December sunshine lighting up the beautiful colouring of stonechats, shovellers, wigeons and many more waterfowl and hedgerow birds around the lakes @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton today. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

So many little and great egrets around the lakes @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton in the last week. I remember the excitement seeing my first little egret in Dorset in the late 90's and now they are numerous here. Beautiful birds. Lots of winter duck arrivals too. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

I was hoping to see autumn thrush arrivals today, 30th October, but instead, we saw a clouded yellow butterfly near Brownshill Staunch on the River Ouse as we headed back to Needingworth side of @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen! Speckled wood and a peacock butterfly also seen. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

More interesting fungi today - this time at the lovely @kingfishersbridge.bsky.social nature reserve. Think this is called conical brittlestem. Hundreds of birds on the reserve too and the hot chocolate looked amazing! It's always worth a visit - different habitats in one place.

I love the common names of fungi - think top right is Shaggy Scalycap apparently! All seen this week around St Ives Cambridgeshire on our daily walks. #fungifriday

It's not my best shot but the first one since February. It makes me so happy to hear these bearded reedlings 'pinging' all the way round the reserve @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen (Earith) this morning. What a wonderful conservation success! @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Flower identification help needed. Seen today @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton. Looks like a mullein but slightly different flowers and leaves. Is it a garden escapee? The shield bugs certainly liked it. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A common sight here in the Fens and around St Ives but great views of a magnificent heron this morning @midsandeastnt.bsky.social Houghton Mill. It was spoilt for lunch choices as the mill pond was teeming with fish. Beautiful autumn hedgerow too. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Saw second wall brown of the week, having never seen one locally before! Sighting this morning was @rspb.bsky.social Berry Fen Bluntisham - no camera so no photograph but definitely a wall brown. Will record. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

First visit to @rspb.bsky.social Lakenheath Fen yesterday. So calming, lots of butterflies, dragonflies and birds; the highlight was at least six hobbies overhead - I tried and failed to get a good photograph. We will definitely visit again. @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Not my best photographs but two sightings @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen Over this morning that I haven't seen here before: a wall brown butterfly ( couldn't capture its open wings) and a huge goat moth caterpillar. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

From the wonderful @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood today -Guelder rose and briony berries. Also (top) the fruits of the special wild service tree (I think). #fruits Swathes of Devil's Bit scabious a bonus attracting so many pollinators @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A few shots from around the gravel pits at Earith today: a fantastic dryad's saddle fungus, one of many ruddy darters, a solitary brown argus, (lots of white butterflies again) and a cormorant - the king of all he surveys!! @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social #fantasticfungi

We had a lovely stroll around @wildlifebcn.org Summer Leys NR. Our first visit - we'll be going again as there is so much to see in different habitats. We then visited Earls Barton to see the very special Anglo Saxon tower on the parish church. It too didn't disappoint. #englishhistoricchurches

I think this is three common blue butterflies sharing one birds foot trefoil flower at Coton NR this morning - lots of meadow browns and gatekeepers also hiding in the grass. @cambridgeppf.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

It’s our 30th Anniversary Family Open Weekend! Come and join a guided walk deep into the Reserve and say #buffhello to our herd of Asian Water Buffalo 🐃 🐃🐃🐃 10am-4pm 12-13 July, guided walks hourly, last one leaves at 3pm

Lovely stroll around @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social Bradfield Wood NNR today. So many butterflies, it cheers my heart. More silver-washed fritillaries in one place than I've seen in total over the last couple of years - wonderful! @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Certainly, there are so many more red admirals and gate keepers than last year on our patch near St Ives. Lots today along the droves around @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen (Over) as we avoided the cows in the reserve itself! @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Caught a lovely white admiral gliding through the brambles @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood this morning - lots of large skippers and ringlets too. We wait still to see a purple emperor @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Two bumper butterfly days Yesterday walking through @wildlifebcn.org Old Sulehay NR - not seen so many butterflies in one place for a couple of years at least. Numerous marbled whites were the stars. And today at Paxton Pits- including first gatekeepers of 2025 @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Lots of butterflies on the wing in @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood this morning - lots of commas and meadow browns. First ringlets of 2025 for us and a well travelled, painted lady. Beautiful wild flowers, too - fading common spotted orchids and so much more. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Oops, I completely forgot the time but still wanted to post these beautiful common spotted orchids (and ragged robin) for #orchidchallenge. Two of many, many orchids emerging @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood this week. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Spotted @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood. Is this a Mistle Thrush? At first, I thought it was a (juvenile) woodpecker as it was quite a large bird. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Just a few of the birds we saw @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton today. Highlight was about 30 cattle egrets on the opposite bank - I think their plummage is fantastic! Heard, but didn't see, two purring turtle doves too. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

