Lovely male #BrownArgus today on my morning walk in the #chalkgrassland Looks spanking new so possibly from 2nd brood. It's larval food plant is #CommonRock-Rose growing in short the turf where caterpillars often have two-way relationships with meadow ants: secretions ↔️ protection 😊 #butterflies

Just some of the #supernativeplantsforinsects on a 1k walk (& back again!) along a narrow strip of unimproved (such a misnomer for a bio-rich habitat) grassland between farm, road & golf course. If you want to help insects try growing some of them in your garden: 🌸 Greater Knapweed 🧵 🌸/🌸🌸🌸

Lee Anderson 'claimed Nottinghamshire’s £75,000 Union Jack scheme “would not cost the taxpayer a single penny” because local businesses would sponsor it. He even promised it would make a profit' But ... "Not a single sponsor has signed up. Not one." via Reform Are Not Your Friends

Just to be clear: my place is grazed by a very few Dexter cattle in the winter. Grazing at the right levels (which immediately excludes commercially viable densities of livestock), and for limited periods of time, can be highly beneficial to ecosystem recovery.

But NEVER, EVER with sheep or goats!! They graze very differently to cattle, ponies or horses, and are highly damaging to nature, even in tiny numbers.

A joy 2 watch many tiny #EssexSkipper feeding & roosting in the bedstraw on #allotment today. Reasons 4 visits of Essex & also the Small are: the warm weather; variety of native nectar plants; & presence of their larval food plants, grasses inc their 2 favourites, #YorkshireFog & #TorGrass.

Hail to the lovely #Gatekeeper! It found its comfort zone on Ragwort in the dappled shade of the taller Bristly Oxe-tongue. I timed this one .. it fed continuously for 43 minutes on one #Ragwort .. what a #superplantforinsects! Name just 1 garden hybrid that serves insects for that long! Just one!

How did America get this stupid?

So much money and so unhappy.

This is worth reading in full: How government's, not just the German one, lack the imagination & strength of values & principles to withstand the widespread populist press narratives that make this media less a Fourth Estate of monitoring & holding to account & far more insidiously influential.

An absolute highlight from Ham Fen was this Wasp Spider & its entombed damselflies in the ultra-distinctive criss-cross web. We've seen numerous Wasp Spiders in the past but never with additional damselfly prey items. Remarkable to see up close. @linnetincley.bsky.social @dungenessowen.bsky.social

Appeasing Trump. UK would need to divert £44.7bn from essential NHS services to pay for new medicines under the terms of the UK-US trade deal. US corporate profits boosted. Could result in more than 200,000 avoidable UK deaths. Self-sufficiency for essentials saves lives.

'Costa del Sol doubles invasive Asian seaweed removal efforts. Asian seaweed (Rugulopteryx okamurae) has invaded the Andalusian coast, demanding record removal efforts and forcing local authorities to activate extraordinary budgets and daily machinery.' www.surinenglish.com/malaga/costa...

#WildWebsWednesday A 6 Belted Clearwing nectaring on Birdfoot Trefoil @bcwarwickshire.bsky.social Ryton Wood Meadows reserve. No lures used,it was spotted by a friend while photographing a Skipper. #MothsMatter

I was in the western Highlands for a long weekend, up to Applecross, Torridon and Gairloch. Little patches of deer-fenced scrub regenerating were refreshing but so much is just devastated, overgrazed, muirburn scars.

I was honoured to be runner-up for the Trans Ally Award last year. Nominations are now open for this year’s Paul Draycott Awards. Nominate someone and help celebrate the achievements of trans people and allies: beyond-reflections.org.uk/paul-draycot...

#letbramlerambleforlife 🙏

A touch of Wimbledon at the #allotment #teasel #grownativesforinsects

It was never really about numbers. It was never about facts. It never is.

The noose from the few few is tightening. I know a few podcasters who put the truth out there are facing similar action like youtube cancelling their platforms, this should concern us all they are stepping on our throats, they don't want us to hear the truth about how they manipulate and strangle us

Alito's father was an Italian immigrant. Or a "birth tourist" according to Alito himself.

