After Cryptic Fern was 433, a few hours with two lights at Dungeness took my yearlist to 471 on Tuesday 13th August before I needed to head home. A few macro pics in addition to the Beautiful Marbled, White Spot, Rest Harrow, Pale Grass Eggar & Cream-bordered Green Pea. 😀

Some Dungeness micros (13th August). Trapping solo with a very healthy accompaniment of mosquitos this year. Starry Pearl (Cynaeda dentalis), Bugloss Ermine (Ethmia bipunctella), Rusty Acorn Piercer (Cydia amplana) & likely Catchfly Case-bearer (Coleophora galbulipennella). 😀

Final catch up from Dungeness, a compulsory head on pic of Gypsy Moth. It is a species that has not quite made it to my patch or to my other local trapping sites but there are other local records so it is only a matter of time. 😀

Finally, Clevedon moths taking the yearlist to 474 species as at now. Angle-barred Pug & Small Rufous additions from Bob's garden & Old Lady from mine. Whereas this Garden Carpet had plainly heard my theory that all the best moths are smaller than a five pence piece! 😃

The highlight of this morning's garden trap in Clevedon was a Rush Veneer. Rather remarkably, this is new for the year. Not sure whether that is indicative of a lack of activity on my part, time spent out of the country or a poor year for migration. 🤔

Hairy Stem Moth (Ochsenheimeria taurella) 472nd moth at Watercress Farm, Belmont Estate swept from grasses this afternoon. I should pull together my moth list at some point! Despite looking at pictures of this remarkable beast many times, I believe the first I have seen! 😀

Relatively meagre pickings from the Clevedon traps in the last week but Centre-barred Sallow & Cypress Pug were new for the year from the garden whereas Dark Spectacle & Straw Underwing were further signs of autumn. 😀

Watercress Farm Belmont Estate. 72 moth species last night. 340 in 2024. 474 overall. Black V Bud Moth (Stenolechia gemmella) 2nd modern Bristol record, Chequered Pine Knot-horn (Dioryctria sylvestrella) 3rd Bristol record, August Thorn & Frosted Orange. Quality not quantity. 😀

I am busily editing last year's photos whilst mothing is not too busy & local birding remains quiet as we are barred from my patch. Pleased to work out that Andean Ibis was my 1,000th species photographed in 2023 on 20th August. Another 500+ species to edit from last year...

Some local Clevedon moths as my moth yearlist crept to 486 species. L-album Wainscot, Small Square-spot, Treble-bar (the moth that popularised an interest in anal claspers 😀) & Common Daisy Moth (Dichrorampha acuminatana). My kingdom for a dry night to get in the field.....

Some say Porter's Rustic is boring. But once they lose all their scales, they get even duller. 😂 But my first since one at Charmouth, Dorset on 9th August 2004 & the first that I have trapped. Watercress Farm, Nailsea. 3rd September. 4th Bristol Region record. 😃

96 species on Monday 3rd September at Watercress Farm, Belmont Estate. Seven additions took our moth list to 481 species & our overall species list to 1,900 species. A few pics of additons - Lilac Beauty; Beautiful China-mark; Acleris emargana; & Donacaula forficella. 😊

This week's Clevedon garden traps had moths with very different trajectories. The declining Mouse Moth from Bob's trap was my 496th moth of the year whilst Palpita vitrealis & White-point are now almost numerous with 3 of each in this morning's garden trap. Times are changing. 🤨

A bad patch birder recently. But lunch abandoned at 1pm for a half mile twitch on foot for Wryneck at Clevedon Pill. Thanks to Jack for find & swift news & Chris Craig & others for messaging me. 😀 (Thankfully I have found one on patch before so not kicking myself too much.)