iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

This Little Rock Goby got my pan species list to the 2500 mark #PanSpeciesListing #PSL #fish

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Combining two hobbies yesterday. A common Blenny/Shanny at Lowestoft pier. A #PSL and fishing tick for me, bigger than I thought they’d be! #LRF

2403

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Seems a bad evolutionary link for a rare butterfly larva to eat a rare plant’s flowers and seeds. (Swallowtail Butterfly). Still a few adults flying now too.

A green and black Swallowtail caterpillar eating white Milk Parsley

0110

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

A quick foray into the fen to carry out some swallowtail larval counts yielded 2 new species for me, an amazing Musk Beetle and the planthopper Stenocranus longipennis

0100

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Busy week of identifying specimens from Franchises Lodge, about 260 species (exc moths) identified and the target of better understanding invertebrate identification achieved. A few more pots to go next week and then a big write up required.

170

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Can anyone confirm this grasshopper from New Forest? It’s the only photo I have, dark marks appear to reach rear of pronotum suggesting Heath, but can’t convince myself… thanks!

010

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

This ‘Masked Hunter’ must’ve been enjoying breakfast in my moth trap today as it was packed full of bycatch . Can’t see scale in the pic but it’s a very large bug at ~2cm!

040

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

This is looking good for Langmaids Yellow Underwing isn’t it??

040

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Back from a great week at rspb’s Franchises Lodge in Wiltshire, primarily to record moths but also try to ID as many inverts as I could. I’ll put together a few messages with the highlights over the coming weeks as I get through the specimens…

1110

Reposted by Ben Lewis

Drew Lyness @djlbirding.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Going to #GlobalBirdfair? ➡️ Sat 12 July (10am) - Plover Lecture Stage - 'Scarcities & Swallowtails: Celebrating 50 years of RSPB Strumpshaw Fen'. ✅ Learn about this amazing reserve, now in its 50th year, from the perspective of its most addicted patch-birder... me! #birds #NorfolkBirding 😎

Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on pink flowers.

Honey Buzzard gliding through blue skies.

Fen Raft Spider stood on small lily pads while holding an egg sac.

A landscape view of Strumpshaw Fen with lush green reeds, blue shimmering water and blue skies with fluffy clouds.

0185

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Iconic forest birds of Hawaii saved by Doner Kebabs 😂

030

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Invert recorders- I am doing my first week long study of a site for inverts next week. Q: what is the current best way to store inverts between collection and microscopy c.2weeks later so they can be id’d/carded/pinned etc? Freezer, pickling vinegar on cloth, dry? What do you do? Thanks

210

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Nice to see a Red-Tipped Clearwing (no lure) feeding on Marsh Valerian at Surlingham yesterday, my first clearwing of the year.

1281

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

135 species in the Strumpshaw moth trap this morning was a very good start to the day, a couple new for the reserve too! My highlight however was the bycatch, 15 new species for me there..

070

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Nice morning at Titchwell looking at reedbed management with Ryan. Also got a few nice sightings while there- Dune Tiger Beetle (beauty!), Marram Weevil, an apparent Gynnidomorpha vectisana and a couple of juv Spoonbills.

0251

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Pleasant afternoon at Buxton Heath, some nice bugs, beetles, weevils and hoppers seen and even a well overdue new species of macro moth.

0170

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Does anybody use a smaller alternative to the full sized leaf vacuums for invert suction sampling.. that actually works? #PSL @applewildlife.bsky.social I recall seeing a post from you about this, what was your outcome? Thanks

110

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

Finally added Water Ladybird to my PSL at Buckenham this afternoon. Gaining slowly but steadily with 2011sp now…. And enjoying it!

1120

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

4 interlopers with the Highlands yesterday (just 1 in the picture). Amazing how quick you can get used to these once very rare birds… now seemingly part of the scenery

060

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

46 Marsh Harriers and 1 Hen Harrier left the roost @rspbstrumpshawfen.bsky.social at dawn this morning. First few hints of spring with Reed Buntings piping up and starting to sing.

180

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Looks like I saw some Mammatus clouds over Catfield Fen Norfolk this afternoon,? Some crazy rain and hail was associated!

0130

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Is this a Collared Earthstar (without a collar) or something else? Can’t convince myself of ID using my field guide… @rspbstrumpshawfen.bsky.social yesterday, along the pumphouse track by the gate to meadow.

110

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Todays adventures had me monitoring scrub at a rather monochrome Catfield Fen and back at the fen the cattle have finally produced a Cattle Egret.

070

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Between 38 and 42 marsh harriers up in the air at once in this evenings roost at Strumpshaw Fen. Likely to be 50+ birds in the area at the moment, quite a spectacle

1191

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

A surprise WeBS bird at Berney/Breydon this morning was very nice….didn’t quite make up for my #Nikon ED50 getting blown over in the wind and breaking the threads 🙄 (also tens of thousands of Lapwing, 7,000+ Golden Plover, 10,000+ pink footed geese, 1000 Shoveler and a Spotted Redshank)

Shorelark at Berney Marshes RSPB this morning

0151

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

A nice bit of birthday birding at Waxham this morning. Found this stunner of an adult Iceland Gull. Photos terrible but a great bird that I hope sticks around for others. Patterning of primaries initially suggested Kumleins to me, however it appears not to be..

1160

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Pan species experts- does this tiny 2mm beetle found in a litter pile yesterday look like it could be Cartodere nodifer? I don’t have the keys but nice and bumpy with waxy edged pronotum look ok. Don’t want to record without ruling out other possibilities, ta.

130

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Not likely to be many sporty messages from me but it was so good to see West Ham vs Arsenal at the weekend it was 2-5 at halftime after an Arsenal/Saka masterclass. Toby was very happy!

030

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Dawn PF Goose roost count at Buckenham, they did not disappoint. I had 8,525 leave the roost as well as at least 9,500 Rooks/Jackdaws in one noisy flock, 2,000+ wigeon and 20 Marsh Harriers

090

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Most people see Sutton Fen in the summer months, today it was very wet, windy and rather unpleasant!

1120

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Garden moth trapping produced just a December moth and a couple of Light Brown Apple Moth, but a few bugs were present to keep me occupied. 🤞 tonight will be better

0140

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

I’ve not managed to put a name to this rather stunning waxcap at Catfield and annoyingly haven’t got a pic of the underside so probably can’t… but what a beaut

2160

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Annual Review at Berney Marshes today- a brief foray out of the office produced 3 SEO, a Spotted Redshank, several GWE, a Cattle Egret and the very rough legged lookalike Common Buzzard

060

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Nice morning seawatch at Waxham. Decent trickle of Gannet and Red Throated Divers south. A single probable Great Northern Diver north- looked very pale in strong sunlight (!) and a Snow Bunting in the dunes.

0120

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

83+ White-Fronted Geese showing well at Buckenham Marshes this morning. (Better than the phone picture suggests!) #Norfolkbirding

0170

Ben Lewis @benlewisuk.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Looking forward to posting on here, especially with my new pan species venture. I have a small tray of Staphylids as a winter project… question: new Duff book or the older Lott guide best??

321