I can't wait to return to Sicily next spring with my good friend Andrea Corso - the mythical Ophrys lacaitae awaits!

Like ALL our butterfly tours, our current featured tour, Butterflies of North Greece, generates a donation to support @europebutterfly.bsky.social's superb conservation work. Butterfly Conservation Europe have a new website - have a look, and please follow them on here. www.bc-europe.eu/index.php

The "Eye" does it again

The beautiful & rare white Penny Bun - Boletus edulis var. alba, in Somerset 🤍🤩 #Fungi #Mushrooms #MushroomMonday @britmycolsoc.org.uk

In 2nd place, for my #FavouritePlant is Lady Orchid, seen for the first time in Kent in May with @mariposanature.bsky.social. It was such a wonderful day, with fellow guests and leaders proving to be great company. And the orchids were fabulous, but the Lady Orchid stole my heart. #wildflowerhour

Our orchid-hunting tour leaders Jon Dunn, Richard Bate, David Gibbs, Miki Vigano & Andrea Corso have some of the sharpest eyes in the game, and a track record of finding unusual as well as rare orchids in the areas we visit. And you could join them in 2026! www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

My #favouriteplant for #wildflowerhour is probably this Water Germander on Braunton Burrows.

Now, that is more than a bit good!

If pressed to choose our favourite non-British or Irish plant of 2025, we'd certainly have the richly yellow and tall orchid Orchis punctulata of Cyprus on our shortlist. A real crowd-pleaser, among many floral highlights, for our Orchids of Cyprus guests. www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Very pretty, very tiny, growing on rotting Beech, and I have no idea what it is 😁 #fungi #NewForest #FungiFriends

For #AnOrchidADay: There's always time for some Late Spider #Orchid action From the 2017 season.

The many and varied Ophrys bee #orchids to be found on Cyprus make for wonderful photographic subjects - on our relaxing and gentle-paced orchid tour there we make plenty of time for enjoying the plants in their own right, or as subjects for a photo or two! www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

I've never been a fan of political censorship.

Orange Porecap - a striking species with a vibrant orange colour & honeycomb-shaped pores, found in South Somerset (Favolaschia claudopus) 🧡🍊 #Fungi #FungiFriends #Mushrooms

Clustered Bonnet - Mycena inclinata #Fungi #Mushrooms #FungiFriday

Fresh Beefsteak Fungus 🥩 in Dorset today! Fistulina hepatica #Fungi #FungiFriends #Mushrooms

With another booking received yesterday, there are just 4 places still available on Orchids of Cyprus, our featured tour this week. Of course, it's about more than just orchids - Cyprus is home to other wonderful wildlife, including some special butterflies... www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

With Richard & Dave as your experienced leaders, you're guaranteed to see the best of Cyprus's special orchids, and other wildlife too. The tour's a guaranteed departure on 2-9 March 2026, and also guarantees a donation to support the conservation & research work of @bsbibotany.bsky.social. (2/2)

Good morning and welcome to a new week! If you're craving an orchid fix next spring with a dream team of top orchid-hunter Dr Richard Bate & ace naturalist Dave Fairhurst, our tour of the week, Orchids of Cyprus, may be just the thing for you... (1/2) mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Our new and exclusive Summer Orchids of the French Alps tour filled up fast this evening! Tour leaders Richard & Jon can't wait to share the wonderful orchids of the region with our guests next summer. Meanwhile, there are still a few places left on some of our spring orchid tours...

Saturday afternoon contemplative g&t on my balcony disturbed by this fly-past beauty. Ran in and just grabbed my camera in time.

Bonnet mushrooms 💚 #Fungi #Mycena #Mushrooms

Good morning from Team Mariposa. Our newly announced Abruzzo butterfly tour is now fully booked for 2026 - to brighten up Saturday morning still further, here's a couple more of the orchids we'll be hoping to bump into while we're there. Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

I think this is Birch Webcap - found in the Blackdowns 💛 #FungiFriday #Fungi #Mushrooms

First from my new OM-1 MkII + 60mm Macro Pretty happy to say the least. Taken at f2.8 for lovely bokeh, and 10 stacked shots for depth of field. Hand held. ALT - Dawlish Warren Roll on next season @ukorchids.bsky.social @withylake.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @stevieparsons.bsky.social

Private Eye hits the climate change and the rampant consumerism nail on the head.

