Hazard a guess at our native species.... but you never know.

Amazing. I'll send on! That's so cool.

Thank you so much. Chuffed with that!

Fantastic creatures!

microWild Family Bug Safari Join us for a fun bug safari with your family to explore the microWild world up close. All recorded by the Critter Shed Podcast crew!

A new event just dropped, and it's a big one...

Join us for a Family Bug Safari with a twist. This time, we're collaborating with @collieennis.bsky.social and The Critter Shed podcast to make this a day you won't forget.

family-bug-safari.eventbrite.ie

@ashwhiffin.bsky.social
Hey Ash, would you be able to help I.D. these beauties?

Irelands largest scarab beetle.
The cockchafer. 💚🪲

Collie Ennis standing beside his presentation on Amphibians, showing a very small frog

A group of people, including Collie Ennis and myself, standing beside the microWild pond

Collie Ennis holding a male frog as people look on.

Me talking to an attendee while pointing to some newts in a plastic basin

What an amphibi-mazing day we had yesterday in microWild as we talked about Irish amphibians and reptiles for the afternoon. @collieennis.bsky.social introduced us to the Irish fauna (native and non-native), and then we visited the pond for some up-close, hands-on education and observation.

Irish Amphibians with Collie Ennis Join us for a fun and informative session on Irish amphibians with the inimitable Collie Ennis - it's sure to be ribbiting! (Groan)

REMINDER: This coming Sunday, April 13th, @collieennis.bsky.social will come to microWild to talk about Irish amphibians.

Don't miss out on this wonderful learning opportunity from a national treasure.

irish-amphibians.eventbrite.ie

I've seen more native bees and butterflies in the last week than I did all last summer.
Very encouraging! 🦋🐝

Me, lecturing in Trinity's Anatomy Lab, to a room full of Ento students.

And @collieennis.bsky.social featured in my presentation at @tcddublin.bsky.social today...

A wise man once told me, "Get your eye in!" But he shouted it, and it was in a Crumlin accent, so it sounded more like a threat than sage wisdom. But we love him anyway... 🙂

Please welcome @collieennis.bsky.social of #TheCritterShed fame to bluesky. I was just relistening to the #InYourNature Collab episode on herons yesterday so it seems to be great timing for a #SundaySlowdown share 1/2

Still plenty of male frogs looking for action in my ponds.
🐸🐸💚💚💚🐸🐸

The image shows a centipede sitting on a piece of rotting wood

The image shows a centipede sitting on a piece of rotting wood

The image shows a centipede sitting on a piece of rotting wood

I never tire of viewing centipedes up close. They are fearsome predators whose first set of legs evolved into a set of venomous jaws.
My good friend @collieennis.bsky.social calls them 'Murder Ropes', and with good reason...
Stunningly beautiful all the same.

Male frogs become extremely competitive over any female or perceived female who enters the water in breeding season. All this rat had to do was enter the pond & swim around until a male frog approached it in an attempt to mate. You can see his left arm try to grab the rat below.

Intresting observation in one of my wildlife ponds last night. A rat predating on a male frog.
Rats are incredibly resourceful and intelligent, this one has figured out that male frogs are so preoccupied with breeding that they become easy prey.
Cage trap will be set tonight.

Irish Amphibians with Collie Ennis Join us for a fun and informative session on Irish amphibians with the inimitable Collie Ennis - it's sure to be ribbiting! (Groan)

Another new microWild event just dropped, and it will be absolutely ribbiting! 🤦‍♂️

Join us for a half-day workshop on Irish Amphibians, led by the "Gentleman Naturalist" himself, @collieennis.bsky.social.

🐸🐸We'll have plenty of frogs and newts in the pond, too! 🐸🐸

irish-amphibians.eventbrite.ie

Harvestmen: The Spiders That Aren't | The Critter Shed Harvestmen

Acast link: shows.acast.com/the-critter-...

Harvestmen: The Spiders That Aren't The Critter Shed · Episode

Spotify link: open.spotify.com/episode/5Nh0...

Harvestmen: The Spiders That Aren't Podcast Episode · The Critter Shed · 13/02/2025 · 36m

We're back!!
Really enjoyed making this episode of the Critter Shed at @microwildhq.bsky.social with the brilliant Bryan Murray, talking about the wonderful world of Harvestmen.
Available wherever you get your podcasts!
Links below!
podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/h...

Rhododendron removal.

Perfect moult for this Asian forest scorpion. Interestingly, the discarded exoskeleton still fluoreses under U.V. light.