Keith McMahon
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mcmahok.bsky.social
Keith McMahon
@mcmahok.bsky.social
980 followers 1.7K following 170 posts
Immigrant. Field site manager for the Wytham tit project. Bird ringer. Sports fan. Sometimes gets annoyed by politicians. He/Him
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mcmahok.bsky.social
Has there been an irruption of Red Crossbills this year? Second time in a week I've found a small flock in Wytham Woods, having previously seen none in 12 years here. #ukbirding
Small orange/red bird, a red croosbill, high on some bare branches
September 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Also masses of acorns and beech nuts on the ground
Acorns scattered on woodland floor Beech nuts scattered on woodland floor
September 23, 2025 at 12:20 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Quick walk around the woods just now, noticed a commotion at the big old beech. A flock of tits were jumping in and out of the water filled crotch (I believe thats the technical term)
September 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Someone made this and it was 😘👌
September 19, 2025 at 2:41 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Sorry not replying about the book thing, but your dog looks like my old dog (no longer with us), I thought you'd stolen his picture 😂
September 15, 2025 at 7:29 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Haven't had a chance to do much birding in France so far but found a family of spotted flycatchers today and what I think is a middle spotted woodpecker.
2 juvenile spotted flycatchers sitting on a branch Adult spotted flycatchers sitting on a branch Middle spotted woodpecker, perched on top of a dead branch
August 6, 2025 at 2:13 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
So far France is incredibly beautiful. Not seen many birds yet. Hoping to catch a bearded vulture or a nutcracker as we head up into the mountains.
View over Lac de Passy View from my campsite, a pond in the foreground with Mont Blanc in the background View from above Annecy Lake. The view from Pont de Caille. Not for the faint hearted.
August 6, 2025 at 11:43 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
In France and I don't know what this sign means nor do I care to, all I can think of is this. #got
August 1, 2025 at 5:58 PM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Had a Mere wainscot in my trap the other day. Looks like there aren't many records of this moth in Oxfordshire. #moths #ukmoths
Mere wainscot moth on egg carton Side view of mere wainscot moth
July 15, 2025 at 9:03 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Quick stroll to stretch the legs in Wytham woods just now. Lots of Gatekeeper butterflies out and almost stepped on this Dark bush cricket 🦗
Gatekeeper butterfly Dark bush Cricket
July 14, 2025 at 9:43 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Finally had a buff tip in the garden moth trap. Favourite of my 5yr old.
Buff tip moth on a twig. The moth resembles a broken birch twig Buff tip moth on a twig. The moth resembles a broken birch twig
June 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Close up of the superb looking lesser tawny crescent- only 4-5mm in length
Lesser Tawny Crescent: 4-5mm long moth with orange colouration and a black spot at the end of the wing
June 20, 2025 at 9:00 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Horrible night for sleeping last night, but amazing diversity in my moth trap. 255 moths of 45 species. Majority were Bird-cherry ermine and water veneer(all dead, males die once they mate with wingless females). But lots of new species too. #ukmoths #moths
Beautiful hook tip moth: relatively small moth with a wingspan of 23-27 mm. It is characterized by its brown, speckled forewings and a distinct hook-like shape at the tip of its wings when resting on the left 2 bird cherry (BC) ermine, white moths with lots of black speckles, on the right an orchard ermine, similar to BC ermine but much darker and greyer Swallow tail moth:a large, pale yellow moth easily identified by its distinctive "tails" on the hindwings. It has a wingspan of 44-60 mm A tiny lesser tawny crescent moth: only 4-5mm long with tawny and orange coloration with a distinctive black spot
June 20, 2025 at 8:58 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Snap, I also had one of the small variety!
Small elephant Hawk Moth, next to a large elelphant hawk moth
June 18, 2025 at 11:08 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
First small elephant hawk moth for my garden, pictured next to an elephant hawk moth. #ukmoths #moths
A small elephant hawk moth and an elephant hawk moth
June 18, 2025 at 5:48 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Another new moth for me in our building at work. A Clay triple lines. Larvae feed on Beech, which we're surrounded by here. #ukmoths
A clay triple lines moth A beige coloured moth with a dark band across both wings. Dotted lines above and below the central band.
June 10, 2025 at 8:01 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
The stuff of nightmares. Hen fleas. Sure sign of an empty nest box. Just waiting for something warm blooded to get close so they can launch themselves onto it. Not today, hen fleas. Not today.
Tiny hen fleas gathered at the entrance of a woodcrete nest box
June 5, 2025 at 9:36 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
One of many ticks I've picked off my trousers today. Never seen so many. Despite my defensive operation (all clothes tucked in, tick wash, insect repellent) I'll be amazed if I get out of the woods today without one attached somewhere.
A tick crawling on my trousers.
June 4, 2025 at 9:41 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
New moth for me, on the bathroom window at work. Pretty chalk carpet.
Pretty chalk carpet moth on an interior window edge
June 3, 2025 at 8:30 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Better picture to show the scale of the privet hawk moth. My son's 4 yr old index finger for scale.
Elephant hawk moth and privet hawk moth with 4yr old index finger for scale. The privet hawk moth is approximately the length of the finger, the elephant hawk moth is about two thirds the size of the privet hawk moth
May 31, 2025 at 8:25 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
A herd(?) of elephant hawk moths in the trap this morning, plus the monster Privet hawk moth.
5 elephant hawk moths and one privet hawk moth on an grey egg carton resting against willow herb plant
May 31, 2025 at 8:11 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
One of our breeding females. She's lost practically every feather on her head. Not uncommon in our breeding birds. Could be due to a range of things; stresses and strains of raising a brood, feather mites could be involved too. She'll begin her annual moult soon and these feathers will be replaced
A balding female great tit, being held safely so as to be able to photograph it safely.
May 26, 2025 at 9:28 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Freeze frame. Record scratch. You might but wondering how I got here.

The eagled eyed among you might notice that there are 2 blue tits in amongst this brood of great tits.
Mini 🧵
2 photos of a tit nest The first picture is of some great tits and two blue tits in a nest box. One blue tit is far left with head down, the other top right corner looking at the camera. The rest of the birds are great tits. The second picture is a close of the blue tit chick looking sheepish
May 18, 2025 at 10:56 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
A rogues gallery of great tits captured today for crimes against research. The offence: breeding without proper ID. They've all been ringed (banded) and tagged (RFID ankle bracelets). They'll now be monitored as part of Wytham tit project. All released under caution. @egioxford.bsky.social #ukbirds
A selection of great tits captured in Wytham woods today as part of the Wytham tit project. Top left: a male Top right: a female Middle left : a female Middle right: a female Bottom left : a female Bottom right: a male They are all being held safely with a woodland in the background
May 18, 2025 at 10:39 AM
mcmahok.bsky.social
Sunrise over Oxford from Wytham woods. Not sure why I bothered with the photo it never looks as good as the real thing.
Sunrise from a high vantage point. Fields in the foreground and outer Oxford in the background. The sky is pink at the horizon.
May 14, 2025 at 4:16 AM