A few Derbyshire/Leicestershire butterflies from a day out in the sun yesterday. We saw 18 butterfly species, including my 1st ever close view of a Purple Emperor and Silver-washed Fritillary laying eggs on tree bark above violets.🦋

Five tonnes of antibiotic florfenicol used last summer to treat disease, Tasmanian salmon industry says... #farmed #salmon www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06...

EU policies are failing pollinators, scientists warn – EnvironmentJournal environmentjournal.online/headlines/eu...

Insects are often overlooked, yet they play vital roles in nature. Some, like bees and butterflies, help plants reproduce through pollination. One of the easiest ways to help? Put the mower away. Let lawns bloom and give pollinators food, shelter and space to thrive. 🌼🐝 #InsectWeek #LetItBloom

Totally agree with you Chris. A petition that is well worth signing!

Agree with this 100%. I stopped eating “farmed” salmon approx 8 years ago. You should consider doing the same.

Appalling. On top of all the other equally appalling civilian deaths in Lebanon, Gaza and beyond.

My beloved dissection kit. 1/3

My old chum Mike & I had a great day out enjoying nature in Yorkshire … in the heat! 🥵 At Fairburn Ings the highlight was seeing Spoonbills. At Brockadale butterflies galore, including approx 30 Marbled White sightings.

My latest egg batch of rare Large Marsh Grasshoppers hatched this morning. Heading to Norfolk in a few weeks. “Small Marsh Grasshoppers”! 🥰

@brianecambs.bsky.social This made me think of you!

I had always thought the church at Helhoughton was unremarkable, until yesterday, when we observed approx 16 swifts hurtling around it squealing loudly. Devil birds definitely nesting there! House martins here favour the eaves of the old school/village hall, swallows nesting in people’s wood sheds.

Abundant butterflies in Helhoughton, Norfolk, today. It’s a great year for Painted Ladies, here seen on Purple Pimpernel. Male Speckled Woods were guarding their sunny patch territories against rival males, in airborne duels. Good numbers of Small Tortoiseshells seen and a solitary Green Hairstreak.

Country diary: A bug bacchanalia on an old lime tree | Kate Blincoe

Birdwatching bonanza at Bempton Cliffs, E Yorks, on Monday. In a strong, gusty wind, birds were whizzing around all over the place. But nearing their nests they would sometimes face into the wind and hang there, then slowly reverse in and land! 📷H Green

Birdwatching on Bempton Cliffs, then a cliff top walk to Flamborough Head and back, in gusty conditions yesterday. Saw just 2 puffins, but hundreds of gannets, razorbills, kittiwakes and … guillemots! youtu.be/Vg3BA2thqiA?...

We spent the night under “canvas” in E Yorks. It was pretty cold and it rained. But the sun’s shining this morning and we’re off too see puffins, gannets & razorbills.

The best sound in camping!

Norfolk Large Marsh Grasshoppers strutting their stuff on the BBC! 😮 In case you missed it, @citizenzoo.bsky.social ‘s “Hop of Hope” grasshopper rewilding project featured on The One Show (BBC iPlayer: Wed 29 April, approx 7.20-7.25). @norfolknats.bsky.social @wildkenhill.bsky.social

Short break in London last week. We visited Charles Darwin’s home, Down House - mostly maintained in its Victorian condition. The study had the feel of a holy shrine! Wish I’d taken a pic of the fab garden. Darwin was 59 when this photo was taken … that’s 6 yrs younger than me!😮 1/2

Some great work here by our keen-eyed cameraman! @awprco.bsky.social

It’s not just freshwater invertebrates that are being poisoned by this awful stuff. And pet owners are encouraged to splash it on their dogs & cats every month! 💀🤬 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

My MP (in Derbyshire) is fully briefed on this … yours should be too! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Ammonia pollution hotspots found in areas of UK with most pig and poultry factory farms

I really hope this happens! And prophylactic use of this awful stuff has got to stop.

