Mike Shewring

Osmundia regalis growing at the base of a willow

Osmundia regalis

Nice to see a population of Royal Fern in full swing during some lowland peatland surveys near Swansea today. A very unassuming site when you first get to it but it hides some great features and nearly 4m of peat in places

Tourist discovers ‘extinct’ jellyfish while rock-pooling in Outer Hebrides Thistle-shaped Depastrum cyathiforme was last seen in France in 1976, but has now been found on South Uist

Lovely story from the brilliant @britishwildlife.bsky.social magazine. This mag is endlessly fascinating – recommend if you're not a subscriber already. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

For anyone interested in wild bees (bumblebees and solitary bees), I'm leading a 'get to know your bees' day at The Globe, Hay-on-Wye, on Sunday 3rd August with @clancic.bsky.social.

It should be a great day ☺️ See the flyer for further info and booking.

Can’t beat a bit of Nightjar wing clapping. This is indicating probable breeding at this location. Along with the bit of ‘purring’ call you can hear as as well.

More info on the acoustic ecology and monitoring of Nightjar by @btobirds.bsky.social here www.bto.org/our-work/new...

A collie looking at a peatland ecologist in a drain in a molinia dominated blanket bog in south wales

It was Indy’s first field day back on peatland e-collie-gist duty after his foot injury. One very happy dog. He also spent some time supervising @mikeshewring.bsky.social to make sure Mike’s work was up to Indy’s high standards

An ecologist surveying peatland drains

Jean Cors Van Damme

(Cors is Welsh for bog so this is in fact a very well thought out and excellent joke, trust me)

Thanks to @mikeshewring.bsky.social for the photo of this very normal approach to surveying peat drains

Can’t beat a bit of Rob Brydon Karaoke

It’s be been a heathy few days. Lovely to find an emperor moth caterpillar and Cowberry (lots) on the Blorenge.

Nightjar at Beacon hill. Lovely to find two second broods. Some great heathland restoration at this site from Natural Resources Wales.

www.bto.org/our-work/new...

#rejectionistherule

The labyrinth spider

The funnel shaped web of the labyrinth spider

Not as much of a heatwave this week but I did stumble on this Agelena labyrinthica (labyrinth spider) on my peatland survey travels at Cwmparc. Seemed to be the only one around, and at 530m that’s the highest elevation I’ve ever found one at, so that’s interesting.

Current heatwave ‘likely to kill almost 600 people in England and Wales’ Surge in deaths would not be occurring without human-caused global heating, scientists say as analysis published

Current heatwave expected to kill almost 600 people in England and Wales - analysis

- The spike in deaths would not be occurring without human-caused global heating, scientists say, with the elderly most at risk

#climatecrisis
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

NEW JOB in #ornithology and #conservation managing two major restoration projects for #islands important for #seabirds: buff.ly/yfl1Vo2

Lovely to be on Bluesky!
We are Exmoor National Park
Come explore us! 💚🌳🐎🦌🌊🏵️💚

Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals Exclusive: Planning bill includes mechanism for developers to ‘pay to pollute’ valuable ecosystems, experts warn

Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals
www.theguardian.com/environment/... This is what the Planning & Infrastructure will mean, if it becomes law. Every single SSSI in England will lose its protected status, as well as non-SSSI sites for protected species.

Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals Exclusive: Planning bill includes mechanism for developers to ‘pay to pollute’ valuable ecosystems, experts warn

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Astonishing level of ecological illiteracy in this @teamlabouruk.bsky.social government.

Please donate to our project that will establish a Nature Investigations Unit for Wales.
Thank you to everyone who has donated and supported the project - we are getting closer every day.
If you can donate and share this post, please do so - Thank you very much.

Welsh Policy Group Member - British Ecological Society Get involved - Join the BES Welsh Policy Group

BES Welsh Policy Group ECR opportunity www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/poli...

Reducing cash promised to insulate the homes of people on low incomes, while refusing to tax the rich.

Unbelievably, this is @teamlabouruk.bsky.social policy.

Labour must be bolder or lose the left.

www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

📖Published📖

Brack et al. describe the potential sources of errors in animal counts that arise from the creation of orthomosaics and discuss future developments needed to deal with them 🐢 🌎 🧪 Read the article here 👇

buff.ly/fInpXPa

1/12
Tony Blair Institute have released a report which is getting a lot of coverage in UK today

It says the drive for net zero emissions is flawed and some media outlets have gone to town

However it’s a bit odd

By odd, I mean there’s a lot of bollocks in it and shouldn't be taken seriously 🧵🧵

Please check out and consider supporting @inccymru.bsky.social crowd funder for an investigative journalism project focused on Wales - www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/stop-the-w...

The scrutiny this would bring to environmental decision making in Wales is sorely needed.

Nightjar image 🤷‍♂️ but why not!

Pretty scathing and accurate review of The Planning and Infrastructure Bill proposals from @georgemonbiot.bsky.social

This represents a significant regression on current environmental protection.

@teamlabouruk.bsky.social were your environmental manifesto commitments just lip service?

#CIEEM Wales conference 2025 will be held online on 16 September. The Call for Papers is now open till 29 April
events.cieem.net/Events/Event...

Wood anemone at Blackmill woodlands Bridgend today #wildflowerhour

Classic Rhondda that. Just missing the bag of crisps/ chips

First few days of surveying for the team along the South Gower Cliffs. Lots to see and even some Chough. First nest site confirmed as well!

The colour ringed Red-billed chough in this photo is probably one I ringed as a chick at a site near Mewslade bay on the Gower in 2015.
This photo was taken yesterday at its birth site. And it looks likely that it’s breeding back at this site with an unringed female.

A screen and projector at the front of some chairs in a barn. The slide reads ‘An Introduction to Peatland Hydrology’

Two peatland teaching and training sessions in two days for me last week. Spent Friday with the Gwent Wildlife Trust volunteers going over all things peat ecology, hydrology and management for a days training course delivered by @mikeshewring.bsky.social and myself on behalf of Adfer Natur CIC