Keith Balmer
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keithbalmer.bsky.social
Keith Balmer
@keithbalmer.bsky.social
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/
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?
January 17, 2026 at 3:55 PM
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
@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
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
January 1, 2026 at 9:59 AM
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?
December 9, 2025 at 2:52 PM
No, don't!
December 6, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
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
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
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.
July 2, 2025 at 2:40 PM
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!
June 5, 2025 at 11:56 AM
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?
June 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
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...?
May 12, 2025 at 10:32 PM
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.
March 31, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
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
The first UK record for 2025 in iRecord of 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘴, Bordered Shieldbug, found today under some fallen bark.
March 24, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Taking a stacked photo while this female 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘹 was clearing her front legs has produced an interesting result!
March 24, 2025 at 10:05 PM
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...
March 23, 2025 at 8:33 PM
𝘓𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 larvae grazing together on lichen and using it within their protective case.
March 22, 2025 at 6:48 PM
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.
March 22, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Reposted by Keith Balmer
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
"It's dark down here, has anyone got a light?"
March 9, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Rummaging around under dead wood today I found a pseudoscorpion, 𝘊𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴, and a larva of a glow-worm 𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘢.
March 6, 2025 at 10:10 PM
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.
March 3, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Three Commas seen this afternoon, all successfully survived the rigours of winter pretending to be dead leaves.
March 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
On the first day of meteorological spring, my first butterfly of 2025, a Peacock, recently emerged from hibernation.
March 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM