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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 2d

Top patch bird. The Black-throated Diver of the finch world!

Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 3d

Into first week of our third year in Portsoy and still some "easy" patch ticks to be had; Barnacle Geese, yeserday, among post-Amy movement into Moray Firth. Also 10 Whoopers and an A𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘺𝘢 (that would've been #patchtick if ID nailed).

@patchbirding.bsky.social
#BirdingScotland

Six Barnacle Geese flying right to left against grey sky

Six Barnacle Geese flying right to left against a grey sky

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 4d

Difficult viewing in Storm Amy (amber-warning wind) for a late afternoon look at Links Bay, Portsoy. Highlight was adult Med Gull at dusk. Singles of Wheatear and Common Tern both probably wished they'd had a bit more haste about migrating.

@patchbirding.bsky.social
#BirdingScotland

Grainy photo at dusk of an adult Mediterranean Gull, among pools on stony shore, with wings raised.

A Wheatear on bouldery shore, facing away from camera

A juvenile Common Tern by pools on a stoney shore. A Redshank is walking left in front of the tern.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 9d

Took Wildlife Conservation & Management 1st years to Loch of Strathbeg today. They excelled by finding a juv Glossy Ibis. Four Great White Egrets was also a popular sight.

Greenshank, Goshawk and Barnacle Geese as supporting acts.

@srucnews.bsky.social
#birdingScotland

A Great White Egret flying right with wooden fence and trees in background

Back view of half a dozen students looking out of observation window in Loch of Strathbeg visitor centre.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 10d

A Scarce Bordered Straw in the garden trap this morning. Genuinely scarce this far north and appears to be new for the VC.
Portsoy (VC94, Banffshire)

#teammoth
@migrantmothuk.bsky.social

A Scarce Bordered Straw moth on rough stoney background.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 14d

🍾 Big congratulations to @bats-n-bugs.bsky.social for her first PhD paper, in 𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 & 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, about moths on mixed and arable farms.

Shows some moth benefits from woodland features in farmed landscape, but mixed picture. See: doi.org/10.1016/j.ag...

@srucnews.bsky.social

A male Ghost Moth among green stems and leaves

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 19d

A Gem in the garden trap overnight - first one I've seen in Scotland 👍.

Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire)

@migrantmothuk.bsky.social
#teammoth

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 19d

We're approaching two years in Portsoy and low-hanging fruits still fall from the #patchtick tree. Today's Treecreeper was among a roving tit flock. It tried its luck on a telegraph pole and then moved on to gorse stems.

@patchbirding.bsky.social

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 21d

Raking cut vegetation and spreading Yellow-rattle seed on the approach path at @scotwildlife.bsky.social Red Moss of Netherley.

The Yellow-rattle has had a great year and Badger digging of Pignut tubers provides ground disturbance to further aid germination. Ecosystem processes in action!

Looking along a grassy path, with cuttings removed.

A person raking grass cuttings into a pile.

Looking along a grassy path with three people spreading seed.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 24d

"Freshers week" outings. New MSc students chatted seal research and reserve management while returning undergrads pulled up trees from a bog!

Thanks to Danny and Joe from @naturescot.bsky.social, Lucy from @scotwildlife.bsky.social and Claire from @srucnews.bsky.social for all your help.

Five students and Claire (Grey Seal PhD researcher) discussing sealy things with Grey Seals hauled out on sandbar behind.

A dozen or so students and NatureScot staff on top of a headland , with open sea and a bay behind.

18 people (students and staff) posing facing camera, with hand tools and some Birch saplings that they have pulled from the surrounding bog.

Student yanking Birch sapling out from a bog.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 25d

Patch tick?
And where does it sit on the shelves in relation to steak bakes and vegan sausage rolls?

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 26d

'twas my first time in 20 years. Hope it isn't 20 years until next time...

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 27d

Last day of #Ento25, with insect ID keys, amazing (and undescribed) wasp galls, bog invert research (what's not to like?) and learning that aphids on our garden Buddleja might be a newly arrived species in the UK.

Big thanks to @royentsoc.bsky.social team for a fab bug-filled event.

