My Delicates are usually pretty worn & battered so I was delighted to have this pristine one on 13th October in my Clevedon garden. 😀

Largest third Spiny Hooktip brood well on the wing. Good comparison of two males. No one would overlook the mauve one from Watercress Farm but I bet most may overlook the majority brown examples like the one from my garden. 90%+ of local examples are brown. Temperature-related?

Wednesday (15th) - 75 moths of 27 species to one trap at Watercress Farm, @belmont_estate - Feathered Thorn new. 562 moths of 2,505 species recorded on site. 445 moths recorded this year. https://t.co/L0H0fJY3Nv

Merveille du Jour Clevedon, North Somerset 13th October 2025 - my 621st moth species of the year - but always an annual highlight. 😀

Final editing from Scarborough Castle, North Yorkshire 10th October 2025. Still blown away that I finally connected. "All observers agree in eulogizing the unrivalled vigour of the bird's flight" (Saunders (1889)). Quite astonishing. 😀

White-throated Needletail closing in on breakfast at Scarborough Castle, North Yorkshire on 10th October 2025. 😀

Better views today of juvenile White-throated Needletail at Scarborough Castle, Yorkshire. I used to have stories of woe - missing by 30 mins, guillotined merger meetings, wind turbine misery, days of searching, etc. I now just have the wonder. Proper review of pics tomorrow. 😀

34 years of hurt. Never stopped me dreaming.... Needle-tailed Swift Filey Brigg 9th October 2025

A single trap at Watercress Farm, @belmont_estate last night produced 14 species with Dark Chestnut, Sallow & Barred Sallow new for the year. At home, Green-brindled Crescent took me to 620 moth species for 2025. 😀

I am sure that I'll be looking for something soon but birding remains incidental at the moment with trips back to Essex on domestic tasks. A few pics from the last fortnight - Red Kite & Pectoral Sandpiper both Hertfordshire & Kingfisher & Stonechat Watercress Farm, Nailsea. 😀

Exactly 33 years since my only encounter with Siberian Thrush so opportune to be clearing out old photos today. Stunning pic by Jeff Higgott - https://t.co/Sp4Av0tCVS. Gripped today by cracking photos of the immature male on Shetland. I must prioritise another at some point. 😀

Radford's Flame Shoulder to Bob's trap was our first Clevedon record of the year and my 614th moth species for 2025. 😀

43 moths species on Friday night at Watercress Farm, @belmont_estate took the total recorded there this year to 435 species. The Shining Marbled (posted already) & Brick new to the site. Now 560 species recorded. Other pics Black Rustic, Brindled Green & Autumnal Rustic. 😀

Another two days staring at and photographing Watsonalla Hook-tips. Slightly under two years since Spiny Hook-tip appeared on the radar but gradually getting my head around its variation. A few labelled comparisons. 😀

Friday night, I recorded Oak (male), Barred (male & female) & Spiny (female) Hook-tips at the same site on the same night. This will be the first time that has happened in Britain. Oak & Beech on site but the female Spiny will be a wanderer from Holm Oak nearby. 😀

Shining Marbled Watercress Farm, Nailsea, North Somerset 26th September 2025. About 30th British record & first for the Bristol Region. 😀

Sitting in Poplar Wood, Watercress Farm, @belmont_estate for a quiet night's mothing listening to Ryder Cup radio coverage. Already on fire on day one! Expletives rain out as I recognise a Shining Marbled & chase it with a pot. c30th British record & first Vice County one. 😀

To the end of 2024, I am aware of gendetted Spiny Hooktips from 9 vice counties & 3 more with photographs. The largest third brood is now on the wing locally. Pics of male & female from Bob Fleetwood's garden in Clevedon. Are they still overlooked elsewhere? 😀

Turtle Dove still present at Watercress Farm, @belmont_estate today. It spent some time sunbathing in the early afternoon autumn sunshine. 😀

A trip to Watercress Farm, @belmont_estate this afternoon had plenty of Willow Emerald & a galloping male Roe Deer in addition to the juvenile Turtle Dove, juvenile Hobby, adult Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted & Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatches & a nice supporting cast. 😀