Keith Balmer
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keithbalmer.bsky.social
Keith Balmer
@keithbalmer.bsky.social
550 followers 280 following 74 posts
Bedfordshire County Recorder for Butterflies http://bedsbutterflies.org.uk
UK insects, macro photography, UK wildlife conservation.
Volunteer with @wildlifebcn.bsky.social & https://www.thehigginsbedford.org.uk
https://keithbalmer.com/
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keithbalmer.bsky.social
Does anyone recognise where this is please? It isn't Bedford but it looks a bit like it. It is being erroneously used to illustrate Bedford though at www.journey-alerts.com/updates/bedf... . Google and Co-pilot don't seem to know where it is. AI generated perhaps?
A photo of a stone arched bridge over a river with buildings and a church spire in the background
January 17, 2026 at 3:55 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
I asked ChatGPT to explain why the latest sunrise date varies with latitude. It said "
Moving north in the Northern Hemisphere:
Latest sunrise occurs later in January
Sunrise times change more slowly day to day
Near the Arctic Circle, the latest sunrise can be weeks later than at mid-latitudes" 1/2
January 7, 2026 at 5:47 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
@nbntrust.bsky.social your contact page at nbn.org.uk/about-us/who... doesn't include BlueSky...
Contact us - National Biodiversity Network
All of the NBN Trust team members work remotely, but there are a number of ways you can get in … Continued
nbn.org.uk
January 7, 2026 at 4:58 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Would you like to start the New Year with a quiz? Those familiar with Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust BCN nature reserves (@wildlifebcn.org) may like to have a go at solving these cryptic clues to their identities. @brianecambs.bsky.social
A set of cryptic clues to Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust reserves. 1. A dyslexic inhabitant from The Shire? 2. A Rosaceaen uprising 3. Arthur's knight is missing the Spanish grassland 4. Brief decline by a tit 5. Cautiously plead with black bird 6. Complexion issues? 7. Confused imp shaves one beard 8. Damon cooperates without having eaten first 9. Deranged Andrew hides in ancient burrow 10. Dibbler would include "me-own" in this reserve's name 11. Enthusiast has company at the race 12. Fly in, then leave vehicle at a club 13. Fly to soak up the extra? It sounds like it. 14. Hangs teacher on high ground 15. Look at superb art on gravel pitch 16. Lutra and Sterna are present in name only? 17. Pipes clot somehow 18. Priest's allotment run wild? 19. Punching below the belt(s) 20. Rockets procured covers 21. Turning off water supply from the south-east 22. Use XL foot to reach the top
January 1, 2026 at 9:59 AM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘺𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘦 are still readily found on my end-of-season 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘮 on Dec 9th. Despite being only 10 Celsius they are very alert and thus difficult to photograph. (The wind isn't helping either!) Many seem to have swollen abdomens suggesting gravid females?
A small insect with black and white markings, long legs and piercing mouthparts feeding on Antirrhinum leaves. The abdomen is swollen suggesting a gravid female. A small insect with black and white markings, long legs and piercing mouthparts feeding on Antirrhinum leaves. The abdomen is swollen suggesting a gravid female.
December 9, 2025 at 2:52 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
No, don't!
A Tesco carrier bag folded so that its slogan Reuse Repeat reads as use peat, which we shouldn't.
December 6, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
keithwdickinson.bsky.social
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
October 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
wildlifebcn.org
Looking for a new challenge working on one of the UK's most ambitious conservation projects?
We are at an exciting phase of our Great Fen vision with habitat creation and peatland rewetting funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Find out more and apply www.wildlifebcn.org/jobs/great-f...
October 8, 2025 at 4:51 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
In the winter I sowed 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘮 (Snapdragons) specifically to try to attract 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘺𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘦. On 30th June I beat one, and today found two by direct inspection. @willgeorge.bsky.social‬ has confirmed as a new species for Bedfordshire.
A slender bug with black and white markings standing on an Antirrhinum.
July 2, 2025 at 2:40 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
One of the female 𝘏𝘢𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘱. (Clegs) chewing into the back of my left hand. Chose photography over pain relief - I hope you appreciate that!
Close-up of the head and mouthparts of a fly biting into skin. The eyes carry a beautiful sequence zig-zag bands of several colours. A large fly kneeling to bite into human skin. The eyes carry a beautiful sequence zig-zag bands of several colours. The bites feels like pin pricks.
June 5, 2025 at 11:56 AM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Yesterday I heard of the existence of the rare weevil 𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪 so went looking for it this afternoon. May have found it after 20 minutes, unless I have the wrong ID of course! Can anyone confirm please?
A shiny green weevil (a beetle with a long snout), feeding on a developing flower bud of Wild Liquorice.
June 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Is there on online set of reference photos for Ephemeroptera imagos and sub-imagos? I'd like to check my tentative IDs. (e.g. is this a male Centroptilum luteolum?). iRecord seems the best I've found so far, but wondered if someone had a gallery somewhere...?
A male mayfly with large red bucket-shaped eyes, and a clear body with a dark tip. A close-up of the hindwing appears to have a small spine and a pointed tip, hopefully confirming the ID.
