Roger Butterfield
@rogerbutterfield.bsky.social
Retired ecologist and tutor, now focusing on biological recording. Sheffield, UK.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/roger/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/roger/
My year on #iRecord. Not all the records I uploaded were my own; some were uploaded on behalf of my colleagues at @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social.
January 1, 2026 at 9:50 AM
My year on #iRecord. Not all the records I uploaded were my own; some were uploaded on behalf of my colleagues at @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social.
Reposted by Roger Butterfield
Best Christmas present...
December 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Best Christmas present...
Our Christmas afternoon walk in the Rivelin Valley produced two Dippers and a Kingfisher.
December 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Our Christmas afternoon walk in the Rivelin Valley produced two Dippers and a Kingfisher.
Hurrah! My records of Hygrocybe punicea have been verified as correct by Steve Hindle. I'm particularly glad to receive his confirmation as this is a species that I haven't attempted to record in previous years.
December 24, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Hurrah! My records of Hygrocybe punicea have been verified as correct by Steve Hindle. I'm particularly glad to receive his confirmation as this is a species that I haven't attempted to record in previous years.
A truly remarkable woman.
Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest U.S. Park Ranger and Trailblazing Historian, Dies at 104 | KQED
Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest National Park Service ranger and a pioneering historian at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, devoted her life to preserving Black histo...
www.kqed.org
December 22, 2025 at 9:03 AM
A truly remarkable woman.
Here's an interesting piece about data-mining from NatureSpot. In answer to AJ Cann's question, I would say that NatureSpot does have some of the best natural history content online... and I'm not a sycophantic AI bot!
www.naturespot.org/node/263486
www.naturespot.org/node/263486
We've been mined | NatureSpot
www.naturespot.org
December 15, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Here's an interesting piece about data-mining from NatureSpot. In answer to AJ Cann's question, I would say that NatureSpot does have some of the best natural history content online... and I'm not a sycophantic AI bot!
www.naturespot.org/node/263486
www.naturespot.org/node/263486
One of my favourite wildflowers. In September we found masses of it blooming on the edge of Land's End Airport in Cornwall.
Botanical #adventcalendar Day 6 - Devil's-bit Scabious, its blue-violet flowers almost glowing in the dull light. Sensational!
Far more widespread than Day 5's plant, but also assessed as Vulnerable on the #GBRedList as its geographic range has declined by 37% over three generations
#wildflowerhour
Far more widespread than Day 5's plant, but also assessed as Vulnerable on the #GBRedList as its geographic range has declined by 37% over three generations
#wildflowerhour
December 6, 2025 at 8:27 AM
One of my favourite wildflowers. In September we found masses of it blooming on the edge of Land's End Airport in Cornwall.
Reposted by Roger Butterfield
Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇
Housing secretary tells Labour MPs to vote down planning bill amendment
Amendment restricts protection for animals to allow faster house building
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇
Reposted by Roger Butterfield
Had a look around this exhibition yesterday. Particularly enjoyed the drawings and woodcuts by Hilda Quick.
September 11, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Had a look around this exhibition yesterday. Particularly enjoyed the drawings and woodcuts by Hilda Quick.
We still appear to have young Swifts in our nest-box but the adults are not visiting as frequently but they were a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday evening two birds were wheeling around over the rooftops. One popped into the box and we could hear the young calling.
September 2, 2025 at 8:53 AM
We still appear to have young Swifts in our nest-box but the adults are not visiting as frequently but they were a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday evening two birds were wheeling around over the rooftops. One popped into the box and we could hear the young calling.
Yesterday I came across these galls caused by the cynipid wasp Diplolepis mayri on brownfield land next to the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal. The galls were first found along the canal by Joan Egan (et al) back in September 2014. #galls #entomology
August 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Yesterday I came across these galls caused by the cynipid wasp Diplolepis mayri on brownfield land next to the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal. The galls were first found along the canal by Joan Egan (et al) back in September 2014. #galls #entomology
Reposted by Roger Butterfield
Calling all Sheffield & Derbyshire birders! We're looking to gather as many Ring Ouzel sightings as possible this August & September to aid the work of RSPB Eastern Moors Partnership.
Please see our website news item for more details:
www.sbsg.org/sbsg-news/re...
#ukbirding
📷 Chris Greenwood ©
Please see our website news item for more details:
www.sbsg.org/sbsg-news/re...
#ukbirding
📷 Chris Greenwood ©
August 1, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Calling all Sheffield & Derbyshire birders! We're looking to gather as many Ring Ouzel sightings as possible this August & September to aid the work of RSPB Eastern Moors Partnership.
