Cracking male Black Redstart in the sunshine on the #PurbeckCoast between Seacombe and Dancing Ledge, accompanied by a female @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Adding to the recent reptile fest at #RSPBArne this basking #SandLizard in yesterday's sunshine @rspbengland.bsky.social @arc-trust.bsky.social

Turns out I'm slower than a sleepy #Adder at #RSPBArne just caught it's tail but it then peeked out again @rspbengland.bsky.social @arc-trust.bsky.social

Amazing what a bit of sun can do, with a number of singing Dartford Warblers, a basking Sand Lizard plus bonus White-tailed Eagle and 2 Red Kites at #RSPBArne today. @rspbengland.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

This is my 30th year as a journalist.

But I still continue to be shocked daily at the extent to which these same 'news'papers revel in wilful misinformation in order to relentlessly promote the ideology/interests of their senior editors and owners.

An utter disregard and contempt for their readers

I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.

I have not personally used X/Twitter for some time now. It was already an unpleasant place prior to its takeover by Elon Musk but since his acceptance of hate speech and anonymous online abusers, it has become utterly unusable.

Great visit to RSPB's second best nature reserve #RSPBMinsmere, cracking views of a bittern climbing the reeds in front of North hide, which was then topped by an Otter crossing the frozen ditch in front of Bittern hide. Supporting cast of Marsh Harriers and a mini-murmuration of c.200 Siskins

Birding at Jerry's point today with highlights of 4 BN Grebe, 4 Goldeneye, 20+ RB Merganser, 15+ GC Grebe and a distant White-tailed Eagle over Goathorn @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone on a groyne at B'mouth Beach #crapbirdphotooftheday. I make an at least annual pilgrimage from Purbeck to try to see Purple Sandpiper and this is the first time I've succeeded! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social @keasdenkate.bsky.social

St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv, right now.

Have a happy Christmas time, folks.

And thank you for supporting Ukraine all this time.

#RSPBArne @rspbengland.bsky.social

Michael Gove Made Orwell Prize Judge Despite Record of Attacking Journalists and Dodging Scrutiny Critics say "Orwell would have enjoyed the irony" of the former Conservative minister's appointment

I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.

Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...

Housing secretary tells Labour MPs to vote down planning bill amendment Amendment restricts protection for animals to allow faster house building

Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇

Hidden wonders: my fascinating encounters with the Bittern Elusive and majestic, the Bittern’s booming call echoes across Minsmere’s reeds – a symbol of hope and conservation success

Back in 1997, there were just 11 booming male Bitterns left in the UK – almost extinct. Thanks to conservation by @rspb.bsky.social and @naturalengland.bsky.social 283 booming males were recorded in 2024.

Les Cater shares his story and stunning photos of these rare birds ⤵️

Trees and bracken, recently provided with a nitrogen boost by yours truly

Poole Harbour with browning sea grass (perhaps) in the foreground and islands beyond

A beach with water to the left and salt marsh to the right

Looking out on an arm of Poole Harbour from on high

Today I went to RSPB Arne to hold my own, very low budget, Autumnwatch. Autumn was watched and, to an extent, heard and smelt...

A view of the Marsh awards being presented at the BENHS exhibition, with some of the audience watching the award winners on stage

Thanks @britentsoc.bsky.social for a great exhibition today, and congrats to @marshawards.bsky.social winners: @markgurn.bsky.social (weevils!), David Brown (moths!) and Laurence Clemons (tephritid flies!)

Lichen Running Spider at #RSPBArne today #Spiders @britishspiders.bsky.social

#RSPBArne @rspbengland.bsky.social

Good news on Dorset Cirl Buntings continues to arrive. Early data from the breeding season confirms they are continuing to re-establish a population in the county. Please submit any outstanding records now. 🙏 In winter our focus switches to feeding flocks - please send us all sightings. 🙏

#RSPBArne @rspbengland.bsky.social

#RSPBArne @rspbengland.bsky.social

#RSPBArne @rspbengland.bsky.social

Congratulations @penrhynbirder.bsky.social ,well deserved.

So many godwits in flight over Middlemere, RSPB Arne today. We thought they were spooked by a marsh harrier, but apparently, it was a peregrine.
@harbourbirds.bsky.social
@dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
@rspb.bsky.social
@rspbengland.bsky.social

Richard Tice - "Please welcome to the stage... Nathan Gill"

So much for Tice's claim to have never met Nathan Gill.

Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Yesterday, IUCN declared the Slender-billed Curlew to be extinct.
How did we let this happen?
What lessons are there for the future?
WaderTales blog based on paper by Graeme Buchanan et al
wadertales.wordpress.com/2024/12/12/l...
#extinction #ornithology

20,000 new members have joined the Green Party in the past month.

This is the Green surge.

Want to be part of it? Join the Green Party today ⤵

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

And Labour aren't exactly showing leadership in this area either! Worrying signs of a political race to the bottom.

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn www.theguardian.com/environment/...