On a rainy grey February, a splendid parcel has arrived. What a relief… @pelagic.bsky.social @nfbr.bsky.social @nbntrust.bsky.social

Turning wildlife sightings into powerful data 🐝🌿 Every iRecord submission supports research and conservation nationwide. Join iRecord 101 with @earthwormuk.bsky.social Brown (Thu 2 Apr 2026) and learn how to get started or level up. 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1734876575... @ukceh.bsky.social

The Lancs LNRS went live today. It introduces a new strategy for nature recovery in the local area. It's two and a half year production has has involved and provided the opportunity for input from private and public sector organisations, the public and eNGOs. www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/stra...

Nice reminder from Google, this time 5 years ago at Entwistle Res.

In today's Budget, the Chancellor spoke about building the economy “brick by brick” but left out the very foundation that underpins it all: nature. The same Government that promised to restore our natural world appears instead to have wiped it from their agenda.

Exciting! Fungi commenced from this year's CHEGD surveys packaged and nearly ready for sending off for DNA barcoding by the awesome Mycopunks as part of this year's Autumn Mycoblitz!

Amendment 40 to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been voted down. Had it passed, it would have meant more precious wildlife would have retained existing protections. Instead, MPs have bought into the false 'nature vs growth' narrative.

The Planning Bill is back in Parliament today.‼️ From the start, it’s been controversial: risking damage to precious wildlife and habitats. Peers reduced some of those risks. Now MPs get to vote: keep those protections, or strip them out.

A well worded piece by Craig Bennett, The Wildlife Trusts CEO. A warning to Labour over their misguided attempt to cast nature as the enemy to force through planning policy. Will they listen in time? www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti... #ukpolitics #labourparty #planningbill #ukgovernment

Labour blinkered rush to wreck UK nature protections has cost them dearly with many in the professional ecology sector as well as wide public. All so unnecessary. Developers met ministers dozens of times over planning bill while ecologists were shut out www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

My favourite find from last week just in time for Halloween. The Powdercap Strangler. This rarely encountered fungus parasitises the Earthy Powdercap hijacking it to explode from the stipe and replace the host cap with its own, allowing it to spread its own spores #fungiphotography #grasslandfungi

Exciting site found last week near Anglezark reservoir. Likely meets county level significance for grassland fungi and may well have been developing it's species richness for hundreds of years. Good number of species of global conservation significance present. #CHEGD #Grasslandfungi

The Labour party, one major disappointment after another... I never would have believed they would stoop to this kind of behaviour. Those who defend nature against Labour’s growth agenda are not ‘traitors’ | Letter www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Just some waxcaps.

@teamlabouruk.bsky.social I still wish you would recognise trashing nature protection is not a good thing. You've lost my vote until you do. @theguardian.com @cieem.bsky.social

Overhead friends chatting in the pub tonight and spending a lot of time explaining the 'disabilities' and 'conditions' of themselves and their friends in a very hierarchical way. I worry young people hyper focused on what they perceive they can't do and how they have to react to protect themselves

I swear Northern Rail just said "we will shortly be arriving in Ireland". I swear I only just left Preston and didn't have that much to drink!

Delemere Forest, a beautiful place once you get away from the crowds. A little surprised to see a few Dragons darting about the Black Lake.

Brief reminder that the application window for our new Environment Officer with Lancashire Environmental Records Network at Lancashire County Council closes this week! fa-esms-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Bit more fungling about on the moors today checking on the predictive mapping. Reckon this area could be a bit of a hotspot in about a month time.

Out looking for fungi grasslands last weekend around Rivington and the West Pennine Moors. Loads of potential and looking forward to going back in a few weeks to see what's there! Really need help from naturalists in Lancashire to find more though. Comment/message for details.

On the very unlikely offchance a Deed or Dade descendant interested in genealogy stumbles across this post. I have FamilyTreeDNA page for unraveling the various origins of Deed and Dade family history. If you're interested, drop me a message. www.familytreedna.com/groups/deed-...

Out on site surveys this week and ended up at a bit of a hidden gem. This valley runs from Rossendale from near Scout moor into Bury. A combination of species rich grasslands, heath and wetland along a river.

