we spent this morning at the dairy farm turned ecotourism hotspot, Hacienda El Bosque, where birds are now the major economic driver yet more wonderful hummers, including those with the longest (Sword-billed Hummingbird) and shortest (Purple-backed Thornbill) bills #WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia

while the hummers buzzed about, some more sedated visitors entertained us at the feeders #WildlifeTravelling at Hacienda El Bosque

major oof-age up in the clouds of Los Nevados, with a friendly Buffy Helmetcrest smiles all round #WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia

and just a fraction of the moths drawn in by the lodge lights #MothsMatter

a sunny day in the forests of Rio Blanco, and as well as the antpittas and hummingbirds, the leps were demanding our attention first up the butterflies, with plenty posing for the cameras #WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia

Celebrate Autumn! Sunday 23rd November, 11am - 3:30pm in the cosy cabin on Torpel Manor Field Nature Reserve, Helpston, Camb PE67DU. Plus homemade cakes, mulled apple juice, a warm welcome & lots to see! Nearest postcode PE6 7DU. Near the junction of West Street and Langley Bush Road (see map)

Today and tomorrow in Helpston (occupy.effort.summit)- a celebration of all things autumnal - beautiful photography, porcelain fungi, ecoprints plus hot drinks and delicious home-made cakes. And a chance to find out about @wildlifetraveller.bsky.social 2026 holidays.

and Team Hummingbird I think we'll call that a draw

after a short flight across to the central Andes, we were up high again today, to Los Nevados National Park not sure who won out in the battle of the birds today. I give you, Team Mountain Tanager... #WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia

an eye-catching Neocricus millipede, off for a wander in the Colombian cloudforest #WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia

more invert eye-candy from our time in the Eastern Andes at first sight a rather ordinary, if boldly patterned Noctuid moth, Bathyra sagata turns into a spectacular tiger of a moth when disturbed... #WildlifeTravelling in #Colombia #MothsMatter

our inaugural Colombia trip is going well so far! (if you ignore the Bogotá traffic...) #WildlifeTravelling

Fungi! Made from porcelain, fresh from the kiln! Inspired by fungi seen on Langdyke Countryside Trust's nature reserves - the four on "Westings Meadow" plus Swaddywell They'll be at the exhibition this coming weekend 22&23 Nov 2025 - work by @sarahlambert7.bsky.social & me Hope you can come!

For #thicktrunktuesday one of my favourite Beech trees in all its autumn glory, just before heavy rain brought down its leaves. At @wildlifebcn.org Old Sulehay Forest.

It’s a beauty-filled time of the year! Next weekend is Celebrate Autumn exhibition with @sarahlambert7.bsky.social and the following is the Festive DooDah! Both gorgeous and both very different. It would be great to see you!

Help us Celebrate Autumn! in Helpston (nr Peterborough) next weekend (details below). Autumn photos, a fungi slideshow, eco-print art, porcelain work, and creative ways of mapping our local landscape. Plus a cosy atmosphere, hot drinks and home-made cakes by donation! @kathrynparsons.bsky.social

An evening of wonder chatting with @drmjwarren.bsky.social last night about his beautifully-written book THE CUCKOO'S LEA, at The Bookery in Crediton - discussing crows & owls, placenames & Anglo-Saxon Charters! Buy Michael's book here or from your local indy - www.bloomsbury.com/uk/cuckoos-l...

Nothing better at this time of year than close-examination of damp, well-rotted wood for slime-moulds. Four species found in the last week - two at the bottom of our garden (Stemonitis sp. and Trichia sp.) and two in local woods (Arcyria sp, and Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa) - all immature... 📷🍄

Have you even seen anything more fabulous? Amazing finds from Sarah at Old Sulehay in Northants! 🍄

A visit to Burghley Park, where woodchip laid down under veteran oaks is currently supporting an impressive range of fungi, including several troops of Redlead Roundhead, the largest and brightest Blue Roundhead I've ever seen, many Stubble Rosegill and a single clump of Maroon Brittlestem 📷🍄

I've waited a lifetime to find Striated Bird's Nest fungus, and this week I've seen it twice! Also a magnificent colony of Coral Slime-mould, a troop of another slime-mould Physarum sp. with a lime-encrusted peridium and a heap of Witch's Butter. At @wildlifebcn.org Old Sulehay NR 📷🍄

November continues to be abnormally mild with many wildflowers round Peterborough still in bloom, but I was surprised to see so much Yellow-wort, Common Centaury and Blue Fleabane flowering again at Swaddywell, having given up entirely in the summer drought. Names in ALT. #wildflowerhour #winter10

Another day, another special woodland where (thanks to some inside information) I finally found Fluted Bird's Nest fungi - so strange but so perfect. Plus plenty Of Wrinkled Peach, including this one sheltering some youngsters and a splendid display of Toothed Crust (I think!) #fungifriday 📷🍄

A midweek meander through Bedford Purlieus NNR under fiery Beech foliage - fungus numbers declining now but wonderful to find the tiniest Porcelain Mushroom on a fallen beech bough (rare round Peterborough) and to be shown my first Orange Oak Bolete by a couple I met in the wood #fungusfriday 📷🍄

Major revision of #GBRedList of plants published today shows 25% of our native & archaeophyte flora threatened with extinction. Many iconic widespread species classified as threatened for first time including Betony, Marsh Marigold, Devil’s-bit Scabious and Harebell. Another wake-up call for action!

The new Red List for Vascular Plants published this week by @bsbibotany.bsky.social highlights the serious decline in Britain’s freshwater plants.

