Dr. Esther Le Mair

Repeating for the evening crowd. Anyone know what #bird this is? Too big for a #SongThrush. #WhatIsThisBird?

A bird calling loudly. It has a white and brown speckled breast and a brown back. It has black eyes and pinkish legs. It looks like a song thrush, except it was bigger than that!

A bird calling loudly. It has a white and brown speckled breast and a brown back. It has black eyes and pinkish legs. It looks like a song thrush, except it was bigger than that!

A bird with a white and brown speckled breast and a brown back. It has black eyes and pinkish legs. It looks like a song thrush, except it was bigger than that!

Bird people, what #bird is this? It was almost the size of a pigeon, so from a distance, I thought it might be a #fieldfare or a #MistleThrush. Seeing it zoomed in on my camera, it looks more like a #SongThrush. Do song thrushes get this big though?

A female sparrowhawk sits on a rock on the edge of a flower bed (one large pink rose is visible among the grass in the background). The sparrowhawk is looking intently towards the camera. Her eyes and beak are bright yellow.

Look at this *amazing* #sparrowhawk that turned up in our garden this morning! (Photo credit: @vallescurarule.bsky.social)

Apparently, JSTOR have a free account with an Independent Researcher category now. 100 documents per month!

Email from LinkedIn sayin: "We’re updating our Terms of Service on November 3, 2025. See what’s changing. Learn more Starting on November 3, 2025, we’ll also use data from members in your region to improve the content-generating AI that enhances your experience and better connects our members to opportunities. This can help hirers find and reach you more easily, and assist members in creating content such as profile updates, messages, and posts. This could include data like details from your profile and public content you create on LinkedIn; it does not include your private messages. You can opt out anytime in your settings if you’d prefer not to have your data used in this way. If you’ve already submitted the Data Processing Objection Form, please check your settings to make sure your choice to opt out is shown."

LinkedIn wants to use your data for AI training. Opt out here: www.linkedin.com/mypreference...

Nothing screams "First day back on the job", like urging colleagues everywhere to delete their Academia Dot Edu pages.

Which I'm about to do myself as soon as I got coffee in me.

Wondering if #butterfly experts can help me. It's getting to be autumn here in Ireland and butterflies (small tortoiseshells, most likely) are entering our house looking for a place to hibernate. Is it OK to put them back outside still or is it already too cold? How do I best help these butterflies?

You're welcome :)

bsky.app/profile/did:...

Haven't you always wanted to write or learn more about science fiction, fantasy, and horror? Go forth and peruse!

Useful! Cats, birds, gardens, oh my!

How does one do threads on BlueSky? I had more to say on my previous post!

Yesterday I lost a document on which I spent many hours. Today, I learned why. When you download an email attachment, you MUST save as. Just clicking save WILL NOT WORK. You will not get an error message! So download the file, save as, and then get to work.

50% off Interzone @interzone.press subscriptions now til September 4th! New issue Sept 5! Please help keep this beautifully illustrated and designed, long-running venue for indie SF, fantasy and horror going another 40 years: https://weightlessbooks.com/interzone-annual-subscription/

The covers of two books by Val Nolan: Neil Jordan: Works for the Page (from Cork University Press), and Spec Fic for Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (co-authored with Tiffani Angus, from Luna Press).

My two book projects together: Neil Jordan: Works for the Page from Cork University Press, and Spec Fic for Newbies: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Subgenres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, co-authored with @tiffaniangus.bsky.social, from @lunapress.bsky.social!

Hi! My name is Esther. I am an academic editor. I edit and proofread in all fields for language, structure, style. PhD in Celtic Linguistics (Galway), former Marie Curie fellow (Aberystwyth). Love hiking, boardgames, science, reading, travelling, and animals.