Ryan Clark
@ryanclarkecology.bsky.social
Freelance ecologist based in Cumbria, specialising in pollinators. Passionate about insects, biological recording, wildflowers, and bryophytes.
www.euceraecology.co.uk
www.euceraecology.co.uk
It's impossible not to love the Merveille du Jour. Just incredible moths! #MothsMatter @savebutterflies.bsky.social
September 27, 2025 at 7:10 PM
It's impossible not to love the Merveille du Jour. Just incredible moths! #MothsMatter @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Drosera x obovata, the hybrid between Great Sundew and Round-leaved Sundew. On a beautiful bog in Wales today with Sphagnum austinii and Sphagnum beothuk nearby.
August 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Drosera x obovata, the hybrid between Great Sundew and Round-leaved Sundew. On a beautiful bog in Wales today with Sphagnum austinii and Sphagnum beothuk nearby.
Last week I came across some Small Scabious Mining Bees (Andrena marginata) in County Durham. This lovely species is Nationally Scarce and, I believe, has only been recorded twice before in Northern England. I managed to find them in 3 1km squares in the end. #NorthEastBeeHunt @nenature.bsky.social
July 28, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Last week I came across some Small Scabious Mining Bees (Andrena marginata) in County Durham. This lovely species is Nationally Scarce and, I believe, has only been recorded twice before in Northern England. I managed to find them in 3 1km squares in the end. #NorthEastBeeHunt @nenature.bsky.social
Some tiny plants from the dune slacks at Holy Island. Small Adder's Tongue, Small-fruited Yellow-sedge and Shoreweed #WildflowerHour
July 20, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Some tiny plants from the dune slacks at Holy Island. Small Adder's Tongue, Small-fruited Yellow-sedge and Shoreweed #WildflowerHour
The Gold-tailed Melitta aka Bellflower Blunthorn Bee, Melitta haemorrhoidalis, is one of my favourite bees. The females (picture 1) collect pollen from Campanula species but also visit Geraniums for nectar. The males (picture 2) are super cute too and sleep in flowers, often in little groups.
June 28, 2025 at 6:14 PM
The Gold-tailed Melitta aka Bellflower Blunthorn Bee, Melitta haemorrhoidalis, is one of my favourite bees. The females (picture 1) collect pollen from Campanula species but also visit Geraniums for nectar. The males (picture 2) are super cute too and sleep in flowers, often in little groups.
Very pleased to find a Transparent Burnet today on Mull. Lovely little moths 😍
June 23, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Very pleased to find a Transparent Burnet today on Mull. Lovely little moths 😍
@movingslowly.bsky.social was one of the first people I met when I moved to Cumbria. A lover of life, nature, people, and books, he always had a cheeky smile on his face and a Diet Coke to hand. He loved these verges near Orton, and it felt like a fitting place to sit and remember him today.
May 23, 2025 at 7:26 PM
@movingslowly.bsky.social was one of the first people I met when I moved to Cumbria. A lover of life, nature, people, and books, he always had a cheeky smile on his face and a Diet Coke to hand. He loved these verges near Orton, and it felt like a fitting place to sit and remember him today.
I am open, however, to discuss any future opportunities for contract work delivering research, surveys, monitoring, and training. My website is a work in progress, but it can be found here and details the sort of work I carry out (3/3)
April 14, 2025 at 3:28 PM
I am open, however, to discuss any future opportunities for contract work delivering research, surveys, monitoring, and training. My website is a work in progress, but it can be found here and details the sort of work I carry out (3/3)
Recently, I started my first piece of work as a full-time freelance ecologist, specialising mainly in pollinating insects across northern England and beyond. Reassuringly, I am more or less booked up for the summer now. (2/3)
April 14, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Recently, I started my first piece of work as a full-time freelance ecologist, specialising mainly in pollinating insects across northern England and beyond. Reassuringly, I am more or less booked up for the summer now. (2/3)
10 years ago, I started my first paid job in Ecology and have very much enjoyed my time working for various charities to understand and conserve our often overlooked invertebrates and plants. (1/3)
April 14, 2025 at 3:28 PM
10 years ago, I started my first paid job in Ecology and have very much enjoyed my time working for various charities to understand and conserve our often overlooked invertebrates and plants. (1/3)
The females of the Belted Beauty moth are especially bizarre, like fluffy woodlice wearing stripey socks. Their wings are only 2mm or so long, so don't function, meaning that they have to use pheromones to draw the males to them!
April 13, 2025 at 1:35 PM
The females of the Belted Beauty moth are especially bizarre, like fluffy woodlice wearing stripey socks. Their wings are only 2mm or so long, so don't function, meaning that they have to use pheromones to draw the males to them!
A Gold-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta) from Cumbria earlier this week. This species nests in empty snail shells, disguising the shell slightly with chewed up leaves.
April 13, 2025 at 1:18 PM
A Gold-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta) from Cumbria earlier this week. This species nests in empty snail shells, disguising the shell slightly with chewed up leaves.
Lovely to see some solitary bees out and about enjoying the sunshine recently. Including these two Tawny Mining Bees (Andrena fulva), male Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes) and a male Andrena of some kind.
March 31, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Lovely to see some solitary bees out and about enjoying the sunshine recently. Including these two Tawny Mining Bees (Andrena fulva), male Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes) and a male Andrena of some kind.
