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Ben

@deedbn.eurosky.social
64 followers 57 following 119 posts

Oh so easily distracted human. Love nature for it's unending interests and complexity. I also dabble in IT, games, genealogy, spirituality and a whole host of other stuff.. Work in progress.. Sensible here: www.linkedin.com/in/deedbn

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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 16/10/2026
Recently stayed near Haydock. Never actually been into St Helens and enjoyed. The Sefton was welcoming and would def go again. Pennington Flash was a surprising range of habitats, also well worth the visit (get away from the carpark/playground asap).
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 16/10/2026
It's been a bit of a special battering of a month or so, especially this week. Trapped at home at the moment and have missed a flurry of exciting training and have cancelled surveys so best i can do is the park at home, Grey-gilled Blackening H. cinerifolia and (maybe, probably?) Apricot club.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 06/10/2026
Incase you needed another reason to keep the Conservatives out of government. Hateful, feeding off division like Reform and making the same nonsense attacks on nature as Starmer. I can't believe this is the same party I voted for in the past, I just have been mad. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 23/09/2026
Ran our of chars but the Historic England Heritage Gateway can be found here: historicengland.org.uk/listing/heri... #archeology #roman #ironage #LiDAR
historicengland.org.uk
Heritage Gateway | Historic England
Use the Heritage Gateway to search and discover historic environment records across England. There are over a million individual records online.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 23/09/2026
The open source LiDAR dataset is such a great dataset and i feel so underutilised! Randomly scrolling when i found the two features on the right; oval and a square shaped enclosures. Neither on Historic England's Gateway, unknown? Also found the circular feature only to see its already up there.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026
So this is a cool thing more people should know about: about.marginalia-search.com A search engine that brings you unfiltered, un commercialised, non-AI results. Great write-up (and reasons you might want to use it) over on Substack: jamesmacleod.substack.com/p/the-intern...
about.marginalia-search.com
About Marginalia Search - Marginalia Search
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 20/09/2026
Like old friends arriving it was exciting to see my first two waxcap fungi pop up in the front lawn this weekend. First up this year was Oily and Slimy! Oily has come up in almost the exact spot I saw Pink about 5 years ago and brings the total to 9 waxcaps.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 10/09/2026
The latest blog post from Natural England highlighting the new national Local Wildlife Site hub and Guidance. Good to see local sites getting some well deserved attention. naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2026/09/10/a... #Wildlife #NatureRecovery #LocalWildlife
naturalengland.blog.gov.uk
An Online Hub for Local Wildlife Sites: New Resources for a Vital 5% of England
By Sofía Muñoz and Scott Mitchell, Senior Specialists for Data Engagement and Analysis, Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme This blog explains what Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) are, why t...
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Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
‘Honest Bob’ Jenrick says he wants to “abolish” Natural England, and at the very least stop funding it, in the first 100 days of a putative Reform government. Reform may appear to be on the rocks currently but their plans are terrifying, mad & must be stopped. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Jenrick: “Even if you can’t abolish, I don’t know, Natural England within the first 100 days, you can stop funding it, you can turn the tap off and the tap will be turned off a lot of these quangos, and that will drive savings.”
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 04/09/2026
#Plantlife are running free online courses to help people teach others about waxcaps and to get involved in #WaxcapWatch. They also offer a load of useful online resources. Check out the September courses and resources on their website here: www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/tr...
plantlife.org.uk
Train Others to Take Part in Waxcap Watch
Inspire others to get involved, you’ll find the courses, resources and guidance you need here to help more people take part in Waxcap Watch.
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Biological Recording Company @biologicalrecording.co.uk · 01/09/2026
Britain holds a quarter of the world’s Curlews – but since 1990, that population has halved. Where are Curlews still breeding successfully, and why? 🐦 Curlews and Grouse Moors 🎙️ Prof Ian Newton 📅 14 Sept | FREE Book: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1987186150... @curlewaction.bsky.social
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/08/2026
Spinney stones and playing around on that there Jurassic Coast looking for some fossils. @ West Bay, Dorset.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 29/08/2026
Amazing book shop, The Sanctuary in Lyme Regis. Nabbed myself a copy of The Natural History of Selborne.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 29/08/2026
Sizeable False Widow fell out of a pub chair in Lyme Regis! Bit of a surprise! Beautiful wee beastie.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 29/08/2026
Dee found a big cannon! Start of the family holidays already a week ago!
