Yes that’s right - not far from Spalding, that area
31.01.2026 16:26
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Yes that’s right - not far from Spalding, that area
A long-eared owl perched in a tree, surrounded by leaves and branches
A bittern (brown and gold water bird) perched on reeds by the edge of open water
Some great birdwatching moments in The Fens this week: Long-eared Owl by the Nene Washes and Bittern at Deeping Lakes
It was a pleasure to report on the winter weather, here in The Cambridgeshire Fens, for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme
A close encounter with a flock of starlings that decided they quite liked the tarmac road!
Latest #blog post from #Morston #pond www.morstonpondswamp.org/post/the-fal... how as #community #volunteers we continue to try to rid our pond of invasive #crassula @themarshtit.bsky.social @ajaytegala.bsky.social @bramblebotanist.bsky.social @avalanchechris.bsky.social @steffanaquarone.bsky.social
Our showreel has landed! If you love nature, folklore and seasonal stories, book Witching the Wild Year for your venue, event or festival - perfect for seasonal celebrations, theatres, museums, nature reserves, gardens, heritage sites...
Email WitchingTheWildYear@gmail.com or message me ✨
Four people sat on chairs on stage, with a large National Trust logo (blue oak leaf on red background) behind and a live screen (showing the four people) behind. Left to right there is a man with short white hair, a young lady with long dark hair, a middle-aged may with short black hair (Ajay) and chair Charlotte Smith (long pale hair) wearing a floral blouse. Charlotte is gesticulating with her right hand and the three panellists are smiling
This weekend, I had the great pleasure of speaking on a panel at the National Trust's Annual General Meeting, chaired by the brilliant Charlotte Smith (of BBC Countryfile and Farming Today) - it was genuinely great fun and a real honour to be asked!
This sounds like a fascinating evening talk!
Ajay and Zoe in black sat on old wooden chairs either side of a fireplace with pumpkins and lights between them and a screen saying Witching the Wild Year - a cosy, fireside ambience
Ajay and Zoe smiling - a selfie in front of a chandelier and a wooden staircase with an old window behind
So much fun Witching The Wild Year at the historic Talbot Hotel in Oundle with my lovely, celestial collaborator Zoë Howe ✨ Thank you to our lovely audience for making it a magical evening
Absolutely! 💯
Dan in black shirt and cream jacket holding up thumb, Ajay in middle in earthy-coloured shirt and jacket, and Phil with black hoodie, stand in the Wicken Fen visitor centre with shelves of books and photos of the reserve in the background - all three men are smiling
So exciting to get a visit from YouTube superstars Dan and Phil ...and get to appear in their latest spooky video!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFD4Isfa-tA
(I pop up about 4 mins in)
Amazing work 👏🏽 not an easy job getting rid of crassula!
Ajay and Dara stood next to each other, Ajay wearing a black National Trust fleece and shirt, Dara wearing a black T-shirt saying 'Worms Worms Worms', green reeds and vegetation behind and the boardwalk they are stood on, extending into the distance where the Wicken Fen windpump is located, with trees behind it (their leaves autumnal shades of brown and yellow)
Fantastic to finally meet Dara McAnulty on Wicken Fen and chat nature in celebration of his new book 'A Wild Child’s Guide to Nature at Night'. Dara’s enthusiasm made the conversation a real joy; the children in the audience were captivated — and it was wonderful to hear how much he loves the Fen!
I spent a nostalgic morning at Deeping Lakes with Melvyn Prior, chatting about my teen years volunteering on the reserve and how those early experiences shaped my career! Our chat is available on the @lincswildlife.bsky.social Wilder Lincolnshire podcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bdv...
Cartoon of Ajay, Zoé and a pumpkin surrounded by bats, cats, a dog, owl, butterfly and vegetation against an orange background - Zoë is wearing a black witches hat and a black-and-white scarf; Ajay is wearing a blue hat with stars on it and holding a wooden staff
Ajay and Zoe stood side by side, in black and white
Zoë Howe and I are bringing 'Witching the Wild Year' to Oundle's Talbot Hotel – an evening of ghost stories, folklore, foraging tips, nature notes and a folk song or two.
