Warm and cloudy with sunny spells - ideal conditions for finding co-operative insects. Today's sightings and more images on the blog dawlishwarren.blogspot.com/2026/05/tues...

From the garden today, Topsham, Devon. Names in Alt texts.

A few beetles from a morning walk by the Exe in Topsham. Local specialities and the now ubiquitous Alder Leaf Beetles: once unknown in these parts, now they're everywhere I look. #coleoptera

Back here after a break, spent a couple of hours sketching Stone Curlews from a safe distance yesterday, fascinating birds #essexbirding

Triungulins, larvae of the Violet Oil Beetle on L. Celandine. 3-clawed feet used to attach themselves to female bees, probably mining bees. Once in the bee's nest they will eat the bee's food store and larvae, after pupating they will emerge in spring as Violet Oil Beetles Meloe violaceus (pic 3)

Our new Atlas of UK spider, harvestmen and pseudoscorpion records is now online at britishspiders.org.uk/atlas. It gives access to 1.6 million records and is constantly updated with data submitted and verified via irecord.org.uk/enter-srs-records.

As they're in the garden I tend to notice (and photograph) the first emerging LR Damsels and they've been getting steadily earlier over at least the last ten years. My 1st in 2016 was on 12 May; my 1st of 2025 was 7 April. Not a rigorous study but I think I can see a pattern. . .

It says a lot about the state of humanity that we didn't all dress up in ape costumes for the return of Artemis II.

Short-necked Oil Beetle Meloe brevicollis on the south Devon coast yesterday - seems to be a good year for them with 4 found during a short search.

Spent a few hours pottering about the top end of Topsham today; much noise from M5 but a good range of insects in the hedges and scrub. Names in Alt texts

I can see this being useful although I usually photograph everything and check IDs later.

Keep an eye open now for Agalenatea redii, the Gorse Orb Weaver. Gorse is a good place to find it but it can also be found in other bushes, heather, grass, and on fences etc. Like many others in the family Araneidae, A. redii is variable in appearance, and has several strikingly different forms.

Surprised to find this female Black Oil Beetle across the road from us today. First I've ever seen in Topsham, now just need to get one for the garden list. #coleoptera

BSky I need your help. Suggest scale objects for tiny (1-3mm) insects? £1 coin is too big. #Insects #Entomology #macrophotography #macro #NaturePhotography

Excellent review of a quite wonderful book.

I knew we had newts in our garden pond but always assumed they were the commoner Smooth Newt. I had a closer look today while removing some excess weed and it turns out they're Palmate Newts: not hard to identify once I looked it up. @arc-trust.bsky.social

A new spider for me (assuming I'm identifying it correctly). Cryptachaea blattea (Theridiidae). Back of our house in Topsham, Devon. I've iRecorded it. @britishspiders.bsky.social @tylanberry.bsky.social

Mr Bee-fly in the garden: a very typical first date.

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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