Thrilled to find this freshly emerged Small elephant hawk-moth in species rich limestone grassland & wood pasture at Bastow Woods, Upper Wharfedale ⁦Yorkshire Wildlife Trust⁩ ⁦Butterfly Conservation 🦋⁩ Ample supply of the caterpillar’s food plant Lady’s bedstraw ⁦Kevin Walker⁩

This weekend I’ve mainly been chasing butterflies & delighting in the little things in life 😊. Small skipper, Ringlet & Common blue ⁦Butterfly Conservation 🦋⁩ ⁦Kevin Walker⁩

Tiny (ish) flowers of Dropwort, Filipendula vulgaris on limestone grassland in Upper Wharfedale #tinyflowers ⁦wildflowerhour⁩ ⁦Kevin Walker⁩

The only Scottish site for the nationally rare Small Restharrow (Ononis reclinata) on the Mull of Galloway - not visited since 2004. Abseil now required! Just 16 plants counted in two locations; scrub encroachment appears to be a serious threat. More roped surveys needed!

Marsh helleborine, Epipactis palustris thriving in the wet meadow areas at Staveley ⁦Yorkshire Wildlife Trust⁩ #wetlandplants ⁦wildflowerhour⁩ ⁦BSBI: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland⁩

Thanks so much for hosting Richard Broughton 🇺🇦 UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology & so ably demonstrating the enormous value of long term studies in helping inform policy & practice NE Chief Scientist Forest Research - natural establishment has a vital role to play for nature recovery around Ancient Woodlands

What a find - not seen in Britain since 2009 but not that surprising given its cryptic life history. Stunning photo to boot.

My two plant highlights of a trip up to Malham Cove, Yorkshire with Lorna today Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum) still flowering Baneberry (Actaea spicata) on the limestone pavement up above #wildflowerhour wildflowerhour BSBI: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland

Found a strange gall on Pink Water-speedwell Veronica catenata at Farnham Gravel Pit, North Yorkshire this weekend. Turns out they are formed by the small weevil Gymnetron villosulum. Here’s one that emerged from a specimen I collected. Of any interest Mark Gurney?

The big tides and strong winds of recent days have given the strandlines on Barra's beaches a good stir up and boosted our sea bean collection by one: a Grey Nickar Nut that's floated here from tropical America.

So proud of this little cutie who passed all her GCSEs with flying colours today; our beautiful, courageous and creative daughter now moves on to the next chapter clare pinches

An exciting first for me & for #FungiFriday … I believe this is Phylloporus pelletieri - the Golden-gilled Bolete. A bolete… with gills! Score! 🏆

I think we’ve hit peak purple poms-poms. Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis at Staveley Nature Reserve, Knaresboroygh yesterday with clare pinches. Also 2 hobby, greenshank and a black-tailed godwit Yorkshire Wildlife Trust - North Yorkshire Mike METCALFE

Having seen both Donna Rainey & Kevin Walker's devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis) meadow pics, here's my contribution, from the horse-grazed fields out the back of the house. Staggering display!

Huge thanks to top environmental journalist Helena Horton for covering the #GhostOrchid story in today's The Guardian theguardian.com/environment/ar… Congrats to Dr Richard Bate on refinding this most elusive of orchids & to Kevin Walker who visited the (secret) site to verify the find.

I’m speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live later today about my recent Ghost Orchid find - the second UK sighting in 37 years. It’s wonderful to see genuine enthusiasm about the find and plants in general - if you want to know more about plants please check out BSBI: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland and consider membership

Lovely to see and hear our local House Martins Delichon urbicum over the garden now - they will soon be heading south for the winter. Buckfastleigh, Devon

Fantastic couple of days with the national Forestry Commission & Natural England trees & woodland teams in Hampshire - discussing areas of continued positive joint working and seeing some great sites to boot. Great views of a beautiful Hobby a real treat today.