The Hungarian election is about Russian oligarchy and its support of the international far right. That’s why Vance is there. He is a node in that network.

Leicestershire ancient oaks. #trees #oak #saproxylic

Keys to the large genus Helophorus rely on characters which are hard to discern but some species are relatively easy to name. H. nanus is v small (2.2-3 mm), dark and has a smooth, shiny pronotum. H. granularis is similar but, as the name suggests, has very granular sculpturing between the furrows.

Why does Vance care whether Orban wins? Because if he loses, it will challenge the MAGA belief that history flows in only one direction from @theunpopulist.net open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...

Though created primarily for amphibians, this cluster of newish ponds on edge of Humberhead Peatlands produced a decent invertebrate fauna including the Near Threatened water beetle Hydrochus elongatus. Location matters: new habitat close to existing can draw on a large pool of potential colonists.

A glorious spring day in the southern Vale of York. This pond on a small remnant of lowland heath near Market Weighton produced a good suite of beetles typical of base-poor waters such as Ilybius montanus, Hydroporus melanarius, H. neglectus, Helochares punctatus and Hydrobius subrotundus.

Gum Rockrose (Cistus ladanifer) can cover whole hillsides in southern Portugal, a striking sight with its large white flowers. Resins and oils used in cosmetics, perfumery and medicine can be extracted from it. However, as a highly fire-adapted species it's often indicative of over-burning.

A cliff fall at Burniston Rocks, Yorkshire last month was 700 metres from the well pad site proposed by Europa Oil & Gas. Fracking in Lancashire in 2019, using lower volumes of fluid than planned at Burniston, caused multiple earth tremors. What could go wrong? drillordrop.com/2026/04/03/c...

Seasonal fencing now back up to protect the Little Tern colony on Seaton Carew beach. This has been a highly successful scheme which involves cordoning off a small proportion of one of the North-east most popular beaches during the breeding season. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nossa Senhora de Aracelis is a C16th chapel on a hill overlooking the Castro Verde plains. It provides an exceptional viewpoint to search for raptors, bustards and, in winter, large flocks of Cranes. Thekla's Lark, Blue Rock Thrush and Serin are found on the slopes of the hill.

Two juvenile Iberian Imperial Eagles on the Castro Verde plains last week. This is one of world's most range-restricted raptors, confined to Spain and Portugal. From just 38 pairs in mid 1970s, there are now ca 850 pairs. EU Life projects have greatly benefitted this and other threatened species.

Another industry lobby group buys its way into influencing decisions made by Starmer's government?

Red-rumped Swallows collecting mud for nest-building (Qunita do Lago, Algarve). This warmth-loving bird is expanding its range northwards in Europe.

This shallow, seasonal stream nr Castro Verde produced diving beetle Agabus brunneus. It's extremely localised in Britain, only found in the deep south, but widespread in Iberia. In seasonal brooks it likely retreats into gravel bed during summer. Baixo Alentejo v under-recorded for aquatic beetles.

Mirror Orchids (Ophrys speculum), Alvor, Portugal. The UV- reflective 'mirror' at the centre of the labellum attracts males of the wasp Dasyscolia ciliata, the exclusive pollinator in this species.

Western Black-eared Wheatear (Chasco ruivo em português), Vale Gonçalinho, Castro Verde plains, Portugal. This species breeds in Iberia, southern France and northern Italy. It winters in the Sahel, a region acutely vulnerable to climate change. Categorised as Vulnerable in Portugal.

Crested Lark, Alvor, Portugal. Cotovia de poupa in Portuguese. Although moderately declining in Europe, this remains a widespread and common bird of open habitats in Iberia, including on the edges of towns. It prefers more disturbed landscapes than the similar Thekla's Lark.

This string of mini rafts at Salinas do Grelha has been provided for Little Terns and Kentish Plovers, apparently with good success; also used as a high tide roost by hundreds of waders. Flamingo, Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Tern & Collared Pratincole nearby.

Orchid overload this morning in the foothills of SW Portugal with Green-winged, Pyramidal, Naked Man, Yellow Bee, Sombre Bee, Bumblebee, Woodcock, Mirror, Two-leaved Gennaria and Tongue spp.

A long day on the Castro Verde plains provided excellent views of both Great & Little Bustards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Calandra Lark and W Black-eared Wheatear. 12 raptor species included plenty of Lesser Kestrels and Montagu's Harriers along with Iberian Imperial Eagles.

Typical Algarvian wood-pasture w Olive, Carob, Fig, grazed by sheep & goats. Richly biodiverse habitat, characteristic birds inc Cattle Egret, Red-legged Partridge, Hoopoe, Iberian Magpie, Spotless Starling, Sardinian Warbler, Serin. In places becoming replaced by intensive olive and citrus groves.

Tassel Hyacinth (Leopoldia comosa) & Tongue Orchid (Serapis ?lingua) from this morning's walk near Alvor. The latter is just starting to appear along with the first spikes of Pyramidal Orchid but some of the Ophrys species are beginning to go over, a reminder of how early spring is in the Med.

Branched Broomrape (Phelipanche ramosa) was a new planr for me on the Alvor Biodiversity Trail. Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum) is the most frequent of 3 Ophrys species there, the others being Bumblebee (O. bombyliflora) and Yellow Bee (O. lutea) orchids.

Abicada Marsh, Alvor (Portugal) this afternoon with Greater Flamingo, Spoonbill, White Stork, Osprey, Ruff, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Iberian Yellow Wagtail & Spotless Starling.

