Miles King
@milesking.bsky.social
Now at tail end of a long career in UK Nature Conservation - nature reserves, SSSIs, policy work, lots of reports - and 10+ years of blogging. Currently run @poundburynatureproject. Cellist. Living with chronic vestibular migraine. Personal account.
Anyone who thinks sidling up to a jewish schoolboy and singing "gas 'em all" ... is "banter" or not meant to "hurt anybody" is either a liar or a sociopath. Or both.
November 26, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Anyone who thinks sidling up to a jewish schoolboy and singing "gas 'em all" ... is "banter" or not meant to "hurt anybody" is either a liar or a sociopath. Or both.
Most recent figures indicate we produce 65% of the food we consume, & 77% of indigenous foods - the ones we can grow here. Those headline figures hide a massive elephant in the room - for fruit, self sufficiency is only 17%, for veg (ex potatoes) it's 54%. Figures are much higher for cereals 2/x
November 23, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Most recent figures indicate we produce 65% of the food we consume, & 77% of indigenous foods - the ones we can grow here. Those headline figures hide a massive elephant in the room - for fruit, self sufficiency is only 17%, for veg (ex potatoes) it's 54%. Figures are much higher for cereals 2/x
As the clock runs down until Wednesday's budget, the farming and landowning sectors are once again working themselves up into a lather over the already announced changes to Inheritance Tax exemptions for agricultural property and businesses; claims of a collapse in food production at the fore 🧵1/x
November 23, 2025 at 11:18 AM
As the clock runs down until Wednesday's budget, the farming and landowning sectors are once again working themselves up into a lather over the already announced changes to Inheritance Tax exemptions for agricultural property and businesses; claims of a collapse in food production at the fore 🧵1/x
New? This Farage fash stuff has been known about and in the public domain for a long time. Crick's biography came out in 2022, but Crick was reporting about Farage's extreme views as a school boy since 2013.
November 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
New? This Farage fash stuff has been known about and in the public domain for a long time. Crick's biography came out in 2022, but Crick was reporting about Farage's extreme views as a school boy since 2013.
Is this yellow crust on the surface of my cactus’ soil the sclerotia of Leucocoprinus birnbaumii and if so will it harm the cactus? Thanks.
November 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Is this yellow crust on the surface of my cactus’ soil the sclerotia of Leucocoprinus birnbaumii and if so will it harm the cactus? Thanks.
For #wildflowerhour Field Pennycress found on disturbed ground in the bit of Poundbury they are still building, & Common Ramping fumitory. In amongst a nice array of arable weeds - what would have previously been fallow land. Apologies for the out of focus flowers! I was focussing on the “pennies”.
November 16, 2025 at 8:16 PM
For #wildflowerhour Field Pennycress found on disturbed ground in the bit of Poundbury they are still building, & Common Ramping fumitory. In amongst a nice array of arable weeds - what would have previously been fallow land. Apologies for the out of focus flowers! I was focussing on the “pennies”.
Dropped the teapot lid yesterday which broke. Superglue do your work.
Memories of making many plastic model kits and being covered in glue. Already managed to superglue the phone to the newspaper but fortunately realised in time. More or less!
Memories of making many plastic model kits and being covered in glue. Already managed to superglue the phone to the newspaper but fortunately realised in time. More or less!
November 14, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Dropped the teapot lid yesterday which broke. Superglue do your work.
Memories of making many plastic model kits and being covered in glue. Already managed to superglue the phone to the newspaper but fortunately realised in time. More or less!
Memories of making many plastic model kits and being covered in glue. Already managed to superglue the phone to the newspaper but fortunately realised in time. More or less!
Serious concerns were raised when Tory stooge Robbie Gibb (whose brother was a Tory minister duh) was appointed to the BBC board in 2021.
Do politicians, their SPADs and staff not bother to read beyond the headlines? I thought it was their job to know what was going on....
Do politicians, their SPADs and staff not bother to read beyond the headlines? I thought it was their job to know what was going on....
