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Alison Foster

@alisonfoster

Zooarchaeologist based in Worcestershire. Malvern Buzzards Running Club. Cats (well, just the one cat). Power metal

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Latest posts by Alison Foster @alisonfoster

This is fantastic! I'm definitely going to find pictures for my boxes now.

05.03.2026 18:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea The chances of finding one mammal species thought to be lost was β€˜almost zero’ and finding two is β€˜unprecedented’, biologist Tim Flannery says

Extraordinary story, although Lazarus Species is a bit of a misnomer as Lazarus was supposed to have been properly dead but these little chaps have just been keeping their heads down. And who can blame them for that?
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

05.03.2026 17:52 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Download advice on feeding newborns to teens

Download advice on feeding newborns to teens

Reminds me of Swift’s Modest Proposal.

05.03.2026 05:02 πŸ‘ 674 πŸ” 188 πŸ’¬ 25 πŸ“Œ 23

I had the same reaction when I learnt that there had been a Pope Adrian.

03.03.2026 19:24 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Wonderful. The sound always reminds me of the Anglo-Saxon riddle. I love to think that the poet had stood and listened to the exact same music of the swans' wings that we can hear today.

01.03.2026 09:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Resist!

28.02.2026 14:38 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Fascinating research, and a delightful illustration.

27.02.2026 23:14 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Black and white cat lying on her left side on a grey wooden floor in a patch of sunlight. She is stretching out a paw to the camera.

Black and white cat lying on her left side on a grey wooden floor in a patch of sunlight. She is stretching out a paw to the camera.

A good start to #Caturday - Sophie luxuriating in the sun this morning!

28.02.2026 10:26 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜„
Honestly, the amount of water pouring out of the hills at the moment - it's all got to go somewhere!

27.02.2026 12:29 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Waves from Malvern πŸ‘‹

27.02.2026 07:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Badum - tish.

26.02.2026 19:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Groan.

26.02.2026 19:01 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Two Gauls carrying three wild boars. A small dog runs after them

Two Gauls carrying three wild boars. A small dog runs after them

This week, I've been trying to decide whether some Surprisingly Large Bones from a Bronze Age pit were from wild or domestic pigs and, after opening the question for discussion, I reckon I have an answer.

26.02.2026 18:30 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 0

Perfect day.

25.02.2026 19:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜‚

25.02.2026 19:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Love the alt text.
I've never planted horseradish - I have enough trouble with mint escaping from its bucket.

25.02.2026 18:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Report of a sand Martin at Tice’s Meadow in Surrey today. A good sign of approaching spring.

Report of a sand Martin at Tice’s Meadow in Surrey today. A good sign of approaching spring.

well

25.02.2026 14:57 πŸ‘ 81 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 9 πŸ“Œ 1
Chinchilla in a zoo. Small rodent with very dense silver grey fur

Chinchilla in a zoo. Small rodent with very dense silver grey fur

El Salvadoran son-in-law has gently explained that I've been pronouncing chinchilla wrong my whole life and I'm wondering how I never realised. The softer 'll' sound suits it better, I think.

25.02.2026 14:53 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Reminds me of the time when ancient hedges were being ripped out and replanted with whips. So depressing, and so stupid.

25.02.2026 09:34 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

The tiny Ramshorn Bagworm moth Luffia lapidella caterpillar in its case on a lichen covered gravestone, Alphington Church Exeter, Devon today.

24.02.2026 18:50 πŸ‘ 92 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 4
Preview
What would you give for a 600km run for our river? - Wild About The Erme River If you ask WATER’s Deputy Chair and Farming Lead, 40 year old John Mildmay-White,Β the answer seems to be, ten days.Β That’s how long it will take him

Running for our rivers.

John Mildmay-White is running 600km over 10 days to raise funds for Wild About The Erme.

The funds will enable their scientifically-qualified all-volunteer team to undertake the testing needed to identify the types, and potentially the sources, of pollution of the R Erme.

24.02.2026 21:42 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
A youth kneeling on a roman mosaic. He's using a tiny brush to carefully sweep this immense floor while he quietly regrets his life choices.

A youth kneeling on a roman mosaic. He's using a tiny brush to carefully sweep this immense floor while he quietly regrets his life choices.

Want to help keep our mosaics looking spick and span?

We're looking for a (very) part time mosaic cleaner.

Flexible hours and.... and we wouldn't joke about this.... YOU GET TO STAND IN THE HYPOCAUST!!! 🀩

sussexpast.co.uk/jobs/

24.02.2026 10:42 πŸ‘ 242 πŸ” 57 πŸ’¬ 29 πŸ“Œ 6
Preview
Where tourists seldom tread, part 20: three UK towns that feel like home In the last of the series, the writer returns to three passed-over places where he used to live – Harrow, Clitheroe and Princetown in Devon

Interesting feature which includes a history of the prison at Princetown, Dartmoor, though I know that the cheesy chips at Fox Tor Cafe are the main draw for local mountain bikers.
www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/...

24.02.2026 12:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Love it. I quietly think this too, especially if it's raining or they look like they're at the couch to 5k stage.

23.02.2026 18:20 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

That's one positive, definitely. It was an interesting time to be young and angry and a bit lost. At least there seemed to be plenty of other people who felt the same!

23.02.2026 18:14 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

There were much better bands at the time, whose writing came from very real anger and frustration. The pistols never really seemed genuine to me, especially Lydon. Not surprised he ended up supporting the far-right.

23.02.2026 18:03 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

A list of genuinely lovely things. Have a look - I guarantee it'll improve your day.

23.02.2026 16:30 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you! Because sometimes, the willpower needed to make that decision is far harder than the run itself.

23.02.2026 16:24 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

He won't be joining them, apparently. Which is just as well because he's probably one of the least punk people I can think of.

23.02.2026 16:19 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Treating people like lab rats - horrific.

22.02.2026 19:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0