🦟🪲🪳🐝🐞🦋🐜🦗

Pinned Orthoptera specimens in display case.

Laminated info sheet about Buddleia aphid

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 28d

Some stuff I learned today at #Ento25:

1. Honeybee threats to native pollinators were already known about 89 years ago in the US.
2. There is a louse fly on Nightjars, recently newly recorded in the UK.
3. Ladybirds rock (okay, I already knew that!).

@royentsoc.bsky.social
@alanknox.bsky.social

Slide, mostly with text, including quote from 1936 about native bee declines and threats from honeybees.

Slide with map of Britain and Ireland and some bird and insect pics including a photo of Nightjar chicks and photo of Nightjar Louse Fly.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · 29d

It's been 187 years in the making but finally, as of this evening, Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II and I have all signed the Book of Obligations of Fellows of the Royal Entomological Society.

#Ento25 @royentsoc.bsky.social

Signatures in the RES Book of Obligations including, eigth from top, Charles Darwin.

Queen Victoria's signature in the RES Book of Obligations

Signatures in the RES Book of Obligations including, third from top, Alfred Russel Wallace

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Sep 9

Brilliant to be at #Ento25. First time in 20 yrs!

Kicking off with Voltech Novotny drawing parallels between density dependent drivers on insect abundance and wealth inequality. And proposing an ecologically inspired solution. Political leaders should study entomology. 🐛🐜🐝🐞

@royentsoc.bsky.social

Slide showing patterns of insect abundance and wealth inequality.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Sep 8

Not had the trap out much in recent nights but two more New-for-Garden moths appeared in late August; 𝘈𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘢 (two different individuals) and a Tawny-speckled Pug.

Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire)
#teammoth

Adult Tawny-speckled Pug moth, on wooden panel.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Sep 7

This #patchtick Ruff was highlight of a very blustery WeBS survey at Portsoy.

@patchbirding.bsky.social

A Ruff on a shore with rocks coated with green algae

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Sep 3

A #patchtick Little Grebe on Loch Soy (basically, a park pond) on a very dark and damp evening in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire.

@patchbirding.bsky.social #birdingscotland

A Little Grebe on water - dingy pic in poor light.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Aug 30

Typical Saturday evening here in Portsoy. Gang of Scandinavian marauders led through the streets by local pipe band before setting fire to stuff down by the harbour.

Vikings walking down road with flaming torches

Pipe band heading down road with viking following behind.

Flaming torches being hurled into viking longboat

Viking longboat on shore by harbour well ablaze. Portsoy dolphin statue behind, visible through smoke.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Aug 28

The 200th macro moth for the NJ56 hectad is ... (drumroll) ... Small Wainscot.

It shared the garden trap with a fresh (presume 2nd generation) Poplar Hawkmoth.

And this morning, the garden's first Painted Lady has set up territory on a patch of bare ground.

Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire)
#Teammoth

A fresh-looking Painted Lady butterfly on mostly bare dry soil, with a few green leaves around it.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Aug 26

The summer surge of New-for-Garden moths has slowed and 𝘈𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘢 on Sunday night was the first addition since mid month. Garden list is on 230-something as we approach two years of living here.

Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire)
#Teammoth

The micro moth, 𝘈𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘢, under torchlight on the white plastic moth trap veins.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Aug 24

Exploring along the Moray coast this weekend, with @trailerbythesea.bsky.social. A nice adult Little Gull flew past, just west of Lossiemouth.

#BirdingScotland

Adult Little Gull flying right against a blue sky

A coastal view, of path leading onto beach with rock walls at each side.

White coastal watchtower with sea in background

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Aug 23

First birders' trip in 12 years to the Southern Trench (9 nm off Macduff, Aberdeenshire), this week. Highlights of c5 Sooty Shearwaters, including one coming to fish scraps at point-blank range, and a fly-by from a fine adult Pom Skua.

#BirdingScotland

A close-up of a Sooty Shearwater, catching the evening sun.

Adult Ponarine Skua, overhead and flying away.

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Nick Littlewood @blackdogbirder.bsky.social · Aug 20

Smokin'

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