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!

Found these rather large aphids on a Nordmann Fir in the garden. Seem to be Cinara sp. but, despite their size and markings, further identification apparently problematic although I suspect Cinara confinis. #aphids #hemiptera

My local bee-bank is still operational. A forgotten corner of a new development (hope no one remembers it) and home to a small colony of bee-wolves and relatives including my first local record of Painted Nomad Bee. Names etc. in ALT Texts.

Caught the action out of the corner of my eye: the robberfly dashed in and snatched this bug before landing on a nearby bean leaf. Dioctria baumhaueri female with its lunch Liocoris tripustulatus. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #robberfly #diptera

Macrotylus solitarius (Miridae) on Hedge Woundwort in our Topsham garden today. First found here in 2024 and so far the only known site for the sp. in Devon and Cornwall. #hemiptera

Fantastic find, looks like it's spreading.

Here are two spreads to tempt you from the Dung Flies Scathophagidae pages of our #FliesofBritainandIreland bit.ly/4dqQI8Z (maps to be done) for publication this autumn. @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A selection of Tephritid flies from the garden today. Very fond of these with their beautiful markings and curious displays. Names in ALT Texts. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #diptera #Tephritidae

A selection of beetles from the garden yesterday. Names and more details ALT Texts. #UKWildlife #Coleoptera

Haltichella rufipes, a Chalcid wasp found in the garden yesterday. A parasitoid but the host is apparently unknown. Probably widespread but under-recorded. Thanks to Paul Vignac for the ID. #Hymenoptera

Sounds like something I need: have just ordered a copy.

Can't seem to pass a figwort these days without checking for figwort weevils: paid off today with a new one for me Cionus hortulanus. A great walk at Salcombe Regis, Devon also produced a Boat Bug and what I think is an Iris Weevil. more in ALT Texts. #UKWildlife #coleoptera #hemiptera

Roesel's Bush-cricket nymphs. Now the third year running I've found them in Topsham, I still haven't found an adult. Their sounds are now beyond my hearing range, I'm wondering if a bat-detector might help. #Orthoptera #UKWildlife

Seems a good time of year for finding weevils on Figwort. Three sp. of Cionus on same plant at same time which begs the question of how they share the resource? Name etc in Alt Texts #Coleoptera

A lucky find in our garden today: it appears to be Margarinotus merdarius (Histeridae). Not rare nationally but rather uncommon in Devon with just two recent records. Certainly new for me. #coleoptera #beetle

I'm fairly sure these must be Scarce 7-spot Ladybirds. Found on edge of Dartmoor yesterday. Steep-sided elytra, shape and size of spots, and association with Wood Ants all fits but didn't remember to check for four, rather than two, white spots on underparts. #ladybirds #ukwildlife #coleoptera

Platyrhinus resinosus, Scarce Fungus Weevil (it's not that scarce) or, an even better name, Cramp-ball Fungus Weevil. A spectacular beetle found under bark yesterday, photographed then left in peace. #UKWildlife #Coleoptera #Weevil

Another of those small interesting things that turn up on our house wall: Cuneopalpus cyanops, a barkfly often found on conifers. Seems fairly scarce - I can find no Devon records - but as usual with these things probably under recorded. #UKWildlife #Psocoptera #Barkfly

Large Red Damselfly out already here in Topsham, Devon. Fairly sure this is my earliest ever. #Odonata #UKWildlife

Great to see and it also takes bikes!

What started out as a quite dismal morning on the East Devon Commons improved marvellously (when the sun came out) with this splendid Platydracus fulvipes. Nationally scarce and apparently only the 3rd modern record for Devon. #UKWildlife #Coleoptera #beetle