Sign in

Andy Musgrove

@andymus.bsky.social
1.1K followers 160 following 613 posts

All-taxa naturalist, on a journey to understand what biodiversity really means. Freelance ecological consultant. Norfolk Sawfly Recorder. BUBO founder. Pan-species Lister.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Are there any Bristletail experts out there to advise on whether this is Trigoniophthalmus alternatus (Cave Bristletail). Seen in south Devon (& I've read now that it's a hot-spot nationally for the species). Looks good to us but expert help would be welcomed. @linnetincley.bsky.social #bristletail
1154
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
John Martin @pilning.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Trying the new mobile LED trap out in Cley last night. It works! 15/11 including 2 Mallow, Feathered Thorn, Black Rustic, Green-brindled Crescent, Sallow etc. Never had the Mallow in Shrewsbury. #teammoth
Mallow moth on brick wall by the trap.
2361
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Really useful pics Dave, thanks
030
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Julian Hughes @penrhynbirder.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Do you have nature records in notebooks that you never look at and wonder what to do with? I've transcribed 10,000 records from the 1960-70s from a Welsh ornithological legend into @birdtrack.bsky.social and @cofnod.org.uk. And it was fascinating... #BirdingWales www.cofnod.org.uk/news/natural...
cofnod.org.uk
Naturalists' Notebooks: a treasure trove - Cofnod
Naturalists' Notebooks: a treasure trove
56326
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
James Lowen Wildlife @jameslowenwild.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Always stay alert… Walking past some ivy on a southeast London street. My subconscious discerns a micromoth fizzing. Turns out to be Clepsis dumicolana. Turns out there are a dozen. Relatively recent, ivy-feeding colonist. And new for me.
1436
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Richard Wilson @ecology-digest.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Thanks to @andymus.bsky.social and @ajcann.bsky.social, have joined the IKEA moth-trap club. With an added gizmo: a light sensor switch for ~£5. Will see what it captures tomorrow morning!
2112
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Lin Hawthorne @haggewoods.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Should you wish to indulge your love of beetles (and why wouldn’t you) this brilliant and scholarly website will certainly help. It’s a work of art by a human. www.rosspiper.net/2020/01/10/s...
rosspiper.net
Saproxylic beetles - Dr. Ross Piper
This is an intro and visual guide to the extraordinary diversity of beetle species associated with dead and decaying wood in the UK. Numbering some 650 species, this habitat supports the greatest dive...
09643
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
We're looking for our next Editor of BTO News! Find out more about the role and apply here➡️ www.bto.org/jobs 😀 📅 Full time, Permanent. 📝 £38,710.00 per annum. 📍 Thetford, Norfolk (Hybrid). Deadline for applications: 30 September 2026. #Ornithology
A bird called a Redstart perches on top of a post, showing its bright orange-red underparts, grey upperparts and black face and bill. Wording above reads: We're hiring! Science Communications Manager.
13439
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
If you have Snapdragons in the garden or nearby, it is worth checking them for the attractively-marked bug Dicyphus escalerae. There are few Norfolk records, but I found it in my garden a few years ago and in my in-laws garden this week, so presumably it is being overlooked elsewhere.
A long, thin plant bug with various black speckling and markings. It is on the edge of a red pot top.
2468
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Species 8,705: Felicola subrostratus (Cat Biting Louse). Helpful having a vet around the house to contribute to the @panspecieslisting.bsky.social. This species was brought to me in a pot full of cat hair. And it can stay in there.
0182
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Best catch yet from the new LED trap, pulling in 125 moths of 30 species in the back garden. Clay Triple-lines and Dark Spinach were both new for garden!
4321
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Graham Etherington @britishbirder.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Question: I'm thinking of splashing out and getting a Swarovski ST balance, and was wondering if anyone has been using one and can offer some advice, pros/cons. Any situations where it can't replace a high-end scope and tripod (I have a Kowa TSN 99a) - seawatching? Also, straight or angled? Thanks.
755
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Superb find by Harry and co! Here's the Blue-winged Gropper (Oedipoda caerulescens) that @ecology-digest.bsky.social and I found in Kent in 2022 for comparison/info.
