There seems to have been an influx of Painted Lady butterflies. This afternoon we had several sightings of them around Stannington, South Yorkshire.

Loads of Dock Bugs around at the moment. Earlier today I counted about 40 of them on Fern Road, Walkley Bank.

Dewberry (Rubus caesius) growing along the Chesterfield Canal at Shireoaks. Thanks to @pshughes.bsky.social for pointing it out during yesterday's @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social field-meeting.

I saw my first two Swifts of the year yesterday evening.

Moschatel (Adoxa moschatellina) growing in the Rivelin Valley, #Sheffield. This tiny plant is also known as Town Hall Clock due to the shape its flowerheads. It was first discovered at this location by Gerry Firkins.

This morning I visited one of our local cemeteries to do a Birds in Greenspaces survey for the @btobirds.bsky.social. It looked as though the site had recently had a visit from Norbot and his "neat and tidy" crew: wood anemones, bluebells and violets all mown-down whilst in full bloom.

Just had a brief sighting of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth visiting the newly opened flowers of Lilac on Hammerton Road, Sheffield.

Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) flowering in High Hazels Park, Sheffield. This distinctive wildflower has several other "folk names", including Lady's-smock and Milk Maids.

On Easter Monday I saw my first Green Tiger Beetles of the year at Wharncliffe Chase. First Willow Warbler and Common Lizard too.

Our outline programme of activities for April 2026 to March 2027 is now available on our website at www.sorby.org.uk/events/ Full details of each activity will be given in our monthly newsletter, which is distributed free to members.

Today I had my first two sightings of Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) for 2026. Both males. One in Miller's Dale, the other on the Monsal Trail, near Hassop station.

My first Peacock butterfly of the year, on Clay Pits Lane near Stocksbridge. #springwatch

Just heard my first Chiffchaff of the year, singing on the Steel Valley Walk near Stocksbridge. #springwatch

Sitting on 70 Acre Hill, listening to the Skylarks singing.

Leafhoppers & Allies: identification, ecology and recording - Alan Stewart Thursday 19/02/2026, 19:30, online via Zoom Book here: www.naturespot.org/node/262956 #Bugs #Hemiptera #VC55 #Auchenorrhyncha Please share!

One of the Lewis Chessmen - currently on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Found in 1831 on a beach at Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, the Chessmen dates to the late 12th or early 13th century. 📸 My own. #FindsFriday #LewisChessmen #NMS

A little bear figurine carved out of amber some 6,000 years ago 🐻❤️ A hole runs through the bear’s torso suggesting it was threaded on a cord, perhaps worn or carried as a protective charm. Found in a peat bog near Słupsk, Poland, in 1887. 📷 National Museum in Szczecin #FindsFriday #Archaeology

3 weeks since launching our 'Save the Small Blue at Cwm Tips' #Crowdfunder and we’ve raised £915 - nearly halfway! 💙 Thank you for your support 💚 If you would like to donate, visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-the-s... #SaveTheSmallBlue #GloiNatur #CoaltoNature #Nature #Wales #Cymru #Wildlife

I've just passed the 90,000 records milestone on #iRecord: 54,939 of my own records and 35,061 records uploaded on behalf of colleagues at @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social (with their permission).

It's arrived! Pan-species Listing: How to Become a Super-Naturalist published by @pelagicpublishing. My first book. I am so pleased with it. It looks amazing, all those photos of incredible British species really make this a very colourful book and a celebration of how fantastic our wildlife is.

The latest edition of our monthly newsletter is available now! For details of how to join, please visit www.sorby.org.uk/about-us/membership

This morning I noticed the first signs that the two Robins which visit our garden may be about to pair off for the nesting season. They now seem to be tolerating each other's presence at the bird-feeder and are no longer trying to kill each other!

Best Christmas present...

Our Christmas afternoon walk in the Rivelin Valley produced two Dippers and a Kingfisher.

Hurrah! My records of Hygrocybe punicea have been verified as correct by Steve Hindle. I'm particularly glad to receive his confirmation as this is a species that I haven't attempted to record in previous years.

A truly remarkable woman.

Here's an interesting piece about data-mining from NatureSpot. In answer to AJ Cann's question, I would say that NatureSpot does have some of the best natural history content online... and I'm not a sycophantic AI bot! www.naturespot.org/node/263486

One of my favourite wildflowers. In September we found masses of it blooming on the edge of Land's End Airport in Cornwall.

Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇

Today’s post for #Sheffield #TheOutdoorCity - open.substack.com/pub/abitblac...

Had a look around this exhibition yesterday. Particularly enjoyed the drawings and woodcuts by Hilda Quick.

We still appear to have young Swifts in our nest-box but the adults are not visiting as frequently but they were a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday evening two birds were wheeling around over the rooftops. One popped into the box and we could hear the young calling.

Yesterday I came across these galls caused by the cynipid wasp Diplolepis mayri on brownfield land next to the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal. The galls were first found along the canal by Joan Egan (et al) back in September 2014. #galls #entomology

Calling all Sheffield & Derbyshire birders! We're looking to gather as many Ring Ouzel sightings as possible this August & September to aid the work of RSPB Eastern Moors Partnership. Please see our website news item for more details: www.sbsg.org/sbsg-news/re... #ukbirding 📷 Chris Greenwood ©

Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) in Chatsworth Deer Park yesterday afternoon. One of several butterfly species feeding on the flowers of Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), a valuable source of nectar at this time of year.

Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) visiting the flowers of Buddleja and Hebe in a Sheffield garden, about 2 km from open moorland.

Yellow Bird's-nest (Hypopitys monotropa) recorded near Hope Cement Works on yesterday's field-meeting with @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social

Looking forward to visiting this exhibition in September.

Today I finally caught up with Marsh Helleborine, a species that has eluded me for many years. It's a beautiful plant, which thrives in a fragile and vulnerable habitat (dune slacks). Thanks to my zoom lens I was able to get some close-ups of the flowers without straying off the footpath.

Yesterday I managed to get a couple of pics of a Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isoceles) at Cley Marshes. It's a new species for me.

Quite a graffiti statement in the tunnel under the A616 while heading for Wharncliffe Woods this morning. Nature is always taken for granted and not taken seriously. It’s part of our life and future. Open your eyes and ears. #nature #health #wellbeing

Male and female Muntjac in the garden this morning. The female appears to be pregnant.

Volucella bombylans, a fly disguised as a bumblebee. One of my favourite insects!

Syrian Thistle (Notobasis syriaca) flowering in a field off the A149, near Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. I recognised it from the photos posted by @vc57botanist.bsky.social a few days ago. It's a spectacular and distinctive species. This specimen was about 6 feet tall.

I have just passed the 50,000 records milestone on iRecord. Record number 50,000 was this Black-spotted Longhorn Beetle (Rhagium mordax) in Beeley & Great Hollins Wood, Sheffield.

Our outline programme of activities for April 2025 to March 2026 is available on our website at www.sorby.org.uk/events Full details of each activity can be found in our monthly newsletter, which is distributed free to members.

Nice clump of Sainfoin flowering next to Sheffield Transport Interchange. It's a beautiful plant but we don't see it very often in South Yorkshire.

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) poised for action at Rocher Bog, near High Bradfield.