My Spring phenological marker "blossom max day", when the 1st loose petals fell under our cherry tree, was last Thursday. A slightly early Spring 2026:09/04; 2025:11/04; 2024:06/04; 2023:14/04; 2022:20/04; 2021:20/04; 2020:12/04; 2019:09/04; 2018:25/04; 2017:08/04; 2016:02/05 (11 yr mean=15/5)

🐝 The whole of our Derbyshire garden was humming yesterday! ☀️ 3 sp of bumblebee, female hairy-footed flower bee, tawny miner bee, several little ginger jobs, honeybee … Butterflies galore, incl. 1st Orange Tip & Speckled Wood. No Holly Blues yet … 👀

Last time Lincoln City were in the 2nd tier (1960-61), my dad was playing for them! ⚽️ Were he still alive today, he’d be SO proud! A small club, on a small budget, but with big ambition and a plan. They’ve only gone and done it! Congrats to everyone at LCFC! Up the imps! @lincolncityfc.bsky.social

"The air was full of magic." ~ Dr Will Hawkes, biologist A stunning, multimedia exploration of insect migration, from butterflies crossing deserts and oceans to bogong moths navigating hundreds of kilometres by the celestial spacing of the Milky Way. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Fritillaries on our “front lawn” (=species-rich mini-meadow) + a visitor yesterday, when the winter of my discontent was made glorious summer by this sun in Derbyshire. ☀️

9/ Someone I feel is particularly worth listening to on this crucial topic is Prof. Tim Benton, at @envleeds.bsky.social, a leading expert on global food security In this podcast he explains what’s driving the collapse of our food systems and what it would take to build something truly regenerative

Something you can do to help stop potent insecticides from polluting our rivers: www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns/ve...

Butterflies crossing oceans, moths navigating by the stars: unravelling the mysteries of insect migrations www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Radiant beauties! An ostentation of Peacocks in Derbyshire these past few days.

Crocus fever here in NL this afternoon 🇳🇱. A happy queen bumblebee! Plenty of Brimstone butterflies flitting about, but none wanted to be photographed.

I just emailed my MP through the #CleanWaterNow campaign 🌊 calling for a new water law to stop pollution and restore rivers, lakes and seas. Every voice matters – will you join me? action.friendsoftheearth.uk/target/clean...

More than 35m unexpected salmon deaths at Scottish farms sparks outcry

I just asked my MP to support a UK Digital Sovereignty Strategy. 10 mins well spent! Consider doing this. action.openrightsgroup.org/protect-brit...

📢 Supermarkets - up your standards … … I hate greenwashing! The @RedTractorFood assurance scheme has been found to mislead the public. I just wrote to my supermarket to demand robust environmental standards on their products. Will you join me? 👉 upyourstandards.riveractionuk.com

Please sign the @peatfree.bsky.social petition linked by @jackwallington.com Shocked last week to see peat extraction by Godwins happening right opposite a reserve where peat restoration is happening @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @craigbennett3.bsky.social @josmithwild.bsky.social #PeatFree

Sunrise, sunset Sunrise, sunset Swiftly flow the days 📷 @morningoak.bsky.social

The wonder of Waterhouse. His glorious work, the Natural History Museum, London. Here today for the RES Orthoptera Special Interest Group. Always a fun meeting.

Visiting friends in upstate Michigan. Blazing autumn colours, but chilly this morning. First snow expected in 2-3 weeks’ time.

Blowing a hooley here in Belper, Derbyshire but, surprisingly, not much apple fall.

Grass of Parnassus, Marsh Lousewort and Bog Bush-cricket on Bell Heather, on Buxton Heath, Norfolk, this afternoon.

A few captive Large Marsh Grasshoppers still going strong here at home, producing egg pods for next year’s #Hop_of_Hope reintroductions in Norfolk & Cambridgeshire. A special treat this morning: sedge instead of Cocksfoot grass. It was appreciated! @citizenzoo.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

This female Large Marsh Grasshopper, seen today (with friend), is almost certainly the adult of a VERY purple nymph seen 2 weeks ago, at almost exactly the same spot, at our Norfolk Broads release site. 📷 Anna. #Hop-of-Hope @citizenzoo.bsky.social @norfolknats.bsky.social

Butterflies showing well this morning (Small Copper, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Large White, Green-veined White) and moth trap packed, including 2 dead hornets. Belper, Derbyshire.