Dr Marcus Rhodes
LightNews LightNews
banner
marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes
@marcusrhodes.bsky.social
3.1K followers 820 following 440 posts

Ecologist in pursuit of butterflies. Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Exeter, Cornwall working on nature recovery and species' responses to climate change. He/Him

Videos
Environmental science 38%
Biology 30%
Posts Replies Media Videos

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 10h
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers were at Ale & Cakes Mine today (no ale or cakes evident). This is a new site for our conservation work and one where it is urgently needed. Silver-studded Blue numbers have dwindled to single figures owing to succession of the heathland.
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers cutting Gorse and saplings in an area of heathland. Heathland has been mown one metre either side of a path to create shorter vegetation suitable for Silver-studded Blues. Before: an area of heathland with mature, leggy Gorse bushes and a dense stand of Birch saplings. After: some of the taller Gorse bushes, along with the stand of Birch saplings, have been removed from the heathland.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 2d
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers were working at Poldice Mine today, removing invasive Buddleia from the heathland. Silver-studded Blues have responded really positively to the management that we have been doing here over the last couple of years. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers removing Buddleia with loppers from an area of heathland.

Reposted by Marcus W. Rhodes

savebutterflies.bsky.social
Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 6d
Working together for the Marsh Fritillary 💪

As the Wales Marsh Fritillary Recovery Partnership Project comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the amazing achievements and hear from the people who will continue this vital work into the future 👉 buff.ly/rRh1kB9

Reposted by Marcus W. Rhodes

exetergses.bsky.social
Graduate School of Environment and Sustainability @exetergses.bsky.social · 7d
What can we learn from a stranded whale? 🐋🧪

This female fin whale stranded in Cornwall and sadly didn't survive. Since then, she has been buried in a @cornwall.exeter.ac.uk research field, until now...

@exetermarine.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social

Learn more: news.exeter.ac.uk/environment-...

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 8d
Lots of winter thrushes on the move and I also encountered my first Woodcock of the winter.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 9d
A few treasures from the wet, mossy world of Goss Moor.
Wet woodland at Goss Moor: a tangle of twisted, moss-covered Sallows growing above dark, peaty water. The orange, radial "fingers" of Hazel Gloves Fungus enclosed around a Hazel branch. Wood Blewit: a lilac mushroom growing amongst leaf litter. Dog-lichen growing over mossy Sallow tree. The underside of each lobe is covered in spiky protrusions.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 9d
Along the Coast Path from Zennor to Gurnard's Head yesterday. Wonderful to encounter a huge flock of more than seventy Choughs - it's amazing to think they were entirely absent from this coast 25 years ago!
The rocky promontory of Gurnard's Head jutting out into the Atlantic. A large flock of Choughs circling above coastal grassland. The rugged cliffs at Treen with the sun setting behind Pendeen Lighthouse in the distance.

Reposted by Tuomas Kankaanpää, Marcus W. Rhodes

samjakeengland.bsky.social
Sam England @samjakeengland.bsky.social · 15d
Do you work (/want to work) with caterpillars? Or sensory systems? Or BOTH?! Well good golly do we have the paper for you! We explain the senses that caterpillars have, what they use them for, and how anthropogenic sensory pollution might be messing it all up 🐛 doi.org/10.1007/s003...
The sensory ecology of caterpillars - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
Caterpillars (larval Lepidoptera) are one of the most ecologically and evolutionarily significant taxa on Earth. As both feeders and food, they shape the dynamics of enumerate ecosystems on land. Key ...
doi.org

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 16d
Back on Bodmin Moor this weekend with Cornwall Butterfly Conservation. This time, we were working at Fellover, another site for Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, managing Gorse and Bracken in an area between the two existing colonies. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers preparing for habitat management. Before: a hillside of Bracken heavily encouraged by Gorse. After: Gorse bushes have been removed (retaining some for shelter) to open up the area of Bracken.

Reposted by Marcus W. Rhodes

collieryspoil.bsky.social
Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative @collieryspoil.bsky.social · 18d
🌿 A new chapter begins.

After 10 years of raising awareness of coal spoil biodiversity, the Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative is evolving into Glo i Natur CIC - continuing the same mission with new opportunities ahead.

➡️ Follow @gloinatur.bsky.social - this account will shortly be replaced 💚

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 21d
Cley Marshes this evening. Swirling flocks of Golden Plover, ten Marsh Harriers arriving to roost, and an impressive murmuration of Starlings.
The view from the West Bank at Cley across the Glaven saltmarsh towards Cley Windmill and Blakeney Church.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 22d
Simply magical!

Reposted by Aletta Bonn, Patrick A. Jansen, Moreno Di Marco , and 7 more

shawan-chowdhury.bsky.social
Shawan Chowdhury @shawan-chowdhury.bsky.social · 23d
Check out our new insect decline paper. By analysing 36 yrs of German ground beetle distribution data, we show:
- ~80% of species have declined, with significant declines for >50%.
- The decline was similar across species traits and threatened status.
doi.org/10.1111/ddi.... @consbiog.bsky.social

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 23d
But what a sound!

