Alan Underwood
@openfoot.bsky.social
Ageing environmentalist. Earth science trained. Lifelong dream journaler. Chasing, recording and photographing dragonflies in retirement. 🏴🇪🇺
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme - #BirdsOnTwigs, any birds on a thin branch. Stonechat in the hills around #Baenavon #Torfaen #Wales this spring.
December 7, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme - #BirdsOnTwigs, any birds on a thin branch. Stonechat in the hills around #Baenavon #Torfaen #Wales this spring.
For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme - #movement - a Blue Tit coming and going from our garden feeders.
December 6, 2025 at 7:49 PM
For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme - #movement - a Blue Tit coming and going from our garden feeders.
Goldfinch defend their possession of our #Abergavenny bird feeder with some enthusiasm. Coal and Blue Tits may try to sneak in but are often spotted before alighting and forced to retreat. Other Goldfinch are also seen off if not in the right gang it seems #nature #wildlife #birderswales #wales
December 1, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Goldfinch defend their possession of our #Abergavenny bird feeder with some enthusiasm. Coal and Blue Tits may try to sneak in but are often spotted before alighting and forced to retreat. Other Goldfinch are also seen off if not in the right gang it seems #nature #wildlife #birderswales #wales
Goldfinch coming and going from the feeders in my #Abergavenny garden. Autumn colours on the wing. Images with multiple birds are composites showing the same bird at different points in its flight. #bidersWales #nature #wildlife #Wales #birds
November 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Goldfinch coming and going from the feeders in my #Abergavenny garden. Autumn colours on the wing. Images with multiple birds are composites showing the same bird at different points in its flight. #bidersWales #nature #wildlife #Wales #birds
I’ve seen more Coal Tits in our #Abergavenny garden over the last few weeks than I’ve ever seen before. In the past we’ve had two of three at time but recently it’s been five or six, perhaps more - it’s hard to keep count, they are so quick to and from the feeders #birdersWales #nature #wildlife
November 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM
I’ve seen more Coal Tits in our #Abergavenny garden over the last few weeks than I’ve ever seen before. In the past we’ve had two of three at time but recently it’s been five or six, perhaps more - it’s hard to keep count, they are so quick to and from the feeders #birdersWales #nature #wildlife
More variety at our #Abergavenny garden bird feeders today. Great to see the return of goldfinches bringing their bright colours back. Blue tits know that it’s time to make a hasty retreat when goldfinch turn up - they’ll want the feeders all to themselves. #nature #wildlife #birdrrswales #Waless
October 31, 2025 at 10:56 AM
More variety at our #Abergavenny garden bird feeders today. Great to see the return of goldfinches bringing their bright colours back. Blue tits know that it’s time to make a hasty retreat when goldfinch turn up - they’ll want the feeders all to themselves. #nature #wildlife #birdrrswales #Waless
Plenty of comings and goings at our #Abergavenny garden bird feeders today. Here a Blue Tit comes in for a raid on the peanuts and then it’s off again with its prize to be consumed in a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle at the feeders. #birderswales #birds #wildlife #nature
October 27, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Plenty of comings and goings at our #Abergavenny garden bird feeders today. Here a Blue Tit comes in for a raid on the peanuts and then it’s off again with its prize to be consumed in a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle at the feeders. #birderswales #birds #wildlife #nature
This morning’s walk around Castle Meadows #Abergavenny took us through the Community Orchard. Although they don’t show the distinctive shape we normally associate with this fruit these green globes are pears - perry pears, used for making - you guessed it, perry. #nature #monmouthshire #autumn
October 26, 2025 at 2:36 PM
This morning’s walk around Castle Meadows #Abergavenny took us through the Community Orchard. Although they don’t show the distinctive shape we normally associate with this fruit these green globes are pears - perry pears, used for making - you guessed it, perry. #nature #monmouthshire #autumn
The hints and tints of autumn on a very enjoyable stroll around Buckland Hill in the #Usk valley and the wonderful @bannaubrycheiniog.bsky.social
National Park. On an incredibly still day when not a leaf or twig stirred. #Wales #nature #environment #seasons
National Park. On an incredibly still day when not a leaf or twig stirred. #Wales #nature #environment #seasons
October 14, 2025 at 10:07 PM
The hints and tints of autumn on a very enjoyable stroll around Buckland Hill in the #Usk valley and the wonderful @bannaubrycheiniog.bsky.social
National Park. On an incredibly still day when not a leaf or twig stirred. #Wales #nature #environment #seasons
National Park. On an incredibly still day when not a leaf or twig stirred. #Wales #nature #environment #seasons
Fungi are coming out all over at the moment and we saw some great examples on our walk around Goytre Wharf and Goytre Hall Wood #Monmouthshire today so here are some autumnal examples of natural recyclers hard at work. #Wales #nature #wildlife #fungi
October 12, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Fungi are coming out all over at the moment and we saw some great examples on our walk around Goytre Wharf and Goytre Hall Wood #Monmouthshire today so here are some autumnal examples of natural recyclers hard at work. #Wales #nature #wildlife #fungi
My first foray into the world of AI image generation. Say hello to the #Steampunk Emperor. Original image, of an Emperor #Dragonfly, and the AI offering derived from it.