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NFBR @nfbr.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
www.linkedin.com/posts/deedbn...
linkedin.com
Local Sites and nature conservation | Ben Deed
Following from the previous post regarding the revived presence of LWS on Gov.uk i thought it might be useful to highlight what is actually now present; Guidance on local Sites and nature conservatio...
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 13/08/2026
Survey companions from last Friday. These curious cows cocked up my field survey for about an hour following me around the field! 😂 (Young and a little jumpy it would have been foolish to get on the ground and start trying to pick out plants with them around me). 🐮
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 13/08/2026
Dusk without a sunset. Gentle light of yesterday's partial eclipse over Bolton.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 13/08/2026
It's Spider season! Going into the end of Summer and Autumn is arguably the best time to spot spiders. Having fattened up over the year their adult forms are now much easier to find sat waiting on their webs. 📷 Four-spot Spider, Araneus quadratus
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 13/08/2026
Wandering up on to the edge of the moors and found a great display of butterflies on Creeping Thistle. Some 30-40 Painted Lady butterflies, possibly gearing up for the southward migration to Africa. Also in the mix, good numbers of Red Admiral, Green-veined Whites as well as Small Heath. #Nature
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 08/08/2026
Site from last week, listed under Bog guidelines supporting a rich mix of mire and grassland plant communities. Unfortunately the bog itself was very dry with exposed peat and collapsing in places. Possibly as a result of changes to hydrology caused by a conifer plantation on the adjacent land.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 08/08/2026
Grateful to be given permission to survey a really interesting piece of pasture on the moorland fringe yesterday. Not a listed site but very much looks to have potential as a new Biological Heritage Site.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 07/08/2026
Not that I actually have much in the way of followers but if anyone happens to notice the new eurosky handle it's because I've migrated my account to new European hosted platform. For the curious: eurosky.tech/accounts/
eurosky.tech
Register for a eurosky.social account - one web identity, dozens of apps — Eurosky
Eurosky is a European initiative to build and operate sovereign social web infrastructure
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 07/08/2026
One of these days I'm going to spend some time trying to ID these fascinating species. In the meantime I'm just going to keep sharing how awesome they look!
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 03/08/2026
Beautiful people, amazing music and stunning skylines at Wickham again this year.
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avidreader8.bsky.social @avidreader8.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
I LOVE YOU #booksky #books #Kindleunlimited #thriller #suspense #romance #novels #geopolitical #mythological #darkromance #women #contemporary #fiction #fantasy #crime #amazon #sifi #readingcommunity #writingcommunity #author #readers #indie
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 23/06/2026
Are we taking bets on the next deflection? Because that station looks to be run off solar panels... We all know the whole thing is a net zero conspiracy being masterminded by the Sun! I'm good for about a quid.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/05/2026
Globeflower was dotted at locations throughout the wet grasslands and also on the limestone pavement with an enormous population present on a sloped meadow. Among the Globeflower was another uncommon buttercup, the Goldilocks Buttercup with it's distinctive basal leaf! Well worth the visit!
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/05/2026
Ingleborough National Nature Reserve is such a special place! I have been to a number of local wildlife sites in Lancashire which have had Globeflower, though often I've failed to find it and never to the extent of the population present at Ingleborough!
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Biological Recording Company @biologicalrecording.co.uk · 30/05/2026
Vote for your favourite butterfly with @savebutterflies.bsky.social Keiron went for the Orange Tip, based on the fact that it’s a great gateway species for recording. It’s distinctive and a nice easy-to-identify species for beginners! britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk/butterfly/or...
britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk
Orange-tip - Britain’s Favourite Butterfly
The Orange-tip is one of the 60 beautiful butterflies found across the UK. Will it be Britain's Favourite Butterfly?
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NFBR @nfbr.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
biologicalrecording.co.uk/2026/05/27/p...
biologicalrecording.co.uk
Poll-A-Gen Needs You!
Poll-A-Gen – a research initiative aiming to map pollinator genomics across the UK – is currently searching for amateur entomologists to contribute to the project by collecting pollinator specimens…
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 21/05/2026
Count the orchids! Within the site there were several spikes of Early Purple Orchid, then while heading back to the car I happened to check a slope next to the road where I found over 30 spikes scattered in a small area of otherwise scruffy looking young woodland!
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 21/05/2026
Not far from the Herb-paris I stumbled across several locations for Toothwort, a parasitic species that coexists with Hazel here, another species I've rarely encountered. Interestingly all the flower spikes were associated with Mole activity...
