Chris Raper

An odd mixture last night in Tilehurst including FFG Brindled Green x2 (where did they spring from?), a gorgeous dark Green Brindled Crescent, Merveille du Jour, Satellite etc etc. #teammoth #ukmoths

@andymus.bsky.social has pointed out that my "Oak Hook-tip" looks more like a Spiny Hook-tip, which I wasn't even aware of and is extremely rare. Bigger than an OHT with a grey cast to the wing and different markings near the hook. #teammoth #ukmoths

Mervs & Deep Brown Darts out in full force in Tilehurst now plus a lovely (late?) Oak Hook-tip, FFG Scrobipalpa costella (Winter Groundling) and a (late?) Box Tree Moth ... are a few species getting an extra brood in this autumn?

Good night in Tilehurst last night: FFY Merveille de Jour 7 Green-brindled Crescent, Blair's Shoulder Knot, Clancy's Rustic, Deep Brown Dart, Beaded Chestnut, Cypress Carpet & Cypress Pug. #ukmoths #teammoth

Clancy's & Rush Veneer still about in Tilehurst/Reading and FFY Blair's Shoulder Knot. Also, Chestnut, Barred Sallow & some lovely Lunar Underwing colour variations. #ukmoths #teammoth

Forgot the Deep-brown Dart from last night ... we've had a few of these in our road so I wonder if they are having a good year? #teammoth #ukmoths

Interesting catch in Tilehurst last night, amongst the Lunar Underwings & Square-spot Rustics ... a Garden Cockroach (Ectobius vittiventris), which seems pretty unusual this far west. #teammoth #ukmoths #cockroach #ectobius

Does anyone have any idea which knot-horn this might be (Reading area, last night)? I'm coming up blank here - looks interesting but I can't place it. #ukmoths #teammoth

Good catch in Tilehurst last night: Clancy's Rustic (2), L-album Wainscot, Acleris cristana (Tufted Button), Oncocera semirubella (Rosy-striped Knot-Horn), Archips podana (Large Fruit-tree Tortrix), Barred Sallow, Meal Moth, Satellite, Black Rustic. #ukmoths #teammoth

Not a bad night in Reading - 3x Clancy's Rustics including a very rubbed one ... the last photo is a Small Mottled Willow, just for comparison. #ukmoths #teammoth

Not a bad night in West Dorset - first ever Clancy's Rustic and the most westerly record on iNaturalist, it seems. Also, Rosy Rustic, Barred Hook-tip & Delicate. #ukmoths #teammoth

The Hummingbird Hawks this year are exceptional - everywhere I went in Dorset they were there on Buddleia or Purple Loosestrife :) I was happy with these snaps on my old Powershot G15 #teammoth #ukmoths

Last West Dorset trap before heading home yielded a new one for me - Gem

Well, there you go again - another "maybe I won't put it out", cold night and then you get your first ever Radford's Flame Shoulder! Also got a Flame Shoulder to compare it to :) #teammoth #ukmoths

Lots of Clouded Yellows down in Dorset - including a few pale forms like this female contrasting to a normal coloured male seen on the previous day. I’m assuming they’re not the Pale Clouded Yellow but I’m not sure if I’d know the difference.

One of those cold morning traps where you begin to wonder why you put it out ... then you get a Rosy Rustic and realise it was worth the effort :) also Knot Grass, Oak Hook-tip and Vestal. #teammoth #ukmoths

Mystery pug moth from last night in West Dorset. Coming up on apps as variously Channel Islands Pug, Thyme Pug, Wormwood Pug or Currant Pug ... the only one that looks remotely OK is Channel Islands Pug but is that at all likely? I guess it has been a good migrant year! #teammoth #ukmoths

Found a really nice Cylindromyia brassicaria on Fleabane yesterday, around Beaminster - first time I'm caught one in the UK so rather chuffed :) Very easy to spot as the body is so long and it's a bigger fly than the Eriothrix rufomaculata on the same flowers.

Nothing spectacular in the moth trap recently but I have enjoyed Beautiful China-Mark (rare here), Black Arches (love those antennae), Brown-tail (new to the area, I think) & Rosy Footman (FFG) #teammoth #ukmoths

... and in other news, I won a cup & trophy at the Tilehurst Methodist Church table tennis club :D rather chuffed as I wasn't expecting to win anything!

Well, I was thinking it would be a dull night but there on the cloth outside the trap was a lovely Ni Moth ... my first in the UK. Then more migrants: Silver-Y, Diamondback ... and a local - the FFY Uncertain/Rustic ... one of these years I might feel comfortable giving them a definite name!

Last night's moth trap did turn up an oddity - this amazing bug, the "Masked Hunter" (Reduvius personatus).

Nothing huge in the trap last night but did get some nice variety (e.g. Scorched Wing) and plenty of migrants like the Diamond Backed Moth and this gorgeous (and new to me) Small Marbled. #teammoth #ukmoths

A decent catch last night - Lime Hawk, Pale Tussock, Foxglove Pug(?) and a lovely Ophion minutus/ #teammoth #ukmoths

Popped up to #Hartslock today and the orchids are looking lovely but we really need rain and lots of it to save them. Anything on the south-facing slope is really suffering. Also good views of a Painted Lady looking very fresh!

If you can get to the #BritishMuseum to see their #Samurai exhibition then it's well worth the effort but it closes next Monday. There are suits of armour aplenty, lots of woodblock prints, and just a huge number of exhibits that illustrate the influence of samurai on Japanese and world culture.

Best night of the year so far in Tilehurst - 5 Nut Tree Tussocks; Buff-Tip; Small Mottled Willow, Oak Tree Pug, Common Pug, Maybugs, Shuttle-shaped Dart & Muslin #UKMoths #teammoth

Had a lovely walk at #Hartslock this lunchtime: Lady x Monkey orchids in good flower; Dingy & Grizzled Skippers, Green Hairstreaks, Small Heaths, Orange Tip, Brimstones etc. Lots of Chalk Milkwort and the Pasque Flowers are still going and there were lots of Rose Chafers on the hawthorn bushes.

Saw my first Green Hairstreak of the year on a lovely lunchtime walk through Sulham Woods (Berks) today. I've never seen the species there so it bodes well. Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood & Brimstone were also out.

I find differences in languages fascinating ... www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

On the previous night in West Dorset we got (Water Carpet?) high on a wall, Pale Pinion and a nice fresh Brindled Beauty. Lovely to see good numbers of moths even with the cold nights. #teammoth #ukmoths

Just a few moths in West Dorset last night but was happy to see the Early Tooth-striped, March Moth and Streamer. #teammoth #ukmoths

The first moth trap of the year turned up a nice Mullein Moth for my Tilehurst garden. #teammoth #ukmoths

Just back from a blissful walk at #Hartslock NR where the sun was really warm and both Gonia picea and Gymnocheta viridis were around in good numbers. The Pasque Flowers were also just starting. Plenty of Peacocks on the wing too.

Just seen my first Bombylius major in the garden (Reading) with Anthophora plumipes (m&f) and plenty of queen bumbles.

Just back from a lovely Xmas to see my parents in Beaminster. We also visited Charmouth 3 times to look for fossils :)