Jon Dunn
@dunnjons.bsky.social
Nature writer, photographer, tour leader. FLS.
BSBI Shetland county recorder
Author for Basic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Hachette, Princeton University Press
Rep’d: Peters, Fraser & Dunlop
www.jondunn.com
BSBI Shetland county recorder
Author for Basic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Hachette, Princeton University Press
Rep’d: Peters, Fraser & Dunlop
www.jondunn.com
Pinned
Jon Dunn
@dunnjons.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Blimey. There's suddenly a LOT more people here. Hello! For those who weren't on the bird site and don't already know, amongst other things, I write stuff, and with Christmas coming up, maybe a joyful book about orchids, or one about hummingbirds, might be a colourful antidote to winter and Now?
Reposted by Jon Dunn
...and, of course, like all of our orchid holidays, this one generates a donation to @bsbibotany.bsky.social. From our very first orchid tour, we've donated to support the superb, proactive conservation research and work BSBI, its staff, and its generous volunteers perform every single year. (3/3)
November 13, 2025 at 8:32 AM
...and, of course, like all of our orchid holidays, this one generates a donation to @bsbibotany.bsky.social. From our very first orchid tour, we've donated to support the superb, proactive conservation research and work BSBI, its staff, and its generous volunteers perform every single year. (3/3)
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Sardinia, known as the jewel of the Mediterranean, is home to a jewel-box of #orchids, with a marvellous array including endemic and near-endemic species. Places remain available to join Michele Viganò there next April - the tour's a guaranteed departure... (2/3)
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
November 13, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Sardinia, known as the jewel of the Mediterranean, is home to a jewel-box of #orchids, with a marvellous array including endemic and near-endemic species. Places remain available to join Michele Viganò there next April - the tour's a guaranteed departure... (2/3)
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Orchid tour update. 🚨
As of this morning, Late Spring Orchids of Sicily is now fully booked next year, joining Orchids of the Gargano in that status, and just leaving Orchids of Sardinia as our only Italian orchid tour with remaining 2026 availability... (1/3)
@bsbibotany.bsky.social #orchids
As of this morning, Late Spring Orchids of Sicily is now fully booked next year, joining Orchids of the Gargano in that status, and just leaving Orchids of Sardinia as our only Italian orchid tour with remaining 2026 availability... (1/3)
@bsbibotany.bsky.social #orchids
November 13, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Orchid tour update. 🚨
As of this morning, Late Spring Orchids of Sicily is now fully booked next year, joining Orchids of the Gargano in that status, and just leaving Orchids of Sardinia as our only Italian orchid tour with remaining 2026 availability... (1/3)
@bsbibotany.bsky.social #orchids
As of this morning, Late Spring Orchids of Sicily is now fully booked next year, joining Orchids of the Gargano in that status, and just leaving Orchids of Sardinia as our only Italian orchid tour with remaining 2026 availability... (1/3)
@bsbibotany.bsky.social #orchids
Reposted by Jon Dunn
My response to finding jewels such as these is always pretty emotional. 💎 It is a privilege to be guided on these voyages of discovery by leaders with such love, knowledge and expertise. Thank you! #mariposanaturetours 🤩
November 11, 2025 at 12:49 PM
My response to finding jewels such as these is always pretty emotional. 💎 It is a privilege to be guided on these voyages of discovery by leaders with such love, knowledge and expertise. Thank you! #mariposanaturetours 🤩
Part of the joy of working with European #orchids is seeing the reaction they elicit, whether in person from my @mariposanature.bsky.social guests or here online. It's so satisfying to see how they touch something in people. I'm currently writing about that emotional response for a new book.
November 11, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Part of the joy of working with European #orchids is seeing the reaction they elicit, whether in person from my @mariposanature.bsky.social guests or here online. It's so satisfying to see how they touch something in people. I'm currently writing about that emotional response for a new book.
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Running 30 April - 7 May 2026, just 1 place remains available to join this perennially popular tour.
