Rose-Ann

Two people repairing a mist net in the garden

African sunset

Non-trapping rest day today, to catch up on chores, including net repairs, collecting static detectors & analysing data. Ending with a boat trip on the lake at Numwa #Imire #Zimbabwe

People setting up mist nets in a gap between granite boulders

Netting last night halfway up a kopje (huge lumps of igneous rocks where the surrounding sedimentary rock has eroded)

Up to a point. It’s not great at landscapes and a bit heavy to carry all the time, especially when it’s not clear what we’re going to be doing. But I’m working on it!

Natal spurfowl, male & female #birding #zimbabwe

Euphorbias the size of trees

Cape serotine in gloved hand

More thunderstorms yesterday but managed to recce a potential new site (with armed guard in case of rhino) & trapped at new site

When it rains it really rains #zimbabwe

Botswana long-eared bat in gloved hands

Peter’s epauletted fruit bat in gloved hands

Forgot to take any photos of last night’s bats! This is a Botswana long-eared bat, my first bat of the evening, a vesper bat not unlike UK bats but not really like a BLE… And then my last of the evening, a Peter’s epauletted fruit bat, just a tad bigger than UK bats! #Imire #bats

Pretty basic, compared with even least posh camp on birding trip, but free WiFi across whole site & free laundry. Tent is very small for sharing & hot water only 5-8pm (we’re out by then!). But the programme is excellent, 14 bats last night, 4 species, all lifers, despite torrential thunderstorm

Safely evicted now

Surprisingly, managed to sleep through (though I only slept a few hours on the journey), partly to avoid disturbing my tent mate (something of a lost cause however, as expected…)

Our accommodation & view #Imire #Zimbabwe

Based on Google Lens, this is a common owl moth, my finger for scale #Imire #Zimbabwe

Some of today’s larger wildlife #Imire #Zimbabwe

Our right to protest is under threat. I just signed @friends-earth.bsky.social’s petition to stop new police powers that could shut down many peaceful protests and weaken our democratic rights. Add your name too: foe.uk/1tjku

The Representation of the People Bill MUST scrap First Past the Post First Past the Post can no longer deliver real mandates - only chaos. 60% of Brits want it scrapped. Yet the new Representation of the People Bill won’t even touch our rotten voting system, which lea...

First Past the Post can no longer deliver real mandates - only chaos. 60% of Brits want it scrapped.

Yet the Representation of the People Bill won’t even touch our voting system, which leaves millions unrepresented.

actionnetwork.org/petitions/th...

"When ecosystems collapse, ordinary people pay the price."

Brilliant letter in the press about the suppressed Government 'ecosystem collapse and national security' report. Don't let this story go!

Swift bricks to be installed on all new buildings in Scotland as MSPs back law Rest of UK has resisted calls to make builders install bricks that provide nesting for swifts and other endangered birds

Come on England....this must be an embarrassment! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

🦇 Government quietly released a report today. Just 3% of the most important habitat for wildlife is in good condition.

This must change or wildlife will be lost forever.

Don’t let this report slip under the radar: www.wcl.org.uk/sickening-st...

Sadly overcast/raining here in Berkshire

A pair of gadwall on Whiteknights lake on Christmas Day

🦇 Our Big Give #ChristmasChallenge campaign 'A voice for bats' is live! For one week only (until midday, 9 December) every donation up to £10,000 will be DOUBLED.

Donations must be made here: donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05... . Every donation, big or small, helps.
#GivingTuesday

This was a great, info-packed talk at the conference, so full of insights I couldn’t keep up!

It’s not highlights, there’s no video, just chat with a few still photos!

Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’ Exclusive: Tshering Tobgay says his country is doing ‘a lot more than our fair share’ on climate and west must step up ‘for the happiness of your people’

A country that prioritises gross national happiness rather than the Ponzi scheme that is economic growth

Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’

Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’

The rainy season has started a bit earlier than usual but it’s had the effect of keeping temperatures down, making everywhere green and bringing on termite emergences which in turn produce bird activity

Amazing sun halo today in Zimbabwe looking straight up, apparently formed by ice crystals in cirrus clouds refracting the sunlight

Although it meant we got quite wet & chilly, today’s rain produced another termite emergence which led to some unexpected birds - including Levaillant’s cuckoo, three-banded courser
Chobe national park, Botswana

Herd of elephants in Chobe national park, Botswana, with incoming storm clouds