Robin Pettitt

Hi David, hope all is well in UCD.

As an expert in the field you'll no doubt appreciate one student's call for "electrical system reform" in the UK.

Close up of the head of a slow worm in Epping Forest

Picture of a slow worm in Epping Forest

Today I spent a very enjoyable 5 hours getting familiar with the areas of #EppingForest where I will be doing ecological monitoring this summer. The 2 main points of focus this year are butterflies and reptiles, and to my delight I had my first encounter with a Slow Worm! Beautiful thing. #slowworm

A picture of a buff tailed bumble bee extracting nectar from a English blue bell.

Whilst taking a new lens out for a spin a few days ago I had a very “Spring-is-Here” encounter: a Buff Tailed (I think) bumble bee extracting nectar from an English bluebell. I love this time of year with its longer days and reawakening fauna and flora #bumblebee #spring #bluebell

They are gorgeous alright! Upper plumage often looks quite dark, until the light hits it just so, and then *bling*!!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Yeah, it really is!

A lapwing standing on green grass with a blurry lake in the background

A lapwing with an earthworm in its beak.

A lapwing with a caterpillar in its beak.

Today in Tarup-Davinde in central Denmark, I had my closest ever encounter with a Lapwing. It was confidently foraging next to one of the big lakes and only took flight when called by one of its fellow Lapwings. I love the iridescent plumage and the bold crest. #lapwing #birding #birdphotography

Just two days ago I had never seen a Skylark singing perched – now I have seen it twice in three days 34km (as the… eh…Skylark flies) apart.
Also, despite being all browns and greys, I do find the Skylark’s plumage very beautiful. #birding #denmark #fyn #skylark

That's a fantastic shot!!

I guess we have two options: net zero by 2050, which is still going to be pretty bad climate change wise; or net zero by, guesstimate, 2150 through the complete collapse of modern civilization under the pressure of extreme climate chaos.

Net Zero by 2050 'impossible' for UK, says Kemi Badenoch The Conservative leader says the target is impossible

This is a lie - net zero is perfectly possible, in fact it's easy, if only politicians would do their jobs instead of lying on behalf of fossil fuel lobbyists that fund them www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A comma butterfly on cherry plum blossom

My first butterfly shot of 2025! I have seen brimstones a few times, but the little blighters won't sit still! So, I was very pleased when this comma agreed to pose on some beautiful cherry plum blossom.
#commabutterfly #butterfly

A female kestrel diving head first down towards then ground, out of focus trees in the background.

On a recent walk I saw this Kestrel hunting. Judging by her behaviour a small mammal was a split second away from going through what might be described as a 'significant emotional event'. As the she emerged empty taloned, said small mammal seems to have avoided becoming 1 with the Kestrel #ukbirding

I personally think “Rail-y good…” would have been a strong choice! 😄

A blue tit in mid flight, wings stretched out, on a green background.

2671 to 1
Now that we finally have some sunshine, I am again trying to photograph birds in flight. I staked out the garden birdfeeder and let loose with the Canon R7 ‘s 15/s frame rate. The light was good so I went all the way to 1/8000th/s shutter speed. Of the 2671 shots, this is the one I kept!

A waterrail standing on the edge of a lake staring intensely into the water.

Another rare encounter with a Water Rail at Connaught Water, #EppingForest. This 1 sidled along the edge of the lake before disappearing into thick vegetation. I spent the next 45mins catching glimpses of it. Water Rails are hyper elusive, so getting even one clear shot was amazing! #ukbirding

The first UK Naturalist starter park is now officially full go.bsky.app/DeyPecR - with spring just around the corner it seems like a good time to start a second one, so hit me up with suggestions. Anyone who posts primarily about UK (non-birdy) nature is welcome.

Close up of the head of a Socorro dove.

A Socorro dove perched on a railing at London Zoo.

A Socorro dove standing on a rock at London zoo

My encounter with a Socorro dove at @zslofficial.bsky.social London Zoo today. One of only about 150 left in the world, the species is regarded as extinct in the wild.

Wow, that's an amazing shot!

A nuthatch head at a 45 degree angle up, perched on the surface of a log.

A, for me, unusual encounter with a Nuthatch *not* in a tree. This one was searching for scraps around "The Original Tea Hut" in Epping Forest. I do love a Nuthatch, with its blues and gold, and rakish eye stripe.
#nuthatch #ukbirding #eppingforest

A rare and delightful visitor to the garden – a male Green Woodpecker. It is so rare we get one in the garden, so it is always a joy when one does come by. #ukbirding #birds #eppingforest #greenwoodpecker

After a productive conservation session in #EppingForest my fellow volunteers and I were joined by a very inquisitive fox. At certain points it came so close my lens could no longer focus (less than 1.8 meters). It’s close approach meant I could get some really close up shots, of which this is one.

Bull finches are amazing - and a nice shot too. Never had the privilege of having them in our garden. Lucky you!

I'm glad to hear it! They are pretty simple to do. I watched a few youtube videos just for inspiration, but two rows of stakes and putting material in between is not exactly complicated.

How gardening and nature can help manage worry Being outside in the natural world heals us even when we're away from it

To be filed under, ‘feel like I probably shouldn’t be sharing stuff like this but also feel it’s important I do’ www.wildway.info/p/how-garden...

Thank you for sharing this. It resonates a lot with my own experience, and it is good to hear others in the same boat and ways of dealing with it.

Wren perched on a vertical post forming part of a dead hedge, with a green background.

Over the last month or so I have been making a dead hedge, both to benefit wildlife and for a more pleasing way of using garden waste. Today I was delighted to see this little thing exploring it. Wrens are rare in our garden, so double joy of seeing one and it appreciating my efforts #ukbirding

Wow! That's stunning!! Lucky lucky you!