Common Lizard on old tree guards
Green Tiger Beetle on leaf litter.
My first Common Lizard of the year on 11th & Green Tiger Beetle today at the Dorset patch. Birding pretty slow though, with just a few singing Chiffchaff & a Sand Martin over. #Dorset #Inverts #reptiles
Please sign and share petition to UK government against the expansion of AI data centres, including one Drax wants to power by burning millions more tonnes of wood from forests overseas in future: actionnetwork.org/petitions/st...? @stopburningtrees.bsky.social
Thanks Brigit, I hope so too 🤞
My garden pond in Somerset is the complete opposite, used to get over 100 frogs & c.60 clumps of spawn, now just 3 male frogs & no spawn! 😞
Oak Beauty
Early Thorn
Oak Beauty & Early Thorn both NFY in last night's trap in South Somerset VC5 ##Teammoth
A new report from wildlife charity Buglife reveals that pesticides from common flea and tick treatments are now widespread in rivers across Britain and may be contributing to major declines in freshwater invertebrates bit.ly/4b1Pu50
Checking up on local nest box cameras the other day I came across something I have not seen before in ~30 years of monitoring barn owl boxes....a tawny owl in a box with a pair of barn owls! Thankfully a couple of days later the barn owls were still present and the tawny owl had moved on.
Spring has sprung & buds are beginning to burst into #blossom. At least they are here in Cornwall
A good time to remind myself of the differences between Blackthorn & Cherry Plum...explained beautifully in this great blog post by @badbotanist.bsky.social 🌿
badbotanist.wordpress.com/2019/03/08/b...
9 Sand Martin at ##ChardRes this morning @somersetbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social
Early Grey
March Moth
2 NFM moths in last nights trap: Early Grey & March Moth. Also 4 Common Quaker, 5 Hebrew Character, Dotted Border & Small Quaker. South Somerset VC5 #Teammoth
Comma butterfly on gravel
Peacock
Gorse Shieldbug on gorse!
Seven-spot Ladybird
A warm, sunny day at the Dorset patch brought out plenty of insects: 2 Comma, 3 Peacock, 1 Small Tortoiseshell, 1 Brimstone, Gorse Shieldbug & Seven-spot Ladybird. #inverts @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
I've urged my MP to show up, speak out and stand up for nature at next Tuesday's Westminster Hall debate! Help make this a turning point nature needs. action.rspb.org.uk/page/186397/...
Dotted Border
Small Quaker
Common Quaker
Hebrew Character
Last nights trap gave 12 moths of 4 species: Dotted Border & 2 Small Quaker both NFM. 7 Common Quaker & 2 Hebrew Character. South Somerset VC5 #Teammoth
Sand Martin at ##ChardRes flew through north #SomersetBirding @birdguides.bsky.social
Varied Orchre Ypsolopha ustella?
Varied Orchre Ypsolopha ustella?
One of nine Common Quaker.
My first moth trap of 2026: 9 Common Quaker & this micro which is possibly Varied Orchre Ypsolopha ustella? South Somerset VC5 #Teammoth
If you’d like to see an end to the wanton killing of our birds of prey, then sign this. I have: @theactionnetwork.bsky.social
actionnetwork.org/petitions/he...
Massive wreck of #puffins #seabirds in France, Spain and Portugal after successive storms (same period as the 2014 event)
All age classes founded: 1st winter, immature and adults
Great White Egret perched on tree branch.
Close up of GWE
'White-capped' Robin enjoying the rare glimpse of sun!
Treecreeper feeding & singing on tree trunk.
GWE at the Dorset patch today. Yesterday, Treecreeper singing & this 'white-capped' Robin for at least its' 3rd winter. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social #PWC2026
Hi Robin, Forde Abbey is in Dorset (it has a Somerset postal address only)
Purple Sandpiper in the drizzle & murk!
At least 7 Purple Sandpiper & Turnstones sheltering from the high tide on boulders at end of The Cobb breakwater.
Purple Sandpipers & Turnstones hunkering down at high tide.
At least 8 Purple Sandpiper on the rocks at end of The Cobb at Lyme Regis this am & 28+ Turnstone. Couldn't find a single Rock Pipit on the beaches, but not surprising with the number of dogs everywhere! Awful weather with driving drizzle & murk. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Amazed by negative reactions seen on social media from some dog owners w regard to new Govt ruling on livestock worrying, despite fact that almost 87% of sheep farmers experienced a dog attack on their flock in 2025. Yet still this: "why should I put my dog on a lead?" 🙄
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Red Kite in blue skies for a change!
Red Kite flew west after heavy showers ceased & the sun appeared at my Dorset patch this pm (NFY 3km #PWC2026 ) c.35 Siskin feeding in Alder trees is probably the largest flock I've seen here. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Nice one. It flew south from the res at 16:35 yesterday.
Greylag Goose
4 (of 6 present) Great Tit & 3 (of at least 4 present) Blue Tit, which were actively anting in warm sunshine!
Greylag Goose NFY at #ChardRes today. Nearby at Chaffcombe I watched 6 Great Tit & at least 4 Blue Tit 'actively anting' along this kerb. @somersetbirds.bsky.social
Two Shelduck at a drizzly Chard Resevoir.
2 Shelduck were NFY at #ChardRes this morning. Pair Wigeon also present. #PWC2026 @somersetbirds.bsky.social At the Dorset patch a flushed Woodcock was also NFY. Drake Gadwall, 12 Teal, 30+ Tufties also present here. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social
Dipper taken with Nikon P900 super zoom.
Pair of Dipper in display & singing on spillway
First Frog spawn (2 clumps seen) in ditch.
Pair of displaying & singing Dipper on The Blackdown Hills today. My first Frog Spawn seen. Nearby 42 Snipe, 14 Golden Plover, 3 Skylark (inc singing) & 4 Stonechat @somersetbirds.bsky.social
Hope you're seen by NHS soon Leon, all the best 👍
Water now spilling through tunnels under road. Very rare occurrence, I think I've seen it happen once before in over 50 years!
Footpath near hide under several feet of water.
Entrance path to hide!
Hide submerged in at least 2 feet of water!
A few more photos of #ChardRes taken yesterday after #StormChandra had finished dumping at least 2" of rain. Anyone who knows the hide, I reckon the water level is at least seat height! @somersetbirds.bsky.social
River Axe flooding the road, with an abandoned car & a tractor driving through safely!
I couldn't visit my Dorset patch at Chard Junction yesterday! River Axe in full flood mode. #PWC2026
Please spread this far and wide, as stories don't get much bigger than this. When the government blocks even the intelligence services from telling us we're heading for environmental catastrophe, you know we have a problem. A very big problem.
Thank you.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
