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mikemoths.bsky.social
Moths, birds, butterflies, herps & other wildlife. My own photos. Dorset, UK or travelling if I can. MSc Biological Recording Dorset Moths https://www.dorsetmoths.co.uk/ Wildlife blog https://vitrealis.blogspot.com/ RSPB volunteer. MCIEEM Munroist 7188
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Radford's Flame Shoulder, Lunar Marbled Brown and Water Carpet were the highlights in this morning's trap - West Dorset, UK. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @migrantmothuk.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth

First garden Slow Worm of the year - a female. West Dorset, UK @argroupsuk.bsky.social #reptiles #ukwildlife

Sand Lizard and Smooth Snake at @rspb.bsky.social Arne this morning - viewed with a licensed surveyor. All six native British reptiles can be found on the lowland heaths here. @arc-trust.bsky.social #ukwildlife

Cetti's Warblers are usually reluctant to show themselves, so it was great to get good views for a change. At Lodmoor @rspb.bsky.social Weymouth, UK this morning. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #birds

Sika Deer on the Shipstal trail at @rspb.bsky.social Arne, Dorset this morning. #mammals #ukwildlife

A new #bee for the garden (W Dorset) - Grey-patched Mining Bee Andrena nitida I think, but happy to be corrected. Might explain the holes in our lawn. @buzzclub.bsky.social @davegoulson.bsky.social

After a slow start to the year, interesting moths are starting to arrive here in W Dorset, UK. This beautiful Frosted Green was new to me (and this 10km grid square). It must have been a wanderer: we're well away from established oak woodland, its favoured habitat. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social #teammoth

Heading down to Ambleside from the Fairfield horseshoe after another memorable day on the hills. #LakeDistrict @wildlakeland.bsky.social @lakedistrictnpa.bsky.social

Red Chestnut new for the garden was a nice surprise this morning (W Dorset, UK). Firsts for the year included Pebble Prominent, Brindled Beauty and Powdered Quaker. 17/30 overall the best for 2025 to date. #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Website update! Dorset macro-moth records up to and including 2023 are now available on the Dorset Moths website. Visit us at www.dorsetmoths.co.uk #teammoth @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Pleased that our (overgrown) garden pond still hosts a (shy) Common Frog 🐸

A nice selection of Spring moths this morning (Oak Beauty, Chestnut and Early Thorn) plus a handsome Black Sexton Beetle - all new for the year here (West Dorset, UK). #teammoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @ashwhiffin.bsky.social

Signs of Spring: Three Chiffchaffs singing at Litton Cheney, Dorset this sunny morning. First I've heard this year. (Library photo). @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #birdingUK

Just a trickle of common Spring moths here in West Dorset, UK: Dotted Border, Double-striped Pug and Hebrew Character. Signs that things are picking up? #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Dark Sword-grass in the trap this morning, the first migrant moth to arrive in the garden for 2025. Nice to see, after a long run of cold nights. West Dorset, UK. #teammoth #MigrantMothUK

The nights are still to cold for moths here in West Dorset UK, but a couple of caddisflies were attracted to the light trap. Both were Large Cinnamon Sedge Stenophylax permistus (gen. det.). Good to see some insect activity at last. #invertebrate #ukwildlife #bugsky

Capuchins and Squirrel Monkeys. More from Costa Rica. #biodiversity #naturewriting Blog at: vitrealis.blogspot.com/2025/02/capu...

Just a duck in a tree. Black-bellied Whistling Duck, near Cuidad Neilly, Costa Rica. #birding

Mantled Howlers and Spider Monkeys. Encounters with Costa Rica's two largest primates. vitrealis.blogspot.com/2025/02/howl... #naturewriting #conservation #biodiversity

Brilliant summary of this ground-breaking research on this rapidly declining European butterfly that is bucking the trend in the UK since its reintroduction. A great conservation success story. Worth reading the full paper resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Our new paper thinking about bias in population monitoring using @ukbms.bsky.social data 🌍🦋

Excited to share this preprint with @tlinksvayer.bsky.social where we use phylogenetic comparative methods to empirically test the association between haplodiploidy and eusociality on a species-level insect phylogeny! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Here's a query for BlueSky butterfly experts. I would welcome confirmation that this image - taken in Latvia in April 2012 - is what I think it is: a Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell. If so, presumably it was a migrant as it seems to be out of range? @richardfoxbc.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social

Finally some moths in 2025! Mottled Umber and Pale Brindled Beauty start the mothing year in style. West Dorset - night of 14/1. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social #TeamMoth

A short blog about a small Snow Bunting. #ukbirding #naturewriting Link at: vitrealis.blogspot.com/2025/01/snow...

The long-staying Snow Bunting was still at Hamworthy, Dorset this morning (14/1), giving ridiculously close views. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #ukbirding

Bearded Tits (aka Bearded Reedlings) showing well at @rspb.bsky.social Radipole, Weymouth, Dorset, UK this morning. It's always special to see them. #ukbirding

It could only be in Costa Rica! A pair of Scarlet-rumped Tanagers at San Luis. #birds #birding #costarica