It was a pleasure to report on the winter weather, here in The Cambridgeshire Fens, for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme

A close encounter with a flock of starlings that decided they quite liked the tarmac road!

Latest #blog post from #Morston #pond www.morstonpondswamp.org/post/the-fal... how as #community #volunteers we continue to try to rid our pond of invasive #crassula @themarshtit.bsky.social @ajaytegala.bsky.social @bramblebotanist.bsky.social @avalanchechris.bsky.social @steffanaquarone.bsky.social

Our showreel has landed! If you love nature, folklore and seasonal stories, book Witching the Wild Year for your venue, event or festival - perfect for seasonal celebrations, theatres, museums, nature reserves, gardens, heritage sites... Email [email protected] or message me ✨

This weekend, I had the great pleasure of speaking on a panel at the National Trust's Annual General Meeting, chaired by the brilliant Charlotte Smith (of BBC Countryfile and Farming Today) - it was genuinely great fun and a real honour to be asked!

This sounds like a fascinating evening talk!

So much fun Witching The Wild Year at the historic Talbot Hotel in Oundle with my lovely, celestial collaborator Zoë Howe ✨ Thank you to our lovely audience for making it a magical evening

So exciting to get a visit from YouTube superstars Dan and Phil ...and get to appear in their latest spooky video! www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFD4Isfa-tA (I pop up about 4 mins in)

Fantastic to finally meet Dara McAnulty on Wicken Fen and chat nature in celebration of his new book 'A Wild Child’s Guide to Nature at Night'. Dara’s enthusiasm made the conversation a real joy; the children in the audience were captivated — and it was wonderful to hear how much he loves the Fen!

I spent a nostalgic morning at Deeping Lakes with Melvyn Prior, chatting about my teen years volunteering on the reserve and how those early experiences shaped my career! Our chat is available on the @lincswildlife.bsky.social Wilder Lincolnshire podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bdv...

Zoë Howe and I are bringing 'Witching the Wild Year' to Oundle's Talbot Hotel – an evening of ghost stories, folklore, foraging tips, nature notes and a folk song or two. Thu 30 Oct, 7pm - Talbot Hotel, Oundle Join us if you dare — tickets are vanishing fast! talbothotel.co.uk/upcoming-eve...

Morning crane fly-by - a flock of 55 cranes flying past our house in the light fog this morning!

Sound on for whooper swans fresh from Iceland, back in the Fens for the winter - welcoming these beautiful birds is a highlight of October here in Cambs/Norfolk!

📣Good news! Wicken Fen Nature Reserve has recorded 10,000 species of wildlife making it the first known UK site to do so. Records date back 200 years, in the 20th century 13 species new to science were discovered, and in the last 25 years records have surged as the reserve expanded. buff.ly/EEmfTjc

After six years of home-working and book-writing on makeshift setups — from the kitchen table to a camping table — I finally have a proper desk! This beautiful piece belonged to Norfolk boatbuilder Harry Last (1900–98). After a bit of polishing, it has a new lease of life as my home office desk.

What a beautiful sunrise this morning on Blakeney Point! Always great to catch up with the NT wardens and UCL academics

Only a few tickets left for the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 50th Anniversary Conference! We're looking forward to celebrating 50 incredible years of butterfly monitoring and volunteer achievement. 🎉🦋 Book your free place 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-butterf... #UKBMS50

Such a fantastic day @wildsummituk.bsky.social yesterday - a coming together of nature conservation organisations, such unity, much-needed optimism, drive and determination - a pleasure to be part of it with @savebutterflies.bsky.social 🦋

Some wonderful events at #WildSummitUK this morning, across our smaller stages @wwtworldwide.bsky.social has explored what ‘access to nature’ means & we loved hearing the ideas on how to help insects with @savebutterflies.bsky.social, @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social, Buglife & @ajaytegala.bsky.social

The #BigButterflyCount results are in 🦋 unfortunately, butterflies have failed to shine despite the hottest UK summer on record - find out more and help support @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Around 65 cranes flying over the village yesterday - a bit distant, but a very exciting sighting from our garden! (On the Cambs-Norfolk border not far from @wwtworldwide.bsky.social Welney)

Such an honour to narrate the latest @nationaltrust.org.uk Wild Tales episode - The Overview Effect featuring astronaut Tim Peake! Listen here: youtu.be/Azduz1E46NU

Join our panel of experts from Butterfly Conservation, Buglife and @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social to discuss the latest science and your ideas about what a People’s Rescue Plan for Insects should include! Do you have a question about insect recovery for our panel? Let us know 💬 @ajaytegala.bsky.social

As summer fades, it’s the perfect time to plan something magical for the dark nights ahead. Join Zoë and I for Witching The Wild Year: a cosy night of wonder with wild tales, ghost stories, folklore and seasonal secrets: 30 Oct Talbot Oundle 01832 273621 31 Oct Kirk Theatre Pickering bit.ly/47M1qYp

Such a pleasure to welcome @nationaltrust.org.uk youth ambassador @aneeshwar.bsky.social to Wicken Fen yesterday. Aneeshwar is a ray of sunshine! It was wonderful to see his excitement as he explored the Fen for the very first time and became an honourary ranger for a day - helping check the Koniks.

