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Fraser Simpson

@fssbirding.bsky.social
52 followers 42 following 37 posts

Birding, Orthoptera, Nature, Sound Recording, Ayrshire SOC Recorder

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Reposted by Fraser Simpson
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
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
youtube.com/watch?v=qeLw...
youtube.com
Gong - Stars in Heaven - Official Music Video
YouTube video by Kscope
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Reposted by Fraser Simpson
Rafa 🦗 @laughingmudhopper.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Primeira vez fotografado vivo. A grande mancha central é flanqueada, nas fêmeas, por duas manchas aproximadamente triangulares e, no sexo masculino, por duas manchas quase quadrangulares localizadas na metade anterior do pronoto. www.inaturalist.org/observations...
inaturalist.org
Ripipteryx trilobata
Ripipteryx trilobata from Saint-Élie 97312, Guyane française on July 19, 2026 at 04:38 PM by Elendil Cocchi
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Mating pair of Blue-winged Grasshoppers (Oedipoda caerulescens) at Reculver in Kent. Big difference in sexual dimorphism. #Orthoptera
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Good trip by train yesterday down to Reculver in Kent to see Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens) at one of their only known sites in Britain. #Orthoptera
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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...
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Science Magazine @science.org · 24/07/2026
A new analysis in Science of more than 116,000 bird songs has revealed that the astonishing variety of passerine birdsong is built from just eight basic acoustic motifs, like trills, whistles, and harmonic notes. scim.ag/4ft2KBF
scim.ag
The global biogeography of passerine songs
Although bird songs are classic models for understanding the evolution of vocal communication, their global diversity has long made the development of a unifying framework challenging. By analyzing th...
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Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A few IDs still to do, but no question of the moth of the morning here in North Wales - this stunning Clouded Magpie. A species I've long wanted to see, to an actinic in the garden of this highly recommended AirBnB at Rhiw Goch. My 9th macro moth lifer of my 60th birthday week. #TeamMoth
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Well done, and Happy Birthday!
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Reposted by Fraser Simpson
David W. Williams @vc40orthops.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
A male Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, part of a large population discovered during the Tanyptera Trust day at Alvaston Hall last Friday, only the 2nd confirmed Cheshire record. @tanyptera.bsky.social
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David W. Williams @vc40orthops.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Good to see a number of Blue-winged Grasshopper (Oedipoda caerulescens) nymphs in Berck, France, with @rockwolf74.bsky.social earlier this week, the first time I've seen this species.
Final instar nymph.Penultimate instar nymph.Final instar nymph.A younger nymph (pre-penultimate instar, with the wingbuds not reversed).
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Back from another week @fscblencathra.bsky.social in the Lake District #biol0007 #FieldCourseFortnight
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Dawn chorus chronology at Blease Road, Blencathra in the Lake District from the Song Thrush at 03:28 to the Chaffinch at 04:40. #biol0007 #FieldCourseFortnight #birdsong #UKBirding
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Quail singing at 01:48 this morning along Blease Road, just east of @fscblencathra.bsky.social Cumbria, NY 307255 #biol0007 #FieldCourseFortnight #birdsong
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
In contrast to these productive pairs of Redstarts, a lonely male in oak pasture 1km SE of this site sung 1501 times between 03:33 and 07:32 this morning before heavy started. Maybe next year... #biol0007 #FieldCourseFortnight #birdsong
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) resting on an Alder along the River Glenderamackin on the south side of Blencathra. #biol0007 #FieldCourseFortnight #Odonata #Zygoptera
Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)
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Reposted by Fraser Simpson
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
The @ucllifesciences.bsky.social field course students are now running moth traps @fscblencathra.bsky.social to collect data for their mini-projects. Three NFY for me in today's sample in Satin Lutestring, Sallow Kitten and Pale-shouldered Brocade, bringing my year total to 425 species. #TeamMoth
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Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
My annual visit to see Catoptria furcatellus at the top of Blencathra. A four hour round walk up to 868 metres, apparently some people do it for the views... 🤷. #TeamMoth
Catoptria furcatellus moth hunkered down from the wind in some grass. My experience is that the best spot for this species is along the edge of the saddle ridge, between the western and central peaks of Blencathra mountain.
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Reposted by Fraser Simpson
Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
The locals @fscblencathra.bsky.social are putting the telegraph poles to good use. Great to see a pair of Redstart feeding a brood. #UKBirding
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Orthoptera.ch @orthopterach.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Done: Our new Orthoptera app is now available! It features 182 European grasshopper species and is now fully available in English, in addition to German. More about the app (German only): www.orthoptera.ch/wiki/info-ap... #insects #entomology #orthoptera #grasshopper #heuschrecken #biodiversity
Orthoptera app
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Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
At least 9 NFY for me from the overnight moth catch, including Striped Twin-spot Carpet, Dusky Brocade, Broom Moth and Dark Brocade. This is a set of moths I mainly see on this annual field course visit to @fscblencathra.bsky.social. #TeamMoth
Striped Twin-spot Carpet moth on slateDusky Brocade moth on a beech branchBroom Moth on a mossy logDark Brocade on the Blencathra moth slate
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Glaucous Shears (Papestra biren) to light trap at @FSCBlencathra NY303255 Didn't bring the camera this year so images taken with mobile phone #biol0007 #FieldCourseFortnight #Cumberland VC70
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Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
A great start to moth trapping @fscblencathra.bsky.social, with one of the student groups bringing in my first ever Glaucous Shears. Part of a decent haul considering the wind and coolish overnight temperatures. #TeamMoth
