@featherbrainsue.bsky.social
@featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Botany, birds, butterflies - Berkshire rambles
Sir David Attenborough champions landmark Rothbury Appeal to raise £30m for nature and the nation www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/sir-dav...
Sir David Attenborough champions landmark Rothbury Appeal to raise £30m for nature and the nation | The Wildlife Trusts
Ambitious UK wildlife project will pioneer nature recovery alongside farming, recreation, education, tourism
www.wildlifetrusts.org
November 3, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Sir David Attenborough champions landmark Rothbury Appeal to raise £30m for nature and the nation www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/sir-dav...
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Whinchat, Wheatear and Woodlark were among the highlights of today's walk on Greenham Common with the Newbury District Ornithological Club.
It is a huge site so we only covered a small fraction of it.
A few of the group also saw Redstart but I didn't manage to get onto one.
#berksbirds #whinchat
It is a huge site so we only covered a small fraction of it.
A few of the group also saw Redstart but I didn't manage to get onto one.
#berksbirds #whinchat
August 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Whinchat, Wheatear and Woodlark were among the highlights of today's walk on Greenham Common with the Newbury District Ornithological Club.
It is a huge site so we only covered a small fraction of it.
A few of the group also saw Redstart but I didn't manage to get onto one.
#berksbirds #whinchat
It is a huge site so we only covered a small fraction of it.
A few of the group also saw Redstart but I didn't manage to get onto one.
#berksbirds #whinchat
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
You don't need to be a butterfly expert to get involved in the #BigButterflyCount 🦋🔎
Use our free identification guides for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help you.
Download them and take part here 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
Use our free identification guides for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help you.
Download them and take part here 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
July 18, 2025 at 10:01 AM
You don't need to be a butterfly expert to get involved in the #BigButterflyCount 🦋🔎
Use our free identification guides for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help you.
Download them and take part here 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
Use our free identification guides for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help you.
Download them and take part here 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Your annual reminder of how to tell Field Scabious, Knautia arvensis, and Small Scabious, Scabiosa columbaria, apart with a quick glance. Have a look under the flower heads. Field Scabious has a double row of leaf-like bracts, and Small Scabious has a single row of narrow, bristle-tipped bracts.
June 23, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Your annual reminder of how to tell Field Scabious, Knautia arvensis, and Small Scabious, Scabiosa columbaria, apart with a quick glance. Have a look under the flower heads. Field Scabious has a double row of leaf-like bracts, and Small Scabious has a single row of narrow, bristle-tipped bracts.
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Last week our good friend @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social launched his new book #UrbanPlants so we thought it would be a great theme for #WildflowerHour! Let’s celebrate our wild urban flowers for this week’s challenge! Share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm!
June 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Last week our good friend @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social launched his new book #UrbanPlants so we thought it would be a great theme for #WildflowerHour! Let’s celebrate our wild urban flowers for this week’s challenge! Share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm!
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Can you find a wild or naturalised (like the Crown Vetch pictured) member of the Pea Family? That’s the challenge this week from #WildflowerHour. Share your finds for the magic hour this Sunday 8-9pm. Hap(pea) flower hunting! 🫛😀
June 3, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Can you find a wild or naturalised (like the Crown Vetch pictured) member of the Pea Family? That’s the challenge this week from #WildflowerHour. Share your finds for the magic hour this Sunday 8-9pm. Hap(pea) flower hunting! 🫛😀
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
It’s that time of year when social media just seems to be full of gorgeous orchid pics! The challenge this week is to see if you can find one! Share your orchidaceous finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #OrchidChallenge. 📸 William Keble Martin
May 27, 2025 at 6:51 PM
It’s that time of year when social media just seems to be full of gorgeous orchid pics! The challenge this week is to see if you can find one! Share your orchidaceous finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #OrchidChallenge. 📸 William Keble Martin
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Campion, Chickweed, Ragged Robin, Sandwort, Stitchwort and Mouse-ear are just some of the lovely members of the Pink Family or Caryophyllaceae! Find one blooming for this week’s challenge & share for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #PinkFamily 🌸
May 15, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Campion, Chickweed, Ragged Robin, Sandwort, Stitchwort and Mouse-ear are just some of the lovely members of the Pink Family or Caryophyllaceae! Find one blooming for this week’s challenge & share for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #PinkFamily 🌸
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
The Blade, Reading has installed a webcam on their Peregrine nest box. The pair are currently incubating 4 eggs. www.thebladereading.com/bird-camera
#peregrine #rdguk #ukbirding #berksbirds
#peregrine #rdguk #ukbirding #berksbirds
The Blade Reading Bird Camera
View the live feed of the bird camera on the roof of The Blade Reading.
