This must be the best 3rd brood (extra autumn brood) of the once-common Wall Brown I've known since 1975, when it lasted into early Nov in a sublime autumn (then 1976 produced the biggest spring brood I've known). Many flying on the Marlborough Downs, Wilts.

Some lovely bright pink Vestal moths turning up in my garden moth trap at the moment

Just when I thought the 2026 butterfly & moth season couldn't get any madder, I get an Elephant Hawkmoth in my moth trap in early October (normally flying in May & June).

Savernake's kamikaze Purple Emperor larva is now halfway through its final instar, and may by trying to pupate within a few days. Today. Emperors push limits, any limits...

Clouded Yellows are still emerging in good numbers in lucerne fields (herbal leys) in N Wilts. Here's one of 179 counted around one big lucerne field today.

Final instar Purple Emperor caterpillar in Savernake Forest today! Could be pupating ca Oct 10th and flying at the start of November, weather etc. permitting... It doesn't stand must of a chance, but is going for it anyway...

Great to find a Clouded Yellow pupal case in a lucerne field today. I spotted this freshly emerged female, then looked for the vacated pupal case, and found it on debris on the ground, in the warmest of microclimate places. Good to know where they pupate.

Suddenly, today, St Matthew's Day, the skies have emptied - the Swallows and House Martins have departed...

Just when you thought the 2026 butterfly season couldn't get anymore amazing, here's a 4th instar Purple Emperor larva skin changing to its final instar, on Sept 20th, Savernake, Wilts. They do this in May! This one may be flying in mid-Oct = 2nd brood!!!

In Nature Notebook in tomorrow's The Times, by me: Review of the Summer of 26 - 'Break in the sun till the sun breaks down'. Plus a cricket new to Britain. Enjoy...

A Lappet moth in my moth trap this morning, freshly emerged so presumably a 2nd brood individual.

Over 1000 Clouded Yellows flying in a 35 acre lucerne field in N Wilts yesterday! Mostly freshly emerged. I counted them, from the margins! This is the only one I photoed. Data to go to @BC_Wiltshire

Looks like the recent rains have brought some fungi out nicely. Giant Polypore in Savernake Forest on Monday, rather early. It could be a good autumn for fungi: heat then wet...

It must be September: the garden Robins are trilling... Spring is being dreamed...

This is the 2nd time I've stopped an Angus cow eating a plastic water trough pipe here. I removed the pipe and stuck its end through the hedge, gave her a rollicking in front of the herd (hands on hips, double teapot), and took her ear tag number.

Yew berries fully ripe in a Cotswold wood today, already. They'll be long gone before the Redwings arrive...

Turkey oak seedling droughting off on the Stroud Commons, Cotswolds. Bye bye... (non-native invasive)

Just surveyed key butterfly larval foodplants on the droughted Stroud Commons, Glos - Horseshoe Vetch, Kidney Vetch, Cm Rockrose, DB Scabious etc. Looks like we might just get away with it. Here's a typical bit of Horseshoe Vetch, just surviving. Needs rain!

Counted 170 Clouded Yellows in 45 mins today along lanes bordering lucerne-clover-sainfoin-birdsfoot trefoil leys, from my ebike, scanning with bins. N Wiltshire. Common Blues even more prolific. Regenerative farming!