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Ben Eaton

@benjeaton.bsky.social

Ladywalk & Sutton Park (Warks/West Mids) birder, moth-er and conservation volunteer. Gardener.

257 Followers  |  317 Following  |  49 Posts  |  Joined: 10.08.2024  |  2.1526

Latest posts by benjeaton.bsky.social on Bluesky

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After 25+ miles walked in better conditions along the Norfolk coast this month it felt sort of ironic that the first bird I lifted my bins for on a family outing at Happisburgh this afternoon was this lovely 1w Isabelline (Daurian) Shrike.

30.09.2025 20:23 β€” πŸ‘ 86    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Dried off and went back for more! Still present late afternoon. Shustoke Res. #warksbirding

04.09.2025 16:03 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I’m getting better at phonescoping!

04.09.2025 12:13 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Lovely Spotted Redshank again at far end of Shustoke Res this am. 2+ Tree Pipits, 5 Yellow Wags, 6 Common & 1 Green Sand, juv Common Tern. Tons of hirundines #warksbirding @birdguides.bsky.social

04.09.2025 08:00 β€” πŸ‘ 42    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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2nd September Plenty more wind and at least some more showery rain saw pretty well all the day's attention given to the sea. An early morningΒ  Cory's Shea...

www.portlandbirdobs.com/2025/09/2nd-september.html

02.09.2025 23:00 β€” πŸ‘ 67    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1
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Ladywalk Nature Reserve are holding a moth morning!

Come along on Saturday 6th September to find out what's been caught in the trap overnight!

Book your place by visiting our website: www.westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk/event-detail... or by emailing Geoff Adams (see details below).

23.08.2025 11:26 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Painted Lady

Painted Lady

Warbler waves aplenty at #SuttonPark, West Mids early this am. 4+ Tree Pipits, Yellow Wag & 4 Snipe high south over Upper Crabs. 4 Redstarts, 2 Spot Fly, 4 Swallow, Swift. #ukbirding

22.08.2025 09:40 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Better urban mothing last night (Erdington, B’ham). A nice Dusky Thorn. Annoyingly, my second Tree-lichen Beauty of the year got away. 20 Vine’s Rustics maybe a record. #teammoth

19.08.2025 09:06 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Mainly. Whinchat & some of the pipits at Rowton’s Well.

17.08.2025 11:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

A PB of 10+ Tree Pipits over at #SuttonPark, West Mids this am. The first two Spot Flys of the autumn, Whinchat, 6 Redstarts, 2 Lesser Whites & Hobby. #westmidsbirding

15.08.2025 14:41 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah, Google Lens is saying the same. Smart looking.

14.08.2025 17:46 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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I know nothing about spiders. What have I got here? Found him looking comfy in a plant pot inside my van. #ukspiders

13.08.2025 18:09 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Two south very early over FF. One on the deck around Lower Crabs.

09.08.2025 17:48 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

May have been more, but couldn’t be sure

09.08.2025 16:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Fresh morning at #SuttonPark, West Mids. 1+ Crossbill roaming around Queen’s Coppice. 3 Tree Pipits buzzed south, Yellow Wag on flying field, just the single Redstart, Lesser White and a few Garden Warblers. #ukbirding

09.08.2025 13:18 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Hopefully. I’ll speak to Pete.

03.08.2025 19:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A good turn out last night for the bat walk at #LadywalkNR, Warks. Soprano & Common Pips, Noctule, Brown Long-eared & Daubenton’s enjoyed. Tree-lichen Beauty in the morning was new for the reserve too.

02.08.2025 08:28 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Chamaenerion angustifolium β€˜Album’

Chamaenerion angustifolium β€˜Album’

Oullin’s Golden Gage

Oullin’s Golden Gage

I’ve sneaked some ornamental weeds for #teammoth into a client’s garden. They’ve struggled with the drought but the β€˜Album’ form of Rosebay Willowherb is useful as it spreads well but doesn’t self seed. And some interesting harvests this week…

25.07.2025 20:02 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Hawkmoth. South Warks. #teammoth #moth

23.07.2025 17:39 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Slender Brindle

Slender Brindle

Fen Wainscot

Fen Wainscot

Ruby Tiger

Ruby Tiger

Jersey Tiger

Jersey Tiger

Mothing at #LadywalkNR brought nothing unexpected. 4 Fen Wainscots are the most I’ve seen here. Slender Brindle & Box-tree Moth were gaps filled on the list. Down the road though in Chelmsley Wood (Birmingham), mom finds a Jersey Tiger whilst watering the garden! Colonised now locally? #teammoth

12.07.2025 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Definitely. The LED is useful too for gloomy mornings.

20.06.2025 14:30 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Zeiraphera isertana

Zeiraphera isertana

Acleris forsskaleana

Acleris forsskaleana

My iPhone 13’s macro is pretty poor. So my first crude attempt at macro with my Opticron hand lens attached! 3 new micros for the garden last night (Erdington, Birmingham) #teammoth

20.06.2025 13:22 β€” πŸ‘ 27    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€˜Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides

It’s hard not to feel a sense rising dread & impending disaster reading this.

The article shows the difference in #moth numbers to a light in 1984 & in 2019, the difference is scary. How many species have we already lost?
#mothsmatter #inverts #bugsky
πŸŒΏπŸ›πŸπŸ¦‹πŸŒΎπŸͺ·πŸ¦ŽπŸ¦β€β¬›

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

03.06.2025 11:29 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Scorched Wing

Scorched Wing

Gold Spot

Gold Spot

Dark Sword-grass

Dark Sword-grass

Pale Tussock

Pale Tussock

First go of the year at #LadywalkNR, Warwickshire. Clear at first and a bit breezier than hoped. Orange Footman added to the reserve list and Dark Sword-grass unexpected. #teammoth #mothsmatter

17.05.2025 08:01 β€” πŸ‘ 32    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

Red-footed Falcon

What a morning at Clifford Hill! Was content with a fly over Whimbrel and heading back home came across this Red-footed Falcon! Lifer on the local patch, absolute gold.
#birds #ukbirding #northantsbirds

07.05.2025 08:51 β€” πŸ‘ 36    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1
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#LadywalkNR @warksmammalgroup.bsky.social Our largest carnivore. They are however more omnivorous. Earthworms make up a massive part of their diet. They also eat nuts and berries. It’s rare to see a badger with a carcass. Scavenged or hunted I don’t know? She really doesn’t want to share it.

03.05.2025 20:00 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Early start #LadywalkNR #Westmidsalldayer and a good start with @benjeaton.bsky.social picking up Glossy Ibis…
Good team effort from everyone and was on 99 when I left.
Also good start for May with also adding Hobby+Ringed plover for the 3k #PWC2025

03.05.2025 19:05 β€” πŸ‘ 39    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Still present in Crake Corner from Riverwalk Hide, 11:20. #ladywalknr

03.05.2025 10:23 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Glossy Ibis! @ladywalknr.bsky.social View from Hide A/Riverwalk @birdguides.bsky.social

03.05.2025 07:28 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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RING NECKED DUCK at #uptonwarren Moors Pool this morning. A first for the reserve. Not seen since 3 Otters swam through about 50 minutes ago! #WorcsBirds #ukbirding

29.03.2025 08:22 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

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