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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 22h

Scilly day 5. Trip list 111. 30 mph northeasterlies making it a bit tricky today. Just 1 trip tick today with a couple of Jack Snipe. A 30 second view of the juv Sora, YB Warbler, Pied Fly and a couple of Firecrest the best of the rest. #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Scilly day 4. Trip list up to 110 species. Cracking day on Tresco and St.Mary’s with not 1 but 2 Sora (my 4+5th), Wilson’s Snipe (4th), American Golden Plover (6th), Lapland Bunting and Yellow-browed Warbler. #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

So you wait ages to see a Sora then like London buses you see two in 3.25 hours! Am I the first person to have seen 2 Sora in a day in the UK? 🤔 #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I finally saw a Sora! My 3rd on Scilly and 4th in the UK. Might go and try for the other one on Tresco now!

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Scilly day 3. A frustrating day on St.Agnes with no sign of the Western Bonelli’s Warbler but my 2nd Red-backed Shrike in 2 days and finding my 1st ever Lesser Emperor dragonfly (only the 2nd for Aggy apparently) were noteworthy. Black Redstart back on Mary’s made the year list. #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This Hummingbird Hawkmoth joined us at the bird log this evening. Also only my second ever Marbled Coronet in a pot thanks again to Ralph. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Scilly day 2. Trip list up to 96 species. Today’s highlights were Short-toed Lark, Rose-coloured Starling, Glossy Ibis, Red-backed Shrike, Turtle Dove and Pied Flycatcher. Arrived at the Sora to a full hide and the bird having not showing for hours. 4th time lucky tomorrow? 🤞🏻😬 #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Thanks to Ralph Parkes at tonight’s Scilly bird log for some great moths. 7 new species for me. The next 3 are Small Marbled, Purple Marbled and Silver-spotted Veneer (Euchromius ocellea). Plus only my 4th Convulvulous Hawkmoth (all from Scilly). #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Thanks to Ralph Parkes at tonight’s Scilly bird log for some great moths. 7 new species for me. The first 4 here are the UK’s 6/7th Vagrant Snout, Marbled Fern (Musotima nitidalis), Ni Moth and Palm Tabby (Diplopseustis perieresalis) #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Scilly day 1. Trip list now up to 87. Had to get the boat again but had c.40 each of Storm Petrel and Grey Phalarope. Missed the Sora twice so will try again. Other year ticks included Glossy Ibis and Snow Bunting. #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Well am I glad I didn’t drive a 16+hr round trip to Fife! A much more pleasant 3.5 hours to Glos and back with Matt Moreton for the stunning LONG-TAILED SHRIKE #499 #onemoretogo #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

27.6.26. 508 moths of 97 species including 3 lifers and a NFG. Those being Lesser-spotted Pinion, Evergestis limbata and Blastobasis vittata and the NFG Coleophora conspicuella. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Found a couple of caterpillars today at work. My first ever Lime Hawkmoth and a Gypsy Moth. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Can this Coleophora sp be ID’d to species without chopping?! #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Can anyone help ID these two please? Golden Rod Pug and ? thanks #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

My first visit to N Wales since the Cemlyn Sooty Tern in 2005. The Western Reef Heron ✔️ the highlight. 2 Puffin, 2 Chough, Black Guillemot, Osprey, Tree Pipit and 8 Willow Tit amongst over a dozen year ticks. #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

28.5.26. 321 moths of 73 species including 2 lifers Assara terebrella and Musotima nitidalis. Also 2nd garden records of Scarlet Tiger Moth, Sallow Kitten and Reddish Light Arches. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Potted this up in my Hemel Hempstead garden this afternoon. Looks like it’s a Clepsis dumicolana and from most recent info it’s possibly just the 2nd Herts. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

25.5.26. 200 moths of 71 species with 1 NFG that being not 1 but 3 Small Mottled Willow which is my 650th garden species. Also garden 2nd Green Silver Lines and 3rds of Ptycholoma lecheana + Exotelia dodecella #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

22.5.26. 217 moths of 69 species including 3 lifers and a NFG! Those being Cydia conicolana, Endothenia nigricostana and Phtheochroa rugosana. The NFG saw me in my shed turn over an egg tray at 4am and say to myself GEOFF! Alabonia geoffrella #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Can anyone confirm these as Endothenia nigricostana and Cydia conicolana please? #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Can anyone ID this Bucculatrix? If ObsIdentify is to be believed it’s either demaryella or maritima but probably nothing that exciting! #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Poor phone pic of a moth on the works van. Anyone able to ID it please? Cochylis nana coming up on Obsidentify. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Finally the Lesser Scaup has done the right thing and flown to Wilstone Reservoir and visit a proper county! 4th Herts and a nice Herts ✔️ for myself 🥳 + Common Tern, Yellow Wag year ticks and a flock of 6 Oystercatchers (my biggest in Herts) @patchbirding.bsky.social #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

8.4.26. 72 moths of 18 species wasn’t as good as I’d hoped given the day’s temperatures. Mullein, Brindled Beauty and Herald were the highlights. This well marked Double-striped Pug was one of 25 in and around the trap. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

A patch tick Lesser Scaup was the highlight of a few hours this morning along with just my 3rd patch Curlew. Also the first few summer migrants with 2 LRP, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Swallow and House Martin. @patchbirding.bsky.social #patchgold

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Great day out with Brendon Fagan to East Anglia. 13 year ticks including 2 LS Woodpeckers, Iceland Gull, 2 Stone Curlew, 5 Crossbill, Marsh Tit, BT Diver, RT Diver and 2 Crane. #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

5.3.26. First trap of the year was pretty good with a lifer March Moth (2), 4th garden Dotted Border, 2 Oak Beauty and a Diurnea fagella amongst the usual suspects. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

So it’s 26 years since the Lade Canvasback and the story from the late great Dunge local Ray Turley getting a message relayed to him from his wife Janet saying someone’s called to say there’s a Canvas Bag at Lade GP’s! 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Great day in Hampshire with Brendon Fagan. My 2nd UK Killdeer was the highlight. The Great-tailed Grackle took his time to show but show well he did. Little Gull, White-tailed Eagle and Great Northern Diver the best of 9 year ticks. #ukbirding 🦉 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Finally finished my 2025 moth records. 12 Traps 281 Species 5005 Moths 10 Garden Ticks 4 Lifers The Jersey Mocha is my first since I found Herts first record and I also had a garden second Blastobasis rebeli which is a 3rd for Herts (my garden first was Herts second record)! #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

A year ago today I had my final tick of 2024 with the stunning Yellow Warbler at New Hythe GP’s,Kent. It looked better than my photos would lead you to believe so here’s a pic of my stuffed one as well 😂 #ukbirding 🪶

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Well merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you all get what you asked for. Have a good day 🎅🏻 🎄 🥃 🍻

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

A blog post about a birding milestone. #ukbirding 🪶 ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/500-71…

ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

@callumlaing.bsky.social why have you followed me? Where in my profile does it say I own a business or do investing? Do you have an interest in anything mentioned on my profile?

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

#BirdingGear has anyone bought a Baerskin fleece/waterproof shell combo and is it any good please?

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Hello anybody there? 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

@support.bsky.team I’ve got this message re private messaging. I can’t work out how/what to do to get it cleared. I don’t have another email account to add, I don’t want to change my handle or password and I’ve already added my date of birth. Help!

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

20 years ago today I ticked Laughing Gull at Haslar Creek,Hants part of an influx of the species. Still my only one. Also a nice adult Ring-billed Gull at the same site. #ukbirding 🦉

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Just finished typing up my 2 week holiday on Scilly. Some light reading for you to help you sleep! Scroll to the bottom for chronological reading. #ukbirding 🦉 Ian Bennell's Birding Blog: October 2025 ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com/2025/10/

ianbennellsbirdingblog.blogspot.com

Ian Bennell's Birding Blog

Giving you all my latest sightings no matter how dull they are!!!!

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

So 2 weeks on Scilly produced 129 species and with a couple of stops on the way home that rose to 142sp. The highlight of course Britain’s 7th Mourning Dove but daft numbers of Firecrest, Jack Snipe and Black Redstart were almost as impressive! Roll on next year. #ukbirding 🦉

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

After yesterday’s Death’s-head Hawkmoth today I twitched my first ever Feathered Brindle that was trapped at Buzza,Scilly. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

This beast of a Death’s-head Hawkmoth is on show at the log this evening. Just my 2nd ever and both on Scilly. #teammoth

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Extra extra read all about it. Scilly day 3 just ended with my 4th UK and 2nd Scilly record of American (Buff-bellied) Pipit on the Garrison. Here’s some digi-binned record shots!

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Scilly day 3. A trip to St.Agnes today saw the monochrome Yellow Wagtail, Hoopoe + Whinchat around Periglis, a beast of a Peregrine over the campsite, the long staying Spotted Sandpiper at St.Warna Cove and a summer plumaged GN Diver in Porthcressa.

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

On Scilly again albeit a day earlier than expected produced 2 Arctic Skua and 4 Shearwater sp from the Scillonian then my first Scilly tick of the trip (hopefully not the last) with the Wilson’s Phalarope at Lower Moors. The Rosy Starling ended the day near my accommodation.

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Ian Bennell @ianbennell75.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Thanks to my lovely wife for dropping my optics to me I headed straight up to Wilstone where I quickly laid eyes on the 2 Red-throated Divers. A long time in coming Herts tick. Last record in 2012 was a flyover and before that in 2003 and 1997 so a rare beast here. #hertsbirds 🥳

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