@ed-phillips.bsky.social - Ed Phillips

04 May 2026 15:41 +0000

More Beech hedge biodiversity. Lots of invertebrates are attracted to the south-facing Beech section of our #Staffs garden hedgerow, to warm-up on the leaves. Another varied selection! #biodiversity #pollinators

03 May 2026 08:27 +0000

It's that time of year again when the south-facing Beech hedge in our garden is coming into leaf. It's a favourite place for invertebrates to visit and warm-up. I do these composites every year to show the biodiversity. #Staffs #garden #biodiversity #pollination

11 Apr 2026 12:38 +0000

First Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria) of the year, in our #Staffs garden yesterday. One of my favourites; this female warming-up on my finger. #bees #SolitaryBees #garden #pollinators

10 Apr 2026 10:10 +0000

A Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) visiting our Staffordshire garden this morning. Even managed to get a reasonably-uncluttered (and in-focus) shot! Don't see many of these in our garden ...

24 Mar 2026 11:38 +0000

Just putting the finishing touches together, I hope some of you can make it. Open 11.00 - 16.00 hrs daily; free admission, free parking.

22 Mar 2026 11:02 +0000

Always a treat to see; a lovely Ruby-tailed Wasp in our #Staffs garden yesterday. #wasp #CuckooWasp #SolitaryWasp

18 Mar 2026 15:01 +0000

First Bee-fly of the year in our #Staffs garden today; Bombylius major. #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination #biodiversity

04 Mar 2026 16:31 +0000

Found on the beach in Anglesey at the weekend. A seabird sternum perhaps?

25 Feb 2026 15:23 +0000

A lovely fresh-looking queen Bombus pratorum (Early Bumblebee) in our #Staffs garden this morning. I think that what it is anyway! #bees #SocialBees

24 Feb 2026 13:21 +0000

First Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) that I've photographed this year. Lots active in our #Staffs garden today. #bees #SocialBees

10 Feb 2026 10:04 +0000

Psocid (Barkfly) in garden leaf-litter this morning. #Staffs #garden #Psocid #Barkfly

09 Feb 2026 10:02 +0000

An "elongate" springtail in garden leaf-litter this morning, just a few millimetres long. #staffs #collembola #mesofauna

22 Jan 2026 20:25 +0000

Announcing an exhibition of my still-life photography at the Rose Paterson Art Gallery at Weston Park. Will run from 27 March to 29 April. Parking and admission free. The Art Gallery is open daily from 11.00 to 16.00 hrs. Weston Park situated on the A5 near Shifnal, Shropshire.

10 Nov 2025 17:05 +0000

I was photographing a globular springtail (Dicyrtomina saundersi) in the garden, when a juvenile "elongate" springtail came scurrying into view. Remarkably, they're both reasonably in focus with this single shot. Two for the price of one! #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photograph

07 Nov 2025 10:49 +0000

A selection of globular springtails found under fallen leaves on our garden lawn this morning. A Dicyrtomina species at the bottom and Sminthurinus aureus (dark form) and S. elegans at the top. #collembola #mesofauna #Staffs #macro #photography

06 Nov 2025 10:09 +0000

The globular springtail Dicyrtomina saundersi in our #Staffs garden this morning. Between 1-2 mm long. #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photography

09 Oct 2025 08:14 +0000

We're fortunate in having a few Fly Agaric mushrooms growing in our #Staffs garden. Being a photographer, I couldn't resist a bit of additional Photoshopery on this shot! #macro #photography #shallowDoF

07 Oct 2025 11:05 +0000

More fungi from our front lawn today. I know very little about mushroom identification, but wondered whether this could be one of the Laccaria species (Deceivers)? #Staffs #fungi #macro #photography

07 Oct 2025 10:20 +0000

We have a nice selection of fungi on our front lawn, including Fly Agaric. #Staffs #macro #photography #fungi #mushrooms

28 Sep 2025 08:45 +0000

My morning leaf-litter hunt didn't result in any springtail photographs today, but I did snap this little psocid (barkfly) that was under a Laurel leaf. #psocoptera #Staffs #garden #macro #photography

25 Sep 2025 10:47 +0000

The globular springtail Sminthurinus aureus (dark form) in the garden this morning. Very small (< 1 mm). #Staffs #collembola #springtail #LeafLitter #mesofauna #macro #photography

21 Sep 2025 10:31 +0000

I found a tiny little wasp (~2-3 mm) under a wet leaf on the lawn this morning (was looking for springtails actually). #WaspLove #Staffs #macro #photography

19 Sep 2025 15:05 +0000

Still lots of social wasp workers collecting nesting material in our #Staffs garden. #WaspLove #macro #photography

16 Sep 2025 13:15 +0000

I'm fortunate in knowing someone with a fine collection of vintage automobilia. He lets me borrow bits to photograph; here's a lovely old jack (apparently supplied with some early Rolls Royce and Bentley cars). #vintage #stilllife #torchlight

16 Sep 2025 09:14 +0000

Female Field Digger Wasp (Mellinus arvensis), leaving her nest hole in our #Staffs garden. They're out hunting early today! #WaspLove #macro #photography

09 Sep 2025 08:26 +0000

A globular springtail - Sminthurinus elegans - under a fallen Beech leaf in the garden this morning. I'm a bit out of practice photographing things this small (~0.5mm) but will improve as the damper weather progresses! #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photography #Staffs

08 Sep 2025 08:54 +0000

Nice and damp in the garden this morning so thought I'd do a little springtail hunting. Didn't find many, but DID find this tiny (~2mm) wasp with a minuscule parasitic mite on it! #wasplove #acari #Staffs #parasitism #macro #photography

07 Sep 2025 16:26 +0000

When it brightened-up a bit, I spent some time at the garden Ivy to see what visited; lots of things (naturally)! Just a reminder that if you really have to remove Ivy, please wait until it's finished flowering. #Staffs #biodiversity #pollinators #macro #photography

31 Aug 2025 13:55 +0000

First Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) that I've seen in our #Staffs garden this year; a male. Lots of other invertebrates on the Ivy too, showing what in important resource it is. #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination #macro #photograph #biodiversity

27 Aug 2025 07:46 +0000

Was having a tidy-up in the garden shed yesterday, so thought I'd do a bit of still-life photography. #photography #stilllife #still-life #vintage #flowers #dried