More ticks carry Lyme disease bacteria in pheasant-release areas Ticks are more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in areas where pheasants are released, new research shows. Pheasants are not native to the UK, but about 47 million are released

news.exeter.ac.uk/uncategorize...

Just my second Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe violaceus) adult of the year today at @wtsww.bsky.social Brynna Woods & Llanharan Marsh Nature Reserve - this time a female.

Triungulin season appears to be well underway, with a few areas in the main meadow supporting triungulins on Lesser Celandine.

Map of UK showing records of Dark-edged Bee-fly in 2026 as black dots. These are now widespread across Britain.

Map of UK showing records of Dotted Bee-fly in 2026 as black dots. Four records so far, in Kent, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Dark-edged Bee-fly has now been seen quite widely, and we have four sightings so far for Dotted Bee-fly, the first of which was from @lampsie.bsky.social on 11 March - this is the earliest ever record for Dotted, previous earliest was 15 March (in 2017) #BeeFlyWatch

As well as the FIT Count survey, we run a more systematic survey using insect traps in a set of 1 km squares across the UK. If you live near one of the red squares on the map and are interested in taking part please contact us for more details ukpoms.org.uk/one-km-squar...

March sees the return of bumblebee queens as they emerge from hibernation – here are some of the common species you can spot this month 👀

Have you spotted your first bumblebee of 2026?

🔎 Brush up on your bumblebee identification skills: https://ow.ly/af3U50Yi2iq

UK Butterfly Recorders' Meeting Butterfly Conservation holds an annual meeting for butterfly recorders in the UK.  These meetings provide a great opportunity to hear about progress with the Butterflies for the New Millennium (BNM)…

Join us for the UK Butterfly Recorders Meeting!

This free event is perfect for butterfly enthusiasts, taking place online on Sat 28th March. Discover the 2025 UKBMS findings and enjoy insights from leading butterfly experts.
Reserve your free spot now!
butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/...

Bumblebee on a yellow dandelion flower

Dandelions are starting to appear! They’re a vital source of early nectar for bumblebees, butterflies and other insects - and birds feed on the seeds. So please let them grow!
More tips to help nature:
www.littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/5-t...

Buglife News: Love Your Pet, Not Pesticides: New Report Warns of Flea and Tick Treatment Threat to Rivers Read more of our latest news related to invertebrates, insects and bugs.

A new report from wildlife charity Buglife reveals that pesticides from common flea and tick treatments are now widespread in rivers across Britain and may be contributing to major declines in freshwater invertebrates bit.ly/4b1Pu50

Yorkshire Dales sheep and cattle swap boosts biodiversity - studies Natural England began switching to cattle grazing at its Ingleborough site in the Dales in 2004.

"There's five times as many butterflies on cattle grazing sites compared with sheep grazed sites,"

@bcyorkshire.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

📣 New paper 🎉 Proud to have helped with this nice study by @wlangdon12.bsky.social showing a trade-off between nutritional quality & microclimate of host plants for Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas). Here in England, they choose warmth over nutrition resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

UK map showing overall distribution of Dark-edged Bee-fly (pale grey dots) and records so far for 2026 (black dots)

A very freshly emerged male Dark-edged Bee-fly, photo by Allan Burrows in Hertfordshire

Several more bee-flies seen today - hurray 😍 So far we have records for Surrey, Beds, Bucks, Kent, Herts, Middlesex and Guernsey. Where will they appear next? Please enjoy looking out for them and send in your sightings for #BeeFlyWatch - 📸 of the Herts bee-fly by @allanburrows.bsky.social

🤎

The Reed Jumping Spider Marpissa rasdiata, typical of alkaline fens, is Red Listed in GB as Vulnerable to extinction. Image copyright: Alan Thornhill

One of GB's largest spider species, the Fen Raft Spider Dolomedes plantarius is Vulnerable to extinction both here and globally. Image copyright: Helen Smith

The tiny Sun jumping spider species Heliophanus damfi, is a raised bog specialist, Red Listed in GB as Vulnerable to extinction. Image copyright: Richard Gallon.

The Ground spider species Gnaphosa nigerrima, is a wet peatland specialist found in only one location in GB. It is considered Vulnerable to extinction on the GB Red List. Image copyright: Richard Gallon

For #WorldWetlandsDay, we're shining a light on four of the 25% of Britain's threatened spider species that are wetland specialists. They're entirely dependent on aquatic habitats remaining wet, unpolluted and growing, not shrinking, in size and connectivity @naturalengland.bsky.social

What a win for nature!

Scotland is the first UK country to have Swift bricks in law – a lifeline for this threatened bird. And, for the first time ever, the Scottish Government must set legally binding nature recovery targets.

Thanks for helping make history with a strong Natural Environment Bill.

🚨 It's official!

Swift nesting bricks have passed the Scottish Parliament and will now become law.

Swifts are in serious decline across the UK. This will help reverse that trend and make our communities more liveable for birds.

@markruskell.bsky.social and @writerhannah.bsky.social explain 👇

Group smiling and holding up their signs and bird puppets outside Scottish Parliament

Close up of sign which reads 'Swifties for Swift Bricks!' with a picture of Taylor Swift

Three members of RSPB staff stand together smiling holding a Curlew puppet, a Puffin puppet and a Swift puppet

Swift puppet next to Scottish parliament entrance

Today we raised our voices outside Scottish Parliament in one last push to ensure politicians stand up for Scotland's nature.

