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Brian Hill

@bjhill47.bsky.social
65 followers 95 following 31 posts

Birder east of Taunton, Somerset around Creech St. Michael. Rarely further afield. Butterflies too.

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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Curry Moor. 2 Whinchats 8 Stonechats feasting on Crane Flies. Sedge Warbler & 7 Clouded Yellows. @somersetbirds.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Hairy Shield Bug on the washing. New for the garden.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Good Whinchat passage locally with birds present every visit. Max daily count 5. Tailing off with only one today. @dhelliar.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
5 Whinchats in a regular site E of Creech. Still plenty of Clouded Yellows all very fresh. @dhelliar.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
2 Clouded Yellows have crossed the outfield in the last half hour. Nothing to nectar on here. 😊@ukbutterflies.bsky.social @dhelliar.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
12 Clouded Yellows Charlton including this pale form helice. Difference obvious in flight. Also Painted Lady Small Tort Gatekeeper Small Copper Common Blue Brown Argus & Whites. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @ramblinbirder.bsky.social @dhelliar.bsky.social @exmoorbirder.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Juvenile Spotted Flycatcher continues to beg food from an uncooperative parent despite being well able to feed itself. Not sure where the Chiffchaff figures in this. 😊 @btosomerset.bsky.social @exmoorbirder.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @ramblinbirder.bsky.social
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Dave Dawe @exmoorbirder.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Brown Hairstreak here at my Kittisford workplace a very rare butterfly for here as I’ve only recorded a handful in over 20 years #somersetbutterflys
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Spotted Flycatcher preparing a Red Admiral before delivering it to a 2nd brood fledgling. @exmoorbirder.bsky.social @ramblinbirder.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Noble False Widow in the shed. Intimidating but harmless. Best not mention it to my wife though. 😱
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
My last monitored Spotted Flycatcher nest fledged today. Amazing how well they can fly straight away. Feeling somewhat unemployed now. @exmoorbirder.bsky.social @ramblinbirder.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Second brood Spotted Flycatchers hosted by @ramblinbirder.bsky.social are ticking along nicely. Around half way to lift off. @spotyflycatcher.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
6 Clouded Yellows in an uncultivated field locally. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Brown Hawker caught a Peacock at Greylake RSPB this afternoon. Several other dragonfly species. Also Clouded Yellow and Red Kite.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Just 9 days after fledging these Spotted Flycatcher chicks are catching insects. Adults will attend for a few more days. @spotyflycatcher.bsky.social @exmoorbirder.bsky.social @btosomerset.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social
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🇨🇦JOY 🇨🇦 @joycomes.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Eurasian Wryneck live an open Woodlands. During the breeding season, they span across Europe in Asia. In winter, they migrate to tropical Africa and southern Asia. They forged on insects and ants. Nest tree hollows. Male and female are identical.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Wondering whether to enter this Peacock in iRecord butterflies 🤔 @btosomerset.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @spotyflycatcher.bsky.social @exmoorbirder.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Spotted Flycatcher Creech St Michael. Once common here. Now a local rarity @btosomerset.bsky.social @somersetbirds.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The only butterflies that settled at Shapwick Heath were Large Skippers. Otherwise 3 White Admirals 1 Silver-washed Fritillary + Painted Ladies Red Admirals Ringlets Meadow Browns Brimstones & Large White & Specked Woods.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Dock Bug (Coreus marginatus) on the back door.
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RareBirdAlert @rarebirder.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
More than 850 Lesser Grey Shrikes released in Catalonia with limited results www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/M...
rarebirdalert.co.uk
More than 850 Lesser Grey Shrikes released in Catalonia with limited results
A long-running reintroduction programme has kept the species from disappearing from Spain, but the recovery remains fragile and heavily dependent on continued conservation work
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Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) @bbs-birds.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
(1/) One species that featured quite prominently in the 2025 BBS Report is Spotted Flycatcher. This summer visitor has dropped in numbers by over 60% since the mid 1990s. This decline seems to be occurring across the UK… @btobirds.bsky.social JNCC RSPB Science #Ornithology
A Spotted Flycatcher is shown. It is a pale grey bird with an invertebrat in its beak. It has spots on its breast. The text says '61% UK-wide decline since 1995.' The BBS logo also features, which is an illustration of a Goldfinch.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Scarce Chaser & literally dozens of Banded Demoiselles in the garden this morning
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Conservative estimate of 40+ insects of various species on our ceanothus just now but mostly my neighbour’s honey bees.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Spotted Flycatcher by Ham Wall RSPB VP2 today. Feeding well despite the drizzle. @somersetbirds.bsky.social
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Ed Horncastle @edhorncastle.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Windy nest hole monitored for 95 mins 21 visits (4.5 mins per visit). 11 from F 10 from M. At least 15 times aphids were brought in. Interesting behaviour when female was reluctant to go in whilst watching a roe deer pass by. Also a bit of beak cleaning from the male. @lesserspotnet.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Decent afternoon despite the wind at Thurlbear LNR Taunton. 6 Grizzled Skippers 5 Dingy Skippers (photo) 6 Common Blue & Painted Lady. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social
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Dave Helliar @dhelliar.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
@somersetbirds.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Nightingale east of Taunton at Cogload this morning. Rarely get to see them here. @somersetbirds.bsky.social
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Our summer tenants arrived this morning and wasted no time in checking things out.
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Brian Hill @bjhill47.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Grizzled Skipper Thurlbear LNR Taunton today @ukbutterflies.bsky.social
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