Steve Jackson

I'm getting a bit fed-up with endless dull, dreary, damp days whenever I can get to @bbowt.bsky.social Dancersend but have to admit that at this time of the year it is the dark, damp, weedy corners of the reserve where the jewels are. Thank goodness for snowdrops, Scarlet Elf-cups and slime moulds!

Very glad to hear that. Your thyroid issues put mine in perspective!

“I made two mistakes. One, I picked up the wrong kind of shell. Two, they guy said ‘Hold it to your ear,’ not ‘Hold it to your rear’”

I had quite a splurge of will deliveries the week before last, then down to two a day, but now several days since the last pair. Still waiting for 30+ to arrive (and well aware of my contribution to the backlog that is preventing their swift delivery! 😂).

Next Calendar vote for my 2027 Glastonbury Tor calendar. This time September. As usual any comments much appreciated.
1. Tequila Sunrise
2. The Vortex
3. The Breakthrough
4. Mellow Beginnings

A little girl with a groundhog on a family farm

A little girl with a groundhog on a family farm

A little girl with a groundhog on a family farm

Happy Groundhog Day!

Because doesn't everyone's family photo collection include photos a groundhogs????

Photos taken in 1911 in Stafford, Genesee, New York

#genealogy #Photography #GroundHog #Groundhogday #NewYork

The Cold Hatton Association for the Prosecution of Felons THE Gentlemen, Freeholders, and Farmers as under mentioned, of the Neighbourhood of Cold-Hatton, in the Parish of Ercall Magna, in the County of Salop, have bound themselves in Articles of Agreemen…

My new Waters Upton #OnePlaceStudy blog post draws on the above-mentioned newspapers extracts and on other sources to explore the formation, in the latter part of the 1700s, of associations for the prosecution of felons, in the neighbourhood of Cold Hatton (and elsewhere in #Shropshire). 2/2

The Cold Hatton Association Notices from, and reports mentioning, the Cold Hatton Association for the Prosecution of Felons, which included members from Waters Upton. Plus, in the decade leading up to the Association’s format…

A new page & a new blog post on my Waters Upton #OnePlaceStudy website, both on the same subject. Both also tie in with @oneplacestudies.bsky.social blogging prompts #OnePlacePolicing and, I think, #OnePlaceNetworks. First, the new page, packed with newspaper extracts. 1/2

#Shropshire #LocalHistory

🌿 What’s on this February? 🐦

A whole month of wildlife walks, creative workshops, inspiring talks and family-friendly nature events with The Wildlife Trust BCN 👇

I have been voted Fireman of the Year for the fourth year running.
Just putting that out there.

Just three months until our woodlands look like this!

Winter is long, dark and grey. Spring welcomes longer days and warmer weather - something I am very much looking forwards to!

Here’s a few captures from the past few years, highlighting the springtime bluebell blooms in British woodland.

A Red Kite with #OpenBeak
#BirdOfTheDay #EastCoastKin #birds #photography #ukwildlife

Chaffinch

#ShortLeggedBirds is the alt theme today for #BirdOfTheDay, so here is a lovely Chaffinch that was taking a rest and having a drink from the bird bath in The Garden Jungle #birds #thegardenjungle #wildlifephotography #birdwatching #shropshire #UKwildlife #birdphotography #canon #photography

Another new page added, the first for February 2026. I’ve not added it to the Latest Updates yet, because (drumroll) I have a blog post to tie in with it (a job for tomorrow)! Both page and post tie in with 2 or 3 #OnePlaceStudy blogging prompts, including this month’s theme: #OnePlaceNetworks.

Butterfly Conservation's Butterflies and Moths to see in February: Small Tortoiseshell, Herald, Brimstone, Pale Brindled Beauty, Peacock, Spring Usher, Red Admiral, Satellite, Comma

February flutters in with more butterflies and moths to spot this month 🦋

As the days get longer and the flowers return, here are some of the species to look out for over the next few weeks in your gardens and local green spaces.

Welcome February 💚🤍🩷🤍💚
The gentle start to the knowing of a coming spring.
With snowdrops, primroses and crocuses 🌼
Enjoy exploring and enjoying your time in nature. #Imbolc

Otter with a fish in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, this

#ukwildlife

My best ever experience with Snow Buntings last week with a flock of c70 at Winterton, Norfolk, UK. Fantastic, characterful Birds. 🤩 #BirdPhotography #NaturePhotography #Birds #UKBirds 🦉🪶

Waters Upton One-Place Study A One-Place Study of the parish of Waters Upton in Shropshire, England

I don’t usually let the Latest Updates section of my Waters Upton #OnePlaceStudy website home page get to the length it is now, but I thought it would be interesting to see a whole year’s worth of updates (Feb ’25—Jan ’26). Nowhere near as many blog posts as I would’ve liked, but lots of data added!

The February full moon will arrive on the 1st, and is called the “full snow moon” or “storm moon” in reference to the weather that typically this period. ❄️🌕❄️
These photos I have taken of the snow moon in previous years in Ely, Cambridgeshire.
#SnowMoon #FullMoon #StormMoon #TheFens

A Sort-eared Owl hovers, feet dangling and talons clutching a small rodent, while a Northern Harrier dangles below, talons grasping the same prey.

A Short-eared Owl and Northern Harrier debate possession of breakfast. Vancouver BC, January 2025.

#birds #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #owls #birdsofbc

In Other News – Game Lists Extracts from lists of persons to whom Game Certificates / Licences were issued, published in local newspapers from the 1780s to the 1850s, in which Waters Upton residents appeared. Decade index: 1…

Still adding material relating to Waters Upton in #Shropshire, that I have transcribed in stages over a period of several months, to my #OnePlaceStudy website. The latest addition is a page of extracts from Game Lists published from the 1780s up the end of the 1850s.

A puffin in flight with its wings spread wide. It is holding several small fish in its mouth.

We now have over 3,000 followers on Bluesky - a huge thank you to everyone who has connected with us so far 🥳

We're delighted to be here, so please do continue to share our posts with your followers and let's spread the word about Scotland’s wonderful wildlife 🦅 🌼 🐬

#Nature #Scotland #Wildlife

A "loveliness" of over 30 7-spot Ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata) overwintering in a pyramidal formation on a rather wobbly old Purple Toadflax stem in the garden.🐞 @vc40ladybirds.bsky.social

The sun shines through a bare, leafless tree in winter.

Centuries of resilience and every twist and turn in full view, there's just something beautiful about trees laid bare in winter.

Photo: Rob Coleman at Felbrigg

There was rain in one direction this morning but this was the sky in the other direction. Taken from St Michael's tower on Glastonbury Tor.

One for joy.
Two for joy.
Three for joy.
Four for . . . OK, you can see where I am going with this. Yes, I like Magpies!

A Magpie showing off its multicoloured iridescent tail

Did you know that in certain light, a Magpie's tail is multi-coloured? 😍
Magpies aren't very popular.... do you like them? 🐦

My 2026 calendars are now reduced here;
www.carlbovis.com/2026-birds-c... 😀🐦❤️

Six individual bird illustrations focusing on the head of the bird are lined up in a collage. Species depicted include the Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker and Chaffinch. Artwork by Will Rose.

✨ Vote for your favourite bird image! ✨ We need you to pick our new Birds in Greenspaces icon for our brand-new mobile phone app!

Vote here ➡️ bit.ly/VoteBiGsIcon

Will it be the Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker or Chaffinch? 🤔

Voting closes on 15 February.