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Edward Pollard

@epollard

🌲 Biodiversity conservationist living in Cambridge, UK. πŸ¦‹ Cambridgeshire butterfly recorder so this account will mainly about butterflies and other general natural history

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16.11.2024
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Latest posts by Edward Pollard @epollard

I love what they are doing at the Ipswich Golf Course.
I was looking over the Gogmagog course near Cambridge last weekend and dreamed of the chalk downland they could restore if they cared.
So much potential for wildlife on golf courses.

07.03.2026 18:13 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Your search results on HelpWildlife.co.uk

This is always a good one to keep to hand, if you are unsure where to turn (just type in your area/animal requiring help etc)
directory.helpwildlife.co.uk?s=03

07.03.2026 16:29 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Apparently someone took it in and was going to try and find somewhere to care for it

07.03.2026 16:25 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Woodcock on pavement

Woodcock on pavement

Extraordinary find by my friend @w-mcewan.bsky.social today in central Cambridge (nr the Maypole pub).
A downed Woodcock! Maybe collided with a building?
@jonheath.bsky.social @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @tonyjuniper.bsky.social @richardkbroughton.bsky.social

07.03.2026 15:17 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
Field margin with wildflowers that can support butterflies in arable farmland

Field margin with wildflowers that can support butterflies in arable farmland

Livestock grazing is essential to maintaining grasslands in the mountains of Europe. Extensive cattle grazing has been shown to be the most beneficial but any extensive system is good

Livestock grazing is essential to maintaining grasslands in the mountains of Europe. Extensive cattle grazing has been shown to be the most beneficial but any extensive system is good

Grassland butterflies are declining across Europe, but how do we reverse that trend? We have just produced a report with some simple guidance to land managers and policy makers on how to 'Bend the curve' and help increase butterflies and other pollinators. www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

07.03.2026 09:28 πŸ‘ 42 πŸ” 19 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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Relentless sun and ruthless populists: how the climate crisis will change the next 20 years Former diplomat Arthur Snell says a heating planet is accelerating conflict and migration – and fostering a new age of empire. Democracies are dangerously unprepared, he warns

Genuinely an honour to have been interviewed by @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social of @theguardian.com about my new book. Which you can buy from @bookshop.org of course.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

06.03.2026 20:51 πŸ‘ 55 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

and I do wonder about the role of horses in the early holocene in England. Were there large herds of wild horses charging around the Brecks and Newmarket heath?

06.03.2026 12:07 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

yes, @amiesphilip.bsky.social comment above about the role of sheep on chalk downland cf uplands.

Decline of rabbits appears to closely correlate with loss of Silver-spotted Skipper on Devil's Dyke (Cambs).

06.03.2026 12:07 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

@stevejwildwriter.bsky.social

06.03.2026 10:09 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The effect of different grazing managements on butterfly abundance, diversity and composition at a calcareous upland site Research from an upland calcareous site in the Yorkshire Dales finds light cattle grazing supports 4.9Γ— as many butterflies and 1.7Γ— as many butterfly species as light sheep grazing, while ungrazed a...

Here is the full paper
#conservationevidence
@richardfoxbc.bsky.social @djhbutterflies.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @chrisvanswaay.bsky.social @pietervantieghem.bsky.social

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

06.03.2026 09:27 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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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...

06.03.2026 09:24 πŸ‘ 51 πŸ” 30 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 2
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Or for those of you who insist we should not capitalise species names here is a large wall brown

06.03.2026 09:19 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Context - Hayley Wood is an ancient wood in south Cambridgeshire.
In fact one could say it is The ancient wood because studies by Oliver Rackham in this wood led to the development of the concept, and indicators for "ancient woodland"

05.03.2026 20:21 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

bsky.app/profile/wild...

05.03.2026 19:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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After a series of dog incidents we’ve temporarily closed Hayley Wood (Cambs).

Despite clear signs, dogs off leads have disturbed birds, damaged rare wildflower habitat, staff were verbally abused when asking for leads.

Read more: shorturl.at/RbGI0

05.03.2026 15:34 πŸ‘ 68 πŸ” 14 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 2
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Loose dog incidents force temporary closure of historic nature reserve to the public | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants Conservationists have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close a nature reserve in Cambridgeshire to the public after repeated instances of dogs off leads.

Well done @wildlifebcn.org for taking this stance. At Hayley Wood.
Rights of access do not mean right to ignore the owners requests.
share.google/XRixh4Dbq7oD...

05.03.2026 15:19 πŸ‘ 62 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 5

For comparison, the main footprint area of Sizewell C will be about 70 hectares.

05.03.2026 14:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

* it is staggering

(grr, lack of edit function)

05.03.2026 14:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Scottish Forestry acted unlawfully in development that posed risk to butterflies The northern brown argus butterfly was on the government agency's own biodiversity list

The staggering that anyone could think a 250 hectare development could go ahead without an impact assessment!

Is it ignorance or arrogance in the UK tree farming sector?

news.stv.tv/scotland/sco...

05.03.2026 13:33 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Whatever the taxon, I always include the 3 Ws.
What, Where, and When.

05.03.2026 11:59 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Yes!
A much more succinct way of saying it.
Thank you

05.03.2026 12:12 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

2) Pls give a location, and not just a name, a county or region too (ie is it the Devil's Dyke in Cambs, or in Sussex).
If it's private / confidential site say so, put perhaps say which part of which country you are in.
(and 'my patch' does not count as letting us know where)

05.03.2026 11:49 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

As the Natural History season really gets started it is already time for my occasional plea (aka pet peeves rant).
1) Do not post a photo and just say "look at this stunner I have just seen".
Your close network may know what that species is. but many of us won't. Be inclusive. Tell us what it is.

05.03.2026 11:49 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
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I thought it was just a battered Small Tortoiseshell on a muddy patch… but something wasn’t quite right. Then it clickedβ€”it was far too big! My first-ever Large Tortoiseshell, emerging in the sun after months of Cornish rain. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @marcusrhodes.bsky.social

04.03.2026 08:22 πŸ‘ 58 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Is it toothpaste?!

04.03.2026 17:59 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Is this Orlestone, Kent?

04.03.2026 17:48 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Over the next 2 days we could see some of the highest concentrations of Saharan dust recorded in the UK - an exciting event if it happened during the warmer months, but I doubt many moths will cross the nr Continent to reach us. We should certainly see an increase in Painted Lady though #teammoth

04.03.2026 15:04 πŸ‘ 50 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4

I knew Arthur at uni. Our careers have taken very different paths (but with a commonality of extended periods in remote parts of the globe). But now our paths converge again, with the theme of the environmental crises that are upon us.
I've ordered this book and look forward to reading it.

04.03.2026 17:41 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Also not in International Waters, as implied by Hegseth.
I'm (just about) old enough to remember the outcry and debate about the sinking of the Belgrano. And this seems considerably more egregious.

04.03.2026 14:29 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

What a cracking bird.

02.03.2026 19:22 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0