🚨🚨It's out on Thursday!🚨🚨
If you're not much of a reader you can get the audiobook. Twelve and a half hours of my uninterrupted voice... 😳
www.amazon.co.uk/Elemental-Ge...
@savebutterflies.bsky.social now considers Large Tortoiseshell a resident species once again.
It is yet to recoloniese our region. But with a continent-facing coastline and abundant elm surely soon.
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
A new report from wildlife charity Buglife reveals that pesticides from common flea and tick treatments are now widespread in rivers across Britain and may be contributing to major declines in freshwater invertebrates bit.ly/4b1Pu50
I love what they are doing at the Ipswich Golf Course.
I was looking over the Gogmagog course near Cambridge last weekend and dreamed of the chalk downland they could restore if they cared.
So much potential for wildlife on golf courses.
This is always a good one to keep to hand, if you are unsure where to turn (just type in your area/animal requiring help etc)
directory.helpwildlife.co.uk?s=03
Apparently someone took it in and was going to try and find somewhere to care for it
Woodcock on pavement
Extraordinary find by my friend @w-mcewan.bsky.social today in central Cambridge (nr the Maypole pub).
A downed Woodcock! Maybe collided with a building?
@jonheath.bsky.social @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @tonyjuniper.bsky.social @richardkbroughton.bsky.social
Field margin with wildflowers that can support butterflies in arable farmland
Livestock grazing is essential to maintaining grasslands in the mountains of Europe. Extensive cattle grazing has been shown to be the most beneficial but any extensive system is good
Grassland butterflies are declining across Europe, but how do we reverse that trend? We have just produced a report with some simple guidance to land managers and policy makers on how to 'Bend the curve' and help increase butterflies and other pollinators. www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...
Genuinely an honour to have been interviewed by @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social of @theguardian.com about my new book. Which you can buy from @bookshop.org of course.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
and I do wonder about the role of horses in the early holocene in England. Were there large herds of wild horses charging around the Brecks and Newmarket heath?
yes, @amiesphilip.bsky.social comment above about the role of sheep on chalk downland cf uplands.
Decline of rabbits appears to closely correlate with loss of Silver-spotted Skipper on Devil's Dyke (Cambs).
@stevejwildwriter.bsky.social
Here is the full paper
#conservationevidence
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social @djhbutterflies.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @chrisvanswaay.bsky.social @pietervantieghem.bsky.social
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
"There's five times as many butterflies on cattle grazing sites compared with sheep grazed sites,"
@bcyorkshire.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Or for those of you who insist we should not capitalise species names here is a large wall brown
Context - Hayley Wood is an ancient wood in south Cambridgeshire.
In fact one could say it is The ancient wood because studies by Oliver Rackham in this wood led to the development of the concept, and indicators for "ancient woodland"
bsky.app/profile/wild...
After a series of dog incidents we’ve temporarily closed Hayley Wood (Cambs).
Despite clear signs, dogs off leads have disturbed birds, damaged rare wildflower habitat, staff were verbally abused when asking for leads.
Read more: shorturl.at/RbGI0
Well done @wildlifebcn.org for taking this stance. At Hayley Wood.
Rights of access do not mean right to ignore the owners requests.
share.google/XRixh4Dbq7oD...
For comparison, the main footprint area of Sizewell C will be about 70 hectares.
* it is staggering
(grr, lack of edit function)
The staggering that anyone could think a 250 hectare development could go ahead without an impact assessment!
Is it ignorance or arrogance in the UK tree farming sector?
news.stv.tv/scotland/sco...
Whatever the taxon, I always include the 3 Ws.
What, Where, and When.
Yes!
A much more succinct way of saying it.
Thank you
2) Pls give a location, and not just a name, a county or region too (ie is it the Devil's Dyke in Cambs, or in Sussex).
If it's private / confidential site say so, put perhaps say which part of which country you are in.
(and 'my patch' does not count as letting us know where)
As the Natural History season really gets started it is already time for my occasional plea (aka pet peeves rant).
1) Do not post a photo and just say "look at this stunner I have just seen".
Your close network may know what that species is. but many of us won't. Be inclusive. Tell us what it is.
I thought it was just a battered Small Tortoiseshell on a muddy patch… but something wasn’t quite right. Then it clicked—it was far too big! My first-ever Large Tortoiseshell, emerging in the sun after months of Cornish rain. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social
Is it toothpaste?!
Is this Orlestone, Kent?
Over the next 2 days we could see some of the highest concentrations of Saharan dust recorded in the UK - an exciting event if it happened during the warmer months, but I doubt many moths will cross the nr Continent to reach us. We should certainly see an increase in Painted Lady though #teammoth
