Julia Sier
@juliasier.bsky.social
Tree nursery assistant. Conservation grower for local projects. Volunteer, rare plants, dormice, butterflies & pine martens. Phone photography. Cumbria.
An excellent morning spent peering into ditches with @edenriverstrust.bsky.social, learning all about how to spot water vole field signs. The best sort of treasure hunt, and a new poo to add to my spotters list.
September 2, 2025 at 7:53 PM
An excellent morning spent peering into ditches with @edenriverstrust.bsky.social, learning all about how to spot water vole field signs. The best sort of treasure hunt, and a new poo to add to my spotters list.
The Lakes most photographed jetty? Passing by on my way to do some monitoring work, it would have been rude not to stop to take a quick snap. The quiet before the Bank holiday.
August 22, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The Lakes most photographed jetty? Passing by on my way to do some monitoring work, it would have been rude not to stop to take a quick snap. The quiet before the Bank holiday.
#Jagged silhouette of hawthorn, Farleton knott, for #BlueSkyArtShow. Searching for a photo, more memories jogged, this one conjuring up picnics and yellowhammers.
August 9, 2025 at 8:33 PM
#Jagged silhouette of hawthorn, Farleton knott, for #BlueSkyArtShow. Searching for a photo, more memories jogged, this one conjuring up picnics and yellowhammers.
Out and about, doing my favourite sort of job, camera trap checking, in my favourite sort of places, the scruffy wilder edges of the Lakes. Despite the busy August traffic, once out of my car, I didn't see a soul on my excursions. But I did meet a Dor beetle.
August 8, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Out and about, doing my favourite sort of job, camera trap checking, in my favourite sort of places, the scruffy wilder edges of the Lakes. Despite the busy August traffic, once out of my car, I didn't see a soul on my excursions. But I did meet a Dor beetle.
My kind of shopping. The trackside Melancholy thistles have been drawing in the Hummingbird hawk-moths and now they're drawing in the finches. Thought we better collect a few before they clear the lot. Seed equals more plants, equals more finches.
July 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
My kind of shopping. The trackside Melancholy thistles have been drawing in the Hummingbird hawk-moths and now they're drawing in the finches. Thought we better collect a few before they clear the lot. Seed equals more plants, equals more finches.
Harebells at their best now, especially when decorated with raindrops, the extra weight not quite sufficient to keep them still enough for a sharp shot. Running fitness making slow progress, so more photos taken on the way up than on the way down.
July 29, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Harebells at their best now, especially when decorated with raindrops, the extra weight not quite sufficient to keep them still enough for a sharp shot. Running fitness making slow progress, so more photos taken on the way up than on the way down.
How's about a Beltie in the snow? #BlueSkyArtShow #Alternating. Must be art, surely?
July 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
How's about a Beltie in the snow? #BlueSkyArtShow #Alternating. Must be art, surely?
#Alternating candy stripes of Mouse ear hawkweed for #BlueSkyArtShow.
July 26, 2025 at 9:22 PM
#Alternating candy stripes of Mouse ear hawkweed for #BlueSkyArtShow.
Busy volunteer day at work. Funny how the conversation goes at lunchtime, don't know where it started but somewhere in the middle it went quizes, flags, grass of parnassus, what do they look like? No need for Google as handily the first nursery flower of the year was out!
July 24, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Busy volunteer day at work. Funny how the conversation goes at lunchtime, don't know where it started but somewhere in the middle it went quizes, flags, grass of parnassus, what do they look like? No need for Google as handily the first nursery flower of the year was out!
Perks of the job. These cherry plum trees line the drive up to Naddle farm, apparently planted many years ago by someone who liked Bullfinches. This year there are enough to go around every man, bullfinch and his dog. Very tasty!
July 23, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Perks of the job. These cherry plum trees line the drive up to Naddle farm, apparently planted many years ago by someone who liked Bullfinches. This year there are enough to go around every man, bullfinch and his dog. Very tasty!
Rock garden, limestone and wild thyme, Arnside knott. Stopping to admire the flowers and catch my breath as I try to get my legs used to running again.
July 22, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Rock garden, limestone and wild thyme, Arnside knott. Stopping to admire the flowers and catch my breath as I try to get my legs used to running again.
Contrasting colours of my day. Ominous shades of grey in the rumbling clouds above the old barn roof, across from the potting shed where we sheltered from the rain. And the drive side lavender, bathed in sunshine and bedecked with bumblebees as I arrived home.
July 21, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Contrasting colours of my day. Ominous shades of grey in the rumbling clouds above the old barn roof, across from the potting shed where we sheltered from the rain. And the drive side lavender, bathed in sunshine and bedecked with bumblebees as I arrived home.
