Our Practical Conservation volunteers are at Ettington Cutting this week cutting and raking the grassland banks. We started management of this site in 2016 & it’s great to see how much it has improved since then.

Common Blue, Peacock, Speckled Wood & Green-veined white butterflies all seen yesterday by the volunteer work party at Ettington Cutting. Though the highlight was a Clouded Yellow! #butterflies @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A NFG without setting the Actinic! Went for a shower 🚿, this fella popped into the bathroom. Next scene was me scampering about in a towel trying to catch it for piccy in more natural settings. Carcina quercana (Oak Longhorn) I think. #teammoth #moths #DERBYSHIRE @obsidentify.bsky.social

New film from @theroyalparks.bsky.social highlights safety during deer rutting season in Richmond and Bushy Parks. From late September to early November, male deer exhibit natural behaviour and visitors need to keep their distance. c-js.uk/4ntVtof

A possible bogey moth has been evaded. A Pink-barred Sallow was in my trap this morning, nearly a day after I told someone, "I'm still waiting to see one of those." I started to think I would never get one. Sadly, some of its scales are missing, but at least I can put this one to bed now. #teammoth

Feathered Thorn says hello. #teammoth

Conservation sssssuccess! 🐍 16 years after Smooth Snakes were reintroduced to a Devon site, surveys last year recorded 39 individuals, a 25% jump on the previous high of 31 in 2023. www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

Here’s a piece I made called Illuminate 💡 #NatureWithin #TheMothCollection

The Wasp Spider's steady progress north and west continues, with much consolidation of its occupancy of the south east as well:

"From a spray of hazel a nuthatch takes a nut" What to Look for in Autumn, 1960 Artist: CF Tunnicliffe

Help to respond to this consultation on rodenticides.. wildjustice.org.uk/general/plea...

72/20 0NFY VC13 #TeamMoth Orgyia antiqua. Vapourer Not new but nice.

Missed this documentary the first time it was shown - beautiful piece by Helen Macdonald (writer of H is for Hawk) on Goshawks in the wild & training a new captive bred Goshawk. Very moving in places. Love the obvious connection & early photographs taken by her father. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Another early stage lifer for me from Norfolk last week with James Symonds - Mompha terminella (Enchanter's Mompha) #teammoth

The beaked hoverfly Rhingia rostrata feeding at devils-bit scabious at Tudeley Woods - showing how the 'beak' provides a sheath for the long proboscis

A beautiful Male migrant hawker dragonfly resting on gorse from our local walks.

Better light and views this morning of a Humming-bird Hawk-moth in the garden....

A most welcome visitor to our site this week… A Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), soaking up the late September sun. It’s the first one recorded on our patch since 2021! #NMCCbiodiversity

The UK offers ideal pear-growing conditions – but only around 8% of pears sold here are home grown. Traditional orchards are excellent habitats for wildlife, but they're now rare – so planting pear and apple trees can really help boost biodiversity. More: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/pea...