Just in case you weren’t aware of what a shower of bastards the Telegraph’s new owners are. There’s a reason that the paper was so appealing to them.

"If Burnham does push ahead with the appointment of Mahmood, it would be the second time that Labour left-wingers felt duped by a leadership candidate promising left-wing policies, only to deliver the complete opposite once in power." ✍️ @adambienkov.bsky.social bylinetimes.com/2026/07/17/a...

Around 6 years ago today (actually on the 20th) I noticed large accumulations of purple springtails leaping into the rivers and accumulating like foam. Something to keep an eye out for if you're out and about this week.

Dear Andy Burnham: it’s time to scrap First Past the Post. Our voting system only breeds instability and chaos, and poisons our political culture. We know you agree. Now is the time to fix our democracy. Sign the open letter: actionnetwork.org/petitions/an...

Further reminder that the current US regime, and the broader trend in US politics, is anti- #democracy www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Acorn ants, Temnothorax curvispinosus, in an old acorn in Illinois. They need an acorn in a particular stage of decay, usually a year old and already hollowed out. If you're looking for acorn ants, you won't find them in the fresh ones.

The PCR positivity map is out, and positivity has bounced back up from 0.6 to 1%. Adjusted for non-reporting, we make that 3.97% in England; there are clear hotspots. jamestindall.info/skeuomorphol... 1/6

Revealed: Exxon made ‘breathtakingly’ accurate climate predictions in 1970s and 80s. They knew how damaging their industries are to the climate, environment & biodiversity - their response is greenwashing & gaslighting... www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Reminiscient of the evacuations in Victoria during Australia's "Black Summer" of 2019, man if only all these governments spoke the same language and could learn from each other's mistakes www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/...

This track at the edge of a plantation near Bedale was thronging with butterflies this morning, drawn to the flowers of Knapweed and Wild Marjoram. A dozen species included Silver-washed Fritillary, Brimstone, Gatekeeper and Holly Blue. @nybirdnews.bsky.social

A tiny but very distinctive hoverfly Pelecocera tricincta. It uses sensory hairs on its enlarged 3rd antennal segment to detect the partially subterranean Yellow False Truffle Rhizopogon luteolus in which its larvae develop. Holt Heath. Dorset today.

I am once again begging Hollywood to stop using the Greek alphabet for an Ancient World movie, if they can't afford to even throw a couple of quid at anyone with an inkling of the language. Unless they really think audiences are dying to see THS THDPSSSSPS

Juv LRP at Rodden Hive, plus a pair of Shelduck with 4 tiny Ducklings. 2 Clouded Yellow in the fields nearby. Still loads of the Bug nymphs moving, but less than yesterday. Video gives an idea of just a tiny area. 7 Leopard Moth my highest ever count from the traps

Job opportunity: North of England Golden Eagle Project Manager raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/07/16/j...

Boxelder bug in the flower garden #InsectThursday #insects #bugs #photography #macro

Mayo Clinic is being sued by its former AI compliance lead, who is alleging the hospital network tried to hide its AI tool’s 67% error rate at patients’ expense. /1 futurism.com/health-medic...

The undercarriage of a gypsy moth 🌱 #InsectThursday #BugSky #UKWildlife #nature #UKGardening #Bloomscrolling

The timeless appeal of ancient glass! 🤩 This Roman glass cup is about 1,700 years old, yet its bold blue and green dot decoration looks strikingly modern! It wouldn’t look out of place today! 📷 by me #Archaeology

Toronto was ranked today as the worst air quality in the world!! I took these videos in the morning and it smelled like burning or a fire was right beside me. No filters or editing was done to these videos! It’s insane how orange the sky was today. #toronto #wildfire

I forgot to post this for #WildWebsWednesday yesterday - the very nice hoverfly, Volucella pellucens, on the first of the Water Mint. Padmall Wood, Keston Common

“That most dangerous of things, a clever sheep”

Our provincial flower here in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Purple Pitcher Plant.

...and England after facing Argentina #WorldCup2026

BHL’s latest newsletter is out! Catch up on BHL in The Guardian, our server move to the Field Museum, the new BHL Community Forum, Annual Meeting highlights, new member news, and more from our 20th anniversary year. Read it here: conta.cc/4ffdROv 🧪

This mysterious beetle showed up at our light trap in the Brazilian Amazon near Manaus. It's a beautiful representative of the shining leaf chafers, the Rutelinae, a group of scarab beetles that are often found feeding on leaves and flower petals. Many species are round and have metallic colors.

