This Saturday (15th Nov) it's this years' annual gathering for dragonfly nuts. Online, instead of in-person, so theres' bags of room for everyone! (and less queueing for teas and the loo) #Dragonflies #Odonata #BiologicalRecording #Freshwater #Invertebrates british-dragonflies.org.uk/event/annual...

at the WWT Barnes for the dragonfly festival weekend- awesome, elegantly graceful stilt walkers put in an appearance now and again.

Hackney Marshes today.

looking forward to hunting out some dragonflies today at the beautiful Painshill Park. warm intermittent sun and barely a breeze, so fingers crossed there’ll be plenty to show my guests.

lovely start to the week at FSC Preston Montfort, #damselflies #odonata emerging. so aware of what’s around, even when only just out, they’ll hide behind blades of grass if the think you’re a predator.

can’t claim the credit for spotting it first, but broken my duck- first sighting of the year- Beautiful Demoiselle at Tolworth Court Farm this afternoon #Dragonfly #odonata

moved the office outdoors for a lunchtime meeting at Brockley Park

In celebration of weeds! Nature reserve on reclaimed landfill performs gloriously at this time of year, buzzing with life. #Biodiversity #London #wildflowers

Our first post on Bluesky - a georgeous female adder basking, celebrating all the hard work and efforts by our partners and volunteers on the Cannock Chase National Landscape adder conservation project to create and connect habitat including some rather impressive hibernation structures.

Worm surveys near Gatwick today, an absolute joy, sunshine and birdsong amongst the almost bluebells. Lots of other woodland flora though- Violets, Primroses, Moschatel, Dogs' mercury, Arum leaves.

first one in the gate this morning at the NHM Kensington. got a bag full of dragonfly exuvia and a day with a microscope. at the front of the queue enjoying warm sunshine.

The meowse. Having heard about the importance of the creative muse, Ian has decided to help me with the crossstich design process.

Really enjoying the British #dragonfly Society spring meeting. Interesting and inspiring to see surveys, research and methodologies used across the channel. #Odonata #Biodiversity #Freshwater #Insects

Making the most of todays sunshine, out for a walk on the National Trusts' Bookham Commons. Primroses and Celandines, occasional Bee flies and and solitary bees. The woods to the north look as though there will be plenty of Bluebells in due course.

The resilience of frogs never ceases to impress. Most of the pond edge trampled by dogs, theres' invasive Crassula and Parrots feather. This year theres' more spawn than ever, and frogs shamelessly and joyfully bonking in the middle of it all. #Freshwater #Ponds #Amphibians

Chained to the desk today writing belated dragonfly reports. Hoping to earn my freedom for a day out tomorrow, as the wild stuff seems to have woken- up to be counted.

SPRING has SPRUNG! and it's pancake day and the sun is shinin and theres frogspawn in the pond!! some days are really just bloomin fantastic. (some days can be awful though- I hope wherever you are, something will make you smile today). #amphibians #frogs #freshwater #ponds

Couldn't let #valentines go by without some #dragonfly loving. Black-tailed skimmers Orthetrum cancellatum sure live in the moment, locked together, crashing through the sky at great speed, bouncing off anything that gets in the way.

when it comes to #litterpicking on Molesey Heath, Ben sets the bar high.

Hello Bluesky! We've just joined and are looking forward to meeting likeminded societies and people! The LNHS is a local natural history society concerned with recording the wildlife of London, covering a 20-mile radius from St. Paul's Cathedral. #UKWildlife #LondonWildlife

Pic from 2019. Unpromising maybe at first glance, seriously urban these days, but roadside historic village pond up for some community TLC this year. Bottle traps in 2014 yielded an astonishing 58 Smooth newts, lets see what 2025 brings.. #britishecologist #Amphibians #ponds

Gloriously sunny day, managed to mark #WorldWetlandsDay by escaping the family for a quick late-afternoon peek at Sanderstead pond. Central to the village its' generally loved. Icy at the margins but full of promise for things to come.

i seem to have mislaid this morning. And a secondhand book arrived in the post. i have a feeling the two are connected… #dragonflies #DragonflyNymph #Odonata

looking forward to getting stuck-in with exuvia ID. and iRecording this season. plenty of practice and creating a good reference collection both on the agenda. heartiest thanks to British Dragonfly Society members for help, specimens and advice.

Blue tailed damselfly loving. Often pondside you'll catch just a glimpse of a dot of brightest, almost fluorescent blue in the vegetation. Never fails to delight. #BlueMonday #BlueBugs #Odonata #Freshwater

Finally feeling like myself after cold/chest infection thingy through the most of Dec & Jan. Reluctantly out and about today, and yes, I feel all the better for it! As a bonus, first newt of the year. The newt is v.small, earthworm within expected parameters :-) #biodiversity #amphibians #wildlife

Simple pleasures from the doorstep on the first 'proper day' of the year, as we emerge back into the world. I just liked the shape the pigeons made as the Robins sang at each other along the railway.

just past the solstice and they tell us the days are getting longer. No need for the alarm clock this morning to see the sun come up. given the weather we’ve had it’s a welcome sight and gladdens the soul.

Utter delight sorting yesterdays’ river netting haul somewhat marred by accidentally upending the pot on the patio. think i’ve managed to save the majority. (most are 2-3mm btw).

i hope it’s cold out there, as i’m prepped for the arctic on my trip up to the NHM with Biological Recording Company #BiologicalRecording #biodiversity #invertebrates

oh dear, watching Alan Carrs’ picture slam on telley, i’m yelling, the theme is family, the pic to identify is a …CRANE FLY! ( not a daddy longlegs). 😀

I suspect Storm Bert has seen off the last dragons & damsels 2024, i'm snug indoors hoping for Large reds in April or May. Plenty to verify, the last vice county submissions on iRecord are Southern Hawker (Middx. 15/11) & Common Darter (11/11 Wimbledon Common, Surrey). #Odonata #Dragonflies #Ponds

Frosty start to the day, well worth it to catch-up with a friend and explore the Thursley boardwalks. Love how the frost follows the shadow of the wooden rail. Jessies' on her lead (of course!). #Wildlife #Thursley

It's been a funny year, but it did bring me this- Southern Migrant Hawker, and on my patch too!