Mark O'Sullivan

Hummingbird hawk moth in my Cheshire garden. #moths

The foul-smelling, unusually shaped, stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) found in my garden this morning.

Flies, attracted to the rotting-meat smell, unwittingly carry away the fungal spores, to grow new stinkhorns.

#fungi

Today, I was awarded the Freedom of the Town by Frodsham Town Council for my work with our local ancient woodland, Hob Hey Wood.

I was so pleased to receive this award recognising my efforts in helping nature in this nature-depleted country.

#Frodsham #HobHeyWood

Golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle in flight.

#HobHeyWood #Insects

Peacock on hawthorn. Two of nature's wonders.

#butterflies #HobHeyWood

Whinchat

Common sandpiper

Good numbers of migrants coming through at Bradley, Frodsham this morning. Whinchat, common sandpiper, yellow wagtail, with resident marsh harrier. #Birds

Today I found out that even 1000th of a second is not fast enough to freeze the motion of a dark-edged bee fly's wings.

#HobHeyWood #Insects

The Leo triplet. ASI533 MC Pro camera, 130PDS telescope, six hours of two minute subs.

#Astrophotography

We have a bat monitoring programme in our local woodland. A pair of blue tits have decided that this bat box is actually a bird box...

#birds #HobHeyWood

Please do, thanks.

Treecreeper in my local woodland in Cheshire.

#birds #HobHeyWood

Blue tit exiting its nest hole in Hob Hey Wood.

The hole was previously used by honey bees, I think the blue tits are clearing the debris.

#HobHeyWood

The Whirlpool Galaxy.

This image is comprised of three hours of two minute subs stacked together. 130PDS telescope and ASI 533 MC Pro camera.
#Astrophotography

Blossom on the trees at St Laurence Church, Frodsham.

#Frodsham #Spring #Blossom

M81 and M82. 130PDS telescope and 533C Pro camera. Six hours of stacked two-minute exposures.

#Astrophotography

The Rosette Nebula. 81 x two minute subs stacked. ASI533 MC Pro camera and 130PDS telescope.

#Astrophotography

Thank you.

M78, a reflection nebula in Orion.

ASI533 MC pro camera, 5 inch reflector with 5 hours of stacked two minute images.

A very good choice, Vicky! Well done.

Fox in my local woodland.

#HobHeyWood

The Horsehead Nebula imaged over the past couple of nights. 170 x two minute exposures stacked. 130P telescope and ASI533MC Pro camera. #astrophotography

An apt photo for Bluesky, I feel. A rainbow over the Tesco store in Helsby. Taken on my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

My local woodland blanketed in snow.

My local woodland this morning.

The elephant's trunk nebula.

130P telescope, ASI533MC Pro camera with 54 x 3 minute exposures stacked.

#astrophotography

My first scarlet elf cups of the winter!

#HobHeyWood #Fungi

A very damp day in my local woodland caused this lovely 'string of pearls'; water drops on a spider silk thread.

A great oak in our local woodland stripped of its final leaves by Storm Darragh.

#thicktrunktuesday

Our little dog, Scooby resting with our other two dogs (who are sadly no longer with us).

Stunning!