Natural England failing to protect valuable sites. Our report for @wildjustice.bsky.social shows that nearly 2/3 of sites waiting to be designated as SSSIs were under threat from development. One site in Thurrock will be directly destroyed. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This is becoming a pervasive issue, for example involving the sidelining of actual experts and the heaping of pressure on regulatory bodies to move forward with dubious (re)introductions. A quick ecology 101 for ‘conservation gurus’. Thread 🌍🦗🦋🪶🦬🧪1/

We’ve published our response to the "Lost Frogs report". Read our statement here: https://www.arc-trust.org/lost-frogs-report-comment-from-amphibian-and-reptile-conservation-trust

Why are the cycles in numbers of young Brent geese, long-tailed skua and curlew sandpiper seen in Europe? youtu.be/wMO7d9svQRs?...

We’ve published our latest statement on reintroductions, assisted colonisation and the importance of evidence-led conservation. You can read our latest statement here ⬇️ https://www.arc-trust.org/News/ensuring-amphibian-and-reptile-releases-contribute-to-natures-recovery

A nice Christmas Eve in the Hull Valley; adult drake Smew at High Eske and 26 Russian Whitefronts flew south @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

@andymus.bsky.social Hi Andy, could Guanchia (Forficula) pubescens and Cybocephalus nipponicus be added to PSL please? Both have been discovered a couple of years ago but not sure if they’ve been written up yet/guess there’re not in UKSI. Found em with Tristan Bantock and Joss Carr at Olympic Park

'An urban rewilding group is seeking the public’s views on the potential return of white storks to London as part of a project to see if the birds could make a home in the capital.' Survey link here: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/brighton/t...

The current position of Natural England is that (re)introduction of White Storks should not be supported. Evidence for their historical presence here is sketchy and it is difficult to rule out historical remains as not pertaining to regular vagrancy. Cultural evidence is weak at best #UKbirding 1/2

@britishbugs.bsky.social Hi Tristan, what’s this shieldbug nymph please? Swept a few from a ruderal site in Essex. I’m wondering about both Peribalus strictus and Neottiglossa pusilla

@britishbugs.bsky.social Hi Tristan, can Stictopleurus punctatonervosus have an unbanded connexivum like this please?

The other week saw me locate Attulus distinguendus at West Thurrock at the second time of asking - I watched it hunting from the tops of rocks protruding from ash for half an hour while I played it England’s first test victory

Netted Pug found my Hackney trap last night, probably dispersing from the chalk around Hertford, more than ten miles away @wlangdon12.bsky.social #teammoth

1/6) New paper out in Molecular Ecology! We uncover the intriguing biogeographic history behind the Holarctic disjunct distributions in Vanessa butterflies. @phylomigrationlab.bsky.social #biogeography #insectmigration #butterflymigration #butterflies #evolution shorturl.at/UFrrU

This species is very common in Bialowieza, Poland. The males fly around like madmen like Emperors do back home but finally cold weather and sun yesterday allowed me to see one stationary! @richardkbroughton.bsky.social

Lifelong ambition realised when I *finally* saw Wolves. And my camera was in my backpack. Record shots, but the views beforehand were crippling as three adults walked through the forest at ~50 m distance. One stopped to stare at me & @hwitts.bsky.social for a good 5 seconds. #Białowieża Nat. Park.

Dorset Cream Wave back in Hackney for another year! Two months earlier than my first record last year #TeamMoth

Spring!

Spent days unsuccessfully checking early-flowering blossom in Hackney trying to find Osmia cornuta but instead find one cowering on the pavement in a rainstorm! Very happy to have finally connected with this new colonist

On 6 March Jon Leysell found Oxycarenus lavaterae in Lime Trees in Shoeburyness, Essex TQ92838660 (the 3rd UK and 1st Essex record). I took these photos on 8 March.

New paper in Conservation Evidence Journal: Sampling of red grouse carcasses in Britain indicates no progress during an intended five-year voluntary transition from lead to non-lead shotgun ammunition conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pd...

⏰New Research ⏰ We quantified the direct impact of diversionary feeding on capercaillie productivity. We show an increase in the proportion of hen with a brood in DF sites (37% -> 85%) and, as a result, a 131% increase in chicks per hen. Read more here: www.researchgate.net/publication/... 1/7

Black-throated and Great Northern Divers on south basin, also Scaup, Little Gull and 3 BN Grebe. KGV Res @birdguides.bsky.social

It’s not a Levant Blackneck but very happy to have my first ever Small Mottled Willow to my Clapton, London trap overnight @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

ICYMI- "Fatal Attraction: Argiope Spiders Lure Male Hemileuca Moth Prey with the Promise of Sex" Here are the results of 5 summers of research on this fascinating topic: www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15...

Canvasback east of Layer Breton until flew east over Layer de la Haye c.3pm. Also 6 Black-necked Grebe at Billets Farm screen and one more west of LDH. Abberton. @birdguides.bsky.social

Paper just out by Spanish conservation biologists voicing similar concerns conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🌍🌐 not #rewilding

Wrinkled Webcap Cortinarius lividoochraceus, I believe, from a couple of visits to Epping Forest recently, one of the few fungi fruiting in dry conditions