New #GBRedList for vascular plants is published today by a team led by @bsbibotany.bsky.social with partners @naturalengland.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social @natreswales.bsky.social @nhm-london.bsky.social @plantlifeintl.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social @thebotanics.bsky.social

After 25 years employment in the environment & education sector, today is my 1st day working as a freelance ecologist, facilitator, & educator! I'm really excited at the start of this new journey - please do drop me a line if you have any bird survey, facilitation, or environmental education needs.

Plenty of Harebells still flowering in the limestone grassland of Castor Hanglands North Heath (though all the more acid-loving species that formerly grew there have long gone). A last taste of summer perhaps... #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A trio of yellow blooms at Castor Hanglands NNR today, looking very summery in the surprisingly warm November sunshine. Common Rock-rose, Meadow Buttercup and Great Mullein all making up for lost time after a summer of sheep grazing. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A final flourish of blue brightening a gloomy November afternoon, from a late-flowering Viper's-bugloss plant growing in a former limestone quarry at Old Sulehay NR #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildlifebcn.org

A few of the more exciting finds from a recce of Collyweston Great Wood NNR in preparation for a fungus walk I'm co-leading tomorrow. Exciting to find lots of Dog's Stinkhorn and Collared Earth-star while Gold-flecked Woodwax was new to me, growing close to several Solitary Amanita #fungifriday

A mild but damp night brought a presumably migrant Dark Swordgrass and the first December Moth of the year, definitely a bit ahead of itself! Plus the now standard fare of Merveille du Jour and White Point... #mothsmatter #teammoth

A suitably seasonal Samhain encounter with this stunning Noble False Widow, lurking near our compost bins. Spiders and their webs have been viewed as powerful symbols of fate, creativity, and the interconnectedness of life, death, and the spiritual world.

Great morning leading a 'Fentastic Fungi' walk at Holme Fen NNR with a group of young conservationists. Over 40 species named and lots of discussion on how to identify fungi and their importance in ecosystems. Organised as part of the Peatland Progress project @greatfen.org.uk #fungifriends

Aargh -a busy weekend and somehow I missed out on #WildFungiHour So for #MushroomMonday an assemblage of grassland fungi from Old Sulehay NR, a former limestone quarry, cared for by @wildlifebcn.org using wonderful Highland Cattle and Mouflon to maintain a short open sward. Names in ALT.

Looking up into the crown of a much-loved ancient Small-leaved Lime coppice stool in Old Sulehay Forest on a gloomy grey day, the remaining leaves gradually changing from green to clear-yellow. @wildlifebcn.org #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A very slow meander round Old Sulehay NR, focusing on fungi, but a late-flowering Sweet Violet captured my attention, together with more seasonal fruits of Blackthorn and Old-man's-beard, as well as golden leaves of Wild Service. Very late for #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Hedgerow fruit, field and forest fungi, leaves aflame in red and gold – autumn whispers its magic. @kathrynparsons.bsky.social and I will be celebrating the season at our exhibition on 22–23 November. We’d love you to join us. #photography #art #johnclarecountryside

Having a very large Monterey Cypress in our neighbour's garden, it's perhaps surprising that we haven't previously recorded a Cypress Carpet in the Peterborough trap, although there are still few records for VC32. Also good to see a return of The Satellite, last seen in 2014! #mothsmatter #teammoth

Looking forward to leading a walk at Holme Fen NNR on 28 the October to discover the hidden world of fungi! From weird shapes to wild colours, we’ll explore how fungi live, grow, and connect the forest. Perfect for anyone aged 13–25 who’s curious about nature...

Another excellent field meeting with the Huntingdonshire Flora Group at Wakerley Woods - four of my favourite finds were a tiny Earthy Powdercap, richly-coloured Larch Boletes, a perfect specimen of Plums-and-Custard on a pine stump and masses of Hare's-ear. #mushroommonday 📷🍄

For #mushroommonday two slightly spooky-looking fungi found on local sites last week - the rather ghostly pale-lilac of a young Pearly Webcap and Blushing Rosette exuding droplets of clear red liquid. 🍄📷 #fungifriends

A subtle palette of flowers from arable and a grass verge in Helpston, including Sharp-leaved Fluellen (always good to see), Creeping Thistle, Autumn Hawkbit, Sun Spurge, Perennial Sow-thistle, Field Madder, White Dead-nettle, Groundsel and Hogweed. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A summery array of flowers by a footpath - last year there was a mad range of species from imported topsoil. Now it's settling back into weedy rank grassland, with a smattering of exotics including Argentinian Vervain and Garden Cat-mint... Names in ALT #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A trio of autumn greens from Peterborough... It's proving to be quite the year for Merveille du Jours - seven individuals in the last two nights, when normally we're lucky to see one or two...plus a scatter of more subtle Green-brindled Crescents and Red-green Carpets #teammoth #'mothsmatter

A few autumn species from last night's Peterborough trap, which certainly don't turn up every year - Grey Shoulder-knot, Deep Brown Dart, The Sallow and Large Wainscot. #mothsmatter #teammoth

The star from last night's Peterborough moth trap - a perfect Tree-mallow Tortrix - NFG. A probable migrant as it was accompanied by a Rush Veneer and Silver-Y, but we do have Marsh-mallow in the garden and Tree Mallow established nearby. #mothsmatter #TeamMoth @markhammond1966.bsky.social

An excellent morning at Bedford Purlieus with the Huntongdonshire Fungus Group last Sunday - 125 species identified by the leader including some really rather species finds - Opalescent Webcap, Mealy Bigfoot Webcap, Calonarius alcalinophilus and lots of Deathcaps... 📷🍄 #fungifriends

Land Beneath the Waves paperback has been chosen for Waterstones pre-order promotion!! Pre-orders make such a difference & if you could support & share, I'd be so grateful. Enter “OCTOBER25” at checkout for 25% off RRP. www.waterstones.com/campaign/oct... @summersdalebooks.bsky.social #WPreorder