Please see our website news item for more details:
www.sbsg.org/sbsg-news/re...
#ukbirding
📷 Chris Greenwood ©
Please see our website news item for more details:
www.sbsg.org/sbsg-news/re...
#ukbirding
📷 Chris Greenwood ©
Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) in Chatsworth Deer Park yesterday afternoon. One of several butterfly species feeding on the flowers of Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), a valuable source of nectar at this time of year.
July 17, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) in Chatsworth Deer Park yesterday afternoon. One of several butterfly species feeding on the flowers of Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), a valuable source of nectar at this time of year.
Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) visiting the flowers of Buddleja and Hebe in a Sheffield garden, about 2 km from open moorland.
July 14, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) visiting the flowers of Buddleja and Hebe in a Sheffield garden, about 2 km from open moorland.
Yellow Bird's-nest (Hypopitys monotropa) recorded near Hope Cement Works on yesterday's field-meeting with @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social
July 10, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Yellow Bird's-nest (Hypopitys monotropa) recorded near Hope Cement Works on yesterday's field-meeting with @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social
Looking forward to visiting this exhibition in September.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of Cornwall’s avian life at our exhibition, "Birds: The Art of Cornwall’s Birdlife," running until 4 October. Explore how the region’s feathered inhabitants have inspired artists from the 1870s to today 🐦🎨
#Exhibtion #Birds #Cornwall #Art @artukdotorg.bsky.social
#Exhibtion #Birds #Cornwall #Art @artukdotorg.bsky.social
June 23, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Looking forward to visiting this exhibition in September.
Today I finally caught up with Marsh Helleborine, a species that has eluded me for many years. It's a beautiful plant, which thrives in a fragile and vulnerable habitat (dune slacks). Thanks to my zoom lens I was able to get some close-ups of the flowers without straying off the footpath.
June 19, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Today I finally caught up with Marsh Helleborine, a species that has eluded me for many years. It's a beautiful plant, which thrives in a fragile and vulnerable habitat (dune slacks). Thanks to my zoom lens I was able to get some close-ups of the flowers without straying off the footpath.
Yesterday I managed to get a couple of pics of a Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) at Cley Marshes. It's a new species for me.
June 18, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Yesterday I managed to get a couple of pics of a Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) at Cley Marshes. It's a new species for me.
Reposted by Roger Butterfield
Quite a graffiti statement in the tunnel under the A616 while heading for Wharncliffe Woods this morning. Nature is always taken for granted and not taken seriously. It’s part of our life and future. Open your eyes and ears. #nature #health #wellbeing
June 11, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Quite a graffiti statement in the tunnel under the A616 while heading for Wharncliffe Woods this morning. Nature is always taken for granted and not taken seriously. It’s part of our life and future. Open your eyes and ears. #nature #health #wellbeing
Male and female Muntjac in the garden this morning. The female appears to be pregnant.
June 15, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Male and female Muntjac in the garden this morning. The female appears to be pregnant.
Volucella bombylans, a fly disguised as a bumblebee. One of my favourite insects!
June 14, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Volucella bombylans, a fly disguised as a bumblebee. One of my favourite insects!
Syrian Thistle (Notobasis syriaca) flowering in a field off the A149, near Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. I recognised it from the photos posted by @vc57botanist.bsky.social a few days ago. It's a spectacular and distinctive species. This specimen was about 6 feet tall.
June 9, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Syrian Thistle (Notobasis syriaca) flowering in a field off the A149, near Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. I recognised it from the photos posted by @vc57botanist.bsky.social a few days ago. It's a spectacular and distinctive species. This specimen was about 6 feet tall.
I have just passed the 50,000 records milestone on iRecord. Record number 50,000 was this Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium mordax) in Beeley & Great Hollins Wood, Sheffield.
![Rhagium mordax grows from 13 to 26 millimetres (0.51 to 1.02 in) long. In colour, they are mixed ochre and black, with one black splotch on each elytron accompanied by two pale lines on either side. The beetles' bodies are covered with small yellow hairs, although one distinguishing feature of the species is two bald spots on its elytra. [Source: Wikipedia]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rxevwaivun7fj3fh53lkrjz7/bafkreif2rjwv6tnnia26pyayz65egtk6gytv4dem6gvkuqjoeaot67d4dm@jpeg)
May 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I have just passed the 50,000 records milestone on iRecord. Record number 50,000 was this Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium mordax) in Beeley & Great Hollins Wood, Sheffield.