Shane

A pretty close photo of a Roe buck looking over it's own back. This deer has almost fully developed antlers which are still covered in what known as velvet. This furry skin will fall off once the antlers have fully developed and during this process, they can look rather tatty.

We meet this fine looking fella a couple of times yesterday and i did for a moment wonder whether @natureartvic.bsky.social had needle felted its plush head wear.
@mammalsociety.bsky.social #ukmammals #ukwildlife #nature #Deer

Photo of one of two smallest UK birds species, the Firecrest. Weighing the same as a 20p piece, it's a tiny bird, with a dark band through it's eye dark cap with a yellow/orange crest which it raises when alarmed. It's back is olive with hues of yellow. Throat chest and belly is a dull buff to grey.

Searching for Beaver activity on the Somerset levels this pm in the glorious sunshine. Heading back to the car along a road as the sun began to set and found this stunner just a coupe metres from us. #Somersetbirds

I'm so happy to have provided this moment for you.
Enjoy these Liverworts i found a few years ago, as they asked to be seen and bring joy to everyone, feel free to pass their joy forwards to anyone in need.

Nematode or round worm of sorts. Ideally she should get it in a pot and pop to the the nearest pharmacist and show them. Likely that they'll pop the family on a course of anti parasite meds in case it's from her/them.

If anyone is in need of something to make them smile or laugh, please watch and more importantly listen to this little clip my trail camera captured.
Yes, that is a genuine Badger #fart #Badgers #Nature #trailcam #Ukwildlife #BBCspringwatch

I'm not sure why the tumble weed seems to blow on by with some of my posts. Come on Blue sky, this is a badger rolling around in hay, what's not to like?

YouTube video by sharki1971 What happens at an above ground Badger Nest.

DYK European Badgers sometimes sleep above ground in what are sometimes called day beds or couches.
Watch here 8 nights worth of what these Badgers do in theres. #Badgers #UKwildlife #BBCspringwatch #UKnature #mammals @mammalsociety.bsky.social @badgertrust.bsky.social

youtu.be/WBodlKMg0zs

YouTube video by Sylvia Meller Scarlet caterpillarclub , Cordyceps militaris

If you liked the #BBCWinterwatch report about the Scarlet caterpillar club , Cordyceps militaris, yesterday , feel free to check out a video we did a year ago about this weird parasitic fungus.
#Cordyceps , #Winterwatch , #Fungus , #Parasite
youtu.be/2c-0QEtQKwI

YouTube video by Sylvia Meller Braconid wasp, Dinocampus coccinellae, emerging from Ladybird

Another 'traitor' which #Winterwatch didn't mention but is even creepier than the #Cordyceps , is this parasitic wasp that zombiefies ladybirds
#BBCWinterwatch , #Parasite
youtu.be/50dpMIt_Kck

A closer view of the Ciliophora that was found in a water filled ditch here. Possibly Carchesium due to the colony growing from a single stalk attached to the leaf. #supermacro #micro-organisms #nature #pondlife #winterwatch

Other incredible find was a minute transparent green thing which wasn't visible to the naked eye, the previous one wasn't either. The green organism has a contracting trunk which supports 6 tentacles. This is a Green Hydra. #UkNature #BBCWinterwatch #UKwildlife #Aquaticlife #hydrozoans

1/2 @wildlifetoursed.bsky.social grabbed a 300ml sample of water twigs and leaf litter from a temporary pool here.
Amazing life forms were found and these really pushed the limits of the @omsystem.bsky.social #TG-7 #biology #freshwater @withpondlife.bsky.social

YouTube video by Sylvia Meller Rockpooling at Wembury Beach , June 25

Some amazing creatures found at Wembury Beach

#UKWildlife, #Wildlife , #UKNature, #Nature , #MarineLife , #Fishes , #Rockpooling, #Tidepools
youtu.be/qLHPARvceHI?...

A photo of the tiny freshwater crustacean called 'Cyclops'. The pear shaped body is transparent and reveals its white body organs. On the tail end are tow large masses of round white eggs sacs, this indicates that it's a female. At the front and centre is a single eye, in the light of flash it looked red. They have a pair of antennae and 5 pairs of legs.

