Tim Blackburn
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mothyblackburn.bsky.social
Tim Blackburn
@mothyblackburn.bsky.social

Professor of Invasion Biology at UCL. Amateur father, birder, moth-er. Mainly post wildlife photos, occasionally science and politics. Author of The Jewel Box, winner of the ZSL Clarivate Award for Communicating Zoology.

Environmental science 63%
Geography 16%

The anniversary of the best photo I’ve ever taken… #catsofbluesky #cats

Strong shortlist there!

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn

A comprehensive review building on the IPBES #InvasiveAlienSpecies Assessment reveals that numbers of alien species are increasing for all taxonomic groups and regions, and that this trend is likely to continue.

Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.70058

Merry Christmoth everyone! #TeamMoth

Merry Christmas Kev!

I live in hope… And happy Christmas to you and your family - here’s to a moth-filled 2026.

Yep, the bookies stopped taking bets in October.

Great to be able to share the moment with #TeamMoth!

Moth Advent 24. No question of the moth of 2025, by a county mile. I’ll never forget seeing this land on the sheet at Kenfig NNR. After a lot of swearing and input from BlueSky, ID was confirmed as The Sorcerer, just the 4th British record and a 1st for Wales. I’m still buzzing now! #TeamMoth

Green Banana Cockroach? (Google Lens-ed it)

Thanks! And next year is 2026...

Danai is one of our fantastic M.Res. BEC alumni. Check out her feed for one example what the degree could lead to... (She also knows that next year is 2026...!)
If you are a bio grad and the child inside of you can't decide between the NHM (aka dinosaurs) and the Zoo, that's the MRes for you 😁🦒🦖
Applications are open for UCL's M.Res. in Biodiversity, Evolution & Conservation, 2024 intake. Learn the latest scientific techniques for studying biodiversity jointly with UCL, the Natural History Museum, and ZSL. Details here: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn

If you are a bio grad and the child inside of you can't decide between the NHM (aka dinosaurs) and the Zoo, that's the MRes for you 😁🦒🦖
Applications are open for UCL's M.Res. in Biodiversity, Evolution & Conservation, 2024 intake. Learn the latest scientific techniques for studying biodiversity jointly with UCL, the Natural History Museum, and ZSL. Details here: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

I’m clearly living in the past. 2026 intake!
Applications are open for UCL's M.Res. in Biodiversity, Evolution & Conservation, 2024 intake. Learn the latest scientific techniques for studying biodiversity jointly with UCL, the Natural History Museum, and ZSL. Details here: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn

We know that the role of nocturnal moths as pollinators has been greatly underestimated in Europe, but this impressive new study shows that tiger moths (Arctiinae) are important generalist pollinators in a lowland rainforest in Ecuador #teammoth 🌎
royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood

Applications are open for UCL's M.Res. in Biodiversity, Evolution & Conservation, 2024 intake. Learn the latest scientific techniques for studying biodiversity jointly with UCL, the Natural History Museum, and ZSL. Details here: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

Moth Advent 23. A field trip in November with @wjrpb.bsky.social to look for the scarce and late-flying Plumed Prominent. Rapid success as the first individuals were in within an hour of dusk, but we had to wait longer to get the elaborately antennaed males. Lifer 109/110 for the year. #TeamMoth

😍

That’s a stunner!

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn

Moth Advent 22. October in Devon and the possibility of some migration took me to the south coast path. Too windy alas, but set up the trap in the car park instead and the first moth in was a lifer – this Feathered Brindle. Not unexpected as mainly a species of southern coastal areas. #TeamMoth

Tinea pellionella?

Moth Advent 21. I start each academic year now by taking the new @ucl.ac.uk Biodiversity Masters students to Blakeney Point, with migrants uppermost in mind. Not a great week for them this year unfortunately, but there's always moths. This year produced my first Pink-barred Sallow. #TeamMoth

I’ve always wondered where you lived…

Well done though!

Jeez, my timeline's like 100% Portugal right now...

Moth Advent 20. Mid-September and back to the Surrey heath with @photography-aj.bsky.social. I had at least one target species in mind, as I’d never seen Heath Rustic. By the end of the session, dozens – probably the commonest moth of the evening. Location, location, location. #TeamMoth

Gives a whole different perspective to #TeamMoth.

Nice time at the annual British Ecological Society meeting in Edinburgh this week - great chance to catch up with people & research from another year in ecology

Moth Advent 19. It’s rare when the highlight of an evening isn’t a lifer, but so it was on the late August evening on the Norfolk fen. To be fair it’s hard for almost any moth to top a Clifden Nonpareil, especially when you’ve never previously had one in the trap. Just a monster! #TeamMoth