iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

A month ago I visited Abberton Reservoir and within the 1st hour filmed feeding Spoonbills, hunting flock of Cormorants + a pectoral Sandpiper, and in the evening filmed hunting Herons and Great White Egrets in golden light and all the footage is in this video! www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFat... #birds

youtube.com

An Amazing Hour of Fishing Birds + Filming in Golden Light

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I tested out the 960fps mode on my new toy (a GoPro Mission 1 ILS) at a Hornet's nest. Came out pretty well I think! #ukwildlife #nature #wildlife #insects @royentsoc.bsky.social @amentsoc.bsky.social

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Here are all the places you can find my stuff online, YouTube for the long videos and other bits on the other platforms :)

A fox head with a green background with logos and usernames of my online content locations

Youtube: Uk wildlife + Pond Lab
Facebook: Uk Wildlife + Pondmanuk

Instagram: Neil_uk_wildlife

Bluesky is the account this is on

A qr code for the link tree with this info too

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

My full video of the Pilot Whales in the Thames yesterday: youtu.be/JSNaoSh1QPw

youtu.be

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Not what I expected to see in the River Thames yesterday - Pilot Whale and her calf! #whales #dolphins

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

A clip from my latest video where I make multiple visits to film Hornet behaviour at a nest, and talk about how I film them. youtu.be/t03ioVUHTLk #insect #ukwildlife #nature #wildlife #entomology

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Wind blows over a big box in middle of a sort out a hour ago, I go to sort it and realise there is a Villa Beefly on it! Left box there to see if it came back and it just did (excuse poor phone photo)! And in mean time went to check another insect on Sedum which turned out to be Shrill Carder Bee!

Big bit of cardboard lying down on a mess in front of a shed

Villa beefly, vaguely honey bee like with thinker black bands and more orangey in between

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

In my latest video I show the behind the scenes of filming a hornets nest, which I do over multiple visits to get different types of footage for a sequence of a future film, and talk a bit about the Hornets behaviours. Watch here: youtu.be/t03ioVUHTLk

youtu.be

Filming Insects: Project Hornet

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Just had to buy a 512gb Micro SD card - ouch ££££. Another reason AI is crap, driving up memory/storage media prices!

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Dragonflies surviving the drought - a clip from my latest video on what happens when a pond dries out you can watch here: youtu.be/PBw40QZm67A #UKWildlife #Pondlife #insects #amphibians

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

We might have had some rain in the last week or so, but its been a long dry summer, so what happens to life in the pond when it dries out? In my latest video I explain, which you can what here on my YT channel: youtu.be/PBw40QZm67A

youtu.be

What happens to wildlife when a Pond dries out?

YouTube video by Pond Lab

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Coot vs Grass Snake - check out the full video this is from in 4K here: youtu.be/AOs_v6yELVE #ukwildlife #ukbirds #sanke #nature #wildlife

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Reposted by Neil

Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The new transitional insect/crustacean fossil might not look very insectlike, if you think of modern insects like butterflies and beetles, but check out its reconstruction (left) next to a photo of the oldest living lineage of extant insects, the bristetails (right). www.science.org/content/arti...

Paleo art by artist Chao Tan showing an orange, lobster-like animal standing on a rock above water.

Macro photo of a silvery, cylindrical insect, a jumping bristletail, standing on sand.

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Coot takes a dislike to a Grass Snake, Avocets disagree with plovers and Coots, and a Little Grebe diving and resurfacing in slow motion in my latest video from Rainham (Filmed in June). youtu.be/AOs_v6yELVE

youtu.be

Coot vs Grass snake, Plover vs Avocet + other wildlife

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Reposted by Neil

Freshwater Biological Association @freshwaterbio.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Are you curious to discover more about the noble leech? We're delighted to share that #Freshwater #Leeches of Britain and Ireland: Keys to the Hirudinea & a Review of their Ecology by J. M. Elliott & Michael Dobson is available in our shop! Get sucked into a copy today: www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/book-43

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Timelapse of the 2026 Solar Eclipse from Coalhouse Fort in Essex 2 planes pass by (one is a single frame so blink and miss it!) and I only just managed to get the last minute of the eclipse before the sun went behind the trees!)