November 14, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Serious concerns were raised when Tory stooge Robbie Gibb (whose brother was a Tory minister duh) was appointed to the BBC board in 2021.
Do politicians, their SPADs and staff not bother to read beyond the headlines? I thought it was their job to know what was going on....
Do politicians, their SPADs and staff not bother to read beyond the headlines? I thought it was their job to know what was going on....
Cold weather still projected for next week
November 14, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Cold weather still projected for next week
Unseasonably warm today, up to 17.3°C here.
A Brimstone butterfly was confused enough to fly around briefly, before roosting under this bramble leaf.
Good camouflage!
A Brimstone butterfly was confused enough to fly around briefly, before roosting under this bramble leaf.
Good camouflage!
November 13, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Unseasonably warm today, up to 17.3°C here.
A Brimstone butterfly was confused enough to fly around briefly, before roosting under this bramble leaf.
Good camouflage!
A Brimstone butterfly was confused enough to fly around briefly, before roosting under this bramble leaf.
Good camouflage!
The Pearson Effect. Anything Allison Pearson says is the reverse of the truth.
November 13, 2025 at 8:16 AM
The Pearson Effect. Anything Allison Pearson says is the reverse of the truth.
Blink if you are being held against your will.
November 12, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Blink if you are being held against your will.
As the indicators of rapid and disastrous climate change (such as polar ice loss) are flashing red, and with the world meeting at #COP30 to thrash out more urgent action.... oil and gas prices drop dramatically today.... because of a worldwide production glut.
Hell and Hand Basket come to mind.
Hell and Hand Basket come to mind.
November 12, 2025 at 6:21 PM
As the indicators of rapid and disastrous climate change (such as polar ice loss) are flashing red, and with the world meeting at #COP30 to thrash out more urgent action.... oil and gas prices drop dramatically today.... because of a worldwide production glut.
Hell and Hand Basket come to mind.
Hell and Hand Basket come to mind.
Forecast model still showing a proper cold week next week, especially mid-week.
November 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Forecast model still showing a proper cold week next week, especially mid-week.
Well well well. Finally, in the light of the resignations of DG and BBC news CEO, the BBC is reporting about the entryists on its own Board, and their agenda to force the BBC's editorial position to the right, even the far right.
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 10, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Well well well. Finally, in the light of the resignations of DG and BBC news CEO, the BBC is reporting about the entryists on its own Board, and their agenda to force the BBC's editorial position to the right, even the far right.
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A real chill in the air this morning, on the Shropshire Staffordshire border.
November 9, 2025 at 10:21 AM
A real chill in the air this morning, on the Shropshire Staffordshire border.
Coming in for the last minute of #wildflowerhour, this very anachronistic Cowslip, in flower in The Swale, Poundbury Dorset.
November 2, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Coming in for the last minute of #wildflowerhour, this very anachronistic Cowslip, in flower in The Swale, Poundbury Dorset.
with more than a hint of Balok
November 2, 2025 at 11:21 AM
with more than a hint of Balok
here's the footpath
November 1, 2025 at 10:12 AM
here's the footpath
sorry wrong place - here it is. Not owned by TCE
November 1, 2025 at 10:11 AM
sorry wrong place - here it is. Not owned by TCE
there's one tiny bit which isn't TCE
November 1, 2025 at 10:07 AM
there's one tiny bit which isn't TCE
the foreshore at Sandbanks is owned by the Crown Estate.
November 1, 2025 at 10:02 AM
the foreshore at Sandbanks is owned by the Crown Estate.
Happy Samhain! Weather stats for October in our part of Dorchester Dorset. October was an averagey month. After a wet and very windy start (Storm Amy) we had a long spell of high pressure up to the 18th, before a succession of lows including Storm Benjamin (977mb) through to the end of the month. ⬇️
November 1, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Happy Samhain! Weather stats for October in our part of Dorchester Dorset. October was an averagey month. After a wet and very windy start (Storm Amy) we had a long spell of high pressure up to the 18th, before a succession of lows including Storm Benjamin (977mb) through to the end of the month. ⬇️