Gail Ashton

Oh wow! It’s 3D!!

A Lesser Celandine flower in spring undergrowth.

The first Lesser Celandine of my year, navigating its way through the undergrowth, seen in Beds today.
#wildflowerhour
@wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Thanks, look forward to hearing from you 😊

Hi Laurence, I’m working on a project about alder - please can you point me to this piece that you have written? It sounds very interesting!

Ben Lawers, Perthshire, 8th of 9 great places to see an amazing range of flies featured in our guide to #FliesofBritainandIreland due mid-Feb 2026. Hurry, pre-pub offer runs til 31 Jan bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @rdimond.bsky.social
@flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

THE WAIT IS NEARLY OVER: Just signed off the printer's proofs for our new guide to #FliesofBritainandIreland - due mid-Feb 2026. Pre-pub offer runs until 31 Jan - order your copy now bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @rdimond.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Our new 416pp #FliesofBritainandIreland covering over 1300 species & with over 1500 photos is now being printed - due mid Feb 2026. You can still pre-order until 31 Jan bit.ly/4dqQI8Z
@flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social

First & last flies featured in #FliesofBritainandIreland – Wasp-banded Comb-horn Ctenophora flaveolata & Deer Warble Fly Hypoderma diana. Nearing completion due late Jan/early Feb 2026. Pre-order now bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Close up of a Common Alder leaf which is losing its chlorophyll and starting to decay.

Close up of a Common Alder leaf which is losing its chlorophyll and starting to decay. It has a hole in it where it has been eaten by an insect.

Close up of a Common Alder leaf which is losing its chlorophyll and starting to decay.

Close up of a Common Alder leaf which is losing its chlorophyll and starting to decay.

New work from my Master’s research project, ‘The Alder’.

The Common Alder is home to a huge number of invertebrate species, including beetles, sawflies, leaf miners and at least 50 moths. Some of these species can be seen in the feeding signs on leaves.

#CommonAlder
#tree
#ecologies

www.zobodat.at/pdf/DENISIA_...

Wonderful! It is a fascinating bug - I’ve been enjoying watching late summer broods on my local alder ☺️

I recently found research that suggests that birch is preferred for first broods and alder for second broods, and wondered if that was something you’ve observed, Maria?

A female Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennechi) in her web in long grass.

Saw this queen toda 💛🤍🖤

Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennechi)
#HertsSpiders

Sunset over a farming field that has an irrigation system watering it. The sun is a low, bright red circle.

It’s one of those evenings when you feel like you’ve accidentally walked onto a film set.
#sunset

We're now laying out the Tachinids for #FliesofBritainandIreland bit.ly/4dqQI8Z to be published this Autumn TOP Cistogaster globosa & Gymnocheta viridis; BOTTOM Phasia hemiptera & Tachina grossa @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social @georgemcgavin.bsky.social

The home run!! 😃

On the home run now for our #FliesofBritainandIreland book bit.ly/4dqQI8Z – Steven Falkhas now completed the text for the Anthomyiidae & we've started laying out the intro pages
@flygirlnhm.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Summer evenings don’t get much better than watching a Barn Owl hunting at sunset
💚💚💚

Evening view across a meadow in southern England

Summer 💙💚💛

Off to the Gower next week & hope to see the magnificent Pied-winged Robberfly (Pamponerus germanicus) at Whiteford Burrows. All of Britain's robberflies are covered in our #FliesofBritainandIreland bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @gailashton.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social

Hi Rebecca! I love OM System (forrmerly Olympus). It’s small and lightweight, and takes great butterfly and moth photos with or without external flash. The 60mm macro lens is great - it lets you get close up, or further back for habitat shots too. 🦋

Sun dogs! What a fab name!

Ooh I’ll Google that, thanks!

A spectral phenomenon on the edge of a small cloud

I don’t know what this type of cloud is called, but it’s a cracker.

Lesser Bulb Fly (Eumerus funeralis) a small hoverfly is common in our garden & develops in Spanish Bluebells, also seen on its leaves was the Large Narcissus Fly a bumblebee mimic #FliesofBritainandIreland bit.ly/4dqQI8Z
@bbowt.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social
@gailashton.bsky.social

Queen of queens 💚

Now laying out the Snail-killing flies (Sciomyzidae) pages for our new #FliesofBritainandIreland due Autumn 2025 - pre-order now bit.ly/4dqQI8Z @bbowt.bsky.social @gailashton.bsky.social @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @worcswt.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

A cat park stairwell light fitting with burn marks that make it look like it has a smiley face.

Finding a little joy in the unexpected things.

Picture-winged Flies pages are now laid out for our NEW #FliesofBritainandIreland due Autumn 2025 - pre-order now at bit.ly/4dqQI8Z & save £££s on published price @gailashton.bsky.social @bbowt.bsky.social
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social
@flygirlnhm.bsky.social

A bumblebee forages on white pear blossom

An Orange-tailed Mining Bee forages on white pear blossom

A Dark-edged Bee-fly forages on white pear blossom

A Honey-bee forages on white pear blossom

Pear blossom is the gift that keeps on giving 💚