A magnificent clump of Arum creticum, at around 1000m altitude. Thripti, Crete, 08.04.26. Thrilled to tick it off my wishlist in such spectacular fashion! 😄

The reintroduced population of Northern Bald Ibis in southern Spain has reached a new milestone, with more than 50 breeding pairs recorded in 2025:

World's largest Audouin’s Gull colony now established in southern Portugal www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

Wild Northern Bald Ibis population in Spain surpasses 50 breeding pairs www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/W...

The Dutch Spectacled Eider has died in care, it has been announced:

Conservationists have confirmed that Large Tortoiseshell is no longer extinct in Britain, with the species set to become the 60th resident British butterfly amid a bumper early spring for the species:

Today brought my annual Common Frog fix at Oxford's Lye Valley LNR. The spectacle was well under way for another season, with 50-plus mostly male amphibians generating a suitably soothing chorus upon the ear in bright early-spring sunshine, and lots of spawn.

This being such a fair weather day, I have caught up belatedly with Oxon's recent trio of scarcer winter ducks - female Scaup and 2cy male Common Scoter at Farmoor Reservoir, and a male Long-tailed Duck at Rushy Common. At the second site I also crossed paths with three FOY Brimstone butterflies👍🙂

Spectacled Eider set for release back into the Wadden Sea after rehabilitation www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...

A wet day out in Hampshire yesterday for a highly opportune Killdeer, plus the Great-tailed Grackle, boosted my British bird list to 389 and WestPal list to 528. Yes, I counted both of them. Full report is on the Rn's main site here ramblingsnscribblings.com/2026/01/23/a...

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

👉 Find out more at bbowt.org.uk/rbor

Am not sure about the validity of this but worth keeping an eye on nonetheless. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The famous Dutch Spectacled Eider has been taken into care  after being found in poor condition on Texel:

My career target of recording 400 bird species in Great Britain has edged a little closer with the addition of Eurasian Scops Owl in Swansea, and Lesser Crested Tern on Devon's Exe estuary over the past two days. Full report here ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/12/13/e...

As the autumn fungi season winds down for another year, my coverage on parent blog Rn'S presents some mainly dark, often purple and always mysterious mushrooms from two Chiltern Beechwoods. ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/11/18/h...

🍄 Wonderful waxcaps! Often thought of as orchids of the fungi kingdom, waxcaps come in a variety of colours and are in indicator of healthy, unimproved grassland. Warden Phil Townsend spotted this selection at Aston Clinton Ragpits near Aylesbury!

Deep in the Sumatran jungle today we found the extraordinary flowers of Rhizanthes pushing their fangs through the forest floor. A sap-sucking, leafless parasite, this is one of the world's weirdest plants.

Huge fall in Gyr Falcon population in Iceland www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/H...

After two previous Oxon county bird list additions earlier this autumn, I was out again at first light this morning to reach the landmark 250 species career total. That was two Twite found yesterday afternoon at Farmoor Reservoir. Picture courtesy of Ewan Urquhart.

I always get a special buzz when fungi hunting if I find something that is ID'd as deadly. Today I located the quite scarce but highly toxic stump rotter Funeral Bell (Gallerina marginata) for a second consecutive season in Moussels Wood, Bucks. The name tells all that needs to be known.

As the annual autumn fungi enthusiasm continues to grow in me for another season, these beautiful Bay Boletes were Friday' s highlight, the most presentable of any of their genus I have ever encountered. They are considered to be choice edible items, but to gather them would have seemed a crime.

These are possibly my most satisfying pictures so far of a quite prolific autumn fungi season. The delicate beauty of Porcelain Fungus adorning a fallen log in an Oxon Chilterns beechwood.

What is life without Abutilons after all? So to guard against winter losses to frost I have sourced three more at KCP BG. The now well-grown Ventnor Gold and Estella from the summer intake have moved indoors to over-winter, and these three will join them. All from @paddockplants.bsky.social as usual

Only my 4th ever and 2nd national Bluethroat got me out of the door again early today for my 2nd Oxon county tick this autumn at RSPB Otmoor. I am now just one record away from 250 county birds, which I will regard as a landmark when it comes. Picture from Oxon Birding, courtesy of Gareth Casburn.

I've had a hunch recently that a Marsh Sandpiper (archive picture) might turn up in Oxon soon. When news indeed broke this morning, it was great to feel that old, "get out the door" buzz again, and just the same as ever. If it's new, different and accessible I still go. This is my 248th county bird

An endearing trait of Cliviae is they can be neglected when dormant then one day a new bloom appears amongst the strap-like leaves. Our yellow one has flowered again for the first time (left), while outside at KCP BG a similarly-toned Mullein has assumed a quite interesting shape.

