Half Past October

Following other birders on social media is something of a nostalgia trip at this time of year. My feeds are peppered with mentions of Shetland and Scilly, and rare birds that I once would have lusted after. I vaguely recall that feeling, that desire, like the whisper of a previous life. A life which, to be fair, gave me many fond memories. There are sometimes crowd photos from the latest twitch, or WhatsApp updates on the current queuing situation at the Porth Hellick Sora. Once upon a time I would have been in that crowd, right in the thick of it, and yes, coincidentally I did once queue for a Porth Hellick Sora.

Ah, it all seems so long ago.

My desire these days is to be as far from such scenarios as possible. Which is no problem at all in this part of the world. Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple of hours plodding around Cogden. Obviously there were no other birders. Barely any people at all, in fact. I do miss Cogden. The space, the habitat, the relative freedom to roam, the solitude...it is a magical mix that I am struggling to find in East Devon. So the occasional jaunt out there feels like necessary medicine right now, just to keep the birdy juices flowing still. And yesterday there were a few rewards.

In the Forbidden Field I came across a trio of Stonechats feeding in the rank, weedy vegetation. While they all flitted about and perched up jauntily in typical Stonechat fashion, there was another bird in their company, keeping low and furtive. I knew what it was, even before I saw it properly...

Rubbish record shot of a Dartford Warbler.

It soon moved to the gorse bank at the top of the field and was gone. And then I spied another Dartford Warbler. Closer, and clearly an adult male...

Male Dartford Warbler in the afternoon sunshine.

Apart from a heard-only Golden Plover and a handful of Chiffs, there seemed to be little else on offer. However, Cogden was not quite done yet...

Firecrest. Standard October fare, and very welcome.

Also of note were a couple of lepidopteral offerings...

One of a number of Clouded Yellows seen, this is a helice female.

It's always a buzz to kick a nice migrant moth out of the grass, like this slightly beaten-up Vestal.

Mention of a moth allows me to segue nicely into part 2 of this post...

The Magic Lantern

This is the Magic Lantern...

...otherwise known as the 20W actinic porch light

Even at the peak of mothy activity and abundance on a warm summer's night I reckon this light might attract no more than single figures of moths, even when checked regularly. However, when it comes to quality rather than quantity, it has more than pulled its weight! For example, my first Sloe Pug on May 30th - a very decent catch, with just 30 previous records in Devon. Also, on July 18th, the first of three Mugwort Pearls Loxostege sticticalis to the garden. A scarce migrant, with only eight previous county records. And again, in October the Magic Lantern has gone and bagged a biggie...

Golden Twin-spot to the Magic Lantern on 9th October. One of my most-wanted migrant moths. It may be a bit battered, but with only six Devon records up to the end of 2025, proper quality.

Slightly more intact on this side, and here its golden scales are just about catching what sunlight there was that day.

And the Magic Lantern had a slightly different kind of trick up its sleeve at the beginning of the month. Around 21:50 on October 4th...

Elephant Hawk-moth. The last time I saw one in the garden was on 24th July. The latest Devon record is listed as 21st September 2018. So this is the new latest county record by almost a fortnight! Well done, Magic Lantern!

And the main garden trap hasn't done too badly this month. At this point in the year I can't really expect more than a few autumn specials and maybe a nice migrant or two, and that's pretty much how it's been...

Small Mottled Willow. Still coming in ones and twos. The year's tally now stands at a completely ridiculous 395! 

The very awesome Black Rustic. More than 30 now.

Sallow is a common enough moth in Devon (c.1500 records) and we've had two different ones so far. Only ever saw it once in Bridport I think.

Green-brindled Crescent is a stunning autumn moth, with its glittery sprinkles. Just one so far this year. Already on the garden list from last autumn...

...but such a glorious moth is definitely worth two pics.

First Large Wainscot for the garden.

The most recent of 39 garden Vestals this year.

First Red-green Carpet for the garden, and a pristine one at that.