And, of course, like ALL our butterfly tours, it generates a donation to support the great conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social. (2/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
And, of course, like ALL our butterfly tours, it generates a donation to support the great conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social. (2/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
November 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Running 30 April - 7 May 2026, just 1 place remains available to join this perennially popular tour.
And, of course, like ALL our butterfly tours, it generates a donation to support the great conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social. (2/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
And, of course, like ALL our butterfly tours, it generates a donation to support the great conservation work of @europebutterfly.bsky.social. (2/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Good morning and welcome to a new week!
Our featured Spanish tour of the week is Spring Butterflies of Andalusia - a chance to enjoy a mouth-watering array of special butterflies rare or absent elsewhere in Europe. (1/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
@europebutterfly.bsky.social
Our featured Spanish tour of the week is Spring Butterflies of Andalusia - a chance to enjoy a mouth-watering array of special butterflies rare or absent elsewhere in Europe. (1/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
@europebutterfly.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Good morning and welcome to a new week!
Our featured Spanish tour of the week is Spring Butterflies of Andalusia - a chance to enjoy a mouth-watering array of special butterflies rare or absent elsewhere in Europe. (1/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
@europebutterfly.bsky.social
Our featured Spanish tour of the week is Spring Butterflies of Andalusia - a chance to enjoy a mouth-watering array of special butterflies rare or absent elsewhere in Europe. (1/2)
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
@europebutterfly.bsky.social
Reposted by Jon Dunn
the combination of 'amazing Mark Duffell' & etymology set me off down a rabbit hole that turned into a warren! Weasel scented: all mustelids are stinky, this one likened to rancid garlic x tomcat spray. Ancient Greek for weasel is galê (γαλέη). Myrica gale OTOH, is from Gagel, its German vernacular
Over the winter, our Northern Ireland Botanical Skills Project is running a series of webinars on Tuesday evenings. This week we had the amazing Mark Duffell explaining the etymology of scientific names.
Who knew that 'galeobdolon', the specific name of Yellow Archangel, means weasel-scented?
Who knew that 'galeobdolon', the specific name of Yellow Archangel, means weasel-scented?
November 9, 2025 at 12:38 PM
the combination of 'amazing Mark Duffell' & etymology set me off down a rabbit hole that turned into a warren! Weasel scented: all mustelids are stinky, this one likened to rancid garlic x tomcat spray. Ancient Greek for weasel is galê (γαλέη). Myrica gale OTOH, is from Gagel, its German vernacular
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Boom! All the 'red-tailed shrikes' done in Suffolk this year with Isabelline Shrike at N Warren this afternoon. Made sweeter as it is a grip back for me too, having missed the previous birds. No matter what anyone says to me, I can't see such pale birds not being isabellinus
November 9, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Boom! All the 'red-tailed shrikes' done in Suffolk this year with Isabelline Shrike at N Warren this afternoon. Made sweeter as it is a grip back for me too, having missed the previous birds. No matter what anyone says to me, I can't see such pale birds not being isabellinus
Reposted by Jon Dunn
My great-grandad was a piano tuner from Huddersfield. He was conscripted into the army during the First World War, and had an awful time. After I found out a bit about what he went through, I wrote a short story. I thought today might be a good day to share it. richarddsmyth.com/2025/11/09/n...
New short story: ‘FP Number Two’
The sky shivers with fever and there are devils on the roofs of the public houses.
richarddsmyth.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:56 AM
My great-grandad was a piano tuner from Huddersfield. He was conscripted into the army during the First World War, and had an awful time. After I found out a bit about what he went through, I wrote a short story. I thought today might be a good day to share it. richarddsmyth.com/2025/11/09/n...
Ophrys lindia and Ophrys eptapigiensis from this year's @mariposanature.bsky.social Orchids of Rhodes tour that, as usual, I co-led with my good friend @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social. Just two of the many rarities we saw that week - we know the island's secret places and hidden taxa treasures intimately.
November 9, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Ophrys lindia and Ophrys eptapigiensis from this year's @mariposanature.bsky.social Orchids of Rhodes tour that, as usual, I co-led with my good friend @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social. Just two of the many rarities we saw that week - we know the island's secret places and hidden taxa treasures intimately.
