@sabrinaghayour.bsky.social We are making your fab spiced lamb & apricot stew soon for a family visit (with mutton, even better!) We're serving rice the next day, so I was wondering if you had ideas for non-rice/bread alternatives that'd work well. Something potato or couscous based perhaps?

🎉 🌡️ Exciting news! We're partnering with the Met Office to open doors to weather science careers! Read the full press release here: upreach.org.uk/news/met-off... Ready to discover how meteorological science shapes our world? Students can apply to join our programme today!

Yesterday we pulled onto our drive after around 11 hours driving home from holiday (which followed 9 hours the day before). We were exhausted and we couldn't wait to unpack and stop. But lo! What is that teenie brown ball wobbling across our drive? My heart sank. It was a teenie hedgehog.

When an article says "some scientists think" then remember this: I, a scientist, once thought I could fit a whole orange in my mouth. I could, it turns out, get it in there, but I hadn't given sufficient thought to the reverse operation.

@happytoast.co.uk re the book cover you have asked about, I don't have a suggestion, but I did find this book in the same book club series which looks like it is by the same artist. It might be helpful having two reference points in your search?! bloodymurder.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/n...

@petagna.bsky.social I saw this and thought of you, in case you haven't spotted these Ottery-based meet-ups. www.facebook.com/share/p/1Gij... (sausage dog socials)

The video below looks gross, but it's only a squished loganberry with inhabitants. Can you help ID the bugs inside it for us?! I think we might have Spotted Wing #Drosophila in our garden. We have seen these squirming grubs in our cherries and loganberries. Can any #fly experts advise?

I'm struggling with this one. A well-aged Beautiful Carpet? Spotted in south-west Ireland. #TeamMoth

Ear pods (with a name beginning with L printed on the case) left on a seat on a #SWR Salisbury-bound #train, under a copy of June's RHS magazine. Found when getting on at #ExeterCentral, handed into the guard when stopped at Pinhoe, so owner should be able to collect from SWR #LostProperty

Today was a day of chores in the garden. One job was pruning some of the very whippy growth from the damson so it doesn't get damaged in the wind. Found a number of these outrageous Vapourer Moth caterpillars living on it. Love 'em.

Oh, feeding yourself is hard work & requires so much concentration. This is one of our newly fledged Blue Tits. At least 4 have made it out of the nest. They spent a lot of this afternoon tackling the seeds and fat balls, with much quivering of wings when the adults appeared. #TeamBird

Compared to many, a small mothy haul for us this morning. But I'll never complain when we have both floofy ones & ones that look like they have absorbed the egg box colouring... Pale Tussock, White Ermine & Elephant Hawk moths, amongst others. #TeamMoth

@mothiduk.bsky.social fairly terrible photo, sorry. Wondering if you can tell what this is? #TeamMoth

I love crows. This one was getting frustrated by not being able to reach the last fat ball. It tried swinging the feeder to no avail, but then realised if it pulled the feeder close & held it with one foot, it could tuck in. So clever, characterful & very good at eating our fat balls!

Two of our moths from yesterday's trap. A Swallow Prominent and a Muslin Moth. I particularly like the front view of them both hanging out in the trap. I feel like they are about to head off together and solve moth-related crimes across Devon. #TeamMoth

@mothiduk.bsky.social good morning. Is this a Marbled Brown? It seems out a bit early according to our book, but struggling to ID if something else. We're in Devon. ID help also welcomed for the other three! #TeamMoth

@marcusbrig.bsky.social @rachelparris.bsky.social in case it's useful to consider for toddler & cycle, you can get tag-alongs (e.g. www.weeride.co.uk/product-category/tag-alongs) but for something more fun (if pricey) there are these excellent tandems by Circe www.circecycles.com/products/sol...

@lynnnothegger.bsky.social in your search for little nuggets of joy on this site, can I recommend George Penney? Their threads of things spotted are just so lovely. bsky.app/profile/geor...

@mothiduk.bsky.social this just scurried across our patio. Female of something, or newly emerged something? Sorry about the shaky video, I tried to capture something before it disappeared.

We raided our recycling bin and kitchen cupboard for the purposes of eclipse viewing. Turns out a pinhole camera made from a Figgy's Christmas Pudding box (red arrow - was dessert last night) & back of an envelope (yellow arrow) works well. As of course does the seeming ubiquitous colander (blue).

In case it's a timely reminder, #hedgehogs are out looking for food. If you want to help them, pop some out. We scatter kitten biscuits, alongside making sure there is water too (we have a pond, but like the birdies they seem to prefer a terracotta bowl). This was last night's visitor.

Locally Sourced Comedy, the new material night, starts again this evening at Little Drop of Poison in Exeter. And they’ve reinstated the alphabetically themed raffle! So here is my contribution, a biologically accurate drawing of an aardvark. It’s FUN, come along if you can. Free entry. 7.30 start.