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 23d
Back in the land of Geese #Norfolk

Reposted by Richard Fox, Marcus W. Rhodes

ukbms.bsky.social
UKBMS @ukbms.bsky.social · 26d
We're thrilled to share this film featuring some of the dedicated volunteers who monitor butterflies for the UKBMS

A huge thank you to them, and everyone who's supported the scheme over the last 50 years.
#UKBMS50

youtu.be/OrF5AgseX1U?...
Celebrating 50 years of butterfly monitoring
YouTube video by Butterfly Conservation
youtu.be

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 27d
It was one of my favourite highlights of the trip!

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 28d
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers were working at Church Hay Down today. We are slowly chipping away at the Gorse on this former Marsh Fritillary site in the hope that the butterfly will recolonise from just across the road. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers cutting Gorse. Before: an small area of Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture heavily encroached by Gorse. After: the Gorse has been cleared from the Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pasture with the cut material stacked into piles ready for removal.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 29d
Atlantic Salmon leaping at Rogie Falls last month. An incredible feat of endurance and captivating to watch.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 26
For the last few days of the trip, we headed west in search of eagles on the Isle of Skye. We were lucky enough to see both White-tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle, along with Hen Harrier, Black Guillemot, Divers and (what I'm fairly certain were) Twite.
A White-tailed Eagle in flight. The distinctive large, yellow beak and white tail are clearly visible. A group of three Red-throated Divers in Staffin Bay. The towering basalt cliffs at Ruhba Hunish under a brooding sky.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 26
We also spent several days venturing out on the hills to explore the moorland and Cairngorm Plateau. Lekking Black Grouse were a first for me and a truly unforgettable experience!
Two male Black Grouse standing off to each other at a lek. Each bird has glossy, black plumage, red eye wattles, and is holding its tail fanned out to reveal the white underside. A mottled grey Ptarmigan hunkered down amongst granite boulders. A Red Grouse poking its mottled russet head above the heather. Loch Eanaich under brooding skies and a brilliant rainbow, nestled in a deep, glacial valley between Sgòr Gaoith and Braeriach.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 26
I've only just got round to sorting my photos from Scotland last month, so here's a short thread of some highlights. We were based along Strathspey for a week and a half, providing some wonderful opportunities for exploring Caledonian pine forests.
A Red Squirrel eating from a squirrel feeder. A Crested Tit with its black bib and distinctive black and white quiff perched in the branches of a Scots Pine tree. A Scotch Argus butterfly perched amongst grasses. Its dark brown wings are open revealing a row of eyespots set in a band of orange. Rays of sunshine breaking through Caledonian pine forest in the Cairngorms National Park.

Reposted by Marcus W. Rhodes

uniofexeteresi.bsky.social
University of Exeter's Environment and Sustainability Institute @uniofexeteresi.bsky.social · Oct 21
24th October: Want to be inspired by real stories of recovery and collaboration? Don’t miss the panel “Recovering Nature on Land”, where conservation leaders will share how they’re restoring habitats, protecting species, and bringing landscapes back to life!🌱

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cornwall-i...

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 20
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna hunting off Land's End a couple of weeks ago.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 18
Bracken management at De Lank today with Cornwall Butterfly Conservation - another Pearl-bordered Fritillary site on Bodmin Moor. Encouraging to see lots of Violets beneath the Bracken litter where we were working. Let's hope the Fritillaries find them next spring! @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers managing Bracken habitat for the Pearl-bordered Fritillary. Before: a clearing surrounded by woodland and densely carpeted with dead Bracken litter. After: pathways have been cleared through the Bracken litter to expose Violets (the food plant of Pearl-bordered Fritillary) and encourage further germination.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 18
Yay! My first Redwing of the autumn has just flown over at Camborne Station.

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 13
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers were on Bodmin Moor today for our first work party of the winter. Bracken management and coppicing for Pearl-bordered Fritillaries in the Camel Valley at Jordan. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Cornwall Butterfly Conservation volunteers raking Bracken litter to encourage Violet germination and suppress grass growth. Before: a woodland glade filled with Bracken and closely surrounded by trees. After: pathways have been cut through the Bracken to expose Violets and scallops have been created along the edges of the glade with coppicing.

Reposted by Pieter Vantieghem, Marcus W. Rhodes

europebutterfly.bsky.social
Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · Oct 11
We are also deeply saddened that the Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni, is now officially extinct: it was last seen in 1986. The full report can be downloaded here www.bc-europe.eu/documents/68...
A Museum specimen of now extinct Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni (Photo: Sam Ellis)

Reposted by Tim M. Blackburn, Hans Henrik Bruun, Richard D. Gregory , and 4 more

martinswarren.bsky.social
martinswarren.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social · Oct 11
The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...
Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025

marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · Oct 10
Have you come across @renewbiodiversity.bsky.social's Paws for Thought project? The second report ("Adopting a standardised, holistic approach towards managing the impacts of dog walking on the environment in the UK") has some recommendations for signage renewbiodiversity.org.uk/paws-for-tho...
ExCASES Mission: Paws for thought
Renewing biodiversity through a people-in-nature approach
renewbiodiversity.org.uk