Donna

Nobody ever planted a tree in this photo. It was a working gravel pit 30 years ago.

We need to get over our obsession with planting trees and let nature do the job. The results are just SO much better.

It's also about realising we are not, in fact, central to everything. 🌍

It’s made such a difference to me. The obvious stuff like hot flushes and broken sleep are fixed, but there’s a whole load of other stuff gone too that I did attribute to menopause - including achy teeth, unexplained back and neck aches.

Anglia Square redevelopment: a new chapter for Norwich Norwich’s Anglia Square redevelopment advances: 1,100 homes, office spaces, and shops planned, replacing derelict Sovereign House

Anglia Square’s transformation begins. After years of uncertainty, Norwich City Council leads redevelopment with 1,100 homes, offices, retail spaces, & a focus on affordable housing. Sovereign House demolition starts this spring | Eleanor Storey

For Wildlife, Human Noise Is the Downside of Outdoor Fun As more people explore wild places, researchers aim to understand and minimize the impacts recreation has on birds and other animals.

Research shows that the noise of human recreation—even just the sound of hikers talking—can be surprisingly disruptive to wildlife, including birds. #ornithology

Chris van Tulleken pouring milk into a cereal bowl. Text reads: Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution, supported by CGI. 29, 30, 31 December, BBC Four and iPlayer

Set your reminders for the 2024 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI!

🗓️ 29, 30 and 31 December
📺 BBC Four and iPlayer
⏰9pm

In the series, Chris van Tulleken will explore the surprising science of food – from production to digestion.

More info: rigb.org/christmas-lectures/2024-christmas-lectures

@uniofeastanglia.bsky.social
Waiting patiently for #UEA Christmas 🎄 🎅 Lecture

youtu.be/MrpgqfybB48?...

A comic titled "Animals with Misleading Names" eight animals with the name, a picture of each, and a fact formatted into two columns. Starting from the top left and going down: Electric Eel: Not an eel Maned Wolf: Not a wolf Peacock mantis shrimp: not a peacock. not a mantis. also, not a shrimp Mayfly: active through the spring and summer Starting from the top right and going down Mountain goat: not a goat King Cobra: not a cobra. Also, snakes are typically self-governing Horning Toad: Not a toad. Only thinks of you as a friend. Eastern Kingbird: Found in the west. Many birds do not recognize its authority

I can't post a horny toad without a shoutout to this delightful @rosemarymosco.com comic because it lives in my head forever now

Fantastic morning @bibbeyswildfarms.bsky.social ringing with @chris4patches.bsky.social
29 Linnet, 1 Dunnock and a single Wren.
Dunnock often overlooked but are absolute stunners as the picture shows ❤️

Short session of garden #birdringing today. All going well for about 10 mins, then next door had a furniture delivery that took ages and all the birds disappeared 🙈. These two the best of a tit flock.
#greattit
#coaltit

Climate change - a thread

#Ecologists suffer from a burden of knowledge unlike that of most careers... Not only are we often underpaid, but we are also forced to watch the things we most care about be destroyed by apathetic or malicious humans who live blissfully ignorant to the importance of the natural world.... #ecogrief

Male Loew's Blue butterfly (Plebejus loewii)

Just because, here's a male Loew's Blue (Plebejus loewii). It's European range is restricted to a few southeastern Aegean islands. It is much more common & widespread across neighbouring Turkey. #butterflies

Be good to have you here in Norfolk 👍

Petition: Ban driven grouse shooting Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that driven grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife. People; we think grouse shooting is economically insignifi...

7000 signatures already to ban driven grouse shooting - thank you!!

Did you know you can see the number of signs in each constituency? Go to the petition and click on 'Show on a map'. Corby & E Northants has 16 signatures as well as mine.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Same - giant fleece has made its first winter appearance

A close look at the fine details of a Kittiwake

Etymology of the day: to be ‘blowing a hoolie’ (or ‘hooley’) was probably inspired by the Orkney word ‘hoolan’, a howling gale, with a touch of the ‘hooley’ that is a very noisy party thrown in.

YouTube video by Earth System Analysis - Potsdam Institute Is the AMOC Shutting Down?

I have worked on the slowing and the tipping point of the #AMOC since 1991.
Here is what we know now - the short 15 minute summary.
AMOC slowing is already affecting our weather.
The AMOC tipping point may change your childrens' life. /5 🌊
youtu.be/mm_YZ2juQL4?...

Throwback Thursday #birdringing my first Marsh Harrier juvenile last year. Stunning creature 😍
North Norfolk river location

A bug Parapiesma quadratum in the centre of a white mesh net, with a reddish aphid top right.

Gampsocoris punctipes, a small stilt bug associated with Rest Harrow, walking across a finger.

A reddish-brown coloured groundbug (Pachybrachius fracticollis) on the end of a leaf. The background is out of focus.

Jim Flanagan and Tristan Bantock are carrying out an IUCN status review/assessment on seedbugs for Natural England. It will cover the groundbugs Lygaeidae, stiltbugs in the Berytidae and the beetbugs in the Piesmatidae. Please submit any unsubmitted records ASAP via iRecord or direct to the authors.

Great List - thanks N&NN

Very useful survey of British public opinion on hunting/shooting from @yougov.bsky.social.
A thread on what conservationists can take from it.

1. It covers domestic & overseas hunting. But headlines are strong opposition to recreational hunting/shooting.
yougov.co.uk/society/arti... #conservation

I co-authored a paper with Dr Chris Redfern looking into how people actually benefit nesting Arctic Terns on the Farne Islands (in complete contrast to what we have believed and thought). Link to the paper: nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/57ASV9...
Photo: Siegfried Woldhek #Seabirds

Beaver engineering in a Norfolk enclosure today. 2 years ago this was a dry woodland with a trickle of water in the headwaters of a chalk stream. Now it’s buzzing with wildlife and constantly evolving. 🙌 🦫

All - Bluesky Directory A curated collection of all things relating to the Blue Sky social media platform.

Two weeks ago there were 2000 or so #starterpacks

Now we’ve got 40,000+

What an extraordinary change!

You can search them all here: blueskydirectory.com/starter-pack...

Little Owl - Isle of Sheppey.
#UKwildlife #birds #ukbirding #ornithology

#wildflowerhour is back 🙌

Kingfisher is far from annual here, in fact for the last few years it's been rarer than Woodchat Shrike! So, 'patch gold' this morning... it's all relative.