A photo of a tiny freshwater bivalve. I'm not sure of the species. There were many of these all were around 5mm across. They are typically clam shaped, rounded, smooth with radiating growth lines across its shells. In the photo its sitting on a rotting leaf which is covered in silty detritus. This one is pale cream in colour. The mouth of this mollusc is partially open and to the left of it, the tailend of of it's foot extends out.

A photo of a tiny pale green freshwater crustacean on brown detritus. It's appearance is that of a shiny split seed. Extending from the lower opened end and numerous clear filaments.

A little session in a temporary pool by the stream early tonight looking at very small things. #freshwater #habitats #cyclops #UKwildlife #nature

They do try and catch an amateur like me out when seen in unusual habitats.

Yesterday whilst take a chilly mooch through an ancient woodland, we happened across some little green gems lurking in the sparse dry moss loosely covering a historic earth boundary bank, under some big old holly bushes so well shaded.
Late season Parrot #waxcaps in a rather odd location?
#fungi

We were at gore point from 11:30 - 14:30 faces down and getting chilly.
Shoulda looked up!

YouTube video by Sylvia Meller The weirdest mating ritual you have ever seen - The Ash Black Slug

The weirdest mating ritual you have ever seen - The Ash Black Slug

youtu.be/rRy5tk1HV3o?...

Cracking shot Carl.

Cyanosporus subcaesius up behind the woodstore/field shelter here. It really is this blue. #fungi #nature #blue

Thanks, i forgot to add a genus to the third, pleased to see you also say Phyarum sp.
There’s more of a similar looking Phyarum nearby but on a fallen leaf and much of the fruits are black/blue.

A close up photograph showing a bunch of bright red slime moulds growing from a damp piece of dead wood. Tiny red stems support a large rounded head, these are densely clustered together. They are probably a species of Arcyria.

A photograph of some black slime moulds growing from a piece of damp dead wood. Much more sparsely grouped together, these glistening black fruiting bodies are growing on long black slender stalk. These are possibly in the genus Comatricha.

A very close photograph of some tiny globular slime moulds that i found in the damaged crutch of an apple tree. The stalks are short and grey. The heads are almost kidney shaped. They are white to the eye, but close up they are dark with a paler speckling.

A few recent and particulary lovely finds of the #slimemould kind.
#UKnature #Nature #decay

🫣

Sadly not, no further images showing those features.

A photo of four cups shaped fungi. Orange in colour with downy or hairy outside and rims.

A little unsure on this species, only young forms of the fungi were present. Am I correct in thinking they are young Orange peels? #Fungi #fungiID #mycology #nature

Many thanks. 🙏

What appears to be a fuzzy white coloured face with a funny hat is in fact a fungus infected beetle body. The hat is its wings.

The infected beetle in entirety. The spore releasing fruiting body to the left, wings and dark brown wing cases to the right. The whole thing is on rotting wood and was laying fungus facing down.

This is not the cheeky cherub it appears to be.
This is a ground beetle species infected by the pathogenic #fungus Entomophthora nebriae.
Found today on the #Quantockhills with @wildlifetoursed.bsky.social
Like the cordycep yesterday, this is not a commonly seen species. #uknature #mycology

Thanks so much. Back there tomorrow to get even better with a softer light and maybe even exhume the truffle.

A photo showing three brown fungi, growing from a mossy ground. The caps are brown and covered in small dots, the stem is light olive coloured with dark streaks. IMO they resemble lighting matches rather than the drumsticks that they are named after.

A photo showing a single brown fungi, growing from a mossy ground. The cap is brown and covered in small dots, the stem is light olive coloured with dark streaks. IMO the species resembles a lighting matches rather than the drumsticks that they are named after. These fungus are parasitic and need a host species, specifically that of the false truffle - Elaphomyces granulatus

Well hello there you chubby little matchsticks, we didn't expect to see you lot hanging out in beech woodland in Somerset today.

These are I suspect, Drumstick truffle club fungus - Cordyceps capitate. Hidden in the ground will be it's host, a false truffle, #fungi #Truffle #cordyceps #UKnature

A touch dry, but tonight we'll be searching the mossy trees for aboreal Opiliones like these 'amorous', Ramosus sp.
If you find these creatures fascinating, consider joining @megabunus.bsky.social et al, in a webinar on the 30th dec and learn more.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/arboreal-h...