Tim Worfolk
LightNews LightNews
banner
timworfolk.bsky.social
Tim Worfolk
@timworfolk.bsky.social
830 followers 540 following 500 posts
Bird illustration, insect photography, getting more local (Topsham, Devon) every year.
My photos are here https://www.flickr.com/photos/141833872@N05/albums
Posts Replies Media Videos
timworfolk.bsky.social
One of two male (presumed 2cy) Marsh Harriers over the reeds at Topsham today. RN Grebe still on Bowling Green Marsh. Ruff, Kingfisher, Little Grebe all making for a fine morning stroll.
#lowcarbonbirding
#DevonBirds
Marsh Harrier male 16/11/2025 Topsham, Devon Marsh Harrier male 16/11/2025 Topsham, Devon Marsh Harrier male 16/11/2025 Topsham, Devon Marsh Harrier male 16/11/2025 Topsham, Devon
November 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
I wouldn't like to say from the photo Bill, and I certainly wouldn't argue with John. Cave Bristletail has bizarrely turned up twice in our Topsham garden - not a cave! Eyes are critical but antennae also more banded/scaled vs. Petrobius spp. See also strong black band across thorax.
Trigoniophthalmus alternatus (Cave Bristletail) 2/6/2017 Topsham, Devon. Ocelli circular rather than elongate, antennae scaled/banded. I found a second individual in 2020 so presumably a few present.
September 17, 2025 at 5:34 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
A bit surprised by this at Topsham Rec yesterday. Goosander typically a rare winter visitor on the patch. This adult female (seems to be in wing moult) perhaps from our local breeding population.
#UKBirding
#DevonBirds
Goosander (Mergus merganser). Aged as adult as undergoing complete moult, no primaries visible beyond tertial tips. 4/9/2025 Topsham, Devon.
September 5, 2025 at 7:29 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Fewer insects about now but I found this mint fresh Tachinid in the garden yesterday. Panzeria anthophila, a female and presumably looking for some suitable caterpillar (Erebid or Noctuid moth) to host its eggs.
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social
#diptera
#UKWildlife
Panzeria anthophila (Tachinidae) female. 30/8/2025 Topsham, Devon.
August 31, 2025 at 7:06 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
I've thought of another excuse to post more Wryneck. This shot shows the eye colour to be dark dull brown, on an adult it would be more reddish, so fairly confident this a juvenile/1st winter bird. Subtle plumage differences between ages best assessed in hand.
#UKBirding
#DevonBirds
Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) 28/8/2025 Turf Lock, Devon.
August 29, 2025 at 5:19 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Just in case there aren't enough photos of this lovely bird here's my Wryneck photo. Just happened to be walking past Turf Lock, didn't know it was still here - so not really twitching is it?
First I've ever photographed so happy it stayed on and behaved so well.
#DevonBirds
#LowCarbonBirding
Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) 28/8/2025 Turf Lock, Devon.
August 28, 2025 at 7:42 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
No doubt this juv White Stork at Topsham, Devon is one of the many released in Britain this year. Yellow c-r on right leg, too distant to read code but does anyone recognise the scheme?
#WhiteStork
#reintroduction
#UKBirding
White Stork juvenile with yellow c-r 4/8/2025 Topsham, Devon. White Stork juvenile with yellow c-r 4/8/2025 Topsham, Devon.
August 5, 2025 at 8:05 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Two of the larger Pondskaters: Lake Pondskater (Aquarius paludum) on left, and a pair of River Pondskaters (A. najas) on right. Appropriately enough on a canal. Neither that common I believe and paludum only recently recorded in Devon.
#Hemiptera
Pond Skaters Aquarius paludum (left) and Aquarius najas (right) 29 July 2025 Exeter Canal.
August 1, 2025 at 8:19 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
These little beauties are often very tricky to photograph but managed a few of this in the garden recently: good enough to get it IDed on FB BWARS site as Pseudomalus triangulifer. Apparently only recently recognised as a UK sp. so I've no idea how common it is.
#wasp
#hymenoptera
Pseudomalus triangulifer (Chrysididae). Only safely separated from the very similar P. auratus by its longer mid antennal segments. 28/7/2025 Topsham, Devon.
August 1, 2025 at 5:38 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Leaf mines on garden Dog Rose: I think it's Stigmella anomalella (Nepticulidae) but I'm way out of my area of competence with these!
