Phil Saunders
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beardybirder.bsky.social
Phil Saunders
@beardybirder.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.1K following 580 posts
Professional bird botherer & bug chaser (not like that), based in Dorset. Freelance ecologist / leader for Wildlife Travel #LGBTQinSTEM. Mainly birds, inverts, & plants, with the occasional arty photo. All views my own.
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beardybirder.bsky.social
A belated Xmas visit to my folks in Kent allowed for a brief foray to Dunge' today, taking in a fantastic mixed goose flock on Walland Marsh (containing 30+ Tundra Beans, 6 WF Geese, & 28 Bewick's Swans, amongst 5 other goose spp) & getting my customary festive Casp' fix on the #RSPB Reserve.
Poor quality digivid still of 5 Tundra Bean Geese and a single Bewick's Swan feeding in a bright green field, with a leafless hedgerow visible in the background. Poor quality digivid still of a large goose flock containing Tundra Bean, Greylag, & Canada Geese and a single Bewick's Swan, all feeding in a bright green field, with a leafless hedgerow visible in the background. A 1st winter Caspian Gull rests amongst a mixed age flock of Herring Gulls on a sparsely vegetated island, set against a backdrop of blurred reeds.
December 29, 2025 at 3:36 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
Boxing Day saw our @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social Cyprus group ascend the Akamas Peninsula, with highlights incl'g the 1st flowering Ophrys omegaifera subsp. israelitica of the season, a cranky Sun Spider, & a fabulously spiny female Drilus (False Firefly) beetle on the hunt for snails in Neo Chorio
A single green, brown, and pale blue flower of an Ophrys omegaifera subsp. israelitica orchid set against a blurred background of brown pine needles. A brown and orange Sun Spider, sporting huge chelicerae and scorpion-like forelegs, is viewed from above within a transparent plastic pot resting on the pale pink palm of my hand. A black and orange patterned, caterpillar-like, female False Firefly (Drilus sp.), sporting paired black spots on each body segment and a dense array of spikes across the latter two thirds of its body, rests on a grey concrete path. View across the Akamas Peninsula, from the edge of Neo Chorio village, with a swing emblazoned with the phrase " I ❤️ Neo Chorio" across it's top span in the foreground. The background consists of rolling hillsides densely covered in olive green Mediterranean scrub and darker green pine forest, set against a bright blue sky with towering white clouds.
December 26, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
sarahlambert7.bsky.social
A feast of botanical treats from Christmas Day in Cyprus including intensely fragrant Narcissus tazetta, beautifully patterned Cyclamen persicum leaves and architectural seed heads of the endemic Onopordum cyprium…

Merry Christmas to all!