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Update on our featured tour of the week, Spring Butterflies of Central & Northern Spain - as of this afternoon, it's now got just 4 places left available.
Running 16-23 April, generating a donation to @europebutterfly.bsky.social, catch it while you can!
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
Running 16-23 April, generating a donation to @europebutterfly.bsky.social, catch it while you can!
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
November 8, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Update on our featured tour of the week, Spring Butterflies of Central & Northern Spain - as of this afternoon, it's now got just 4 places left available.
Running 16-23 April, generating a donation to @europebutterfly.bsky.social, catch it while you can!
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
Running 16-23 April, generating a donation to @europebutterfly.bsky.social, catch it while you can!
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Still undersided?
Our 2026 Spanish butterfly tours are filling fast. All of them benefit from a £150 early bird discount if booked before 1 Dec 2025, and all generate a donation to support @europebutterfly.bsky.social.
Tours all to see on the calendar on our website:
mariposanature.com/calendar
Our 2026 Spanish butterfly tours are filling fast. All of them benefit from a £150 early bird discount if booked before 1 Dec 2025, and all generate a donation to support @europebutterfly.bsky.social.
Tours all to see on the calendar on our website:
mariposanature.com/calendar
November 8, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Still undersided?
Our 2026 Spanish butterfly tours are filling fast. All of them benefit from a £150 early bird discount if booked before 1 Dec 2025, and all generate a donation to support @europebutterfly.bsky.social.
Tours all to see on the calendar on our website:
mariposanature.com/calendar
Our 2026 Spanish butterfly tours are filling fast. All of them benefit from a £150 early bird discount if booked before 1 Dec 2025, and all generate a donation to support @europebutterfly.bsky.social.
Tours all to see on the calendar on our website:
mariposanature.com/calendar
Meanwhile, this coming January, I've the Up Helly Aa winter tour I co-lead here in Shetland for Shetland Nature with my good pal Kate to look forward to. There are still some places available if you fancy a wild and wintery #Shetland adventure with us.
www.shetlandnature.net/holidays/she...
www.shetlandnature.net/holidays/she...
November 7, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Meanwhile, this coming January, I've the Up Helly Aa winter tour I co-lead here in Shetland for Shetland Nature with my good pal Kate to look forward to. There are still some places available if you fancy a wild and wintery #Shetland adventure with us.
www.shetlandnature.net/holidays/she...
www.shetlandnature.net/holidays/she...
A break from writing today for a short local walk near my Shetland home - hoping for a decent late migrant bird, Woodcock the best I could manage. But delighted to find Smoky Spindles, a fine grassland coral fungus, the first time I’ve seen this on the isle.
#FungusFriday
#FungusFriday
November 7, 2025 at 3:27 PM
A break from writing today for a short local walk near my Shetland home - hoping for a decent late migrant bird, Woodcock the best I could manage. But delighted to find Smoky Spindles, a fine grassland coral fungus, the first time I’ve seen this on the isle.
#FungusFriday
#FungusFriday
Am seriously excited at the prospect of joining my @mariposanature.bsky.social co-leader, János Oláh, in August 2026 for the Romania Mammal tour operated by his superb company, Saker Tour. A few places remain available to join us...
sakertour.com/mammal-watch...
sakertour.com/mammal-watch...
November 7, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Am seriously excited at the prospect of joining my @mariposanature.bsky.social co-leader, János Oláh, in August 2026 for the Romania Mammal tour operated by his superb company, Saker Tour. A few places remain available to join us...
sakertour.com/mammal-watch...
sakertour.com/mammal-watch...
Reposted by Jon Dunn
It's #FrohawkFriday, the day we celebrate the butterfly studies & artwork of FW Frohawk.
This week features Small Copper, a feisty little creature that could pick a fight in an empty room. IRL it settles for defending its territory against all airborne insects, chasing all away.
#butterflies
This week features Small Copper, a feisty little creature that could pick a fight in an empty room. IRL it settles for defending its territory against all airborne insects, chasing all away.
