Sign in

Stephen Mulvey

@stephenmulvey.bsky.social
771 followers 2.7K following 223 posts

Freelance journalist, ex-mature student (Conservation MSc at UCL), treasurer of the London Bat Group and Fellow of the Linnean Society. In the distant past reported from Kyiv and Baku.

PostsRepliesMedia
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
“Aldabra Atoll is one of only two places in the world where giant tortoises are found in the wild, with a much smaller population living in the Galápagos.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Scientists discover 180,000 giant tortoises on one Seychelles island
Free-roaming Aldabra population far exceeds human population of Seychelles after decades-long recovery programme
020
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
“Industry groups have been pushing for emissions trading linkage because it would ensure they are exempt from the EU’s new CBAM carbon border tax — which would otherwise add cost and bureaucracy to many British exports to Europe.” www.politico.eu/article/uk-e...
politico.eu
UK and EU reach Brexit agreement to link carbon emissions trading systems
The two sides are now just “tying a ribbon” on the agreement, according to one EU diplomat.
000
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
“This is one of those extraordinary stories where indigenous and horticultural knowledge with the help of social media and technology came together to uncover a truly extraordinary botanical achievement.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find
Species with leaves large enough to be seen from space is already critically endangered – and plans are afoot to protect it
000
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Kyoto’s 1200-year cherry blossom records suggest that earlier flowering, as a result of climate change, began in the 1890s. So this should be our baseline.
020
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Possible typo here?
Table listing factors that support or erode political stability in Russia (in the authors’ view)
111
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
If a cock crowed, would that also be reasonable?
070
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Could be scarlet waxcap
110
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“I will undo all the hard work over the last 20 years and move to a mono crop with maize. It’s not a threat, it’s what I will do for my family. It will break our hearts but my children come first.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘We can’t ride this storm’: the English farmers facing uncertainty after sustainability funding runs dry
After the available money ran out after just six hours, some fear they will have to reverse efforts to boost nature
030
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“The really important thing about common species is that they are the ones that are doing the most of our ecosystem services.”
020
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
To celebrate Spooky Season, let's learn why this vampire bat is running on a treadmill. The three species of vampire bats are the only known mammals to be obligate hemophages: 100% of their calories come from blood. The Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) prefers mammals... (📷: Giulia Rossi)
18709267
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Mika Rantanen @mikarantane.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Radar image of Tuesday's mass crane migration. A 100 km long line of migrating cranes was clearly visible on weather radar. It is estimated that around 10,000 (?) cranes were involved in that formation. The highest count observed was 26,000 migrating cranes on that day in Kangasala (near Tampere).
620261
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
🦇
020
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Dave Hutton @davehutton1969.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Rosemary Beetle - Chrysolina americana (Nuneaton,Warks 23/9/26) Only my 2nd ever in the Garden this afternoon. #bugs #beetles
414317
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
“With the genetic information that we can find in bats, it could be used to develop therapeutics associated with zoonotic disease. And they could also be models to develop treatments for cancer.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Bats originated in Europe, rewriting mammals’ family tree, study reveals
Biggest study of its kind provides insights into bats’ evolution – a potential gamechanger for research into human virus and cancer treatment
172
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We tagged the male with a Blubat and it zipped off West that night and hung around the W edge of London until, after a 2-3 days, the tag seemingly fell off. Patty Briggs has in the past trapped two Natpips previously ringed in Latvia. One ringed here in 2016 was killed by a cat in Pskov in 2021.
000
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Also, what are the ladders for?
100
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We had just one male at the London Wetland Centre two weeks ago (and people who trapped there three nights ago only had soprano pips and Daubenton’s). Where do your migrating bats start their migration, and do they stay in Norway or travel further?
200
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
By “children displaced” you mean children kidnapped, separated from their families and forcibly Russified.
020
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Anni Binet @annibinet.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Back in July I did some filming with ITV about my project and BluBat tags, it was finally aired today! Best bit is they used my Natterer's in flight photo as the banner, and it's mid wee 😂🫣 🦇 For those in the UK you can watch the feature here: www.itv.com/watch/news/n...
itv.com
285
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Maija Karala @maijakarala.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Where did our lost rhinos roam? Distribution charts based on bone finds (individual dots) and habitat suitability for the four fluffy rhinos of late Pleistocene. These are of course approximate and might not include all obscure finds. #Sciart
Illustration of extinct narrow-nosed rhino with a map in the background showing it lived in central and southern Europe, northern Africa and some way into western AsiaIllustration of ”Siberian unicorn” or Elasmotherium sibiricum with a map on the background showing it lived in Eastern Europe and central AsiaIllustration of a woolly rhinoceros with a map in the background showing it had a very wide distribution from southwestern Europe all the way through Europe and Russia to the Pacific coast and northern China.Illustration of a merck’s rhinoceros with a map in the background showing it lived in a large area from southwestern and central Europe to western Asia, parts of Siberia and northern and eastern China.
24943258
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Or 1892 perhaps, if it formed in 2024 and is a 132-year event
000
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I found what could be Caloboletus radicans near Thursford last week but iRecord is asking for microscopy (sadly, not possible). Can I ask what else it could be?
010
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
In Spanish-speaking countries it’s normal to use both your parents’ surnames, and Wall Kimmerer kept her maiden name while taking her husband’s name. Without these, I make it five double-barrelled names.
001
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Though Helen Fielding has apparently said the claim was false www.theguardian.com/politics/sho...
theguardian.com