1221
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Harry Witts @hwitts.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Very exciting to kick this up at Colne Point, Essex on Saturday, just moments after remarking how I didn’t think I’d recognise a grasshopper new to Britain. Sphingonotus caerulans, the second British, and likely first natural record. Found with @graemelyons.bsky.social and @josscarr.bsky.social
Excellent photos by Joss Carr
38813
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Harry Witts @hwitts.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Would also appreciate opinions on mine from a farm track/ex arable margin 200m from buildings near Colchester please!
101
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Now with sound file. I think this is House Cricket (Acheta domestica) but any confirmation/correction welcome - thanks
130
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Update, I think these were House Crickets. Don't seem to be able to add a sound file to BlueSky though.
121
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Unrecognised crickets calling at site near Ipswich tonight. I suspect they'll prove to be Verge Crickets although not immediately sure they sound quite right. Disappearing into cracks in concrete pad tho which fits the bill, and from glimpses seem superficially right. Bit more research required tmrw
1171
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
AJCann @ajcann.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Thanks for the inspiration Andy! ajcarthropoda.blogspot.com/2026/08/a-mo...
ajcarthropoda.blogspot.com
A moth trap in my pocket
Recently I was inspired by a Bluesky post from Andy Symes about his portable LED moth trap . I've been meaning to try this for a long time a...
281
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Solar eclipse totality was a fascinating event. The phone image is very different to that experienced, where the moon suddenly appeared haloed by a thinner ring of fire. Can see why an intense and even religious experience for people seeing this without any warning. Well worth the effort!
0122
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Eye of Sauron spotted over Spain just now.
0171
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Western Channel and northern Biscay: 500 C Dolphin, 3 Bn Dolphin, 1 ?Fin? Whale, 500 Great Shear, 40 Cory's, 2 Sooty, 1000 Manx, 2 Bonxie, 1 Sunfish, tuna, inevitable sunburn etc. Very pleasant day.
090
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Portsmouth, about to set sail for Biscay, bring on them whales and petrels!
1150
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Even after 20 years, the garden moth trap keeps throwing up new species. Waved Black last week and Cydia amplana last night.
0150
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Galling, @galling.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
We have just hit 500 followers, thanks to all of you. Please spread the word and keep the posts coming.
02310
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Dawn Balmer @debalmer.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Job opportunity: Irish Bird Atlas Project Manager BirdWatch Ireland is seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to lead organisation of the upcoming Bird Atlas 2027-31 across the Republic of Ireland. Closing date 11th Sept. Find out more: birdwatchireland.ie/get-involved...
birdwatchireland.ie
11323
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Re my previous post, I don't need to return to see the adult. I stuck the larvae with its ball of vegetation in a jam jar, and hey presto!
0141
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Following the sad news about Bill Oddie, here's our own little tribute from BUBO Listing bubo.org/bill-oddie.h.... RIP Bill.
bubo.org
Bill Oddie
13812
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Graeme Lyons @graemelyons.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Here's the full story of what we believe to be the start of the colonisation of yet another new orthopteran to the British Isles.
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com
Team cricket - how we found a cricket new to the British Isles
This following italicised sections were written by Matt Phelps, who first heard this unusual cricket...  I strolled over to Sussex Wildlif...
510230
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Alex Press @alexoutside.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
A search for 𝐸𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑝ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑖 led me to its British stronghold in Oxfordshire, where I soon found it at Hartslock NR. This high-quality chalk grassland was also the site of my 4,000th species in the British Isles, a day shy of five months after my 3,000th and a couple of days before my 17th birthday.
1142
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
The White Falcon @markgolley.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Sadly there were no takers over the weekend for the freebie Macmillan Guide, so if anyone would like this copy of a still brilliant little guide, ping us a DM or message me here & we can sort it from there. It has a slight rip on the back cover, which I'll sellotape up for free too 😉
12010
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Great idea. One of the most inspiring books when I was young, then I was lucky enough to get to know Keith in person, then later to employ Alan's daughter! Any young birders need this book.
0175
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Matthew Deans @deansmatthew.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Definitely oblitella. It has various colour forms.
101
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Garden moth-trap last night contained this pyralid. Looks to be a few vaguely similar options - ObsIdentify seems keen on Ancylosis oblitella, which looks feasible? Anyone feel confident enough to say? Might have to try giving it the chop.
280
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Rambur's Pied Shieldbug (Tritomegas sexmaculata), nymphs on Black Horehound at Manningtree this afternoon, perhaps the most northerly record so far? Also, a Hudsonian Godwit (not pictured), a long-overdue world tick for me - will have to visit again at low tide though, to see a bit more activity!
