Moths Latest

Small Marbled. Other migrants last night were 1 Silver Y, 1 Rush Veneer, 1 Rusty Dot Pearl, 2 Diamond-back and 7 Small Mottled Willow. Also, amongst the usual more common stuff - c80 Willow Ermine, 1 Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, 2 Four-spotted Footman, 2 Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana, 1 Pebble Hook-tip, 1 Black Arches, 4 Cloaked Minor, 1 Marbled Green, 2 Ruby Tiger, 2 Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 1 Thistle Ermine, 1 Italian Bark Moth Metalampra italica, 1 Small Pine Shoot Moth Clavigesta sylvestrana and 1 Hawthorn Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella.

Willow Ermine.  c80 of these last night.

Mottled Oak Tortrix Zeiraphera isertana.

Italian Bark Moth - my third in as many weeks.

Pebble Hook-tip.

Small Pine Shoot Moth Clavigesta sylvestrana.

White Crescent Teleiodes luculella.

Ni Moth. Nice to get this on 10/7 along with a number of other species including 11 Willow Ermine, 12 Jersey Tiger, 2 Four-spotted Footman, 4 Rusty Dot Pearl, 3 Small Mottled Willow, 1 L-album Wainscot, 3 Ruby Tiger, 1 Yellow-spotted Tortrix, 1 White-foot Moth, 3 Acorn Piercer, 1 Tree-mallow Tortrix Crocidosema plebejana and 1 Pearl Grass-moth Catoptria pinella.

Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana.

White-foot Moth Epiblema foenella.

Yellow Spotted Tortrix Pseudoargyrotoza conwagana.

Marbled Green.

 Tawny-fronted Straw Neocochylis molliculana.

Poplar Hawkmoth caterpillar - Blackhill Quarry.

LRPs

Encouraging signs the local Little Ringed Plovers have had a productive breeding season - at least 7 birds counted this morning including a recently-fledged chick.

Mudbank today - 2 Sand Martins, 2+ Whimbrel, 6 Sandwich Terns, 1 Redshank and 1 Mediterranean Gull. Liverton Copse - 2+ Firecrests and 1+ Treecreeper.

5/7 - Mudbank - 9 Whimbrel, 1 Dunlin, 2 Sandwich Terns and 1 Great Crested Grebe.

4/7 - Mudbank - 6 Whimbrel, 1 Mallard and 1 Mediterranean Gull.

A couple cycle-rides into Topsham over the last few days. Birds seen at Bowling Green have included 2 Spoonbills, 4 Green Sandpipers, c30 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Spotted Redshank, c125 Redshank, 8 Teal, 1 Knot, 1 Mediterranean Gull and 1 Dunlin.

Green Sandpipers.

Summer-plumaged Spotted Redshank - Bowling Green.

Garden Small Skipper.....

.....and garden Roesel's Bush Cricket.

Garden Straw Agapeta hamana.

Silver Y.

One of 23 Small Mottled Willows trapped last night. Also - 1 Rush Veneer, 1 Rusty Dot Pearl and 3 Silver Y.

Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana. One of two in the trap this morning.

Silver-washed Fritillary - Frying Pans.

Broad-leaved Helleborine - Liverton Copse.

One of six Sandwich Terns off Mudbank this afternoon.

Puss Moth Cat

Went searching for the remarkable-looking Puss Moth caterpillar this afternoon but didn't really expect to find one. A bonus Sallow Kitten caterpillar too!

Mudbank - not a lot today but 14 Mediterranean Gulls included a flock of twelve flying upriver at 0950. Also off there - 8 Sandwich Terns.

Blackhill Quarry - 7 Tufted Ducks and 1 Coot with a recently-fledged juvenile. See below for yesterday's birds.

Puss Moth caterpillar.

Sallow Kitten (third instar?) caterpillar.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth - Wheathill carpark.

Grayling.

One of seven Tufted Ducks on Blackhill Quarry pool. No juveniles.

Ringlet.

Large Skipper.

My first returning Redshank of the autumn - Mudbank 29/6/26.

Mudbank yesterday - 1 Redshank, 5 Whimbrel, 7+ Sandwich Terns, 2+ Mediterranean Gulls, 125+ Black-headed Gulls, c40 Curlew and my first fully-fledged juvenile Herring Gull of the summer.

A quick search of Liverton Copse revealed 20 Broad-leaved Helleborines - the majority no yet in flower so I'll be back...

Small Tortoisehell - Exmouth cricket club 28/6/26.

Thirteen Common Sands

Thirteen Common Sandpipers off Mudbank on this morning's high tide. Ten were still present this afternoon. These were my first Common Sands in Exmouth this year and thirteen is by far my biggest ever flock! Also off there today - 2 Grey Plovers, 11 Sandwich Terns, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 145+ Black-headed Gulls and 35 Shelduck.

Common Brindled Brown Agonopterix heracliana.

Holly Blue - mating pair, Mudbank.

Oak Nycteoline.

True Lover's Knot.

Broad-leaved Helleborine. Just five spikes of his gorgeous orchid in the traditional spot, down from nearly thirty not too many years ago!

Local LRP.

Vestal - Orcombe Point.