The boys are back in town! Lovely to see some male Andrena mining bees enjoying the sunshine this afternoon.
March 25, 2025 at 8:08 PM
The boys are back in town! Lovely to see some male Andrena mining bees enjoying the sunshine this afternoon.
Solorina saccata, the Chocolate Chip Lichen, is a species I've wanted to see for ages! It was great to stumble across some yesterday in Yorkshire. This species favours sheltered limestone rocks and is rather charismatic!
March 21, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Solorina saccata, the Chocolate Chip Lichen, is a species I've wanted to see for ages! It was great to stumble across some yesterday in Yorkshire. This species favours sheltered limestone rocks and is rather charismatic!
A great day out on the limestone around Buckden today. A wonderful way to end three fabulous days I've spent looking for bryophytes as part of the week long @bbsbryology.bsky.social Spring meeting.
March 20, 2025 at 7:42 PM
A great day out on the limestone around Buckden today. A wonderful way to end three fabulous days I've spent looking for bryophytes as part of the week long @bbsbryology.bsky.social Spring meeting.
Based in the North East and want to know more about mosses and liverworts? 🔎
Just a few places remaining on my 'Beginning With Bryophytes' course taking place this Saturday with @nenature.bsky.social!
Book here ➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beginning-...
Just a few places remaining on my 'Beginning With Bryophytes' course taking place this Saturday with @nenature.bsky.social!
Book here ➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beginning-...
March 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Based in the North East and want to know more about mosses and liverworts? 🔎
Just a few places remaining on my 'Beginning With Bryophytes' course taking place this Saturday with @nenature.bsky.social!
Book here ➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beginning-...
Just a few places remaining on my 'Beginning With Bryophytes' course taking place this Saturday with @nenature.bsky.social!
Book here ➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beginning-...
Two Pammene giganteana (Early Oak Gall Moth) to FUN lure on the edge of Carlisle today. The larva of this species feeds on spongy galls on oak trees. This species was considered rare until it was realised that they come to lures intended for other species.
March 9, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Two Pammene giganteana (Early Oak Gall Moth) to FUN lure on the edge of Carlisle today. The larva of this species feeds on spongy galls on oak trees. This species was considered rare until it was realised that they come to lures intended for other species.
Lots of lovely crustose species on bark, too including Thelotrema lepadinum, Mycoblastus sanguinarius, some Graphis species and Coniocarpon cinnabarinum
February 19, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Lots of lovely crustose species on bark, too including Thelotrema lepadinum, Mycoblastus sanguinarius, some Graphis species and Coniocarpon cinnabarinum
There was a nice range of acid bark lichens in the sunshine at Borrowdale yesterday. Including Bryoria fuscescens, Sphaerophorus globosus and Ochrolechia tartarea.
February 19, 2025 at 6:45 PM
There was a nice range of acid bark lichens in the sunshine at Borrowdale yesterday. Including Bryoria fuscescens, Sphaerophorus globosus and Ochrolechia tartarea.
A very majestic Ash alongside Ullswater in the Lake District. Supporting lovely lichens including Lobaria pulmonaria (Tree Lungwort), Ricasolia amplissima (Parchment Lichen) and Nephroma laevigatum (a kidney lichen).
January 30, 2025 at 6:47 PM
A very majestic Ash alongside Ullswater in the Lake District. Supporting lovely lichens including Lobaria pulmonaria (Tree Lungwort), Ricasolia amplissima (Parchment Lichen) and Nephroma laevigatum (a kidney lichen).
A rather confusing (for me atleast) lichen to start off Saturday. It seems to have apothecia resembling both Pectenia cyanloma and P. plumbea. From Argyll in Scotland last year. Any ideas please #lichengbi ?
January 25, 2025 at 9:53 AM
A rather confusing (for me atleast) lichen to start off Saturday. It seems to have apothecia resembling both Pectenia cyanloma and P. plumbea. From Argyll in Scotland last year. Any ideas please #lichengbi ?
@averisben.bsky.social talk was just as great as I expected. Full of bryophytes, lichens, artwork and poetry. His drawing here is of the same area of Borrowdale as my photo.
January 22, 2025 at 10:02 PM
@averisben.bsky.social talk was just as great as I expected. Full of bryophytes, lichens, artwork and poetry. His drawing here is of the same area of Borrowdale as my photo.
Very much looking forward to @averisben.bsky.social talk tomorrow in Carlisle about the wonderful Atlantic woodlands we have in Britain and Ireland. Exploring these beautiful habitats has become an essential part of my winters now! www.carlislenats.uk/meeting/the-...
January 21, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Very much looking forward to @averisben.bsky.social talk tomorrow in Carlisle about the wonderful Atlantic woodlands we have in Britain and Ireland. Exploring these beautiful habitats has become an essential part of my winters now! www.carlislenats.uk/meeting/the-...
These four species are all indicative of Atlantic woodlands and all lovely to see. Ostrich-plume Feather-moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis), Staggling Pouncewort (Saccogyna viticulosa), Greater Whipwort (Bazzania trilobata) amd Prickly Featherwort (Plagiochila spinulosa)
January 16, 2025 at 6:13 PM
These four species are all indicative of Atlantic woodlands and all lovely to see. Ostrich-plume Feather-moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis), Staggling Pouncewort (Saccogyna viticulosa), Greater Whipwort (Bazzania trilobata) amd Prickly Featherwort (Plagiochila spinulosa)