Deux Merveilles du Jour. So pleased we are seeing this beautiful moth in ones and twos. Subtly different in shade and patterning.

A trio of presumed migrants. From top: Ni Moth, Dewick's Plusia and Silver Y. The latter is dead common of course, but the first two have amassed just 61 and 67 Devon records respectively. Each of these is #8 for the garden, and I suspect that will be just the tip of a county-wide iceberg this year.

Finally, Olive-tree Pearl. One of my favourite migrants, principally because of its super-clean lines and translucent perfection. Not rare, with some 900+ Devon records up to the end of 2025, but 15 in the garden so far this year is way more than I would have expected.

So there we are, at the mid-point of meteorological autumn. The moth catches are bound to dwindle, but still there is potential for a nice surprise or two. The overall garden list stands at 492, and the 2026 tally at 482. Realistically I think 500 for either is out of reach before the end of the year, but numbers are not why I do it. Moths are just brilliant!

A Million Shades of Brown

Tuesday night was wet, windy and weirdly warm. Weather maps suggested the blow originated far to the south, so obviously I fantasised about the vagrant moths to come. Not to me probably, but, well...hopeless optimism is a mostly harmless vice.

The day dawned dry and fairly calm. Barred Sallow was an expected new moth for the garden - there were three - but otherwise it was the same old, same old. Shaking the inevitable handful of Lunar Underwings off an egg tray I gave it a quick glance before stacking with the others. Hello...what's this? A tiny sliver of sandy-coloured micro was still attached, crouched in a hollow. Hmm...looks interesting. A quick photo, then pot. Surprise, surprise, it was an Olive Spinner Zelleria oleastrella, a scarce migrant. There are just four previous Devon records. Funny how things go - I had very nearly shaken it off into the garden. Thank goodness it had a strong grip!

Olive Spinner Zelleria oleastrella. 4 previous Devon records: 2021, 2023 and 2025 x2.

In four years of garden mothing I have become increasingly convinced that it would be difficult to name an activity more serendipitous. Luck, chance, fluke - call it what you will - seems to me the name of the game. All you have to do is buy a trap, stick it outside, switch it on, then wait and see what it brings. It's like unwrapping presents every morning!

Back to Lunar Underwings. For some reason we are getting loads of them. Friday night brought 77. In a bid to eliminate the possibility that each night's total is somewhat cumulative because moths from previous catches are still nearby and being caught again, I released most of that 77 far, far away. Last night was cold and clear, and very few moths were in the trap by bedtime. I was convinced that this morning's tally would be much smaller. Well, it wasn't. There were 85! Still, that's a long way from the biggest count. The night of 21st September brought 234 of the things! Meanwhile, I have been patiently picking through them all in a quest to add Beaded Chestnut to the garden list, a very similar moth. Finally, on Friday night it came. And in the event, it stood out like a sore thumb. Having already checked 1,019 Lunar Underwings this autumn, I guess I had my eye in...

Beaded Chestnut (left) and Lunar Underwing

And last night, another...

Beaded Chestnut #2 for the garden (top) in an egg tray this morning with an identically-coloured Lunar Underwing.

I visited the Devon Moths website to see what kind of numbers are typically reported for Lunar Underwing. Well, unsurprisingly double-figure counts are common, but I checked the last three years and failed to find any three-figure counts. In addition to 234, we've also tallied 215 and 154. So, why does our little 40W actinic attract so many here in Axminster? Is our population of Lunar Underwings exceptionally large for some reason?  What's so special about this location?

Another moth which we have encountered quite often is a striking micro called Carnation Tortrix. I say 'striking' but at first glance it is just a small, chestnut-coloured job with subtle markings. However, in flight it reveals bright orange hindwings...

Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana on the lid of our trap, showing a hint of its bright orange hindwing.

The Devon Moths website lists 123 records of this species. Mostly there are less than 10 a year. So why have we had 27 records in our garden since May? What's so special about this location?

