Pond Watcher

Tickets are now on sale for our conference, 'Networks for Nature', which will be held on Sunday 7th December at York Hospitium 🎉 We'd love for you to join us - purchase your tickets here: neyedc.org.uk/c2n!

The new Red List for Vascular Plants published this week by @bsbibotany.bsky.social highlights the serious decline in Britain’s freshwater plants.

City Nature Challenge 2026: Hull Welcome to the Hull City Nature Challenge 2026! The aim of the City Nature Challenge is to promote the collection of biological data that can help inform the way we understand and make decisions about...

We are returning once again to Hull in 2026 for the City Nature Challenge! Join us & make observations throughout the city between 24th April - 27th April 2026 using
@inaturalist.bsky.social. Our project is already up and running - join here for updates: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/cit... 🔎📱

The new book 'Spiders & Harvestmen of Yorkshire - An Atlas', by Richard Wilson, is out now and available for purchase: www.naturebureau.co.uk/spiders-harv...

Over 384 pages, the book describes the history of spider and harvestmen recording across Yorkshire and its varied landscapes, with mapping.

Welsh communities rescue over 1,000 seabirds so far this year Find out how local communities are helping our stranded seabirds.

Artificial lighting along the Pembrokeshire coast disorients young Manx Shearwaters, leading them to crash inland and become stranded. Manx Shearwater Rescue Pembrokeshire, a local volunteer group, helps collect and safely return these vulnerable seabirds to the sea. bit.ly/4oqW8qQ

Surveying wildlife in a pond with water reeds, amidst farmland, trees, hills, woods in distance.

Often overlooked, small water bodies - streams, damp ditches, small bogs, ponds - support more rare species compared with larger habitats while high-quality ponds support about 2/3 of all freshwater plant + animal species in a landscape.

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freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/start-w...

Nature's smart cutting system could transform surgery and reduce patient harm www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/na... @suillia.bsky.social

Very interesting, thanks.

@geoffwilkinson.bsky.social Any thoughts about this find?

Caterpillar Club (Cordyceps), parasitic on caterpillars, at yesterday's fungus foray at Tunbridge Wells Cemetery. The fruiting body emerges after the caterpillar has gone underground to pupate

Closer look at eardrumlike structure on female Japanese dinidorid stinkbugs (legs?) revealed unknown symbiotic organ. Here stinkbugs nourish symbiotic fungi, which they rub over their eggs. Fungi grow & protect eggs from wasps (Trissolcus brevinotaulus) looking to lay their own offspring inside.

Thanks for your interesting background info. Age of statoblasts recorded in last year from R Foss is not clear from NEYEDC account. If eDNA data exist for the Foss it may help. Perhaps the source of info cited by NEYEDC (ie Lincs Chalk Stream project), can clarify. @teamneyedc.bsky.social

@palustris.bsky.social

Interesting. Please post your findings.

@ynuorg.bsky.social

Yorkshire’s Crystal Moss Animal — neyedc A few weeks ago, we received an exciting email from the Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project regarding a record of a very interesting species on the River Foss. In over 20 years of collating and dissemi...

A rare freshwater bryozoan found in the River Foss, Yorkshire
www.neyedc.org.uk/updates-insi... @teamneyedc.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

Anyone know what this is? Found on underside of Sycamore leaf at Cayton Wood, a National Trust site just south of Scarborough, on 11th October during a visit by Hull Nats.I One proposal has been the moulted cuticle of a hoverfly larva. @ynuorg.bsky.social

Wow!

In the lesser water-boatmen (true-bugs of the family Corixidae), the expanded front tarsal claws are known as palae. The shape of the male pala and the arrangement of pegs on the inner surface are important in separating similar species. This is Sigara falleni with its broad, shovel-like palae.

@freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

@tc271.bsky.social

Dettener lists 28 different chemicals (including steroids) in the prothoracic defence glands of this species. He notes it can be amphibious with steroids against fish predators and possibly an alkaloid against small warm-blooded vertebrates!

@tc271.bsky.social for info. At Leconfield DST I found this species in Swan Mere last month & in 2022. Also Whydham Lake in 2022. Are these both fishing lakes?

That is very interesting.Thanks for providing more info. I thought a lot of dytiscids can secrete steroids.

Thanks

Another Water Beetle. Noterus clavicornis. Leconfield DST 21 Sept. c. 6mm long. Prosternum with ridge and narrow neck

c.12 mm Water Beetle from Leconfield DST 21 Sept. Keyed out using Friday to Ilybius fenestratus. Very narrow lateral part of metasternum. @palustris.bsky.social

A quick video of an Argyroneta aquatica replenishing it's oxygen from its underwater web. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Hull Natural History Society has been recording & observing the wildlife of Hull & the East Riding since 1880. They welcome members of all levels of expertise and have a regular programme of activities - weekly meetings, outings, day trips and weekends away. Find out more: www.hullnats.org.uk

Jane Goodall in forest habitat standing with a chimpanzee in her arms, as she purses her lips as if to kiss the chimpanzee.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall.

She was a force for nature, tirelessly advocating for the protection and restoration of our natural world.

Her presence will be sorely missed." - Tanya Steele, CEO WWF UK.