Ian Beavis

It's Norfolk Wildlife Trust's CENTENARY today. Wow! And this looks like a splendid way to celebrate and support the trust... 🎉 🐛 🦋

www.thebookhive.co.uk/product/this...

Stark painting of a still life containing fossils and books, including Charles Lyell's Elements of Geology.

"Fossils (February)" by the English surrealist Tristram Hillier. This 1955 painting was commissioned by Shell for the Shell Book of Nature, Fossils, Insects and Reptiles. From Ark UK: Government Art Collection. You Can Be Sure Of Shell... #FossilFriday

Yorkshire Dales sheep and cattle swap boosts biodiversity - studies Natural England began switching to cattle grazing at its Ingleborough site in the Dales in 2004.

"There's five times as many butterflies on cattle grazing sites compared with sheep grazed sites,"

@bcyorkshire.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Callitula pyrrhogaster

Callitula cf bicolor

Callitula cf bicolor

Wildlife Group's trip to Llanymynech Rocks on the England/Wales border yesterday in glorious sunshine produced the tiny (c. 2mm), wingless wasp Callitula pyrrhogaster as usual. But we also founds its fully-winged relative C. cf bicolor for a change.

It’s #WorldBookDay so botany friends, what is your favourite book? For me it’s Sell & Murrell’s epic Flora of GB&I. I came to it late, with the publication of the final vol (vol 1) in 2018. I was already into Rubus but elucidated critical botany for me & enabled recording fine scale diversity.

The stony top of the gatehouse of Tonbridge Castle, with mosses and other plants, including Common Whitlow-grass. Rooftops of central Tonbrudge in the background.

Cuckoo-flower, with pale pink flowers, against a background of vegetation.

Garlic-mustard, with bright green leaves and small heads of white flowers, against a background of vegetation.

A view of the River Medway at Haysden Country Park, where the banks of the river are heavily wooded.

By train to Tonbridge, to visit the castle, then walked to Haysden Country Park. Bird highlight a busy Kingfisher calling loudly & flying high-level loops. Plants: Common Whitlow-grass on the very top of the castle, & first Cuckoo-flower & Garlic-mustard of the year. #BrassiCrazy #KentNature

Bristly Ladybird, Rhyzobius lophanthae

The Bristly Ladybirds, Rhyzobius lophanthae, have survived the wet winter and are still kicking around in the conifers in good numbers.

#Beetles #Coleoptera #VC55 #OlympusTG6

People were effectively told that, and still are, by being encouraged by the government to 'top up' their pensions through additional contributions

Habitat of Early Colletes mining bee in sandy ground by the Toad Rock on Rusthall Common

The first few males of the Early Colletes mining bee (Colletes cunicularius) were out today in sandy ground on Rusthall Common

Male of Gwynne's Mining Bee (above) and female of Shaggy Furrow Bee (Lasioglossum villosulum) sharing a dandelion today - same spot as previous picture

Male of Gwynne's Mining Bee (Andrena bicolor) perching briefly while patrolling a nest site on Rusthall Common & searching for a potential mate

Accompanying the butterflies on Tunbridge Wells Common today was an Orange Underwing - dayflying moth that behaves very like a butterfly

Big emergence of ex-hibernation butterflies on Tunbridge Wells Common today, with Peacock (here), Comma & Brimstone. In the regular spot along the woodland edge on the southern boundary

A small bee is sunning itself on a strap-like green leaf. The bee is facing upwards and to the right of the picture. It has a collar of yellow hairs on its brown thorax, and it has a striped brown abdomen.

The glorious sunshine has brought forth Yellow-legged mining bees (Andrena flavipes) around the hyacinths in the garden.
#Bees

Two early females of the cuckoo bumblebee Bombus vestalis in Calverley Grounds today. As their host Buff-tailed Bumblebee is now winter-active, they don't have to wait for the establishment of nests in the spring.

Freshly emerged from hibernation, queens of Early Bumblebee (left) & Red-tailed Bumblebee in Calverley Grounds today. Tree Bumblebee also seen.

The early-flying mining bee Andrena clarkella in Calverley Grounds today

We are at the 'try to mate with random flies' stage of the Hairy-footed flower bee life cycle here in SWLondon. #SolitaryBees @brigitstrawbridge.bsky.social @cathhodsman.bsky.social @johnwalterswildife.bsky.social

Greek Squill naturalised for many years on Tunbridge Wells Common #wildflowerhour

The misnamed Summer Snowflake in its regular spot on Tunbridge Wells Common #wildflowerhour

Common Storksbill starting to flower on Tunbridge Wells Common #wildflowerhour

A good turnout for today's gathering on Tunbridge Wells Common in support of the bid to bring our two Commons into community ownership

Stunning moss mimicry on this harvestman

Rolph's Door Snail Macrogaster rolphii. A brown snail with a tall, spire-shaped ribbed shell, and an irregularly-shaped, white-lipped mouth, lying between my fingers.

Ten-spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata. An oval, dark red beetle with pale spots on its wing cases.

White flower of Wood Anemone memorial, amongst brown leaves.

The empty shell of a beech fruit, or mast, with slender fungal growths arising from the top. These growths are Beechmast Candlesnuff fungus Xylaria carpophila.

A fine mix of species on our little local monthly nature walk. Amongst soecies seen wre Rolph's Door Snail, Ten-spot Ladybird, Wood Anemone & Beechmast Candlesnuff fungus, all pictured. Also spotted Raven and Red Kite, making for a pleasant morning. #KentNature

Ten Adders seen today including these two very different Melanistic.

Gathering on Tunbridge Wells Common tomorrow in support of the bid to bring Tunbridge Wells & Rusthall Commons into community ownership

Look in the 'valley mire' boardwalk area

You can see Bog Beacon at RSPB Broadwater Warren just south of Tunbridge Wells. In woodland shade they have an almost luminous quality.