Two very perfect Amanita muscaria grows side-by-side in a wonderful coastal pine forest 📷 Canon 5D Mk III Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM M, f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 320 Stack of 60 images 10/23/21 Northern Oregon Coast #mushroom #fungifriends #mushrooms 🍄📷 📸🎞 🌿🌱 🟢 🍄 🍄‍🟫

Archaeology Advent Calendar Day 21 "Jug with a Man and Deer" Cypriot Red-Polished Ware Jug with figurative scene of seated human, deer and bowl. Perhaps he is milking the deer? Early-Middle Cypriot, c. 2300–1600 BCE Getty Museum 2001.79 www.getty.edu/art/collecti...

Hopeful male Hazel (Corylus avellana) catkins getting their pollen ready early, in chilly North Leitrim. (Sharing these photos for the sheer unlikeliness of them coming out at all...trembly tree, gale force winds, flappy phone case and the wrong glasses 🤣) @bsbibotany.bsky.social #wildflowerhour

The Irish mind cannot comprehend this [or school shootings] - source NYT

It's Sunday, it's 8pm so it must be #WildFlowerHour! Please share pix of any wild or naturalised plants you spotted in bloom last week across Britain & Ireland. Mystery plant? Use #WildFlowerID to summon help from friendly @wildflowerhour.bsky.social botanists!

There’s much mumbo-jumbo about the Solstice & ersatz ‘Celtic’ religious practise about this feast. It can be quite painful hearing self-appointed foreign ‘believers’ combine everything from the Tuatha Dé Dannan, to Nazi mythology, in their ignorant claims. So here’s some factual info on Grianstad!

Someone made the mistake of saying Western culture was in danger last night. I read them the riot act, pointed out that although Ireland is part of the West, it has a separate culture & that that culture is central to our lives every day. When they tried arguing, I switched to Irish & they shut up.

I repost Tristan on a regular basis because he is that singular person - a botanist’s botanist. And he takes superb photos.

Nollaig Shona Duit! Remember people who tell you they have, or who expect, a perfect Christmas are either on a very high Xanax titration, or are passively aggressive towards humanity!

Early July 2025 in the Swiss Alps. Vanilla Orchids Gymnadenia rhellicani were abundant in all the Alpine meadows: countless thousands of raspberry pom-poms.

Here’s a blast from my past in 1978. Farmhouse Kitchen was two no-nonsense sensible women sorting out the cooking. This was a Christmas special. The [old] cookbook was presented to me by my mum when I left college 33y ago, & has followed me around the world ever since!

Housewife has had quite a lot too much to drink and soon will be flat on floor alongside dog. Fun times in Dutch Golden Age w/ Pieter de Hooch, born OTD 1629.

Happy Solstice 2025 Watch live: Winter Solstice sunrise from ancient tomb at Newgrange #newgrangesolstice #speirgorm www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

🧵 With recent direction to the FBI to treat Queer organisations as domestic terrorism, I know there are many LGBTQ ppl looking for options. There are two Irish paths. One is to apply for further education, the other is to look at whether you qualify for Irish citizenship by descent. Here’s more info

There is no longer famine in Gaza, a global hunger monitor has said, after access for humanitarian and commercial food deliveries improved following a fragile 10 October ceasefire. The latest assessment … comes 4 months after ⁠it said … nearly a quarter of … Gaza[ns] - were experiencing famine.

🧵 From my home to yours, I’d like to wish you a merry Christmas! My biggest annual creation is my tree, as you can see here. I spend most of my time creating one-off ink on paper drawings, which you can see in this thread! There’s also a special at the moment. [1]

By early June 2025 it was time to explore the dark art of Sedgology. Here are Dotted Sedge Carex punctata, Bog Sedge Carex limosa, Slender Sedge Carex lasiocarpa, and Soft-leaved Sedge Carex montana, all in Hampshire's New Forest. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

My friend called over, just for a chat & on top of a Christmas present, she also gave me a tin of homemade mince pies. Now that’s the festive feeling! ❤️

🧵 With recent direction to the FBI to treat Queer organisations as domestic terrorism, I know there are many LGBTQ ppl looking for options. There are two Irish paths. One is to apply for further education, the other is to look at whether you qualify for Irish citizenship by descent. Here’s more info

Irish HSE (NHS equivalent) has criticised the terrible National Gender Service (NGS), which many view as transphobic, & reactionary. Govt has made clear they want a healthcare system that’s right for trans & non-binary ppl. This is unprecedented & the first time that the HSE has called out the NGS.

The holidays can bring things up. There is always someone to listen. In Ireland, & the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123. In the US call 988. Listening; even in silence, being there. Everyone goes thru something. If you are in a different country, feel free to share my example with your helpline.

Cot A woman bends Whispering loving words Soft hand on my cheek She draws my breath In a silver thread Through my open lips Weaving it between her fingers Hoping to take my voice I bite the silver She folds to the earth floor And turns to sand She does not know I have the bard's tooth #PegsPoyums

🧵 From my home to yours, I’d like to wish you a merry Christmas! My biggest annual creation is my tree, as you can see here. I spend most of my time creating one-off ink on paper drawings, which you can see in this thread! There’s also a special at the moment. [1]

The EU is not valid, based on law & the European Convention on Human Rights, if it does not face up to the dehumanisation & persecution of LGBTQ ppl in Hungary. The Commission needs to answer, why are the 9.7% LGBTQ Europeans, valued less than other Europeans? 👉Teacher facing jail

Many thanks to Monkstown Educate Together NS for the lovely cards and presents. D Watch Dun Laoghaire were delighted to drop Santa there last week for their Christmas Fair.