My first garden tick of any kind for 3 years has lifted my spirits and gladdened my heart after yesterday's unbearable heat. KCP BG remains a haven amidst slabs, gravel and habitat destruction, so this pristine Small Copper made the present effort of keeping things alive here feel so worthwhile.

It was good to locate some Willow Emerald damselflies in Oxon yesterday, as their new flight/ breeding season gets going. The Thames-side site near Shillingford has previous form but these were my own first records there since 2021.

I'm thrilled to have taken delivery of 3 new Abutilons at KCP BG. These are a winter casualty replacement (centre) and two exciting new small-flowered cultivars. If our Scarlet Tigers do indeed survive I will hope to see them hovering around the one on the right. All from @paddockplants.bsky.social

Two more of our beloved Abutilon collection are now in full bloom at KCP BG. These are Giant Orange (left) and the enduringly excellent Leila Jackson (right). Both were sourced from @paddockplants.bsky.social

Early yesterday I tracked down my first ever Yellow-spotted Whiteface (or Large White-faced Darter) at Pinail NNR in France. This was the culmination of three years' effort, frustration and perseverance. The satisfaction may now take a while to sink in. Full report on ramblingsnscribblings.com

The new "Toffee Bronze" Clivia at KCP BG is now in full bloom (left). And of the 12 Abutilons to have survived last winter, mostly sourced from the excellent @paddockplants.bsky.social, my enduring favourite Sunny (right) is currently the showiest.

This "Toffee Bronze" Clivia is one of three less often seen varieties sourced at KCP BG from the national collection three years ago. Then I was surprised by the puniness of what was supplied at £10 a time, and two failed quite quickly. This one kept on growing and maturing and is now in bloom.

AviList - I will park this here for east personal reference www.birdguides.com/news/unified...

A superb outing to Suffolk two days ago is now published on Rn'S ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/06/13/t...

I am hugely relieved to have taken the first of these pictures, even more the second here at KCP BG after "management" saw fit to strim the Alkanet I manage for these guests of 20 years or more, during last autumn's caterpillar season. I always kept faith that my beloved Scarlet Tigers would prevail

The second part of last weekend's Mariposa Kent Orchids tour is now published on my blog Rn'S ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/06/08/l...

My spectacular experience of thousands of Lady and other Orchids at Bonsai Bank in Kent is now written up on this diary's parent blog ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/06/06/a...

Quite apart from the scarcity of this colour form today in Hampshire, I seem to have developed a penchant for this Fly Orchid pollinator malarkey. Though I don't suppose the fly is serving the same function as the last post's wasp. That one has possibly prompted five minutes of fame for me.

This was a stand-out moment from yesterday's @mariposanature.bsky.social Kent orchids tour. The Sand Wasp is being tricked into attempting to mate with a Fly Orchid flower. Such pollination is rarely actually witnessed in the field, even by our guides previously.

The last of my four blog posts on the birds of Lake Mývatn, Iceland covers the specialty duck Barrow's Goldeneye and other breeding wildfowl observed during my visit to that country two weeks ago. This trip ranked amongst my best ever birding experiences. ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/05/26/b...

Also on 15th in Iceland I had close encounters with some iconic birds - including Red-necked Phalarope, Slavonian Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Arctic Tern and Red-throated Diver - mostly at the Lake Mývatn visitor centre. ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/05/23/a...

Ptarmigan is now one less lifer I need to think about climbing Scottish mountains to see. I connected with several at Kálfaströnd, Lake Mývatn last Friday (16th) and this cock let me walk right up to it. Unforgettable! ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/05/20/t...

Last week (14 & 15th) I spent two glorious sessions in the field with the Harlequin Ducks of Laxárdalur as they harvested the annual bonanza of Simulium larvae at the south-western river outlet from Lake Mývatn in northern Iceland. Full report on Rn'S ramblingsnscribblings.com/2025/05/18/a...

This is something I've wanted to see for a while: the ancient meadow indicator Adder's-tongue fern at BBOWT Bernwood Meadows. The sort of enigma that always appeals. Also caught up with three Early Marsh Orchids amongst the sea of peaking Green-winged there today.

Have just learned the sad news that fellow Oxon birder, butterfly and odo enthusiast Alan Dawson passed away suddenly on 23rd April. An all-round top bloke who will be sadly missed. Also the only man I knew who took a picture of an adult male Common Clubtail. So long mate.

Mid-morning 2nd May I watched a Common Clubtail dragonfly drying in the sun for 35 mins at BBOWT Cholsey Marsh, Oxon. I have spent much unproductive time at the same spot in recent springs, so this newly emerged male made up for that. Once they fly they're gone, you have to be lucky. 3rd record here