Aidan Smith

There seems to be a migration taking place this November with many of the moth community heading over to Bluesky. If you're not there already I hope to see you there soon. Same handle. Posts on here may dwindle @BradfordNature @BritishMoths @DoubleKidney

Out near the Strid at Bolton Abbey today. What a great tree this was. Lots of blister mines (a few of which are now spending the winter in my wood store) and the feeding signs and hole left by Heliozela sericiella the Oak Cutter. #VC64 @BradfordNature

Fewer and fewer moths each time I put the trap out this week , but still 15 moths of 10 species last night. Among them was Northern Winter Moth, an occasional visitor to the garden that's easier to find in the woodland up the road #VC64 #Otley @BradfordNature @BritishMoths

@IainManners @annie_shadrake @kimleyland @BirdTrack Peaks as picked up on migration through costal sites (you only need one bird to head down our east coast and it’ll be on a lot of lists). In the latter half of the summer I guess they lie low while moulting compared to when breeding and less birders looking for the year tick.

Ring ouzels - what happens to them in Aug/Sept? In my #YorkshireDales data I don't see the October peak. Do they just become very hard to find, or do they leave the area, leave GB? A project for next year. Wheatear records for comparison. @annie_shadrake @kimleyland @BirdTrack

Stigmella myrtillella (Bilberry Dot) - There's probably loads of these out there to be found, but it's only the second record for #VC64. The first being in 1883. #Otley #Chevin #moths @BritishMoths @BradfordNature @WildaboutOtley

Figure of Eight - A moth that just about hangs on locally with an annual record in the Otley area most years. After a gap of 5 years it was my turn. #VC64 #Otley @WildaboutOtley @BradfordNature @BritishMoths

@PattonJustine @BritishMoths Point it over the hills to Yorkshire this evening please

Shocked to find this pristine Radford's Flame Shoulder on the wall by the garden trap this morning. Might've used the F word when I saw it! Could only be the second for Lancs to one caught at Sunderland Point (VC60) at the weekend.

Back of the camera shot - Otley

For those taking a night off because it’s a bit damp out - I’ve just picked Palpita vitrealis off the wall by my trap. Until tonight, any good migrant action this year seems to have missed me here in #VC64, #Otley @BradfordNature @MigrantMothUK

Epermenia chaerophyllella (Common Ridge-back) - a new moth for my garden and Wharfedale that I found while setting the moth trap up yesterday evening 💚🦋 @BradfordNature @BritishMoths

@Calybites It must be on to a winner - still there enjoying the sun this evening

The Norwegian Common Gull JX054 seems to be settled for the winter at Guiseley Retail Park 😀 He seems to have toughened-up and is successfully competing with his little gang of opportunistic Black-headed Gulls. #FastFoodGulls #GullOfTheDay #GullsOfGuiseley #Larus #canus 🇳🇴 🇳🇴

A camera shy Red Underwing sheltering from the rain 💚🦋 #VC64 #Otley @BradfordNature

@PattonJustine It's a mixed picture in Yorkshire. While there are costal records, there does seem to be a recorder in Airedale that's responsible for many of the records in recent years.

@eggboxenvy There are more inland records than coastal in Lancashire and they're associated with the planting of garden varieties of Thrift, apparently.

Yet another new saltmarsh species turned up in the garden trap last night. Lobesia littoralis was new for me and the 10km square!

It’s not been a good year for moths, but one of the exceptions in my garden is Dusky Thorn. 32 trapped last night, with my previous best of 18 set last year #VC64 #Otley

@Calybites Great that you’ve found it again - always good to find a bird ringed overseas

Colour-ringed Common Gull at Guiseley McDonalds today. It was ringed in Oslo, Norway 🇳🇴 in September 2023 and is currently competing for food with about 24 Black-headed Gulls Thanks to ⁦@eggboxenvy⁩ for finding this bird 😀 #GullOfTheDay #Larus #canus #GullsOfGuiseley

@Calybites @BradfordNature @bigalsmith37 Ooh my favourite!

@eggboxenvy @BradfordNature @bigalsmith37 I might have to buy it a hash brown in the morning!

Not much evidence of gull movement in the last few days but ⁦@bigalsmith37⁩ had an audience when he was feeding his swans at Otley yesterday 😂

Totland, IoW. Fewer moths in the trap last night with the breeze, but this immaculate Portland Ribbon Wave was a real treat. On the intruder front, it was nice to find Necrodes littoralis (Shore Sexton Beetle) 💚🦋🪲

Moonlighting in VC10. Feels like cheating when compared to the home patch in VC64. Radford's Flame Shoulder, Rosy Footman, Four-spotted Footman 💚🦋