Evening light and moonlight at Llyn y Fan Fawr in the Carmarthen Fans in the west of Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. The 'double mountain' in the distance is two of the Central Beacons, Pen y Fan (the highest point in southern Britain) and Corn Du.

Another beautiful day hillwalking in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. A fresher afternoon with wonderful light and visibility on the walk in to Llyn y Fan Fawr, below the towering cliffs of Bannau Sir Gaer / the Carmarthen Fans.

Water Crowfoot enjoying a shallow pool in the clear waters of Afon Sawdde, on Mynydd Du / the Black Mountain, Wales. #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Sometimes the butterfly gods smile down on you... A bilateral gynandromorph Common Blue at Grafton Wood, Worcs 1/8/26. @westmbms-99.bsky.social @worcswt.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

Some orchid pics from June I'd forgotten to post: Chalk-fragrant orchids in their varied colours grow well on the Cotswold limestone, as expected. But they also grow very well (and larger) in the lush abundance of this Worcestershire lowland hay meadow. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

An early start on yet another perfect hillwalking day last week in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. Completing the Beacons Horseshoe over Corn Du and Pen y Fan, then a return north down the 'Gap Road'. The Romans used it, but they didn't build this one - it's much older than Rome.

Very early on a windless summer's day, mist filling the Usk valley seen from high in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. And a light pillar above the rising sun, caused by reflections from tiny, flat ice crystals in the cirrus clouds.

Well off-topic for this week's #wildflowerhour on wetland plants, but a fine display of Harebells last week among crisped brown grasses on a baking laneside bank in Wales. They look so delicate but are as tough as old boots! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Such an incredible display of water loving plants on shores of Lough Mask, #Mayo. #wildflowerhour Purple loosestrife, , Meadowsweet, Mint, Marsh bedstraw, Sneezewort & Yellow loosestrife.

Irish lady's tresses orchids, Lough Mask, #Mayo. #wildflowerhour just starting to flower. Absent in my local meadows in Glenullin where the ground is now possibly too dry?

The ultimate bog plant for me - Sundews. 😍 Rosettes of leaves, each with a halo of shimmering sticky beads which spell death for tiny insects, but they are undeniably beautiful. And the flowers stems uncurling as they push elegantly upwards. #wildflowerhour #wetlandplants #internationalbogday2026

Sunset last week viewed from high up in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales on a warm, still summer evening.

Evening last week high in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. Warm and almost windless at dusk, beautiful July weather.

#WetlandPlants ? After the driest July in 190 years and the 4th heatwave of summer incoming and no rain since the Solstice? Wetland plants??!🙂 However... in May my favourite marshy meadow was full of pink Early Marsh & purple Southern Marsh orchids & I found their hybrid. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Violet Helleborine - only known from a single site in North Somerset. 6 plants flowered this year, one of which had variegated leaves. #Nature #Wildlife #Orchid #Flower #Wildflower #WildflowerHour #BloomScrolling #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography

With sightings of Southern Migrant Hawker at NT Croome Court Lake in recent days, I visited all my local patch sand/gravel pits in south Worcestershire & came up trumps with this egg-laying pair. 1st proven breeding for the county #WorcsDragonflies @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Hillwalking last week in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales and very warm. Even late in the day it was hot going uphill on a (very unusual) almost windless evening. Having the driest July for 190 years isn't good really, but it has given some memorable mountain days.

Botanical paradise up above the Stelvio pass. An incredible diversity of alpines everywhere but up on the barer high plateaus the mosaic of Glacier Buttercup, Bavarian Gentian and Alpine Rock Jasmine was spectacular 😍

Another beautiful day hillwalking in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. Loop around the sweeping corrie of Fan Fawr with exciting views west to Mynydd Du / the Black Mountain. A quiet hill despite being just across the valley from the two most popular & very! obvious routes to Pen y Fan.

Marsh Fragrant-orchid growing in a damp spot on the cliffs near Saltburn-by-the-Sea #WildflowerHour

Harebells looking 😍 in their thousands amongst a parched landscape of old sand dunes at South Gare (River Tees Estuary) #StillFlowering #WildflowerHour

Despite the recent hot weather & drought conditions the Broad-leaved Helleborines in the woods at work have been looking spectacular! I’ve been in orchid heaven admiring them all! #Wildflowerhour #StillFlowering

Definitely a candidate for #StillFlowering was a pristine Heath spotted Orchid on the Bodmin Moor today for #wildflowerhour Quite surprising given the 3 heatwaves and that we are well into July now. It was in a damp marsh though. Dactylorhiza maculata

Wild Carrot and Common Ragwort #StillFlowering despite the hot, dry summer conditions in our community meadow. Masses of delicate flowers are creating a beautiful display #WildflowerHour

Recorded these Broad-leaved Helleborines in 2024 when they had already gone over, last year they didn’t flower, but this year Yay! Extra spikes and #StillFlowering - such wonderful plants! #WildflowerHour

Amazingly there were Orchids #StillFlowering at RSPB Valley Wetlands during our survey there this week #Wildflowerhour

Dry and dusty lanes for my walk around the local patch today, but #StillFlowering for #wildflowerhour were Field Bindweed among the ripening wheat, large stands of Yarrow at its best, Common Toadflax just about still flowering! and Common Knapweed flowering strongly. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Very hot and dry in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales too, but #StillFlowering for #wildflowerhour were Rose-bay Willowherb by the (low) Beacons Reservoir, Great Willowherb on the A470 and displays of Harebells and Betony on the dry banks of a country lane. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Very early morning high in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. It seems another lovely day is on the cards. (It feels like a forever summer, but remember the first three weeks of June were cool and damp!)

Another hot, beautiful day hillwalking in Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons NP, Wales. The classic 'Beacons Horseshoe' round over Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du from the north. (Cribyn looks challenging head-on - a person at the top for scale! - but the side view later shows it's not too bad. 🙂)