Thu 30 Oct, 7pm - Talbot Hotel, Oundle
Join us if you dare — tickets are vanishing fast!
talbothotel.co.uk/upcoming-eve...
Morning crane fly-by - a flock of 55 cranes flying past our house in the light fog this morning!
Sound on for whooper swans fresh from Iceland, back in the Fens for the winter - welcoming these beautiful birds is a highlight of October here in Cambs/Norfolk!
a moth that looks like a wasp
a moth with light and dark brown markings sat on a green reed
a brown water vole eating a green stalk at the waters edge
sunset behind the windmill at Wicken Fen
📣Good news!
Wicken Fen Nature Reserve has recorded 10,000 species of wildlife making it the first known UK site to do so. Records date back 200 years, in the 20th century 13 species new to science were discovered, and in the last 25 years records have surged as the reserve expanded.
buff.ly/EEmfTjc
After six years of home-working and book-writing on makeshift setups — from the kitchen table to a camping table — I finally have a proper desk!
This beautiful piece belonged to Norfolk boatbuilder Harry Last (1900–98). After a bit of polishing, it has a new lease of life as my home office desk.
What a beautiful sunrise this morning on Blakeney Point! Always great to catch up with the NT wardens and UCL academics
Always great to see, Tim! Happy NT-UCL times on Blakeney Point 🙂
Promotional banner for the UKBMS 50th Anniversary Conference featuring the logos of Butterfly Conservation, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, BTO, and JNCC. The banner includes an image of a White Admiral butterfly on the right side.
Only a few tickets left for the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 50th Anniversary Conference!
We're looking forward to celebrating 50 incredible years of butterfly monitoring and volunteer achievement. 🎉🦋
Book your free place 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-butterf...
#UKBMS50
Wonderful! Look forward to seeing you there 😊
Such a fantastic day @wildsummituk.bsky.social yesterday - a coming together of nature conservation organisations, such unity, much-needed optimism, drive and determination - a pleasure to be part of it with @savebutterflies.bsky.social 🦋
Some wonderful events at #WildSummitUK this morning, across our smaller stages
@wwtworldwide.bsky.social has explored what ‘access to nature’ means & we loved hearing the ideas on how to help insects with @savebutterflies.bsky.social, @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social, Buglife & @ajaytegala.bsky.social
The #BigButterflyCount results are in 🦋 unfortunately, butterflies have failed to shine despite the hottest UK summer on record - find out more and help support @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Around 65 cranes flying over the village yesterday - a bit distant, but a very exciting sighting from our garden! (On the Cambs-Norfolk border not far from @wwtworldwide.bsky.social Welney)
Such an honour to narrate the latest @nationaltrust.org.uk Wild Tales episode - The Overview Effect featuring astronaut Tim Peake! Listen here: youtu.be/Azduz1E46NU
Join our panel of experts from Butterfly Conservation, Buglife and @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social to discuss the latest science and your ideas about what a People’s Rescue Plan for Insects should include!
Do you have a question about insect recovery for our panel? Let us know 💬
@ajaytegala.bsky.social
Cartoon of Zoë smiling in a black pointed hats surrounded by cats, autumn leaves, bats and an orange pumpkin, next to Ajay, also smiling, wearing green and orange and surrounded by robins, seals and more autumn leaves
A cartoon of Zoë Howe in black with cats and magic sparkles behind here, next to Ajay in green with a black labrador, flowers a robin on his shoulder and a butterfly hovering above him
As summer fades, it’s the perfect time to plan something magical for the dark nights ahead. Join Zoë and I for Witching The Wild Year: a cosy night of wonder with wild tales, ghost stories, folklore and seasonal secrets:
30 Oct Talbot Oundle 01832 273621
31 Oct Kirk Theatre Pickering bit.ly/47M1qYp