www.thebladereading.com
May 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM
The Blade, Reading has installed a webcam on their Peregrine nest box. The pair are currently incubating 4 eggs. www.thebladereading.com/bird-camera
#peregrine #rdguk #ukbirding #berksbirds
#peregrine #rdguk #ukbirding #berksbirds
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
A little fun for this week’s #Wildflowerhour challenge #HighUpPlants! This could be those intrepid wildflowers living it up where you wouldn’t expect to see them or species especially adapted to living at altitude. 🧗♀️ Share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm. Happy flower hunting!
May 1, 2025 at 8:15 AM
A little fun for this week’s #Wildflowerhour challenge #HighUpPlants! This could be those intrepid wildflowers living it up where you wouldn’t expect to see them or species especially adapted to living at altitude. 🧗♀️ Share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm. Happy flower hunting!
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Herb Paris at Bradfield Woods, the flower I most wanted to see! #WildflowerHour @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social
April 27, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Herb Paris at Bradfield Woods, the flower I most wanted to see! #WildflowerHour @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
A few #tinyplant sightings around the vineyard today - none more than a few mm across! Field madder; changing forget-me-not; spotted medick and wall speedwell #wildflowerhour
April 20, 2025 at 7:57 PM
A few #tinyplant sightings around the vineyard today - none more than a few mm across! Field madder; changing forget-me-not; spotted medick and wall speedwell #wildflowerhour
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Loving the #wildflowerhour #tinyplants theme - so many of them in close-grazed limestone grassland locally. Here's a set of tiny speedwells - from the minute-flowered Ivy-leaved and Wall, to slightly larger Thyme-leaved and a petite, intensely-blue Germander Speedwell.
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
April 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Loving the #wildflowerhour #tinyplants theme - so many of them in close-grazed limestone grassland locally. Here's a set of tiny speedwells - from the minute-flowered Ivy-leaved and Wall, to slightly larger Thyme-leaved and a petite, intensely-blue Germander Speedwell.
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Lots of Early Forget-me-not flowering now - one of the most perfect of #tinyplants, happy in very short limestone grassland, brownfield sites and wherever there's open, dry, infertile ground...
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
April 20, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Lots of Early Forget-me-not flowering now - one of the most perfect of #tinyplants, happy in very short limestone grassland, brownfield sites and wherever there's open, dry, infertile ground...
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
We can’t photograph every English Bluebell in our woodland as it would take years, but we will share some every day
Bluebell #11
This is Bert 🫠
The stem is still extending & over half the flowers are yet to open. Already an impressive sight
Bluebell #11
This is Bert 🫠
The stem is still extending & over half the flowers are yet to open. Already an impressive sight
April 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
We can’t photograph every English Bluebell in our woodland as it would take years, but we will share some every day
Bluebell #11
This is Bert 🫠
The stem is still extending & over half the flowers are yet to open. Already an impressive sight
Bluebell #11
This is Bert 🫠
The stem is still extending & over half the flowers are yet to open. Already an impressive sight
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Some of our #wildflowers are so incredibly minuscule they are very easy to miss! This week’s challenge is to get your specs 🤓 on & see if you find any #tinyplants in bloom. Share your finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm! Happy teeny flower spotting! 🧐🌸🌿
April 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Some of our #wildflowers are so incredibly minuscule they are very easy to miss! This week’s challenge is to get your specs 🤓 on & see if you find any #tinyplants in bloom. Share your finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm! Happy teeny flower spotting! 🧐🌸🌿
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
This is what roadside verges should look like in April. These are not weeds - they are wildflowers essential to the survival of early Spring bees.