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 21/05/2026
Fortunate to today visit a Biological Heritage Site with several good patches of Herb-paris scattered around the woodland, caught at just the right time of year. The site had little description so I was unsure what to expect l, this made a nice surprise!
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Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Speedwells: Online ID resources. A pictorial guide by Moira O'Donnell thewildflowersociety.org.uk/wp-content/u... A crib produced by James Common commonbynature.com/wp-content/u... An article from the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland bsbi.org/media/pages/...
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 01/05/2026
These are one of the only categories of designation that recognise the importance of biodiversity, independent of community wellbeing. I understand the desire for community access to such sites and yet, wherever people have access it is at the expense of biodiversity.
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Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
1 month to go until 2026 Big Meadow Search Project gets underway. Runs 1st June to 31st August across UK, Ireland and Channel Islands. Any type of grassland can be included. Everyone welcome to join. Watch this space for updates and please start looking for places to search
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/04/2026
All of this is likely to have been carried out under an agreed woodland management plan and licence from the Forestry Commission as part of wider operations on the valley (mostly not listed). Why yet again has a local site been missed with biodiversity suffering the consequences?
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/04/2026
I could also see that mature broadleaves had been removed, including Oak and Alder. Important species in the community present and access had been obtained by bringing heavy machinery up the small brook causing significant levels of disturbance.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/04/2026
While felling itself is likely to have been recommended to restore diversity the site is also sensitive. Clear felling the majority of the woodland like this, coupled with a lack of replanting (natives) and the use of heavy machinery to move soil has been very damaging.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 30/04/2026
Not what I wanted to see on the first local site survey of 2026 earlier this month... This small clough is plantain on ancient woodland and asnw remnants but it appears over the last year or so to have been subject to felling..
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NFBR @nfbr.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Hi everyone! Final chance to book your place for our fabulous #NFBRConference2026 next week! We have a truly excellent range of speakers talking about a hugely important and fascinating topics in the world of #BiologicalRecording. We can't wait to celebrate our 40th with you! bit.ly/4sZO4iz
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 29/04/2026
The last few days have been a fascinating mix of people wanting to make the world a better place for people and nature through science and innovation. I often worry about technology and prioritisation of new policy and strategies but I can't question the hearts and intentions of the people present.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 24/04/2026
Fantastic displays of Early Purple Orchid from todays visits. Superficially very similar, the Green-winged Orchid lacks spots on the leaves and has dark veins on the sepals around the flower. Can you tell which is which?
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 24/04/2026
Beautiful day out at Silverdale taking part in the 2026 #CityNatureChallenge for Lancashire.
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Ben @deedbn.eurosky.social · 24/04/2026
This should be a woodland Clough. Identified as 'PAWS' not what I wanted to see on my first local site survey of the year..
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The Verge @theverge.com · 21/04/2026
"In the place of problem-solving technology, companies have jumped on successive bandwagons like NFTs, the metaverse, and LLMs. What these all have in common is that they are not built to really solve a market problem. They are built to make VCs and companies rich." Read more: buff.ly/Yu2AUFy
Verge headline: Silicon Valley has forgotten what normal people want
by Elizabeth Lopatto

Illustration of a brain melting in the sun
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NFBR @nfbr.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Join #NFBRConference2026 7-8(-9) May for: 1) Amazing speakers - u can see the line up (and book!) here: bit.ly/4sZO4iz 2) Insights into the wonderful world of #BiologicalRecording 3) A cracking field trip (if u can stay on for Sat) 4) Lots of tea, coffee, lunch and chats! #Biodiversity pls share!
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Biological Recording Company @biologicalrecording.co.uk · 07/04/2026
🦋 Speaker announcement! At the Biological Recording VS on 15 April, Chloë Smith will present Butterfly & Moth Alert Maps: Mobilising National Data for Decision-making Discover how national Lepidoptera data can inform conservation decisions 🎟️ Reserve your spot: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1982007461...
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NFBR @nfbr.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
@graemelyons.bsky.social – The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing ⚠️ Join us at the NFBR Conference on 8 May for a provocative take on AI in recording—are we gaining convenience at the cost of deep knowledge? 🔗 Book now!: bit.ly/4sZO4iz #NFBRConference2026 #AI #BiologicalRecording
bit.ly
Buy tickets – NFBR 40th Celebration: Data for Nature – The Signing Tree Venue
NFBR 40th Celebration: Data for Nature – The Signing Tree Venue, Thu 7 May 2026 - Fri 8 May 2026 - Help us celebrate 40 years of the National Forum for Biological Recording! The NFBR's conference on t...
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