Carline thistle, Carlina vulgaris, if not quite as fresh as a daisy, then looking as fresh as a Carline thistle ever looks! Bringing in the bees on Whitbarrow today. #WildflowerHour
July 20, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Carline thistle, Carlina vulgaris, if not quite as fresh as a daisy, then looking as fresh as a Carline thistle ever looks! Bringing in the bees on Whitbarrow today. #WildflowerHour
A pink peppering of Small scabious, Scabiosa columbaria, across the limestone pavements of Whitbarrow today. Also photographed whilst hanging around, waiting for fritillaries. Not a bad spot for it. #WildflowerHour
July 20, 2025 at 7:30 PM
A pink peppering of Small scabious, Scabiosa columbaria, across the limestone pavements of Whitbarrow today. Also photographed whilst hanging around, waiting for fritillaries. Not a bad spot for it. #WildflowerHour
I missed the Harebell memo for #WildflowerHour, but as it's one of my favourite flowers, I happened to photograph this one earlier in the week, whilst patiently waiting for fritillary butterflies to pass by. #Harebellchallenge
July 20, 2025 at 7:24 PM
I missed the Harebell memo for #WildflowerHour, but as it's one of my favourite flowers, I happened to photograph this one earlier in the week, whilst patiently waiting for fritillary butterflies to pass by. #Harebellchallenge
Something a little more picturesque from Whitbarrow. I dream that one day I will have a garden that looks a little bit like this. But maybe nature does it best.
July 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Something a little more picturesque from Whitbarrow. I dream that one day I will have a garden that looks a little bit like this. But maybe nature does it best.
Whitbarrow jackpot! Maybe not such good news for the Primrose (one we planted earlier, which will recover) but an excellent find for a butterfly enthusiast like myself. The telltale feeding damage from a Duke of Burgundy butterfly caterpillar. This one was obviously a particularly hungry caterpillar
July 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Whitbarrow jackpot! Maybe not such good news for the Primrose (one we planted earlier, which will recover) but an excellent find for a butterfly enthusiast like myself. The telltale feeding damage from a Duke of Burgundy butterfly caterpillar. This one was obviously a particularly hungry caterpillar
I enjoy looking through old photos for #BlueSkyArtShow. Do these feather droplets fall into the #Smooth category?
July 19, 2025 at 8:05 PM
I enjoy looking through old photos for #BlueSkyArtShow. Do these feather droplets fall into the #Smooth category?
Edinburgh cobbles for #BlueSkyArtShow #Smooth
July 19, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Edinburgh cobbles for #BlueSkyArtShow #Smooth
I passed! This was a case of unfinished business as I started a similar course in my twenties, but due to a change of circumstance was unable to finish it & I always regretted it. Seems the considerably older brain cells are still working. (Thought I'd failed!)
July 19, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I passed! This was a case of unfinished business as I started a similar course in my twenties, but due to a change of circumstance was unable to finish it & I always regretted it. Seems the considerably older brain cells are still working. (Thought I'd failed!)
Finished the week as I began, soggy-footed from carrying out wet grassland surveys. A good year for butterflies, horseflies & insects of all sorts, the House martens making the most of the glut, whizzing about me in large numbers, just inches above the sward. Unexpected bird of the day, a peacock!
July 18, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Finished the week as I began, soggy-footed from carrying out wet grassland surveys. A good year for butterflies, horseflies & insects of all sorts, the House martens making the most of the glut, whizzing about me in large numbers, just inches above the sward. Unexpected bird of the day, a peacock!
Today's work took me to the scrubby, wild edges of the Lakes where Yellowhammers still sing, Gatekeepers flit through the long grass and young buzzards wheel overhead.
July 16, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Today's work took me to the scrubby, wild edges of the Lakes where Yellowhammers still sing, Gatekeepers flit through the long grass and young buzzards wheel overhead.
Warmth plus water equals an explosion of flowers in the Haweswater polytunnel. Angelica, loosestrife plus supersized great burnet. Thankfully cooler today.
July 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Warmth plus water equals an explosion of flowers in the Haweswater polytunnel. Angelica, loosestrife plus supersized great burnet. Thankfully cooler today.
Trees in fields, great for livestock, great for ecologists! Sheltered under this fine oak for some welcome respite from the sun, and 100 million horse flies, whilst out doing grassland surveys today. Bonus close encounter with a kingfisher as I cooled off in a nearby burn. What a scorcher ☀️!
July 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Trees in fields, great for livestock, great for ecologists! Sheltered under this fine oak for some welcome respite from the sun, and 100 million horse flies, whilst out doing grassland surveys today. Bonus close encounter with a kingfisher as I cooled off in a nearby burn. What a scorcher ☀️!