With a condenser tumble dryer, is there any reason why the collected water should not be reused for watering plants in the house and/or the garden, or reused elsewhere?

Spotted* in the library! What a delight to see our book in one of the Northants Library branches! And amongst such excellent company.

Update: I now have the scans for both of these insect specimens, and a request has been put into the system* *I asked my husband if he could print some out for me. #3DPrinting #Insects

Very pleased to add the Grasshoppers and Allies book to my line-up of @rlewington2.bsky.social illustrated Bloomsbury Field Guides. #Orthoptera #Insects #FieldGuides

A delightful afternoon at @wildlifebcn.org Trumpington Meadows with Cambridge Conservation Initiative celebrating #DavidAttenborough 100th birthday. Also, how cool are these 3D printed insects from the Museum of Zoology in Cambridge?! They are made from scans of real #insects in the collection!

I believe these are all recently hatched Orange-tip butterfly caterpillars, on Garlic Mustard. #Butterflies #Inverts #NorthantsWildlife

Swifts!!! 🥳

New in the shop, these endearing soapstone dishes are crafted by skilled artisans in Kenya. Treated with natural beeswax to ensure they last for years to come, every unique dish is hand carved by a youth self-help group in a small town in SW Kenya, founded in 1996 with just 40 members.

Ooh, a pretty orchid! Found by a woodland track, #Hungary. I think it might be a Lady Orchid? #Orchids #Wildflowers

Could this be a gall? Found on oak, in Hungary. #Galls #Insects #InverteFest

Wondering who could this belong to? Small mammal, invertebrate? I wondered about a type of cricket perhaps? Context: in the middle of a lawn, short grass. A couple of centimetres across. In Hungary. @brianecambs.bsky.social #InverteFest #Hungary

BOC shots for now, I'm thinking Lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon)? #Hungary #Butterflies #Insects #InverteFest

Resharing for #InverteFest. Haven't worked out chafer species yet

Resharing for #InverteFest - all these were caused by gall wasps!

Enjoying oak galls in Hungary, including four new lifers. #PanSpeciesListing #Wasps #Insects #Galls New species for me: Andricus quercustozae, A. caputmedusae, A. coriarius, A. calciformis

Spotted this large shiny chafer beetle elytra in Hungary. Any thoughts on the species? #Beetles #Coleoptera #Wildlife

Three fasciated dandelions at @wildlifebcn.org Pitsford Water Nature Reserve. #NorthantsWildlife #Wildflowers #Flowers 🧪

Join a new citizen science project and help us to uncover the hidden lives of Europe’s ground-nesting #bees - please share with your networks: jeffollerton.co.uk/2026/04/02/h...

Possibly Green-brindled Crescent moth larva? On Hawthorn. At @wildlifebcn.org's Strawberry Hill Nature Reserve (Beds) last week. Although it was the only one I saw, much of the Hawthorn along the footpath was very well nibbled. #Moths #Insects @brianecambs.bsky.social @bcbedsnorthants.bsky.social

Cuc-koo! Cuc-koo!

Osmia bicornis or O. cornuta? All photos of the same individual bee. #SolitaryBees #Bees #NorthantsWildlife

2026 Guided walks. Information has now been published on the @savebutterflies.bsky.social website. Guided walks are free, and open to all Details on where, when, and how to register @bc-suffolk.bsky.social @bcbedsnorthants.bsky.social butterfly-conservation.org/events?field...

In #Cambridge tonight? Come along to the RPSB Cambridge Local Group event and learn about @wildlifebcn.org's Strawberry Hill Nature Reserve! Free for the group's members, and £3 on the door for guests.

Giveaway ends tonight!

ICYMI, there is a giveaway on Opticron's Instagram to win a pair of binoculars worth >£200 and a copy of the low-carbon wildlife watching guide that I'm the lead author! Entry via Instagram only, open to UK residents, closes 23.59 on Monday 6th April 2026: www.instagram.com/p/DWjBT7wGoe...

