An enjoyable visit to Quy Fen yesterday to check out the newly discovered breeding population of Southern Emerald Damselflies (superbly found by Andrew Maddocks), as well as entertaining views of a noisy juvenile Cuckoo being fed by Reed Warblers @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social

It is sobering, isn't it? Many of my local browns are surviving well, except Speckled Wood and Ringlet but I fear for Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral larvae. Just as ST started to pick up following last year's good numbers, the drought is looking set to wipe many out, even on the marshes.

At our Monks Wood regeneration/rewilding site, on clay-loam soils, seasonal wetting has emerged spontaneously, with winter pools lingering well into spring. Helps maintain open clearings, supports diversity. The saplings and emerging woodland seems resistant to drought, like pic4 from 2022 heatwave.

Interesting to hear NFU president Tom Bradshaw saying water security is critical to food (and therefore national) security and "too much water that could be collected during winter was instead being pumped out into the North Sea." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Corner of a field in SW France that was retired 2 1/2 years ago Already good cover of vegetation, & oaks coming up along the fringe. Thistles this year proving to be a valuable nectar source.

REPORT: Long-tailed Blue, 1st Aug 2026. Holland-on-Sea, Essex. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @jamescbr.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Predicted decline in common bird and butterfly species even under conservation policy scenarios in Europe - Nature Ecology & Evolution

Projections for 265 common bird and 144 common butterfly species across Europe under multiple sustainability scenarios, including those of existing conservation objectives, find no scenario in which t...

nature.com

Oh, a must listen here. @patrickbarkham.bsky.social talking butterflies in Norfolk with Martha Kearney @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

This Natural Life - Patrick Barkham - BBC Sounds

The nature writer takes Martha Kearney butterfly-spotting in Foxley Wood, Norfolk.

bbc.co.uk

Time to revisit reintroducing beavers to Holme Fen?

Richard K Broughton@richardkbroughton.bsky.social · last wk.

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.

Will be interesting to see how successful this is. Moving orchids because of the plan to restore inter-tidal mud at Teesmouth (makes a pleasant change from moving stuff because if a housing development or something @ukorchids.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Orchids growing near River Tees to be relocated to nature reserve

About 200 wild orchids will be moved by hand to specially selected sites at RSPB Saltholme.

bbc.co.uk

Suffolk Branch is run entirely by volunteers. If we do not have enough volunteers to fulfil various roles then the Branch will cease to exist after 35 years. We now have vacancies in two key roles Branch Chair & Transect Co-ordinator Please see suffolkbutterflies.org.uk for details

Good to hear of reports healthy numbers of Chalk Hill Blues at Warham Camp this year. Also worth keeping an eye out for Clouded Yellows if you visit. #savebutterflies

Annual Chalk Hill Blue pilgrimage to Devil's Dyke, Newmarket yesterday. Feels like we are past peak numbers, but still plenty about. Numbers have recovered to some degree since the 2024 washout, but what will this drought do?

Noooooo For so long Bill Oddie was the only celebrity birder. And so important because of that. Bird in Peace TV presenter and comedian Bill Oddie dies at 85 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Bill Oddie: The Goodies and Springwatch star dies at 85

His agent pays tribute to the "multi-talented" broadcaster, comedian and conservationist.

bbc.co.uk

Apparently Histon, north of Cambridge, has had 196.4.mm of rain fall since January 1 making it the driest place in the UK according to the Met Office. For reference this is about the same as the annual rainfall for Phoenix, Arizona (yes I know we are half way through the year)

Dug my trusty old hammock out of storage. Unused for 15 years. Going to try it out this weekend. Will report back on a) do I even know how to put it up yet. b) how much sleep will I get @marcelocegonha.bsky.social

Cambridge City Council has a new climate change strategy. (is it the CCCCCS?) www.cambridge.gov.uk/media/bpicoj...

That was generous of him

As my better half was needing a hair trim at her Daughter's in Ipswich I decided to look at Pipers Vale for Brown Hairstreak but it being overcast i tried Landseer Park, Ipswich and got a pristine female on some Blackthorn bushes there whatever the provenance they are my favorite butterfly

“I’ve lived through 50-odd years of good natural history... & Strawberry Hill is taking me back to my teenage years, for insect abundance and birdsong.” 🐦🦋 Our CEO @brianecambs.bsky.social on why Strawberry Hill in Beds matters for UK nature conservation: www.independent.co.uk/climate-chan...

Call for more ‘truly wild’ areas to show how nature-rich UK could be

Some rewilding sites are amazing experts and the public with how much wildlife they support, backers of projects say.

independent.co.uk

Swallowtail caterpillar on Milk Parsley at Strumpshaw Fen from earlier today. One of four seen. @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social

An increasingly unprecedented parade of ex-PMs: 9 out of No10

Some of you may have noticed some changes to our branch butterfly sightings page. These updates are aimed to improve the ease and accuracy of extracting the data from the site, and hopefully to make it easier for the user to add their sightings, and navigate the page.

Out and about on the islands offshore from Kamumotp, Japan Chestnut Tiger.

This week might be peak numbers for Chalk Hill Blue on Devils Dyke, Cambs. Reports of good numbers, continuing the recovery from the lows of 2024. And also multiple Small Blue, including on the @ukbms.bsky.social transect for the first time. @jamescbr.bsky.social fyi

Challenging conditions in a hot and humid Kamumoto, Japan this morning. A pocket full of lifers, including Chinese Yellow Swallowtail (Papilio xuthus) and Tropical Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius) @sbbtrust.bsky.social

Big numbers of Queen of Spain Fritillary (kleine parelmoer, Issoria lathonia) in my region on South Veluwe. Veel kleine parelmoers vandaag op de Zuid Veluwe.

We are honoured to announce today that @chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social has joined Team Mariposa! One of the founding fathers of @europebutterfly.bsky.social, Chris is widely recognized as one of the most influential and knowledgeable butterfly scientists in Europe... (1/2)

I would love to see more on the science and feasibility studies behind this. Is there anything the public domain? Not least is it really clear yet why they were extirpated in the first place? @marcusrhodes.bsky.social @djhbutterflies.bsky.social www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk/black-veined...

Bringing Black-Veined White Butterflies back to the UK! - Dartmoor Zoo

From extinction to reintroduction! Dartmoor Zoo are thrilled to announce they are part of an exciting breed to release project,...

dartmoorzoo.org.uk

Absolute bedlam on the @ukbms.bsky.social transect at Magog Down nr Cambridge this morning. 675 individuals counted, including 276 meadow browns, and 158 Gatekeepers. Plus a Clouded Yellow, on the transect which is a patch tick for me.