I've not found this intriguing one before - but spotted it today on cones under the Scot's Pine in my Leeds garden. The Earpick Fungus (Auriscalpium vulgare) occupies a little niche of its own, feeding on cones, and has a quirky solution to spore dispersal. #fungifriends @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Delighted that a rabbit burrow at Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton, produced 2 nice finds (6/11/25): Schistostega pennata - Goblin Gold; with highly reflective protonema, shoots with leaves in 2 ranks and long leaf insertions @bbsbryology.bsky.social 1/2

I took a close look at Ground-ivy - Glechoma hederaceae in my Leeds garden and found 3 pathogens: A leaf gall caused by Rondaniola bursaria, a gall midge larva (family Cecidomyiidae); hairy gall ~3mm high @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social 1/3

New in my garden and blooming unashamedly this week in disturbed ground is Black Nightshade, Solanum nigrum. #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Spangle Waxcap in short grassland at Broughton Sanctuary, beautiful texture and colour to the cap and occasional spores have a slight constriction. Top of the stem is not necessarily red. #WildFungiHour #WildflowerHour

Late for #WildFlowerHour, and late a chance to cross pollinate other plants is this gorgeously defiant Meadowsweet. Broughton Sanctuary, 30 Sep. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Water Chickweed - Stellaria aquatica - brightening up the bed of a former meander of the Afon Llynfi, Powys - not so frequent in Wales. 5 styles, petals deeply bifid and longer than sepals, numerous glandular hairs above, and ovate leaves with cordate base #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

New to me: the fascinating Fluted Bird's Nest - Cyathus striatus. Growing in damp wood chip under trees; Talgarth, Powys. The white epiphragm caught my eye, which has brown hairs. Inner surface of the funnel-shaped peridium (1cm wide) is fluted and has pale egg-shaped peridioles at base. #fungi

New find this week was Marsh Stitchwort at Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton, in wet grassland close to R. Aire. Likely new to hectad, and is serious decline nationality so needs protecting. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Trying to identify a fine grass in woodland clearing in peaty soil. I think it is Agrostis vinealis but not absolutely sure - A. canina closest alternative? It seems the best feature is 'obscure' rhizomes (vinealis) vs stolons (canina)... Thanks if you can help #WildflowerID @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A day late posting this group of urban Broad-leaved Helleborines in a Leeds wildlife haven. Right on the edge of a path but staying discrete. #WildflowerHour #HelleborineChallenge @bsbibotany.bsky.social

This Myriophyllum flower spike is young, but the bracts look pinnate pointing to M. verticillatum? Seen in small river at SD95 near Skipton - can anone confirm? Hopefully the appearance will be more typical once all the flowers are open, plus turions to come... @bsbibotany.bsky.social #WildflowerID

Hydra spp. are very under-recorded. This brown species is H. vulgaris based mainly on characteristics of 2 of the nematocyst cell types: the stenotele is plump, while the holotrichous isorhiza is relatively slender. The new bud also grows 4 tentacles before others start to grow. Amazing animals!

Delighted to spot this colourful little moth - Pammene aurita - sheltering from the wind on Tilia tree (while I was putting the recycling out). One of the first records of the year. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Have been trying to decide if this might be nationally scarce Crambus ericella rather than the common C. lathoniellus. Seen late afternoon 9/Jun/2025 Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton at altitude 180m close to moorland. Looks possible do you think @mothiduk.bsky.social?

Looking like hoverfly larva on Scots Pine. Might you recognise this by any chance @geoffwilkinson.bsky.social ? Many thanks. Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton; 11 June 2025

Nice symbiotic pact at the expense of Creeping Thistle. Fungus Puccinia punctiformis (smelling of honey), is spread by beetle Ceratapion onopordi when egg-laying. Found likely larvae in base of rotting stem. Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton @colsocbi.bsky.social #funguifriends

Low evening sun does not help, but wonder if you might be able to shed diagnostic light onto this moorland moth by any chance @mothiduk.bsky.social? Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton; 28/May/2025. Thanks so much.

