'Imagine my surprise partway through, however, when I found myself seething so hard I thought I would combust. Ryland Grace – the main character and a molecular biologist who should have known better – had just put two plastic tubes into a centrifuge NEXT to each other!'

We visited the Scottish Owl Centre today. Fab place, many owls and very informative talks and flying display, where the Burrowing owl completely stole the show from an eagle owl and Great horned owl. Also, I felt this melanistic Barn owl was quite goth.

youtube.com/live/rXb9kA7... Sharing this because, goshawk :)

1/2 Pair of siskins in the garden. If I get excited over fairly common species in the garden, it's because I live on the edge of a moor, and have a short tree line which acts as a stepping stone between woodlands east and west. So I sometimes get species dropping in, which is cool.

Zero Hour Join the campaign for climate and nature www.zerohour.uk/join

When I was a kid, was about 8yo I think, I wrote to David Attenborough. I sent him some drawings ( an anteater and a dolphin 🤷‍♀️) and asked him how I could become a zoologist. I received a handwritten letter back, in silver pen, telling me to work hard in school. 1/2

Common white throats nest building in the garden- first time :).

I married Isis on the fifth day of May But I could not hold on to her very long So I cut off my hair and I rode straight away For the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong. (c) Bob Dylan. Thanks Bob!

It’s the time of year to be sharing this.

More muirburn last night. Weird how muirburn is touted as being useful as a firebreak when they use cutting of heather as an actual firebreak during muirburn. Not that they should be doing either in nesting season.

Wild Bird Acoustics is delighted to announce that this Fridays double episode release will feature an interview with Dave Boyle. You know when you are editing something special. Don’t miss it… #bioacoustics

muirburn on Tinto- fire engine called out - large sections of roadside verge burned, pipit, skylark, curlew and reptile habitat gone just as they were getting a break from the weather. Honestly feel so helpless at times.

First cuckoo this morning :)

Locally, numbers of meadow pipits and skylarks seem down this year. Only the one pair of curlews and one pair of swallows although weather has been poor. We do have a pair of willow warblers nesting for the first time and blackbirds after a gap of several years.

Well this is good news, have been following since the start - well done!

If you read one WaderTales blog ... Paper by Josh Nightingale and colleagues that helped to stop an airport. wadertales.wordpress.com/2023/04/07/c... 🎂3️⃣ #ornithology

It’s go(shawk) time for our Goshawk live camera at RSPB Loch Garten, Abernethy! Get a glimpse into the world of these notoriously elusive birds of prey 👉 www.youtube.com/live/rXb9kA7...

First curlew back! Fingers crossed for more than 2 pairs this year.

Great piece by @danicapriest.bsky.social

Not read it yet.

An oldie but a goodie. Old Soviet joke: a man goes to a newsstand every day and looks at just the front pages of all the newspapers. The guy behind the stand asks him what he's looking for. "An obituary". "But comrade, obituaries aren't on the front page!" "The one I'm looking for will be."

TDIL that broom and mop heads come undone when I use them because I am left handed, not because I buy bad brooms. 🧹 🤯

We are losing our local curlews, 7/8 nesting attempts failed in 2024 and only two pairs arrived in 2025. It will be devastating to not hear them calling through Spring and early Summer. No one wants to help around my way, I've tried.

The LoTR trilogy, extended 4k versions. Took us 4? sessions (RotK is 4hours long!). I now have the music stuck properly in my head. Every day tasks are accompanied by stirring music - for Frodo and the Shire! I quite like it, hope it stays- will make Teams meeting a more fun.

Nice piece on the use of native ponies for conservation grazing- @rspb.bsky.social take note and use natives over Koniks!

Goodness knows I love these little chonky birds but not sure how I feel about this. Is the habitat there? How much did climate change play a role?

Happy Christmas all!

Check out what the Polar Bears are up to and where they are. Looks like most are hanging on the rapidly forming ice along the coastline. #polarbear #mammal polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bear-t...

This resonates, glad it's biology

🪨 Deep-sea mining news out of Norway: Hot off the press (12/03/2025) 🌊🧪

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🚨Gillian Martin repping the Scottish Gov said the SNP would NOT embrace swift bricks. The vote is next week. Email her asking the SNP to save swifts by saying yes to swift bricks would be a good thing to do: [email protected]

New collaborative wildlife crime initiative launched: Operation Major endeavours to build a strong, collaborative response that reduces harm to dogs, protects wildlife & strengthens the detection and prevention of wildlife crime & animal abuse across the UK 👏👏🦡⚖️ naturewatch.org/the-story-be...

#NationalTreeWeek VWT’s #MartensOnTheMove works with landowners, communities+vols to install 150 den boxes in 6 Monitoring Hubs as safe places for pine martens to rest, overwinter+raise young. The boxes are monitored to see how populations are recovering in these areas. #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

New ornithology mag!

It would be good if the podcasts that have covered the planning bill, could update and include the reports that find that ecological constraints do not block housing. @therestpolitics.bsky.social @ohgodwhatnow.bsky.social @quietriotpod.bsky.social

A great day out!

Love this 🤣 see also academic project meetings

New blog! Den Box Host, Dr Karen Blackport, shares her story of making space for nature and becoming a pine marten den box host for the #MartensOnTheMove project. Read the full blog here bit.ly/3Wi6mgV #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Protect the Wild says there is no justification for sacrificing nature to “get Britain building”. protectthewild.substack.com/p/labours-pl...

Sign our petition to call on the Scottish Government to demand Environmental Impact Assessments on Data Centres and to issue strict standards for energy efficiency and water use. actionnetwork.org/petitions/ca...

ffs we continue to learn absolutely nothing.

I like the visuals in this article- very engaging.

Why Aren’t We Using Bird-Safe Glass? www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/I...

Announcement! We're organising the next European Mustelid Colloquium in partnership with @mripas.bsky.social and the Białowieża Ecology Conference Join the mailing list: eepurl.com/ga-5z9 #36EMC

New blog! #MartensOnTheMove Project Manager, Dr Stephanie Johnstone, discusses what a ‘Pine Marten Haven’ is, the recent Haven launches and how these sites will benefit pine martens and people. Read the full blog here bit.ly/3Wg4mWi #NationalLotteryHeritageFund