Over 50m either side of the cycle path/footpath near the bypass at Monk's Wall have been strimmed, destroying approx 20 Lizard orchid spikes. I have reported this to DDC and will see what happens. Lizard orchids are Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Bee Orchids at RSPB Hayle Estuary.

Larvae of the Mullein Moth (Cucullia verbasci). Photographed at Newlyn, Cornwall.

We spent a happy half hour watching this vixen and her cubs yesterday. #FoxOfTheDay

Another Bee Orchid in urban #Sheffield.

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) flowering on the roadside in urban Sheffield.

Other work by the Ladybird artists. ‘Wren’ Artist: CF Tunnicliffe

Travel South Yorkshire seems to have given up on providing up-to-date information at bus stops.

I've just finished listening to the latest installment of The Murderbot Diaries by @marthawells.com. Excellent stuff!

As the nation (quite rightly) celebrates the 100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough, we are commemorating the 200th birthday of Henry Clifton Sorby with two special events this weekend.

1777: A pair of swifts appear at last: they usually come in pairs. Cucumbers abound.

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