‘Colossal Birch’, #242 in #treehunting. The country’s fattest Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) hiding on a misnamed Cedar Glade in Dunnington, York. 7 of 1000

On National #Bird Day, meet ornithologist Florence Merriam Bailey. Her 1889 book, 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢-𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴, established the foundation for modern #birdwatching by advocating for observing birds in the wild with an opera glass instead of shooting them for study. #WomenInSTEM

Flammulina velutipes @northcavewet.bsky.social today. ‘Velutipes’ - velvet-footed - gives its common name of Velvet Shanks, but in the low sun it was the ‘little flame’ of ‘Flamulina’ that brought a glow to an icy day. Elsewhere: starlings!

‘Finest Beech’, #241 in #treehunting. A massive Beech (Fagus sylvatica) overlooked by York Minster - will definitely be revisited when in leaf, 6 of 1000

‘Paddling Plane’, #238 in #treehunting. A London plane (Platanus x hispanica) on the banks of the Ouse in York, 5 of 1000

‘Philosopher’s Ash’ in winter sunlight, #238 in #treehunting. Caucasian narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus augustifolia) in the Museum Gardens in York, 4 of 1000

‘Yorkshire Best’ in winter, #255 in #treehunting. Yorkshire’s largest Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) dominating the former Beverley Sessions House, 3 of 1000

‘Good Neighbour’ #256 #treehunting Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara) on Cedar Grove in Beverley, 2 of 1000

Final Yearlist to end of December 2025 stands at 164 species. A good total in what by recent standards could be considered a quiet year with only 1 new addition to the reserve list, a Hoopoe seen by a lucky few on the 3rd October. @northcavewet.bsky.social

A Humber sunrise en route to the 1st Parkrun of 2026. Happy New Year!

A fine finale for 2025 - one of #nature’s greatest displays of 70,000+ #starlings preparing for roosting #murmuration @northcavewet.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Delighted to see Brian's efforts across Public Health and Health Economics recognised 👇👇👇

Fantastic news! Well deserved recognition. 👏👏👏

‘At the still point of the turning world’ @northcavewet.bsky.social

Not that much in flower @northcavewet.bsky.social but Wood avens (Geum urbanum) provided some tiny points of colour.

Bramble is nothing if not an optimist! Flowering today around @northcavewet.bsky.social 🙂 Elsewhere: curlews and stonechats

‘Workhouse Elm’ in winter, Scarborough. Tree 230 in Paul Wood’s ‘Tree Hunting’ @thestreettree.bsky.social. A weeping Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra ‘Horizontalis’) #1 of 1000, the game’s afoot! 🙂

‘She’s been!’ 🧑🏻‍🎄 Happy Christmas!

Alder in flower on a quiet morning @northcavewet.bsky.social Elsewhere: goldfinches and siskins in the alder

A mild wet winter @northcavewet.bsky.social allowing a Devil’s Coach-horse (Ocypus olens) to still be on the road in December.

Hazel in flower on an overcast day @northcavewet.bsky.social. Elsewhere: Bearded Tits

Poinsettias are popular plants often used at this time of year to decorate and brighten up our indoor spaces, so here's an illustration of such a bright flower to brighten up your feeds on this December Sunday morning, curtesy of our 19thC Collection. #ArchiveAdventCalendar #Decoration

Apparently this lichen @northcavewet.bsky.social was wearing 'sunscreen' today. Xanthoria parietina, produces a chemical (parietin) that along with giving it a yellow colouration provides it with UV protection (perhaps a bit optimistic in Yorkshire ... in December 😆) Elsewhere: goldcrests.

A year on Bluesky in emojis - I’m happy with that! 😀

Very few invertebrates to see today in the 🌧️ @northcavewet.bsky.social. So this Common Wasp was a welcome splash of colour. Elsewhere: murmurating starlings.

