Who else has got a massive influx of blackbirds? We must have a 3 fold increase, they are so busy eating pyracantha berries and other berries. So good to see them. @rspb.bsky.social #ukwildlife @bbcspringwatch.bsky.social #blackbird #britishbirds

Really pleased with this shot of a #Goldcrest #Regulasregulus at #Blenheim 05/02/25. #BirdsSeenin2026 #ukbirds #birdoftheday #canonwildlife #rspb

Goldcrest playing hide and seek in the freezing cold at #Blenheim 05/02/25. #BirdsSeenin2026 #ukbirds #birdoftheday #canonwildlife

Fieldfares are so loving the hawthorne berries this year Wonder if they will move on to the crab apples next week N Glos 40/01/26

Buff tailed worker (seemed way to small to be a queen) out on the daphne in our N Glos Garden 04/01/26 - and it was freezing cold

Fieldfare and Redwings in the local hedgerow, Mickleton,Gloucestershire, 3/1/26. #fieldfare #Turduspilaris #redwing #turdusiliacus #birdsseenin2026 #glosbirds #ukbirds #ukwildlife #ukbirding

Crested Grebe sorting out lunch. Hope to see the courtship this year. #crestedgrebe #ukbirds #blenheimpalace #UKwildlife #wildlifephotography #BirdIfTheDay #birdphotography #canon #canonR7

Am I the only one who has dunnocks that have learnt to hop up through a shrub to hop into a seed feeder, for a cheeky snack. I know they are really an invert/insect feeder - but mine definitely use the feeder (now its easy from them to access)

Oh yes - Small Copper in the garden - think this is a male but happy to be corrected. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Mrs Southern Hawker checking out the mossy logs on the pond edge for some egg laying

Cob bricks for HFFB advice. I have some ‘blue’ clay (friend doing an extension), some straw, sharp sand, and some spare wood. Any advice on brick size - max/min - should I make the wooden housing first then pack the clay in or make bricks first then build housing to fit? @davegoulson.bsky.social Ta

I did not realise wrens had nested in or near the garden - but in yesterday drizzle the family fledged and the garden was full of fluttering and cheeping. Not sure if this is an adult or young one but so pleased to see them. Even though I had to nip out in the drizzle.

So loving the Common Blue female butterflies on the wild front lawn. Seen males locally - just not on the ‘lawn’. They are remarkably wings are so pretty and so intricate - remarkable.

Spoilt for choice on my photos of a common blue butterfly - On the front lawn - yep thats my front lawn (it does get a mow around the edge) it has Birds-foot trefoil in it too as a caterpillar food plant #bigbutterflycount @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Grabbed a shot of this comma at lunch time, enjoying the echinacea white swan #savebutterflies

Garden pond rocking it at the mo with Souther Hawkers emerging

Gatekeepers in the garden and cinnabar moth caterpillars on very local wild land

🌳 Dame Judi Dench is calling for the return of ancient woodlands. Will you sign the petition to help restore the Ghost Woods and protect our green spaces for future generations? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/br...

Is that the remains of a ‘gift’ in the males mandibles? So pleased to have finally spotted my first Yellow and Black long horned beetles - and I found a pair - busy making more. I believe they only live as adults for a few weeks.

Went for a stroll in one of #warwickshirewt sites - such a joyful place. So interesting reading afterwards how long skippers are caterpillars needing long grass. #canonuk #canonr7 #savebutterflies

Great to see the Vestral Cuckoo bees back, #Bombusvestalis. Slightly sinister life style as they are social parasites of the Buff tailed bumblebee. I take it as a sign as a great bufftail population locally. The males love the Eryngium flowers. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #bumblebees

Wool carder #bees are back in good numbers in the garden (did not see any last year) My patches of Lamb’s Ear have males protecting his patch with gusto - hoping a lady will come and harvest some plant hairs for her nests. #woolcarderbee

Such a lovely western honeybee, nice still morning with some pretty light, never knew they had hairy eyes 😱

ID help please. Is this a fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea? Appeared on unmown part of our housing estate!

The Verbascum phoeniceum flower stems are really being munched by the mullein moth, it seems to be a great year for insects, I’m sure the birds will enjoy a few of these. #insects #cuculliaverbasci #moth #macromonday #ukwildlife

Female Scarce Chaser at #croomenationaltrust on 30/5/25. Tricky to tell apart from immature males but this one was hunting on her own in the field which seems to be female behaviour, before they are ready to egg lay. Seems a good year for scarce chasers locally. #dragonflies #ukwildlife #insects

Scarce Chasers (Libellula fulva) at Croome NT. My reading tells me 1st recorded in UK on 1853, then again in 1937, small population 2004 and then on the near threatened list in 2008. Now spreading into midlands, with changing climate. Very specific habitat of slow- flowing rivers/floodplains.