Plenty of migrant birds on Alvor Dunes this afternoon with 13 Woodchat Shrikes, 12 Northern Wheatears, a Western Subalpine Warbler and chiffchaff sp in addition to resident Hoopoe, Crested Lark, Zitting Cisticola, Sardinian Warbler & Serin. #AvesdePortugal

Spain's renewables build-out has structurally decoupled its electricity prices from gas markets. Gas now sets the price in only 15% of hours, compared to 90% in Italy. Countries that invested early in clean power are far less exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Those that didn't now pay the price.

New research shows that farming adapted to wetter soils could benefit bird communities Sites contained 3X more birds than drained grasslands Story: www.cam.ac.uk/research/new... Paper: doi.org/10.1002/2688... Read on for a summary… @clr-cambridge.bsky.social @aer-ese-bes.bsky.social

Elder scrub is often seen as 'weedy' habitat of little value but it can be essential for Willow Tit, a species believed to have declined by 94% since 1970s. Willow Tits can excavate their own nest holes in Elder, allowing them to use habitat their more competitive relatives cannot.

Anyone aware of Teesside's history will be able to imagine the toxic pollutants bound in Teesmouth sediments. This decision forces the MMO (regulator) to re-examine the licence to dispose of dredgings at sea, and consider whether better data needed. Bravo Simon Gibbon. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

White Storks are doing remarkably well in W Europe (>85% 📈over 20 yrs), thanks to climate change (most now winter in Iberia) and anthropogenic food sources. Surely not a priority for UK nature conservation? And won't the introduced storks eat the introduced Tree Frogs? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I find wearing wellies for long periods tiring and cumbersome, so I've invested in these lightweight, packable, natural rubber Japanese rice-planting boots from Pokeboo. They can be carried easily so I'm going to try them for 'light' aquatic sampling and water beetling abroad.

Very obliging Goshawk, displaying and dogfighting w Buzzard at Wykeham Raptor Viewpoint, 9.30. Also Crossbill flyby. @nybirdnews.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social

Saltholme pools 10.30: Whooper Swan, 2 Ruff, LRP, Marsh Harrier. 2 Grey Partridge and 10 Twite on Seaton Common earlier. Ca. 150 Harbour Seals at Snook haul-out. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Ruddy Shelduck, 2 Egyptian Geese with Canadas opp Saltholme substn (grazing by pylon nr road), 8.15. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Billingham Beck at Portrack Bridge, 07:45 3 Green Sandpipers upstream, 1 Common Sandpiper downstream. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Europe must learn from the disastrous behavior of American tech oligarchs. They willingly traded away fundamental human rights and democracy in pursuit of deregulation, access, and tax cuts. We cannot let billionaires dictate the future

Reminder that life in soil doesn't just _support_ #Biodiversity. It IS biodiversity #Fungi #SoilHealth www.discoverwildlife.com/plant-facts/...

New Resource: Non-Chemical Bracken Management 🐄 This webinar from Innovative Farmers @thesoilassociation.bsky.social brought together farmers, researchers and advisors to launch a new learning network investigating managing bracken without chemicals. 🙅🧪 ➡️ ow.ly/HgcK50YrK5r 📸Katharine Pinfold

FACTS: Net Zero barely nudges your bill. Fossil‑fuel wars send it through the roof. So when Farage and his ilk slags off renewables while fanning conflict, remember who actually hikes your costs.

Visited last remaining patch of lagg fen on the Thorne Peatlands today: originally the transition between the raised mass of rainfed peat and surrounding groundwater fed wetland. This narrow strip was cut for peat in medieval/early modern era but by a quirk of fate escaped 'warping' with silt.

As well as being the local Dipper hotspot, the banks of the Tees at Broken Scar (Darlington) support an interesting bulb flora. This includes Sand Leek, Field Garlic and, notably, numerous patches of Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem which are most obvious now, in early spring. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Saltholme AM: 51 Avocet, Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Ruff, Great Egret, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sand Martin, Tree Sparrow, Water Pipit. @teesbirds.bsky.social

More Locke Park (Redcar) herons. Also Gadwall, Grey Wagtail & Blackcap today. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

The British far-right is essentially a foreign influence operation. If they're not backing Trump against UK & Europe or promoting Kremlin talking points they're love-bombing UAE, one of world's most repressive regimes - zero democracy, near bottom of press freedom index, stoking conflict far & wide.

New paper! Bird nests (Wood Warblers) are hubs of invertebrate biodiversity on forest floor, hosting more species/individuals than leaf litter. Probably due to heat & food detritus. Losing Wood Warblers = ecological networks lost. #ornithology resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Merlin on its regular perch on top of access chamber in middle of Marske coastal field, 14.45 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Summer plumage Red-necked Grebe close in off Bomb Hole, South Gare 13.30 @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

We are laying out The Fenland Flora by Owen Mountford & Jon Graham - this landmark 1600-page 2-volume set is due for publication this Autumn. Pre-publication offer will start late Spring @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social Watch this space for updates on progress

Bran Sands lunchtime: Great Northern Diver in middle of estuary, 2 Red-throated further out, 4 Merganser, a few Eider & Guillemots but couldn't see any grebes. 19 Shags appeared to be fishing together. 40+ Bar-tailed Godwits flew into high-tide roost. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Slender Pond Snail (Omphiscola glabra), highly characteristic of seasonal pool complexes on remnants of common land in Vale of York/Humberhead Levels. Globally Near Threatened. Typically occurs with the more widespread White-lipped Ramshorn (Anisus leucostoma) & Moss Bladder-snail (Aplexa hypnorum).