This Monks Wood #rewilding (natural colonisation) plot is 30 years old this year. It's taken that long for this single Bluebell to migrate 20m from adjacent ancient woodland to colonise the plot. But now it's here, joining the growing trees & shrubs: future ancient woodland in the making.
Reserves Manager - North (Highlands) - Scottish Wildlife Trust - environmentjob.co.uk/jobs/109907-...
Two female botanists stand by a lake, with grassland behind; they are smiling, holding aquatic plants they have fished out of the lake for identification
We're looking to recruit a manager for 2 fabulous botanical projects in Ireland:
#AquaticPlantProject
#IrishGrasslandProject
You'll be coordinating expert-led field events & developing training materials for botanists at all skill levels.
2 days per week.
Apply by 25 May:
bsbi.org/about/news/l...
Yes, it is indeed that species.
Thank you! We had a few days here, visiting our daughter. We're going back to Scotland today. Barcelona is such an amazing city! We also had some trips out and saw so many plant species in wonderful vegetation: forest, scrub, rocky coastal habitats, etc.
Amazing lit-up skyscraper in Barcelona last night.
Japanese onigiri bought from a shop in Barcelona on 11th April 2026.
Japanese onigiri! Bought just now from a shop in Barcelona. Haven't seen these in a shop since I was in Japan in 2018. Had them then as daily fieldwork food during survey work in Hokkaido.
NEWS: @rspb.bsky.social advice on bird feeding; Feed Seasonally, Feed Safely.
My blog: markavery.info/2026/04/10/g...
I think the RSPB has called this right.
@btobirds.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @alexanderlees.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk
Two Cattle Egrets in a park in the middle of the city of Barcelona on 9th April 2026. The birds were surprisingly tame.
Tame Cattle Egrets! In a busy park in the middle of Barcelona.
Shoulder Stripe moth found and photographed by Alison Averis in East Lothian, Scotland, on 8th April 2026.
Twin-spotted Quaker moth found and photographed by Alison Averis in East Lothian, Scotland, on 8th April 2026.
Water Carpet moth found and photographed by Alison Averis in East Lothian, Scotland, on 8th April 2026.
Shoulder Stripe, Twin-spotted Quaker and Water Carpet moths found and photographed by my wife Alison here in East Lothian, Scotland, this morning (8th April 2026). #TeamMoth
"That seems reasonable" - as said by Ernie Wise in the Andre Previn sketch!
Yes, it is indeed Plagiomnium undulatum. Nice photo.
Obviously, the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire were originally defined on the basis of the abundance of this species!
A street view in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in October 2018.
I happened to photograph that very same view! This was in October 2018. Had a great time in Tokyo - a really wonderful city.
You beat me to it!
Yes, Cryphaea heteromalla.
Yes, I guess I was taking a bit of a risk making that sandwich. But if the cops come looking for it, they can search the place through and through, over and over, again and again, and they will never find it!
Yes - and, like 'House', it is (or rather, was) just temporary.
Shopkeeper: "The usual?"
Mondrian: "Yes please: blue, red Leicester and yellow Cheddar".
Words of reassuring appreciation! Thank you!
Me too, but we were out of that so it had to be all in white Cheddar!
A botanist's sandwich.
NVC mapping: must have 100% coverage; no gaps.
Cheese sandwich: ditto!
The Duke is coneless ... I repeat, the Duke is coneless ... this is not a drill ... Can all available Guardians of the Cone please report to their assigned posts as soon as possible to rectify the situation.
#glasgow #dukeofwellington #roadcone #glasgowhumour
A cheese sandwich in the making. Location: Scotland (kitchen table). Date: 28th March 2026. Materials: bread + butter + cheese + knife. Background: wood (breadboard).
I'm sure Mondrian's cheese sandwiches would have been superior to mine!
Are there two Mackenzie Crooks? The Detectorists one surely isn't old enough to have written this book back in old currency times.
Cut flowers at the base of a tree, Calton Hill, Edinburgh, 27 March 2026
SHORT STORY COMPETITION? What happened here? Cut flowers left at the base of a tree behind the National Monument on Calton Hill? A memorial? A date that ended badly? An offering for someone at tomorrow's Independence Rally, but perhaps they will wilt? What do you think?
Common Quaker found and photographed by Alison Averis in East Lothian, Scotland, on 27th March 2026.
Here is a Common Quaker moth found and photographed by my wife Alison here in East Lothian, Scotland, this morning. #TeamMoth
Screenshot of -97C in Antarctica on 26 March 2026, from Ventusky weather forecast app.
Amazed to see -97C in Antarctica today on the Ventusky weather app! The 'Feels like temperature' given for this location/time was -127C. I wonder how accurate these figures are.
It also showed +46C in NE Africa at the same time: a difference of 143C between hottest and coldest places on the planet.
"More than half of the bryophyte backlog is stored in field packets without labels and approximately three-quarters of these unaccessioned bryophytes lack species level identifications."
Maybe I shouldn't feel quite so bad when occasionally finding a forgotten unlabelled backlog bag of my own!
Thank you!
