A European storm petrel nesting among rocks in Mousa, Shetland.
The RSPB is looking for surveyors to census the UK’s largest Storm Petrel colony on Mousa, Shetland.
We need 2-4 volunteers who are comfortable working and camping in a remote location with limited facilities, to help complete playback surveys during mid-July 2026. 🪺🏝️🏕️
The Shooting Times feature writer Simon Garnham seems to have a problem with the "destruction Woodpigeons wreak" on... ivy berries. Wilful ignorance, deliberate misinformation, or just ecological illiteracy from a 'countryman' with a gun?
“The cat on the path is looking at the blue-tits, as cats do at birds they cannot reach”
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL GrantWatson
Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously!
4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE MARK RUSKELL MSP ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!
Red and yellow poppies illustration
Campion family of plants illustration
Viola family of plants illustration.
Day 24 of my ‘getting through January vintage floral plates from books’, illustrations from Wild flowers of the British isles Isobel Adams 1904
#botanical-illustration. I feel very lucky to own a volume of this book with beautiful paintings. Extra images today because the weathers been so awful.
Several male Surf Scoters swimming in a line. These scoters are recognizable by their large, brightly coloured beaks of red, orange white and black. The adult male also has a large white spot on its forehead and the back of its neck (not visible in this shot).
Feeling unusually organized today, NOT, but I do have all my ducks in a row!
Surf Scoter, Dipper Harbour, #NewBrunswick, #Canada
#birds #nature #wildlife #birdphotography
Perfect! Saturday morning on the bus up town (Dudley) with me Nan.
The front covers of the two books which are guides to better understanding the design and features of British churches
Two lesser known books today, both
illustrated by Ronald Lampitt (1972)
The excellent @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social (which has done such great reporting on the flag epidemic over the last few months) delivers the goods again today with this deep dive into the Midlands mythology of Penda's Fen.
One of the endpaper decorations of my first edition copy of 'The Owl Service' by Alan Garner. It shows the design round one of the plates, stylised flowers which in places form an owl-like face.
"I'll lay knife and fork and we'll see how you manages a pear."
"A pear, Mam?"
"It takes a gentleman to eat a pear proper," said Nancy. "He had it on the floor in no time - oh, I made him look a fool!"
- The housekeeper in 'The Owl Service' by Alan Garner derides her new employer
#BookologyThursday
This is the Fall I need today. Ta, Mr Whiteside.
Fascinating, troubling story. (I missed this earlier in the week - sharing it in case you did too!) www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The Ministry of Justice is still refusing to meet with the lawyers or families of hunger strikers being held on remand.
This is a shambolic dereliction of duty.
I have written to David Lammy, again, imploring him to do the right thing before it is too late.
Leader of Reform-run council accused of ‘authoritarian’ attempt to silence opposition. Worcestershire council leader Jo Monk sent city councillor Ed Kimberley a cease and desist letter over his criticism of her.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Two of Ronald M. Garnett's notebooks are laid out. One shows a coloured drawing of a Hawfinch on the left-hand page with detailed handwritten notes on the right-hand page. Above this is a landscape pencil drawing of two Spoonbill on a page of a second notebook.
An old book is open showing handwritten notes by Reverend Maurice Bird. The spine of another book is seen in the top of the image.
BTO Archives hold a range of material relating to the work and history of BTO and UK ornithology, plus personal papers and photographic material from key figures in ornithology and bird photography. 🐦 This includes Ronald M. Garnett’s notebooks & archives of the Reverend Maurice Bird (1857–1924).
Puffins in the news today, but no mention of the 90% decline in numbers the BTO predict by 2050, caused by rising sea surface temperatures affecting prey and therefore chick survival… 🤷♂️🙄
Don’t look up!
www.mpa-management.eu/wp-content/u...
The Echo of Crowd by Phil Rickman a castle window opening onto a ruined turret
The saddest book is when you know it’s the last one an author ever wrote. The last Merrily Watkins take The Echo of Crows by Phil Rickman
"Hopefully, Gibb will investigate the standards of his own channel [GB News] as rigorously as he did the BBC, whose board he still, inexplicably, squats on, like a toad made of farts."
Records of great spotted woodpecker, extinct in Ireland for centuries, but which reintroduced itself naturally to the east coast and has been moving west ever since.
Still waiting for them to make it down to my place in Beara, but looks like it's only a matter of time!
Nature CAN come back!!
@bsbibotany.bsky.social I’ve found a nice cluster of what I think are Whitebeam near Mamble, Worcestershire. There’s around five trees in hedgerows scattered along the A456. Their distinctive autumn colours really shine.
A colourful scene as a family of hop-pickers stand harvesting over the hop basket while a child in wellingtons looks on
“September is the time for hop-picking, when large numbers of people come from the towns to help harvest them” (1960)
Artist: CF Tunnicliffe
Writer: EL GrantWatson
Just knocked up a couple of jars
of Brinjal pickle 🍆. Sweet and spicy. I know what’s going on my cheese sandwich tomorrow.
Well done on the 200! Lovely looking Artic too.
Probably seen my last Swifts for this year. Five coursing south down the Stour valley.
Last nights Storm Petrel ringing session ended with a total catch of 263 Storm Petrels ringed and 18 retraps, including a Portuguese-ringed control. The highlight of the night, however, was a Leach’s Petrel, shown with a European Storm Petrel for comparison!
📸 A Penn
Massive oak tree with people inside the hollow trunk
The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest in the 1950’s 🌳
1,000 years old, and one of England’s greatest trees. Still going strong
