Like saying hello to old friends; lots of familiar faces out and about today. Names in Alt texts

Many who were around in the 80s & onwards will be sad to hear that Clive Byers has passed away. I was lucky to spend time with him as a youngster through mutual friends. Always hilarious & upbeat, & the centre of unlimited wild stories. A talented artist & a genuine one-off. #norfolkbirding

Sorry to hear that Clive Byers died yesterday. There'll be many who knew Clive a lot better than I did but I considered him a friend. Always fun, always helpful to a fellow illustrator and always happy to provide a floor to crash on. A great guy I wish I'd known better.

Our eldest having relocated to Copenhagen a few months back, we thought we'd pay him a visit. Managed to fit in a day of birding at nearby Kalvebod Fælled/Vestamager: 1000's of Barnacle Geese and a couple of WT Eagles were the highlights.

A fantastic piece of work, a superb guide to the marvellous diversity of diptera in these islands. And I'm very happy to have contributed a couple of photos: see my Colobaea bifasciella on p. 251. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A Ramshorn Bagworm grazing the plains of lichen on top of a grave stone; carrying its home/sleeping bag as it goes. Luffia lapidella (Psychidae) caterpillar. #lepidoptera

Common Wasp queen looking none too pleased at having to get up so early. 14C today so time to get moving. #hymenoptera

I found some Psyllid nymphs on Mistletoe (on an Apple tree) in our garden. I've kept an eye on them and today found the first adults. Almost certainly Cacopsylla visci which appears to be uncommon and possibly the first Devon record. It's not even the rarest insect found on our garden apple tree.

At least a dozen well-grown Scarlet Tiger caterpillars on a patch of roadside Comfrey from my morning walk. #lepidoptera

A fantastic photo of a RND that shows the barely perceptible chestnut necklace: not the bird's most distinctive feature, even on a skin.

Bluebottles from Topsham Cemetery posing helpfully to show differences: Yellow jowls + dark beard = Calliphora vicina. Grey jowls + orange beard = Calliphora vomitoria. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Really enjoying this by @graemelyons.bsky.social I don't think I'll ever become a super-naturalist but I'll have fun trying! #PanSpeciesListing

Another hour in Topsham Cemetery today and a few goodies: Beetles and Barkflies: looks like two new species for me. Names in Alt Texts

A quick look at the garden compost heap turned up few things: a couple of voles quickly scarpered and left a few inverts that looked less than happy to be briefly exposed to the light. Names in Alt texts.

Anyone recognise this spider please? Checked my books and can't get anywhere. On a grave stone, Topsham, Devon, 9/2/2026. @britishspiders.bsky.social

A short walk around the cemetery produced a few bugs and beetles. Also a few puzzled looks from dog walkers etc. Sometimes people ask what I'm doing, mostly they keep their distance and don't make eye contact. . . Names in Alt Texts

Impressively large gatherings of 16-spot Ladybirds on fence posts in the floods at RSPB Exminster Marshes to day. A few other beetle species wandering among them looking for a dry spot. #ladybird #coleoptera

Labour keeps talking about saving the high street without naming the real problem. Car dependency. You cannot fix town centres while planning everything around driving. The internet is permanent. Retail only survives where footfall is dense, local, frequent, and cheap to access.

Call out to anyone with UK records of Sphaeroceridae not on NBN/iRecord. Looking at getting the best distribution possible for a new key, I realise this will be a 'best possible', but more the merrier. Please share @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @respublications.bsky.social

A few from Topsham this morning. Strong winds up the river and a few flybys. Marsh Harrier, RB Mergansers, Common Gull. #UKBirding #LowCarbonBirding

My 2025 challenge was to iRecord from more nearby 1km squares: I covered a good number and found some fascinating places I'd never have visited otherwise. Pleased to see I've still got a lot to explore.

Here in #Exeter we have local elections every year… at least we thought we did. Local Government reorganisation isn’t an exceptional reason for local #Labour to cancel democracy. The Labour Government should value local democracy and local services and pay for them.

Looking forward to this: not just because I did the cover!

2025 was the year of the pseudoscorpion as far as I'm concerned. I managed to see 14 species in Norfolk, mostly by cycling round to various churchyards but I also got a lift out to a few places by car. Over 100 churchyards visited by bicycle though. Photo montage of species, map of 2025's records.

We're at Guildhall in Exeter to pile pressure on councillors to let people in Exeter have their say in May.

Really looking forward to this, I believe I may have contributed at least one photo?