#leafmine
#lepidoptera
Leaf mine on Dog Rose (Rosa canina). Early mine filled with greenish brown frass, as it widens frass darker and with clear pale borders, ending in a large pale blotch. Presumably Stigmella anomalella (Nepticulidae). 23 July 2025 Topsham, Devon. Leaf mine on Dog Rose (Rosa canina). Early mine filled with greenish brown frass, as it widens frass darker and with clear pale borders, ending in a large pale blotch. Presumably Stigmella anomalella (Nepticulidae). 23 July 2025 Topsham, Devon.
July 25, 2025 at 6:26 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Leptogaster cylindrica female. Tricky to photograph among the grass but I think I managed in the end.
Topsham, Devon.
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social
#robberfly
#diptera
Leptogaster cylindrica female (Asilidae) 16 July 2025 Topsham, Devon.
July 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Crabro cribrarius male with his extravagantly modified front legs. Sometimes called 'Large Shield Wasp', sometimes known as 'Slender-bodied Digger Wasp'; either will do I suppose but using the scientific name is easier and less confusing.
On Hogweed, Topsham, Devon.
#hymenoptera
#wasp
Crabro cribrarius male (Crabronidae) with it's extravagantly modified fron t legs 16 July 2025 Topsham, Devon.
July 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
In the garden yesterday: good light, not too windy and an nice variety of insects, one new to me.
Names etc. in ALT texts.
Campyloneura virgula (Miridae). A beautifully marked small predatory bug. Quite common but I rarely see them. 1/7/2025 Topsham, Devon. Oplodontha viridula (Stratiomyidae). Common Green Colonel, female. 1/7/2025 Topsham, Devon. Glypta sp. probably (Ichneumonidae). A female ovipositing into a knapweed head, presumably looking to find a larval host. 1/7/2025 Topsham, Devon. Rhagoletis alternata (Tephritidae). Widespread and probably not uncommon but this is my first. Found on roses, this on the only rose in our garden, a dog rose. 1/7/2025 Topsham, Devon.
July 2, 2025 at 5:24 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Opinions sought on this odd-looking bumble. Appears to be female and not, as I first thought, a cuckoo bee - corbiculate hind tarsus and 12 antennal segments. Posted on the BWARS FB group and no consensus reached. Any suggestions?
#hymenoptera
Female Bombus sp. Black and grey-white, faded? 30/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Female Bombus sp. Black and grey-white, faded? 30/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Female Bombus sp. Black and grey-white, faded? 30/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Female Bombus sp. Black and grey-white, faded? 30/6/2025 Topsham, Devon.
July 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Found these rather large aphids on a Nordmann Fir in the garden. Seem to be Cinara sp. but, despite their size and markings, further identification apparently problematic although I suspect Cinara confinis.
#aphids
#hemiptera
Large grey and black aphids on a Nordmann Fir. 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon Large grey and black aphids on a Nordmann Fir. 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon Large grey and black winged alate aphid on a Nordmann Fir. 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon
June 30, 2025 at 1:48 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
My local bee-bank is still operational. A forgotten corner of a new development (hope no one remembers it) and home to a small colony of bee-wolves and relatives including my first local record of Painted Nomad Bee.
Names etc. in ALT Texts.
Sandy bank, an excavated section of a Devon hedge/bank, on the edge of a new housing development. I didn't place the traffic cone there but it is helpful for scale. 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Philanthus triangulum male. 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Nomada fucata female 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Oxybelus uniglumis 29/6/2025 Topsham, Devon.
June 29, 2025 at 8:52 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Caught the action out of the corner of my eye: the robberfly dashed in and snatched this bug before landing on a nearby bean leaf. Dioctria baumhaueri female with its lunch Liocoris tripustulatus.

@dipteristsforum.bsky.social
#robberfly
#diptera
Robberfly Dioctria baumhaueri female with prey Liocoris tripustulatus. 26/6/2025 Topsham, Devon.
June 27, 2025 at 5:07 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Macrotylus solitarius (Miridae) on Hedge Woundwort in our Topsham garden today. First found here in 2024 and so far the only known site for the sp. in Devon and Cornwall.
#hemiptera
Macrotylus solitarius (Miridae) on Hedge woundwort. 26/6/2025 Topsham, Devon.