@wildlifetraveller.bsky.social
@beardybirder.bsky.social
The multi-headed Narcissus tazetta, each flower with white tepals and a short orange trumpet The stunningly marked leaves of Cyclamen persicum The architectural seed herd of Onopordum cyprium
December 25, 2025 at 10:55 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
Merry Christmas from Cyprus! Our @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social festive group enjoyed a range of botanical treats as we explored the Latsi hillsides today, including carpets of the beautiful (& delicately scented) Narcissus tazetta & the very first few flowering Fan-lipped Orchids of the season.
Four white and yellow Narcissus tazetta flowers stand clear of a single dark green stem, set against a blurred background of greyish grass and dead stems. A single cream and greenish Fan-lipped Orchid flower lies against a brighter green stem and leaves, with a blurred background of green and brown.
December 25, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
sarahlambert7.bsky.social
Botanical highlights from Day 2 of the @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social Cyprus trip - tiny spikes of Autumn Grape-Hyacinth, the diminutive Narcissus deficiens, an early-flowering Crown Anemone and autumn flowering Ranunculus cyathaerus -all at Tombs of the Kings, Paphos.
@beardybirder.bsky.social
December 24, 2025 at 8:52 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
If you go down to the woods today you could be in for a big surprise... Our @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social Cyprus group were lucky to discover several wonderfully large & hairy European Tarantulas hiding beneath carefully tipped rocks in Peyia Forest this afternoon. Absolutely fabulous spiders.
A grey and densely hairy European Tarantula (Chaetopelma olivaceum) sits amongst a silken chamber within a depression in sandy soil - viewed from above.
December 24, 2025 at 7:50 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
Christmas came early for our Cyprus @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social group in Peyia Forest today, as we encountered a wonderful array of flowering bulb species, including the tiny but statuesque Hyacinthella millingenii, the ephereal Colchicum pusillum, & the absolutely stunning Romulea tempskyana
The long white petals of the autumn-flowering crocus Colchicum pusillum lie amongst lanceolate green leaves, on a bed of ochre-coloured gravel. Two blue-white spikes of the Cypriot endemic Hyacinthella millingenii grow alongside their fleshy green leaves, amongst a carpet of twigs and brown pine needles. The deeply purple-blue petals of a single flower of the sand crocus Romulea tempskyana contrast with its bright yellow stamens and white stigma, allmset against a blurred backdrop of grey pine needles. The view from a rocky cliff edge in Peyia Forest, looking down towards Peyia and onwards south to Pafos, with the sea visible in the distance and white clouds building in a blue sky.
December 24, 2025 at 7:40 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
A wonderful day spent exploring some of my old haunts east of Pafos whilst co-leading the @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social group, taking in some great birds (incl'g Pallid Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, & Spur-winged Lapwing), a diminutive Kotschy's Gecko, & the SW Cypriot endemic Aphrodite's Dandelion
The yellow flowers and succulent green leaves of Aphrodite's Dandelion (Taraxacum aphrogenes) growing amongst grey seaside pebbles, with a single Lassioglossum-type bee resting on one of the flowerheads. A cryptically coloured Kotschy's Gecko, facing right, rests on a pale brown stone, with scattered grass stems and soil also visible. A scattered huddle of nine starkly patterned Spur-winged Lapwing are silhouetted against a clear evening sky, as they perch on a concrete rooftop.
December 23, 2025 at 7:33 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
The 2nd full day of the @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social Cyprus trip was a fab mix of culture & wildlife, taking in Agios Neophytos, Tomb of the Kings, & Kato Pafos Archeological Park, plus the glorious Narcissus deficiens, Crown Anemone, Cone-headed Grasshopper, & several sublime Red-throated Pipits
A Locust Blowfly (Stomorhina lunata) rests on the delicate white petals of a Narcissus deficiens daffodil, with the short yellow corolla of the flower visible to the right of the image, all against a blurred brown and grey background. A streaky adult Red-throated Pipit, complete with orange suffused face and throat and an obvious yellow bill base, stands facing left on a sparsely vegetated gravel trackway. Close up of the pale pink flower of a Crown Anemone (Anemone coronaria), with its repeatedly split, dark green, leaves visible below. An elongate Cyprus Cone-headed Grasshopper (Truxalis eximia cypria), viewed from above, rests on green vegetation, set against a blurred brown and green backdrop.
December 22, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
sarahlambert7.bsky.social
Stormy weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of the group currently spending Christmas in Cyprus with @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social

Fascinating plants, birds, invertebrates and geology - something for everyone… Details of species in ALT

Great to be co-leading again with @beardybirder.bsky.social
A beautifully marked snail Monacha syriaca, a species restricted to the eastern Mediterranean The pink flowers of Henbit Dead-nettle, the lower lip marked with dark pink spots The dangling bauble-like red fruit of Eastern Strawberry-tree. The bizarrely shaped flowers of Friar’s Cowl striped in green and white
December 21, 2025 at 8:17 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
This is all manner of wonderful
nickpetrichowe.bsky.social Nick Petrić Howe @nickpetrichowe.bsky.social · 12d
'Tis the season for some festive science songs.

