Of course, the butterflies of the chalk grasslands are stunning…. but what a lovely little common purple & gold moth this is @rowantnnr.bsky.social #teammoth

Hope for Britain’s Ash trees thanks to scientific ‘eureka’ moment... channel4news.substack.com/p/hope-for-b...

Petition: gardenorganic.org.uk/glyphosate-campaign

Something, but much more is needed. SEE: Sharp drop in ‘forever chemicals’ in seabird eggs hailed as win for regulation www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Glyphosate poses cancer risks - and it is still legal to spray on crops

I find weevils just the funniest of beetles...

Just a caddis fly larval case from a pond nr Oxford. Remarkably constructed entirely from Planorbis pond snail shells and fragments... @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

Always a pleasure to see my all time favourite moth, the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Hemaris tityus. An amazing day flying carder bee mimic. Dartmoor, Devon this afternoon.

Spring gentians, just so beautiful. #wildflowerhour

The Bog Hoverfly Eristalis cryptarum. In the UK it is now confined to a few sites on Dartmoor, Devon. Often elusive the best time to see it is when the Bog Bean is out - they love to nectar on these beautiful white frilly flowers.

We think this might be the first of the Lye Valley fen's common spotted orchids.....on the other hand it does have those long incurving bracts, so perhaps it is a hybrid with early marsh orchid? We will watch how it develops. Any comments welcome @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

The loveliest of trees. Just imagine, 7000 years ago forests of lime covered a lot of south and east England.

What does every ecologist want for their birthday? To find a rare beetle!! This week we were delighted to help @brianecambs.bsky.social celebrate as he found Curimopsis nigrita (mire pill beetle) at Hatfield Moors #peatland! 🥳🎉 @naturalengland.bsky.social @wildlifebcn.org 📷 Danielle Page

Another dry spring in East Yorkshire...not the best for many insects, but Spring Heath Robberflies (Lasiopogon cinctus) are loving it out on the open, sandy grassland of Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve.🌞 @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social

Another species thought to be lost, but wonder of wonders, it is still around. I only hope it can be now protected and encouraged.

Galium odoratum invert associates Over 20 species of invert rely on Galium odoratum, Sweet Woodruff, as a larval host. Flowers late spring–early summer, in leaf from very early spring, in dappled shade in clearings & woodland margins. A distinctive coumarin scent develops in dried material. 🌱

Ridiculous how bold some male Whitethroats are at this time of year...this one was in full, scratchy song almost touching distance away at @northcavewet.bsky.social yesterday, while I was checking for sawflies on Rowan. @ynuorg.bsky.social @yorkswildlife.bsky.social

When the Forget-me-not centre is orange it’s open for business. When it’s white there’s no food left and the buffet is closed. So the pollinators know where to go. Clever.

Fun to find some spectacular invertebrates & amphibians at Milham Ford Nature Park ponds - a big diving beetle larva with impressive jaws, large Dragonfly nymph, soldierfly larvae (one Stratiomys). Plus several male & female smooth newts and these juveniles under a log in the pond edge.

A big thanks to all the star volunteers of OCV @oxconservation.bsky.social who worked at Milham Ford Nature Park ponds & stream last weekend. Tough task, digging out invading excess Greater Reedmace, Soft Rush, Iris & Branched Bur-reed to keep open water in the ponds for biodiversity.

Make a wish! Dandelions at Blackstone Farm Fields @worcswt.bsky.social 03.05.26

I guess I should explain this. Some animals glow. Some other animals glow, but only under certain light. Here a wild Eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is glowing under UV light in this case. This is the first imagery of its kind in the wild.

Highlight of a pleasant afternoon rockpooling at Wembury, Devon a Sea Lemon Archidoris pseudoargus - a slow moving creature so a bit of time lapse at the end.

Need more fly stuff in your life? Great, we now have an Instagram page too - drop over and say hello! www.instagram.com/p/DX4OiZdDNcI/ A beautiful Empis femorata, smothered in pollen for attention #fliesarepollinatorstoo @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @davebriceflies.bsky.social @teamdiptera.bsky.social

Man Orchids Orchis anthropophora on a Surrey hillside this morning. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Ashy Mining Bee foraging at Three-cornered Garlic, Holy Vale, St Mary's, Scilly. This bee is a recent arrival on the islands. 11 April.

Sunday morning in the Lye Valley #Oxford

Herb Paris in a North Yorkshire woodland. @whitbynats.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

I just signed Dame Judi Dench's petition, calling on the urgent restoration of our ancient woodlands. Please sign this important cause and share it: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/br...

Yellow Archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolor, beginning to show in N.Wilts now. Always worth a closer look for those lovely stripy markings. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Today's @pomscheme.bsky.social FIT Count on White Dead-nettle produced the expected bumblebees, but only two of them. Lots of shieldbugs on the surrounding vegetation.

Ye another fly that very successfully mimics a wasp!

A fly evolved to have lost its wings...

Master of disguise, Brimstone butterflies.

What a stunner!

In Lye Valley fen Common Cotton grass (not common in Oxon & on new BSBI GB red list) Eriophorum angustifolium beginning to look great in its ever expanding new position on the wet west bank. Haven't quite got enough fluff to stuff a small pillow yet..... @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

The views in Lye Valley are slowly turning white with our hawthorns putting on a brave show and of course feeding many insects with nectar and pollen. Who knew that hawthorn anthers could be pink before they open ? @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

The local Yellowhammer population looking great.

happy Flyday, enjoy this remarkably Osmia-resembling Microdon (c.f. piperi)

Southern marsh-orchids (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) in flower (already!) at Dawlish Warren, Devon. That is early! 1/5/26 @ukorchids.bsky.social @orchidvinny.bsky.social @warrenbirding.bsky.social

Pleased to share that the Lye Valley's Early Marsh Orchids Dactylorhiza incarnata are up and flowering in various pink shades @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

One of Berkshire's rare plants Upright Chickweed (Moenchia erecta) grows in short turf at BBOWT's Greenham Common. In flower now, it's easy to overlook as it's very short, but the sharp-pointed glaucous leaves can be conspicuous @bbowt.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Milkworts in a range of colours snuggling into the cropped grass of the South Downs this week. #wildflowerhour

GO BIG, GO BOLD Its #WorldRobberflyDay - a celebration of the most attractive predators on this planet (no bias) Here is the aptly named Heligmonevra forcipata (Meijere, 1916) - an impressive terminalia club with formidable 'pincers' Mostly an Oriental & afrotropical genus (69 spp)

Sphagnum lindbergii #moss ##bryophyte

First Red-headed Cardinal Beetle of the year spotted in Lye Valley. This has larvae under the bark of deadwood. Sad to report we also had an arson attack on this mature willow with much dead wood. Likely more larvae/pupae were fried @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

Fallen branch in woodland near a river that has become covered in moss from which wood sorrel + ferns are growing #Dartmoor #Devon #WildflowerHour

A male Swallow enjoying the golden hour by the back door. That's quite a tail. #Swallows #Birds

Garlic mustard #wildflower #photography

Last of the April displays in a woodland glade. Each wood works to it's own timetable. #Dorset #Bluebells #Woodland