Whitmuir Estate

Yesterday I saw some Common bird’s nest fungus - Crucibulum laeve. It was raining hard at the time, I was hoping to see the periodoles being launched, turns out they are shy and do not do it when you are watching. #Fungi

Even arboreal #Badgers have night shifts that do no always go to plan. #trailcamera #boar

Our #grassland has come alive with #fungi in the last week. Fly Agaric and Panther Cap on Rockrose, Hygrocybe spadicea - Date Waxcap, Entoloma nigroviolaceum - Dark Purple Pinkgill and Entoloma porphyrophaeum - Lilac Pinkgill are just some of them. @naturescot.bsky.social

Not sure about the shepherd but the sheep have been warned this morning.

Any idea what from? Summer time arguments? Does all the forestry work on your patch make territories smaller?

We hang fruit like 🍏. We tend to keep most eggs in the corner shops as some of our local birds can be a nuisance with them.

We moved this Pine Marten feeder higher up the Pine tree out of reach of the #Badgers. Forgot we have Arboreal Badgers at Whitmuir.

There is a colour ring project on our farm for our Nuthatch - Sitta europaea families. 41 youngsters received a ring this year. The resident adults are being targeted now. This male (FC) got a (white) colour ring. If you see him or any others report to www.bto.org thanks @wildborders.bsky.social

Lovely to see them in full colour. I will have to have you come and visit our corner shops.....

Brown Hare relaxing in a field full of cattle.

Last night's Badger survey on the farm. 4 people in different spots counted all the Badgers they could see at the same time. Result was 31, on just a fraction of the land. With dry weather sending the earthworms deeper it is no wonder they go for Pine Marten food up a tree. @wildborders.bsky.social

They are sometimes stocked with interesting food items........

#PineMarten - Martes martes out looking for breakfast and a wee (or two).

A Jay - Garrulus glandarius sunbathing in front of Pine Marten tree.

Fourth and final 2025 visit to my @pomscheme.bsky.social
square on arable land. Still not much in the way of flowers about. Several butterflies in the pantraps. Harvestmen helping with form filling. @ukceh.bsky.social

Third 2025 visit to my @pomscheme.bsky.social square on arable land. Bit lacking in flowering plants on the stubble. Lot of Speckled Wood about. Not often you get to record a Harvestman on a pollinator survey @meganshersby.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social

Badger - Meles meles up a tree. #ArborealBadgers

Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus chick growing up fast.

One of the local #Bats getting close and personal with one of the #PineMarten cameras @batconservation.bsky.social

Nice, the other ones were at my old house.

Light Arches - Apamea lithoxylaea spotted on a fence post today. #teammoth

Second @pomscheme.bsky.social km square visit of the year. Calm conditions and decent temperature. Pan trap activity has been a bit slow at the start. @ukceh.bsky.social

Decent day for my 1st 2025 @pomscheme.bsky.social 1 kmsq survey. There is a lot of yellow competition with the pantraps today! On the FIT counts there were small pollen munching aliens about on the Daisies and Cocksfoot Moth on both Dandelion and Hawthorn. @ukceh.bsky.social

Orange-tip - Anthocharis cardamines sitting waiting for a female to come past our farm hedge. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Brown Hare - Lepus europaeus sitting beside our farm track checking on who is all passing. @mammalsociety.bsky.social

Good to see one of our #PineMarten out in the sunshine. Winter coat colour very clear.

Another Jay - Garrulus glandarius at another trail camera taking selfies.

Jay - Garrulus glandarius posing in front of a camera put up to track Pine Martens. In fact the Jay loves making selfies a bit too much.

Hoverflies are out in numbers doing their thing. Good time to do a @pomscheme.bsky.social #FITcount see ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts

Someone has built a home on an island in one of our ponds. A possible Canada Goose - Branta canadensis, we do have some hybrids with Greylag Geese in the area. Will be a surprise to see what hatches. Sometimes the Otters raid the nest.