May 12, 2025 at 10:32 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
I always enjoy the challenge of trying to photograph Green Tiger Beetles, 𝘊𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘴. Here's my first attempt of the year, on Bedfordshire heathland.
A large green beetle with long, spine-covered, legs, and a ferocious pair of sharp jaws that can puncture human skin if handled. It is clambering through leaf litter. A large green beetle with long, spine-covered, legs, and a ferocious pair of sharp jaws that can puncture human skin if handled. It is standing on a dead leaf, with heather in the background.
March 31, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
rosybeeplants.bsky.social
We are have updated our research into which garden plants attract the most pollinators. Our original research included 5 years of data. We then moved house so this is now 9 years of data over 2 different locations.
www.rosybee.com/research-study
March 23, 2025 at 11:44 AM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
The first UK record for 2025 in iRecord of 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘴, Bordered Shieldbug, found today under some fallen bark.
A small rounded shield-bug that is black all over except for a narrow white border along its sides (corium).
March 24, 2025 at 10:15 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Taking a stacked photo while this female 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘹 was clearing her front legs has produced an interesting result!
A large hoverfly sitting on a leaf. The photo is a combination of about 10 photos. The front legs are a blur because the fly was actively cleaning them, but the rest of the insect was perfectly stationary and is sharp.
March 24, 2025 at 10:05 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Seven species of butterfly have been reported so far in 2025 in Bedfordshire. Small White and Large White are the only "hatchings" so far, the others were overwintered adults. The interactive iMap can be interrogated at www.keithbalmer.com/bedsbutterfl...
A map of Bedfordshire showing which 1km squares have butterfly record(s) for 2025. The map can be interrogated via the link in the post. A table of data showing how many adults of each butterfly species have been reported in each week of 2025, so far. The totals for the year so far are Brimstone - 362, Comma - 191, Large White - 2, Peacock - 101, Red Admiral - 21, Small Tortoiseshell - 14, Small White 1.
March 23, 2025 at 8:33 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
𝘓𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 larvae grazing together on lichen and using it within their protective case.
Three larvae in parallel with a ruler alongside showing them to be about 3mm long. A bent cone-shaped protective case made small-grained material including lichens. The legs and head of the larva within can be seen projecting from the wide end, and it is walking upon dead wood. A bent cone-shaped protective case made small-grained material including lichens. The legs and head of the larva within can be seen projecting from the wide end, and it is walking upon dead wood. A bent cone-shaped protective case made small-grained material including lichens. The legs and head of the larva within can be seen projecting from the wide end, and it is walking upon dead wood.
March 22, 2025 at 6:48 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Delighted to find my first Small Tortoiseshell of 2025 today, near Bedford. Let's hope it can found another one as they are so scarce these days.
A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly basking on the ground in weak sunshine.
March 22, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
stephenplummer.bsky.social
Thrum-eyed Primrose on the left, with the anthers located well above the stigma; Pin-eyed Primrose on the right, with the stigma on a long style located well above the anthers….great for encouraging cross-pollination!😃
March 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
"It's dark down here, has anyone got a light?"
The last seven segments of a glow-worm larva bent into an arch shape. The first few segments and the head can't be seen as they are pushed inside an old beetle hole in a thick piece of fallen conifer bark, where the larva is presumably looking for, or has found, a snail to eat. The larva wasn't moving and was underneath the fallen bark when I picked it up. It is a rather contorted shape if it was only resting/hibernating?
March 9, 2025 at 6:07 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Rummaging around under dead wood today I found a pseudoscorpion, 𝘊𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴, and a larva of a glow-worm 𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘢.
A glow worm larva under a piece of bark. The larva is long and black with nine obvious segments, plus a black head shaped like a semi-circle. The corner of each segment is tipped with pink colour. A pseudoscorpion. It has eight real legs, plus a pair out in front with long pincers for catching prey. Unlike real scorpions it has no tail or sting.
March 6, 2025 at 10:10 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Butterfly reports pouring in for today in Bedfordshire. 20 so far...

iMap (www.keithbalmer.com/bedsbutterfl...) has been updated with all this year's records from online sources.
Screenshot from iMap, an interactive tool showing all the 1km squares in Bedfordshire. Each square can be interrogated to list what species have been recorded. The selection shown is of all locations where species have been reported so far in 2025. A screenshot showing how many butterflies of each species have been reported each week in 2025 so far. This week there have been 16 Brimstones, 6 Commas, 7 Peacocks and 8 Red Admirals. Also shown is a list of all today's sightings.
March 3, 2025 at 9:49 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
Three Commas seen this afternoon, all successfully survived the rigours of winter pretending to be dead leaves.
A Comma butterfly basking in sunshine. This species is notable for ragged wing edges which help with camouflage. The ground colour is a deep orange, and there are black and lighter-orange markings on all the wings.
March 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
keithbalmer.bsky.social
On the first day of meteorological spring, my first butterfly of 2025, a Peacock, recently emerged from hibernation.
A Peacock butterfly basking on a log in full sunshine.
March 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM