Ben Averis

Sycamore in East Lothian, Scotland. Epiphytes include the uncommon moss Antitrichia curtipendula. 1st February 2026.

The uncommon moss Antitrichia curtipendula on a Sycamore branch in East Lothian on 1st February 2026.

Excited to have just found the uncommon moss Antitrichia curtipendula on an old Sycamore here in East Lothian, Scotland. A rarity in the Scottish Central Belt. Two previous records of it in this county: in 1902 and some time between 1950 and 1989.

Yes, it is a strange thing. It is Soft Rush, which is very common in these hills, as are Sharp-flowered and Heath Rushes. Hard Rush is actually quite scarce around here: mainly in neutral to base-rich habitats in the lowlands.

Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) with a blue tinge. Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland, on 19th January 2026.

Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) with a blue tinge. Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland, on 31st January 2026.

Here in the Lammermuir Hills in south-east Scotland, I've recently seen several patches of Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) with a blue tinge. Perhaps this is just an effect of low-angled late afternoon sunlight on the shiny, rather wet, slanting rush stems. The colour looks a bit odd in this landscape.

I don't know, and have never seen fruiting material of P. crinitum. The big lichen flora says they are very rare. I've just seen two online photos of it in fruit: in both cases the fruits were wide open and were obvious apothecia. Whatever these structures are, that is a great photo of yours!

Another fantastic performance from Pacific Music Festival. Really superb playing.

These are fabulous!

Ros Atkins on...How popular is President Trump? BBC Analysis Editor Ros Atkins explores how Americans feel about their president during a nonstop start to 2026 shaped by pivotal events at home and abroad.

Very concerning that as many as 30-40% of Americans still approve of Trump. Hearing him speak for only one minute, on any subject, consistently reveals his obnoxious blend of arrogance, ignorance and evil greed. (And ‘any subject’ inevitably morphs into ‘me, me, me’.)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

If almost everyone is in Group 2, why do so many people keep voting for Group 1?

Excellent, inspiring and important communication in this video. Seeing that there are people like this, genuinely and actively committed to a better, fairer, socially and environmentally sustainable way forward, really does give hope and encouragement to be part of it all in whatever way one can.

Calton Hill Archaeology Project Photogrammetry Workshop Join us for a workshop on how photogrammetry technology is being used for the first time to discover more about the archaeology of the hill

CALTON HILL ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT First Workshop Saturday 31 January starting 10.00, Headland Archaeology, 13 Jane Street, Leith EH6 5HE. Looking at the results of the recent drone photogrammetry survey. All welcome: members & non-members. See Eventbrite. 1/
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/calton-hil...

My Republican colleagues must take notice:

The U.S. cannot base foreign policy on whether or not a president gets a prize.

This is pathetic.

It is petty and dangerous narcissism — behavior we might expect from a spoiled child, not the leader of a democratic nation.

Believing Trump to be a gentle, kind and caring man of peace is on a par with stuff as mental as the thought that flocks of geese have manufactured concertinas since before the start of time, or every one of Palestrina’s compositions was a sign predicting that the price of tea from supermarkets far and wide would correlate with how the sea goes up and down with every tide Everybody has some tools to process what they see and hear, to understand, to not be fools, so best to get them into gear

Anglo concertina (Jeffries 38-button, in C/G). A lovely instrument.

A wee poem written just now, after reading about people thinking Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

That's interesting. I assume it's related to relatively wet, mild weather, though it's been pretty cold in these hills of late. Some leaves in these tufts are pale brown and dead; maybe they first appeared in autumn. I also found some Agrostis capillaris growing this same way among the heather here.

Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis): tufts of young (autumn-winter) green leaves sprouting from the upper parts of last year's shoots among darker, browner Heather on the Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland. 18-01-2026.

Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis): tufts of young (autumn-winter) green leaves sprouting from the upper parts of last year's shoots among darker, browner Heather on the Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland. 18-01-2026.

Interesting grass growth form: Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis) with tufts of young (autumn-winter) leaves sprouting from the upper parts of last year's shoots among Heather on the Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland. 18-01-2026.

You're welcome! Sometimes I see a post and photo that triggers a spontaneous motivation to write a wee poem about it!

Hull and Gull

Same camera as mine!

Yes, Metzgeria violacea has increased too, and in many places I now find it more plentiful than M. furcata.

Good photos of those bryophytes: two species that have increased in Britain in recent decades alongside reductions in SO2 (as you probably already know, in which case, apologies!).

Wonderful piece of music, superbly played.

That's a great photo.

Heath in the Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland. Seven Bullfinches here just now, on the afternoon of 15th January 2026.

I just saw seven Bullfinches fly up from the Heather in this heath in the Lammermuir Hills, SE Scotland. Not their usual type of habitat!

Same here: I've never used it and have no intention of ever doing so.

Really hoping that this won't happen. Trump's selfish, greedy, power-crazy behaviour and his associated disregard for the environment, sustainability and our survival, all completely against expert advice, makes him and his associates guilty of behaviour as criminal as anything can ever be.

Pale Brindled Beauty (moth) found and photographed by Alison Averis in East Lothian, Scotland, on 13th January 2026.

Pale Brindled Beauty (moth) found and photographed by Alison Averis in East Lothian, Scotland, on 13th January 2026.

My wife Alison found and photographed two Pale Brindled Beauty moths here in East Lothian, Scotland, this morning. #TeamMoth

Agreed.

Fiddling with the filters!

So:

1. Our daughter's address...

2. Her name written on the envelope...

3. Two more envelopes put inside. (Came in today's post. For her, sent to our address. Look like the usual boring official stuff that makes up the bulk of our post these days. Wasn't post better than this once? Oh well...)

The photographer must have either (a) used a very fast shutter speed or (b) had the patience to wait for all those things to stop rotating.

I'm out in the Lammermuir Hills in SE Scotland. Snow falling. Sudden very loud thunder a few minutes ago. Scary! My first proper experience of thundersnow. Heading down now...