April 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
This is what roadside verges should look like in April. These are not weeds - they are wildflowers essential to the survival of early Spring bees.
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Small-flowered Buttercup, Ranunculus parviflorus, in its usual corner of a #Cambridge P&R car park. #WildflowerHour
April 13, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Small-flowered Buttercup, Ranunculus parviflorus, in its usual corner of a #Cambridge P&R car park. #WildflowerHour
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
I never really think about oak trees having flowers but of course they do!
Male oak flowers, male sycamore & cherry plum. Lovely opportunity to look up for this week's #wildflowerhour #treeflowers
Male oak flowers, male sycamore & cherry plum. Lovely opportunity to look up for this week's #wildflowerhour #treeflowers
April 13, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I never really think about oak trees having flowers but of course they do!
Male oak flowers, male sycamore & cherry plum. Lovely opportunity to look up for this week's #wildflowerhour #treeflowers
Male oak flowers, male sycamore & cherry plum. Lovely opportunity to look up for this week's #wildflowerhour #treeflowers
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
A few of my finds from various walks this week for #WildFlowerHour, Woodruff, Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Bluebell, Ground-ivy, Cowslip and Colt’s-foot.
April 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A few of my finds from various walks this week for #WildFlowerHour, Woodruff, Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Bluebell, Ground-ivy, Cowslip and Colt’s-foot.
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Oops missed tonight's 8 o'clock deadline, but for @wildflowerhour.bsky.social, here's my offering: alkanet and water crowfoot with beautiful maple and wild cherry flowers today in Over Cambridgeshire @bsbibotany.bsky.social
April 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Oops missed tonight's 8 o'clock deadline, but for @wildflowerhour.bsky.social, here's my offering: alkanet and water crowfoot with beautiful maple and wild cherry flowers today in Over Cambridgeshire @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Sometimes when we are botanising we can forget to look up! Which would be a shame as #treeflowers are both fascinating & beautiful! This week’s challenge is to go looking for wild & naturalised trees that are blooming. Share your finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm!
April 10, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Sometimes when we are botanising we can forget to look up! Which would be a shame as #treeflowers are both fascinating & beautiful! This week’s challenge is to go looking for wild & naturalised trees that are blooming. Share your finds for #WildflowerHour this Sunday 8-9pm!
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
The sun makes everything lovelier doesn't it? Saw my first stitchwort and yellow archangel of the year. Also found a newt in my garden pond which was a huge hit with the kids 🦎🌱 #wildflowerhour
April 6, 2025 at 7:59 PM
The sun makes everything lovelier doesn't it? Saw my first stitchwort and yellow archangel of the year. Also found a newt in my garden pond which was a huge hit with the kids 🦎🌱 #wildflowerhour
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
#Wildflowerhour #WoodlandPlants Wood-sorrel, Oxalis acetosella in Wye Valley woodland near Monmouth.
April 6, 2025 at 6:47 PM
#Wildflowerhour #WoodlandPlants Wood-sorrel, Oxalis acetosella in Wye Valley woodland near Monmouth.
Reposted by @featherbrainsue.bsky.social
Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) looking mauve in the woodland shade.
#wildflowerhour
A food-plant for Orange-tip butterflies which were also on the wing today.
#wildflowerhour
A food-plant for Orange-tip butterflies which were also on the wing today.
April 6, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) looking mauve in the woodland shade.
#wildflowerhour
A food-plant for Orange-tip butterflies which were also on the wing today.
#wildflowerhour
A food-plant for Orange-tip butterflies which were also on the wing today.