Second @patchbirding.bsky.social Common Redstart of the autumn on the patch this morning, Trent Port this time, in hedgerow adjacent to arable field. Plus Whitethroat numbers building and 2 Bullfinches about. @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social #PWC2026

A rather smart (and scarce?) plant hopper Delphax pulchellus in the garden moth trap last night. A well-marked male I believe as females can be much trickier to ID. A first for me. Marton, Lincs (VC54). @britishbugs.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

32 #moth spp in garden (Marton, Lincs) last night. 3 new for year: Lime-speck Pug, Rusty-dot Pearl + Honeysuckle Moth Also, Twin-barred Knot-horn, Small Mottled Willow, Least Carpet + Ox-tongue Conch. 320spp for year now @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

A nymph of a Box Bug (Gonocerus acuteangulatus) found wandering the garden this afternoon in the heat. Marton, Lincs @britishbugs.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

A few more photos from recent holiday to #Northumberland (Kielder Forest area). Not a drop of rain all week which is a bit worrying but at least no lugging coats around. @ntbirdclub.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

Great fun watching a Little Grebe feeding it's four humbug-striped, spectacle wearing, chicks at Doddington Hall lake recently. The parent kept bringing up fish from right beneath them 🐟 @lincsbirding.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social #birdwatching

Looks like the Nicotiana patch in the garden has paid off. Striped Hawk-moth last night!! Marton, Lincs. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social #TeamMoth

Four #wetlandplants in flower noted this week for the @wildflowerhour.bsky.social challenge: Fen Bedstraw Bottle Sedge Sneezewort Marsh Willowherb @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social #wildflower_hour

33 #moth species in garden last night. 6 new for year: Least Yellow Underwing Burnished Brass Lychnis Scorched Carpet The Nutmeg Plain Pug (second site record) Also White-point + Small Mottled Willow. Up to 313 spp for year now #TeamMoth @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

Good to catch up with several new birds for the year up in Northumbria over last week incl. Whinchat, Turtle Dove, Dipper and Little Owl. Also, Wheatear, Crossbills plus Spotted Flycatchers everywhere (many juveniles) @btobirds.bsky.social @ntbirdclub.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

A few #moth highlights from a week's holiday in Northumbria incl. Lempke's Gold-spot and Manchester Treble-bar (both lifers) plus Evergestis pallidata, Dotted Clay. Purple Clay and Garden Tiger. Up to 304 species for year now. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social #TeamMoth

A few plants noted this week for #wildflowerhour #StillFlowering challenge: New Zealand Willowherb Meadow Crane's-bill Flea Sedge Hare's-foot Cotton-grass @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

Good @gibpointbirdobs.bsky.social visit yesterday with 15 Little +450 Sandwich Terns, 15 Spoonbills, 7 Greenshank, Little Gull, 3 Green +2 Common Sandpipers, 3 Whimbrel, Snipe, LRP. However, the highlight was a Southern Migrant Hawker, a lifer. @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

Marton #moths last night incl. 1 lifer (Bucculatrix nigricomella) and 6 NFY: Agapeta zoegana Shaded Broad-bar Brown-line Bright-eye Agonopterix alstroemeriana Least Carpet Magpie Moth Plus another Small Mottled Willow and Batia lunaris @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

Pleasant wander around Scrivelsby Park yesterday with like-minded souls from the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union/Lincolnshire Flora Group. A decent selection of flora/flora recorded. A Spotted Flycatcher and Purple Hairstreaks were my highlights @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

A couple of #AquaticPlants in flower this week for the @wildflowerhour.bsky.social challenge: Mudwort (Limosella aquatica) and Water Whorl-grass (Catabrosa aquatica) @bnascience.bsky.social #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

A couple of #Lepidoptera species from the garden this week. Small Purple and Gold (AKA Mint Moth) and Small Tortoiseshell @savebutterflies.bsky.social #TeamMoth @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

A 1.5hr walk at #WilderDoddington today produced 41 bird species including 8 Egyptian Geese, Little Grebes, Treecreeper, Yellowhammers, Linnets, 30 House Martins (colony) and both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

The main lake at #WilderDoddington was good for #odonata today with plenty of Small Red-eyed and Common Blue Damselflies plus Willow Emeralds, Brown Hawkers, Emperors, Common and Ruddy Darters and Black-tailed Skimmers #DragonflyWeek @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

About 275 #moths of 70species in garden last night with 1 lifer (Small Mottled Willow) plus 20 new for year incl. Oak Eggar, White Satin, Oak Hook-tip, Wormwood + Slender Pugs and Calamotropha paludella. On 263species for year now @savebutterflies.bsky.social #TeamMoth @lincswildlife.bsky.social

Four of my favourite butterfly species from holiday to southern #Croatia back in early April: Eastern Baton Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama) Eastern Dappled White (Euchloe ausonia) Nettle-tree (Libythea celtis) Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) @savebutterflies.bsky.social #NaturalistAbroad

Overcast @patchbirding.bsky.social session at Trent Port today was dominated by pied birds with 6 busy Oystercatchers plus 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (2 juveniles). Parent Bugs still putting on a good show. @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social #PWC2026

About 215 of 53 species on 3 July in garden with 10 new for year incl. Box Tree Moths, Chilo phragmitella, Oegoconia deauratella, Eudonia pallida, Clay, Small Ranunculus, Dusky Sallow and Mother of Pearl. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social #teammoth

A few #insects at Scotton Common @lincswildlife.bsky.social reserve this AM: a stonking Birch Sawfly (Cimbex femoratus), The harvestman Leiobunum rotundum, Common Awl Robberfly (Neoitamus cyanurus) and a Potter Wasp species @bnascience.bsky.social

Small Ranunculus (Hecatera dysodea) is now a firm annual moth in the garden, with one on house wall today. Such delicate and pretty markings. #teammoth #mothsmatter @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

Finally some return wader passage on my Trent Port patch yesterday with a showy Common Sandpiper feeding along the river's edge. @patchbirding.bsky.social #PWC2026 @btobirds.bsky.social @lincsbirding.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social

Another batch of #insects which caught my eye whilst birding on my Trent Port patch this AM: Striped Slender Robberfly (only saw my 1st ever one the previous day) An Ichneumon wasp Harlequin Ladybird Spotted Longhorn Beetle @lincswildlife.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

Two locally #InvasivePlants from the alongside the River Trent for this week's @wildflowerhour.bsky.social challenge: Garden Angelica (Angelica archangelica) and Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) #InvasiveSpeciesWeek @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bnascience.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

A selection of #insects on my Trent Port patch this AM: Broad Centurion (Chloromyia formosa), Ferruginous Bee-grabber (Sicus ferrugineus), Triple-stripe Piercer (Grapholita compositella) and Six-spot Burnet @bnascience.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social

c.190 moths of 50 spp in garden last night. 1 lifer, Dingy Shears and another 8 NFY incl. Ruby Tiger Crassa unitella Rhodophaea formosa Buff Ermine Bryotropha domestica Cydia splendana Hypsopygia glaucinalis Plus a lovely marked Heart & Club. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @lincswildlife.bsky.social