February, and already cow parsley lifts pale lace into the air — a gentle curtsy forward. On a rain-softened path, two white feathers lay side by side — ephemerally white, like angels’ wings. A blessing, it seemed. How much grace lies in this: what rests before us, and the eyes that learn to see it.

A star looked down upon the earth and longed to gladden human hearts. Seeing a lake that mirrored the night sky, it slipped from the heavens into the dark water. By dawn it had become a radiant white water lily, its golden heart shining— a silent beacon of hope. #FolkloreThursday

The Long-tailed Tit is easily recognisable with its distinctive blush, black and white colouring. It also has a tail which is bigger than its body, and a bouncing flight. folksy.com/find/item/86... #LongTailedTits #Birds #OriginalArt #Drawing #Watercolour #bsnm #Painting #Artwork

Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where wildlife can still be chased & killed by dogs. This cruel, outdated practice has no place in a modern, compassionate society. Add your name today to our joint petition with the @uspca.bsky.social . https://leagueacs.co.uk/wpP4d #TimeForChange

Brock has finished his journal about the Snowdrop Walk yesterday and Hazel thinks he should share the journal entries with our friends. How many of the stops were you able to find? We’d love to hear what was your favourite part of the day’s adventuring. 😻 #Hedgewatch #HWCafe

A clear, crisp sunny day out in the garden seeing how things are faring. Tidied up around the back of the shed, finding pots & emptying buckets. Laid new stepping stones around the veg bed. Constantly accompanied by a robin then as dusk fell, the LOTTI posse joined us.

Utterly brilliant sign in the car park at #TheFishes in North Hinksey. The Seacourt stream and the river Thames are indeed overflowing. Floodplains doing their thing.

There's such beauty in the watery grey of a rainy February day. Flooded water meadows & skeletal trees silhouetted against grey skies. I'll remember this during a summer drought. Beneath the ancient willows shelter masses of snowdrops.

The first blackthorn flowers of the year that I've seen. Brightening a cold, bleak February day & surrounded by flooded water meadows. Lots of birds singing: Blue tits, wrens, robins, Song thrush, blackbirds and black headed gulls on the new lakes.

Inner city #patchgold this morning, with the first Woodcock since Nov 24 in Boundary Brook woods. My 7th Woodcock record in over 7 years, but the first outside of November/December. Perhaps an elusive wintering bird? 🤯 ebird.org/checklist/S2... @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #ukbirding

It's a grey, chilly dusk with drizzle starting. The male blackbird is now singing strongly and is in battle with a robin. Below the bold duo is a scratchy, rusty warble: the Merlin app confirmed it to be a Blackcap. As yet unseen but claiming his territory. Spring approaches steadily.

The most popular subject for my art shop is birds and I have a good selection of pieces and species for you. You will find my bird collection here... folksy.com/shops/thewee... #Birds #OriginalArt #Drawing #ColourPencil #PenAndInk #Watercolour #MixedMedia #Painting #Artwork #GiftIdeas #bsnm

My shop keeping is all done! I have reopened my shop, it's had a refresh and lost of new work added. I'd love you to visit and see my new pieces... folksy.com/find/shop/th... #OriginalArt #Drawing #ColourPencil #Watercolour #Painting #Artwork #TraditionalArtist #GiftIdeas #ArtShop #ShopIndy #bsnm

In a remarkable story from Slovenia, a breeding pair of White Wagtails travelled all over the country in a lorry last summer, successfully raising young:

They're here, the little white bells opening at last as January gives way to February. Most wayside snowdrops were planted. Some ancient patches were planted by travellers who'd sow them as a crop to cut & sell when camped in that area. These are on a high path between flooded water meadows.

Ordinary morning, hanging out washing when a goldcrest flew into the hazel. Hopped about the branches pecking at buds then it flew onto the fat balls & had a little snack calmly before flitting away. I was no more than 5 metres away the whole time, still with wonder. 🎉

Brilliant news - great work Scotland! Now the other nations need to catch up. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Great news! England needs to do this too. #swiftbricks

Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously! 4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE ⁦‪ MARK RUSKELL MSP‬⁩ ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿by emailing [email protected] now!WOOP!

Protect the Wild is at a turning point. protectthewild.substack.com/p/i-need-to-...

Rise and shine, it's the final day of #BigGardenBirdwatch! Remember, you can still take part even if you haven't signed up. Help us spread the word: share this post, text someone, or tell the whole table over your Sunday roast. The more data we get, the better 🧑🔬

Shops in Kyiv have started letting animals inside during the severe cold so they wouldn’t freeze ❄️🐾

❄️🩵 Winter landscapes of Kyiv at the Hryshko Botanical Garden🩵 ❄️

Across Ukraine, “Points of Invincibility” are opening for stray animals Caring Ukrainians help street pets survive the cold and even run masterclasses on how to do a good deed for zero cost ❤️❤️❤️

8 days left to sign! petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE...

Well Professor, it's Christmas Day 1952 and you're on the phone to the Prime Minister of South Africa asking for permission to commandeer a military flight over contested airspace to obtain a fish which may or may not be unusual. For some reason he agrees to this.