A glimpse into dragonfly lifecycle today @northcavewet.bsky.social 🐉Scars on willow bark, sites where Willow Emerald Damselfly eggs were laid and overwintered. Larvae then hatched and dropped into the water below. Elsewhere: Bittern & Bullfinches @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

This Bittern, one of two birds currently on the reserve, gave excellent views as it fished in the cut channel on Village Lake below the Turret Hide at North Cave Wetlands this morning. @northcavewet.bsky.social

Surely there can only be one scientific response…. Shun the frumious Bandersnatch!

👇👇👇👇👇👇 #vaccineswork

and in other news….

Bishop Wilton Wold – better after it's highest point Garrowby Hill – is situated in the Yorkshire Wolds, a broad sweep of farmland rising north of Pocklington, with the A166 skimming its crest. But its quiet fields hold a sombre memory. On the morning of

Little egret about Black dyke by the North hedge. This spot is always the last resort of any Little egrets should there be a deep frost as the dyke does not freeze over. For some reason the number of roosting birds has been only 2 or 3, so they are no longer a guaranteed sighting on a morning's walk

That’s this year’s presents sorted (postage might be a bit steep though)

Lamium album, the White Dead-Nettle, one of the few plants still in flower @northcavewet.bsky.social. Elsewhere: mixed flocks of mood-raising goldfinches, siskins, blue- great- and long tailed tits worked their way down west path.

‘…the UK’s biggest prostate cancer screening trial in a generation gets underway’ Great that scientific evaluation of the outcomes of early detection is continuing - also helpful to know when your generation’s time is passed 😂 Helping start the last one does feel an age away!

www.campop.geog.cam.ac.uk/blog/ Looks interesting, suggests …’societies that coped best with epidemics were those with a diverse and interdependent institutional framework’ with a powerful but ‘temperate’ state, an adaptable market, and a strong civil society.

A Dusting Of Snow. 1°C on the Yorkshire Wolds. Rooks.

Great days birding at North cave wetlands yesterday was finished with a starling extravaganza The final throes are below. #yorkshirebirding #yorksbirding #ukbirding @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

I assume it’s recent 🌧️🌧️🌧️ which has triggered vivipary on teasels @northcavewet.bsky.social - water levels are definitely rising. Elsewhere: great spotted woodpecker, marsh harrier, siskins

Well, as I finally got to see their memorial a few days ago, I thought it was timely to add a piece to the Long, Long Trail about the Wagoners Special Reserve. See "Who were the Wolds Wagoners?" at www.longlongtrail.co.uk/wolds-wagone...

Myrtle Pizzey, a contemporary artist and printmaker from Somerset, UK #WomensArt

The UK media is overstating the benefits of prostate specific antigen tests, which can result in risk without benefit. Men need fair information about screening for prostate cancer, writes @mgtmccartney.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/391/...

It’s the season to blend our single (-celled) bodies into the communal slime while we reproduce. If that’s not weird enough, let’s look like Dog Sick too! 🤣 Didymium spongiosum (Dog Sick Slime Mould) doing its amazing stuff @northcavewet.bsky.social. Elsewhere: Bittern @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Male migrant hawker, amongst the last of the class of 2025 @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Elsewhere: redwings, stonechat. @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Excellent session @openuniversity.bsky.social Arts & Humanities day, assessing primary sources for a 22nd Century history of ‘the fall of the House of Windsor’ (don’t worry - other futures are available 😂)

❤️ Royal Soc Portrait Painters Drawing Prize exhibition @uniofhull.bsky.social - delivering excellent headspace!

American Medical Association Introduces New Highly Effective Placebo Doctors https://theonion.com/american-medical-association-introduces-new-highly-effe-1819576542/

Paths through North Cliffe Wood @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

Common darters still hanging out on the fences @northcavewet.bsky.social today. Elsewhere: Bittern and Whooper Swans.

I ordered this image of the Scarborough rowed lifeboat Queensbury to show the kind of conditions it faced during the Rohilla rescue. Sadly it arrived a day late — taken a few years earlier, but it speaks for itself. Image North Yorkshire Archives