A birdwatcher and photographer managed to capture the unusual behaviour of two great crested grebes hunting common chiffchaffs. The grebes would stealthily approach the chiffchaffs (hunting for inverts over the water's surface), catch one, drown it, then swallow it – albeit with difficulty.

Two Lazarus marsupial species 'rediscovered' in New Guinea. Known to scientists only from fossil records, and thought to be extinct for thousands of years. However, the ring-tailed glider was known to local people before its description / 'rediscovery'.

An accident during a PhD revealed an interesting line of further research - hibernating bumblebee queens can survive being underwater for at least a week! “They combine underwater gas exchange with anaerobic metabolism. That flexibility is what allows them to survive these extreme conditions.”

Wood anemones in the breeze at @nationaltrust.org.uk 's Bateman's

A little find whilst packing up mum's old book collection for her house move - I'd love to find out what year it was from! I imagine the price of the @nationaltrust.org.uk membership will help narrow down the date - just £2!

Excellent views of a Box Tree Moth in #TheOtherBennetSister. Except this species isn't native to the UK and was first seen here in 2007... #Moths #Insects #PrideAndPrejudice

Looking forward to this music event tonight in Brampton, organised by the Hunts Local Group, raising money for @wildlifebcn.org and the church. The first one, in autumn, was a lovely event with gorgeous music. Tickets still available:

CHIFFCHAFF!!! #NorthantsBirds #NorthantsWildlife

What A Day! I managed to talk about parasites (including galls and cuckoo bumblebees) to different groups of people, and saw some galls too! Plus, spotted a Ruby Tiger moth caterpillar and some Bee Orchid rosettes. #Galls #Moths #Orchids #NorthantsWildlife

#icanhazpdf 🧪 Trophic strategies, animal diversity and body size: www.cell.com/trends/ecolo... mgshersby(at)gmail(dot)com TIA

Enter the hidden world of moss! In this moss-safari led by Dr Andy Chandler-Grevatt, prepare to explore how moss-dwelling organisms contribute to wider questions in ecology, evolution and environmental change. Grab your free ticket at the link below: buff.ly/0ncs6Fs

Apparently the Large Blue butterfly was once found in Northamptonshire, and went extinct here in c.1860? I found a passing reference to this in a book, and am now very intrigued! #NorthantsWildlife #UKButterflies

Chiff???? Heard what might have been a Chiffchaff today but it was so short and so distant that I can't be sure...

Yes, I did put otter poo into my tea mug this week. But to explain, the mug was empty, I didn't have an insect pot or other suitable container, I wanted to keep the poo cause I collect nature stuff to show people - AND it doesn't smell bad like other animal poo, it's a fun smell!

A few #icanhazpdf requests please, all re Large Blue butterflies. TIA mgshersby(@)gmail(.)com The ecology and conservation of Maculinea arion and other European species of large blue butterfly: link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

The bee-flies are coming! 🥳

Time for my two-year chop, and donation to @littleprincesses.bsky.social I've learnt it costs £700 to make a wig, if anyone would like to donate (directly, I don't have a fundraising page), contributions welcome: www.littleprincesses.org.uk/donate-money

It's today y'all! 🥳

Oh hey, it's my job! 😱 Don't worry, Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust isn't not booting me out - I'm transferring to a full-time role at @wildlifebcn.org

Due out this week!!! 🥳🥳🥳

Oh hey, it's my book! Due out next week!!

Gall of the week is caused by a recently discovered species new to Britain, the gall wasp Andricus coriarius f. agamic on oak, Quercus robur. Discovered and photographed by Maria Fremlin.

🚨 We’re recruiting! We’re looking for a Head Little Tern Warden and 2 Assistant Wardens to help protect the Beacon Ponds Little Tern colony at Spurn. 👉 Apply: spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/news

Ghost moth larva?

This is your reminder that my book is coming out soon!! Great for anyone looking for some low-carbon wildlife watching inspiration, with more than 100 sites covered in/near 20 hubs (mostly cities but not all).