Ben Porter
@bardseyben.bsky.social
Passionate Welsh naturalist & photographer fighting for a wilder World.
PhD student studying #seabirds
Often found running in the mountains ⛰️ 👣
https://www.benporterwildlife.co.uk
#StubbornOptimist | #GenerationRestoration
PhD student studying #seabirds
Often found running in the mountains ⛰️ 👣
https://www.benporterwildlife.co.uk
#StubbornOptimist | #GenerationRestoration
Looking like a poor season for #Puffins in the #Faroes from local accounts and observations so far - lots of adults still feeding young chicks which should have fledged by this time of year, many dead chicks in the colony and very low numbers in general :( any others finding similar? #seabirds
August 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The #marineheatwave update for this week from @mercatorocean.bsky.social shows some pretty intense conditions off the Norwegian coast, and sustained abnormal #SST around the UK and Bay of Biscay. I wonder how such an extreme year in the #NorthAtlantic will affect #seabird productivity this year...
August 4, 2025 at 9:52 AM
The #marineheatwave update for this week from @mercatorocean.bsky.social shows some pretty intense conditions off the Norwegian coast, and sustained abnormal #SST around the UK and Bay of Biscay. I wonder how such an extreme year in the #NorthAtlantic will affect #seabird productivity this year...
Such awesome #seabirds - one of ~430 Storm-petrels ringed in the Nólsoy colony last night w/ @jasonwalczak.bsky.social @trevormaclaurin.bsky.social @anneausems.bsky.social, plus one UK-ringed bird. No tapes used, just one 18-metre mist net - the colony is quite dense!
August 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Such awesome #seabirds - one of ~430 Storm-petrels ringed in the Nólsoy colony last night w/ @jasonwalczak.bsky.social @trevormaclaurin.bsky.social @anneausems.bsky.social, plus one UK-ringed bird. No tapes used, just one 18-metre mist net - the colony is quite dense!
The superb backdrop of Nólsoy’s huge Storm-petrel colony, hosting upwards of 250,000 pairs. Initial checks of our study #nestboxes show a slightly late season, with some birds incubating but many pairs yet to lay. Amidst the numerous #MarineHeatwaves in N Atlantic, I wonder how the season will be…
July 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The superb backdrop of Nólsoy’s huge Storm-petrel colony, hosting upwards of 250,000 pairs. Initial checks of our study #nestboxes show a slightly late season, with some birds incubating but many pairs yet to lay. Amidst the numerous #MarineHeatwaves in N Atlantic, I wonder how the season will be…
And so it begins! The Storm-petrel fieldwork season in the #Faroes kicks off for 2025, joining @anneausems.bsky.social @jasonwalczak.bsky.social @trevormaclaurin.bsky.social to carry out sampling for @seaghosts-biodv.bsky.social and further research for my PhD on European Storm-petrels.
July 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM
And so it begins! The Storm-petrel fieldwork season in the #Faroes kicks off for 2025, joining @anneausems.bsky.social @jasonwalczak.bsky.social @trevormaclaurin.bsky.social to carry out sampling for @seaghosts-biodv.bsky.social and further research for my PhD on European Storm-petrels.
Sunset to Sunrise - an awesome night out running half the Paddy Buckley round in #Eryri, starting 7pm in Nantmor finishing 7am in Ogwen. Brutal 5000m ascent but epic moonlit mountains, mist inversion and total quietude through the dead of night. A good way to prepare for nocturnal #seabird work 😂
July 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM
‘The countryside can be naturally hazardous’…
‘The river is polluted by sewage’
Great signage from NRW. I’m absolutely outraged at the state of this National Nature Reserve #AtlanticRainforest near Llan Ffestiniog, whose river was subject to 178 sewage dumps in 2024. You can literally smell it.
‘The river is polluted by sewage’
Great signage from NRW. I’m absolutely outraged at the state of this National Nature Reserve #AtlanticRainforest near Llan Ffestiniog, whose river was subject to 178 sewage dumps in 2024. You can literally smell it.
April 28, 2025 at 8:44 AM
‘The countryside can be naturally hazardous’…
‘The river is polluted by sewage’
Great signage from NRW. I’m absolutely outraged at the state of this National Nature Reserve #AtlanticRainforest near Llan Ffestiniog, whose river was subject to 178 sewage dumps in 2024. You can literally smell it.
‘The river is polluted by sewage’
Great signage from NRW. I’m absolutely outraged at the state of this National Nature Reserve #AtlanticRainforest near Llan Ffestiniog, whose river was subject to 178 sewage dumps in 2024. You can literally smell it.