That dusk, in the dark drawing room, Old Fox lit the beeswax candles on the spruce tree for the last time & the ghosts of the past & of those yet to come stepped forward, held in their spun-gold for a brief weighted moment, for the end of Yuletide is leaden with time, with the fugacity of all things

I’m on my nonsense again. This week’s Six Things: – the sunlight optimism calculator – important cat science – a deranged entanglogram – the progression of English – Wacky Races truthing – gridogram open.substack.com/pub/levparik...

Without sign or sound The world slips passed The arbitrary lines We invest so deeply in; The cradling of The fragility of our tears The sparks of hope, And all our brittle fears. Unnoticed, save for The quickening in the bud The push new stem The incremental return of light. #DailyNature #newyear

Good morning floofsters! It’s a chilly one today so top up your hot drinkies and keep warm. Day 8 of the #HedgewatchXmas Advent Calendar is coming up soon. Are you ready?

Spike takes a huge breath, his prickles are quivering, this is an awesome responsibility. He gently pulls open door 4 of the #HedgewatchXmas Advent Calendar. Wow! It’s a beautiful photograph of wildlife taken by Brock on his trusty old camera. Isn’t that marvellous? #Hedgewatch

(A) I thought you might like some 'Veranda News'. It's where I spend a lot of time in the cold weather. Some humans usually come in and make a drink for themselves. I don't mind sharing my veranda with them. Betty says allotments aren't just about gardening, they are places for making friends too.

The Fifth Window. The Elderly Squirrel was carefully arranging his Christmas cards on the Georgian mantlepiece in his little sitting room. There were five cards in sum.

My little art shop has a collection of bird drawings and other nature subjects. All one of a kind originals at affordable prices for gifts. folksy.com/shops/thewee... #Birds #Owl #Turkey #Bullfinch #OriginalArt #Drawing #Painting #Artwork #GiftIdeas #ShopIndy #SupportSmallBusiness #bsnm

The satisfaction & relief of bringing the tender fuchsias & agapanthus into the greenhouse before the first forecast sharp frosts of the winter. Also moved pots of hardy plants around & planted two tubs of spring bulbs. Almost winter-ready 🍂🍁🌷

A lovely package of beautiful things from @theweeowl.bsky.social has arrived safely through #StormClaudia. Inside the tissue paper is a precious drawing, protected from damp by a cellophane sleeve. Do check out @theweeowl.bsky.social & treat yourself & others to her delightful, unique work. 🦉🎁🖌️

A quiet November so far, I am hoping for some sales on my most popular subjects before the end of the month. If you are outside the UK the time to order for Christmas is now! folksy.com/find/item/85... #Mushrooms #OriginalArt #Drawing #Painting #Artwork #GiftIdeas #ShopIndy #ChristmasGifts #bsnm

The rain from #StormClaudia is lashing down. The lack of human activity is an opportunity for birds to visit our garden undisturbed. A Goldcrest has worked it's way around every branch of the young Blenheim Orange apple tree, raindrops bouncing off its shielding feathers.

One of the badgers moving forward, searching for peanuts at the start of the night. The moonlight creating dark and light patterns amongst the trees. #mammals

Please add your name to it now and share this post! protectthewild.substack.com/p/petition-l...

The presses are rolling! My first wild fairytale has gone to print. Nature’s Advent Calendar – A Wild Fairytale will soon unfold. Inspired by my Advent calendars, sharing nature’s treasures, it’s a tale of twenty-four small doors opening into nature’s quiet magic. Published by Cloth of Nature Press

If you are in the Oxford area next Thursday, I’m giving a talk on the birds of the Lye Valley area. It’s a multimedia presentation (pictures and calls!) covering the resident and migratory birds recorded in this part of the city. See you there! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #Oxonbirding #Oxford

A misty day when cloud sat so low over the land that it's moisture covered everything. Up high above the clouds, a thin seeping noise as parties of Redwing arrived for winter. One group dropped low to circle the copse once, twice & again. Committing the luxuriant berried trees to group memory.

An observation test for you - for your inner 8 year-old “The artist has hidden 12 things in this picture. How many can you find?” Treasure magazine, 1964 Official answers coming soon (Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one? 🙏)

I think this is a Frosted Orange moth. Or perhaps a Sunflower Borer. Thanks to Google lens for those suggestions, I had never seen a moth like this before. It was uncovered when I was harvesting potatoes, hiding in the compost. The metallic sheen & Fin de Siecle pattern is stunning.

End of September, high pressure = clear skies. The mornings start chilly, with mist rising from the river. The sun's warmth is still strong, lots of butterflies still around: Speckled Woods, Whites, Red Admirals & a fresh Brimstone today #butterflies 🐛🦋 @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A north-easterly wind, 13 degrees Celsius & swallows are flying northwards over the house in pairs. There must have been 30 of them since I noticed. Another now! Also a Hummingbird Hawkmoth on Verbena bonariensis in the chilly morning. Last days of summer.

I met this fine looking chap/ess today. It's the caterpillar of a Grey Dagger moth but how I wanted it to be the butterfly that it most resembles: a Swallowtail. Sadly we're many counties adrift from them.