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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Their cowpats are teeming with dung beetles! 😀

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The Lyscombe longhorns enjoying an area known as the coombe today. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Stumbled across another larval web today in a different area. This time on small scabious

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

They're still looking good here. These pics are in a fairly short sward. The webs were in longer stuff near the bottom of the down.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Hummingbird hawkmoth enjoying the downland flowers today at Lyscombe. Seems like a fantastic year for them and other migrant species. Clouded yellows absolutely everywhere this week! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Thrilled to find marsh fritillary larval webs at Lyscombe today! Confirmed breeding at the reserve 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

A good day on Cerne Giant today helping the National Trust rangers survey for Duke of Burgundy feeding damage. Plenty found and quite a few marsh fritillary larval webs spotted as well! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

A glorious day for a butterfly transect. The meadows in Lyscombe bottom looking incredible. Meadow browns, small heaths and marbled whites most numerous. Common blues, large + small skippers, small copper and small tortoiseshell seen also. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

A few highlights from this week at Lyscombe. A relatively healthy ash tree, common blues and brown argus butterflies and stonechats feeding chicks. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

A large multi-stemmed ash tree in leaf. Growing within a hedgerow into a clear blue sky

A newly emerged common blue butterfly nectaring from a yellow bird's-foot trefoil flower

A chocolate coloured brown argus butterfly resting on a pencil within a grassland.

A male stonechat with insect prey in it's beak, sitting atop a hawthorn hedgerow.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

6 marsh fritillaries seen at Bracketts Coppice today. One reported at Lyscombe yesterday as well 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

A brilliant morning for a Lyscombe breeding bird survey. A good variety of birds seen including a ringtail hen harrier, wheatear, male redstart, willow warbler, corn bunting, lesser and common whitethroat. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Hundreds of cowslips are now flowering at Lyscombe, with even more still to flower! From a few dozen last spring to this, a great indication that the grazing is working. All we need now is some Duke of Burgundy's to find them 🤞 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Some fantastic fungi have appeared at Lyscombe recently. White coral, masses of honey fungus, fairy ink-caps and the gorgeous coloured, and quite rare, splendid waxcap! @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

The fruiting bodies of honey fungus. Not good news for this ash tree.

The splendid waxcap, quite a rarity in Dorset. This one seems to have folded over for some reason.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

Nice to see a family group of spotted flycatchers at Lyscombe on Friday. There were two wheatear hanging out on site this week as well. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Not as pretty, but just as crucial. The cattle also create bare ground. Great for insects like mining bees and butterflies, and ideal for wildflowers to germinate in. Those cow pats are important too. Full of dung beetles which are food for things like bats, hedgehogs and birds.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

They still have plenty of work to do munching away on the SSSI, but the downland is already benefitting from their grazing. Plenty of wildflowers amongst the grasses.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Chocks away! A day of drone flying at Lyscombe today. Getting some footage to showcase the reserve and help illustrate our plans for the site. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

A pair of small blues seen mating yesterday at Lyscombe. A potential second brood in a few weeks time? Exciting to find this species already doing well on the reserve, suitable habitat will increase significantly over the coming years 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

A good moth trap at Lyscombe this week. Some nice finds including a grass rivulet, a rare moth in Dorset whose larvae feed on the seed capsules of yellow rattle. 3 hawk-moths elephant, small elephant and privet 🙂@dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

A figure of eighty moth (Tethea ocularis)

A privet hawk-moth (Sphinx ligustri) on a common knapweed (Centaurea nigra) flower.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

This moth is proving tricky to ID. Dog's tooth, dusky brocade, alder moth?! Anyone got a suggestion? @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @mothiduk.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

I was priveleged to see this calf born last week at Lyscombe. Longhorn's are known for being easy calvers and this first time mum was no exception. Looking forward to seeing this and the other calves grow up and enjoy exploring Lyscombe. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

A short visit to @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social Higer Hyde Heath today. Very pleased to see a couple of silver-studded blues, sand lizards a smooth snake and a hairy rove beetle! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

A beautiful day in the sunshine at Lyscombe. Great to spot a green hairstreak, lots of dingy skippers too. Early purple orchids flowering, wild garlic and a spotted flycatcher 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetflora.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Some early spider orchids from Dancing ledge on the Dorset coast at the end of March. There will be loads more flowering by now I'm sure. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @dorsetflora.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Delighted to find this female black redstart hanging out at Lyscombe chapel this afternoon 😀 @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Found this today at Lyscombe, initially thought lesser stag beetle but on second glance could it be a female stag? Red tinge to the elytra @coleopsoc.bsky.social @brianecambs.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

People and wildlife busy at Lyscombe today! Walkers passing through on a long distance challenge event. Violet oil beetles laying eggs and marsh marigolds flowering, with greenfinch, skylark and chiffchaff singing 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetflora.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

The first early dog-violets of the year flowering amongst a sea of primroses at Lyscombe 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetflora.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A few things from last week at Lyscombe. Longhorns, first oil beetle of the year, amazing standing dead wood and glorious snowdrops 🙂 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Snowdrops looking beautiful in the winter sun at @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social Lyscombe nature reserve 🙂

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Wonderful to see this barn owl at Lyscombe last week. They are becoming a fairly regular sighting here 🙂 @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

These 12 are just the start of the Lyscombe herd. Numbers will increase in time as more of the site is fenced. Eventually the hope is to have a large breeding herd (maybe 100+) free to roam and graze over the whole 335ha of the site. Exciting times! 😀

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

The SSSI area at Lyscombe is in desperate need of grazing so they will be kept on there for the foreseeable. Starting in a smaller compartment, then given access to larger areas as more new fencing is completed, around 60ha in total.

A view of the main SSSI area at Lyscombe. Steep slopes forming a horseshoe shape, surrounding the lower fields are SSSI. The lower, flatter fields (known as Lyscombe bottom) are not part of the SSSI but do have a fantastic array of wildflowers including hundreds of bee orchids.

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benjmatkinson.bsky.social @benjmatkinson.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

A great moment at Lyscombe yesterday. 12 longhorn cattle welcomed onto site to begin grazing the SSSI chalk downland part of the reserve. They already look at home 😊

One of the impressive longhorn cattle with long, curved horns posing for the camera in front of the hills of Lyscombe nature reserve

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