Steve Ormerod

Little Egret at Fforest Farm, Cardiff, today: first I’ve seen here in years of walks

I can see the importance of the ‘wow’ factor that can inspire young ecologists - and I lived it in my early career. But equally there is much to enthuse about close to home - and a different kind of ethical responsibility to pass on.

Interesting in that Universities use long-haul, exotic, field trips as marketing attractions for students.

My last field courses were urban ecology in Cardiff, river ecology in the Bannau Brycheiniog, and before that central France by train.

Mottled Grey from last night’s trap: only the 2nd in our Cardiff garden, the previous in March 2021.

Colostygia multistrigaria: multiple stripes with black ‘Styx-like’ rivulets among the wing marks. Pertaining to the mythological river.

Early entomologists certainly had imagination.

#MothsMatter

Stenophylax permistus - one of the ‘Cinnamon Sedge’ species, and typically the earliest caddis in the trap in Cardiff.

(Though not this year.)

This caddis was in yesterday morning’s moth trap: confusingly early by about a month for what I think is one of the Glossosoma spp.

This Early Grey was among the most numerous catch of the year so far last night in suburban Cardiff, and the first of the year.

Xylocampa areola: the genus refers to the twig-like caterpillars, and ‘areola’ to the distinct marks on the forewing.

#mothsmatter

An exciting initiative for woodlands and their wildlife in the Mawddach catchment.

👏 @rspbcymru.bsky.social, @nationaltrust.org.uk, @plantlifeuk.bsky.social, @cofnod.org.uk, @natreswales.bsky.social et al.

Several larger-than-Pipistrelle bats over the house just now. I think Noctule - with that very tell-tale dive slowed down in the second half of the video

Look forward to seeing them!

One of the earliest pugs: Double-striped in the trap this morning

#mothsmatter

Thanks Cenric!

I still come to Fforest Farm occasionally on Sunday mornings and will look our for you.

All four of these images are last year’s juvenile: so probably all the same bird

The bird on the litter is definitely last year’s juvenile: great pics.

Would you mind me downloading and using one? We have some research to write-up in Dippers recolonising the S Wales valleys, and one of these would be perfect. With acknowledgment, of course.

Bore da Cenric! Is it possible that these are two different birds? The bird on the basket has white fringes to the coverts - making it a juvenile from last year. I can't see similar fringing on the bird on the stump. There were certainly two birds on Melingruffydd feeder when I was there recently

Four moths of 3 species: Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and March Moth. Spring is around the corner.

#MothsMatter

First outing of the year: calm, reasonable temperatures but a clear sky…

Interesting how they've recovered: I had an MSc student look at prey availability and use a couple of years ago that we're still hoping to write up for publication.

Great pic, Paul. Dipper song is glorious in both sexes.

Our new co-paper reviews river invert trends in England + Wales over 30yrs. Urban rivers have been recovering from gross pollution but trends have slowed or reversed in locations affected, for eg, by warming, nutrients or other pollutants. Still work to do.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...

First macro-moth of 2026: this Satellite just wandered in from the garden

#mothsmatter

A stream runs through the landscape with trees.

A lake sandwiched by land.

A wooden pathway runs from the front of the photo to the back where there is equipment.

2/5 Wales
Plynlimon Catchments- Jade Hatton @ukceh.bsky.social ‬ bit.ly/Plynlimon
Llyn Brianne- @steveormerod.bsky.social at Cardiff University bit.ly/LlynBrianne
Cors Fochno- Ben Keane @york.ac.uk bit.ly/CorsFochno
#WorldWetlandsDay2026 #LTEs 🌏

Never had a Hawfinch - but hunting Sparrowhawks are regular.

Great footage.

Great Spot is regular. Green Woody is occasional in the garden: I often hear them.

My best garden bird was Little Egret. Only one, ever. And not during birdwatch

Just as I thought I’d only get one woodpecker sp in our #BigGardenBirdwatch…

29 birds of 17 spp

Announcing the second round of BES Fellows - British Ecological Society Meet our second round of Fellows of the British Ecological Society (FBES), a new cohort of ecologists making lasting impact on the discipline.

Delighted to see OnE's @steveormerod.bsky.social has been made a Fellow of the British Ecological Society @britishecologicalsociety.org
www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/anno...

A dusting of snow for Christmas here in southern Brittany.

#NadoligLlawen #HappyChristmas

They’re very spectacular in their blue regalia

Remains of By-the-wind-sailors - Velella velella - washed up in millions on La Baule’s Atlantic beach. Like small Portuguese men o’ war, these hydroid colonies float on the world’s temperate oceans feeding on plankton

Who even knew they could be so abundant?

Stochastic event with v low frequency and a distribution highly biased against the Valleys.

But Merry Christmas :)