using this laptop. Will try via the website.🤔

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Neglected Rustic (xestia castanea), a heathland specialist (Calluna/Erica feeder) on a Quantock hills mire last night and new to me. Just a few moths to low voltage LED in the cool and showery conditions, 5's of Flounced rustic, Nomophila noctuella, Agriphila tristella most of the rest. #teammoth

Pale reddish-brown moth with darker dot over the dorsum of the kidney mark. On a blue check on white cloth.

Flounced rustic, a brown moth with paler markings like a draped curtain. On a blue cardboard tray.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Passage waders over last 24 hours: Clatworthy yesterday afternoon: Green sandpiper 3 Common sandpiper 2 Durleigh reservoir 0730-0900: Green sand. 5 Common sand. 2 Greenshank 3 3 more waders out of bins range far side. Also Durleigh : 23 Sandwich terns circling then flew South. #somersetbirding

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Correction: Nutmeg also a 2nd timer not NFG as above.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

First White-point and 2nd Scarce bordered straw of the year in my Somerset VC5 garden on Monday night (light drizzle only): far more WP last year. SMW ++ (down from +++), noctuella, silver Y +, ferrugalis 3. Small & Brown China-marks despite ponds almost dried up. A. coronata, nutmeg NFG. #teammoth

White-point: Brown moth with single pinhole white-spots on each side and some wing damage sustained in its travels

Brown China-mark a moth with a stunningly "crafted" design of brown rings on a white background

Centre barred sallow, golden moth with chestnut brown quiff and waistband

Anania coronata, the elder pearl new to the garden despite all odds!

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Looks a great solution to moth pics, thanks for this.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Nice tip. And a good photo, and (hopefully not the usual question!) what's the camera set up you use please ?

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

That is excellent : at last I understand ! Will store a screenshot of this post for future reference, many thanks.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Looks like a very lucky bird strike victim!

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Vestal/Wingnut a geometric march made in heaven: great pics!

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Scarce bordered straw led a strong group of migrant moths taken to MV light in a short session 2230-0030 last night (VC5). Others were Small mottled willow 23 N. noctuella 8 U. ferrugalis 4 EC borer 3 Vestal 2. Micros well-represented, lots of NFY and h. sinuella, h. ochroleucana NFG. #teammoth

Scarce bordered straw, a buff-coloured moth with dark termen on a grey cardboard tray

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

"You cannot be serious"! Hopefully better behaved than the very young Mac. Fingers Xd for you.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

badiana now firmly in my "wanted" list!

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Thanks again, Brian. See you out and about with the bins. later in the year.

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Low voltage trap in a Quantock hills quarry (VC5) last night. Cooler and cloudy with a shower or two. 33/15 was fair for this site. Small phoenix was new to me, and Satin Wave best of the rest. Micros included truncicolella, alstromeriana, pyrausta purpuralis, tristella, mercurella. #teammoth

Tiny "wave" moth with bold grey stripes on a white background

Different view of the ubiquitous moth of Summer '26, pale mottled willow, showing head tufts

Eudonia truncicolella, speckled black on white and called peppered grey

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Interesting home (VC5) MV trap Monday evening : 238/66 with 42 small mottled willow, 5 ferrugalis, 4 EC borer, 4 silver Y, 2's of noctuella, Vestal. Pyrausta aurata and Clay triple-lines were catchup NFGs. Mouse moth, small rivulet, y. dentella, c. falsella were new for this/several years. #teammoth

Small rivulet, a chocolate brown moth with flickering double white lining on the forewing edge

Catoptria falsella a tiny grass moth, all the more strikingly striped when displaying its underwing as here

A moody looking Vestal moth: white & delta-winged with faint diagonal pink stripe, here standing on a clothes peg (for scale)

Ypsolopha dentella a uniquely shaped spike like moth with laid back posture

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

2 purple hairstreaks fluttering around my pond yesterday (✔️👌🏻). Later one found stuck to the water surface. Rescued with the gardening knife then we communed together for 10 minutes as she dried out in the sunshine. Then onto my new oak tree to complete the rehab. (and maybe lay an egg or two 😁).

Purple hairstreak butterfly drinking from pond

Purple hairstreak (female, I think) with wet wings stuck to water surface

Purple hairstreak rescued on my gardening knife

Purple hairstreak drying out after their ordeal

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Reposted by Simon Davies

Lundy Bird Observatory @lundybirds.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Celebrating 20yrs Rat free this year! One of the biggest successes on the island is the seabirds, but for Manx Shearwaters it has been phenomenal. One of our box birds from today, the fact we have 15,000 and they breed successfully was unthinkable 30yrs ago!

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Simon Davies @ramblinbirder.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

We're all doing it, Clare! Doing the plank to look for lost moths under garden furniture, climbing on things that shouldn't be climbed on etc etc !#teammoth

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