Events like the two above convince me that virtually anywhere might potentially be good for moths. Not all moths of course, but likely there will be a relative abundance of something unexpected. Serendipity again.

This morning I peered out of the kitchen window - as mentioned earlier I was expecting a meagre catch - and spotted a single moth on the the lid of our bucket trap. I could see it wasn't a Lunar Underwing and in fact looked interesting. It turned out to be a Scarce Bordered Straw. A common enough migrant, but only our second here. Opening the trap revealed more moths than anticipated. On one of the lower trays, tucked in with the ubiquitous Lunar Underwings was a moth I thought I recognised from Bridport, where we trapped two in 2023 I think. Sure enough, it was a Feathered Brindle...

Feathered Brindle, a beautifully-marked moth.

I recalled that Feathered Brindle was a fairly scarce moth nationally-speaking, and a coastal specialist, but had no idea of the situation in Devon. Once again the Devon Moths website provided the gen...

Distribution of Feathered Brindle records in Devon. From the Devon Moths website.

There are 89 records up to the end of last year, but the vast majority are clustered in South Devon. East Devon, where I live (in the eastern-most full 10km square) hasn't recorded a Feathered Brindle since 1976. Fifty years! Once again...serendipity.

The Scarce Bordered Straw I first saw through the kitchen window this morning; #2 for the garden.

Pristine Turnip Moth from Wednesday night.

Small Mottled Willow. Another beautifully-marked brown thing. Still coming...

Barred Sallow. Bucking the brown-ness for a moment.

Last weekend we were babysitting - and running the trap - in Lyme Regis. Since our - and its - return to Axminster on Sunday evening, the moths have delivered interest in spades. Conditions have mostly felt less than ideal, yet we've had a couple of really nice scarcities, and what for us feel like decent numbers too. Long may it continue...

Autumn

Autumn is a flexible thing. Astronomically, autumn begins shortly after midnight tonight, though meteorologically it's been in full swing since September 1st. Birders have been enjoying so-called autumn passage - or a lack of it - since...well...probably late July. So, take your pick. One thing is certain though: it is exactly one year to the day that we moved into this house in Axminster, and September 22nd in 2025 was actually autumn in every sense. I was a bit preoccupied with other stuff last year, so there wasn't much birding, and moths didn't really get a look-in until mid/late October. 2026 has been very different, especially on the moth front. So, this post aims to address at least a small part of the significant backlog of NQS material taking up space on the laptop, with special emphasis on autumn...in its most flexible sense.

Bird of the Autumn

No contest here. Red-necked Phalarope is a Devon rarity, and a species I haven't seen since an autumn juvenile at Stockers Lake, Herts in August 1995. At the time I lived just ten minutes walk away from Stockers, but Blackhole Marsh on the Seaton Wetlands is about five miles from home. Even so, I was down there like a shot, within just...er...nine hours of the initial report. Well worth the rush...

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope on Blackhole Marsh, 24th August.

A proper little character. My first Red-necked Phalarope was a breeding-plumage female on the north basin of Staines Res in June 1983. There haven't been many others in the interim, and I expect this one will have to last me a while too.

The 'smart wader' theme was reprised a fortnight later...

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, again at Blackhole Marsh, Seaton

I've taken the opportunity to have a mooch around Cogden once or twice when I've been over that way, and bagged a few Redstarts, Whinchats, Tree Pipits and whatnot, but my heart isn't really in the birding at the moment. There's no denying that Seaton Wetlands is doing the do just now, but mostly I am put off by its popularity and the consequent numbers of people.

A few more bird pics before the moths muscle in...

After a trip to the Seaton Tesco one day in late August I stopped by the estuary to check the gulls. Steve was already there, doing just that, and had turned up two Casps!

Casp 1 - a nice juv.

Before I'd finished with Casp 1, the whole lot flew, flushed by an Osprey. It looked like my unbroken record of at least a record shot of every Caspian Gull I've ever seen was doomed. However, not so...

As Casp 1 takes to the air, Casp 2 is just coming into shot from the right. Complete fluke!

Casp 2 was a 2cy bird with interesting bleaching or leucism on some flight feathers. The back end of Casp 1 exits stage left.

I'm pretty sure I've never seen an autumn Caspian Gull before September, but this was August 29th. The Osprey responsible for their departure circled overhead briefly...

Comfortably the best Osprey pic I've ever managed.

Late-August Spotted Flycatcher at Cogden

August 25th. Cogden looking very, very dry and crispy.

Moths

Because I've been keeping a spreadsheet I can tell you that our little bucket trap has pulled in upwards of 11,250 moths so far this year. Among that lot was a first for Devon - Langmaid's Yellow Underwing - as featured in the previous post. The Langmaid's tally is now three, with two more added on August 19th. In the month or so since then the trap's contents have taken on an increasingly autumnal flavour. One species that I associate with autumn proper is Lunar Underwing. It was very much a September moth back in Bridport, with up to 69 at a time in a night's catch. I didn't have to wait until September to catch one here...

August 22nd, and Lunar Underwing makes an entrance.

I had no idea what was coming. Last night's catch included 234 Lunar Underwings! Have they peaked, I wonder?!

Anyway, mostly the moth jollies have been about the migrants and the scarcities, and the many and various beauties...

Four-spot Dot Bohemannia quadrimaculella. 11 Devon records to the end of 2025. We've had two now, this one on August 4th

Four-spot Dot up close - 3.5mm of iridescent beauty.

Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella. A presumed migrant in Devon, with 13 records up to the end of 2025. This was our first, on August 3rd. We've had four now!

Twin-spot Plume Stenoptilia bipunctidactyla, our 2nd of three. Just ten Devon records up to the end of 2025. 

Marbled Yellow Pearl Evergestis extimalis. A new moth for me. With only 28 Devon records up to the end of 2025, and almost all along the S coast, I'm guessing a probable migrant.

Narrow-winged Pug. 1300+ Devon records, but a new moth for me.

A bit battered, but this is the 2nd of three Mugwort Pearls Loxostege sticticalis so far. There are just eight Devon records of this scarce migrant prior to 2026, but I suspect that number is about to grow significantly!

Our first Mugwort Pearl, a nice fresh one, on July 18th.

Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella. Dead common, but packs a lot into 4mm.

Beautiful Carpet, trapped August 17th. 520+ Devon records, but a new moth for me.

A rather dull Rosy Knot-horn Oncocera semirubella, trapped August 25th. Only 120-odd Devon records, and a good one to get in the garden.

The garden's first Vetch Moth Aproerema anthyllidella. Just over 100 Devon records, and we've had five now.

The most recent of seven garden Ni Moths, trapped on August 27th. Just 61 Devon records of this scarce migrant up to the end of 2025. I think that number will be obliterated by the end of 2026.

The garden's first Scarce Bordered Straw, trapped September 12th. With 870+ Devon records, it's a moth I'd expect to see more often, but don't.

Dewick's Plusia. An absolute stunner, we've had three now, including two together last night. 67 Devon records up to the end of 2025.

Bordered Straw. With 530+ Devon records it would make sense if we saw this species less frequently than Scarce Bordered Straw (870+ records) but this is our 8th (cf 1 SBS)

Black Rhomboid Grey Hypatima rhomboidella. 215 Devon records, and this is our first.

With 2,250+ Devon records, the regular migrant Turnip Moth is another we'd expect to see quite regularly, yet this is only our 2nd.

A totally unexpected catch a few nights ago, two Heath Rustics arrived from who knows where? A Heather feeder, there are just 215 Devon records, which isn't loads for a macro. A real looker, so I'm definitely not complaining!

A nicely-marked Pearly Underwing, the garden's third record of this regular migrant.

I thought it would be nice to close with this absolutely stunning Vestal, possibly the pinkest version I've seen. There are 2,150+ Devon records up to the end of 2025, so it's a pretty common migrant really. We've had 14 so far this year, including three together twice.