All exotic in the garden this morning- blue tit on the red hot poker - but somehow it looks like I’m abroad. Is it nectar robbing, eating the anthers or bug hunting? definitely a bit of pollinating accidentally happening. They seem to do it more on a dry year, or am I in the garden more.

First painted lady of the year #savebutterflies

This is the first year we have had house sparrows visit the garden ( new on 2018) so good to see them. Not sure if/where they are nesting

Sometimes it’s lovely to have something really frilly in the garden.

The male Azures have started to patrol the garden pond. No females spotted yet but I’m sure they will be along in a day or two.

Holly Blue female has been flitting through the garden for a few days, finally settled on the dogwood - I have since found out this is a caterpillar food plant so maybe some egg laying will happen. 11/5/25 #savebutterflies #hollyblue #ukbutterflies

Inspiring celebration of David Attenborough from Kate Winslet and many others - and a much-needed reminder to stand with science www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Large red damselflies males/females at the garden pond 1/5/25.

Starting to lose count of the bee species I have seen in the garden this year. Loads of Painted Nomads - Nomada fucata on the Rosemarie. And finally photographed a male hairy-footed flower bee - Anthrophora plumipes. 8/4/25

Mining bee sp #7 Tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva - female. The garden was just buzzing this afternoon. 😃6/4/25, N Cotswolds

Only got a brief time to watch the bees today,but the garden was busy. First Red Mason bee, male, seems like lots spotted today. And my second nomad sp. this year, Gooden’s Nomad, I have seen Buffish and Chocolate ming bees already this year that are its host. #ukbees #ukinsects

Bees, bees, bees and bee flies. 1/4/25 N Cotswolds. All females. Yellow legged mining bee - Andrena flavipes, Orange tailed -A haemorrhoa. image 3 Lasioglossum xanthopus - orange-footed furrow bee, new sp for our garden. And I do like dotted bee flies - so many bee flies this year 😁

Another bumblebee sp for the garden, Garden Bumblebee - queen - they are so big. Just emerging from her winter sleep, to yesterday’s sunshine, pleased the garden offers them homes. N Cotswolds, 31/3/25 Bumblebee sp #5 @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #bumblebee #bombushortorum #springwatch

Dotted bee fly alert 😍-looks like there will be babies too. Sorry Yellow legged and Ashy mining bees - looks like you will be hosting some cuckoo’s. N Cotswold garden, 31/3/25. #bombyliusdiscolor #beeflywatch @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Not great images but bumblebee sp #5 common carder queen and mining bee sp #5 yellow legged in my garden. So pleased how things are appearing after last years dreadful weather. n Cotswolds 30/3/25 #ukinsects #uknature #springwatch #bees #pollinator

Oh yes - female dark edged bee fly - so now I have both males and females - I guess all the solitary bees better keep an eye out for eggs being laid in their homes. N Cotswold garden 30/3/25 #beeflywatch #bombyliusmajor #ukinsects

First butterfly of the year in the garden 😁

Dotted Bee-fly,Bombylius discolor - so please to see my first of the year (not sure if male or female.) In our garden. We get both hosts of ashy mining bee and yellow legged mining bee, which I have see about too. N Cotswolds, 29/03/25 #beeflywatch #bombyliusdiscolor

ID help please - or direct me to someone who knows. So who is this fat puppy - I guess a weevil but thats as far as I go. Climbing on a dead gladioli stalk. N Cotswolds 26/03/25 @gavinbroad.bsky.social @carabidaeuk.bsky.social

Incoming - I think this is the same individual spotted a couple of days ago, coming back to his favourite sunny place on the wall after checking out for ladies. Male Bombylius major. 24/03/25 N Cotswolds. #beeflywatch

Mining bee sp number 4 for the year 😁 Ashy mining bee, Andrena cineraria - having a warm on the garden wall. Was rather flighty and this is the best shot - nothing arty. Need to lookout for the dotted bee fly which these are a host too locally ( along with yellow legged mining bee) exciting times.

Female Chocolate mining bee - Andrena scotica. Love the idea of chocolate mining 🤣 that’s the 3rd mining bee species for our N Cotswolds garden this year. #bees #springwatch

And so it begins…scarlet lily beetle, emerging from winter sleep #liliocerislilii. It’s not a UK native and will munch away at fritillaries and lilies. The picking off (and despatching) begins, no pesticides in use and quite a few get away each year, but plants survive, finding the balance.