Fay Newbery

Lesson: Wait ten years before you add more seeds!

We tried many times to establish mistletoe on apple. Nothing appeared for years. Then so many plants appeared that one small tree was actually killed because of the water and nutrients sucked up by these parasites.

Sounds like a plausible theory, Matt.

Data

Those leaves with reflexed margins are totally typical for infection sites. Usually with elongated petioles to raise the infected leaves higher than the rest. Accident or design? Reflexed leaf edges increases humidity under the leaf, but what evolutionary advantage does raising the leaf have?

FRDBI records of E. eburneum (left) vs E. ranunculacearum (right; only 15 records!).

Screenshot of my (Steve Dudley) Bluesky profile with the 'search posts' window open

I've just discovered you can search a user's posts on Bluesky! How long has this been a thing I haven't known about? In case you've missed it too, click on the three dot icon in a user's profile and select 'search posts'. Works a treat as long as you can remember which user you want to search!

An excellent example of the necrosis it can cause on epiphytic bryophytes. Thanks for the tag.

NNNS Transactions article 2 details aphid recording carried out in the Norwich area between 2020-2025, during which time @norwichbirder.bsky.social managed to locate & identify 144 species. Around 1/3 are illustrated, including some excellent photographs from @caryocatactes.bsky.social 3/x

A screenshot of the GeoGuide webpage. On the left is a webGIS showing coverage for Northern England, Southern Scotland. On the right is 'About GeoGuide and links to types of content on the site.

GeoGuide home page — explore! #geology
geoguide.scottishgeologytrust.org

Do I need this Sarah? I think, perhaps, I do! Congratulations.

I've just noticed the mistake in my post! Sorry Rebecca & Frances. I meant: you won't find a number of the species... There are lots of south-eastern species covered but also many species that are rare, or non-existant in the drier, Eastern parts of the UK.

This looks like fun, as well as being hugely worthwhile. How can people sign up as a volunteer?

Lots of Claviceps spartinae on the Spartina in the Southport saltmarsh today. On a few plants the Claviceps was hosting Fusarium heterosporum too!

Should I stay or should I swim Evolutionary pressures have shaped the feeding behaviours of aquatic microorganisms in alignment with the underlying physics of fluid flow.

Do microbes get more food by swimming or staying still? Turns out both work, and cilia help them pull in nutrients no matter the strategy.
buff.ly/vK3GmK5

How Do We Define Bird ‘Species?’ The Science of Birds - What exactly is a species? The answer isn’t as simple as you might think.

A great explanation on how to define a species. It’s complicated… www.scienceofbirds.com/blog/how-do-...

And all the common species from the south and east of England are shown. So we'll done.

I had the honour of reading this pre-publication. It seems even better second time around! If you live in the south-east of the UK, you won't find many of the species covered but the book is still worth buying. The advice on HOW to look and how to attempt IDs is second to none.

🦇If you want/need to work on a building that is home to a colony of bats our 'Bats and roost risk management in construction' course is for you!
- Online over two afternoons on 16 & 23 February (1:30pm - 5pm).
- Booking deadline: 15 February

Book now:
www.bats.org.uk/our-work/tra...

About the garden - The Nocturnal Garden for RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 - Bat Conservation Trust Everything you need to know about the Bat Conservation Trust's Nocturnal Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show can be found here.If you still have questions...

🦇 Everything you need to know about the Bat Conservation Trust's Nocturnal Garden at #RHSChelsea Flower Show is here: www.bats.org.uk/our-work/noc... .

Learn about the concept of the garden, our plants, the bat sculpture and more!

Designed by Melanie Hick and sponsored by #ProjectGivingBack

🦋 Pan-Species Listing: Become a Super-Naturalist

Record all the wildlife you see in the UK and level up your natural history skills.

Join @graemelyons.bsky.social Lyons on 13 May to discover the world of PSL. @panspecieslisting.bsky.social

🎟️ FREE! Book now: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1977266072...

Is this the year when you're going to get to grips with identifying grasses?
They can be tricky, especially when growing in "interesting" ways, like the Creeping soft-grass spotted by @averisben.bsky.social.
Don't worry, we have some great #WildFlowerID resources for you:
bsbi.org/learn/resour...

Did somebody mention basal rosettes?
Check out the fabulous Basal Project website, it has almost 2,000 photos of basal & juvenile leaves of British & Irish wild plants:
basalproject.org.uk

Massaria inquinans ex Acer pseudoplatanus

#Massariainquinans #Massaria #GroßsporigerAhornKugelpilz #Acerpseudoplatanus #Bergahorn #sycamore #Érablesycomore #acerodimonte #arceblanco #mushroom #mushrooms #fungus #fungi #pilz #pilze #champignons #champignon #nature #natur #FungiFriends

In this review in Fungal Ecology, Håvard Kauserud (@drhyfe.bsky.social) argues that while the ITS region is by far the best DNA (meta)barcoding marker for fungi, we should not use it naively or simplistically doi.org/10.1016/j.fu...

Increasing Inclusivity in Biological Recording in the United Kingdom: Progress to Date and Future Priorities | Citizen Science: Theory and Practice

Nice to be starting 2026 with our new paper with @sei.org on making #CitizenScience biological recording more inclusive @savebutterflies.bsky.social doi.org/10.5334/cstp...

Thinking of monitoring butterflies in your local area or setting up a monitoring project?

We have new guidance to help navigate the various monitoring methods and choose the best option for your project.

buff.ly/fvThSQq

Dormouse data submission guidance  - People's Trust for Endangered Species There are several different reporting routes so we've put together guidance to help you submit the right dormouse data to the right place.

Dormouse monitors! It's time to submit dormouse survey data. There are several different reporting routes, depending on the type of work you’ve carried out, so we’ve put together guidance to help you submit the right information in the right place👇
ptes.org/dormouse-data-submission-guidance

A pale yellow aphid on Bamboo

A pale yellow winged aphid on Bamboo

Side-view of a pale yellow winged aphid on Bamboo showing the black cauda

There are five species of aphid that feed on Bamboo in the UK - so far I've only managed to find this one, Takecallis arundicolens, found again this morning from Bamboo overhanging a pavement in west Norwich.

That does look good. Good depth of field.