Joe Sparey

Bumblebees, butterflies, moths and all other British wildlife. Birding twitter account: @Joe_Sparey

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

Toad season has begun in NW Worcestershire with 9 moved to safety. #toadpatrol

Also, 1 frog, 1 male smooth newt and 1 female palmate newt.

NW Worcestershire, 20 February 2025.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

Patch maxima of 9 hares in a stubble field!

NW Worcestershire, 14 August 2024.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

Toad Patrol is done for 2024. Watched diligently with 838 moved to safety. #toadpatrol

29 January - 20 March, NW Worcestershire.

@froglifers @ARGroupsUK @WorcsWT

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

The first toads of 2024 #toadpatrol

12 moved to safety. 11 °C at dusk with light rain.

Expecting a lull now for a couple of weeks...

NW Worcestershire, 29 January 2024.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

@frogsatuea Just me moving them with the same amount of effort as previous years. Traffic mortality this year was low at 2.87% (35 toads).

5th year of moving them so maybe that is having a positive effect?

I'm curious to see what numbers the next few years will bring.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

Record-breaking year for #toadpatrol with 1217 moved to safety.

NW Worcestershire, 2023.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

@frogsatuea I'm not sure why.

After 11 March there was a good run of warm evenings so it might be that the vast majority moved in the evening when it fell dark (when I'm there) as opposed to moving in the mornings after a night of rising temperatures.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

Watched every night: the gaps in the graph are cold weather.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

HUUUGE movement of toads last night; 443 moving from 18:30 to 21:30.

Beats the previous record of 247 toads, 28 February 2022.

NW Worcestershire, 12 March 2023.
#toadpatrol

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

The first of #toadpatrol 2023!

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

First newt of the year! NW Worcestershire, 3 February 2023.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

…and another today.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

First Butterfly of the year: Red Admiral! NW Worcestershire.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

A quick walk in the sunshine for 3 species of butterfly and 4 species of bumblebee!

Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma.

B. Terrestris, B. Lucorum, B. Hypnorum and B. Pratorum.

3 singing Chiffchaff also.

NW Worcestershire, 14 March 2022.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

A large number of toads this evening; 247 moved off the road #toadpatrol

NW Worcestershire, 28 February 2022.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

Storm Dudley brings wet and warm weather for the first toads of 2022. 40 saved #toadpatrol

NW Worcestershire, 16 February 2022.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

#toadpatrol 9 degrees C the last two evenings but nothing moving yet. Coming colder from middle of next week so not expecting toads anytime soon.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

These pollen baskets didn't make it back to the nest; Bombus pratorum (worker) fallen prey to Misumena vatia @BumblebeeTrust @BritishSpiders

NW Worcestershire, 30 May 2021.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

My first bumblebee workers yesterday: Bombus Hypnorum and Bombus terrestris/lucorum agg.

NW Worcestershire, 12 April 2021.

[Joe Sparey @j_sparey]

The first toads of 2021 this evening #ToadPatrol

NW Worcestershire, 17 February 2021.