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Back in 2022 I set myself the target of seeing all 45 of the species of dragonfly and damselfly that breed in the UK every year, and here for the 1st time I've put every trip together in one long documentary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPtx... #dragonflies #ukwildlife #wildlife

youtube.com

Dragonfly Tour - full nature documentary

YouTube video by Pond Lab

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Reposted by Neil

Darren Naish @tetzoo.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Today's bit of frog-themed natural history knowledge: big stones can kill little frogs :( With a bonus bit of frog predation in the background. Hey @uk-wildlife.bsky.social #ponds #frogs

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Southern Migrant Hawker Dragonfly

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Fantastic 2 days at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social Fantastic talks, new books, large groups (including families) going on bat walks, pan species listing, crafts, looking at moths. Loads of interesting stalls and of course lots of meeting old and making new friends. :)

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Are you at Global Birdfair this weekend? This is where you can find me and Victoria Hillman Vic will be on stand Puffin P37 + make a Smylt at 1pm everyday at the puffling mini workshop stand..cont

Poster showing events, txt repeated in post.
Photo os smylt, a Pink wool axolotl, a photo of jumping spider and a diving beetle larva

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Just posted a video to celebrate #InsectWeek where I try to answer the question - what is the UK's Biggest Insect?https://youtu.be/g2FNNulLZS8?si=87QHnUBae_oBomaf #ukwildlife #nature #insects

youtu.be

What is Britain's Biggest Insect?

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Just realised I didn't share my new Nature Photography + Filmmaking video from last weeks trip to find the rare Heath Fritillary Butterfly. You can watch it here: youtu.be/qUrQqoDY-44 #UKWildlife #insect #Wildlifephotography #WildlifeFilmmaking

youtu.be

Filming + Photographing Heath Fritillaries with 24mm Probe Lens and OM 150-400mm

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

A bit of Nature Photography rather than just filmmaking from me last week, with some Heath Fritillary Butterflies #NaturePhotography #Butterfly #ukwildlife #insect

Face of a butterfly with blue eyes, long antennae with large orange tips.
Orange legs hold on to a green grass stem as butterfly looks at camera and the white and orange patches underwings are visible behind on green background

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

A hovering Volucella pellucens Hoverfly from my latest video (see my last post)

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

A day filming wildlife at Phyllis Currie Nature Reserve - Dragonflies, hovering Hoverflies and a family of Long-tailed Tits with the bonus of a Tiger Beetle eating an ant from my 1st stop of the day, all in my latest video www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDqq... #wildlife #ukwildlife #insects

youtube.com

Filming wildlife at 3000mm with Om 150-400mm f4 5

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

New video where I try out the ballhead-but-not-a-ballhead Video head the Heipi KF60S while filming Green Tiger Beetles youtu.be/csgx5np0v-c

youtu.be

The HEIPI KF60S - filming Green Tiger Beetles - mini review

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Here is some footage of one of my fav insects Wool Carder Bees in my garden - this is just a few of the clips I filmed in the 15 minutes between getting in the washing and cooking my kids dinner. #insects #bees #nature #wildlife #ukwildlife

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Reposted by Neil

Rufus D @rufusdawson.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Deep within a Gloucestershire valley is a hidden world. The wider countryside is covered by mixed-age beech woodland in a complex mosaic of forest, commons and farmland. But in this quiet corner, a strikingly different blend of habitats can be found - and with it a mix of unusual species. (1/10)

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Them: "Go outside in Nature, it is great for relieving stress" Me, who is stressed because when working in Nature (reserves) I'm seeing the rubbish everywhere, dogs off lead scaring wildlife, dog poo, cats hunting lizards, areas set on fire, ponds destroyed by constant dog activity..: "Ok, thanks"

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

In my latest video I film insects from ants to dragonflies, using my OM 150-400mm + Oly 2x tele + GH7 to give me the equivalent of a full frame camera at 3000mm with pixel to pixel mode turned on youtu.be/9b54ONEkwmA #ukwildlife #insects #wildlife #nature

youtu.be

How I film insects at 3000mm with the OM 150-400mm + GH7

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Turns out the hottest day of the year is not a good day to try film one of the worlds fastest insects without a lot of frustration and nearly melting. Worth it though!

Photo of the Back of a camera showing pair of Green tiger beetle mating. A green beetle with large yellow mouthparts and pink legs

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

The UK: Happy Birthday David Attenborough! To celebrate we have overwhelmingly voted for the party that is funded by oil companies and do nothing about climate change and remove all protection for wildlife ... oh and they want to put immigrants in internment camps too.

