Chris Jones

Cloaked carpet

Barred Rivulet

Acrobasis Advenella

Setaceous Hebrew Character

After a quiet few weeks on the moth front it was nice to catch a couple of interesting geometers last night - Barred Rivulet (NFG) and the nationally scarce Cloaked Carpet. Also a new micro for me - Acrobasis Advenella. Plenty of Setaceous Hebrew Characters appearing too. #teammoth #vc50

An Oak Eggar moth

Nice to start the day with a lovely Oak Eggar in the moth trap this morning. VC50 #teammoth

Can’t edit the original post but note that the Barred Yellow is actually a Northern Spinach. Thanks for the corrections.

Thank you, yes Northern Spinach. Another new one for the year at least!

This juvenile Green Woodpecker was sharing the bath with a Blackbird in our garden this morning. Blackbird wasn’t too impressed but Green Wood are pretty scarce here in north Wales. Great to see what’s going on while I’m working!

Juvenile Green Woodpecker in a dead tree.

Juvenile Green Woodpecker in a dead tree

Nice to see a juvenile Green Woodpecker outside our house today. Still scarce in north Wales, I presume they bred somewhere nearby but no sign until now.

Nice fresh juvenile Redstart in the garden this morning. Didn’t notice any adults here this spring but presume they bred somewhere nearby (bird is on the left in video) #birding

Not on the Spoonbill - I submitted it but no reply. Looks like a Dutch or German scheme. The Knot were ringed in Scotland and Liverpool Bay and are summering 3cy birds.

Middle-barred Minor

Beautiful Hook-tip with a Brimstone to the left.

July Belle

Mullein Wave

No scarce migrant moths for me last night but Middle-barred Minor was nfg. Beautiful Hook-tip, July Belle and Mullein Wave among the other highlights (Colwyn Bay, VC50) #teammoth

Common Spotted Orchid

Selfheal

Seven spot Ladybird

Great to see some Common Spotted Orchids growing in our little meadow today. Plenty of Selfheal too and the first Ringlet of the year.

Brick red breeding plumage Knot (back) with grey non-breeding plumage Knot

Curlew Sandpiper showing off its curved beak and rusty breeding tones

Mixed flock of breeding and non-breeding plumaged Knot

Spoonbill with leg ring NCCT

Some stunning Knot justifying the red in their full name at #rspbburtonmerewetlands today, including a couple with leg flags that I managed to read. A lone Curlew Sandpiper showed pretty well too, as did Spoonbill and Great Egret. #ukbirding

Elephant Hawkmoth showing its stripey purple and green hues

Poplar Hawkmoth showing its unusual shape when resting, with hindwings pointed ahead of the forewings

Buff-tip showing its broken twig camouflage markings

True Lovers Knot showing its intricate patterning of white marks and subtle colours

A decent catch last night resulted in my first Poplar and Elephant Hawkmoths of the year, plus Buff-tip, True Lovers Knot and Vine’s Rustic among the highlights (VC50) #teammoth

A Painted Lady on blue Ceanothus

A honey bee with pollen sacs bulging homes in for more.

Red Admiral enjoying the Ceanothus

The Ceanothus bush in our back garden has been quite literally buzzing with insects in the fine weather recently - even drawing in a Painted Lady for a couple of days. #gardeningforwildlife

Dark Sword-grass

Treble Lines

Highlights from last night included a Dark Sword-grass, while 77 Treble Lines was a notable count for me here in VC50. #teammoth

Pectoral sandpiper feeding along the muddy edge.

Spoonbill showing why it’s so appropriately named.

Nice visit to RSPB Cors Ddyga after work this evening. The Pectoral Sandpiper was elusive but eventually gave itself up and the Spoonbill was the opposite, showing well throughout. #birding

Pale Prominent

Broken-barred Carpet

Coronet

Pale Prominent, Broken-barred Carpet and Coronet were all NFY from last night’s garden catch #teammoth

Red poppies and pink Mediterranean catchfly blooming amongst the white daisies and green tamarisks.

Giant fennel at Ipsilou monastery

Poppies at sunrise

Poppies brightening up the fields

The wildflowers were a pleasant distraction from the birds on Lesvos recently. It was lovely to see such colourful profusions in most places we visited.

Mullein moth

Oak Hook-tip

Pebble Prominent

Alder moth

No hawkmoths here yet but a nice selection from last night included my first Mullein for the garden plus Oak Hook-tip, Pebble Prominent and Alder moth. #teammoth

Lesser Swallow (back) and Swallow (front) Prominents

Waved Umber

Clouded Silver

Lesser Swallow Prominent

Good opportunity to compare both Lesser Swallow and Swallow Prominent side by side from last night’s catch. Waved Umber and Clouded Silver were nice to see too. #teammoth

An old Olive tree along the Potamia valley, Lesvos

Great way to end the trip with at least 2 Olive-tree Warblers showing out in the open up the Potamia valley, dropping down low to feed. Well worth the hours put in! Seems to have been an arrival of this species here overnight. #birdinglesvos

Lesser Grey Shrike perched on an old barbed wire fence. Lucky to jam in on this along the west track at Kalloni salt pans.

Masked Shrike watching me from an olive tree along the Potamia valley.

Enjoyed a four shrike day on Lesvos with Lesser Grey, Red-backed, Masked and Woodchat all seen. #birdinglesvos

Two Dalmatian Pelicans with two Greater Flamingos in the foreground and an Avocet to the right.

A Black Stork watching me watching it.

A Black-winged Stilt wading in the water.

Great to see three Dalmatian Pelicans from the east track at the Kalloni saltpans first thing. Then Cinereous Bunting, Eastern Orphean Warbler & Western Rock Nuthatch at Ipsilou monastery. Dipped a Baillon’s this evening but a Lesser Spotted Eagle soaring above sure made up for that. #birdinglesvos

Pair of European Bee-eaters resting in a seaside tamarisk

Wildflowers in bloom near Skala Kallonis

Krüper’s Nuthatch and Eastern Subalp were great to see in Achladeri forest this morning, but neither showed as well as these Bee-eaters that are hanging around just a 5 minute walk from our digs. #birdinglesvos

Male Little Crake foraging in the reeds at the water’s edge

Two Squacco Herons, one having a stretch

Metochi lake at dawn

Nice morning at Metochi lake, Lesvos. At least 5 Little Crake, Spotted Crake, Little Bittern, Squacco Herons, Masked Shrike the highlights. #birdinglesvos

Nice one! Top find and well deserved with the time you put in there.

Osprey getting wet feet from the incoming tide while a carrion crow watches on.

Osprey taking off over the incoming tide

Common sandpiper hiding behind some vegetation

Great to jam in on an Osprey on the Conwy estuary this afternoon, eating its catch before the incoming tide pushed it off. Appeared to be a Scottish ringed female that was seen in Porthmadog recently. Plenty of other spring migrants back in too.

Salah own goal 😬😆

Happy bench boost birthday, hope you have a great day!

Great shot!

Slavonian grebes

Black-necked grebe

Won’t win any prizes for these photos but it was nice to see both Slavonian and black-necked grebes resplendent in their fresh breeding plumage off Aber Ogwen this morning.