Dr Anke Marsh
LightNews LightNews
banner
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Dr Anke Marsh
@ankemarsh.bsky.social
4.5K followers 3K following 2.5K posts
Palaeoecology, natural history, science, flora, fauna, microfossils. Researcher, writer, editor, photographer she/her

Also @lnhs.bsky.social for London based natural history
Posts Replies Media Videos
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Today’s BotD theme is least - the bird you’ve got the least captures of. The alt is rainy day birds. I’m doing one of each. The first is the one and only shot of a hobby, the second is a lesser scaup at London Wetlands not bothered by the raindrops

#LondonBirds #BirdOfTheDay #Birds
A photograph of a hobby against a clear sky. It’s a smaller bird of prey with mottled black and white wing feathers and a white face with black markings. A photograph of a lesser scaup on the water. His chest, neck and face are black, he has some grey wing feathers and white flanks. His eyes are golden-orange and his beak a steel grey. There are rain drops landing on the lake and he’s got some water droplets on his head.
November 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
hughharrop.bsky.social
Jack Snipe in typical habitat and in typical 'you cannot see me' pose. Amazing birds! Pic taken over the weekend here in Shetland.

#BirdingScotland #UKbirding #Birds #UKWildlife
November 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
zackpolanski.bsky.social
If this is true - this should have happened a long time ago.

The Green Party alongside campaigners have been calling for this - and it's good to see maybe they've finally listened.

Will reserve relief for all children being lifted out of poverty until we know it's happening.
pippacrerar.bsky.social Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 20h
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*

"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
November 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
susannashore.bsky.social
I spotted this on Mastodon and I find it horrible, not least for the speed with which this has happened.
A post on Mastodon by small cypress (@small_cypress@indieweb.social): As an art teacher I was worried AI would come up as an issue of "why should I learn how to draw when I can use AI instead." But the real issue is that my middle schoolers CONSTANTLY believe all art I show them is AI. Digital art. Photography. Oil paintings from the Western canon. "A human couldn't do that" Being convinced that humans can't make great art is kind of terrifying
November 4, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
cultarchaeo.bsky.social
We already see literally this *exact* same claim from adults engaged in pseudoarchaeological content - that humans could not have [done whatever they're focusing on]. I worry about how difficult education on the past will become as kids who believe this begin to take notice of adults in popular
1/
susannashore.bsky.social Susanna Shore, Author @susannashore.bsky.social · 7d
I spotted this on Mastodon and I find it horrible, not least for the speed with which this has happened.
A post on Mastodon by small cypress (@small_cypress@indieweb.social): As an art teacher I was worried AI would come up as an issue of "why should I learn how to draw when I can use AI instead." But the real issue is that my middle schoolers CONSTANTLY believe all art I show them is AI. Digital art. Photography. Oil paintings from the Western canon. "A human couldn't do that" Being convinced that humans can't make great art is kind of terrifying
November 10, 2025 at 4:50 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Look at this guy! Omg! 🥺🥺😍😍

#LondonBirds
mad7500.bsky.social Mark D Alexander @mad7500.bsky.social · 1d
It is surprising the amount of birds in the London Parks… literally 5 min walk from the hustle and bustle, peace tranquility and beautiful birds… met this fella… cheeky smile 😁 enjoy your evening 🍂🌳☀️👋
November 10, 2025 at 1:42 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Wow. This rain! Just waiting for Noah to show up with his ark 😳
November 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
I ❤️ London

#AutumnInLondon #London #CityScapes
A photo of St Paul’s dome peeking out over wharf side apartments on the Thames. A photo of Long Water at Hyde Park. This part is connected to the Serpentine. The water is very still and is reflecting the blue sky, clouds, and autumnal trees. A photograph shot from outside Buckingham palace. You can see the gold statue, various trees looking quite autumnal and Big Ben poking out in the distance. A photograph of Constitution Drive. A horse parade had been going through when there was a motorcade. All of the horses drew up onto the side as the cars drove past. One car had the Queen.
November 9, 2025 at 4:53 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
@romanpalace.bsky.social @durotrigesdig.bsky.social @clairemillington.bsky.social have you seen this?

itiner-e.org
November 9, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
chriso-wiki.bsky.social
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
terrymatz.bsky.social
X-rays were discovered on this day November 8 in 1895, by physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, allowing us to see inside the human body.
🧶 This free knitting pattern for X-Ray Mittens or Gloves designed by Marjukka Vuorisalo is on my fun handwear post
intheloopknitting.com/fun-mitten-a...
An X-ray picture of a human hand showing the skeleton of the human hand. On top of the X-ray are a mitten with a detailed design of the bones in the hand and glove with the same design. Knit by Marjukka Vuorisalo.
November 8, 2025 at 4:15 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
“Nothing I have seen or heard gives me comfort that Rachel Reeves understands the importance of nature to economic and social wellbeing, nothing.” (Sally Hayns, CEO Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management)

Why I joined the Green Party.

