Sciencebase

Happy New Bird

"Local" Waxwing irruption underway, has been since November

08:30 AM - Jan 03, 2024

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https://davebradley.bandca...

davebradley.bandcamp.com

Like a Flame to a Moth | Dave Bradley

Like a Flame to a Moth by Dave Bradley, released 24 November 2023 Like a flame to a moth Someone's running up the stair Brushing metal, stepping hard The trembling painted banister The firedoor, insanely barred There's no smoking in the kitchen But, the fire's out of contro..

05:05 PM - Nov 27, 2023

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I've been experimenting with moonshots, adjusting colour levels otherwise hidden from our insensitive eyes to show the moon's true colours.

The different hues are enhanced but they're due to scattering of sunlight by different minerals.

https://www.sciencebase.co...

I reprocessed my recent moonshot to boost blue and yellow hues. To the naked eye, the moon is fifty shades of grey, but there is colour due to different minerals on the surface scattering sunlight differently.
Processing involves correcting white balance and stepwise ramping up saturation. #MineralMoon #LunalogicalMap

07:29 AM - Oct 28, 2023

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Shimmering bronze beauty

I only seem to see this rare migrant moth in odd years. First time was 2019, then 2021, and now this year

Dewick's Plusia, Macdunnoughia confusa

https://www.sciencebase.co...

Dewick's Plusia moth with hindwings uncovered

12:18 PM - Oct 02, 2023

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Well, what do you know? I rarely enter competitions but I thought I'd support a local photo comp run by NewLifeOldWest Only gone and won it, didn't I?

https://www.newlifeoldwest...

11:25 AM - Sep 20, 2023

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Just so's you know you can find me on pretty much every other social media as sciencebase, but I am more active on some more than others. List here:

https://sciencebase.com/so...

Use a link like this to get you to them

e.g. https://sciencebase.com/sp...

03:55 AM - Sep 08, 2023

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Almost feels like we're still on holiday...there was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in the garden #ArchivePhoto

Hummingbird Hawk-moth, not to be confused with the American Hummingbird Moths, which are what British Lepidopterists call Bee Hawk-moths

06:56 AM - Sep 01, 2023

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Back from a short holiday in Menorca where we saw quite a few Booted Eagle, Blue Rock Thrush, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher, and more besides, although it wasn't a birding trip...

Composite image of Booted Eagle in flight against red sunset over the gorge edge opposite our hotel in Cala'n Porter

10:00 AM - Aug 29, 2023

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Logged my 300th species of moth in the garden for 2023 this week. It was also the 40th new species for me this year, and roughly the 500th species I've photographed in 5 years of mothing.

It's another tiny micro known as Gracillaria syringella, the Common Slender moth

Gracillaria syringella, the Common Slender moth

03:46 AM - Aug 18, 2023

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Some moths are bigger than others

Tiny Lyonetia clerkella's wingspan 7 mm, cf 70mm wingspan of Red Underwing

Both in the garden last night. Red Underwing same date as first and only previous time four years ago

05:54 AM - Aug 04, 2023

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Okay, okay...moths...

Catoptria falsella, sometimes known as the Chequered Grass-veneer

Sideview of a micro moth, Catoptria falsella

10:28 AM - Aug 02, 2023

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I know you're only here for the moths, but there's music too!

Just recorded a new tune for my Four Missing Keys EP

Happy to send out freebie BandCamp codes, just ask, otherwise it's $3.50 for all four tunes

https://davebradley.bandca...

#CambridgeFolkFestival

07:02 AM - Aug 02, 2023

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Just did the garden butterfly count. Several Whites (Large and Small, what we used to call Cabbage Whites), a couple of Comma (like a US Question Mark) and 30 Holly Blue! THIRTY. In 15 minutes!

09:08 AM - Jul 17, 2023

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The Trimingham Three

There are three Bee-eaters attempting to set up home in a North Norfolk quarry

05:30 PM - Jul 07, 2023

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Didn't see Purple Emperor at Chippenham Fen NNR, but I did see a White Admiral and loads of Scarlet Tigers (as well as the fenland specialist moth, Silver-barred)

#MothsMatter #TeamMoth

07:45 AM - Jul 03, 2023

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The enormous* Pine Hawk-moth (Sphinx pinastri, meaning "Pine Sphinx") was in the garden. Half moth numbers and diversity overall, it got down to 11C

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter

*Wingspan up to 80mm, cf Privet Hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri), our biggest native species, wingspan up to 120mm

03:44 AM - Jun 30, 2023

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As I said, it's Buff-tip season...how much more like a twig might an animal look without being a stick insect?

#TeamMoths #MothsMatter

09:08 AM - Jun 28, 2023

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Brown-tail moth

The moth's scientific name is Euproctis chrysorrhoea, which translates as: "The Lady in red singer talks out of his backside"

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter

Face-on view of a fluffy Brown-tail moth showing its large feather-like antennae

07:23 AM - Jun 28, 2023

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Buff-tip moths evolved to resemble broken off pieces of Silver Birch twig...astonishing really, isn't it?

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter

A couple of Buff-tip moths perched on a twig

05:56 PM - Jun 27, 2023

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First Barred Yellow of the summer...always feels a bit autumnal seeing this species and it's not even July!!!

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter

Barred Yellow moth perched on a chunk of yellow-ish dead wood

07:36 AM - Jun 26, 2023

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Burnished Brass

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter

08:47 AM - Jun 24, 2023

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Best haul of the year so far from last night's lighting up session. 40 different species. 130 specimens. All now safely released back into undergrowth and bushes away from the light site.

Ringed China-mark, The Miller, The Fan-foot, Varied Coronet pictured, but also Toadflax Brocade, Elephants etc

11:35 AM - Jun 22, 2023

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2 Threaded Spouts

I have photographed almost 500 species of moth in the last five years, if you count the butterflies, which we should, it's definitely 500+

Most recent was a new arrival to the garden - Leopard Moth

Leopard Moth, flapping its wings at high speed, seemingly frozen wide open by camera flash

03:29 AM - Jun 19, 2023

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This is a Heart and Club moth.

There is another very similar moth called a Heart and Dart, that moth has sharply defined markings on its wings that resembles darts and hearts, as the name would suggest.

The Heart and Club, on the other hand, looks like somebody tried to draw a H&D with a leaky

Blotchy Heart and Club moth resembles a Heart and Dart moth the markings of which have been drawn on with a leaky ink pen...

10:27 AM - Jun 16, 2023

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I spotted a tiny little orange moth on a plant stem while I was snapping a Pyramidal Orchid in local, modern woodland. At first I thought it was that orange mould you get on some plants, so, moth camouflage.

Commophila aeneana, Orange Conch

#TeamMoth #MothsMatter

08:19 AM - Jun 16, 2023

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