It's the best Painted Lady year I've known, clearly many larvae we saw a while back are now adult - 100s viewable from the SE corner of the Meadow, the Wildflower Walk and the path to Pools hide, it's quite a spectacle! @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
I've seen my first Chrysoesthia sexguttella mines recently on Teesside, at Ormesby Beck, Saltern Wetlands and Saltholme. This one, on fat hen, collected 30.6.26, vacated the mine two days later, pupated and emerged today. A good looking moth (and hard to photograph) @teesbirds.bsky.social #teammoth
I stumbled across this last week whilst counting wetland birds...a very young case of Coleophora adjunctella feeding on Saltmarsh Rush. Usually said to be at larval stage in late July. An adult in 2013 was the 1st and last record for #VC66 @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
Not the best conditions over night but some nice moths nevertheless at the #Saltholme Moth Morning...Agapeta hamana, Scarce Footman, new for reserve was the delightful Cochylis roseana, and also the nivella form of Calamotropha paludella @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
Peach Blossom and Orange Pine Tortrix were highlights from the last Moth Morning at #Saltholme, today, a smart Brown-veined Wainscot was in the trap, presumably breeding, as recorded every year since our first in 2020. Next event tomorrow @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
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Painted Ladies have been fairly abundant at #Saltholme this year. Creeping and Spear Thistle have also done well. Put them together and you get a lot of larvae...i would estimate tens of thousands present on the wet grassland now, quite a sight! @teesbirds.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Schoenobius gigantella was the best of the last Saltholme trap. New to Durham in 2021, it was also recorded in 2025, both records from #Saltholme. I believe they're the most northerly in the UK. The next public event is Saturday morning @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
Dichrorampha sedatana, new to #VC66 (confirmed by gen det). This nationally scarce sp was seen flying late afternoon in early May, at the Haverton scrub area of #Saltholme - larvae feed in the roots of Tansy, probably quite tricky to find @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
Several Crambus perlella flying on the saltmarsh behind Teesside Park, all seen were very smart, f. warringtonellus. Was looking for larvae, specifically of Gynnidomorpha vectisana on Sea Arrowgrass, but none found. Maybe next week #teammoth
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A quieter night despite 2 traps running. Still a really good turn out to the #Saltholme moth morning and some fab moths to show, the highlight was the nationally scarce Bactra robustana recently shown to be breeding locally. This was the fourth adult seen in VC66 @teesbirds.bsky.social #teammoth
Lots of the longhorn moth Nemophora degeerella lekking on the path near the Phil Stead hide at #Saltholme, 42 at lunchtime was quite a spectacle, mostly males but at least one female seen. Great to hear Quail on the Meadow today as well @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
Last Saturday's #teammoth trap was the best May night I've had with a long-awaited 64spp. A couple of highlights were Beautiful Hook-tip, and Shoulder-striped Wainscot...next Moth Morning is on Sunday at #Saltholme ...hoping it comes close @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social
A couple from #Saltholme this morning...Nemophora degeerella - nine of these fabulous longhorn moths (check out those antennae!) seen lekking between the Phil Stead hide and the Fire Station Screen, under the cafe balcony Small Ranunculus @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
Saw my first bee orchids of the year around #Stockton including outside the police station and the Fusion Hive building. I tried unsuccessfully to persuade a later mow outside Fusion, but still eleven plants flowering (out of maybe thirty seen in feb) @teesbirds.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social
Warm weather brought quite good numbers to the #Saltholme trap this week...129 of 46spp, highlights included the first #VC66 Lampronia morosa in 23yrs and an unidentified Etainia sp. Temperatures look good for the first Moth Morning event of 2026 this Sunday #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social
Finally confirmed Bactra robustana as breeding with occupied mines on Cowpen Marsh after almost a handful of records from #Saltholme over the last ten years. This nationally scarce moth feeds within sea clubrush, a common plant on Teesside #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social
Calamotropha paludella was first recorded in #VC66 in 2021. I saw it a year later at #Saltholme. There have been several records since in the eastern half of VC66 and as far north as South Shields. I caught up with the Typha feeding larva on Cowpen Marsh recently #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social
I recently went back to a patch of Black Horehound where I found Coleophora lineolea last year. On Sunday I counted a very decent 63 larval cases. The sp also feeds on Hedge Woundwort and Lamb's Ear @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #teammoth
I love Garlic Mustard this time of year...Orange-tip butterflies lay eggs on it and the splendid Cauchas rufimitrella also uses it as a larval foodplant. Neither use it exclusively and both also use Cuckooflower. Both present currently in the Pollinator Garden at #Saltholme @teesbirds.bsky.social
I checked some alder buckthorn, planted 5yrs ago at #Saltholme and was happy to find my first eggs, (93 on 4 plants). I read females usually lay a single egg on the underside of a young leaf. If there's more than one it could mean more than one female. Very much looking forward to the caterpillars.
Glossy ibis present at Dorman's this morning, great white egret at Watchpoint and Bittern booming, heard from the hide as well @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social
Brimstone in the pollinator garden just now at #Saltholme also Red Admiral and Holly Blue @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social
Visiting a slither of saltmarsh by Teesside Park this week to collect foodplant for larvae I'm rearing, I was lucky enough to come across a population of Gynnidomorpha vectisana, a species not recorded in #VC66 since 1905. Sea Arrowgrass is their foodplant #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social
I've finally caught up with Endothenia marginana. One emerged today from teasel heads saved from cut and collect machinery in Sept and collected yesterday. It's 2nd #VC66 record this century. Two E.gentianaeana have also emerged - the size difference was a surprise #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social
40 Dingy Skipper recorded on the first survey of the year at Dorman's yesterday, in less than perfect weather and a new moth for #Saltholme in Pyrausta despicata, only the 17th #VC66 record #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social
Feeding signs of Epinotia abbreviana on Wych elm from #Saltholme today. The larva feeds on a leaf before it unfurls from the bud, leaving a distinctive, rather fab pattern of holes, though it's not always that neat. The larva then feeds nearby between spun leaves #teammoth @teesbirds.bsky.social