Radio 4's Martha Kearney visits Wicken Fen, makes an aeolian harp with Kathy Hinde, learns about the windpump from Gez and chats nature & history with me in today's episode of Open Country - catch up here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002hb97

With insect species declining across the UK, it’s clear we need a rescue plan🐞 Join the discussion at #WildSummitUK with @savebutterflies.bsky.social, @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social & @ajaytegala.bsky.social putting your suggestions to them🦋 Book tickets👇 wildsummituk.eventbrite.co.uk

I’ve got a dazzling wildlife encounter to share! Near Cambridge, I heard that unmistakable peep before spotting not one… but a family of kingfishers! I had a privileged close-up of a juvenile. Kingfisher sightings are a sign of good fortune, so here’s hoping a little of that magic comes your way!

Join us at #WildSummitUK and help shape our rescue plan to save insects 🦋📢 This one-day event brings together campaigners, politicians and communities in Bristol on 11 September for a day devoted to action for nature. Will we see you there? Get your tickets at 👉 buff.ly/WGbenAR

With insect species declining across the UK, it’s clear we need a rescue plan🐞 Join the discussion at #WildSummitUK with @savebutterflies.bsky.social, Buglife, @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social & @ajaytegala.bsky.social and put your suggestions to them🦋 Book your tickets👇 wildsummituk.eventbrite.co.uk

11 years, 1 month & 11 days is the longevity record for Swallow in Britain & Ireland! 😮 🪶 You can share your sightings with us by using @birdtrack.bsky.social at www.birdtrack.net 📷 Swallow by Philip Croft/BTO

Did you know, William II - son and successor of William the Conqueror - was killed by an arrow 925 years ago today: 2 August 1100, the day after Lammas. The King of England was hunting in the New Forest at the time. 🎨 Matthew Paris, c.1253 #OnThisDay #history #DidYouKnow

Had great fun quizzing @ojborg.bsky.social about @savebutterflies.bsky.social live on @bbcradio2bot.bsky.social Midnight Mastermind - catch up here (intro from 28:20, questions from 32:45): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The @savebutterflies.bsky.social Big Butterfly Count runs until 10th August - take part and help protect these important insects bigbutterflycount.org

Had a great afternoon on Wicken Fen chatting to Martha Kearney for an upcoming episode of BBC Radio 4 Open Country

It was great to see Mike Dilger from @BBCTheOneShow & @ajaytegala.bsky.social again, & to also meet Seniz Mustafa. We all met up to promote the @savebutterflies.bsky.social #BigButterflyCount 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋 #citizenscience #butterflies #butterfly

Last night on BBC Look East: the importance of connecting primary school children with the natural world - and what better way than a spot of pond dipping here @nationaltrust.org.uk Wicken Fen?

The @savebutterflies.bsky.social Big Butterfly Count starts today! 🦋

🦋 It's soon time for the #BigButterflyCount!!!!! 🦋 @ajaytegala.bsky.social , @greeneindy.bsky.social & myself talk about how you can take part as well as showing you some majestic moths we caught in the moth trap. Click this link to watch: www.youtube.com/live/ueK-h53... 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

Such a blast to see so many fantastic folks at @globalbirdfair.bsky.social, catching up with old pals and making new ones - huge thanks to Tim and Penny and the team for organising such a joyous gathering of fabulous humans!

We have returned from @globalbirdfair.bsky.social - thank you to the organisers for such a fantastic event! It was great to catch up with everyone and celebrate all things wildlife. @beccasbutterfli.bsky.social @senizdoesnature.bsky.social @greeneindy.bsky.social @ajaytegala.bsky.social

Do you have young ones you'd like to encourage to keep reading during summer? The Reading Agency & National Trust have put together a Joy of Nature booklist. I chose recommended reads alongside fellow Wild Tales presenter Rosie. The Summer Reading Challenge is free to take part: bit.ly/44DYb27

The face of someone who has just seen his first ever purple emperor butterfly! Fermyn Woods, Northamptonshire

Over the past months, I created videos for local primary schools, exploring wetlands, biodiversity, climate change and conservation. Children then made personal promises to protect the environment. It feels great knowing I’ve helped spark a sense of environmental responsibility in young people!

Summer Solstice sunset in the Fens last night 🌅

Happy Summer Solstice! Can you spot the four distant cranes flying past? Solstice magic 🌞✨

Happy #WorldRefillDay 💦 join me on the #5DayChallenge and swap single-use waste for refill and reuse options - every swap counts! Take part via www.refill.org.uk/world-refill-day 💪

Reflections on my Wild Tales interview with the legend that is Chris Packham (recorded on the Springwatch set) - listen to the full episode here: spoti.fi/4l6zDW9

My National Trust Wild Tales conversation with Chris Packham is now available to listen to! Find it wherever you usually get your podcasts (including Spotify: spoti.fi/4l6zDW9)

Podcast producer Marnie and I had a fun day on the BBC Springwatch (@nationaltrust.org.uk Longshaw Estate) set earlier this week!