Ben Lewis
@benlewisuk.bsky.social
Birder, Moth-er, I have an interest in all wildlife and its identification, Pan species lister (newbie), Manager of fen and wetland habitats. Gardener, fishing, father, husband, Jack Russell owner, weather enthusiast…
September 30, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Seems a bad evolutionary link for a rare butterfly larva to eat a rare plant’s flowers and seeds. (Swallowtail Butterfly). Still a few adults flying now too.
July 31, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Seems a bad evolutionary link for a rare butterfly larva to eat a rare plant’s flowers and seeds. (Swallowtail Butterfly). Still a few adults flying now too.
A quick foray into the fen to carry out some swallowtail larval counts yielded 2 new species for me, an amazing Musk Beetle and the planthopper Stenocranus longipennis
July 21, 2025 at 4:57 PM
A quick foray into the fen to carry out some swallowtail larval counts yielded 2 new species for me, an amazing Musk Beetle and the planthopper Stenocranus longipennis
Busy week of identifying specimens from Franchises Lodge, about 260 species (exc moths) identified and the target of better understanding invertebrate identification achieved. A few more pots to go next week and then a big write up required.
July 11, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Busy week of identifying specimens from Franchises Lodge, about 260 species (exc moths) identified and the target of better understanding invertebrate identification achieved. A few more pots to go next week and then a big write up required.
Can anyone confirm this grasshopper from New Forest? It’s the only photo I have, dark marks appear to reach rear of pronotum suggesting Heath, but can’t convince myself… thanks!
July 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Can anyone confirm this grasshopper from New Forest? It’s the only photo I have, dark marks appear to reach rear of pronotum suggesting Heath, but can’t convince myself… thanks!
This ‘Masked Hunter’ must’ve been enjoying breakfast in my moth trap today as it was packed full of bycatch . Can’t see scale in the pic but it’s a very large bug at ~2cm!
June 29, 2025 at 11:54 AM
This ‘Masked Hunter’ must’ve been enjoying breakfast in my moth trap today as it was packed full of bycatch . Can’t see scale in the pic but it’s a very large bug at ~2cm!
This is looking good for Langmaids Yellow Underwing isn’t it??
June 29, 2025 at 10:31 AM
This is looking good for Langmaids Yellow Underwing isn’t it??
Back from a great week at rspb’s Franchises Lodge in Wiltshire, primarily to record moths but also try to ID as many inverts as I could. I’ll put together a few messages with the highlights over the coming weeks as I get through the specimens…
June 28, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Back from a great week at rspb’s Franchises Lodge in Wiltshire, primarily to record moths but also try to ID as many inverts as I could. I’ll put together a few messages with the highlights over the coming weeks as I get through the specimens…
Reposted by Ben Lewis
Going to #GlobalBirdfair?
➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'.
✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎
➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'.
✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎
June 19, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Going to #GlobalBirdfair?
➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'.
✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎
➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'.
✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎
Iconic forest birds of Hawaii saved by Doner Kebabs 😂
Hawaii’s iconic forest birds are vanishing and drones dropping lab-raised mosquitoes may be their last lifeline. It sounds absurd, but it’s a smart, targeted fix to an extinction crisis driven by climate and disease.
@benjij.bsky.social for @vox.com: www.vox.com/down-to-eart...
@benjij.bsky.social for @vox.com: www.vox.com/down-to-eart...
Scientists are dropping live mosquitoes out of drones in Hawaii. Here’s why.
The wild reason why bird advocates are releasing these reviled insects from the sky.
www.vox.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Iconic forest birds of Hawaii saved by Doner Kebabs 😂
Invert recorders- I am doing my first week long study of a site for inverts next week. Q: what is the current best way to store inverts between collection and microscopy c.2weeks later so they can be id’d/carded/pinned etc? Freezer, pickling vinegar on cloth, dry? What do you do? Thanks
June 15, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Invert recorders- I am doing my first week long study of a site for inverts next week. Q: what is the current best way to store inverts between collection and microscopy c.2weeks later so they can be id’d/carded/pinned etc? Freezer, pickling vinegar on cloth, dry? What do you do? Thanks
Nice to see a Red-Tipped Clearwing (no lure) feeding on Marsh Valerian at Surlingham yesterday, my first clearwing of the year.
June 11, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Nice to see a Red-Tipped Clearwing (no lure) feeding on Marsh Valerian at Surlingham yesterday, my first clearwing of the year.
135 species in the Strumpshaw moth trap this morning was a very good start to the day, a couple new for the reserve too! My highlight however was the bycatch, 15 new species for me there..