Well that's a new and unexpected visitor to our garden pond this morning! We're down one newt, but we'll forgive it! (Sorry for shakiness of the video, I was in a bit of a stress position with my phone as I didn't want to move too much and frighten it off)

We spent a good four hours today at Seaton Marshes in East Devon. It's always lovely to visit, but today was made extra special thanks to a very obliging water rail, some hungry blue & great tits coming to the hand, & robins galore.

Love this article on our route planning system for flights, ensuring safety while reducing environmental impact. We look to do the best for our customers & Santa's no different. When his reindeer are in bed with the sniffles but deliveries await, we can help. www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2024/ho...

Alongside the excellent Yorkshire Pudding, I did these roasties using Nigella's recipe for the first time. Blooming wonderful, highly recommended (cooked on a slightly lower setting of 190°C but still came out crispy and delicious).

Well Felicity Cloake's recipe for Yorkshire Pudding hasn't let me down yet, and it's even better cooked in the pan you've taken the beef out of (giving lots of meat-juice soaked crispy bits). This was magnificent, even if I say so myself.

Love this article on our route planning system for flights, ensuring safety while reducing environmental impact. We look to do the best for our customers & Santa's no different. When his reindeer are in bed with the sniffles but deliveries await, we can help. www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2024/ho...

It's through two panes of glass (both in need of a clean) and at full phone zoom, but it's still joyous. Lunchtime often seems to coincide with sparrow bathtime here, and there are few things I love to watch more than this.

I'm really enjoying doing birdle.co.uk every day. Discovered some birds and their calls that I'm yet to hear in life due to their rarity. Today's I got in one guess, yay, only to find the picture once revealed, is not what they said! So be aware if you're playing too.

I bought this in the wonderful bookshop run by Úna in Sneem, Co Kerry. I got lost in the stories of women, some new to me and some more familiar, who have come from the magical west coast of Ireland. Would love someone else to enjoy it too. #BuyAStrangerABookDay

@biggreenbooks.bsky.social in case I forget, can I offer up 'Wild Atlantic Women : Walking Ireland's West Coast' by Grainne Lyons for tomorrow's #BuyAStrangerABook please? I bought a copy in the fabulous little bookshop in Sneem, Co Kerry, run by the brilliant Úna & would like to share with others.

That feeling when you turn on the outside light just to check all is well in the garden before retreating to the sofa to relax for the evening, and you spot a small (300g) wobbly hedgehog on your path. Scooped up, given warmth and food, and will be taken to a rescue for treatment & rehab.

Lift

I know we're all completely surveyed out, but this is vital research. And when you tot up how many graters you have, the answer might just surprise you...

Well this is exciting. We've had this orchid for something like 8 years. I'm pretty sure it's got some kind of infection as the leaves are blotchy & it's never done anything other than look a bit sad. And suddenly, there is a giant flower spike. No idea what'll emerge or when.

Lots of people have asked me about the Met Office coming to Bluesky. So here we are! It’s a bit of a test feed at the moment but we plan to ramp it up. Do follow.

Tootled into our High Street today to get a washing line pole & some wood polish. Returned with those, plus a very small hedgehog... We found a family investigating it on the pavement as we walked home, so we said we'd take it to a wildlife vet. I walked the 1.5km very gingerly! #hedgehog #Honiton

Undergraduate Masters in Geology in 2004. In 2011 a Masters in Science Communication. Today, I'm studying for a Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship (so Masters level) in HR. The 7 year old desperate to be a geologist would be a bit surprised, but it's a path that has allowed me to follow my strengths.

The BAMS State of the Climate 2023 is now published online. A privilege to be part of the 34th report in this series, and huge thanks to all authors, editors and others involved in the process. #StateofClimate2023 www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/am...

Before the clouds really rolled in, today began with a lovely walk to the beach at Weston, Devon, a dip in the sea, bacon sarnies on the pebbles and then we spotted this glorious beast on the way back up the hill. I do so love a Wasp Spider.

@mothiduk.bsky.social good morning! Our first collection of the year and my moth ID skills have failed me. Can you please help with this one?

Heading out for a night away and what do we see tootling across our drive at 3.30pm but this small hog. Scooped up, weighed (260g). Thankfully the rescue had space. He's dehydrated & likely high parasite load, but in the best place now to recover. He's called Medlar, will keep fingers crossed.

So I suppose it's rather on brand that my very first Bluesky post is a hedgehog. When we walked to Tesco to get our flu jabs we didn't anticipate coming home with a teenie hog. Spotted on someone's drive. Off to a rescue later to be given once over. Currently dozing on a hot water bottle.