June 26, 2025 at 8:33 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
A selection of Tephritid flies from the garden today. Very fond of these with their beautiful markings and curious displays. Names in ALT Texts.
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social
#diptera
#Tephritidae
Acanthophilus helianthi (Tephritidae) on knapweed. 25/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Anomoia purmunda (Tephritidae) on mistletoe. 25/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Sphenella marginata (Tephritidae) on ragwort. 25/6/2025 Topsham, Devon. Tephritis matricariae (Tephritidae) on apple (its small beetle companion is the very local Rhamphus subaeneus). 25/6/2025 Topsham, Devon.
June 25, 2025 at 8:02 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
A selection of beetles from the garden yesterday. Names and more details ALT Texts.
#UKWildlife
#Coleoptera
Isomira murina (Tenebrionidae). Quite widespread but a garden first. 31/5/2025 Topsham, Devon. Phyllopertha horticola (Scarabaeidae). Garden Chafer, Bracken Beetle and probably many other names; can be abundant when adults emerge. 31/5/2025 Topsham, Devon. Cassida cf. rubiginosus (Chrysomelidae). Larva carries a pile of poo - a 'faecal shield' - for protection. 31/5/2025 Topsham, Devon. Rhamphus subaeneus (Curculionidae). On an apple. Tiny and likely under-recorded but our garden still one of just a handful of sites in the country. 31/5/2025 Topsham, Devon.
June 1, 2025 at 8:15 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Haltichella rufipes, a Chalcid wasp found in the garden yesterday. A parasitoid but the host is apparently unknown. Probably widespread but under-recorded. Thanks to Paul Vignac for the ID.
#Hymenoptera
Haltichella rufipes (Chalcidae) 31/5/2025 Topsham, Devon.
June 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Can't seem to pass a figwort these days without checking for figwort weevils: paid off today with a new one for me Cionus hortulanus. A great walk at Salcombe Regis, Devon also produced a Boat Bug and what I think is an Iris Weevil. more in ALT Texts.
#UKWildlife
#coleoptera
#hemiptera
Cionus hortulanus (Curculionidae) on a figwort leaf. 15/5/2025 Salcombe Regis, Devon. Boat Bug Enoplops scapha (Coreidae) on sea kale. 15/5/2025 Salcombe Regis, Devon. Iris Weevil Mononychus punctumalbum (Curculionidae) on dandelion rather than an iris this time. 15/5/2025 Salcombe Regis, Devon. Salcombe Regis, Devon.
May 15, 2025 at 8:26 PM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Roesel's Bush-cricket nymphs. Now the third year running I've found them in Topsham, I still haven't found an adult. Their sounds are now beyond my hearing range, I'm wondering if a bat-detector might help.
#Orthoptera
#UKWildlife
Roesel's Bush-cricket (Roeseliana roeselii) 1st instar nymph 6 May 2025 Topsham, Devon. Roesel's Bush-cricket (Roeseliana roeselii) 1st instar nymph 6 May 2025 Topsham, Devon.
May 6, 2025 at 11:56 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
Seems a good time of year for finding weevils on Figwort. Three sp. of Cionus on same plant at same time which begs the question of how they share the resource?
Name etc in Alt Texts
#Coleoptera
Cionus alauda (Curculionidae) on Figwort, 5 May 2025 Topsham, Devon. Cionus scrophulariae (Curculionidae) on Figwort, 5 May 2025 Topsham, Devon. Cionus tuberculosus (Curculionidae) on Figwort, 5 May 2025 Topsham, Devon.
May 6, 2025 at 4:34 AM
timworfolk.bsky.social
A lucky find in our garden today: it appears to be Margarinotus merdarius (Histeridae). Not rare nationally but rather uncommon in Devon with just two recent records. Certainly new for me.
#coleoptera
#beetle
Margarinotus merdarius (Histeridae). A small, round very shiny black beetle on back wall of our house. 3/5/2025 Topsham, Devon. Margarinotus merdarius (Histeridae). A small, round very shiny black beetle on back wall of our house. Wings partly opened as it attempts to fly. 3/5/2025 Topsham, Devon. Margarinotus merdarius (Histeridae). A small, round very shiny black beetle on back wall of our house. Elytra opened and wings fully extended just before take off. 3/5/2025 Topsham, Devon.
May 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM