Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Ivy Mining Bees from my backyard. I've been trying to photograph them for a while, but it has proved a bit of a challenged, because they constantly move around the Ivy flowers very quickly, making it very difficult to get precise focus and framing. The close-up is a crop to show the detail. 0120
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 26/09/2026A Kingfisher, from the bird hide on Sinker's Fields, Whixall. I had this perch put in for Kingfishers about 5 years ago, and it's the first time I've seen one using it. 1508
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 24/09/2026@theguardian.com This is a very misleading and unfortunate headline, giving the misleading impression that it was a good year for insects. What it's really about was an influx of species from Continental Europe because of the hot weather. www.theguardian.com/environment/... 1/2 33411
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Firstly, on the Guardian from 16 years ago, I posted a huge number of comments, warning people that it was the early phases of climate change, which would start to hit us, through ecological impacts, in about 15 years. The screenshots are from Google AI. 1/7 140
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Male Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) in flight, on Marbury Big Mere, Cheshire. 1/2 24110
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 08/08/2026The Mail seem obsessed with the confabulations of this black professor, but totally ignore the much bigger knowing lies of Donald Trump, and Boris Johnson - who they employ. Is it because he's black, or are only rich white racists allowed to make shit up? 170
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Barn Owl (Tyto alba) early this morning. By the Llangollen Canal, Marbury, Cheshire. 1162
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 02/08/2026Male hovering Horsefly, Whixall Moss NNR this morning. 3322
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 22/07/2026It is the 15th Anniversary of the Utoya Island Massacre, when a deranged right wing terrorist shot dead 69 young people, mainly teenagers, attending a summer socialist camp, simply because they were left wing. See this poignant message from Aurora. 1/4 2152
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 21/07/2026This is a post I just made on X. Rather than repeat it, I will just post these screengrabs. 3133
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 26/06/2026I found some Lesser Emperor Dragonflies (Anax parthenope) on Marbury Big Mere, near Whitchurch, but in Cheshire. I was looking for them, but it was purely speculative if I'd find any. The other photo, is a better one of a Norfolk Hawker, on Whixall Moss NNR, the other day. 0120
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 26/06/2026I found a few Lesser Emperor Dragonflies (Anax parthenope) on Marbury Big Mere near Whitchurch, but in Cheshire. It was purely speculative as they have been turning up in numbers elsewhere. The other photo, is a better one of a Norfolk Hawker on Whixally Moss, the other day. Exotic dragonflies. 081
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Silver-studded Blue Butterfly, mating melee. Now and again, mating pairs would get surrounded by other males, very briefly. I thought I'd see if I could capture is. On Prees Heath Common Reserve, Shropshire. 1191
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Norfolk Hawkers (Aeshna isoceles), from Shropshire, on Whixall Moss NNR, this afternoon. They were first recorded on Whixall in 2025, and first in Shropshire in 2024. They seem to have bred successfully. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social 1/3 2141
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Emerald Damselfy (Lestes sponsa) from Whixall Moss. I got the first one on Friday 12th June, but this is a better photo. 0395
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 13/06/2026It's been terrible. Not just for photography, but the wildlife is having a tough time. This was yesterday on Whixall Moss. 020
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 13/06/2026At least it wasn't raining and was sunny on Whixall Moss NNR, but it was stupid windy again, so very difficult for dragonflies and butterflies, except for a few semi-sheltered bits. I got my first Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) and my first Meadow Browns of the year. 1240
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 05/06/2026My first open winged, Silver-studded Blue Butterfly photo of the year. On Prees Heath Common Reserve. A bit blustery and dull, so not ideal for finding and photographing butterflies. 322314
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 03/06/2026My first Silver-studded Blue Butterfly of the year, at Prees Heath Common Reserve @savebutterflies.bsky.social. There wasn't any out on 24 May, when I looked in sunny weather. Today it was nearly blowing a hoolie, and there was a torrential downpour just over a minute after I took this photo. 1334
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 30/05/2026That's how big it was in the frame originally, and that was at 600mm, so I was a long way off. 000
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 30/05/2026 I got this series of female White-faced Darter Dragonflies, egg-laying, ovipositing, this morning at Whixall Moss NNR. On one, I managed to capture the moment the female flicks the tip of her abdomen, in the water, whilst hovering, to lay an egg. 0181
