JD Roberts
@jdroberts.bsky.social
Musican, historian and biologist. Melodic ambient soundscapes and parasitic worms. He/him
Researching hookworm, guinea worm, environmental history, parasitology, ecology, and Caribbean & Cornish history.
Researching hookworm, guinea worm, environmental history, parasitology, ecology, and Caribbean & Cornish history.
There's something about autumn which always makes me want to go for deep, warm sounds
November 8, 2025 at 5:30 PM
There's something about autumn which always makes me want to go for deep, warm sounds
Revisiting my dark ambient album 'In Search of Dead Knowledge' for Hallowe'en. This is 'There is no Way But Onwards', which is one of my favourite tracks on the album. I think the combination of distorted chords, arrythmic percussion and minimal piano worked pretty well!
Video by Sarmad Munir
Video by Sarmad Munir
October 31, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Revisiting my dark ambient album 'In Search of Dead Knowledge' for Hallowe'en. This is 'There is no Way But Onwards', which is one of my favourite tracks on the album. I think the combination of distorted chords, arrythmic percussion and minimal piano worked pretty well!
Video by Sarmad Munir
Video by Sarmad Munir
With it being hallowe'en and all, I thought I'd take this chance to revisit my dark ambient album 'In Search of Dead Knowledge'...listen for spooky vibes and creeping horror
Video by the inimitable Sarmad Munir
Video by the inimitable Sarmad Munir
October 30, 2025 at 6:48 PM
With it being hallowe'en and all, I thought I'd take this chance to revisit my dark ambient album 'In Search of Dead Knowledge'...listen for spooky vibes and creeping horror
Video by the inimitable Sarmad Munir
Video by the inimitable Sarmad Munir
The walls of Carl Wark, looking southeast towards Longshaw
October 29, 2025 at 9:23 AM
The walls of Carl Wark, looking southeast towards Longshaw
Fungi growing in a cracked rowan tree
October 15, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Fungi growing in a cracked rowan tree
One of my favourite photos from the summer - large marsh grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum) on cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix)
October 10, 2025 at 1:29 PM
One of my favourite photos from the summer - large marsh grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum) on cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix)
Flooded bridge after heavy rain
September 27, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Flooded bridge after heavy rain
Bog bush-cricket (Metrioptera brachyptera) - sat in some bog myrtle (Myrica gale), appropriately enough
September 25, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Bog bush-cricket (Metrioptera brachyptera) - sat in some bog myrtle (Myrica gale), appropriately enough
Dark bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera. Always nice to get a photo of this one, the adults have such a lovely chesnut colour but also tend to hide in brambles where you can't see them and chirp at you
September 21, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Dark bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera. Always nice to get a photo of this one, the adults have such a lovely chesnut colour but also tend to hide in brambles where you can't see them and chirp at you
Wood cricket, Nemobius sylvestris. Tiny little animals, but they make the most amazing sound!
September 18, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Wood cricket, Nemobius sylvestris. Tiny little animals, but they make the most amazing sound!
Lesser stag beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus. I think this species gets a bit overshadowed by its larger relative, but it's still a very impressive beastie!
September 16, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Lesser stag beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus. I think this species gets a bit overshadowed by its larger relative, but it's still a very impressive beastie!
Heath grasshopper, Corthippus vagans. Brown and nondescript, but charming nonetheless, with a sandy colour to match the sandy heaths it lives on, as well as stripy legs and an orange abdomen which contrast rather nicely with the green gorse and purple heather
September 13, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Heath grasshopper, Corthippus vagans. Brown and nondescript, but charming nonetheless, with a sandy colour to match the sandy heaths it lives on, as well as stripy legs and an orange abdomen which contrast rather nicely with the green gorse and purple heather
Woodland grasshopper, Omocestes rufipes - in black and red!
September 12, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Woodland grasshopper, Omocestes rufipes - in black and red!
Large marsh grasshopper, Stethophyma grossum. They live in sphagnum bogs, so I got very wet feet photographing them
September 11, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Large marsh grasshopper, Stethophyma grossum. They live in sphagnum bogs, so I got very wet feet photographing them
Common green grasshopper, Omocestes viridulus. Poor thing has lost an antenna somewhere along the way, but is still a very handsome shade of green on the thorax which contrasts very nicely with those dark sides to the wings
August 30, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Common green grasshopper, Omocestes viridulus. Poor thing has lost an antenna somewhere along the way, but is still a very handsome shade of green on the thorax which contrasts very nicely with those dark sides to the wings
A rather cute mottled grasshopper (Myrmeleotettix maculatus) I met on Peel Hill
August 20, 2025 at 4:06 PM
A rather cute mottled grasshopper (Myrmeleotettix maculatus) I met on Peel Hill
The lesser mottled grasshopper, Stenobothrus stigmaticus. A beautiful little animal which is amazingly well-camoflaged in the grass. The only place in the British Isles where you can reliably find it is on the Isle of Man, where I took these photos
August 16, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The lesser mottled grasshopper, Stenobothrus stigmaticus. A beautiful little animal which is amazingly well-camoflaged in the grass. The only place in the British Isles where you can reliably find it is on the Isle of Man, where I took these photos
Common blue, Polyommatus icarus
August 14, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Common blue, Polyommatus icarus
Common blue, Polyommatus icarus. The males are bright blue, the females are more subdued, but no less beautiful
August 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Common blue, Polyommatus icarus. The males are bright blue, the females are more subdued, but no less beautiful
Green tiger beetle, Cicindela campestris
August 1, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Green tiger beetle, Cicindela campestris
Common green grasshopper, Omocestes viridulus
July 31, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Common green grasshopper, Omocestes viridulus
Small white (Pieris rapae)
July 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Small white (Pieris rapae)
Yesterday's sitting in the shade with a synth
July 13, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Yesterday's sitting in the shade with a synth
I don't think I'd ever seen a grasshopper quite this shade of bright orange before! Didn't get a definitive species ID, but I think it's probably a common green (Omocestes viridulus)
July 12, 2025 at 9:50 AM
I don't think I'd ever seen a grasshopper quite this shade of bright orange before! Didn't get a definitive species ID, but I think it's probably a common green (Omocestes viridulus)
Field grasshopper Corthippus brunneus sat in a sunbeam
July 8, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Field grasshopper Corthippus brunneus sat in a sunbeam