For readers who are about to lose care, I have been told that the Trans Youth Emergency Project is helping the families of trans youth contingency plan to access that care. www.transyouthemergencyproject.org

2025 continues. By mid-May the local chalk woods are the haunt of orchids. Fly Orchid Ophrys insectifera in the Meon Valley, and Bird's-nest Orchid Neottia nidus-avis and White Helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium around the village, ten minutes from the door. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The two most interesting areas of research I think, where visionary things are happening, are the science of the brain & work on anti-virus drugs. As always cancer breakthroughs* are the thing to watch. A lot of media focuses on less important things. This is a great overview of some brain research:

Special find Ancient Beech Woodland near 11th Century Norman motte-and-bailey Castle remains Erddig Park. Rare glimpse of Verdigris Roundhead Stropharia aeruginosa, looks Emerald Green projects deep Blue-Green. Retains Flaky veil unlike Blue Roundhead #fungifriends

I heard a conversation about adult sex abuse, where the belief was if the victim didn’t react, it wasn’t abuse! As someone who experienced abuse, being groped at a funeral by a priest, I can tell you that shock, disbelief & embarrassment play a massive part in not reacting*. Believe survivors.

Irish President Catherine Connolly, this afternoon, received Swedish activist Ms. Greta Thunberg at Áras an Uachtaráin on a courtesy call. Great to see two strong women on the right side of history!

Delighted with this very thorough and engaged review by Laura Kelly of Jenifer Redmonds and my book ‘the politics of gender and sexuality in modern ireland; a reader’ availsble from Four Courts Press #history #irishhistory #speirgorm www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Here’s how to get my one-off ink on paper drawings. There’s a special offer now, where when you purchase a drawing, you can get a second for just €50 [about £45/$55]. Just DM me to let me sort it out for you! Visit: robbohan.etsy.com

Nigel Farage’s 25 schoolmates call him out: ‘We have recalled the verbal abuse you regularly directed at … pupils of Jewish, Black and Asian heritage; as well as loudly and proudly proclaiming your high regard for Fascist leaders and orgs, from Hitler to Mosley, from the Nazis to the National Front’

🧵 I was quite worried when President Trump said Europe was in civilisational erasure. As an Irish European [I even have French ancestors] doing my bit for culture, I don’t want to be rubbed out!! If you want to ensure I’m indelible here’s how to acquire my one-off drawings! My pic is of Dublin [1]

The My Voice, My Choice campaign gets a vote on Wed. in the European Parliament. It would enable women from EU countries that restrict abortion to have free abortions in another member state. It's expected to pass but the European Commission ​must still decide whether to adopt the proposal.

What a legend.

🧵 Constantin Hansen (1804-80) was from the Golden Age of Danish art. He created beautiful & charismatic portraits & was fascinated with the Classical world & reflected that in his neoclassical work. I like that despite a certain Danish coldness, his personality shines through. [1]

I always have lots of ideas, it’s the way my brain works. So when something happens I suggest lots of things. The thing is, most are not practical for whatever reason or need greater explanation. I used to suggest more but now I am reluctant to do so. It’s because something always happens that ….

Anyone who has followed my posts knows I have the mother of all sacred trees - or a Christmas Tree as we call them now. It’s a monster & was tied to the wall with steel wire. At midnight two nights ago it came crashing down & the sound of metal, glass & wood hitting the floor was astonishing! [2]

So I just wrote a post sorting out religion in Ireland, once & for all. We need to think of the future, & plan for it. I think it’s too easy to get trapped dealing with the immediate & losing sight of the bigger picture. I believe it’s a win for Catholics, Protestants & the need for social housing!

Something the Irish church might consider. The Church, despite lecturing for centuries on the sin of lying still owes some €1.5b to survivors, to date the Irish taxpayer has been picking up the tab. Most Irish Catholic Churches are 19th C monstrosities* which could be used to build social housing.

The new Irish govt jet just landed. With its cool black livery, maybe the Taoiseach is going to take up fighting evil? The jet is actually for two key tasks - the obvious one of getting the Taoiseach around to international meetings. More importantly it transfers organ between UK & Ireland*

Gender Critical [transphobic] woman admits stirring up racial hatred & is awaiting jail time. Her social media use, despite being shocking, is not unusual for the ‘Gender Critical’ movement - who attend & stage far right rallys. This is the ideology that has driven Britain’s war on trans ppl.

Join us at 7pm tomorrow 16 Dec for a webinar on #NewYearPlantHunt: Citizen Science in a Changing Climate. We'll cover what the Plant Hunt is, where & when it happens, who takes part, how it works - and why it's important. Join us to get ready for your Hunt: www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...

Wild Roses of Great Britain & Ireland is the latest title in our series of #BSBIHandbooks. Essential reading if you want to tackle tricky plant groups. Our interview with co-authors Roger & Gareth looks at the 4 years of research, writing & editing that went into the book: bsbi.org/blog/2025/10...

🧵 Dirty Donald has set himself up as the arbiter on the value of US movie director Rob Reiner. So I think it’s worth comparing Reiner’s work to Trumps [1]

I hadn’t realised that Reiner was murdered, which just makes this worse. The contrast between his & his flying monkeys’ mourning for the evil Neo-Nazi Charlie Kerk is v telling. Trump likes hate & hates art.

Even at the most horrific of times, common humanity matters. Irishman Nathan Gallagher, from Donegal, rushed into danger to rescue ppl on Bondi Beach. He’s become one of the Bondi heroes & a true representative of Ireland.

It’s hard to stomach the bile of Dirty Donald; a man who buried his wife in a golf course, a convicted rapist, supporter of Neo-Nazis, a life long racist & who cheated on his wife, whilst she was pregnant with his child. Anyone who finds him repugnant is ethical & a mensch.