Was Mark Darcy based on Keir Starmer? Here’s the definitive answer
The clean-cut candidate for Labour-leader may suit the part of the Bridget Jones character, but is it a truth universally acknowledged?
100
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Startled to see a brown hairstreak butterfly on a plum tree in a suburban South London garden (SE13). They are increasing their range in Kent and London… but there will be barely any blackthorn (where females, like this one, lay their eggs) for miles. Really mysterious.
Brown hairstreak butterfly on plum treeBrown hairstreak butterfly on plum tree.
040
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Tim Holt-Wilson @timholtwilson.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Our Norfolk Ponds investigations are finding pingoid ponds in the Breckland with layers of Cannabis pollen in their mud.
182
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
“But where this war really excelled in its stupidity was… in its response to the original setbacks. This reflects a feature of the Iran war: it has been waged by stupid people, not only Trump but also his Secretary of Defense/War Pete Hegseth.” samf.substack.com/p/good-wars-...
samf.substack.com
Good Wars, Bad Wars, and Stupid Wars
Could the war in Iran do even more damage to the US than Iraq?
010
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Carl Sayer @carlsayer.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
So proud of my Dads self-seeded hay meadow covered so very brilliantly (huge thanks) by @patrickbarkham.bsky.social in the Guardian today. ‘I love it. It’s hope’: the mysterious self-willed wildflower meadow that seeded itself | Biodiversity | The Guardian share.google/rqDHUdpZBXuy...
share.google
‘I love it. It’s hope’: the mysterious self-willed wildflower meadow that seeded itself
Farmer Derek Sayer let a boggy field run wild and just one annual hay-cut has led to remarkable biodiversity
47222
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Rare moth makes a comeback after more than 70 years! For decades, the only site where the Dark Bordered Beauty could be found in England was Strensall Common in Yorkshire. Now a second population has been rediscovered at the National Trust's Wallington estate, providing new hope for the species.
A Dark Bordered Beauty moth, with yellow and brown patterned wings, resting on a green leaf amongst grass
114025
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
“Natural England, the government’s adviser for the natural environment in England, does not sound very enthusiastic about white stork releases, though it says they are not banned. It argues that neither white nor black storks were ever native breeding birds in England.”
000
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Cc @bdtaylor-su.bsky.social
010
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Photographer Varun Aditya spent three straight nights in a hide with no flash to capture this pride of Asiatic lions, one of only 600 left in the wild, all confined to India's Gir Forest.
1715171956
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
It's actually even more of a coincidence because this is only currently true - in the distant past the moon was much closer to Earth, making eclipses fully block the sun and in the future it will be much further away, making total eclipses impossible
196
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Funny how no one asked russia to halt strikes on Ukrainian civilians.
1292209046452
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Thank you.
011
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Revealed: just 20 out of of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation, as UK burns in fifth heatwave of this summer - FOI request by me @andyburnham.bsky.social needs to level with the country about the climate crisis & set out radical plan to tackle it 🧵 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Just 20 of 6,600 Defra staff working on climate adaptation amid drought and wildfires
Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwaves
341041520
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Can anyone help ID this moth (in a bathroom, SE London)? Willow beauty perhaps? #teammoth
Moth on lumpy glass window
150
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
L-album Wainscot moth (Mythimna l-album) in SE London bathroom, in the early hours of the morning. There are supposed to be two generations, July and September-October, so is this a late July moth or an early September one? @joebeale.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Wainscot moth with brown, fawn and white markings.
010
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Here’s the personal robbery data that @shashj.bsky.social refers to
Chart showing incidence of personal robbery involving use of force, over time, in Paris, London and Chicago (which have the worst record of the six selected cities) Berlin, New York and LA.
000
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
These 20-25mm-long stinging flies generally avoid humans, apparently, and make a loud buzzing noise as they fly.
001
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Crocosmia seems to be everywhere in Cornwall these days. I’d be interested to know what native plants it has primarily displaced.
000
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 02/07/2026
Did you know? Renewables have just overtaken coal as the world's largest source of electricity 34% – global renewable share, up 2x in 20yrs 48% – EU 37% – China 26% – US 24% – India
211156449
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Would you conclude from this that imperial revanchism, and attempted/actual genocide in Ukraine, is popular, as long as it doesn’t affect the functioning of mobile internet and fuel availability?
110
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Aurora Australis from the International Space Station
763958748
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Wolfgang Cramer @cramer-bondeau.fr · 30/06/2026
Just in case Europeans think that the air here is hotter than usual, do not forget that the sea surface of the entire planet is warmer than it has ever been in late June (since records began). pulse.climate.copernicus.eu
screenshot from copernicus, indicating 0.54°C temperature anomaly (relative to 1991-2020 average) on June 28, 2026
111157
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
“British woodlands (except pine) burn like wet asbestos; this was even so when the great drought of 1976 coincided with the height of the fashion for burning stubble.” History of the Countryside (1986) p72.
010
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
@macro_action @birdzandbees.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The sweetest thing, don’t you think? These very fast and very loud Green eyed flower bees (Anthopora bimaculta) are also very cute. @nikoneurope Z9 and Z105mm macro SS1/4000 F11 ISO3200 natural light #bee #bees #cuteanimal #cute #macro
1548968
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Grantham Research Institute at LSE @granthamlse.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
We regret that our event on Extreme Heat: Improving governance and strengthening action around the world has been cancelled due to the red extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office. Our apologies to everyone who was planning to attend the event.
7719981152
Stephen Mulvey @stephenmulvey.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
🦇
010
Reposted by Stephen Mulvey
Will Clennell @birdbeard.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Two gorgeous Greens. Scarce Silver-lines and Green Silver-lines. Both nfy in VC27, Old Catton. #teammoth #norfolkmoths
1351