We're hiring! We have a new Local Change project, building on previous BSBI monitoring projects, to provide crucial data on the state of our wild plants. Background to the project: bsbi.org/take-part/pr... We're now looking to recruit a Project Coordinator. Find out more: bsbi.org/about/people...

This morning I saw this pretty micromoth Chrysoclista linneella, seemingly a recent colonist (I can't see any Irish records before 2022).

Shooting interests & the rightwing press want to exploit the wildfires to reinstate moorland burning. But you don't fight fire with fire. You fight it with water. This wildfire in Wales' Elan Valley in May stopped abruptly when it reached re-wetted peat bogs: www.walesfarmer.co.uk/news/2614875...

‘I have an understanding housemate’: the student who makes videos of fungus on faeces

‘I have an understanding housemate’: the student who makes videos of fungus on faeces

Alfred Drummond-Herdman’s extraordinary timelapses have been viewed by millions – and led him to identify new species

theguardian.com

Another installment of the 'native woodlands don't burn' debunking. Birch and oak are made of wood, and if they're dry enough (like in a drought) then they'll burn. And if they're on peat, they'll burn all the more. Just to reiterate, this is a fen. A famously wet habitat. On fire.

John Elworthy@johnelworthy.bsky.social · last wk.

Firefighters remained at Holme Fen overnight after a major wildfire was brought under control. Councillor Simon Bywater has praised emergency crews and urged people to stay vigilant during the continuing dry weather. 📷 Terry Harris/CambsNews #cambridgeshire www.cambsnews.co.uk/major-holme-...

Succisa pratensis is coming into flower so it's time to look for the grey conidiophores of Peronospora violacea on deformed flowerheads (enlarged corolla and shriveled anthers). They can be up to several times the size of uninfected ones! #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease

A gall midge, Kiefferia pericarpiicola, galling the ovaries of wild carrot today at Killard #cecidomyiidae

A Torymid wasp that was investigating Centaurea nigra, presumably to lay into a fly or wasp larva in the flowerhead. I've seen torymids on Centaurea at 3 sites, so presumably they are all one common and widespread species. They are all this fab metallic green.

The log of the Dutch ship 'Gelderland' (1601-1603) had absolutely increadible sketches of the soon extinct bird fauna of Mauritius, included its flightless parrot, ibis and dodo Atributted to Joris Joostensz Laerle Check more drawings here commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categor...

We're hiring! We have a new Local Change project, building on previous monitoring projects, to provide crucial data on the state of our wild plants. Here's the background: bsbi.org/take-part/pr... We're now looking to recruit a Project Coordinator: could that be you? bsbi.org/about/news/l...

I just saw a Speckled Wood lay this egg on a Poa in a crack in our garden pavement. A poor choice! It is one of the only butterflies that happily completes its entire lifecycle here in small gardens like ours and is very successful doing so.

This summer has made it abundantly clear that we need rewetting across all landscapes, varied habitats, firebreaks and a recalibration of what we use water for, and in ireland, a massive growth and restoration of our degraded ecosystems like bog and wet woodlands that are naturally fire resistant

Phacellium alborosellum, a commonish leaf spot on Cerastium. The large bundles of conidiophores are easily visible under the hand lens. #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease

I've been enjoying testing out the new, greatly simplified Euphrasia key this year. I'm yet to find anything other than E. nemorosa though. Today's version of that species had especially large flowers.

Stunning carpets of wildflowers at St John's point, Donegal. #wildflowerhour

Great write-up by @pgreenfielduk.bsky.social on our paper in @natecoevo.nature.com www.theguardian.com/environment/... on the impact of generative AI on biological recording #Ornithology #UKBirding 🪶🌍 1/2

AI-altered images on birdwatching forums putting research at risk

Experts warn increase in enhanced photos on birding platforms creating fake sightings, threatening credibility of tool used by scientists

theguardian.com

Alexander Lees@alexanderlees.bsky.social · 3w ago

Our new commentary rdcu.be/ftx6h in @natecoevo.nature.com written with folks from @inaturalist.bsky.social and @cornellbirds.bsky.social shows that use of AI to manipulate existing or create new wildlife images undermines the huge value of vast citizen science databases. 🌍🪰🪶 #Ornithology 🧵 1/10

I just watched the Odyssey - what a great film! For all you seagrass enthusiasts, Posidonia oceanica made a very brief cameo stuck to Odysseus's back after he washed up on a beach...

As I walked along the flower-rich #chalkgrassland teeming w #insects, a happenstance was bound to occur & then this flew down just in front of my feet .. the marvellous & very local #HornetRobberfly - #Asiluscrabroniformis, having a rest no doubt from its day-light robbery 😊 #dykeappoachpath #sussex

It's punishingly hot today, but what a privilege to visit one of County Down's few remaining hay meadows!

lots of tricky grass ID today 😬

Epipactis helleborine is very common right now in urban Belfast in parks and gardens. It seems to be increasing.

lovely lovely Darragh Island, which has some okay-ish-ly managed dry species-rich grassland and rush pasture with locally rare Fairy Flax, Common Centaury, Milkwort, Sneezewort, and Spring Sedge

So I've been trying to rear these out in a Starbucks cup (following Elven et al., 2024) and it actually worked 😭 I'm so excited I actually have an adult from this specimen and hopefully more on the way

Jake Dalzell@bitheolaidhe.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A Cecidomyiid hiding in a Salix repens leaf

Megachile pollinating our strawberries

The grassland I'm in today is full of grass rusts and the Mycodiplosis larvae which feed on them. As I argued in this blogpost this probably represents a considerable flow of nutrients from plants into invertebrates and their predators irishplants.org/blog/2026/02... #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease

Two weeds I introduced to our garden that are now thriving - Centaurium erythraea and Sherardia arvensis. Centaurium occurs on brownfield sites in Belfast but Sherardia is basically unknown here. This one I got from a population on machair in Mayo.

How excited I was to find Oreopteris limbosperma/lemon-scented fern from a damp heathy grassland in Cor na Muclach, Co. Louth! This is the first record of this fern from this area since Praeger’s record in 1887! It really did smell like lemons… @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiireland.bsky.social

Latest issue of Field Mycology is out: ▶️ fieldmycology.org/index.php/jo... A fine array of fascinating funguses. "Not enough toadstools", according to one reviewer. I say, let all the fungi have their turn! (Happy to receive submissions of toadstool-based articles for next issue.)

it's very difficult not to spend the whole day dozing in the grass when the weather is like this