Fungi Art – Mushroom stands alone, Grassland whispers to the wind, Birds paint the blue sky. #fungi #mushrooms #mycology #fungifriends #nature #autumnvibes

My Species of the Week: Common Dainty(Baccha elongata) A review of its various common names, its distribution, habitats found, morphology, & suggestion of places to look for its larva. Hope you will visit and enjoy the read. #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #knowledge #biology #diptera

Don't very often see Calliphora vomitoria with their fetching ginger beards, but today I was pleased to find 2 of these blow flies, 13/11/25, Tamworth @dipteristsforum.bsky.social #Calliphoridae #Diptera

Comet 3I/Atlas orbits the Sun—perfect time to dive into Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama. What if alien visitors came instead? 🚀✨ What if it wasn’t a comet but a starship? 🚀 #SpaceExploration #SciFiBooks #Comet #BookTok #BookLovers #SpaceVibes #SciFiReads #CometWatch #Astronomy #Cosmos #Space #SciFi

✨ Vintage Hoverfly Art ✨ Etching from Emile Blanchard’s book “Metamorphoses, mœurs et instincts des insectes” — a stunning glimpse into the world of insects. Illustrator L. Royner #Hoverflies #Flies #Insects #Syrphidae #Art #HistoricalArt #NatureIllustration #Diptera #Artappreciation

Did u know?This is one of the most important organisms on earth - moss. It's amazing what it does to maintain healthy ecosystems. It minimises soil erosion; captures carbon; harbours tiny souls in its unique habitat & filters & purifies water & air in its dense structure - make room for moss. 🌱🌿🇬🇧🌱🌍🦠

Explored the grounds of #WortleyHall S.Yorkshire yesterday with the BNATs and spotted 20 species of #Fungi – bringing our monthly total to 53 species from two visits!. Wortley Hall is truly a magical spot for fungi lovers. 🌳✨ #Mycology #NatureWalk #Nature #BNATs #Wildlife #Autumnvibes #Fungifriends

Happy #flyday ! A couple of gorgeous hoverflies from last weekend, gorgeous weather after a week of gloom in Atlanta. Spilomyia longicornis, (eastern hornet fly, which puts on an intimidating hornet imitation) and Helophilis fasciatus, narrow-headed marsh fly. #flyfriday #insects #macrophotography

Lunuled wings gleam, Banded dancers trace green paths— Ivy hums with life. #Haiku #haikupoem #haikupoetry #Hoverflies #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #knowledge #biology #wildlife #diptera

My Species of the Week: Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) Fascinating #Hoverflies that mimic male drone honeybees.🐝This article explores its larval biology and gives helpful Identification tips. #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #biology #wildlife #diptera. Hope you will visit. 📚

Gravestone aggregation of Firebugs in Wivenhoe New Cemetery today, a welcome splash of colour in the absence of the customary waxcaps...

After 2 yrs, a hedgehog’s back in my garden! 🦔🔥 Before lighting bonfires, MOVE & CHECK for hidden hogs! #Wildlife #Autumn. Haven’t seen it in a week so it might have gone into hibernation? -Check a fire save a ‘hog. 🦔🔥 Nobody likes a crispy Hedgehog! - #Bonfire #Fireworks #NatureLove #Hedgehogs.

Did u know? On milder days, you'll still see pollinators on the wing, so it's a fab idea to have something in flower all year-round. These Fatsia japonica are in full bloom now (not indigenous, but hey-ho) and my wonderful wasps are taking full advantage of their lovely nectar rich blooms. 🌱🌿🇬🇧🌱🌍🪲

Mild autumn vibes 🍂 Hoverflies still buzzing! 🐝 Spotted a Common Dainty Hoverfly (Baccha elongata) on the ivy today 🌿 #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #biology #wildlife #diptera #garden Bit late in the season for this little one. #climatechange

Did u know? This is what my wildlife garden looks like in winter. Stalks, stems, seed heads & leaves are all left to shelter small souls until the warmer weather returns. This isn't a mess, this is nature's quiet time where life rests & prepares to renew for the next season. Believe in brown 🤎 🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍

🎃 It’s Halloween, and the shadows are stirring… 💀 Dare to unearth the sinister secret of the Junk Bug! 👻 What it is. Where it lurks. And why it will send shivers down your spine! 🕷️ Wishing you all a Happy Halloween! 🦇 #Halloween #Insects #BugSpotting #MicroSafari #Naturewalk #ForestFinds #Autumn

North American Hoverflies! 🪰

Stinkhorn, Sion Parkinson's book about the well known smelly fungus is an excellent read, I reviewed it over on my blog craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2025/10/stin...

Did u know?This is one of the most fab animals on earth. Earthworms & other detritivores create & care for the soil that covers our planet.Their actions take down & break down organic matter & their subterranean actions aerate & mix soil. Worms are wonderful, so keep yr garden chemical free.🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🪱

Who invented the term “leaf litter” as if leaves are a negative thing?

