Ian Beavis

Large patches of White & Red Deadnettle on Tunbridge Wells Common #wildflowerhour

Meadow Cranesbill lingering on at Grosvenor & Hilbert Park #wildflowerhour

Fresh-looking male Speckled Wood around that ivy patch on TW Common today, along with Red Admiral & Holly Blue

One of about 6 Locust Blowflies on that ivy patch on TW Common today

Tachinids Ectophasia crassipennis & Phasia hemiptera, & the large hoverfly-like muscid Mesembrina meridiana on that ivy patch on TW Common today

Hoverflies Myathropa florea (Batman Hoverfly - see the logo on the thorax!) & Helophilus pendulus on that ivy patch on TW Common today

Large number of droneflies (Eristalis tenax, pertinax & arbustorum) on that ivy patch on TW Common today

About 40 pollinator species - Diptera, Hymenoptera & 3 butterflies - sheltering from the wind on a single patch of sunlit ivy on Tunbridge Wells Common today. Close-up shows Ivy Bees & droneflies.

These remind me of the lifelike illustrations in John Blackwall's Ray Society monograph Spiders of Great Britain & Ireland (1861-64)

Lobster Moth larvae (see last repost) are featured in figures 1a-d in this plate from William Buckler's Larvae of the British Butterflies & Moths

The Lobster Moths are doing well, even though there can't be much nutrition in those oak leaves. #teammoth

Lots of insects depend on ivy flowers for survival....don't cut ivy!

With reports of Long-tailed Blues along the south coast cliffs here on Guernsey, I visited a patch of Everlasting-pea near home and found about 10 or so along a 20-yard stretch of field.

Yesterday I finally went to search for Brown-spotted Bush-cricket at Bordeaux, here in Guernsey. Netted one on just my second sweep - a new species for me. Only restricted to this single site afaik.

That last repost is a good excuse to share again Steven Falk's beautiful colour plate from Peter Chandler's Platypezidae monograph (The Flat-footed Flies of Europe, Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica, 2001).

Some #Diptera from Wednesday's wildlife group at Oaks Wood all caught by @lancefly.bsky.social The very smart Platypezid Callomyia amoena, the anomalous (they predate aphids instead of munching fruit) Drosophilidae, Acletoxenus formosus & Fannia pallitibia. #ukwildlife @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

A fresh flush of Collared Earthstars (Geastrum triplex) appearing today in the Scottish Wildlife Trusts' Bawsinch and Duddingston Nature Reserve, Edinburgh. #Fungi #Mushrooms #Mycology #Nature #Photography #Nikon #OMSystem #Scotland @scotwildlife.bsky.social

☀️13c with a cool offshore breeze for this mornings walk at Southbourne. Along the wind free undercliff I was greeted with dozens of nectaring Clouded Yellows. A total count of 75 including 5 of the helice form. This species continues to have an amazing year. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

The world turned upside down. Pearl-bordered Fritillary in the Wyre Forest this afternoon (17/10/26.) @westmbms-99.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

The strength of ants is insane! This individual had lugged a Vine Weevil at least 10x its size more than two feet up a vertical wooden fence on St Mary's this afternoon. Absolutely amazing #ants #scilly

I remember seeing this one for the first time in my university days on the campus at Exeter

New ant!

A lovely selection of plants on the Scillies last week in the company of @meegsy.bsky.social @anaturalistabroad.bsky.social & @david-lester.bsky.social for #wildflowerhour

Day 3 on St Mary's: excellent, albeit brief, views of the Porthellick Sora 1st thing, a couple of late Wi.Warblers at Carreg Dhu, & Prickly Stick Insect at Four Lanes, then found a 1st yr Casp' off Innisidgen & refound the Surf Scoter distantly off Tresco after several days absence. Good, clean, fun

We also paid our respects to the absolutely tiny (& ridiculously range restricted) Least Adder's-tongue fern at it's sole UK location on St Agnes today - a fab little thing that's always a pleasure to see #Scilly

After slim pickings in our trap in Hugh Town over the last few evenings, it was absolutely fab to see my 1st (much wanted) Scar Bank Gem & 3 different Slender Burnished Brass this afternoon, courtesy of Chris Lewis at Peacehaven #Scilly #TeamMoth

Fabulous colony of Green Elfcup fruiting bodies (Chlorociboria sp. most likely Chlorociboria aeruginascens). Dorset 20/10/26 #fungi

Here's Sir David Attenborough on why this huge, heart-shaped piece of the UK in Northumberland is so important. A chance like this to save massive space for nature won't come again. £11,000 donated yesterday, £1.37m still to go by the end of the month - the time is now! 💚 #conservation #ukwildlife

My talk on the wildlife of Woodbury Park Cemetery is this evening at St John's Church

Two Red Admirals at ivy bloom on Tunbridge Wells Common

Red Admiral feeding at ivy bloom on Tunbridge Wells Common on Sunday. The most regular late autumn & winter butterfly, as they don't go into full hibernation.

Common Carder Bee on Tunbridge Wells Common on Sunday

Absolutely love this “There is wonder to be found everywhere”. It’s why I rarely hunt out rarities but can spend hours fascinated by urban ‘weeds’ on walls, pavements and in gutters. And I’ll never look at Herb-Robert in the same way again. Thank you Sarah!

Second flowering of Honesty in Woodbury Park Cemetery #wildflowerhour

Spotted Hawkweed in its regular spot on an old wall in Grosvenor Road, TW #wildflowerhour

Smooth Hawksbeard in Calverley Grounds #wildflowerhour

Procumbent Yellow Sorrel & Least Yellow Sorrel in Woodbury Park Cemetery #wildflowerhour

50+ Clouded Yellow at Bindon Hl, Lulworth Cove today, one egg laying on Horseshoe Vetch. Plus one creamy Small White, One Painted Lady + Red Admirals, Speckled Wood. The season keeps on giving @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

And another Buff-tailed Bumblebee with a Honeybee & Common Carder Bee on the same bush

One of four queen Buff-tailed Bumblebees visiting Buddleja in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park today

Hornet lekking site in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park (see previous post)

A male Hornet resting during lekking flight along woodland path in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park today. I've seen them in the same spot in previous years.

My best fungal find of the autumn so far: Devil's Fingers, Clathrus archeri. Also known as the Octopus Stinkhorn. Smells of rotten meat. The dog found it first. Raddington, West Somerset. #fungi #mycology

What an incredibly beautiful Bolete found in a very wet part of the New Forest, this week. It could be the relatively uncommon Xerocomellus ripariellus (or perhaps X. cisalpinus). May get a more definitive ID next week. Whatever it is, it’s very lovely. #fungi #NewForest

There must be fewer and fewer people who can remember this. I don't think my children, in their 30s, have ever seen a coal cart. I remember the sight, sound and smell of the coal coal tipping into the coal bunker.

A mosaic Gynandromorph Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba), attracted to light in my Bournemouth garden last night. #TeamMoth

A stunning Vestal was also in the trap this morning

Ever wondered where all the pollinators hang out? 🦋🐝 An eight-year study has revealed that Common Ivy is the most popular flower among pollinating insects 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo... @pomscheme.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social

Sciocoris sideritidis has spread from its known site in Purfleet, Essex, half a mile to the wildlife garden and car park of RSPB Rainham Marshes TQ5478. I found 3 specimens here on 2 October. #Shieldbugs @britishbugs.bsky.social @rockwolf74.bsky.social

I've been trying to figure out the name of these flatworms in my yard, which have a black body but a tan face. Today, I think I have finally found the answer: the species doesn't have a name yet. It's just called Genus Name sp. "red head", and one knows where they came from. Cool.