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On 30th April I’m giving a fundraising talk - on the amazing first century of Norfolk Wildlife Trust- for the lovely folks at St Margaret’s in Ruins, West Raynham. Do come if you’re local.
A Stonefly resting on a Stinging Nettle.
NNNS event Saturday 25th April 2026, 10:30. A walk at the Wendling Beck Rewilding Project led by @applewildlife.bsky.social . Meet at Dillington Farm - for detailed instructions see our website events page: norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/events-pa...
A row of bare trees across some grassland, taken at Sparham.
NNNS event Sunday 26th April 2026, 10:30. A walk near Sparham on land owned by Charles Sayer, Chair of the steering group for Wensum Farms.
Parking - follow the signs to Sparham Hall Cottages, Lyng Rd, Norwich, NR9 5QY. (w3w partied.revolting.stability)
I,ve seen this beetle (Gonioctena Decemnotata ) which is apparently quite scarce in another wood a couple of miles away in the past, so pleased to find it at a new site this afternoon. Also my first dragonfly of the season a Hairy Dragonfly. @marcheath.bsky.social @ianbeavis.bsky.social
Violet Smut, Urocystis violae, forming distinct galls on violet leaves.
Violet Smut, Urocystis violae, forming distinct galls on a violet leaf.
Violet Smut, Urocystis violae, forming distinct galls on a violet leaf.
Balls of brown spores of Violet Smut, Urocystis violae (in water, x1000).
The fungus Violet Smut, Urocystis violae, on violet leaves.
It forms galls on leaves and stems & inside the galls are balls of brown spores.
Hales churchyard, Norfolk, on yesterday's bike ride with @vannabartlett.bsky.social.
www.dorsetnature.co.uk/pages-gall/g...
#Fungi #FungiFriends
Birdwatchers - I am looking for a long lens camera for taking bird photos, if anyone has an old one kicking around for sale.
I’m an entry level photographer, but looking to take the next step (I’ve outgrown my coolpix!)
Upper leaf surface with pustules ~2-4mm long
Lower leaf surface with pustules ~2-4mm long
Leaf section showing colonies of conidiophore bundles on both surfaces
Leaf section showing colonies of conidiophore bundles on both surfaces
Growing on Ranunculus acris in Leeds and looking like Entyloma eburneum. Globular spores ~11-14μm in leaf tissue squashes, bundles of conidiophores on both leaf surfaces, conidia both cylindric ~15-20x3-4μm and acicular ~50-60x3μm.
@bitheolaidhe.bsky.social #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease 1/2
I was in an ancient woodland yesterday (White Posts Wood, Essex, TQ5682) when I found the Hazel Leaf-roller Apoderus coryli and Dendroxena quadrimaculata. Nice beetles I haven't seen in ages.
📣New regional checklist released!
A provisional checklist of Barkflies (Psocoptera) for Cheshire & Lancashire by Keith Fowler is now available. This is the first checklist for this under-recorded group in the region.
👉 Download it here: www.northwestinvertebrates.org.uk/document/a-p...
Could you benefit from funding to support your entomological research?
The next deadline to apply for our grants is upcoming on 30th April 2026 - find more information on the grants and awards page of our website.
FYI @alanbradbury.bsky.social …
The Dark-clawed Chthonic, Chthonius tenuis at Higher Hyde Heath Dorset today.
I'm working on an interactive map with big cat sightings, field signs and kill signs in and around Suffolk.
So far I've done everything from 1977 to 2006, hundreds more to go to bring it up to the present.
It'll be published on bigcatsofsuffolk.com eventually.
A Tephritid fly Merzomyia westermanni, an orange/yellow coloured species with distinctly marked multicoloured wings
Merzomyia westermanni (Tephritidae) from last year in Kent. Anyone ecologists needing help with diptera backlog from last year? Or planning lots of diptera work this year? Please contact me for Diptera ID, full species lists and conservation status etc...see dipteraid.co.uk/projects/
Please share
A small plant with dead-nettle-type leaves and bluish flowers.
A plant being held between finger and thumb, showing the purplish-blue flowers and dull green leaves.
A small plant with divided reddish leaves and five-petalled white flowers, growing out of a wall.