The unexpected joys of patch-birding: after nearly 27 years my first Shag in Topsham (yes, I know). Common enough 5 miles down river but only now on my Topsham list! #LowCarbonBirding #DevonBirds

A real peach of a 2w male Marsh Harrier over Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham this morning. For once I found myself in the right place at the right time. #DevonBirds #UKBirding

That's lovely, especially the Brown Shrike.

That'll do for a Topsham ✔️ Lesser Crested Tern at about 1.5 km across the Exe from The Goatwalk this am. #DevonBirds #UKBirding #LowCarbonBirding

Finally went to look at the Lesser Crested Tern across the river. It's been there a week so I thought I'd better go see, hoping the crowds might have thinned a bit. Also an excuse for a cycle ride in fine weather. #LowCarbonBirding #DevonBirds #UKBirding

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Superb photo! Just a comment on your caption re ageing it: vermiculations and pale bill base can be shown by winter adults; it's a 1w because of retained juv GC - duller and brownish with ragged pale tips, see the new black inner GC. Great to be able to see such detail!

Just visited the Lacewing Recording Scheme website and there are lots of great identification guides available, e.g. www.laars.jamesjepson.com/neuroptera-l... - thanks to @jamesjepson.bsky.social and colleagues for putting this together

One of two male (presumed 2cy) Marsh Harriers over the reeds at Topsham today. RN Grebe still on Bowling Green Marsh. Ruff, Kingfisher, Little Grebe all making for a fine morning stroll. #lowcarbonbirding #DevonBirds

Beautiful bird and beautiful field sketches!

A bit surprised by this at Topsham Rec yesterday. Goosander typically a rare winter visitor on the patch. This adult female (seems to be in wing moult) perhaps from our local breeding population. #UKBirding #DevonBirds

Fewer insects about now but I found this mint fresh Tachinid in the garden yesterday. Panzeria anthophila, a female and presumably looking for some suitable caterpillar (Erebid or Noctuid moth) to host its eggs. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #diptera #UKWildlife

I've thought of another excuse to post more Wryneck. This shot shows the eye colour to be dark dull brown, on an adult it would be more reddish, so fairly confident this a juvenile/1st winter bird. Subtle plumage differences between ages best assessed in hand. #UKBirding #DevonBirds

Just in case there aren't enough photos of this lovely bird here's my Wryneck photo. Just happened to be walking past Turf Lock, didn't know it was still here - so not really twitching is it? First I've ever photographed so happy it stayed on and behaved so well. #DevonBirds #LowCarbonBirding

No doubt this juv White Stork at Topsham, Devon is one of the many released in Britain this year. Yellow c-r on right leg, too distant to read code but does anyone recognise the scheme? #WhiteStork #reintroduction #UKBirding

Two of the larger Pondskaters: Lake Pondskater (Aquarius paludum) on left, and a pair of River Pondskaters (A. najas) on right. Appropriately enough on a canal. Neither that common I believe and paludum only recently recorded in Devon. #Hemiptera

These little beauties are often very tricky to photograph but managed a few of this in the garden recently: good enough to get it IDed on FB BWARS site as Pseudomalus triangulifer. Apparently only recently recognised as a UK sp. so I've no idea how common it is. #wasp #hymenoptera

Leaf mines on garden Dog Rose: I think it's Stigmella anomalella (Nepticulidae) but I'm way out of my area of competence with these! #leafmine #lepidoptera

Leptogaster cylindrica female. Tricky to photograph among the grass but I think I managed in the end. Topsham, Devon. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #robberfly #diptera

Crabro cribrarius male with his extravagantly modified front legs. Sometimes called 'Large Shield Wasp', sometimes known as 'Slender-bodied Digger Wasp'; either will do I suppose but using the scientific name is easier and less confusing. On Hogweed, Topsham, Devon. #hymenoptera #wasp

The common name has always puzzled me (presumably a recent invention). Why "sand tailed", or is it "sand-tailed"? I know arenaria relates to sand but I've never noticed anything particularly sandy about its tail.

In the garden yesterday: good light, not too windy and an nice variety of insects, one new to me. Names etc. in ALT texts.

Opinions sought on this odd-looking bumble. Appears to be female and not, as I first thought, a cuckoo bee - corbiculate hind tarsus and 12 antennal segments. Posted on the BWARS FB group and no consensus reached. Any suggestions? #hymenoptera

Extracting peat destroys one of our best carbon stores and trashes a unique, biodiverse habitat. Doing so to grow pretty flowers is hugely selfish. Ever heard of the climate and ecology crisis? Come on, RHS, show some spine!