Mountain Manxies! It was so exciting to finally get the opportunity to witness the amazing mountaintop Manx shearwater colony on Rùm last week (west Scotland). The night’s bivvy to experience their arrival on Hallival was pretty awesome. Here’s a short piece for #SeabirderSaturday
April 12, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Mountain Manxies! It was so exciting to finally get the opportunity to witness the amazing mountaintop Manx shearwater colony on Rùm last week (west Scotland). The night’s bivvy to experience their arrival on Hallival was pretty awesome. Here’s a short piece for #SeabirderSaturday
Always such a bittersweet soundscape to record: the utterly evocative and beautiful spring chorus of Lapwings (Cornchwiglen) and Curlews (Gylfinir) from a small, electric-fenced patch of Welsh uplands that represents one of their few strongholds in this part of the country. I hope we can save them.
March 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Always such a bittersweet soundscape to record: the utterly evocative and beautiful spring chorus of Lapwings (Cornchwiglen) and Curlews (Gylfinir) from a small, electric-fenced patch of Welsh uplands that represents one of their few strongholds in this part of the country. I hope we can save them.
Nature Workforce Wales 🌿🏴🐧🐝 If you think that you are contributing to conserve or restore nature (in a voluntary or paid role) then please fill in this survey! // os ydych chi’n meddwl eich bod yn cyfrannu at adfer byd natur (wirfoddol/gyflogedig) llenwch yr arolwg!
ymateb.gov.wales/s/1IYLHF/?la...
ymateb.gov.wales/s/1IYLHF/?la...
March 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Nature Workforce Wales 🌿🏴🐧🐝 If you think that you are contributing to conserve or restore nature (in a voluntary or paid role) then please fill in this survey! // os ydych chi’n meddwl eich bod yn cyfrannu at adfer byd natur (wirfoddol/gyflogedig) llenwch yr arolwg!
ymateb.gov.wales/s/1IYLHF/?la...
ymateb.gov.wales/s/1IYLHF/?la...
Parting ways with my beloved little electric Nissan van - delighted to say that her new occupancy will be carting around waste for a community composting scheme in the Dyfi Valley 😄👌🏽🍄 couldn’t find a more fitting second home. What a great enabler of adventures she’s been for the last few years!
March 8, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Parting ways with my beloved little electric Nissan van - delighted to say that her new occupancy will be carting around waste for a community composting scheme in the Dyfi Valley 😄👌🏽🍄 couldn’t find a more fitting second home. What a great enabler of adventures she’s been for the last few years!
What better way to spend a sunny, warm Saturday (😅🙈) than grappling with Raspberry Pi cams to get the system working for #Stormpetrel nest monitoring this summer! So grateful for Hannah Hereward’s immense help in this - coding is not my strong point…
@robthomasbirds.bsky.social
@robthomasbirds.bsky.social
March 8, 2025 at 12:27 PM
What better way to spend a sunny, warm Saturday (😅🙈) than grappling with Raspberry Pi cams to get the system working for #Stormpetrel nest monitoring this summer! So grateful for Hannah Hereward’s immense help in this - coding is not my strong point…
@robthomasbirds.bsky.social
@robthomasbirds.bsky.social
FIRST WHEATEAR OF THE YEAR!!!!! 😄🥳🏔️ what an exciting moment. Sadly no camera with me, but it’s on that rock - I promise 😆 what a backdrop (Llyn Padarn, Nant Peris and Eryri). Spppprrrrriiinnnng 🌿
March 8, 2025 at 8:48 AM
FIRST WHEATEAR OF THE YEAR!!!!! 😄🥳🏔️ what an exciting moment. Sadly no camera with me, but it’s on that rock - I promise 😆 what a backdrop (Llyn Padarn, Nant Peris and Eryri). Spppprrrrriiinnnng 🌿
Eryri looking pretty stunning this evening on a run over some peaks. Looking down Dyffryn Ogwen from Y Garn. A single Raven kept me company on y Glyderau. Purple Saxifrage will be in flower in Cwm Idwal! Nothing like a lung full of fresh mountain air amidst this crazy time. #mynyddoedd 🏔️
March 5, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Eryri looking pretty stunning this evening on a run over some peaks. Looking down Dyffryn Ogwen from Y Garn. A single Raven kept me company on y Glyderau. Purple Saxifrage will be in flower in Cwm Idwal! Nothing like a lung full of fresh mountain air amidst this crazy time. #mynyddoedd 🏔️
Interesting sequence of dead #marine #mammals washed up on Porth Neigwl today (Pen Llŷn)...an unidentified Whale sp (too disintegrated to ID myself!), and a dead Common Dolphin (and dogfish!) right beside it. Anyone care to hazard a guess what species the whale might be?
