Dave Helliar

#StormAusten has left a trail of damage at the Dorset patch with 2 huge Silver Birch toppled, luckily away from footpath! Many Oaks have lost their tops too.

Still a Migrant Hawker & several Common Darter at the inland Dorset patch on 22nd October. Also a single Clouded Yellow. Doubt I'll see anymore after Storms Austen & Boelo though! @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Cosmopolitan, unfortunately dead in spiders web! 21/10/26 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

After the rain finally cleared this pm a visit to #ChardRes gave c.20 Fieldfare over, 2 Firecrest, 21 Teal, 'only' 41 Mandarin, a Gadwall & 3 Snipe. Later at the Dorset patch a GWE, Red Kite, 23 Teal & 2 Shoveler @somersetbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Green-brindled Crescent, Red-line Quaker & Vestal (42nd of year!) in last nights trap 8/7 + Chestnut & Dark Chestnut from previous night. Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

Still 3 Clouded Yellow on the wing in a cool NW wind, including this 'Helice' form, 2 Speckled Wood & a Red Admiral on the West Dorset patch. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Merveille du Jour (NFY), 2 White-point, Silver-Y, Yellow-line Quaker & Blair's Shoulder-knot in last nights trap. 23/14 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

#PatchGold 2 calling Woodlark over the dam at #ChardRes at 08:40 this morning, a first for site & a scarce bird in Somerset. @somersetbirds.bsky.social #pwc2026 😊

Golden-ringed Dragonfly in my garden, Chard, Somerset on 4th October 2026 @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

5 Mistle Thrush (4 in photo) mobbing a Kestrel in Ash tree, a Green Woodpecker joined in shortly after! Still at least 1 Stonechat, 2 Green Sandpiper, 23 Teal, c.30 Meadow Pipit & 2 Water Rail at the Dorset patch @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A new record count of 69 Mandarin at #ChardRes this morning! Green Sandpiper still present & 29 Teal @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Clancy's Rustic new for garden. My 40th Vestal of the year! Angle Shades & 2 Black Rustic in last nights trap. 30/11 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

First Black Rustic of the autumn in last nights trap. Also my 39th Vestal of the year! & Barred Sallow 17/7 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

6 Grey Heron formation flying on 24/09, 2 Stonechat 2/10, upto 23 Teal, 2 Green Sandpiper still 2/10, 15 Lt Grebe, c.10 Mipit, Skylarks over daily, Water Rail, definitely feeling autumn like. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

New for garden L-album Wainscot in last nights feeble 16/6 Also a Rusty Dot Pearl. Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

An amazing 10 Vestal in last nights trap, bringing the total to 35 for the year! Chard, South Somerset VC5 Also 2 Small Mottled Willow & Small Fan-footed Wave 82/11 #teammoth

An hour stroll around set-a-side fields nr Chard gave 3 Whinchat, 6 Stonechat, 16 Skylark, 8 Stock Dove & c.100 Linnet in murky, windy weather. Earlier at #ChardRes the Kingfisher brightened the morning. 12 Mandarin are gaining colour too, 4 Lt Egret & the 'resident' Cetti's Warbler #Somerestbirding

A couple new insects for me today: A Stonefly (Leuctra fusca) & I think Knapweed Rhopalid (Stictopleurus abutilon)? #inverts

The second Dunlin this autumn at my inland Dorset patch, I was hoping for something American when I spied it on the far side of the lake! Still 2 Green Sandpiper present & a unwelcome 96 Canada Geese! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Old Lady was NFM in last nights' busy trap. 2 more Vestal (23rd & 24th of year) singles of Silver Y & Cypress Pug, 2 Rosy-striped Knot-horn ('Rhubarb & Custard'). 83 LYU! made up 110/17 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

Clifden Nonpareil literally flew into the trap as I was inspecting it tonight! New for garden & only the 2nd I've seen. Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Rewarding 2 hours on The Blackdowns this pm: Whinchat, 5 Wheatear, Redstart, 8 Stonechat, 7 Meadow Pipit, 6 Skylark, 11+ Pied Wagtail, 2 Linnet & 1 Hare @somersetbirds.bsky.social

6 Yellow Wagtail feeding around cattle this evening at the Dorset patch. Linnet this am was 1st of year here & getting scarce on patch. Meadow Pipits heard. 3 Green Sandpiper still. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social 3km #PWC2026

2 more Vestal in last nights trap (19th/20th of year!), also singles of Small Mottled Willow & Silver Y. Centre-barred Sallow was NFM. Total included 39 LYUW! 74/21 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

Juvenile Hobby at the Dorset patch this morning, otherwise quiet with singles of Green Sandpiper, Spotted Flycatcher & Kingfisher. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Olive-tree Pearl, 2 Vestal (17th & 18th of year!), 1 Silver Y & 1 Rusty Dot Pearl were last nights' migrants. Feathered Gothic was NFG. 85/26. Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

Now 4 Whinchat on set-a-side fields near Chard. Stonechat still. On the dwarf Sunflower field, at least one Yellow Wagtail. Red Kite high over my garden later. @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Two (of three found) Brown Hairstreak eggs in a casual look at Blackthorn at the Dorset patch today. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

2 Yellow Wagtail, 7 White Wagtail & c.15 Pied Wagtail feeding at the Dorset patch this am. 2 Spot Fly & 2 Green Sand still. Meadow Pipit heard & flock c.30 Greenfinch over recently cut maize fields @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

My 15th Vestal this year in the trap last night, also 6 Silver Y, my second Dark Sword-grass & my first Cypress Pug. 66/15 Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

Seaton Wetlands was a wader fest today. Pectoral Sandpiper dropped in at around noon (great find by visiting birders) Singles of Curlew & Wood Sandpipers, Ruff, plus 2 Spotted Redshank made a very special visit! #DevonBirds

Set-a-side fields near Chard providing good habitat for 3 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat, 2 Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, c.200 Linnet, 2 Yellowhammer & a Kestrel @somersetbirds.bsky.social

GBB Gull with carp supper! Kingfisher with slightly smaller fry! #ChardRes this evening @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Dunlin present for its' 3rd day at my inland Dorset patch. 2 Green Sand, 5 Teal, 7 Tufties, 1 Grey & 8 Pied Wagtail, 2 Spot Fly. 25 adult/imm Lt Grebe + 2 juv. 10 Coot @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

First Dunlin of the year at the Dorset patch this evening, 3 Green Sandpiper, 16 Teal & at least 5 Spotted Flycatcher still. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #PWC2026

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The second Black Tern to grace #ChardRes this month! It dropped in during heavy rain at 11 am, but seems to have moved on by this evening. At the Dorset patch now 7 Spotted Flycatcher feeding along fence line & a Green Sandpiper still. @somersetbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Almost didn't bother with moth trap due to heavy rain forecast, but glad I did with my 11th Vestal of the year, European Corn Borer, Flounced Rustic & (NFM) Fleabane Pearl. just 22/10. Chard, South Somerset VC5 #teammoth

Black Tern at #ChardRes, dropped in during torrential rain 11:00 @somersetbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

3 Green & 1 Common Sandpiper at #ChardRes this morning. Adult Reed Warbler feeding 2 fledged young. 3 Teal @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Just 3 Spot Flies at my Dorset patch today. Then 1st autumn visit to The Blackdowns, Somerset to find acres of awful maize fields replacing the usual wheat crops! Only found 1 Whinchat, 8 Stonechat & Whitethroat in the much deteriorated habitat I've birded since 2011 @somersetbirds.bsky.social

Veronica Moody Blues Dark Pink isn't sure what colour to be! Half pink, half purple! 🤔All the other flowers are pink. #hardyperennials #flowers

Deserted my local patches to pop down to #SeatonWetlands for this Red-necked Phalarope this am. Didn't realise at the time it was a Devon tick! 2 Spotted Redshank were my first of the year. Good to meet lots of local birders too. #DevonBirds

Black Tern still present at #ChardRes this morning, also a Greenshank briefly & Green Sandpiper @somersetbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

The much needed heavy showers worked their magic & dropped this Greenshank on to the Dorset patch this morning. Also present, the long staying 3 Green Sandpiper & a single Common Sand. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #PWC2026 In south Somerset, the Black Tern is still at #ChardRes (for its' 4th day)

Black Tern still present at ##ChardRes 08:45 @somersetbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Black Tern still present at #ChardRes this morning @somersetbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social