Showy 1st Lesser Whitethroat of spring only a day ltr than my 1st Whitethroat, yet still no hirundine staying around Pembroke Millpond! Year list stuttered to 124 #BirdsinWales

1st Orchid of the season, Anacamptis Mario or Green-winged Orchid for ##wildflowerhour From Fresh East dunes, Pembs. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Three-cornered Leek flowers

Three-cornered Leek flowers

Three-cornered Leek flower

A woodland floor, covered in Three-cornered Leek

Three-cornered Leek. It might look pretty, but is an invasive species. It's now dominating a large area of a local wood and has completely wiped out the native woodland flora. There are now thousands of plants, they cover the area so densely that almost no other plants get a chance.

Just a gentle reminder: you don’t have to read fast, finish the longest book or have the prettiest shelf, if reading bring you peace, you’re doing it right.

I’ve given Bert the day off! I’m here until 4pm - Sally

Pembroke, Pembs. SM986020

Small Mottled Willow

March moth

Last night's garden actinic produced 32 of 16, including only my 2nd Small Mottled Willow in 7yrs; better photo this time. March moth was hiding in plain sight! @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #TeamMoth @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social

Male Violet Oil beetle - I 🤔

Found what I thought was male Violet Oil-beetle day before yesterday on Stackpole estate, Pembs. Can anyone confirm / correct my ID? #Coleoptera @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social

Nicely marked Dotted Border. A geometrid moth

Despite overnight chill, garden actinic in Pembroke produced 21 of 8 last night. This includes the Dotted Border hiding in plain sight on window ledge. #Teammoth @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social

Wood Anemone flower, highlighting 6 pink flushed tepals & sunburst of central stamens

Wood Anemone, Anemonoides nemorosa for #wildflowerhour this week. A member of buttercup family, with pink-suffered tepals, ensures almost luminous presence on woodland floor. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

A map shows the locations of BTO satellite tagged Cuckoos in Africa. The headshots of four Cuckoos appear in circular frames around the map, alongside the wording: First Cuckoo Update for 2026.

1/ And they’re off! 📢 Our BTO satellite-tagged Cuckoos are on the move! 🌍

Follow their migrations via our interactive map ➡️ www.bto.org/cuckoos #Ornithology 🪶

1st day of Spring, so lovely to find a dusting of blooms on Cherry Plum, P. cerasifera for #wildflowerhour this week. Reflexed sepals are great differentiator from Blackthorn. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

A Dark-edged Bee-fly sat on a leaf, basking in sunshine - library photo by @kitenet.bsky.social

Bee-flies are go! A 1st #BeeFlyWatch record for 2026 is in, from east Surrey on 26 Feb. Look out for more during warm & sunny spells over coming weeks, & please send in sightings, via iRecord if possible. Full details on the @dipteristsforum.bsky.social website: dipterists.org.uk/bee-fly-watch

Measles was wiped out in the U.S. 25 years ago and now we’re already past 1,000 cases in February because vaccination rates dropped below the safety line. This is what happens when public health gets gutted and people stop trusting basic science.

Despite the moon Oak Beauty & perennially reliable Hebrew Character saved me from a Wogan last night to kick off my mothing year here in vc45. #teammoth @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social

Gorse, Ulex europaeus for #wildflowerhour this week in Pembroke. Luminous flowers & coconut scent warding off the wet stuff! @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Thanks John. Always reassuring for beasts I see less frequently.

Great to find my 1st Oil beetle of 2026 on #Pembrokeshire coastal path. Definitely a male & I think it's M. proscarabaeus, with pretty straight base to thorax? #coleoptera @coleopsoc.bsky.social @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social

Scientists Discover How To “Switch Off” Cancer Genes for Good A new study shows that targeting key epigenetic proteins may permanently switch off cancer genes. Scientists at Monash University, working with Harvard University, report they have found a way to perm...

Oh, my goodness, this is a huge breakthrough in cancer research. This is another example of why it is crucially important to fund basic scientific research.
Scientists Discover How To “Switch Off” Cancer Genes for Good share.google/WFhMJP5m3AK4...

DYK… Tree Lungwort isn’t just one organism — it’s multiple living together as one!

A fungus provides the structure while an algae inside makes the food.

Together, they create the bright green leafy lichen you see on the tree!🍃

#TreeLungwort #Lichen

Find out more - https://loom.ly/nVD6XL4

Bright red female flowers of Hazel

Female floral fireworks alongside Hazel catkins for #wildflowerhour here in Pembroke this week. Nice reminder that Hazel is monoecious! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Cracking Male Red breasted Merg, actively feeding on Castle Pond, Pembroke now. Crippling views & great addition to patch life list #birdingWales #patch birding @birdtrack.bsky.social

Beautifully patterned contour feather. Alternating broad light then dark brown longitudinal stripes, placed either side of racist.

Found a couple of beautiful contour feathers in amongst marshy grassland this morning. Can anyone ID them please? @rspb.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social #feathers

Great image Jane. Wish I'd thought of doing that, but I'd have struggled to include so many plants

Red Campion

Red Campion, Silene dioica for #WildflowerHour this week. Bright flowers a sign of better botanising ahead, here along #Pembrokeshire coastal path @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @wildflowersociety.bsky.social

Couple of hrs mooching between Fresh East & Swanlake Bay. Yellowhammer, Linnet & Skylark no-show, but Chough, Razorbill & my 1st Pemb. Dartford Warbler were ample compensation #birdingWales Yr list at 77, all within 12 miles of home #lowcarbonbirding

My favourite non fiction book of 2025. Couldn't recommend it too highly, as so well written #science #evolution @princetonupress.bsky.social

Child deaths outnumber homicide deaths in the United States. Two-column bar chart comparing annual deaths (data for 2023). Left column: "Child deaths (under-15s, all causes)" — 30,200 deaths. Right column: "Homicides (all ages)" — 22,800 deaths. Subtitle notes that everyday tragedies of children dying from preterm birth, sepsis, and asphyxia receive far less media and public attention. Note: numbers rounded; approximately 1,000 child deaths were by homicide and are included in both columns. Data sources: UN IGME for child deaths; US CDC for homicides.

Child deaths outnumber homicides in the United States, but get far less public attention—

(This Data Insight was written by @hannahritchie.bsky.social.)

It’s a widespread view that child deaths are still a pressing problem in poorer countries, but not in rich ones.

Great to see empty shop fronts given a festive face-lift here in #Pembrokeshire. V Joyeux Noel! #art #artadventcalendar #Christmas

Celebrating 50 years of butterfly monitoring The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme is celebrating its 50th survey season in 2025. This film highlights a few of the 2,500 volunteers who carry out butterfly surveys each year to contribute to the…

This #InternationalVolunteerDay, we're celebrating 50 years of incredible volunteer contribution to the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme! 🦋

Hear from the dedicated volunteers who make the scheme possible 👉 buff.ly/TEquScH

#UKBMS50