Chris Jones

Large Wainscot

Dark Swordgrass

Rusty Dot Pearl

Pleased to catch my first Large Wainscot last night. Also Dark Swordgrass, Rusty Dot Pearl and 4 Feathered Ranunculus among the rest. #VC50 #teammoth

A juvenile Peregrine falcon (foreground) rests on a sandbank with Oystercatchers feeding in the background.

Quick visit to Llanfairfechan this morning yielded 6 Brent geese, a late Sandwich tern and this juvenile Peregrine trying to blend in on the sandflats, perhaps eyeing up its next meal. #ukbirding

Nice chilly seawatch off Rhos Point this morning included Leach’s and European Storm-petrel, 3 Sabine’s Gulls, 2 Pomarine Skuas, Arctic Skua, 2 Manxie plus Whooper Swan and Golden Plover. Sandwich Terns still on the move too and plenty of Kittiwakes and Gannets. #ukbirding

A Bordered Straw moth on an eggbox, with a Large Yellow Underwing moth in the background.

Really pleased to have caught my first Bordered Straw last night. First moth I saw as I opened the trap! Thought I’d missed the recent influx. #VC50 #teammoth

Gold Spot

Frosted Orange

Feathered Gothic

A Gold Spot was a nice surprise this morning - seemed rather appropriate in the damp conditions though. Also Frosted Orange and Feathered Gothic were notable for the garden. #VC50 #teammoth

After hearing one calling close outside the other night it was exciting to capture this Tawny Owl on the pond cam in the early hours of the morning. The bird hung around for about 40 minutes on and off, even sitting in the pond for a bathe.🦉

Dark Sword-grass

Ruby Tiger

Rosy Rustic

Typical seasonal selection of moths (from left to right): Brimstone, Mullein Wave, Centre-barred Sallow

An eclectic catch last night included 2 Dark Sword-grass, a Ruby Tiger (scarce here) and 2 Rosy Rustics. Also 52 Setaceous Hebrew Characters in what seems like a good year for them locally, and 8 Centre-barred Sallows. #VC50 #teammoth

Scarce Bordered Straw

Canary-shouldered Thorn

Centre-barred Sallow

Finally caught my first Scarce Bordered Straw last night - great to get in on the action with these at last! A Canary-shouldered Thorn and 7 Centre-barred Sallow also added some autumnal hues to the trap. #VC50 #teammoth

A male (top) and female (bottom) Small Red-eyed Damselfly. The female was seen dropping eggs into the pond.

A male Small Red-eyed Damselfly on his pebble perch

Male Small Red-eyed Damselfly

After missing my chance there last summer it was great to see my first Small Red-eyed Damselflies today, with a few on the wing at Parc Menai - including an egg-laying female. Still rare in north Wales I think, but presumably overlooked. #ukodonata @cofnod.org.uk

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