Arto Maatta
@artom.bsky.social
1.2K followers 920 following 1K posts
Birding, moths, and general interest in nature. A retired Cell Biologist.
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artom.bsky.social
Seen at Bempton Cliffs RSBP flying north (5:02 pm)!!
artom.bsky.social
For what it is worth, I would record this as a Spruce Carpet, too. Sometimes the ID apps can give different opinions on the same photo depending on how tightly the image is cropped.
artom.bsky.social
I guess we are lucky to have quite a few Oaks near our garden.
artom.bsky.social
The first Merveille du Jour of the year in our garden this morning 🤩. Durham, VC66. #TeamMoth #invertebrates @teesbirds.bsky.social
Merveille du Jour (Griposia aprilina) resting on a red autumn leaf.
artom.bsky.social
Similar up here in NZ24, 14:6, though a Merveille rescued the effort!
Reposted by Arto Maatta
dhitchcox.bsky.social
Iceland is on a hot streak!! 🔥 Huge congrats to Björn Arnarson for the new finds!
artom.bsky.social
Good numbers of Whooper Swans in the county today. These 8 were resting in the afternoon at Rainton Meadows (thanks to Chris Cummings for the info). #NEbirding @durhambirdclub.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social 🪶
Whhoper Swans resting at the edge of a pond
Reposted by Arto Maatta
groomb.bsky.social
Durham Station Road, painting by Eric Thompson (b.1947). #NorthernArt
Reposted by Arto Maatta
janwilczur.bsky.social
‘Turkestan Shrike, adult male’

acrylic, 13 x 18 cms.

Turkestan Shrike, also known as Red-tailed Shrike, is a very rare visitor from Central Asia to the UK. Along with the closely related Daurian Shrike it was once considered one of the sub-species of Isabelline Shrike.
#turkestanshrike
#birdart
Reposted by Arto Maatta
alexvont.bsky.social
Probably the loveliest thread you will read today, full of beauty and kindness and improvised owl physio
folklorewales.com
Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet.

After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵
Tawny owl
Reposted by Arto Maatta
kupac1.bsky.social
Another image of today's Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus). Note the white tail with rufous terminal band and the white primary bases showing on the topside of the wing. You never see this in Common Buzzard. #BirdingHungary #raptors #hawks #BirdsOfPrey #buzzards
artom.bsky.social
Very nice photo 👍. No photos for me this time. Immediately after you left the hide, it flew further out, stayed hidden for the next hour and showed again only briefly at the far side.
artom.bsky.social
Lina falling asleep with her soft toy rabbit friend. #labrador #dogs
A yellow Labrador Retriever  asleep holding her rabbit soft toy on her front paws.
artom.bsky.social
This one has been hanging around in Saltholme for quite a long time now, but it could have taken a short break holiday at Nosterfield last month!
artom.bsky.social
The resident Greater White-fronted Goose was still at West Saltholme this morning while Back Saltholme hosted 20 Avocets. Also, a Merlin was hunting at Greatham Creek. #NEbirding @teesbirds.bsky.social
Greater White-fronted Goose resting on high grass while a Canada Goose is grazing behind it.
artom.bsky.social
Recent DNA studies have shown that actually only one species occurs in UK - A.lueneburgensis - so all Deep-brown Darts are that sp.
Reposted by Arto Maatta
mavisbickle.bsky.social
A couple of little watercolour studies :
Food plant, Larvae and Moth
#teammoth #illustration
A painting of a Clifden Nonpareil on Poplar with its caterpillar Painting of a Red Underwing on White Willow with its caterpillar
artom.bsky.social
Not much happening here either despite relatively mild temps & cloud cover. Another C-s Thorn was nice but no NFYs.
Reposted by Arto Maatta
stewchat.bsky.social
Any birding plumbers out there who can advise please?

We have oil central heating via a combi boiler. There has been a burst main in a field nearby so our water is off.

Can we still use the heating tonight?

Google gives conflicting replies?

Cheers
Reposted by Arto Maatta
photography-aj.bsky.social
Death's Head Hawk-moth to light Cot Valley, Cornwall, last night. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #TeamMoth
Reposted by Arto Maatta
us.theconversation.com
Ostriches, emus and other flightless birds weren’t always grounded.

56 million years ago, their ancestors were globe-trotting fliers capable of crossing oceans – and one fossil bone helps explain how this (mostly) flightless family spread across the world.
The ancestors of ostriches and emus were long-distance fliers – here’s how we worked this out
A 56 million-year-old fossil bone helps explain how this (mostly) flightless family of birds spread to so many different continents.
buff.ly
artom.bsky.social
More NFY autumn moths in our garden: Green-brindled Crescent and Blair’s Shoulder-knot in the trap this morning. Durham VC66. #TeamMoth @teesbirds.bsky.social
Green-brindled Crescent Blair’s Shoulder-knot