My bedroom was 30°C when I opened the windows a little while ago. Might have to watch a film or something while it cools down.

💦 Help your garden wildlife by providing some water. Here are some different ways you can try for different creatures. 🐤 Small bird drinking station - Floating logs in your pond, ideal for robins and sparrows.

I was at Bristol Lido yesterday and I would like to be back there (I still don’t think they pronounce ‘lido’ correctly though…)

We've currently got hundreds of Common Spotted Orchids dotting the fen here. Numbers seem to be increasing year on year thanks to our ongoing scything and raking. Worth a visit if you're local! #WildflowerHour #OxfordshireFens #orchids 🌍

Since when has lido been pronounced lee-doe? Have I been pronouncing it incorrectly all my life?

Born and brought up in Nottingham, I am quite sad about this www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Clouds

Orchids seen on the way to work this morning

I am at the seaside.

Nice article in today's @theguardian.com about native wildlife on banknotes www.theguardian.com/business/202... But oh dear @bankofengland.bsky.social, why isn't there a single native plant under consideration? A few suggestions for you below + a £20 note mocked up by @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social!

BBC News - Rare orchid discovered on roof of Oxford Brookes building - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Fascinating

Today is the first day of #30DaysWild, run by The Wildlife Trusts. More info here, if you’re interested: www.wildlifetrusts.org/30dayswild

Just four of the fourteen orchid species spotted on a tour of Kent yesterday with @dunnjons.bsky.social and @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social of @mariposanature.bsky.social (would recommend!) #WildflowerHour #OrchidChallenge

I am still learning to feel comfortable going out for dinner on my own, but what I can say is that the staff at Amici here in Ashford are very welcoming and attentive (although not *too* attentive - I would hate that!).

Where I am right now

To mark the rechalking of the Cerne Abbas Giant, here is an extract from my book Upon A White Horse – in which I write about meeting the Giant on May Day. If you enjoy my writing, please do share. smallfinds.substack.com/p/meeting-th...

Sharing for those who are also in the grief boat www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

A few days ago I bought 3 vegan magnums in case my son came over and fancied one. I’ve eaten two of them now 😁

Reading Upon a White Horse by @peteralanross.bsky.social at the moment and it is reminding me of a fantastic walk I did around this time last year that took in the Uffington White Horse and Wayland’s Smithy

Aftercare at The Library pub tonight

The sounds of swifts above the back step and something (a frog? or small bird?) plopping out of the water dish and into the undergrowth, when I went to see if it had water.

I am slowly working my way through this category of film on iPlayer - not sure there’s been a bad one yet www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/grou...

I met these two baby goats today. Born this morning.

Oxfordshire’s conservationists are quietly holding the line for Britain’s rarest orchids. We find out what’s involved to bring these wild flowers back… and exactly how a “military orchid” got its name. oxfordclarion.uk/an-orchid-or...

Joined an online workshop about stress and burnout earlier. Didn’t learn loads of new stuff but I did like the idea of #AskTwice which is based on the premise that people will automatically say they’re fine when first asked, even when they’re not #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Started watching Slow Horses (S1, ep1).

I can't believe Nightshift is finally ending. I had a rare weekday off in Oxford last week, and it felt so homely to find a stack of these in Common Ground and to be able to read it there. Without it I don't think I would have gone to as many gigs as I have.

Check out the songs from the latest Shed Session, with Oxford’s Aftercare, here youtube.com/@shedsession...

The final scores on Oxford City Council, combining tonight’s 24 elections with the 24 from 2024, are: 🌹 Labour 20 💚 Green 13 🔶 LibDem 9 🟪 IOA 4 ◻️ Ind 2 This gives the Greens and LibDems a chance to run the council in coalition if they choose. Here’s tonight on a map. Thanks for following along!

Always lots to enjoy in this show but episode here includes a properly interesting interview with D Attenborough (who is 100 tomorrow by the way) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Shopping for books = my favourite kind of shopping 📚

Up the May! May Morning in Oxford.

😭 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Swifts are arriving back in Oxford. You can help survey them!

Excitement of the morning so far is that I’ve just discovered my Guardian sub gives me unlimited access to their Feast app. How did I not know this?

The first place my partner (later my husband) and I lived in was in an attic opposite this bell. It used to wake us up on a Sunday morning.

What a fabulous morning for a walk

Patriarchy in the birding world

Went to the Jericho Tavern last night (or is it just The Jericho now?). It’s changed a bit since the 90s #Oxford

Listening to music by the Clangers (on Jarvis Cocker’s Someday Service) while baking a cake 🙂

There needs to be a morris dancer/DnB crossover immediately.

Lying in bed listening to the starlings outside. They’re very vocal - one of the sounds they make is like a whistle which goes down in tone.

Saw my first orange-tip butterfly of the year this morning (a fleeting glimpse, so no photo).

I have a few extra days off work following the Easter weekend. Have been spending the afternoon with a book, listening to Lana Del Rey, Kate Bush, Portishead, Slowdive.

Went to see Bridget Christie on the last night of her Jacket Potato Pizza tour yesterday. Took my daughter 🙂

Blackthorn at the edge of Brasenose Wood this morning

I liked the film Midwinter Break, which I just saw at the UPP #SaveTheUPP