3253
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
environmentjob @environmentjob.co.uk · 09/07/2026
environmentjob.co.uk
Assistant Ecologist
Wild Frontier Ecology Ltd, North Norfolk (rural location), £28,000 pa
006
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
environmentjob @environmentjob.co.uk · 09/07/2026
environmentjob.co.uk
Ecologist
Wild Frontier Ecology Ltd, North Norfolk (rural location), Starting at £32,000 pa, depending on experience
027
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Denise Wawman @denisewawman.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Important for anyone who verifies records on citizenship science websites, not just the ornithologists. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
096
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Jaswinder Boparai @jasboparai.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Received copies of my book today! Very grateful to the Publishers and Editors for all their efforts towards bringing it to life. I’m very pleased with the end result. #Ichneumonidae #Pimplini #Pimplinae
33813
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I keep reading about how the Common House-fly (Musca domestica) is much less common than it used to be. Well it's currently pretty darned common in my house. If anyone wants to twitch it .... well, you can probably find your own to be honest.
Two Common House-fly pinned specimens - a male above and a female below.
3253
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Graeme Lyons @graemelyons.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
We are at Birdfair again but this time I will be selling my book, come find us on Robin 76. Details of what we are up to and when in the blog below. analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2026/07/pan-...
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com
Pan-species Listing at Global Birdfair in 2026
Pan-species Listing is thriving! We've never had more people taking part as we do now, it's a great time to get involved with this worthwhil...
0183
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Nothris verbascella is a micro-moth, presumed extinct in Britain til rediscovered in 2024 nr Norwich by Dave Jones. Has only taken me 2 years to (literally) get on my bike and travel the 3 miles to see it. Larvae feed in the cruddy base of Hoary Mullein. Must return to see the adult in a few months.
Basal part of Hoary Mullein where lots of felty material collectsA small moth caterpillar emerging from the Hoary Mullein feltMultiple plants of Hoary Mullein (Verbascum pulverulentum), a tall, multi-branched plant with abundant yellow flowers
0261
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Species 8,635: Balcanocerus larvatus - a recently arrived hopper of fairly distinctive appearance, with thick jet-black stripe down its face. Feeds on Blackthorn. Found near St Albans recently @panspecieslisting.bsky.social
0173
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
I don't twitch many birds these days, but this is one that has continued to elude me. So a quick dash to Suffolk .... only for it to depart whilst I was on the way. Pah. Nice evening wander around Walberswick though instead. First GG Bush-crickets of the year, alongside range of expected birds
030
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Palustris @palustris.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Regular reviews of the status of different biotic groups are essential for keeping conservation priorities up to date and preventing national extinctions. Natural England have just published such a review for British leaf beetles, by Steve Lane. publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/...
publications.naturalengland.org.uk
A Review of the Status of the Leaf Beetles and allies of Great Britain – Chrysomelidae, Megalopodidae & Orsodacnidae - NECR702
This report was commissioned to update the national threat status of the leaf beetles and their allies in Great Britain, following the previous assessment in 2014 (NECR161 edition 1). The assessments ...
1186
Reposted by Andy Musgrove
Rob Yaxley @robyaxley.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Ochsenheimeria taurella is a moth I have seen a few times, always from suction sampling. This one SE Norfolk today. Widened scales on the antennae give it a distinctive look.
1201
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
This wee fly would appear to be a new species for Britain. I think it's Tetanops sintenisi (family Ulidiidae). Seems to be an east European thing that's spread west and is now widespread in Netherlands. I've got four from a vane trap near Ipswich from May/Jun this year.
2466
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
My second new moth for the hectad TM29 today, a Yellow-legged Clearwing in the garden which came to a lure. The lure was the one for Orange-tailed Clearwing, however, so not quite the target.
1190
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Species 8,618: Metalampra italica (Italian Bark Moth). Found inside the house before I even got down the stairs this morning, as easy a new species gets! Quite widespread in Norfolk now, but looks to be new for my 10km square backwater.
1181
Andy Musgrove @andymus.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Species 8,617: Canthophorus impressus (Bastard-toadflax Bug), numerous on a patch of its foodplant at Therfield Heath, quite happy at 35 degrees today. Thanks for gen @andysymes.bsky.social @duerden.bsky.social @vannabartlett.bsky.social
2342