Toby Fountain

Fantastic views of silver washed fritillary on the Doward, including lots of courtship behaviour. Flora exceptional as always with the highlight being my first county record of wood vetch (Vicia sylvatica): a stunning species. #butterflies #botany #ecology #conservation

Wigmore Rolls is my favourite Herefordshire woodland: significant for a plethora of flora, avifauna and Lepidoptera. Locally very notable for containing a fragment of W17 temperate rainforest (complete with wood warblers), calcareous flora and wood white #ecology #woodland #herefordshire

Some highlights from Tretawdy Farm this morning: Ruby-tailed wasp, slow worm, small skipper & common spotted orchid. A very underrated HWT reserve: it’s messiness makes it excellent for invertebrates, reptiles and mammals. @herefordshirewt.bsky.social

Had some fantastic insect records on @herefordshirewt.bsky.social surveys in the Black Mountain fringes, all locally scarce: Dark green fritillary, small pearl-bordered fritillary, golden-ringed dragonfly and emperor moth @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Thanks will email you

Sure go for it!

Yes they’ve decline dramatically in lowland England, the main theory being they are missing the breeding of dunnock which they usually parasite due to warm springs. They are doing well in uplands though where they parasite meadow pipit.

Remarkable abundance of cuckoo on North Uist, bucking the trend of their southern decline. Nice to have this bubbling female on the roof of our bothy! #ukbirding #birds #ornithology #wildlife #scotland

Magical encounter with a pair of golden eagles last week in the Outer Hebrides. You can see them being mobbed by a pair of common gull and a Greenshank breeding on the moor. One of many encounters I hope to share with my you soon #birds #birdinguk #ecology #ornithology #eagle #scotland #hebrides

It amazes me that these tiny overlooked ‘arable weeds’ which grow amongst stubble, margins and crops (here field speedwell, groundsel & red dead nettle) are literally keystone species for farmland birds like grey partridge, linnet, turtle dove and more. Bring back the weeds I say!

RND and goldeneye still present at Walford Pools, also female wigeon, 25 greyalgs, 62 coots, 4 tufted duck, 25 mallard, 4 little grebes and a single hawfinch over. Minimum of 26 hawfinch and 3 blackcaps at church and a decent group of 8 song thrush in a single turnip field #herefordbirding

Record shot from back of camera

Brief afternoon around Walford and Ross on Wye part of patch included a drake Ring-necked Duck, first for the patch. Also first winter drake goldeneye still present, 1 female wigeon, 62 coots and 6 hawfinches at church #herefordbirding

… as well if not better in ash/birch, as opposed to oak woodland which is the assumed ‘stereotype habitat’. I suppose this could be related to other factors like insect abundance, due to thinner canopy and more deadwood (natural and ash dieback) in ash/birch woodland.

Okay thanks, I’m mostly playing devils advocate and agree with you, I just often hear the ‘lack of cavities’ argument thrown about. I asked about the greater frequency of cavities in ash/birch, because I feel that many of the classic western species like pied/spot fly and redstarts are doing…

Additionally do you think this has a bearing on what kind of woodlands need boxes?

Hi Richard just picking this up again, would you say that natural cavities are more abundant in ancient woodland than is popularly perceived and would you say that they are more abundant in ash, Alder and birch woodland than oak woods, due to dying and displaying veteran features younger?

A good morning around Ross on Wye patch this morning with @tobywildlife.bsky.social including minimum of 45 hawfinches, then the 1st winter drake Goldeneye and female wigeon at Walford Pools, topped off with 16 snipe and 2 water rails at Gamber Meadows #herefordbirding

Hi Hannah, sounds like a very interesting site! Could you provide more details? Shall I DM you?

Completely agree 👌

Thanks Richard, I will use this as a reference when I make my case! Hopefully other trusts will follow

No problem! Question for you: I am going to be advising management on all HWT reserves; in your view would you recommend the removal of nest boxes in marsh/willow tit habitat? Understandably this gets alot of pushback from volunteers, but this is where education based on latest research is required

Yes I agree. Really enjoying your book! Very valuable insight for me working in the Welsh Marches, where we are most notable for scarce woodland passerines: our marsh tit population seems to be comparatively healthy, willow tit likely under recorded in remote woodlands on the Welsh border.

Chanced upon this fantastic wet woodland on a site visit yesterday: the largest W7 Alder woodland I’ve seen in Herefordshire! Priority for LWS survey next year: lots of potential for rare flora; might also visit in early spring to look for lesser pecker & willow tits @herefordshirewt.bsky.social

Ok, start on here?

Sounds great Dm me ☺️

Article on the LWS project I ran this year for @herefordshirewt.bsky.social : 896ha of habitat surveyed, two breeding birds rediscovered, fragment of Celtic Temperate Rainforest found, invaluable relationships with local landowners formed.

Anyone with in-depth knowledge of the habitat preferences and the favourable forms of woodland management for breeding Hawfinch, please get in contact with me. I have substantial experience writing woodland management plans with an avian focus, but never for this species! #hawfinch #ornithology

A fantastic day packed with some exceptional species! Probably the best variety I’ve ever seen overwintering in the Bristol Channel.

Hi mate, that’s fantastic, could you DM me to discuss further?