I’m surprised I managed to get any #fruits photos for this week’s challenge. Most of the local hedgerow fruit ended up, either in my kitchen, or my little helpers tummy ! #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social Amazing numbers of Hazelnuts this year.

One of my favourite colour combinations in nature. The first pink Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) #fruits splitting open to expose the orange seed within. #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

We're delighted to announce a tour with a difference this evening... Our popular annual butterfly tour to the amazing Montes Universales in Spain coincides in 2026 with a total solar eclipse! Just a couple of places remain available to join us there... www.mariposanature.com/tours/butter...

Postcard from the field from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social: We're homeward bound from marvellous Madeira, but we'll be back again soon enough - this friendly, wonderful island has so much wildlife to share.

Every day so far this week there's been an encounter with Madeiran Speckled Wood. They're usually flirting and dog-fighting with one another, but occasionally one stops for a rest.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Autumn - mushrooms, low sun, colder nights & leaves starting to fall 🍄‍🟫✨🍂🍁 #FungiFriday

These pics represent two sad farewells Probably my last wild UK orchids of the year Also, probably, my last photos on my Canon gear After 35 years, I am PXing next week back to Olympus Lots of thought has gone into this. I played with everything @globalbirdfair - decision made Bit sad.😢

I'd say it is a pretty normal year for Autumn Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) at Dawlish Warren NNR. Lots in full flower, many coming through and more to come 😃 19-8-2025. @warrenbirding.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @rogercharding.bsky.social

Good morning & welcome to a new week! Our featured tour this week is Orchids of Crete, led by our star orchid guide Dr Richard Bate. A guaranteed departure next April, like all our orchid tours it naturally generates a donation to support @bsbibotany.bsky.social. mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Just my favourite Carline Thistles from me this week for the #DaisyFamily challenge. I love these so much especially the tiny purple flowers. I still think they look like spiky jam tarts though!😉😄 #wildflowerhour

@wildflowerhour.bsky.social @botanybeck.bsky.social Carline Thistle Braunton Burrows

Yikes - the land surrounding the Cerne Abbas Giant is up for sale! Lot 1 is top-quality chalk downland bursting with wildflowers & butterflies - orchids, skippers… going for £950k. It absolutely needs to be preserved. Hope the NT or similar can buy wdcdn.co/media/pdf/0f... wdcdn.co/media/pdf/0f...

Orchids of Sardinia. Our 'Orchids of...' tours are some of our most popular - we're proud to offer friendly, knowledgeable guides showing our guests the very best orchids of the destinations we visit, all generating donations to support @bsbibotany.bsky.social. mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Alaska on my mind today. Six years ago I was there on Mt Eyak looking for hummingbirds, and of course also found orchids - they were pretty self-evident. But look closer, and there was a trap at their feet - sundew, waiting to ensnare and devour the unwary. #AlaskaSummit

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to be taken to a site in Estonia that holds a few Ghost Orchids. I was pleased to find the first of 16 at this site within ten seconds of arrival 😀. Fortuitously, the sun was lighting it up under the tree and I saw it before getting out of the car.

Indeed Juliet. I am lucky enough to live on the very tidal River Taw in North Devon. My "garden list" is fab. 😁😎

I recall twitching these fellas back in the 80's. I have 8 from my living room today.

Gorgeous stuff Andy. Thanks.

And a final couple from Braunton Burrows Carline Thistle - C. vulgarity, and Common Centaury - C. erythraea. A lovely day. Butterflies were superb also. @withylake.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @stevieparsons.bsky.social

Four more fairly random shots from Braunton Burrows today Eyebright - E. Officinalis Round-headed club-rush - S. Holoschoenus Storks Bill (Sticky?) - E. leblii Sea Spurge - E. paralias @withylake.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @stevieparsons.bsky.social

Another delight from Braunton Burrows is this Water Germander - Teucrium scordium. Seems it is only found at one other site in UK. @withylake.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @stevieparsons.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

A fabulous day on Braunton Burrows. Target species Spiranthes spiralis - Autumn Ladies Tresses found in several locations including one completely new to me.😁 @withylake.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @stevieparsons.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Other things seen recently (other than Boletes) are a Milkcap, Willow Shield, & a Giant Polypore #Fungi #Mushrooms