Four images: Top left: a leaf covered in frost held up to the light Top right: the butterfly glade Bottom left: stumps of Elder trees covered in moss Bottom right: the dead hedge

It was a chilly morning volunteering. We reduced the height of some Elder so the butterfly glade gains more light next summer, adding the woody material to the dead hedge.

Thanks Moira 🙂

I have a meeting on Wednesday with the people that would be my supervisors, so will potentially know then 🤞

Landscape photograph of a cut wildflower area bordered by trees. Blue skies and puffy clouds.

Photograph of pile of raked up grass.

Volunteering at the local wildlife area yesterday involved raking up cuttings from the wildflower area. Lovely people and a little bit of sunshine.

I’ve been quiet on here of late as I’ve been writing a PhD proposal. I submitted today so fingers crossed I’ve done enough to be accepted.

A fenced local wildlife pond which has benefited from the recent rainfall.

The fence is now complete and after the recent rain the pond is starting to fill up 😊

A photograph of wooden fencing surrounding a pond.

This morning I volunteered at the pond again. We still don’t have a lot of water in it but the fencing is nearly complete.

Landscape photograph of a new pond which shows the pond liner and a small amount of water in it. A fence post is stood on the right hand side of the image.

A photograph of a spade led on the floor next to hole that has been dig by hand for a fence post to be stood in.

Yesterday I was back volunteering at the pond. Unfortunately the recent rain hasn’t done much for the water levels but we made a start at digging post holes and putting up a proper fence around it.

A photograph of ‘A Discovery of Witches: The book of life’ sits on a wooden table.

After a day of reading scientific articals and writing a first draft of a job application, I’m relaxing with the final book in the All Souls trilogy 😊

Thanks Moira.

I applied for another a job today, this one would involve relocating but I think it would be worth it 🤞

A landscape photograph of a wildlife pond. The pond liner is still visible as not enough rain has fallen to fill it. There is a foot of bare ground around the pond where wildflower seeds have been sown.

A Toad sitting in a small amount of water on a pond liner.

This morning I volunteered with the local councils biodiversity projects team to finish installing a wildlife pond. Now all we need is some more rain 🤞

They are amazing, I’m looking forward to them being on the wing again. Their wings are so delicate and intricate, they look so fragile.

Lacewing larva on Common Fleabane leaves. The green leaves with a downy texture fill the frame. The larva is resting on a vertical leave.

Gardening means constantly moving insects to a safer location if the plant they are resting on needs some attention. It also means stopping to take photos! Lacewing larva on Common Fleabane leaves at the weekend.

#ShareMondays2025 #MacroPhotography #Insect #Invertebrate

Today I took the FISC assessment! Should find out my provisional grade in a few weeks 🤞

A collage of images of Hoary Plantain, Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Great Burnet, Cat’s-ear, Green-winged Orchid and Common Spotted-orchid

A few of this weeks finds for #WildFlowerHour Hoary Plantain, Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Great Burnet, Cat’s-ear, Green-winged Orchid and Common Spotted-orchid.

Hi Marcella, I’m not 100% sure but could it be Choke - Epichloe typhina?

Yesterday I attended a Mock FISC run by a lovely @plantlifeuk.bsky.social team. I’m so pleased I decided to do it and feel much more relaxed about the real thing next week.

A paperback book of A Discovery of Witches: Shadow of Night sits on a wooden tabletop.

Tonight I’m starting the next book in the All Souls trilogy, Shadow of Night. I really liked the first book.

A landscape photograph of the sun setting over an arable field with Cow Parsley filling the front of the frame.

Another lovely evening out collecting field data. Very thankful the thunderstorm missed us, just angrily grumbling as it moved by.

A landscape photograph of an ancient woodland. The floor is covered in grasses with multiple trees filling the frame. The white blossom of Hawthorn is on the left of the image.

I spent a lovely day in a private ancient woodland brushing up on my grass, sedge and rush identification skills.

It’s started to rain here for the first time in what feels like ages and it smells amazing! #Petrichor

Graphopsocus cruciatus (a barkfly) sat on a finger with the edge of a thumb nail below for scale.

I love when the smallest of insects stop by to say hello. Graphopsocus cruciatus in the garden today.

#Insect #Invertebrate #Barkfly

A landscape photograph of a species rich grassland bordered by a hedgerow.

I had a lovely day out with the Glorious Cotswold Grasslands at their volunteer training day at wonderful highly species rich site in Gloucestershire. Thanks to the team I learnt how to use their recording app and familiarised myself with some more species.

A landscape photograph of a Barley field with blue sky and light fluffy clouds.

Yesterday morning I was out collecting more field data and today I’m doing all the data entry in Excel and adding the information into QGIS.

A landscape photograph of trees in a small copse with the ground layer covered in Cow Parsley.

Another evening out in the countryside collecting field data. So lucky to be out in these locations.

A landscape photograph of a Cloeon dipterum (Mayfly) resting on a Thistle leaf. The photograph is predominantly shades of Green apart from the brown, slightly orangy Mayfly. The Mayfly is side on so its shape can be seen.

Last week before it turned cooler and blustery I saw what I believe to be a Cloeon dipterum resting in the garden. It’s often the little things in life that catch my eye.

#ShareMondays2025 #MacroPhotography #Insects #Invertebrate #Mayfly

Thanks Moira 😊 My bookshelf is rapidly running out of space!

Landscape photograph of a field of yellow Oilseed rape with a clear blue sky above.

A landscape photograph of an agricultural track running off into the distance. A puddle of water is in one of tyre tracks in the foreground. A green field is behind.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon out with other volunteers collecting field data, filling up feeders and creating drinking puddles for farmland birds. Today I’ve been catching up on the data entry.

Photograph shows a wooden garden table with 6 plant identification books spread out across it.

Today I have spent time in the garden getting to know plants a little better ready for my FISC assessment later this month.