A Common Red Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) climbing a White Clover (Trifolium repens) in the garden
Steve Palmer
@stevepalmer.photography
🌿 Nature and wildlife photographer 📸 Award winning glimpses of nature 📷 Sony A7RV 👋 Come explore with me!
A species of forget-me-not nestled between rain-kissed blades of grass, a tiny flash of blue against the wet green. #ForgetMeNot #flowers
Congratulations to @antjohnson.bsky.social as winner of this weeks #sharemondays2026 The leading lines, symmetry/ balance, palette & atmosphere of the photo just drew me in. Not easy, I could have picked any one of 10 photos this week, all equally great. Over to you Ant, good luck with next week
Really difficult to get it down to 4 for #ShareMondays2026 great photos as always and I could have easily picked another 4 Well done to:- @pjpoppins.bsky.social @antjohnson.bsky.social @z70photo.bsky.social @stonesphotographs.bsky.social I will now have to try and pick a winner later today!
The Thistle family provide essential nectar for bees and butterflies, while goldfinches and other birds eat the nutritious seeds. They're also the national flower of Scotland. Anybody know the species name?
The Whitethroat (Curruca communis) is a summer visitor and passage migrant, with birds breeding widely, although it avoids urban areas. Scientifically named by English ornithologist John Latham, who first described it in 1783, the common name Whitethroat comes from rural English usage
A Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus ) hunting for its breakfast amongst the reeds and flowers. Because they can see ultraviolet (UV) light, their bright blue crowns glow vividly in the UV spectrum. The richer and brighter this coloration is, the healthier the bird.
Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Country foxes are very unlike their more curious urban cousins and will scarper at the first sight of a human. This was shot down a country lane with a 600mm and cropped. Gotta stay cautious if you want to stay alive
Just reposting this as I'd omited the #sharemondays2026 tag I really enjoy all four of these very different images, but I'm picking @ianbarnesphotos.bsky.social with this intriguing mono and it's crisp blacks and whites for my winner this week. Congratulations Ian and over to you!
European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Rabbits were first introduced to the UK by the Romans in the 1st century AD and then were reintroduced by the Normans and wildly established in the 12th Century. They eat their droppings to extract as much nutrients as possible, a process known as caecotrophs
Choosing my top four for this week's #sharemondays2026 has been quite a challenge! They are @markhether18.bsky.social @z70photo.bsky.social @iceniphoto.bsky.social @ianbarnesphotos.bsky.social Now for the really hard bit - choosing the winner
A female Blackbird (Turdus merula) having insects for breakfast! Yum Yum They are renowned for their melodious, flute-like songs. They love to sing during or shortly after rain, of which we are lacking somewhat
Close-up of a Dandelion seed head on a still warm morning
Mr Blackbird and the Blackberries now appearing at your nearest bramble branch. The warm weather has started the blackberries a little earlier this year. Don't forget to leave some for nature if off blackberry picking
Good morning, Mr Magpie, doth my cap! One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told
The winner of this weeks #sharemondays2026 is @lornabphotos.bsky.social Congratulations Lorna 👏🍾 Good luck judging next week. I love a creative process/ cyanotypes and this is an extra step further. All the other images were special in different ways so congrats again to those on the shortlist!
This weeks #sharemondays2026 shortlist. There were some fabulous images to choose from! Winner to be announced later. @dmrippin.bsky.social @lornabphotos.bsky.social @bulloch.photography @mickh5.bsky.social
Photographed at Newgate Nature Reserve, a former landfill now closed and reclaimed for nature, it’s a striking example of how industrial land can be returned to nature. Does anybody know what bird this is in the photograph?
Rosebay Willowherb aka Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) is abundant on the Common and adds a splash of colour. Their nectar-rich flowers are great for pollinators and many invertebrates feed on the leaves #sharemondays2026
A bit of a surprise when I got up early last week to see a heavy mist! Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) on Lindow Commons Black Lake
Flowers and sparkles amongst the grass. Nothing like crawling around a damp lawn early morning! This flower was very small and delicate. Does anybody know what species it is? Had trouble doing an ID
Silhouette of a bee at sunset Bees are "hairy" because it helps them effectively collect and carry pollen and the hairs also provide essential insulation to keep them warm while flying!
This weeks #sharemondays2026 winner is .... @iceniphoto.bsky.social I loved the minimalism and the beautiful lighting bringing out all the detail. Well done Paula, enjoy next weeks judging.
Green-veined White (Pieris napi) feeding on the thistles on the local patch. Seems to have been a big increase in the number of butterflies this year which is always good to see
A Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) I’ve not seen as many butterflies for a long time and it’s the Big Butterfly count starting 17th July so getting counting #sharemondays2026