February 25, 2025 at 8:50 PM
They're back! Crank up the volume. A sky full of Skylarks today, blasting out their wonderful song from the blue skies above (Ehedydd in Welsh). What a joy. A snippet of audio here, though a little wind-buffeted (and yes, that is some unseen Sheep poo on my parabolic 👀 😂)
#gwanwyn #birdsong
#gwanwyn #birdsong
February 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Just love this habitat: what in Welsh we call ‘ffridd’, involving scattered trees, scrub, bracken, gorse, grassland and perhaps most importantly, grazing animals (at the right density). Usually in the transition zone between lowland and upland. Some gorgeous gnarled Hawthorns in Nant Peris today 🌳🌿👌🏽
February 22, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Just love this habitat: what in Welsh we call ‘ffridd’, involving scattered trees, scrub, bracken, gorse, grassland and perhaps most importantly, grazing animals (at the right density). Usually in the transition zone between lowland and upland. Some gorgeous gnarled Hawthorns in Nant Peris today 🌳🌿👌🏽
A splash of vivid colour on the forest floor: so nice to see the Scarlet elfcups out! (Cwpan robin goch in Cymraeg 🏴). Lovely seeing the bright green shoots of Bluebells emerging from the rotting leaves, and Dogs mercury too! 🌿
#gwanwyn
#gwanwyn
February 21, 2025 at 3:57 PM
A splash of vivid colour on the forest floor: so nice to see the Scarlet elfcups out! (Cwpan robin goch in Cymraeg 🏴). Lovely seeing the bright green shoots of Bluebells emerging from the rotting leaves, and Dogs mercury too! 🌿
#gwanwyn
#gwanwyn
Audio on!!! Amidst the chaos of the current era, getting out in the morning and tuning in to the growing surge of #birdsong is pretty damned good. Here's a Bronfraith (Song thrush) blasting away, recorded with the trusty old #PlantPotParabolic. Roll on spring 🌿🐦🎶🎧
February 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Audio on!!! Amidst the chaos of the current era, getting out in the morning and tuning in to the growing surge of #birdsong is pretty damned good. Here's a Bronfraith (Song thrush) blasting away, recorded with the trusty old #PlantPotParabolic. Roll on spring 🌿🐦🎶🎧
Great to catch up with @naturescotland.bsky.social whilst over on Mull for a few days - an atmospheric stomp about Ben Buie in search of Ptarmigan amidst the mist and murk. None seen but plenty of poo + feathers, plus Golden Eagle predation evidence too! Nice to see plenty of Juniper 🌿👌🏽
January 20, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Great to catch up with @naturescotland.bsky.social whilst over on Mull for a few days - an atmospheric stomp about Ben Buie in search of Ptarmigan amidst the mist and murk. None seen but plenty of poo + feathers, plus Golden Eagle predation evidence too! Nice to see plenty of Juniper 🌿👌🏽
Always a joy to find one of these treasures. Great spotted Woodpecker (Cnocell fraith fwyaf in Welsh) feather on a woodland walk at dusk. What a beauty!
January 15, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Always a joy to find one of these treasures. Great spotted Woodpecker (Cnocell fraith fwyaf in Welsh) feather on a woodland walk at dusk. What a beauty!
What beauties! So nice to encounter some Snow Buntings atop Cairn Gorm whilst out for a dawn hike yesterday morning. At least 34 counted, bubbling away and shimmering off in a flock when disturbed by an incoming Raven. I wonder how many are from the local breeding population? #Cairngorms
January 13, 2025 at 7:45 AM
What beauties! So nice to encounter some Snow Buntings atop Cairn Gorm whilst out for a dawn hike yesterday morning. At least 34 counted, bubbling away and shimmering off in a flock when disturbed by an incoming Raven. I wonder how many are from the local breeding population? #Cairngorms
Awesome resilience. Scots Pines pioneering the treeline frontier on the #Cairngorm plateau - very close to the highest recorded pine, which is apparently ~1,160m on Cairn Lochan, a kilometre away. Exciting to see these beauties taking root and the work underway to restore the montane woodland zone.
January 12, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Awesome resilience. Scots Pines pioneering the treeline frontier on the #Cairngorm plateau - very close to the highest recorded pine, which is apparently ~1,160m on Cairn Lochan, a kilometre away. Exciting to see these beauties taking root and the work underway to restore the montane woodland zone.
Loving the tracking made possible by this snow cover! Here’s an Otter’s trail at 600m in the #Cairngorms, with a bit of foot dragging and occasional imprint of tail. This was followed by a belly slide and dive into a nearby stream. #wildlifetracking 🐾
January 9, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Loving the tracking made possible by this snow cover! Here’s an Otter’s trail at 600m in the #Cairngorms, with a bit of foot dragging and occasional imprint of tail. This was followed by a belly slide and dive into a nearby stream. #wildlifetracking 🐾
Re purposing a Hazel rod and brush head to scrape the snow off our van - ideally need some light to reach the solar panels to power our auxiliary battery for laptops etc 😆 sorry @robthomasbirds.bsky.social if the work output on the PhD reduces a bit this week. I may have gone skiing instead
January 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Re purposing a Hazel rod and brush head to scrape the snow off our van - ideally need some light to reach the solar panels to power our auxiliary battery for laptops etc 😆 sorry @robthomasbirds.bsky.social if the work output on the PhD reduces a bit this week. I may have gone skiing instead