Out bird recording this morning and lots of typical woodland species including my first Garden Warblers this year. Lots of early spring flowers but like these Bluebells will be gone in a couple of weeks. A great time of year. #woodland #flowers

Back surveying on the Blanket Bog at RSPB Dove Stones. The expected Golden Plover, Dunlin and Curlew but occasional Swallow flying north and quite a few Wheatear catching insects before moving on. Surprisingly mostly males of “our” race and not the “Greenland” ones.

It's only worth going back to the Moon if it makes us look properly again at Earth, and appreciate how beautiful, precious and fragile what we have here is. The most famous images from Apollo aren't about the Moon - they're pictures of Earth. We need to stop taking our home for granted.

A male Siskin feeding on Alder cones along the River Dearne at Wilthorpe, Barnsley yesterday. Probable migrant, although they breed nearby on the edge of the Pennines. #birds #birdphotography #ukbirding #nature #siskin

This morning 2 Russian White-fronted Geese in amongst c100 Grey-lag Geese in a field north of Ingbirchworth Res. #barnsleybirds

New Year’s Day evening in Askrigg, North Yorkshire. #newyear #yorkshire

Summer gone. #photography #autumn

Not all of the leaves have blown off yet. Nice colours beside the River Don at Deepcar. #autumn #landscapeimages #uknature #yorkshire

Fly agaric Amanita mascara in the local woodland. Usually found under Silver Birch toxic to humans but eaten by some animals. This has survived so far. #fungi

Osprey flew south over the house at Mapplewell at 1825. New bird for the house list. 😀

Mapplewell this morning. Great White Egret over the house and a Hobby chasing 3 Swift in last 15 minutes. #birds #barnsley #yorkshirebirding

Wilthorpe valley this morning in light rain. 33 Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcap and a Garden Warbler feeding up and will be making a move when the weather improves. #birds #migration #yorkshirebirds

Tree shut down several weeks earlier this year due to the drought. It happened a few years ago when we had really hot weather. #trees #climate #drought #yorkshire

Unseasonably hot weather up here on Tiree. Beaches not too busy with humans but a scattering of wader from Greenland 🇬🇱 and Iceland 🇮🇸 on the move south. #birds #migration

Oban sunset last night before heading out to Tiree today.

Juvenile Black Redstart on roof near Longwall Close, Mapplewell, Barnsley at 0835 then flew towards Mapplewell Coop. Nice one for the house list. 😀

Really late, but I flushed a female Red Grouse of this nest while completing my final survey on RSPB Dove Stone a couple of days ago. Perhaps a second clutch after an earlier failure? #birds #darkpeak #rspb

Quite a graffiti statement in the tunnel under the A616 while heading for Wharncliffe Woods this morning. Nature is always taken for granted and not taken seriously. It’s part of our life and future. Open your eyes and ears. #nature #health #wellbeing

A late Golden Plover nest found while surveying on Dove Stone. Initially found with 2 eggs mid-May and revisited with now these 4 eggs an accurate hatch date of 14th June can be worked out. Probably a repeat nest? #birds #wader #blanketbog @wadertales.bsky.social

After recent rains the pools on the blanket bog on Dove Stone have filled following a very dry spring this year. #darkpeak #conservation

Red Kite just gone over Mapplewell flying south-east between showers. #birds @barnsleybsg.bsky.social

Anyone for Labrador Tea! A main bush and a few satellites nearby still surviving on Dove Stone. #darkpeak #blanketbog #plants

Blanket Bog pools on RSPB Dove Stone now becoming very dry with the run of dry weather but hopefully some re-wetting with the rain forecast for the next couple of days. #dovestone #darkpeak #blanketbog

The one that didn’t hatch! A Golden Plover nest that had previously 4 eggs. Adults and young nearby. Most nests hatch all eggs each year on RSPB Dove Stones. #darkpeak #wadersurvey

Exploring the old olive groves in Lesvos last week. Lots of typical eastern Mediterranean bird species and loads of butterflies. Last here in 1998 and nice to see it’s not changed much. #lesvos

Shallow pools in the Wilthorpe valley now dry which will affect some species this summer. But the Hawthorn blossom is at its best. #habitats #spring

Sub adult male Red-footed Falcon in ploughing sw of Hill End Farm, Hill End Lane, Mapplewell catching insects. @barnsleybsg.bsky.social

Part of Wilthorpe valley this morning. Now greening up and various bird species building up. 3 singing Reed Warbler new in, c50 House Martin and c20 Sand Martin feeding over the trees.

Canada Goose nest on the RSPB Dove Stone “Tundra” a couple of days ago during the survey. An incoming species on the moor when we did the Moors for the Future survey in 2004 but now abundant. #canadagoose #rspbdovestone #moorsforthefuture

Early Golden Plover nest this year on the start of my survey RSPB Dove Stone. Hopefully it follows through to hatching and fledging - it will be monitored throughout. #GoldenPlover #BlanketBog. @rspbengland.bsky.social

No, not the Mediterranean, but sunny Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire today at 19c. Several species of butterfly, lots of singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap. #spring #Yorkshire #Runswickbay

Having moved to Mapplewell this is part of my new recording area. 3 km x 1 km of river, grazed floodplain, scrub and marsh in the Wilthorpe Valley. Untouched by modern farming and rich in bird species. Looking a bit overgrazed at the moment but will soon change. #birds #habitat

Wood Anemone in Standhill Wood, New Lodge yesterday. With the warm, sunny weather flowers and buds are appearing earlier this year. Perhaps too fast and this may upset the overall balance of various species. #spring

My first Swallow of the year flew past me at eye level at Wilthorpe marsh this morning. Always nice to see them back. 😀. Also, Little Owl, Green Woodpecker, 8 Buzzards, Kingfisher, 2 Cetti’s Warblers and 10+ Chiffchaff. @barnsleybsg.bsky.social @lunnjeff.bsky.social

Dodworth Dyke which flows into Worsbrough Reservoir looking good with abundant growth of Ramsons and some Butterburr this morning. A key habitat for Willow Tit in the past but none recorded here now for reasons not entirely clear. #willowcarr #willowtit.

Annual Grey Heron colony census at Yorkshire Sculpture Park this morning. 57 occupied nests and at least 3 nests with young. Down by several nests from last year. Little Egret in the nearby field. Also, 10 singing Chiffchaff around the lakes. @barnsleybsg.bsky.social

Nice day at Flamborough this afternoon. Lots of Gannet, Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake on the move. Very relaxing watching all of this. 😎

Winscar Res this morning had 44 Oystercatcher, 6 Curlew displaying, singing Mistle Thrush, 3 Buzzards and a few Buff-tailed Bumblebees. @barnsleybsg.bsky.social

@bensecker.bsky.social Hi Ben can you send me your contact details please. Not now on my list for some reason?

Wilthorpe marsh area. Chiffchaff (probably an overwintering bird), 3 Green Woodpecker, Oystercatcher, 4 Buzzard, Kingfisher and Little Egret as the best of 33 species. @barnsleybsg.bsky.social @lunnjeff.bsky.social

High Hoyland game crop east of the church this morning. c250 Brambling, c250 Chaffinch and c50 Linnet. About the same size flock as just into the new year. @barnsleybsg.bsky.social

This is a couple of several arches in the centre of Barnsley where a small colony of Sand Martin breed each year in the stonework cracks. The old court house car park. Nearest water body habitat about 1km away. An unlikely location.