Two micro moths from marshy grassland/sedge/rush areas. Looks like Bactra lancealana maybe for first. Second, flamboyant in design, is Mompha locupletella. Broughton Sanctuary; 28 May 2025 @mothiduk.bsky.social

Chuffed to find 3rd longhorn moth species in my Leeds garden. Nematopogon swammerdamella I think (@mothiduk.bsky.social) alighted on watering can spout. All 3 species associated with leaf litter. This one the least photogenic. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Such a smart and remarkable fly - Noon Fly (Mesembrina meridiana). Here basking on tree base at noon (at Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton) females are ovoviviporous and lay only around 5 eggs (each in a different cowpat). The survival rate - egg to adult must near 50%! @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

I'm struggling to pinpoint the identification of this small (8mm) moth from my Leeds garden and wondered if you might be able to recognise @mothiduk.bsky.social ? Thanks.

I saw several flower aberations on Geum rivale this week looking this this. I can't find any pathogens or parasites that would trigger this. Does anyone know? Thanks if you can assist! @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Gruesome for flies - Entomophthora muscae - a fatal fungal disease - affected flies crawl to tops of plants and die with their wings held out to aid spore dispersal; several seen in vegetation on bank of R. Aire yesterday at Broughton Sanctuary #FungiFriends @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Very happy to find a visitor in my kitchen yesterday, the first record of Clusia flava on iRecord in 2025. Favours rotting wood and damp woodland - chuffed that it likes my garden in Leeds enough to come in and tell me! Thanks @suillia.bsky.social for confirming ID @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

1. This is Piles Copse, the largest remaining fragment of high-ground temperate rainforest on Dartmoor. It’s a tiny speck of green in a dismal, human-made desert. Prepare yourselves for a story of breathtaking perversity, told in this thread. (There’s a one-page version at the bottom). 🧵

Lovely to have a mini-swarm of these longhorn moths in the ivy on my shed roof. I think they are Adela reaumurella. Such hairy trousers, and even hairy proboscis! Leeds; 29/4/25; will iRecord @mothiduk.bsky.social

Inspired by @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social - while on my nature rounds at Broughton Sanctuary near Skipton I have dipped my toe into the world of parasitic fungi #FungiFriends Grateful for any corrections/confirmations with these 4: Uromyces rumicis on Ficaria verna 1/4

Hooray, I've found it at last - Adder's-tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum. 100s of plants in area of a few square meters on woodland floor. So beautiful, at Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

First Bulbous Buttercups coming into flower at my local urban wildlife space: Meanwood valley in Leeds. Reflexed sepals are the quick way to check for it. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Extensive area of Goldilocks Buttercup in my local churchyard in suburban Leeds. Added a record last year, only the 2nd for the hectad. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Such joy to see Green Hairstreaks on the moorland at Broughton Sanctuary, including this mating pair on Cross-leaved Heath. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

youtube.com/watch?v=Z-cg... Excited to see how quickly new plants and wildlife discover and help create new habitat in my patch! The immediate challenge for this pair is coping with the unseasonably dry weather.

My 150th bryophte record, and the 150th for Broughton Sanctuary, is the rather attractive Calliergon cordifolium. Seen growing under rushes in wet grassland. Another small step towards familiarity with this miniature plant world. @bbsbryology.bsky.social

This is one of the most gruesome raptor persecution cases I have ever heard– yet incidents like this take place up and down the country every single year . It must end , please sign our petition to ban driven grouse shooting now govpetition.uk/700036

Good morning, from the back page of Private Eye magazine!

Sturdy looking #basal_leaves of Goldilocks Buttercup - Ranunculus auricomus; at urban churchyard near me in Leeds where I added a record last year; only the 2nd for the hectad. Looking forward to the floral display in a few weeks. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Really pleased to find my first Scarlet Caterpillarclub - Cordyceps militaris today at #BroughtonSanctuary. In moss at woodland edge. Teasing the moss apart revealed the remains of the unfortunate moth pupa.

Paper suggesting the term Regenerative Good Growth www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17...

Leeds Parks and Countryside have used my Bee Orchid photo from last July to bring some colour to the winter months. And to highlight the benefits of relaxed mowing. 😊😊 @bsbibotany.bsky.social www.facebook.com/share/p/15aj...

Juniper Shieldbug crawled out of table centerpiece just now. 😊 Happy Christmas!

"Less than 0.1% – one thousandth – of Ireland is now ancient forest. That figure compares, for eg, to 2.5% in England, ie over 25x less. But it’s even worse: here, most of these tiny refuges are being killed off by overgrazing." My piece in today's Irish Times. www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024...

A compelling case

Drepanocladus aduncus - Kneiff's Hook-moss for my first post on Bluesky; dominant bryophyte over a few square metres between bulrushes and Common Club-rushes in a shallow pool at Broughton Sanctuary near Skipton.