First Culture book read: Player of Games by Iain Banks. Loved the mind-games, still baffled by rules of the #boardgame Azad, frightening to think that their emperors & positions of power are selected from how good you play this game! Any other Culture must-reads I wonder? #Scifi #Booksky #Bookreview

Super half day at #RSPB Mersehead yesterday mass flocks of Barnacle geese, wonderful views of Pintail, whilst in the skies were Buzzards, Red Kites & Merlin. On the beach was a Small Spotted Catshark #Eggcase, no Skate/Ray cases. #Naturewalk #HiddenWonders #Scotland #Birdwatching #Marinelife

Two late-flying hoverflies - Helophilus pendulus & Eupeodes luniger - on Tunbridge Wells Common yesterday

Explored the stunning Wigtown coastal path Friday and ended at the historic Martyrs’ Stone. Spotted 27 bird species along the way – including an impressive flock of 60+ fieldfares! 🐦✨ #Naturewalk #HiddenWonders #Scotland #Birdwatching #Birding

In Wigtown Scotland yesterday caught these 2 hoverflies basking in the sun and feeding on the Ivy. Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) and Tapered Dronefly. (Eristalis pertinax). #Hoverflies #Flies #Insects #Pollinator #Nature #Syrphidae #Diptera

In Caelaverock yesterday watching the thousands Barnacle geese and the few Whooper swans that had arrived so far #Birds #Nature #Migration #Autumn Hoverflies seen Common Banded, Broad Banded, Common & Tapered Dronefly, Common Grey #Syrphidae #Hoverflies

Hoverflies on the move! 🚀 These tiny pollinators embark on incredible journeys, all sparked by hidden genetic switches in their larvae. Nature never ceases to amaze! 🌍✨ #Hoverflies #Syrphidae #Diptera #Flies #Insects #Pollinator #Nature #Knowledge #Biology #Wildlife

Happy National Moss Day! 🌿✨ Celebrating the tiny green wonders that carpet our forests, walls, and stones. October 21st — a day to appreciate the quiet beauty of moss and its role in our ecosystems. 💚 #NationalMossDay #MossMagic #Moss #Nature #Autumn #HiddenWonders #Bryophytes

🟨 A team of scientists has unveiled a hidden world of hoverflies in the Caucasus, focusing on the genus Cheilosia. By combining literature review, field expeditions, and DNA analysis, they identified 14 species new to science, each with its own unique traits. 📖Read the full study: shorturl.at/i3L4L

Lots of insect activity in Beth Chatto Gardens today, including the second garden record of Gorse Shield-bug. Blog after my walk for Friends next week.

Did u know? Planting a hedge is one of the best habitats you can create. It'll provide shelter & food for small souls; will act as an effective carbon sink; absorb pollution;reduce traffic noise & lessen the impact of wind.Listen to the happy gang of House Sparrows in one of our mature hedges 🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🐦‍⬛

Spotted on my nature walk 🌳 A beech nut—absolutely crawling with life! 🐞 Counted Green Shieldbug, 7-spot & Harlequin ladybird... but who knows how many critters were hiding out of sight? Nature never disappoints. 🌿🔍 #Naturewalk #InsectLife #Autumn #ForestFinds #BugSpotting #Halloween #MicroSafari

Ever stumbled across Tree Snot on a woodland walk? 🌳😄 This gooey little find is just one of the many hidden wonders that make the forest so magical. It reminds us how intricate and overlooked woodland life can be. #natureWalk #staycurious #Insects #biology #wildlife #forestFinds #halloween

I review The Fly Trap by Fredrick Sjoberg on my blog this week. A book focussed on collecting hoverflies but taking in many other topics along the way craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

Did u know?Insects use colours to communicate many things: to scare/ confuse predators/to attract a mate/ to say"I'm poisonous",or to hide in plain sight - like this little Juniper Shield Bug. It's resting on a leaf, that's the same green as much of its exoskeleton - even down to the texture. 🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🪲🌍

#SundayYellow with a common striped #hoverfly resting on hawkbit this week. #pollinators #vitaminN #Lancashire

Palest pink with Hoverfly. #WeekPforPink #AlphabetChallenge 📷 #photography

Many insects hibernate over winter, but bumblebees and butterflies may emerge during mild spells and will look for food. So growing nectar-rich, pollinator-friendly plants is especially important in winter and early spring. Ideas: littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/bre...

Ever stumbled across Tree Snot on a woodland walk? 🌳😄 This gooey little find is just one of the many hidden wonders that make the forest so magical. It reminds us how intricate and overlooked woodland life can be. #natureWalk #staycurious #Insects #biology #wildlife #forestFinds #halloween

Its gall time, these were taken locally Cherry, Cola nut and Osyter gall on oak and a Beech Gall (Mikiola fagi) #autumn #ukwildlife #galls #nature #autumnvibes

Its fungi season, these were taken locally #fungi #mushrooms #mycology #fungifriends #nature #autumnvibes

My Species of the Week: Common Banded Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii). Fascinating #hoverflies that lek, sing to females and use larval mimicry to avoid predation. Hope you will visit and enjoy the read. #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #knowledge #biology #wildlife #diptera

Still hoverflies around Carlton Marsh Nr Royston Saturday. Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) 3♀, Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) 1♂, Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) 1♀, Marmalade (Episyrphus balteatus), Lunuled Aphideater (Eupeodes luniger) 1♀ #syrphidae #hoverflies

When fly designers subcontract Jackson Pollock to do the eyes. (Eristalinus sp. hover fly, Victoria, Australia).

I am not a reader of biographies but I would totally recommend Making it So by Patrick Stewart. It was very easy read full of stories from #StarTrek, his early childhood in #Mirfield #Yorkshire and his #Shakespearean adventures before Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Humanities Purpose My Prayer Light Shines Through Before Too Late

The ancient woodland hoverfly Didea fasciata at ivy in Dunorlan Park yesterday

Attended an online talk yesterday from Cat Gordon from the #Shark Trust – Strandline to Science: The Journey of a Shark Eggcase. Will be looking along that strandline in the next few weeks for those ‘mermaids purses’ with the aim to use the #Eggcase Hunt app to log my records.

I was surprised to see a European Hornet (Vespa crabro) resting on a pair of jeans pegged to the washing line earlier this afternoon. Unconcerned by my presence, after about 10 minutes, she excreted, waggled her abdomen for a few seconds and then flew off. #bugsky