The very stripy Ivy Bees, are now busy feeding on.... Ivy flowers. First seen in Britain in 2001 and now common across southern England. Don't confuse them with Hoverflies, which have much shorter antennae.

UK to Greece flight-free? It's quicker than you think... (Thanks to Iain from @skipedia.bsky.social for sharing his story with us). flightfree.co.uk/travel_artic...

Sparkling sunlit saltmarsh at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve @sussexwildlife.bsky.social

Blue and white sky.

This might look like 2 Snipe in a healthy wetland, but all the plant you can see here is an Invasive Non-native Species - Australian Swampweed, Crassula helmsii.

At the Sussex WT/Friends of RHNR 'Guide in a Hide' we love showing the birds to visitors. Today that included Glossy Ibis, Greenshank, Knot, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail and - my favourite - 42 Golden Plover that dropped in as we watched. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social #UKwildlife #Sussexwildlife #birds

Eating seeds is thirsty work for Goldfinches.

A tatty and tailless Wren doing its impression of a Little Bittern - it was catching midge larvae in a shallow pond this morning. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #wren

@rspbcymru.bsky.social calls on Ministers to act on advice received from NRW 2 years ago (!) for proper controls & oversight of gamebird releases. They don't even know how many are released, other than 'millions'. Find out how you can help 🔽 #BirdingWales raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/09/18/w...

My monthly newsblast about wildlife and conservation issues will arrive in your inbox early on Sunday morning - if you are subscribed. Subscribe here markavery.info/sign-monthly... - it's free and you can unsubscribe whenever you like (but you probably won't as most people stay for a long time).

Everything you ever wanted to know about the humble blackberry - 350 species! New Country Diary by @sarahlambert7.bsky.social

Before sunrise this morning Pett Level was filled with mist, almost to the level of the distant sea wall.

8 juvenile Ruff with the Lapwing at Pett Level this morning - this one flew close enough for a photo. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Today's misty sunrise.

Like many other berries this year, the Sea Buckthorn is very productive. Of course, the berries are only on the female plants. Do try and taste this very fruity fruit, it's rich in vitamin C.

There were 5 very fresh Red Admirals feeding today on a small clump of Ivy in a sheltered and sunny location near Winchelsea. Here are 2 of them.

This Goldfinch has almost completed its moult into its full colour plumage, but you can still just see a few growing feathers on the head. @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Today is #PloverAppreciationDay! The UK holds host to six plover species, the commonest of which is the Ringed Plover, though its cryptic colours mean that it can be hard to spot! You can learn more about each species on the BTO Bird Facts page ➡️ bto.org/birdfacts

Some Hawthorn bushes are dripping in berries. They should keep the winter thrushes happy when they start arriving soon...

A pair of Common Gulls on territory on a Shetland moor. #superseabirdsunday

Local Wildlife Sites are crucial for our declining wildlife. I agree with every word said here.

Dozens of Ivy Bees in a Rye garden. They time their emergence to coincide with the autumn flowering of Ivy. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social #UKwildlife #Sussexwildlife #bees

Warm your cockles on this by @ebenmyrddin.bsky.social . A glimpse of something so reasonable and so possible, because this is how people really are when they give each other a chance: mutual respect and common interest for and with each other & the land. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

... and there's still a few Wild Carrots in full flower.

Yes, planting does have a role to play in bringing back forest, where seed sources are no longer present. But just be aware that it will NEVER produce the sort of unique, diverse trees you get in the wild.

An adult Hairy Shieldbug on a Wild Carrot seedhead, yesterday near Winchelsea.

The flowering Wild Carrot has fed a million insects and it's now time for it to travel, as sticky seeds, to new places... @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A Brown Argus butterfly out in the sun between the showers today near Winchelsea. The orange spots extend to the tip of the wing and there are no blue scales, so not a female Common Blue. It's surprisingly hairy - see 2nd image.

This is good news! 🌊 BUT (you knew there'd be a but) bottom trawling, an awful destructive fishing practice that scours every crumb of life from the seabed, will continue in English marine protected areas ☠️ 🪸 So the UK still lags behind other countries like Greece and Sweden...

We're taking legal action to stop 100,000 tonnes of sediment being dumped in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone every year for the next 10 years. This should not be allowed in a protected area. buff.ly/GEfcxEz #StopDumpingOnOurReef

Two Little Egrets preening against a wall of Sea Aster at Ternery Pool, Rye Harbour. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social #scratch #egrets

This Little Egret was fishing at high tide today in the Wader Pool at Rye Harbour @sussexwildlife.bsky.social It saw a fish in the shallows and grasped it, but it was much larger than its usual meal and it dropped it...

Spotted next to two recently dug ponds/mini lakes in Cambridge. Feels like the city council may have listened to @davegoulson.bsky.social 🙂

A montage of a single juvenile Grey Heron to show its slow wing beat.

Here's another way of showing the Whirligig Beetles motion. Both images are a half second exposure and the sunlight reflected off their shiny elytra has left their trail on the surface of the dark water. #whirligig #beetle

Disappointing for marine wildlife, but also for local fish stocks and local fishermen.

Here's the first result of an experiment to try and portray the movement of Whirligig beetles. 15 images blended to reveal their trails. Does it work ? #whirligig #beetle

A small and understated duck, but the Teal has lovely scalloped plumage and that green "speculum". @sussexornitholo.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Hundreds of presumed small Grey Mullet just in front of the Denny hide today at Rye Harbour @sussexwildlife.bsky.social Ideal food for Kingfishers, Egrets, Grebes and bigger fish...

At the third attempt, a little video of a Kingfisher on a post at Rye Harbour @sussexwildlife.bsky.social This was from the Denny hide, but the Crittall hide has been good for others. This is a female with a red patch on the lower bill.

There are still some of these roses flowering in the hedgerows, but most have already turned into black berries. It is the Bramble or Blackberry. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The Rhododendron Leafhopper is now out and about on that plant. It is native to the USA, but was introduced to Europe in the early 1900s, and can now be found widely in southern Britain.

🔴Reform UK Conference: Anti-Vax Misinformation Doctor Given Prime Health Slot Leading doctors have accused Nigel Farage of putting lives at risk by letting Aseem Malhorta give the only health-related address at the conference bylinetimes.com/2025/09/05/r...

This Musk Mallow flower is at the pollen producing stage - the young pink, kidney shaped anthers have yet to burst open with the white pollen grains. Zoom in with the other images to see the sculptured pollen grains. The stigma is yet to mature... #mallow @bsbibotany.bsky.social

These Whirligig Beetles were very calm, with very little whirling, and they behaved more like fun fair bumper cars... Video at normal speed, no sound.

Several Hobbies whizzing over the wetlands catching Migrant Hawkers this morning... this one was captured mid stoop.

A Green Sandpiper (right) joins a Common Sandpiper to compare size and plumage.

Cormorants often fly in an efficient V-formation, but this group were just leaving their roost at Ternery Pool, Rye Harbour to go on a fishing trip at sea. @sussexwildlife.bsky.social

A moulting adult Great White Egret showing its bulging neck and very long legs. They are now a regular sighting in the area and must surely breed here in the next few years. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

The light caught this Little Grebe just right today at the Crittall hide Rye Harbour @sussexwildlife.bsky.social I waited for 90 minutes for the Kingfisher to land on the post, but it didn't show up.