David Bradley

@sciencebase

Science Writer | Wildlife Photographer Mostly moth, butterfly, and bird photos

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David Bradley@sciencebase· 28d

I think I may well have had White-line Dart last year and logged it as Garden, dammit...what are the tells, I can't pick them up from the descriptions nor my photos...

2025 White-line Dart or is it actually Garden?

David Bradley@sciencebase· 28d

I thought I'd better do the Rolled Grass-moth justice with a proper camera shot rather than my carpy phone snap #teamMoth Pediasia contaminella (formerly known as the Waste Grass-veneer)

Pediasia contaminella, Rolled Grass-moth

David Bradley@sciencebase· 29d

Temp was as low as 18C in our Cambs garden, just 120 or so moths, but of 53 species #teamMoth Including new for me Pediasia contaminella (Rolled Grass-moth). Gradually creeping towards 600 species in the garden since I started on 24th July 2018...be nice to make it to that number on the anniversary

Quick phone snap of the Pediasia contaminella, Rolled Grass-moth, NFM 2026. I do wonder if I've ignored this in the past and assumed it was just Garden Grass-moth, Chrysoteuchial culmella

David Bradley@sciencebase· 29d

Posted the wrong pic of what I thought was Garden Dart! Should've been this one, you must think me mad...looking again, this is probably just another WLD, isn't it?

David Bradley@sciencebase· 29d

White-line Dart? @mothiduk.bsky.social thank you

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 12

200 moths of 53 species in 20C Cambs (VC29) last night #teamMoth Most Silver Y I've had in one session, 13 of them, was expecting other migrants, but no... But, did have another of the Plusiinae, Dewick's Plusia, just the one

Autographa gamma, the Silver Y sideview, from my archives, showing the "gamma" or "Y" shape of its names. Migrant species

Dewick's Plusia, Macdunnoughia confusa, an increasingly common vagrant to the UK

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 11

I had my first female Oak Eggar in 2020. Not had a male in the garden, but saw one on Devil's Dyke and what a unit he was!

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 11

Just audited my garden mothing records back to when I started (Jul '18): 595 species recorded (+60 species in other gardens or elsewhere) #teamMoth Hoping for half a dozen more NFGs this year to take me past the 6-ton milestone (or 6-tonne kilometre marker if we're using metric)

Striped Hawk-moth from 2025, a rare migrant to the UK

Goat Moth sideview, a rather rare moth with a very fragile reproductive cycle, not commonly seen, but one turned up in my garden in May 2025

Eastern Bordered Straw one of the first ever recorded in Cambridgeshire (VC29) turned up in my garden at the end of May

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 11

193/65 VC29 20C #teamMoth 1 NFY: Euzophera pinguis (Ash-bark Knot-horn)

2x Euzophera pinguis, Ash-bark Knot-horn

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 10

Face to face with a Spongy Moth. There were at least 4 to the UV lamp last night www.sciencebase.com/science-blog...

Gypsy Moth, now known in the US as the Spongy Moth

Universally known to science as Lymantria dispar irrespective of political opinion

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 10

245 moths of 66 species in Cambs last night, 23C #teamMoth A positive zoo: 4 elephants, 9 tigers (6 Jersey, 3 ruby), 6 leopards, two pine hawks a canary, and a kitten. An Old Lady and numerous footmen to look after them. NFG: Royal Mantle (rather battered and worn, sadly)

A battered Royal Mantle moth, new for my garden in 2026

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 9

It's my 9th season with #teamMoth This year: 141 garden sessions, 6500 moths of 325 species, 15 NFG. I've averaged 46 specimens per session over the year, but 100 per session from May onwards. Buff Arches always a favourite

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 9

53 species, there was a Tree-lichen Beauty (NFY) and a Garden Pebble under the trap

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 9

Almost 200 moths of 51 species. Trap was on the patio, but it was warmer (23C min), so hard to know whether count was up because of one or t'other #teamMoth NFY: Marbled Beauty and Aussie Orange-tip

Marbled Beauty moth on lichen-covered log, from a distance it would be barely discernible

An Australian Orange-tip moth mostly blending in on some bare wood

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 8

Last night's Herald moth, first I've had in the garden for years #teamMoth

The Herald moth, so-called because of its flared mediaevel herald's skirt/tabard shape, colour, and markings

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 8

I saw four Leopard Moth in the garden last night, one of them didn't go anywhere near the trap, the other three did and snuggled together once potted. They were perfectly fine on release. Not seen them do this before...basically cos I've only seen one at a time before! #teamMoth

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 8

The rather balding Small Rivulet wot I almost missed cos it was in a fold in the sheet behind the trap this morning!