#Greens #DefendNature
jeff14.bsky.social jeff hunt#FBPE 🇪🇺 @jeff14.bsky.social · 2d
www.theguardian
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has also recorded many meetings with developers including Vistry, Berkeley, Barratt, and Taylor Wimpey. He has recorded 16 meetings up to May this year with property developers, on housing supply and planning reform.
Developers met ministers dozens of times over planning bill while ecologists were shut out
Exclusive: Leading ecologists say warnings over threat to wildlife have been ignored in drive to build 1.5m new homes
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:46 AM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
London from Battersea power station

#BlueskyArtShow #Evening
A photograph of the London cityscape at night. It was taken from the top of the Battersea Power station looking east. It shows the Thames in the middle, with some tall building in the distance. The whole area is lot up by buildings, houses, boats. All the lights from the city are lighting up the sky above.
November 9, 2025 at 12:46 AM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
This #HolidayRobin is giving serious side eye…

#Birds #LondonBirds #Robins #BirdPhotography
A photograph of a robin perched on a branch. He is facing forward but has his heads turned to the right. His belly is a light grey, the top of his head is grey-brown. His chest and face are a vivid orange.
November 9, 2025 at 12:30 AM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
This may well be the cutest thing you see all week 😍😍
bpaulan.bsky.social Bev Paulan @bpaulan.bsky.social · 2d
Wood ducks are cavity nesters and frequently use nest boxes. After the ducklings hatch, the next day, after the female ensures it is safe, the ducklings jump out of the box to start their adventurous life. Photos taken in my yard. #Birdoftheday theme #takeoff 🪶
A brown duck with iridescent green wing bars & a white eye ring, flies to the right of the frame after leaving her nest box which is on the left of the frame A small, fuzxy brown & yellow duckling leaps free of its nest box. It is in a front down, horizontal posture with little wing nubs sticking straight out
November 9, 2025 at 12:14 AM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
BotD is takeoffs, alternative cityslickers (birds in an urban context). Today I’ve got a barn swallow taking off from the roof, a blue tit taking off from its nest and a starling at Borough Market, London (although all birds shot in London!)

#BirdOfTheDay #Birds #LondonBirds
A photo of a swallow diving down of the top of a roof. The building is a bronco on with roof tiles. The swallow is streamlined as it dives down. It is blue on top with blue wings, a white abdomen and some red under its head. A photograph of a blue tit exiting its tree hole nest. It’s a small hole in an oak. The blue tit is flying out, wings spread, legs still dangling. It has something in its mouth. It has a yellow belly, blue wings and top of head, white cheeks and black stripes across its eyes. A photograph of a starling sitting on a metal beam, high up near the roof. The beam is get and there is a white shelf behind with boxes. There is bird poop on the boxes. The staking is dark with lots of white dots. It’s looking to the right and a bit annoyed.
November 8, 2025 at 11:57 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Well, that was unsettling 😳

Have a read (link in post below)!
dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 4d
I've TWO of these beautiful 'Witch & Hare' original linocuts by my mum, Jo, to give away to my Bluesky followers. The print is from my recently republished book, Help The Witch.

All you have to do to enter is repost this story from the book (maybe give it a read too?) www.tom-cox.com/robot-2/
Witch, hare and herbs linocut by my mum. My book Help The Witch
November 7, 2025 at 10:17 AM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Check your settings so that you’re in control of what you see…

Useful advice here 👇👇
astridoverthere.bsky.social I said abolish and I fucking meant it @astridoverthere.bsky.social · 4d
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.

Here's how to turn it off.

First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Screenshot of the top of a Bsky feed, with a red circle around the hamburger menu in the top left.
November 6, 2025 at 11:55 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
So many zeroes, may calculator just said ‘nah’

I have never and will never subsidise this man, because he is a fascist and because no one should ever be this rich
apnews.com The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4d
The world’s richest man was just handed a chance to become history’s first trillionaire. Elon Musk won a shareholder vote on Thursday that would give the Tesla CEO stock worth $1 trillion if he hits certain performance targets over the next decade.
Musk could become history's first trillionaire as Tesla shareholders approve giant pay package
The world’s richest man was just handed a chance to become history’s first trillionaire. Elon Musk won a shareholder vote on Thursday that would give the Tesla CEO stock worth $1 trillion if he hits certain performance targets over the next decade.
bit.ly
November 6, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
coldwarsteve.bsky.social
Even I thought this was one of mine!
lincolnproject.us The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 4d
This picture is worth 1,000 words.
November 6, 2025 at 8:51 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
BotD theme is lunchtime! I’ve posted this one before but today it’s perfect! 🤣

#BirdOfTheDay #Ducks #Wetlands #Birds #LondonBirds #BirdPhotography
A photograph of a tufted duck on a lake. The duck is mottled brown. He has a dark beak that is wide open and full of algae and a fish, with the algae pouring out into the lake. Yum yum.
November 6, 2025 at 9:41 PM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Walking back from the shop and I see some movement on the pavement. It was this beautiful, not so wee beastie, on her back! I got her onto my hand and moved her to a much safer spot.

Araneus quadratus, 4 spot orb weaver

#Spiders #Arachnids #Invertebrates #LondonWildlife
A photograph of a spider on my hand. She has a very large, round orange abdomen, stripy brown and white legs. She is fairly large and chonky. And gorgeous.
November 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
bsbibotany.bsky.social
New #GBRedList for vascular plants is published today by a team led by @bsbibotany.bsky.social with partners @naturalengland.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social @natreswales.bsky.social @nhm-london.bsky.social @plantlifeintl.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social @thebotanics.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 9:21 AM
ankemarsh.bsky.social
Zohran Mamdani, mayor of NYC!!!

He ran on policies to help people

He did not throw anyone under the bus, including our trans sisters and brothers

He ran on politics of HOPE, not hate

This is the future.

Immigrants. We get the job done

#Mamdani #PoliticsOfHope
November 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Dr Anke Marsh
thegodpodcast.com
Hi, I’m God.

Jesus and I agree that starving the poor so you can build yourself golden bathrooms and golden ballrooms is evil. Anyone who does that shall burn for eternity. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Thanks,

God
November 4, 2025 at 10:09 PM