Low growing forget-me-not flowers amongst mouse ear and other plants.
Some plants in flower around Norwich this week for #WildFlowerHour. I would welcome some #WildFlowerID help on the first one, growing as a pavement weed near Norwich Cathedral Erpingham gate. I think it's a Nepeta sp, but not sure which. The others are Rue-leaved Saxifrage and Early Forget-me-not.
Two mating Saucer Bugs, with a third scrabbling at them with its legs
A Water Measurer, looking like a stick on legs
Microvelia reticulata, a tiny brown and white bug
Hyphydrus ovatus, a small round reddish beetle
A collection of things found whilst peering into a pond. An amorous trio of Saucer Bugs, stick-like Water Measurer, miniature Microvelia reticulata and a cute little Hyphydrus ovatus.
#beetle #bug #Coleoptera #Hemiptera
Anglia Square, Norwich – 18th April 2026.
Demolition of the 1970s shopping centre and former HMSO building is well underway, clearing the site for a major regeneration scheme of homes, retail and public space. #Norwich #AngliaSquare #aerial
… organisation (subjects included the museum collections tour, raptor conservation, Broads wildlife etc). I think it does need to be proactive go to the young people, either via educational places, local groups, scouts or at science festivals.
Yes, a nature charity I was involved with organised a bee workshop for young people and very little interest. However, an Env Sci annual conference for A-level students held at Norwich Castle Museum was popular - students could attend 3 workshops from a selection, each run by a different…
In addition to these things, ideally you want to get ideas from young people themselves as to what they might like to- the slight problem being many of them might not know yet if they haven’t had the opportunities. Providing grants for books & equipment is a good idea too. 4/end
… those who develop a more in depth interest further along. Also highlight the importance of studying a particular area, transact surveys etc- encourage notebooks. As a teenager I preferred to be involved with adult events not kids ones, so encourage attendance at YNU projects to meet experts 3/x
… run some outreach sessions, perhaps involving behind the scenes trips to any local natural history museums, but also getting young people out into the countryside where some might feel an attachment building. Start with temporary capture and photography, specimen collection/microscopes for… 2/x
I’m surprised if young people used to start off with microscopes due to the cost, which would still be an issue. I would suggest a strategy would be to find people with experience of working with young people and an interest in nature (eg maybe retired high school or college teachers) who could… 1/x
I think those things are true, but also completely understandable. My parents were allowed to roam the countryside (& had far fewer indoor distractions), some teachers would take students out at weekends (safeguarding issues now) and most ID resources were books, often of pinned specimens.
A picture of a male Tufted Duck floating on calm water with the heading 'April WeBS Core Count TODAY!'. Underneath is the WeBS logo and web address www.bto.org/webs
Today is the April WeBS Priority Core Count! WeBS data contributes towards reporting how our wetland birds are faring and the latest WeBS report, Waterbirds in the UK 2024/25, was published this week and can be read here - www.bto.org/wituk!
#ornithology
#birding UK/IRE
I’ve not yet caught the Psychodes that pollinates it in the act, perhaps that’s something for me to find this month…
Puccinia violae
Puccinia violae
Puccinia violae a rust found on small clump of violets in #HumberheadLevels garden🌿 A non-host-shifting rust that is only found on viola spp.🪻 Can be found on all parts of infected plant🍃
@norwichbirder.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @teamneyedc.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social
I have checked some Meadow Saxifrage plants in that same area in the past and not seen it, although obviously I don't visit as much as you, so I think it's probably a combination of it being present at low levels and conditions being right now.
Meadow Saxifrage, a five-petalled white flower on a long stem.
Underside of a Meadow Saxifrage leaf showing small brown powdery areas on reddish spots, which are the rust Puccinia saxifragae.
Underside of a Meadow Saxifrage leaf held between finger and thumb, showing a large area of small brown powdery rust spots, which are the rust Puccinia saxifragae.
Before heading home I went to Earlham Cemetery to see a species of rust fungus that I'd not seen before. This is Puccinia saxifragae on Meadow Saxifrage, seen there previously by @vannabartlett.bsky.social & @jeremybartlett.bsky.social .