#butterflies
November 7, 2025 at 8:22 AM
It's #FrohawkFriday, the day we celebrate the butterfly studies & artwork of FW Frohawk.
This week features Small Copper, a feisty little creature that could pick a fight in an empty room. IRL it settles for defending its territory against all airborne insects, chasing all away.
#butterflies
This week features Small Copper, a feisty little creature that could pick a fight in an empty room. IRL it settles for defending its territory against all airborne insects, chasing all away.
#butterflies
Did I just see a Common Crane fly over on Celebrity Traitors? 🧐
November 6, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Did I just see a Common Crane fly over on Celebrity Traitors? 🧐
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Well that was pretty darned awesome. BABAKINA!!!
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/11/chas...
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/11/chas...
November 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Well that was pretty darned awesome. BABAKINA!!!
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/11/chas...
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/11/chas...
When it comes to #orchids, Rhodes really is the island that keeps on giving. There are dozens of Ophrys bee orchid species to be seen there, and the variation within some of those is considerable. Here are a few Ophrys reinholdii from recent years. I find them seriously addictive!
November 6, 2025 at 11:39 AM
When it comes to #orchids, Rhodes really is the island that keeps on giving. There are dozens of Ophrys bee orchid species to be seen there, and the variation within some of those is considerable. Here are a few Ophrys reinholdii from recent years. I find them seriously addictive!
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Someone should write a novel about this. www.amazon.co.uk/Woodcock-Ric...
November 5, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Someone should write a novel about this. www.amazon.co.uk/Woodcock-Ric...
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Many of our butterfly tours, like this week's featured tour of the week, Spring Butterflies of Central & Northern Spain, also encounter #orchids. Always a happy find, nobody's day was ever made worse by seeing one of these beauties!
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
November 5, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Many of our butterfly tours, like this week's featured tour of the week, Spring Butterflies of Central & Northern Spain, also encounter #orchids. Always a happy find, nobody's day was ever made worse by seeing one of these beauties!
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
mariposanature.com/tours/butter...
Reposted by Jon Dunn
Cymbidium sauve (Grass-leaf Cymbidium / snake orchid) at Corunna, NSW. Wasn't sure there would be a lot of flowers out this year with very little rain at home recently - but 2 of the 3 plants on the road in are looking great (despite being munched a little by some of the smaller locals!) #orchids
November 5, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Cymbidium sauve (Grass-leaf Cymbidium / snake orchid) at Corunna, NSW. Wasn't sure there would be a lot of flowers out this year with very little rain at home recently - but 2 of the 3 plants on the road in are looking great (despite being munched a little by some of the smaller locals!) #orchids
Reposted by Jon Dunn
An update to the update...
Our Orchids of Rhodes tour for 2027, the ultimate exploration of the island's #orchids with two of Europe's keenest orchid-hunters, is now half full!
Six places remain to book to join us, but we don't anticipate those remaining available for long...
Our Orchids of Rhodes tour for 2027, the ultimate exploration of the island's #orchids with two of Europe's keenest orchid-hunters, is now half full!
Six places remain to book to join us, but we don't anticipate those remaining available for long...
Finally, our flagship Orchids of Rhodes tour in 2026 has been fully booked for 6 months now.
🌼 However, Orchids of Rhodes 2027 is available to book, and is already nearly half full.
We're proud to be the first choice for orchid-hunting holidays. (3/3) #orchids
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
🌼 However, Orchids of Rhodes 2027 is available to book, and is already nearly half full.
We're proud to be the first choice for orchid-hunting holidays. (3/3) #orchids
mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
November 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM
An update to the update...
Our Orchids of Rhodes tour for 2027, the ultimate exploration of the island's #orchids with two of Europe's keenest orchid-hunters, is now half full!
Six places remain to book to join us, but we don't anticipate those remaining available for long...
Our Orchids of Rhodes tour for 2027, the ultimate exploration of the island's #orchids with two of Europe's keenest orchid-hunters, is now half full!
Six places remain to book to join us, but we don't anticipate those remaining available for long...