I was unable to work between December & April due to a breakdown. Every single RT here helps put my creative & mental health workshops in front of more eyes & helps me get back on my feet financially. It would help *so* much if you could RT my workshop below if you have a few seconds. Thankyou 🌿

The new wildlife pond is coming up trumps! So many birds drinking and bathing here 😁❤️

Lovely selection of butterflies and bugs @rspb.bsky.social Hope Farm this morning. Lots of common blues, but I was very pleased to see a small copper and brown argus as we didn't see either locally in 2024. Think it's a cardinal beetle but what an amazing creature. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Heard then seen this morning - turtle dove @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton Lakes - very distant shot. Lovely to see this nursery of Greylag goslings - picture only shows half of the group. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Another lovely whitethroat @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen this morning. The star attraction is obviously the Great Reed Warbler, but for me, it's the amazing aerial display of the swifts - swooping so close you feel a real connection. (Too swift to photograph!) Wonderful. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

So much to see and hear @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen this morning. Distant water violets, lots of common blues and I'm sure the Great Reed Warbler is encouraging the other birds, including this whitethroat and sedge warbler, to sing even louder! @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Strolled around one of my favourite local places today @magogdown.bsky.social. Beautiful flowers including white helleborine. Lots of blue butterflies flitting about on the sainfoin - only this small blue settled for a pic. Not my best shot but first blue of 2025 @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

First dragonfly shot of the year - think this one is a hairy hawker and a stunning oyster catcher on the Barleycroft @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen, walking this morning from the old carpark in Needingworth. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Three for #cabbageflower from Brampton Wood Cambridgeshire - charlock, garlic mustard and a beautiful cuckoo flower. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

As @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen was busy this morning, we decided to walk on the outside of the reserve along the dog run. What a good choice, as we were rewarded with fantastic views of the Great Reed Warbler across the channel. A bonus was the first goslings of 2025 @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Here's some of the beautiful spring flowers @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood today. The bluebells mixed with hawthorn, celandine and stitchwort are the stars but so much more to see including last of wild pear blossom, wood spurge and cuckoo flowers @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Field-speedwell (or dollies' eyes as my mum used to call them) and stork's bill for #tinyflowers. And a beautiful bluebell - all from a walk around historic Kimbolton Cambridgeshire earlier this week. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Sudden flash of colour along the Ouse @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton Lakes this morning - this beautiful Kingfisher then perched in hawthorn bush on opposite bank. Just managed this distant shot. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Oops missed tonight's 8 o'clock deadline, but for @wildflowerhour.bsky.social, here's my offering: alkanet and water crowfoot with beautiful maple and wild cherry flowers today in Over Cambridgeshire @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Lots of cattle egrets amongst the cattle along the drove to @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen Over this morning. Birdsong all around, including this obliging chiffchaff @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

The warblers are back @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen (Earith)! Managed a shot of this Sedge Warbler but so many calling as we walked around the reserve this morning @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

One of a group of redshanks @rspb.bsky.social Berry Fen/Barleycroft this morning. Lots of butterflies too - I really like the comma's remarkable shadow on the five bar gate. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

After the boomings, the fly-bys and scouring the reeds for years- the 'oh wow moment' - a Bittern on the ground @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen. Thanks to the fellow birdwatcher who pointed it out! It's made my day and I got a shot! @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

Some shots from my little St Ives garden in the the sunshine earlier this week for #sevenonSunday. I really like the colour combination of the orange violas, tete a tete daffodils and muscari in the bulb lasagne!

A thorough search of @wildlifebcn.org Brampton Wood resulted in the discovery of this solitary wood anemone. But there was an abundance of dog violets and wild primroses @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #woodanemone

Welcome signs of spring everywhere @rspb.bsky.social Fen Drayton Lakes today. First time we have found Scarlet Elf Cups there. Heard first Bittern booming of 2025 this week at RSPB Ouse Fen (Earith) - hoping to photograph one this year. @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

First celandine of the year and beautiful cherry blossom around Earith today. And where there was only one a couple of weeks ago, there are now thousands of coltsfoot @rspb.bsky.social Ouse Fen (Earith) alive with bees. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Not fun geopolitical times to live through but, as history teaches us, this era will pass and better people will rise.

Had stroll around @wildlifebcn.bsky.social Brampton Wood today as it begins to awaken for Spring. Here are a few images; my favourite is what I think is called Blushing Bracket fungus (top right) #fungusID. On the right is my favourite view in the wood: top is today - bottom was taken October 24.

BBC News - Well-managed solar farms can boost wildlife - Cambridge study - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

🦫Here is the moment beavers returned to Northants for the first time in 400 years. Today we released a family of 8 beavers to the Nene Wetlands nature reserve. Read the full story at wildlifebcn.org/news/beavers... Thanks to Anglian Water & Beaver Trust for supporting this project.