If you've ever wanted to hear someone sing about a dimunitive tyranosaur then now is your chance
December 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
It's great to be back in (a currently rather soggy) Cyprus, co-leading the long-running @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social Christmas trip with @sarahlambert7.bsky.social - this morning's invert highlights along the quiet Latsi roadsides included Winter Pearl moth & several attractive spider species
Early morning over the northwestern Cypriot coast at Latsi; a pebbly beach stretches off to the right around an arcing bay, with mountains visible on the horizon and a tree in leaf in the foreground to the right. Close up of a Winter Pearl moth (Evergestis isatidalis). A Banded Garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) sits on her web against a blurred green background - a "tramp" species originally from the Americas. A bright orange Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) holds her forelegs outstretched to the right along strands of f her web, with blurred greenery in the background.
December 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
I finally agreed it was winter this morning and made my first visit of the season to Jerry's Point. The imm Velvet Scoter was still in residence (surprisingly my 1st in the harbour), as well as 5 apiece of BN Grebe & GN Diver @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social
Panoramic view of the south of Poole Harbour, looking northwards from Jerry's Point. A large expanse of water is visible behind a narrow sand and shingle beach in the foreground, with wooden fencing to the left and a wooded peninsula and several islands on the horizon.
December 15, 2025 at 12:06 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
A fabulously furry December Moth (one of my favourite species) was new for the Upton garden trap this morning, alongside a single Tachystola, after what will almost certainly be its last outing in 2025 - it's been an absolutely fantastic suburban mothing year #TeamMoth @dorsetmoths.bsky.social
A brown and white-marked December Moth rests on the pale wooden wall of a moth trap, viewed from above. A brown and white-marked December Moth rests on the pale wooden wall of a moth trap, viewed from the front.
December 12, 2025 at 8:54 AM
beardybirder.bsky.social
An expectedly quiet December wander around St Aldhelm's Head this morning, with little of note bar the continuing presence of a sizeable mixed finch flock in the Pier Bottom cover crop @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
St Aldhelm's Chapel stands silhouetted against a blue and white sky to the left of the image, with green, tussocky, grassland in the foreground and an area of shallow water to the right.
December 11, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
birdingtothemax.bsky.social
Epic recovery report just received! ⚠️ A Turnstone I trapped using a homemade walk-in trap has been recaptured in the 🌍 world’s 🌎 northernmost continuously inhabited settlement. Ringed on 12 February 2024 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex 🇬🇧, it was re-trapped on 08 June 2025 in Alert, Nunavut… 🇨🇦 (🧵 1/2)
Recovery map, showing the distance between ringing (12/02/2024) and encounter (08/06/2025) locations Turnstone ringed in Southend-on-Sea in February 2024 Qikiqtaaluk Region: the administrative region of Nunavut where Alert is located. May 2025.
December 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
An enjoyable few days surveying around Sandwich Bay (despite the rain) with 4 Snow Buntings @ Princes Beach, 6 Caspian Gulls (incl'g 4 different adults between Deal & Pegwell today & a hefty 1st winter seen across the weekend near Deal), & a smart adult YL Gull @ Pegwell @kentishplover.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 7:23 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
I never thought I'd see Lesser Crested Tern in the UK, having missed the long-returning Elsie on the Farnes in my teens & the last UK record in Norfolk 20(!) yrs ago, so this morning's trip to the Exe Estuary with @moorebirdsbybike.bsky.social was much appreciated. I do love an "orange-billed" tern!
December 4, 2025 at 12:23 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
A subad male Hen Harrier SW over the fields (my 1st grey bird on the patch) was the highlight of a typically wintry wander around St Aldhelm's Head this morning, plus single Redpoll & Bullfinch, & a sizeable flock of Chaffinch enjoying the new cover crop by the quarry @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
A rainbow arches over the Bonvils plantation at St Aldhelm's Head, with a grassy track and bordering fenceline/hedgerow visible in the foreground.
December 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
Support your county bird club! Dorset Bird Club is a fantastic organisation that funds conservation initiatives, collates ornithological data from across the county, & provides a social & focal hub for local birders. If you're not one already, DBC have a fab new membership offer for the next... 1/n
Front cover of the Dorset Bird Report 2024, showing a 1st winter 'Isabelline' Shrike perched on the top of a narrow branch, set against a blurred green. The report's title is in large white font in the top left of the image, & the club's logo (a Hoopoe overlaid on an outline of the county boundary) is in the bottom right. Screengrab from the Dorset Bird Club website explaining the Christmas membership offer, with a photograph of a Hoopoe and the club name forming a narrow banner at the bottom of the image.
December 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
sarahlambert7.bsky.social
Looking forward to the British & Irish Botanical Conference tomorrow, where I'll be manning the @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social exhibit, sharing exciting opportunities for natural history holidays with a strong botanical focus. Do come and say hello!

@bsbibotany.bsky.social
The subtly beautiful Spitzell's orchid, found in the Vercors Lady's Slipper Orchid, found on several Wildlife Travel tours including the Vercors and Estonia Beautiful pale-yellow flower of Persian Buttercup in Cyprus
November 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
wildlifetraveller.bsky.social
up early today, for our trip onto the San Lorenzo ridge

up here, it seems almost everything, at least amongst the birds, is a Santa Marta endemic, found on this isolated Colombian massif and nowhere else

#WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia
Carriker's Mountain Tanager, one of two endemic mountain tanagers... (we saw both) Santa Marta Antpitta, one of two endemic antpittas... (we saw both) White-tailed Starfrontlet (yes, I know she doesn't have a white tail) Yellow-crowned Redstart, the showiest of the mountains' three endemic warblers. (we saw all three...)
November 29, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
obialik.bsky.social
While birds and bats both developed adaptations for flight, the way they went about it is so fundamentally different it affects their possible ecological adaptation. Specifically, birds can easily shift to a walking lifestyle, bats can't. 🧪

Link: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Anatomically regionalized ecological adaptation across the bird and bat skeleton.
November 29, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Phil Saunders
mikemoths.bsky.social
Four new species for Dorset (and a belated one for Britain) are among the highlights of the Dorset Moths Annual Report 2024. Free PDF downland from dorsetmoths.co.uk

#teammoth
@dorsetmoths.bsky.social
@dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social
@migrantmothuk.bsky.social
@savebutterflies.bsky.social
November 27, 2025 at 2:42 PM
beardybirder.bsky.social
This fantastically stripy-legged Harpactea hombergi, a species more commonly associated with a range of outdoor habitats, was wandering around the slightly less salubrious environs of my Upton bathtub just now #spiders
Close up of a Harpactea hombergi spider against a porcelain bathtub, showing off its orange and black striped legs and glossy black cephalothorax.
November 27, 2025 at 10:34 PM