Dan Brown

A magic week on Islay comes to an end in the morning. The Buff-breasted Sand reappeared today and gave brilliant views. The monumental arrival of Barnacle Geese continues and an Otter performed in front of the lounge window this evening. This place is just magic #UkBirding #BirdMigration

More great days on Islay. The Glossy Ibis that I stumbled across at the same site as the last two, 3wks ago appears to be a different bird. Storm Amy put on a show, Gannets leaving Loch Gruinart with Barnacles arriving en masse today, Leach’s Petrel, Grey Phal & Pec Sand all rounded off a good day

Yep I completely agree. Masses of habitat and very few people looking. As you know the estuaries are huge and so many flooded fields. This week is going to be pretty passive birding for me but hoping for something else 🤞🤞🤞long billed Dow would do me fine.

A great first day on Islay finding Buff-breasted Sand and as we watched a Pec circled over calling, clearly fresh in. Add in a plethora of raptors Barnacles, Arctic Tern & Long-t ducks, some weird Agarics, Chough, Otter, Bottlenose Dolphins & you have a good haul. It’s good to be back here

That is classic. The education system has failed big style somewhere along the way!

Fab day on Royal Deeside with our Deeside Nature festival discovering a pair of Nuthatch feeding young (rarity here) then what we believe is Silky Gallows Spider hanging its Wood Ant prey at Mar Lodge, Lesser Twayblades in full bloom, WT eagle and some fab views rounded off a superb day.

Yesterday was the first day of our Deeside Nature Festival and it proved to be awesome! Events included a Black grouse safari, bumblebee talk, moth and wild sound evening, guided woodland walk, birding for beginners and more. Loads more happening over the next three days too #DeesideNatureFestival

Thrift & Large Red-belted Clearwings in Aberdeenshire (VC92) this last few days, the former a couple of weeks early on the wing and great to see. #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

No sooner than I’d read the @britishwildlife.bsky.social article on Pot Beetles than I stumble across these beauties; Four-spotted Pot Beetle larvae (Clytra quadripunctata) in a Scottish Wood Ant nest down the glen. Thanks for article Brit wildlife & an insight into their fascinating life histories

Cracker of a day around home in Crathie, Cairngorms with Hen Harrier over the garden (garden tick) plus Gos (Osprey and Peregrine yesterday), daytime Tawny, Pearl Bordered Frits & Narrow Bordered Bee Hawks & first Red Mason Bee for Deeside I believe. Now listening to Woodcock roading #SpringBliss

The only anomaly I can see for C.hastulatum are the strikingly pointed black abdominal segment patterning and the two blue eyes (segment 7?)

Calling all European #Odanata experts. I found this Coenagrion yesterday in a mountain spring pool which looks remarkably similar to hastulatum however it’s in Armenia and miles from the known range. Eyes are green based, spear head mark plus separates side stripe. Comments welcome 🙏

This tour has been producing sooo many great birds and mammals. Yesterday we visited the stunning Noravank monastery in Armenia and enjoyed both Eastern & Western Rock Nuthatches feeding on ants in front us, at one point being side by side! Bears and Wolves have been stealing the show tho…

Of all the things I was hoping to find today in Georgia today, a Bateleur was not one of them! This juv drifted in from Azerbaijan and over David Gareja before returning that way. First for Azerbaijan and 3rd for Georgia!

With snow clearing over the Caucasus we were treated to a lovely bit of raptor migration with Eastern Imperial, Steppe and Booted Eagles past together with Honey & Steppe Buzzards, Black Kites & a local Lammergeier. A good opportunity to test your raptor silhouettes #Raptors #WildDiscoverytour

Stumbled across this stunning #orchid, the range restricted Steveniella satyriodes growing under Beech in the foothills of the Caucasus alongside Toothwort. Dingy skippers were out in force alongside Wood Whites - a very pleasant lunch stop on our tour.

First full day in the Caucasus on our Georgia & Armenia tour & a clean sweep of all target species plus some bonuses. Great numbers of Güldenstädt’s Redstarts, but Great Rosefinch are proving challenging for all this year so fab to get 3 today.

A famous French entomologist considered the ‘Prince of Entomologists’ by one student.

Latreille’s Latin, a great moth with a fab name and one I saw for the first time recently thanks to @davegrundy.bsky.social whilst guiding our Andalucia tour. The camouflage against this Cistus is just superb esp the fake lichen bits! Fingers crossed one appears in my UK trap in future #MothsMatter

Back home after 3 weeks & 3 tours of southern Spain and boy have they been successful. Multiple Iberian Lynx sightings, just under 200 species of bird, awesome reptiles & amphibs and the most phenomenal floral displays you could imagine. Really can’t wait to run a tour there again next year!

Nice to find 6 Cornifrons ulceratalis on a short walk yesterday afternoon on the hills above Punta del Acebuche south of Algerciras. This African migrant out numbered Rush Veneer and Painted Lady! #MigrantLepidoptera #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

Indeed it is! And thanks

Spot the…
One of my fave pics from yesterday on our tour. Can you spot the beautifully camouflaged creature and what is it??
#camouflage

Thanks Dave

Axia margarita, probably one of the best looking moths in Spain and great to stumble across two in the Sierra du Andujar this week #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

Just an handful of the 124 Yellow Horneds in the MV this morning amongst a total of 269 moths of 16 species. Pine Beauty always good to see alongside Rannoch Sprawler & the Diamond-backed moth so an eclectic mix & great March catch #TeamMoth #MothsMatter

Wasn't expecting a migrant in the trap this morning but this appears to be a dark Diamond-backed Moth (Plutella xylostella). Crathie, Cairngorms #MigrantLepidoptera #MigrantMoths @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

The moths keep coming here in Crathie, Cairngorms with a trio of Sword Grass & a Red Sword Grass in to sugar. Crathie is quite possibly the best place in the UK for the former and I strongly suspect there is a significant link between Sword Grass and Juniper. #Teammoth #MothsMatter

Thanks Richard - I do love a moth face!