This made me sick. I’m sharing it because it’s great investigative student reporting and I think we should understand how predators use power and root them all out

For a final push before polls close in Colorado tonight, here’s our Mamdanification Scorecard ratings for the major statewide primary races. These ratings reflects candidate’s stances on 7 New Deal policies emblematic of the rapidly growing people-powered movement Mamdani is part of!

If you're a "white moderate" DO NOT RUN! America does not need any more spineless "white moderates" that MLK jr warned against as those:"who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice"

Mel Sunquist -influential tiger biologist -has died. @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social beautifully describes Mel's legacy for @mongabay.com: "careful observation, sound science, and thoughtful mentorship were as important to conservation as the discoveries themselves." news.mongabay.com/2026/06/mel-...

Research highlights major role of marine wildlife in tackling climate change. www.ifaw.org/internationa...

The adventures of the Robert's family, after Bike Week this year our little family of 3 did what we often do, we packed up our bikes, loaded them onto the local bus to Cork city then cycled the gorgeous greenway down to Carrigaline for the www.irishcyclingcampaign.ie/biking-britt...

Sorry Chuck (Schumer) even from over the other side of the pond, your riposte to this ONE favourable result for American democracy among SO many shite ones, makes you seem like an utter useless twat. For the love of all that remains good about America please resign 🙏

It was a 5-4 decision you feckless nothing. What are your plans to reform the Supreme Court? Why can't you lead? Why are you all so useless?

Everyone should be extremely concerned that birthright citizenship was 5-4 and not unanimous.

TRANS GIRLS ARE GIRLS.

Humanity isn't separate from nature - so let’s stop acting like it 🌍 💚

Yes of course the 'sacred' Declaration of Independence named America's natives as "merciless Indian Savages". America has been a systemic apartheid society since, fought against but many good humans, but now, through supremacists like Trump, Musk, Thiel + SCOTUS + being reborn in their vile image.

The Illusion of the “White Grievance” Machine: What South Africa Teaches Us About America’s Approaching Autocracy open.substack.com/pub/thelefth...

The chalk grasslands were teeming w Marbled White yesterday. This is a butterfly that's found in distinct colonies in all unimproved grassland where grasses grow tall, esp abundant in #chalkgrassland where this avid nectar feeder has a grand choice. It also now flies for the 1st time on 🧵🦋1/4

Surprised how many plants we humans curse the insects really love? If we had eyes and ears to notice not surprising at all! #letnativeplantsgrow

This green woodpecker is a late entry for @robcrank68.bsky.social's #BirdOfTheDay theme of #BestOfJune26. Not sure if it's the best as there are others with different qualities, but in this the dappled sunlight and soft background are ideal to show off the woodpecker's plumage. #UKwildlife #birds

A bit of bling in the grassland. Lady Essex Skipper on Greater Knapweed #butterflies #chalkgrasslandlife

Boomerangs & Forked-tails in the sky above cool chic & copper colours below in the #chalkgrassland today #swift #redkite #marbledwhite #smallcopper #naturetherapy

Male jousting over with I'm king of the clover. #marbleswhire #butterflies #chalkgrassland on breezy #devilsdyke

Thank you to All those who provide water for wildlife in Extreme Temperatures 🌡️ ☀️ ❄️ You are making a real difference! Photo: European Starlings by Stewart Guy.

“I began to wonder why we cuddle some animals and put a fork in others.” — Henry Spira

Do not grab the money and run Andy as there's nowhere on Earth you can avoid climate change!

Superb as always from Waj! The Hate Machine: White Genocide? More Like Global White Suicide. open.substack.com/pub/thelefth...

Brilliant take-down of nasty man!

Copper in Marjoram. #smallcopper #wildmarjoram #grownativeplatnsforinsects

I’ve been enjoying snippets of Stewart Lee’s tour of East End record shops and cultural landmarks over on Instagram. You can watch the full video here youtu.be/xN2X_RImdZ8

Plate 245 - Uria Brunnichii (Thick-billed Murre) Illustrated by John James Audubon🪶

We absolutely must change course. And there are well thought out paths to take.

ICYMI: a new independent report shows major reductions in air pollution in our city are linked to an estimated 40% fewer annual premature deaths.