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Joseph Beale

@joebeale.bsky.social

Naturalist: surveys, guided walks, writing. Moths, butterflies, birds, dragonflies, soldierflies. SE London-based. Views my own etc. 🍉

57 Posts504 Follower470 Folgt
Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Recording at Stave Hill Ecological Park (Rotherhithe, VC Surrey) has produced some lovely sights: Stratiomys potamida soldierfly, migrant Pearly Underwing, Caloptilia cuculipennella, and a superbly coloured Acrobasis tumidana, a favourite of mine - and not many VC Surrey records. #TeamMoth

A richly coloured Acrobasis tumidana, likely a migrant, resting on a piece of wood. It is rather slender with red and ochre colours, a black and white band across the middle, and raised scales forming a ridge along this band.Boldy striped, yellow and black, large soldierfly Stratiomys potamida - aka the Banded General - rests in a glass tube while being photographed.The head end of a Pearly Underwing moth - a migrant - showing its reddish brown colour with classic whitish raised scales in 'mohican' style on the top of its head.
Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · last yr.

There's a fair chance of finding something interesting if you look at insects - like this Least Black Arches moth. Few Greenwich records, but it has increased nationally. Blackheath this a.m: a Yellow Wagtail paused on migration to catch insects amongst Dandelions. A benefit of less intense mowing!

Close up of a Least Black Arches moth - a small but attractive moth, finely patterned in black and whiteA Least Black Arches moth - a small but attractive moth, finely patterned with chevrons and wavy lines in black and whiteBildBild
Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · 2y ago

Good news for Swanscombe SSSI's exceptional wildlife, and for the local community! Swanscombe - a site rich in natural wonders, from orchids to Nightingales - has been under threat for years from an ill-conceived theme park. Also nice to see my photo in use 🙂 community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/rs...

Swanscombe Peninsula outcome showcases the power of your dedicated campaigning

“The RSPB is delighted that Swanscombe Peninsula has been saved for wildlife - it is an amazing Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), alive with birds, wildflowers

community.rspb.org.uk

Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · 2y ago

Thanks very much to the Vanbrugh Volunteers who helped with a bit of habitat management in #Greenwich on Sunday. It's to maintain a dynamic mix of habitats of varying structure, openness, and stages of growth, to maximise the benefit to wildlife. We also cleared a fair bit of litter!

Volunteers managing some Gorse at Vanbrugh Pits, Greenwich, to start the process of regrowth, to maintain a dynamic mix of heights and ages of scrub. This allows wildflowers and grasses to grow in the temporary clearing before the Gorse grows back.Volunteers pushing the bramble line back to help maintain the rough grassland and create some sunny open spots for invertebrates at Vanbrugh Pits, Greenwich.A great bunch of people, those who were still there at the end of the volunteer session! Thanks to our volunteers we are keeping the habitat dynamic where possible, allowing a varied mix of vegetation types, open spaces, dense scrub and regrowth. This helps to maximise the value for invertebrates and to prevent the habitat becoming uniform.Small Copper butterfly is one of the many insects that benefits from habitat work at Vanbrugh Pits (this photo was taken not far away in a previous summer, and is for illustrative purposes here). They are small orange and black butterflies that are resident at Vanbrugh Pits. They lay eggs on Sheep's Sorrel, which grows amongst the Gorse stumps before it regrows. They feed at ragwort and other flowers, which also appreciate sunny clearings that result from the habitat work. We look forward to seeing them again in May.
Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · 2y ago

Some beautiful insects from 2024 in #Greenwich_Park. Brindled Green new to the Park, Ferdinandea cuprea hoverfly on a tree trunk also likely new for the site, Metalampra italica a small #moth also new here but spreading and frequent; larvae may eat fungi. Oak Hook-tip, a finely patterned species.

Brindled Green, a superbly camouflaged moth with greens, blacks, greys and some orange-pink.Ferdinandea cuprea, a large woodland hoverfly with a golden abdomen, that likes damaged wood with sap.Metalampra italica, a small ginger moth with straw-yellow lines and blotches.Oak Hook-tip, a perfect individual with orange, grey and black shading.
Florence@florencewilkinson.bsky.social · 2y ago

In the spirit of Christmas (and seeing as I’m new here) I thought I’d host a little #giveaway. For the chance to win* a signed copy of my book, Wild City, which came out in paperback this year: 1. Share this post 2. Comment with your favourite wild species that you’ve spotted in an urban setting!

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Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · 2y ago

On Bluesky the group of people following is smaller than on X, but engagment here seems better. If you are following me here and I haven't reciprocated and you'd like me to, please let me know!

Joseph Beale@joebeale.bsky.social · 2y ago

The last moth trap of the year last night, four species in very mild conditions included a December Moth and an Oak Rustic - seemingly 1st #Greenwich record. The reniform stigma is much more subtle and varied when seen under magnification than it appears at first glance. #teammoth

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