June 1, 2025 at 8:32 PM
135 species in the Strumpshaw moth trap this morning was a very good start to the day, a couple new for the reserve too! My highlight however was the bycatch, 15 new species for me there..
Nice morning at Titchwell looking at reedbed management with Ryan. Also got a few nice sightings while there- Dune Tiger Beetle (beauty!), Marram Weevil, an apparent Gynnidomorpha vectisana and a couple of juv Spoonbills.
May 27, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Nice morning at Titchwell looking at reedbed management with Ryan. Also got a few nice sightings while there- Dune Tiger Beetle (beauty!), Marram Weevil, an apparent Gynnidomorpha vectisana and a couple of juv Spoonbills.
Pleasant afternoon at Buxton Heath, some nice bugs, beetles, weevils and hoppers seen and even a well overdue new species of macro moth.
May 17, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Pleasant afternoon at Buxton Heath, some nice bugs, beetles, weevils and hoppers seen and even a well overdue new species of macro moth.
Does anybody use a smaller alternative to the full sized leaf vacuums for invert suction sampling.. that actually works? #PSL @applewildlife.bsky.social I recall seeing a post from you about this, what was your outcome? Thanks
April 27, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Does anybody use a smaller alternative to the full sized leaf vacuums for invert suction sampling.. that actually works? #PSL @applewildlife.bsky.social I recall seeing a post from you about this, what was your outcome? Thanks
Finally added Water Ladybird to my PSL at Buckenham this afternoon. Gaining slowly but steadily with 2011sp now…. And enjoying it!
April 26, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Finally added Water Ladybird to my PSL at Buckenham this afternoon. Gaining slowly but steadily with 2011sp now…. And enjoying it!
4 interlopers with the Highlands yesterday (just 1 in the picture). Amazing how quick you can get used to these once very rare birds… now seemingly part of the scenery
February 27, 2025 at 6:12 PM
4 interlopers with the Highlands yesterday (just 1 in the picture). Amazing how quick you can get used to these once very rare birds… now seemingly part of the scenery
46 Marsh Harriers and 1 Hen Harrier left the roost @rspbstrumpshawfen.bsky.social at dawn this morning. First few hints of spring with Reed Buntings piping up and starting to sing.
February 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM
46 Marsh Harriers and 1 Hen Harrier left the roost @rspbstrumpshawfen.bsky.social at dawn this morning. First few hints of spring with Reed Buntings piping up and starting to sing.
Looks like I saw some Mammatus clouds over Catfield Fen Norfolk this afternoon,? Some crazy rain and hail was associated!
January 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Looks like I saw some Mammatus clouds over Catfield Fen Norfolk this afternoon,? Some crazy rain and hail was associated!
Is this a Collared Earthstar (without a collar) or something else? Can’t convince myself of ID using my field guide… @rspbstrumpshawfen.bsky.social yesterday, along the pumphouse track by the gate to meadow.
January 17, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Is this a Collared Earthstar (without a collar) or something else? Can’t convince myself of ID using my field guide… @rspbstrumpshawfen.bsky.social yesterday, along the pumphouse track by the gate to meadow.
Todays adventures had me monitoring scrub at a rather monochrome Catfield Fen and back at the fen the cattle have finally produced a Cattle Egret.
January 8, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Todays adventures had me monitoring scrub at a rather monochrome Catfield Fen and back at the fen the cattle have finally produced a Cattle Egret.
Between 38 and 42 marsh harriers up in the air at once in this evenings roost at Strumpshaw Fen. Likely to be 50+ birds in the area at the moment, quite a spectacle
December 18, 2024 at 6:21 PM
Between 38 and 42 marsh harriers up in the air at once in this evenings roost at Strumpshaw Fen. Likely to be 50+ birds in the area at the moment, quite a spectacle
A surprise WeBS bird at Berney/Breydon this morning was very nice….didn’t quite make up for my #Nikon ED50 getting blown over in the wind and breaking the threads 🙄 (also tens of thousands of Lapwing, 7,000+ Golden Plover, 10,000+ pink footed geese, 1000 Shoveler and a Spotted Redshank)
December 16, 2024 at 5:14 PM
A surprise WeBS bird at Berney/Breydon this morning was very nice….didn’t quite make up for my #Nikon ED50 getting blown over in the wind and breaking the threads 🙄 (also tens of thousands of Lapwing, 7,000+ Golden Plover, 10,000+ pink footed geese, 1000 Shoveler and a Spotted Redshank)