First steps in the late evening.

Having tried a few times to establish it, I was chuffed to find a young Mistletoe plant today on an apple planted winter 2017/18. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @orchardnotes.com

Wild daffodils at their peak.

Marsh fritillary larvae out and busy in the morning sun. North Dorset. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Cherry plum blossom to lift the spirits.

Marsh fritillary larvae enjoying some of the first sunshine of the year in Buckland Newton. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Looking north from Dartmoor

Striking yellow of freshly coppiced Alder buckthorn in the foreground against the bright white of a fresh Willow pollard behind.

Wild service..... youtube.com/watch?v=7sjO...

What does 50 yrs of butterfly monitoring tell you? In this case its a puzzle. The dramatic rise of the Silver-studded Blue, Plebejus argus, over 50 yrs at Studland Heath, UK. @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social www.dispar.org/reference.ph...

Streaker's dream - a triple today. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

The sun is out, and I am most glad. Brown hairstreak egg searching today. Looks like a big year! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Dog sick slime mould Didymium spongiosum from today's walk after the rain.

Very exciting. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/support-us/a...

Masquerade

Plant based wind speed indicator.

Frigid cattle checks at dawn.

Absoulute treasure trove of a museum today - Bournemouth Natural Science Society. bnss.org.uk

It was so good to hear that in other parts of the country, concerted efforts at both site and landscape level have returned Duke of Burgundy to old haunts and newly created habitat. There is hope in Dorset yet!

Essential work for a butterfy species on the edge in Dorset…

Saving Brown hairstreak eggs from the flail today. Relocating them on the same site where they can hatch next spring and progress as caterpillars. 55 eggs from 105 mins search bodes well for the coming winter survey. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Playing around with heat maps of 12 years of Brown hairstreak egg counts. Lots of cool insights. This screen grab shows how the sunny sections of hedge between large Oaks are favoured. Rainy day fun. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Curious little apple tree, it origins unknown. Possibly a gribble, maybe a rootstock that lost its top or perhaps a known crab variety? Quite delicious and harvested for jelly. @orchardnotes.com @theorchardproject.bsky.social

Garlic to plant from last years crop, compost mulch, and a fist full of carrots with dinner.

The season of mellow fruitfulness......

On going meadow management - putting wildflower filled swards to bed for the winter. Nearby cider apple and perry pear trees are mulched with the arisings. An organic option to reduce competition for summer rains and hold on to moisture between times.

Red Admiral nectaring on Ivy at Milborne wood in Dorset today. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A misty autumns morn.

Last of the Cornish heath in flower on the Lizard. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Some stunning female Common blue about at the moment. Comma on autumn fruit and spent seed heads of Saw-wort. I do like September. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Fiddly vegetation mgmt for Marsh fritillary. Taking a percentage of the thicker sward whilst avoiding mapped and marked larval webs and nectar rich areas of DBS and Fleabane. There is no grazing in this area, so we become mechanical cows. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Comma and Small copper from the transect today. @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Sad to see this vital butterfly site up for sale, we really hope a conservation body buys it and maintains the sensitive management by cattle grazing. The Branch have been monitoring and cutting scrub there for years to good effect. Please step up @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk

At our recent moth night Gill Nash found Aplota palpellus. Phil Sterling says "Fantastic record! The last one in Dorset was on 19 Aug 2000, I found one in a trap in Melbury Park. Prior to that, only 19th century records, the latest of which was 1872!" @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

The polly tunnel crops are well positioned to enjoy the coming heat wave. Summer abundance.

Big harvest of Dyers greenweed seed coming in today in North Dorset. Horseshoe vetch and Cowslip ready for storage. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Privet hawk moth caterpillar on the coast path nr Durlston today. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

A few moths from last night in North Doset. Oak eggar, Black arches, Olive, Mocha and Brown-veined wainscot. @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Seems a very good year for Wasp spider in North Dorset. Some whoppers about and the first time I have seen the huge egg sack that they make.

Opening up this account with today's encounter - an immaculate Brown hairstreak @ Ryewater Nursery in North Dorset. Above average egg count for this species at this site last winter - how well will they fly this summer? @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social