Cool little crystalwort from a grassland this week. Small and easily overlooked you'll often find them scattered on damp bare and disturbed mud and soil. Some even float!

Incredibly diverse calcareous grassland up Silverdale way this last week. Always nice to go somewhere that's still in good condition! To many sites left to neglect or lost to ignorance.

Well responded by Zack Polanski. The focus of Corbyn as with his previous leadership attempts is unlikely to include well considered nature or climate actions. I remember Corbyn refusing to ally with the Greens but IMO that should not rule out a future alliance. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I voted @teamlabouruk.bsky.social because of their pledges on nature and because I trusted them to tackle nature recovery better than the conservatives. How wrong was I. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Time for another round of Nature or No Nature! Angela Rayner, you said Labour's planning bill would be a win for nature. Yet your environmental watchdog says the opposite. To help clear up the confusion, your question now...

Somewhat exasperated at the state of UK and world politics so here's a Green Hairstreak wandering around doing it's Hairstreak thing.

I'd say I can't believe it but sadly I can. Voters have handed control of Lancashire County Council to Reform... It's a sad day for the County and personally an enormous worry as there's a real threat now to the environment and climate team. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Don't take it from me. Take it from the government's own assessment: Everything Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have said about nature protection blocking house building is big fat shining lie. A lie now being locked into legislation before Parliament. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Absolutely scorching letter about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the government's attempts to mislead us about its impacts. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

⚡️ Zelensky warns Russia is 'preparing something' in Belarus under guise of military drills. "This is how its new attacks usually start," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

I had a right old rant about Tony Blair's ignorant, self-interested statement on The Jeremy Vine Show today. I mentioned that he has worked as a lobbyist for PetroSaudi, earning Tony Blair Associates £41,000/month, plus 2% of any deal he brokered. Starts 9 minutes in: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Just received the latest publication from the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society. Collated by Malcolm Evans this atlas details the current known distribution of all hoverflies on the Fylde.

The bee collection! Bilberry was buzzing on Rivington with bees of all kinds. This is a selection of some that sat still long enough for a photo! A Nomada (fascinating cleptoparasites), Andrena cinerea, Andrena haemorrhoa and Andrena fulva #CityNatureChallenge

One of my smallest finds in yesterday's #CityNatureChallenge a Notiophilus beetle. These tiny jewel like ground beetles are tigers of the soil, hunting springtails among other soil fauna.

Green-veined White butterfly. A common and widespread species but one of my favourite pics from the #CityNaturrChallenge yesterday. The fresh dusting on the veins of the underwing and the butterfly poised to set off on its next journey.

Read the Guardian article by Monbiot earlier today and i think it captures a lot of the frustration and disappointment in the current government and their approach to the #PlanningAndIntrastructureBill and the resulting risks to the natural environment*. #Biodiversity #UKGovernment #LabourParty

Just over 7 hours to go until this years #CityNatureChallenge begins! Anyone can take part, anywhere in the world and help to better our understanding of wildlife for research and conservation. Check thread below to take part. #Lancashire #Wildlife #WildlifeRecording #CitizenScience

Loads of these Green Tigers racing around up Sandaig

Wonderful to be invited back to see Lancashire Wildlife Trusts Lunt Meadows nature reserve in this it's 10th year for a celebration of the opening of it's new learning centre!

A fascinating tour of loch Linnhe with common and Atlantic seals, still waters of loch Lomond and some of the poorly pressed flowers a reminder of our visit.

Ever photogenic Eilean Donna castle last stop leaving the Highlands.

The last working turntable ferry from Glenelg a gateway to dinosaur footprints, fossil reef and tucked away waterfalls all on the Isle of Skye.

Forest walks, sand dunes and sea anemones around the clear waters of Sandaig. Beautiful and peaceful place.

Looking at future career paths but not sure where to start? Visit the link below to learn more about different #careers you can delve into and uncover hidden opportunities within #entomology 🦋 buff.ly/sliPH6N 📸 Mole cricket foreleg (c) Ángel Plata Sánchez

Pub and wanders from the cottage.

From first day up in the Highlands stunning weather and views.

Never again.