The Lyscombe longhorns enjoying an area known as the coombe today. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Hummingbird hawkmoth enjoying the downland flowers today at Lyscombe. Seems like a fantastic year for them and other migrant species. Clouded yellows absolutely everywhere this week! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social

Thrilled to find marsh fritillary larval webs at Lyscombe today! Confirmed breeding at the reserve 😀 @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

A good day on Cerne Giant today helping the National Trust rangers survey for Duke of Burgundy feeding damage. Plenty found and quite a few marsh fritillary larval webs spotted as well! @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Appalling: Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030 @wildcard.land have run a noble campaign trying to get the CofE to see sense But this demonstrates exactly why Ministers can't rely on landowners to voluntarily support 30by30: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Church of England votes against plan to rewild 30% of its land by 2030

Campaigners criticise C of E for failing to show moral leadership as one of country’s biggest landowners

theguardian.com

A glorious day for a butterfly transect. The meadows in Lyscombe bottom looking incredible. Meadow browns, small heaths and marbled whites most numerous. Common blues, large + small skippers, small copper and small tortoiseshell seen also. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Adonis blue seen at Lyscombe today 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

A few highlights from this week at Lyscombe. A relatively healthy ash tree, common blues and brown argus butterflies and stonechats feeding chicks. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

6 marsh fritillaries seen at Bracketts Coppice today. One reported at Lyscombe yesterday as well 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

First small copper of the year at Lyscombe today 😊 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

Don't forget - we will be at the Dorchester Corn Exchange tomorrow from 9am-4pm to chat about all things beaver related! 🦫 Have your say about beaver reintroductions on the River Frome, and enjoy family-friendly activities and displays. ~ Jack

Dorset Wildlife Trust@dorsetwildlife.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Have your say on the future of beavers in Dorset! 🦫 Join us in Dorchester this Saturday for a drop-in consultation session on plans to reintroduce beavers to the River Frome catchment. 📅 18 April | ⏰ 9am–4pm 📍 Dorchester Corn Exchange Find out more 👉 bit.ly/4ckBfc4 📸 James Burland

Do you live in east Dorset and like butterflies? We urgently need someone to take over a vital transect at Hod Hill that has been running for 44 years. See our website for details www.dorsetbutterflies.com/2026/04/coul...

Could you head up Hod Hill?

Our regular butterfly counting (transect) walk on Hod hill has been going for 44 years, but needs more walkers if we are not to lose the value of the data already gathered.

dorsetbutterflies.com

A grasshopper warbler singing at Lyscombe today 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

A brilliant morning for a Lyscombe breeding bird survey. A good variety of birds seen including a ringtail hen harrier, wheatear, male redstart, willow warbler, corn bunting, lesser and common whitethroat. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

Hundreds of cowslips are now flowering at Lyscombe, with even more still to flower! From a few dozen last spring to this, a great indication that the grazing is working. All we need now is some Duke of Burgundy's to find them 🤞 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

This April, some of England's largest landowners are obliged to publish estate management plans, through being members of the National Estate for Nature. The privately-owned Clinton Devon Estate has published its plan early, and it looks really good: 1/ clintondevon.com/wp-content/u...

Did you watch Dirty Business? I can't believe how much water companies have gotten away with. They're putting profit before public health - it’s a scandal and the Government MUST take action! Sick of sewage? Add your name to the petition today: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/en...

End the sewage pollution scandal

We're sick of it. Sick of the lies, sick of the greed, and sick of a system rigged against us. This is a scandal and this dirty business must end. For more than 30 years water companies have put corpo...

you.38degrees.org.uk

Don’t forget - you have until midnight tonight to place your Teemill order and get FREE UK delivery! 🙌 Browse our new wildflower designs, along with the rest of our beautifully illustrated clothing range, here 💐👉 bit.ly/4b0EEw3 ~ Jack

Can you find, identify & record 100 wild plants in 2026? BSBI is confident that (with our support) yes, you can! Beginner botanists, will you accept the challenge? Sign up today for #100Plants2026 challenge: bsbi.org/take-part/ac... Check out the webinars & #WildFlowerID help we've prep'd for you!

⏰ LIMITED OFFER ⏰ The first 2 people to join Dorset Wildlife Trust for half price will receive a signed copy of The Good Bug by @georgemcgavin.bsky.social 🐞📖 Join here 👉 dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/halfpriceoffer Then DM us on Bluesky to claim your book! Remember, once they're gone, they're gone!

Are you planning to undertake a project in 2026 which involves collecting plant-related data? Would you like <£1,000 towards your costs? Apply for a #BSBIPlantStudyGrant! Here's how: bsbi.org/learn/grants... Read how a #BSBIGrant helped Katherine research ancient meadows: bsbi.org/blog/2026/01...

Some fantastic fungi have appeared at Lyscombe recently. White coral, masses of honey fungus, fairy ink-caps and the gorgeous coloured, and quite rare, splendid waxcap! @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

HUGE numbers of Adonis Blue at Fontmell Down in North Dorset today, over 200 in 30 mins, one every 5m in places. Just like the old days. Also 4 Silver-spotted Skipper. Grazing looks perfect, but mighty dry. Well done @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Nice to see a family group of spotted flycatchers at Lyscombe on Friday. There were two wheatear hanging out on site this week as well. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

The Lyscombe longhorns keeping cool in the shade this week @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

Chocks away! A day of drone flying at Lyscombe today. Getting some footage to showcase the reserve and help illustrate our plans for the site. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

A pair of small blues seen mating yesterday at Lyscombe. A potential second brood in a few weeks time? Exciting to find this species already doing well on the reserve, suitable habitat will increase significantly over the coming years 😀 @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

A small skipper nectaring on rough hawkbit today at Lyscombe. @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

A good moth trap at Lyscombe this week. Some nice finds including a grass rivulet, a rare moth in Dorset whose larvae feed on the seed capsules of yellow rattle. 3 hawk-moths elephant, small elephant and privet 🙂@dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

This moth is proving tricky to ID. Dog's tooth, dusky brocade, alder moth?! Anyone got a suggestion? @dorsetmoths.bsky.social @mothiduk.bsky.social