Moira O'Donnell

A Dark-edged Bee-fly sat on a leaf, basking in sunshine - library photo by @kitenet.bsky.social

Bee-flies are go! A 1st #BeeFlyWatch record for 2026 is in, from east Surrey on 26 Feb. Look out for more during warm & sunny spells over coming weeks, & please send in sightings, via iRecord if possible. Full details on the @dipteristsforum.bsky.social website: dipterists.org.uk/bee-fly-watch

Closes 23rd March!

Mr O'D took quite a shine to Yaks when he did a charity trek to Everest Base Camp several years ago. So I have crocheted him a Yak wool beanie.

Perhaps these pics will help? Sweet Violet with rounded ends to the sepals on the left and Early Dog Violet with pointed ends to the sepals on the right. This helpful crib from the Back from the Brink project might help you with naming parts of flowers.
wildflowerhouruk.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/...

I could try and say something relevant, topical, profound even on the general state of everything. However what I feel I need is a small, purple, Sea Lavender Weevil. So here it is. #Nature

I know someone else who might need this .......
@haggewoods.bsky.social

Plants and Habitats: An Introduction to Common Plants and Their Habitats in Britain and Ireland Buy Plants and Habitats (9780957608115): An Introduction to Common Plants and Their Habitats in Britain and Ireland: NHBS - Ben Averis, Ben and Alison Averis

A 2nd edition of my Plants and Habitats book is now out and available from the Natural History Book Store: www.nhbs.com/plants-and-h.... Main differences from 1st edition: many species added and nomenclature & further information (e.g. habitat classifications) updated. I hope people find it useful!

The Black Death’s counterintuitive effect: as human numbers fell, so did plant diversity New study finds that plant biodiversity collapsed in landscapes where arable production was abandoned during and after the Black Death era.

Very interesting! Thank you @beccyscottuk.bsky.social

theconversation.com/the-black-de...

Two Peacock butterflies on the walls of Lesnes Abbey in the sun yesterday. The one on the right obviously lived a long and eventful life before going into hibernation!

As days become longer and warmer our urban flora is beginning to gather steam. Here’s Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna) growing - as it so often does - on a bed of moss on a pavement #UrbanPlants

Congratulations Sarah! 🍾

It really is!

The Orchid Festival at Kew was as spectacular as always.

😂

I like plants whose flowers change colour, and I like plants with quirky common names, so I very much liked this "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow", Brunsfeldia australis, in the Temperate House at Kew. 💜🤍

Lots and lots of lovely Scarlet (or perhaps Ruby) Elfcups at Sevenoaks Nature Reserve.
❤️🧝‍♀️☕️

Whether it’s a first Lesser Celandine flower of the year or Elder leaves unfurling. The first #WildflowerHour challenge of the year is to spot #SignsOfSpring! Share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm. Below is the link if you would like to record your #NaturesCalendar sightings ⬇️ @bsbibotany.bsky.social

😄💜

Signed

Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) dying of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenze (HPAI). Once contracted, this disease invariably proved fatal for Gannets, and in 2022 ripped through Britain's breeding population, killing countless thousands of birds. Image © Jon Dunn

Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) gathering marine waste to line its nest. This can have fatal consequences when birds entangle in plastic or nylon. Image © Jon Dunn

Gannets are fabulous. But they've had it tough lately. Marine pollution's a constant problem, and avian influenza hit them hard. The last thing they need is an annual hunt, even a small one in the name of tradition. Please consider signing to stop the hunt:

petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE...

A very nice selection!

Not specifically supermarkets, but there have been several #CarParkBotany challenges over the years!

However the violet flowered form can also escape from plantings in gardens and churchyards, leading to uncertainty over the status of many populations. Here's info from Atlas 2020:
plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9...
I hope I've got all that right, bit if not, better botanists feel free to jump in!

(Other colour forms are often introductions, although the white-flowered var dumentorum is thought to possibly be native in Cornwall.) .......

Hi Peter, yes, the pale bits behind the flowers are indeed the sepals (blunt tipped in V. odorata). They are often found on road verges and in parks. Consulting the BSBI Viola handbook, the violet flowered colour form is considered mostly native as far north as Westmorland and Durham ....

Hairy Bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta, with the flowers thankfully open in the sunshine, which makes it so much easier to count the four stamens! This was in the Sainsbury's (other supermarkets are available) car park. #WildflowerHour

👍

Japanese (aka Giant) Butterbur, Petasites japonicus, naturalised on the bank of the Ravensbourne River in the vicinity of Ravensbourne Lodge. This is a remnant of exotic plantings by Joanna Bonham-Carter, who built the lodge in 1861 and created a large garden. #WildflowerHour

So pretty and uplifting aren't they!

@bsbibotany.bsky.social @botvolution.bsky.social
Hi! I can't reply to this post, so am using a quote tweet as a workaround! Zooming in (see pic below) I think I can only count four stamens and that along with the sticky-up seedpods make me think it is probably hirsuta. Will be posting my own later!