In 2022 we reintroduced Creeping Marshwort (Helosciadium repens). Endangered on the GB #RedList, there are only a handful of sites where it now grows. This week, we sheared round and over it to simulate the grazing it needs. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social #WildflowerHour

Sooo many butterflies in the Valley at the moment. Here's a pristine Green-veined White (Pieris napi) refuelling on some of our Ragwort flowers. 😍 They love the damp lush conditions in our #fen. #inverts #UKWildlife @upperthames.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social #OxfordshireFens

A fasciated Water Figwort (Scrophularia auriculata) plant. Caused by genetic mutation, viral infection, or the bacterium Rhodococcus fascians, it causes these wide and flat stems, with many more flowers than usual. #OxfordshireFens #WildflowerHour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social

It was inevitable, wasn't it🙄 Of course the Telegraph would run with something like this👇 So let's remove some of the rose-tinted spectacles and also look at some of that data comparing 1976 with modern heat waves Because the 1976 nostalgia porn is wearing a bit thin at this stage 🧵1/23

An unfamiliar visitor to our garden pond last night. Is it an Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)? Overall impression rather small, and green. Same individual with different backgrounds. Only managed side views. #inverts #UKWildlife #IDRequest @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @rlewington2.bsky.social

Our Marsh Helleborines are just coming into flower. 😍 Vulnerable on the #EnglandRedList, it's Scarce in Oxon, and Rare in vc23. Thanks to our continued #FenRestoration work, this is now probably the best place to see them in Oxfordshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social #WildflowerHour

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #RedBeaks I've chosen one of the UK's most widespread birds, the Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). This one was skulking round one of the silt interception ponds in Oxford's Lye Valley. #UKWildlife #birds #ECK #NaturePhotography @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

We spotted this pristine Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) butterfly in the fen a couple of days ago. Although common, they have a relatively short flight period, so enjoy them while they're around! #UKWildlife #UKButterflies #NaturePhotography #inverts 🦋

The Hotel Marqués de Riscal in La Rioja, Spain was designed by Frank Gehry, and has similar sinuous titanium panels as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. An ideal contender for this week's #BlueSkyArtShow theme of #Curve I thought. 😀 #architecture

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 🌍

Nemoptera bipennis, one of the Spoonwing family, and one of my favourite insects. I found a small group of them yesterday, the first of the year for me. 😍 #inverts #InsectThursday #Extremadura SW Spain. #wildlife #NaturePhotography #ECK

www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

A repost for today’s #WildflowerHour #LawnFlowers

As rain drenched our stalwart volunteers for @friendlyevalley.bsky.social this week, a new scarlet tiger #moth waits things out sitting on its comfrey food plant. Roll on the sunny break between the (much needed) showers for some flying around...

Given parts of the UK are as hot as SW Spain today, I thought those of you sheltering from the heat might like this Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia). It has been recorded in the UK, tho with fewer than 400 sightings, mostly in the 1800s. #inverts #butterflies #ECK #Heatwave #Extremadura

A Cardinal butterfly (Argynnis pandora) 📷 from Guadaloupe, #Extremadura, SW Spain a couple of days ago. #butterflies #ECK #wildlife #photography @europebutterfly.bsky.social

A rather distant shot of a Zitting Cisticola aka Fan-tailed Warbler | Cistícola buitrón (Cisticola juncidi). So named because in its bouncy flight it emits a "zit" every second or so! Photo #Arrocampo, #Extremadura, SW Spain. #SmallBirdSaturday #birds #ECK #NaturePhotography @javajanegallery.co.uk

Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) Photographed a couple of weeks ago in Dorset. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #UKButterflies #UKWildlife

It's not often I have a photo that fits both #BirdOfTheDay themes, but today's my lucky day. 😀 #Scrollback pick 1-4 favourite recent photos ✅ (taken yesterday) #Unloved ✅ the mostly ignored House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Thanks @alan678.bsky.social! #birds #ECK #wildlife #photography

I count any day I see a Blue Rock Thrush | Roquero Solitario (Monticola solitarius) as a good day. It's even better when I manage to get a decent photo! #BirdOfTheDay #Blue #birds #nature #photography #ECK #wildlife #Monfragüe National Park, SW Spain. @robcrank68.bsky.social

#BirdOfTheDay #Raptors @alan678.bsky.social @robcrank68.bsky.social

Nest repairs in progress! A House Martin (Delichon urbicum) with a beak full of mud in #Monfragüe National Park yesterday. Not often I manage to see one not in flight, so this was a bit of a treat! #SmallBirdSaturday #ECK #birds @javajanegallery.co.uk #Extremadura SW Spain.