The Natural Environment Bill could be a game-changer - introducing nature targets and Swift bricks. The final debate starts today, we hope to see major wins for wildlife.

A Robin, perched on a twig, staring somewhat intensely straight down the lens.

Rise and shine, it's the final day of #BigGardenBirdwatch!

Remember, you can still take part even if you haven't signed up.

Help us spread the word: share this post, text someone, or tell the whole table over your Sunday roast.

The more data we get, the better 🧑🔬

Six Herald moths roosting together on a cave ceiling

Room for one more? At this time of year, Herald moths (Scoliopteryx libatrix) can be found roosting together in caves and outbuildings 😴

📷: Iain Leach
#Winterwatch #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

Close up profile of Herring Gull with black background

Gulls are in serious trouble in Scotland.

These remarkable birds are facing significant pressures. A recent report revealed licensed control could have contributed to declines ➡️ rspb.org.uk/scotland/news/licensed-gull-control-in-scotland

We must balance the needs of protected species and people.

147 Hen Harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors For anyone who still wants to pretend that the grouse shooting industry isn’t responsible for the systematic extermination of Hen Harriers on grouse moors across the UK, here’s the latest catalogue…

147 Hen Harriers confirmed 'missing' or illegally killed in UK since 2018 - most of them on or close to grouse moors.

Data extracted from reports by Natural England, RSPB, HSE, various Police forces, National Wildlife Crime Unit.

#RaptorResearch 🌍

raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/21/1...

Have your say on the potential return of lynx to northern Scotland.

lynxtoscotland.org/information-...

Northern Lights

Dance-off with the Merry Dancers! Celestial moves!

Northern Lights (looking west here) with snow looking pink from all the red in the sky.

Red & Green Northern Lights in the sky over trees and the snow

So much for #BlueMonday #NorthernLights #Moray #Speyside #Scotland

Sign the petition to end peat sales! No more delays: Let's get peat out of gardens once and for all. The time for uncertainty has ended.

One of our most important habitats is being destroyed, and it’s time to act.
Ancient peatlands are nature’s heroes. Tell Government we need to protect
them💪 actnow.peatfreepartnership.org.uk/end-peat-sal... @peatfree.bsky.social #EndPeatSales

A male Emperor Moth facing directly at the camera while perched on a green plant against a black background.

Our annual UK Moth Recorders' Meeting is back with a fantastic line-up of talks exploring the latest developments in moth research and conservation!

📍 Online
📅 Saturday 31 January

Book your place 👉 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-moth-recorders-meet...

📷: Marian Coburn

Male Green-veined White butterfly. Emerged 9th January 2026, Archiestown, Moray. Showing distinctive dark wedge markings at edge of forewings, and single spot on upper surface, which indicates this is a male. The wing spots can sometimes be pretty faint on males of the Spring generation. Females generally have 2 spots on upper wings.

Male GVW showing the distinctive green veins on its underwings. Emerged 9th January 2026. Archiestown, Moray.

Male GVW showing the distinctive green veins on its underwings. Emerged 9th January 2026. Archiestown, Moray. Snowing outside.

Male GVW showing the distinctive green veins on its underwings. Emerged 9th January 2026. Archiestown, Moray.

No chance of #wildflowers for #wildflowerhour with deep snow, but did see my 1st #butterfly of 2026 on 9th January! My earliest ever Green-veined White, by about 3 months. Unfortunately indoors. Suspect we must have brought in it’s chrysalis on logs from the woodpile. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Clockwise from top-left: Gorse. Feverfew, Cross-leaved Heath & Common Daisy.

Red Squirrel & Crested Tits

A few hardy #Speyside finds braving the frost for this week’s #Wildflowerhour 🌼 plus a couple of friendly locals too🐦🐿️
@wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95

Text which reads: We’ve made the difficult decision to walk away from groups set up to help shape Scottish farming policy. For four years, alongside LINK, we’ve tried to engage constructively and help the government achieve their sustainable farming goals. But we can no longer participate in a process we’ve no confidence in. The process is meant to be co-designing policy, but there’s no clarity about the aims or timeline, key evidence doesn’t seem to influence decisions, and repeated requests to improve things have gone unheeded. Farming has an essential role to play in tackling the nature and climate crisis. Yet of the £650M of public funding spent on agriculture each year, just 5% directly supports nature and climate friendly farming. Many farmers and crofters want to do more but the current system — and the process meant to reform it — is letting them down. We are still keen to help make the much-needed changes and urge the next government to start afresh.

We have resigned from the Scottish Government’s farming policy group having lost all confidence in the process.

Farming is key to tackling the nature and climate crisis. Many farmers and crofters want to do more but the current system is failing them.

Full statement 👇

A photograph of the beach at Coul Links in the snow

🙏 A huge thank you to the more than 17,000 people who have spoken up to save Coul Links from a golf course that would cause irreparable damage to this incredible place and its unique wildlife.

We’re now waiting for ministers to make a decision.

Add your voice: action.rspb.org.uk/page/166270/...

I agree lichens not generally taken into account, and not all hags are man-made, but I’m unclear what ‘insensitive’ peatland restoration is?

Huh?! You are seriously saying you are against restoration of degraded peatland and peat hags caused by human activity?