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Back to @fscblencathra.bsky.social for another week with @mothyblackburn.bsky.social and #biol0007 in the Lake District #FieldCourseFortnight
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk/butterfly/sc... Scotch Argus
britainsfavouritebutterfly.co.uk
Scotch Argus - Britain’s Favourite Butterfly
The Scotch Argus is one of the 60 beautiful butterflies found across the UK. Will it be Britain's Favourite Butterfly?
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Rockwolf 🇪🇺 @rockwolf74.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
My first Meconema sp of the year! I’m sure it’s my earliest 😳 from Wrexham today! #Orphoptera #BushCricket
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Journal of Orthoptera Research @jor.pensoft.net · 21/04/2026
🌍🦗 The northward expansion of the short-winged grasshopper Pezotettix giornae across Europe has been documented as a direct response to climate change over the last three decades. ➡️ Read more: doi.org/10.3897/jor.35.173175 #grasshopper
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BOARDS OF CANADA @boardsofcanada.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Mediterranean Banded Centipede (Scolopendra cingulata) from the Valle de Ojén #Myriapoda #Andalucía #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Orthoptera.ch @orthopterach.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Wir haben mit Prionotropis hystrix ein imposante neue Art im Heuschrecken-Wiki auf Orthoptera.ch integriert. www.orthoptera.ch/wiki/arten/c... #insects #entomology #orthoptera #grasshopper #heuschrecken #biodiversity
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Common Stick Grasshopper (Pyrgomorpha conica) from La Breña de Barsbate, Andalucía #Orthoptera #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Earthling Stone Grasshopper (Euryparyphes terrulentus) from Valle de Ojén, Andalucía #Orthoptera #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Lamenting Grasshopper (Eyprepocnemis plorans) from Valle de Ojén, Andalucía #Orthoptera #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Common Maquis Grasshopper (Pezotettix giornae) from Duna de Bolonia today #Orthoptera #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) plus larva on Andalucian Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia baetica), Atlanterra, Andalucía, Spain #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Great train trip from London to Malaga via Paris & Barcelona. Highlights inc Marsh Harrier, Black Redstart, Black Kite, Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Short-toed Eagle, Whiskered Tern & Griffon Vulture #birdingbytrain #lowcarbonbirding #biol0028 #uclecolgen
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Just a few mentions, but there is a nice photograph of Ripipteryx tricolor.
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
It's been a great month for new books on Orthoptera...and it's not even my birthday yet 😁 Grasshoppers, Locusts, & Crickets of the World by M Husemann & O Hawlitschek Field Guide to the Grasshoppers and Allies of Great Britain and Ireland by P Sutton, B Beckmann & R Lewington
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ZooKeys @zookeys.pensoft.net · 13/02/2026
New Caledonian Forests are full of hidden natural treasures! 🌿🦋 This study describes two spectacular new species of Caloptilia moths - 𝘊. 𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘴 and 𝘊. 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘢 - discovered in the Parc des Grandes Fougères. Read the full study: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1268.173885
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Three Blackcaps heard sub-singing (probably in French or German 😃) this morning in Purfleet-on-Thames, favouring dense, ivy-clad trees. #birdsong #subsong #UKBirding
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Joanna Bagniewska @joannabagniewska.com · 21/11/2025
🐈 What's TikTok good for? Examining which arthropods are hunted by cats. 🌍 Social media have become an increasingly useful resource in ecological research. 🪲 We now know that cats kill arthropods from 14 different orders. 🧪 Study: resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Social media highlights the overlooked impact of cats on arthropods
The impact of domestic cats on vertebrate biodiversity is unequivocal; however, we still know little about their effects on arthropods. By analysing over 17,000 photos and videos from social media p...
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Burning the candle at both ends: two sympatric thrushes are equally detectable and sing at similar rates at dawn and dusk link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Burning the candle at both ends: two sympatric thrushes are equally detectable and sing at similar rates at dawn and dusk - Journal of Ornithology
Many birds sing prolifically during the dawn chorus and a subset of these species also sing at dusk. How vocal activity varies between these two periods has not been examined in many species. In this ...
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
It's not my latest Holly Blue though... had one on 18 November 2021.
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Third generation Holly Blue on ivy in Purfleet this morning in 16°C sunshine with a few Ivy Bees (Colletes hederae) still around too 13/11/25.
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Gwen Pearson @bug-gwen.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Let's start Monday with some whimsy. These delightful grasshoppers (possibly also katydids?) are from a water jar created by Makuzu Kōzan in 1870. To see full size images: www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
Detail of the water pot decoration. Grasshoppers carrying flowers are also accompanying a palanquin, used to carry... presumably high ranking lady grasshoppers. A couple might also be katydids based on antennae length, but let's not get uptight about imaginary anthropomorphized bugs, eh?The little freshwater pot, with a wooden top. This side shows more grasshoppers (possibly a katydid) carrying fruit and flowers as they march along on their hind legs.
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Bet you're glad you "gave it a try" !!
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Amazing - what a find!
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Tim Blackburn @mothyblackburn.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
The Sorcerer from Kenfig last night. Finally got up the courage to remove it from the pot (after some others had seen it). As far as I know, fourth British record and first for Wales. Thanks to everyone for moral support during my meltdown. But, what a moth! #TeamMoth
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Well, it looks like the Corydoras have bred in my community aquarium without me knowing! 😀🐟
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Fraser Simpson @fssbirding.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Vote for your New Zealand Bird of the Year #Wrybill www.birdoftheyear.org.nz
birdoftheyear.org.nz
Bird of the Year ‹ Forest & Bird
Forest & Bird’s Bird of the Year recognises our unique birds and with each vote you give them a voice.
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