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Happy #WorldRobberflyDay Everyone! Hers the video I made about my obsession with the Hornet Robberfly! (I was going to post it today but ended up posting it when I finished editing instead as I wanted to share!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gHN...

youtube.com

The Hornet Robberfly - an insect worth obsessing over

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

I've just published a video about a recent day out, where I saw nesting Spoonbills, feeding Beeflies and finally saw some dancing Adders! Watch it here: youtu.be/TCn2YBS1GWI #wildlife #ukwildlife #nature #adders #reptiles #uknature

youtu.be

Dancing Adders, nesting Spoonbills and feeding Beeflies!

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

When 3 Black Winged Stilts appear 15mins from home in your local RSPB reserve but you don't want to look uncool to @flygirlnhm.bsky.social so you carry on filming Beeflies 🤣 (Also beeflies > almost all birds anyway! )

Big white camera lens and camera on a Black tripod pointing at flowers in a garden

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

One thing on my list to film is this behaviour I witnessed a few years ago now. Its a Great Silver Water Beetle larva eating a snail. It grabs the water snail with its asymmetrical mouthparts, wraps its body around it and uses brute force to crunch through the shell and get the soft chewy centre!

Larva under water, it has a orange head with dark red pincers, and brown caterpillar like body, which is wrapped around a brown spire shell of a water snail which has little blobs of green algae on. All resting on a few strands of green pond weed

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

The noisy chaos that is Marsh Frogs this time of year! Males calling, wresting and a pair in amplexus, all filmed in the 5 minutes that I had the hide at Rainham to myself! #pondlife #ukwildlife #wildlife

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Today is International Beaver Day, so here is my one and (so far) only encounter with a wild European Beaver, filmed a couple of years ago. Hope to see another one (or more!) later this year :)

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Just put on the NASA YouTube channel, baffled by the presenter talking about so many people in the near empty field behind her, I turned off when the film talking about the "most enduring democracy.." came on. Laughable!

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Earlier this month I got word of a pond that may contain spawning frogs, and it turned out there were 50+ there and loads of frogspawn! So I went back, + over the 3 days I filmed lots of footage, got very muddy and I've now made this little mini documentary, you can watch here: youtu.be/C4mIzJyAtUg

youtu.be

The strange noise coming from the pond - Common Frogs spawning wildlife documentary

YouTube video by Pond Lab

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

When you go to your local nature reserve, look out the first hide and instead of wildlife, you see this. Illegal fishing on a nature reserve is one thing, but walking out in front of the hide... They have also smashed a fence and cleared a swim in another spot. In the nesting season too :(

Fisherman standing in a lake behind a reed bed

Fence smashed down and vegetation cut next to a lake by a path

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

BBC News today: Labour loose seat, lets go to every member 2nd place Reform to get their views....

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

On Tuesday planning to build Tilbury3 on one of the most biodiverse sites in the UK, with 1195 species, with 185 that are rare/threatend, justified because they will just "move a significant amount if the animals"... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Port of Tilbury expansion threatens wildlife, warns Buglife

The charity says building over green and grey belt land will put rare bees and other species at risk.

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Marsh Harrier flying effortlessly in the wind - just one of the cool bird encounters from my latest video, which you can see here: youtu.be/duJUo7LzX8g #birds #ukwildlife #birding

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Neil @uk-wildlife.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

My latest video, where I visit some top Essex nature reserves including Abberton and Copt Hall filming Hen and Marsh Harrier, Bewick and Whooper Swan and many other cool birds #ukbirds #birding #birdwatching #wildlife #ukwildlife youtu.be/duJUo7LzX8g

youtu.be

A Day of Birds of Prey and Swans in Essex

YouTube video by UK Wildlife

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Reposted by Neil

Howard Vaughan - blueeyedbirder.com @howardvaughanbeb.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Winter in #japan for @bwntours.bsky.social - Day 1 - 5th February 2026 blueeyedbirding.blogspot.com/2026/02/wint... The Shinkansen to Karuizawa with some quality birding between there and Yundanaka. #BirdsSeenIn2026 @mr-shortwing.bsky.social @chrisddarby.bsky.social

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