Firefighters have worked through the night tackling a wildfire which has led to the evacuation of residents in the Cairngorms 🚒 As of Thursday morning, the blaze is said to stretch more than 4km wide 👇 📸 Peter Stronach

New Blog! 📣 There's not mushroom for fungi in the fossil record, yet here Isabelle Pola discusses the discovery of one of the oldest ever found! From Cretaceous period sedimentary rock, these fossils help to reshape our understanding of how modern ecosystems developed...https://buff.ly/3hp1vOd 🧪

What can the houses of Weardale tell us about the people who lived there? Join Historic Buildings & Places on 4 August for an online talk with Martin Roberts exploring the rich tradition of vernacular architecture across the dale. Find out more: hbap.org.uk/online-talk-...

#Insekten #insects #fly #Schwebfliegen #Garten #garden #nature #Natur #flowers #Blüten #summer #Sommer Eine Gemeine Waldschwebfliege, Volucella pellucens, sitzt auf violetten Blüten von Sommerflieder und sucht nach Nektar.

For clarity: this is about pushing far right, and ultimately fascistic, agendas in Europe and globally. It is crucial civil society and politicians wake up to the seriousness of the situation. But our media are failing us and our politicians are actively choosing to stay on the platform …

I spotted these eggs with a very metallic sheen on Bucktorn today. They look like bug eggs but are they identifiable to species? Thanks for any help here

800 HORFE

A valezina form Silver-washed Fritillary in the garden, with two males squabbling over her and racing around the garden. The dusky bronze-green colouration of these female morphs is stunning.. 💚 @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

L'exposition "Forêts-Mondes" est visible jusqu’au 18 juillet au Domaine de la Garde de Bourg-en-Bresse, dans le cadre du festival "Forêt vivante, le mystère des arbres" ... magazine.hortus-focus.fr/blog/2026/07...

St Swithun in golden episcopal vestments: let's hope it rains today! BL Add 49598; Benedictional of Æthelwold; 963 CE-984 CE; England, S.; f.97v @blmedieval.bsky.social

Final morning in Spain and my last butterfly. A tiny African Grass Blue on the lawn of the hotel garden in San Pedro.

140726 OM1ii My last Vapourer of the year eclosed "It's a boy!" From a colourful caterpillar decorated with shaving brushes & Dennis Healy eyebrows to a most handsome fella. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social #teammoth #mothsmatter #muchadoaboutmothing

Two years ago today 🌿 Hay bales starting their migration south from North Park. Once huge herds of these covered the plains, today their numbers are greatly reduced. These have fattened up before their long journey and are ready to roll south. 🤗

2,000 year-old Roman silver wine cup decorated with olive branches. From the famous silverware collection found in the cellar of the House of Menander at Pompeii. Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli 📷 by me #ReliefWednesday #Archaeology

Wildfires in Europe so far this summer have led to Spain's deadliest in decades, with temperature anomalies peaking around +9°C in France and Germany and a high of 45.1°C in southern Spain. But how is the UK 'fire wave' after its first 'megafire' that burnt for four days in Dava Moor in May? 1/n

I always think that the dark border around a Peacock's wings make it look like it's been superimposed over the background. One of many seen yesterday at Pickering, N. Yorkshire. @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @northyorkmoors.org.uk @whitbynats.bsky.social

830 wildfires burning across Canada right now. And you know what’s going to make it worse in the future? More oil pipelines. This is why our voice and our vote matters.

Pleased to spot this Holly Blue at the National Botanic Garden of Wales a couple of weeks ago. Had them in our garden earlier in the year but always managed to vanish next door as soon as I got the camera out. #insects #nature #wildlife #UKWildlife #photography #bugsky #UKButterflies #butterflies

Phew it’s been so hot lately!This week’s challenge is to find those wild & naturalised plants that are surviving the drought conditions & are #StillFlowering! Share your finds for #wildflowerhour this Sunday 8-9pm!

Whitlingham Marshes today, proper swamp vegetation and very challenging to get around. I did see this Reed Dagger caterpillar, which is a new species for me.

American lady butterfly on pearly everlasting…

Another highlight of my trip to the Brecks was Broom Treehopper (Gargara genistae). Plenty of these brilliantly bizarre bugs near Cranwich Heath on Friday.

Some afternoon crow roll. 🪶

A few Graylings from the limestone pavements on Whitbarrow, Cumbria. @cumbriawildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

The eBook of our new #BSBIHandbook 'Whitebeams, Rowans and Service Trees of Britain and Ireland' is out now & it's only £10 (print book RRP = £35). 282 pages long & covers 68 taxa, all of which will be there on your phone/PC/laptop once you buy this eBook! Lead author is BSBI Sorbus expert Tim Rich.