Simon Curson

@JLowenWildlife We don’t get them in our garden - in fact I hardly ever see them. Are there Lime trees very close to your garden James?

Stars of the mothtrap morn. A garden high. #MuchAdoAboutMothing #teammoth

@JLowenWildlife I have a few Limes in the village but have never caught Orange Sallow in the garden in 14 years of trapping. In fact I’ve not seen one for 25 years or so. Always scarce and not strongly attracted to light I think.

The Daily Moth 1,290. There are no lime trees within a couple of miles of home, so unsurprisingly I catch few Orange Sallows: perhaps five or ten a year. But this year was my first blank of this localised species. Has it fared poorly elsewhere or is it OK? #MuchAdoAboutMothing

@JLowenWildlife Nice to see a fish shoal big enough to support that feeding frenzy.

Crikey!

@JLowenWildlife I had one yesterday in the garden (west edge of New Forest).

The Daily Moth 1,219. A surprising moth I’d like to catch is Porter’s Rustic, a vagrant w/<200 records. It’s not much to look at – but I love its compact, heavy-headed shape. Norfolk’s 2nd was caught near home: close but no cigar. Anyone on here caught it? #MuchAdoAboutMothing

@graemelyons I’ll text you Graeme.

@CursonSimon We never did meet up two years ago! I am surveying Burton Pond on Sunday if you are free?

I see very very few experienced, life-long naturalists/professionals/biological recorders supporting the use of the apps. It tends to come from casual recorders and universities. While concerns coming from people like myself who have the most experience are just being dismissed.

@graemelyons Thank Goodness for that!

@CursonSimon Absolutely. BTO will not accept it on the BBS.

@graemelyons I would say that any bird survey done using an app to ID the songs and calls should be discounted as an acceptable or accurate survey.

@CursonSimon I'm old enough! And I never once needed to use an app. Teaching myself bird song through direct observation and deduction as a child is one of the happiest memories I have. I only do bird surveys now due to this. I don't think you could get good enough to do surveys using an app.

@graemelyons Having said that, the ID from bird song apps like Merlin can only be verified if you then see the bird singing. Use those with extreme caution. Apps can aid learning, but you do need to teach yourself using books and keys, as us old lags did (ok Graeme, you’re not old!).

@graemelyons My thoughts on this are that the apps often give a good indication on what a species is, but this should always be followed up by using books and keys to confirm. Apps can be a very useful starting point, but can easily misID. Use, but with follow up and caution.

@thenewgalaxy @EuropeanOrchids @Mariposa_Nature @BSBIbotany @dunnjons @botany_beck @SteveTandy3 @smurfett722 @chrishindle @Haggewoods @NatureLark @wonky_eggs @Love_plants @BSBIscience Well done Richard. Are the landowners aware so that that area won’t get felled or anything? Also I read, years ago, that a good searching method wad to lie down in the evening and scan horizontally with a torch - ever tried that!

2024 UK - Get in there! The Ghost #Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum) is one of our rarest species, and one that doesn’t need an introduction. After 30 years of searching I’m beyond delighted to have chanced upon one @EuropeanOrchids @Mariposa_Nature @BSBIbotany #wildflowerhour

@SwaySteveK @MigrantMothUK @dgcountryside @MOTHIDUK Love the name. Have you still got the moth Steve, I live about 20 mins from Sway snd would love to see it.

@MigrantMothUK @dgcountryside @MOTHIDUK Arrangements are in hand with the CMR once anyone who wants a look (a couple coming this evening, plus a couple tomorrow) has had the chance to do so. Presumably once it's got that CMR seal of approval it gets added to the British list? What's the situation with English name?

Bit of a left field moth this morning: unless I'm overlooking something else, all I can make this into is Nodaria nodosalis. Can't find any mention of it having occurred in Britain though. Eeek! @MigrantMothUK @dgcountryside @MOTHIDUK

@TonyJuniper just finished your What Has Nature Ever Done For Us. A brilliant and important book that, if followed could help the world’s nature and human needs to be maintained in tandem. You mention several initiatives. Would you write a follow up to see how those are doing?

@LeeEvansBirding Lee, I do enjoy reading your tweets on birding and wildlife. I would rather not see your tweets on politics (unless they relate to wildlife). Because I follow you I get alerts to both. I would prefer it if you separated the two in 2 different accounts. Cheers.

To UNFOLLOW this account, simply click the unfollow button - it is as simple as that. Never once have I expected or asked anybody to follow me. It is that simple. I certainly don't want all of you that despise me following me anyway. It's not a problem

@graemelyons I suspect that the weather is the main cause for fewer than insects around this year, but that is just one pressure on top of others eg pesticides, tidiness. I am seeing fewer butterflies and bees in areas I have visited a lot over the years.

A really interesting discussion about invertebrate species-richness and abundance. Lots to unpick there, I will try and put all my thoughts down in a blog post tomorrow to try and figure out what is going on and why what I am seeing is seemingly at odds with many other observers

@botolphsbirder @folkestonebirds That is certainly Willowherb Hawk - I should know, I caught the first in Newhaven in the 1980s. Mine was in as good a condition as yours is. Nice one Brian.

@James__Gale There was a great display here in the New Forest on night of 10th (night before last), but I slept through it 🙄.

@CursonSimon Hi Simon - yes, we had a great display the night before last. No problem seeing it with the naked eye. Any joy over your way?

A completely jaw dropping display.

@IanCarter67 From what I have heard, from both sides, there is an appetite to engage, talk and form more mutual understanding and try and come to a more unified way forward. If DG sees this I would be interested in his response.

@CursonSimon I agree Simon. But there’s a problem. Some are not for listening or even engaging. They have their way of operating and no matter the opinions of others, the reintroduction guidelines or even the law, they are not for changing. See DG’s responses for eg. I can’t anymore!

A thread on inappropriate (re)introductions. It’s a little long (sorry) and perhaps a little grumpy (sorry again). Arguing against the work of others is rarely a good look, especially as we are all, essentially, on the same side, but… 1/21

@LeeEvansBirding Many of the responses to Mr Lowe are speaking more favourable to Chris Packham and more measured.

Chris Packham attracting a lot of abuse this morning following the BBC airing of a documentary he appeared in