I researched this Becky and Osias Meuk website says: "Larvae develop through the summer, and some will pupate and emerge as adults during the autumn while others remain as larvae underground overwinter and pupate in the spring." how interesting! Lovely picture! Beautiful beetles :)

A pair of elegant pink ballerinas - Porpolomopsis calyptriformis. The Ballerina Waxcap is on the The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. A decreasing species, listed as vulnerable. Favouring sheep-grazed unimproved acid or neutral grassland #MushroomMonday

Orange peel fungus! Grows on disturbed ground and poor soils, so often found on paths and trails. A brittle "cup" fungi which spores from the inner surface. White fuzz on outside when young. In the order Pezizales - related to Morels and truffles. Edible but "unremarkable favour"

Reptiles and amphibians are slowing into hibernation. Create safe places in your green space/garden by: - leaving a small compost pile undisturbed - create a hibernaculum from logs & brick rubble with spaces left inside, covered in loose soil - leaving depths of ponds undisturbed

Guy "triangulating" himself on the Curr's trigpoint in last weeks sunshine! (We had a short trip into Scotland along the Pennine way, following the Hethpool to the Curr promoted route on NNP website. #nationaltrails #pennineway #trigpoint

It's spooky season! - please enjoy this lovely spiders web beaded with dew. Ingeniously constructed in the space between long jutting sprigs of gorse. Waiting for unsuspecting prey to try to fly through! #spiderwebs

Happy Halloween! Abbi's been having fun creating a seasonal design on the Bulby's Wood Information Point window in the Breamish Valley.

Oak marble gall "Andricus kollari" - grown on pendunculate oak trees. Caused by the gall wasp infecting tree buds in spring and tricking the tree to grow this protective shelter in which the larvae develop. The adult then emerges from the hole! Little harm is done to the tree :)

Sally, Abbi, Caroline and Harry - (our Autumn young Ranger voluntary placement) have fixed the cheek end of this dry stone wall at Peel Cottage, with a beautiful view of Hadrian's Wall. The cows were very curious about what we were doing! #drystonewall After -Left Before -Right

Bronze Age Stone Circle at Dun Moor Hill looking lovely in the low winter sunlight N'land National Park

We love our visitors, but its awful outside today! Please stay home and drink a nice hot beverage! Met office yellow warning for rain and wind - please stay safe and only travel if necessary.

A wintery scene of hogweed stems and bare trees contrasting against the cloudy sky. These stems provide a welcome food source for birds and small mammals as well as overwintering homes for insects.

Happy Holidays everyone! From all the Ranger team at Northumberland National Park. Here is an illustration bringing festive cheer to our information point. #HAPPYHOLIDAYS #FestiveSeason

Enjoying some "proper" January weather this week. Look at these marvellous ice crystals! Many roads are icy, please check before you travel. #winter #ice #snow

Our Young Volunteer Ranger Placements are back! 17-25 and looking for experience in the conservation and land management sector? 3 x posts at various locations available. 10 days commitment (Monday-Friday only) from April-June 2025. Apply here! northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/about-us/jobs-… N'land National Park

Are you a young person aged 17-25? Are you interested in pursuing a career within the green sector? We have the perfect opportunity for you! Join Northumberland National Park on a young volunteer ranger placement this spring. Visit our website to find out more and to apply.

The rangers do more than just drystone walling, honestly! But we couldn't not share this section of wall we have repaired at the Steel Rigg car park near Hadrian's Wall. After damage from a vehicle caused a section to fall, we arranged the stones before building it back up again.

Last week to apply for Northumberland National Park's Young Ranger Placement, for this spring. See our website for details and application form, link below. Good luck! Young volunteer ranger placements • Northumberland National Park

We are seeking multiple rangers to join our ranger team to preserve our fantastic National Park and one of the UK’s most iconic and historic national trails. For more information and to apply, visit the 'Jobs' page on our website.

Salix gracilistyla 'Melanostachys' - Black pussy willow. A striking willow species present in mix of catkins bursting into life in the Labarynth at Walltown Country Park. Can you find it there?