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 8

153 moths of 51 species to light in Cambs last night, 20C #teamMoth First Herald since 2022 and first Small Rivulet since 2024 Four Leopard Moth, previously 2023 and 2025

The Herald, and orange moth with four tiny white spots on its forewings, some brown bands, and a crinkly, dried leaf edge to the wings

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 7

Err, yes, thanks...indeed it does. Feel like I've been mothsplained there...hahaha

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 7

Sleepless night...up and at the trap at least three times #teamMoth Lots of activity 143/54 but count is a little over half what it was a week ago, diversity similar. No NFG and no NFY. There were three Buff-tip so here's a photo of one showing its incredible camouflage, hahahah

The twiggy looking Buff-tip moth will cling to any stick to hide from predators. Here's one I snapped on an old pencil!

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 5

Had another gig with my band last night, so post-show wind-down was a spot of mothing some time after 1am, hahaha 129/48 in 20C Cambs #teamMoth NFY: Lackey and Small China-mark

The Lackey, a beautiful, largely orange-brown moth with an intriguing shape and this male with large feathery antennae

Small China-mark. I find this mostly white moth with its forewing flecks much more appealing when it reveals its hindwings, which seem to be edged with black, white, and gold patterning, almost like a fancy edge on a regal coat

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 4

Another cool night, 16C here in my Cambs garden, just 116 moths of 40 species #teamMoth No NFYs, no NFGs So, here's a selection of my archive photos of some yellow underwings - Large, Lesser, Broad-bordered, Lesser Broad-bordered

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing moth

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 3

107 moths of 42 species, count was less than half what it was a few days ago, but diversity up a little on previous session #teamMoth NFG: Plumed Fan-foot, Pechipogo plumigeralis Also NFG: Epinotia immundana, but probably not Scarce Light Plume (more likely a Breckland)

Plumed Fan-foot, sideview, showing its enormous palps. The plumed refers to the feathery nature of the male's antennae

Overhead view of a Plumed Fan-foot resting on a lichen-covered log

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

@mothiduk.bsky.social just a quick phone snap. Is this Breckland? Thanks

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

My first Silver-washed Fritillaries of the year at Monk's Wood on 19th June while, looking for the last of the Black Hairstreak and White Admiral...the camera couldn't cope with the light levels and kept jumping, but the effect was nice with this sideview and the little flying friend #UKButterflies

Silver-washed Fritillary nectaring on an umbellifer

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

Didn't catch up with a Gatekeeper until the end of June #UKButterflies

Gatekeeper butterfly, Pyronia tithonus. Apparently, some people call this the Hedge Brown, apparently...I've never heard anyone that calls it that

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

#BirdOfTheDay Alt theme is #SunriseSunset. One from the archives, the Shorties won't be around our patch again until the autumn Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus

Short-eared Owl was heading right for me late afternoon as the sun was setting, saw me (and the big eye of the camera staring back) and banked away just 20m from me

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

For clarity, this is the Western Barn Owl, Tyto alba, the species native to the UK (southwest Europe, Asia, and Africa). Its scientific name alludes to it being white! That's alba of the species component of its name, but the genus Tyto, is from the Greek, meaning owl, and essentially onomatopoeic

Tyto alba, meaning White Owl, but we known it as the Barn Owl. From this angle you can see the origin of the scientific name as it's largely white on the underside and looks rather ghostly when it flies in the dark

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

Barn Owl at dusk looking like loaf of bread with wings #BirdOfTheDay Alt #SunriseSunset

David Bradley@sciencebase· Jul 2

Quite a dip last night, 120 moths of 40 species, VC29, although it was still no colder than 20C in the garden #teamMoth No NFGs and just two NFY: Anania coronata (Elder Pearl) and Epiblema foenella (White-foot Moth) more about their scientific names in the ALT text