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 30/05/2026My first Large Heath butterfly of the year on Whixall Moss NNR. Just a record shot as this was a gigantic crop, from the middle of the photo. 3293
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 22/05/2026A male Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis). A 9 shot, handheld, natural light focus stack. At Marbury Big Mere, Cheshire. 1141
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Hairy Dragonfly, Marbury Big Mere, South Cheshire. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social 0223
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Hardly the master race. In the real Battle of Britain, true British people, fought against the fascists. www.theguardian.com/politics/202... 230
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 13/05/2026It's inconceivable, that Starmer won't walk right into another self-induced crisis. Then how's he going to survive that? As I say, it was exactly the same with Boris Johnson. I confidently predicted he'd got 2-3 years max, before it became terminal. 2/7 111
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 13/05/2026Some of the corporate entities, keeping the puppet, Starmer in office, have just outed themselves. 150
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 13/05/2026At least we know some of the vested interests, keeping the oligarch/corporate puppet/shill, Starmer, in office. 060
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 13/05/2026What's the point of this, to soothe the markets and keep dividends high for the very rich? Who knows the inner workings of their minds. But whatever, they are seriously misleading the public. I have got a much better record of political predictions than any highly paid media commentators. 3/ 101
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 10/05/2026Another Common Clubtail Dragonfly, this time from another River, the Welsh Dee at Farndon. Freshly emerged. As I said before, in the UK, they aren't common, being near threatened, and only found in a few rivers. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social 1274
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 06/05/2026I saw about 4-5 teneral Common Clubtail dragonflies on the River Severn at Shrewsbury today (they are not common at all and are near threatened). I struggled to get any photos on the steep banks. Plus a male and female Beautiful Demoiselle. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social 0243
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 01/05/2026The accompanying information. This was not a terror attack, but the authorities messing up, and releasing a dangerous mentally ill man, with a history of random violent attacks, when he could still have been detained i.e. he was released by mistake. 040
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 30/04/2026I got my first proper dragonfly today, several White-faced Darters. This is an immature male. Some Large Red Damselflies, but less than I'd suspect at this time of year. Quite a few butterflies, like this Red Admiral, but harsh light and windy. On Whixall Moss NNR. 1201
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 26/04/2026A female Brimstone Butterfly, ovipositing, laying its egg, on an Alder Buckthorn shoot, its larval food plant, on Whixall Moss. 1325
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 26/04/2026A female Brimstone Butterly ovipositing, laying its egg, on an Alder Buckthorn shoot, its larval foodplant. One Whixall Moss. 060
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 20/04/2026Reed Warblers this morning, at Marbury Big Mere, South Cheshire. 1100
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 19/04/20262 Large Red Damselflies, Fenns Moss NNR. They're the only Odonata out at the moment. White-faced Darters and Four-spotted Chasers will be out in a few more days. 1223
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 18/04/2026I heard a Cuckoo again, on Whixall Moss NNR. I had my sound recording equipment with me, but it was too far away for a good recording, and didn't come closer. Just before I left, I saw this Speckled Wood, posing in a perfect position for a photo. 1655
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 17/04/2026I didn't get to post this photo of a Green Hairstreak Butterfly I took on Whixall Moss yesterday. It was the first day I'd seen quite a few out. It was blustery, and not ideal for photography, but I was pleased with this one. 212912
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 16/04/2026I was at the Tower on the Moss, and I have never seen so many Holly Blues today. Almost impossible to photograph, because there are no flowers for them to feed on. I got this one from on the Tower up a tree. Rubbish photo. 250
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 11/04/2026The top-rated comments on the Mail Online, the most highly rated comments by Mail readers, all condemn horse racing. Showing actually, most Mail readers agree with @zackpolanski.bsky.social. This illustrates how much the oligarch owned press, distort politics and public discourse. 2/2 164
Stephen Barlow @steb77.bsky.social · 11/04/2026In the last week, the Tory Press, including the Mail and Sun have posted stories, smearing and ridiculing @zackpolanski.bsky.social for wanting to ban Horse Racing. Ironically the Mail Online carried this story below, today. 1/2 154