Become a BBOWT member for half-price this month! 👉 bbowt.org.uk/membership-offer

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Insectivores, any bird whose diet consists mainly of insects. Here's one of our smallest, the Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), who despite its size is a remarkably loud songster! Now Amber listed in the UK. #birds #UKWildlife #photography #ECK

🙌 We have a BIG opportunity to restore local nature on a landscape scale. We are partnering with the Big Give's Earth Raise match-fund campaign. If we can raise £50,000 between 22-29 April, it will be doubled to £100,000, thanks to a few generous private donors. 👉 Double your gift: buff.ly/WwGkItK

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Petals&Perches, what about this distant shot of a Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) trying to hide in a flowering Cherry tree. Needless to say it didn't fool any of our garden birds! 🙂 #birds #UKWildlife #ECK #photography

As a harbinger of Spring with its delicately patterned petals, surely the Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) has to be the poster child for the #CabbageFamily! #WildflowerHour

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #DucksOutOfWater (but not flying) I have this snoozing Pintail (Anas acuta) from #RSPB #Slimbridge. #birds #UKWildlife #photography

A final post for @rina2012.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek. A Peacock (Inachis io) butterfly on Cherry Plum blossom in Oxford's Lye Valley. #inverts #UKWildlife #photography #ECK @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

A Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe) from the Berrocal of #Trujillo, #Extremadura, SW Spain for @rina2012.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek. [Large screen recommended] #inverts #wildlife #photography

A Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) for @rina2012.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek. Can't wait to see these beauties again! #inverts #UKWildlife #ECK #nature #photography

A Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) for @rina2012.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek. Can't wait to see these beauties again! #inverts #UKWildlife #ECK #nature #photography

For @rina2012.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek, a Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius) from #Monfragüe National Park in #Extremadura, Spain. One of my all time favourite butterflies. 😍 #inverts #ECK #wildlife #photography

For @rina20.bsky.social's #ButterflyWeek, here's a Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) from the #Berrocal of Trujillo, #Extremadura, Spain. Such fabulous looking butterflies! #inverts #ECK #wildlife #photography

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #reflections, I offer you this Squacco Heron | Garcilla cangrejera (Ardeola ralloides) from the #Arrocampo wetlands in #Extremadura, Spain. #birds #ECK #nature #photography #wildlife @everyheron.bsky.social @robcrank68.bsky.social

This image belongs to bsky.app/profile/drto... Please credit the photographer who put in the work!

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of birds whose name begins with one of #JKLMNOP I have this Puffin (Fratercula arctica) from @rspb.bsky.social's Bempton Cliffs. #birds #UKWildlife #ECK #nature #photography

A few Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio) and Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) slowly emerging at @bbowt.bsky.social's Bernwood Meadows, though so far most are only a couple of centimetres high. Hopefully there'll be many more in a week or so! #WildflowerHour

For @alan678.bsky.social's #BirdOfTheDay alt theme of #juveniles, I have a couple of garden birds, a Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and a Blackbird (Turdus merula). Remarkably the Starling is now red listed in the UK with their population down about 57% since 1995. #birds #UKWildlife #ECK

Great display of Snake's-head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) at Iffley Meadows in Oxford at the moment. Listed as Vulnerable on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for GB, this is one of only around 30 sites in the UK where they grow wild. #WildflowerHour @bbowt.bsky.social #nature #photography

Getting my ducks in a row for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #ManMadePerch 😀 #birds #UKWildlife #ECK #nature #photography

Lots of male Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies patrolling the sunny banks of the Valley yesterday. A huge patch of Garlic Mustard proved to be a popular refuelling stop! #UKWildlife #UKButterflies #OX3 #iRecorded @savebutterflies.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

The unseasonably warm weather brought our Common Lizards (Zootoca vivipara) out this morning. The first we've seen so far this year! 🦎 😍 #reptiles #UKWildlife @arc-trust.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

Better late than never! My first Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly of 2026, nectaring on Honesty flowers. #UKWildlife #UKButterflies @upperthames.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Lots of #openings in the remains of Whitby Abbey. Dating from the 7th century and overlooking the North Sea, it was abandoned in the 9th century following Danish raids though re-established in 1078. It was finally "suppressed" by Henry VIII in 1539. #BlueSkyArtShow #ECK #History

Despite the low temperatures, one of our volunteers counted 16 Slow worms (Anguis fragilis) sheltering under our reptile mats yesterday. Four adults and twelve juveniles. Seems like a good start to the year! #reptiles 🐍 [archive pic] @arc-trust.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social

Late for today's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #snacks, but here's a Nuthatch | Trepador azul (Sitta europaea), appropriately enough with some nuts! #birds #ECK #WildlifePhotography

For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #ruffledfeathers let me introduce you to this Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea). 😃 #birds #ECK #UKWildlife #LyeValley