#Wales #wildlife #nature.
#Wales #wildlife #nature.
September 3, 2025 at 12:37 PM
My first foray into the world of AI image generation. Say hello to the #Steampunk Emperor. Original image, of an Emperor #Dragonfly, and the AI offering derived from it.
#Wales #wildlife #nature.
#Wales #wildlife #nature.
August 29, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Towards the end of the day, as the last rays of summersunlight lit our #Monmouthshire garden, Small Copper butterflies glowed as they nectared on the rudbeckia flowers. And what a delight they were. #butterflies #wildlife #nature #insects #Wales
August 28, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Towards the end of the day, as the last rays of summersunlight lit our #Monmouthshire garden, Small Copper butterflies glowed as they nectared on the rudbeckia flowers. And what a delight they were. #butterflies #wildlife #nature #insects #Wales
Common Darters are such engaging little dragonflies.They perch and pose obligingly for photos, hover frequently for in flight shots and have a wide range of interesting and entertaining behaviours. It’s hard not to love them.
August 14, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Common Darters are such engaging little dragonflies.They perch and pose obligingly for photos, hover frequently for in flight shots and have a wide range of interesting and entertaining behaviours. It’s hard not to love them.
Sometimes you get lucky. I didn’t realise this in tandem pair of Emerald Damselfly had photobombed my picture of a Golden-ringed Dragonfly until I’d got home & downloaded the pictures. They can do that again - anytime they like! At Garn Lakes, #Blaenavon #odonata #dragonfly #wildlife #nature #Wales
July 27, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Sometimes you get lucky. I didn’t realise this in tandem pair of Emerald Damselfly had photobombed my picture of a Golden-ringed Dragonfly until I’d got home & downloaded the pictures. They can do that again - anytime they like! At Garn Lakes, #Blaenavon #odonata #dragonfly #wildlife #nature #Wales
Young coots leave their substantial nest and take to the calm waters of a pond in Ebbw Vale. Although these are perhaps too old to be called cootlets, cootlings or cooties? #nature #UKwildlife #birdsWales #ponds #environment
July 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Young coots leave their substantial nest and take to the calm waters of a pond in Ebbw Vale. Although these are perhaps too old to be called cootlets, cootlings or cooties? #nature #UKwildlife #birdsWales #ponds #environment
Up close and friendly with a female Southern Hawker #dragonfly in my #Abergavenny garden. The first hawker of the season for the garden #nature #UKwildlife #odonata #Wales #insects
July 15, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Up close and friendly with a female Southern Hawker #dragonfly in my #Abergavenny garden. The first hawker of the season for the garden #nature #UKwildlife #odonata #Wales #insects
Monday morning at an #Abergavenny pond - not a dragon of damsel in sight. My consolation was to watch this hunting heron as its moved stealthily along the margins. #birderswales #birds #wales #nature #wildlifeUK
July 8, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Monday morning at an #Abergavenny pond - not a dragon of damsel in sight. My consolation was to watch this hunting heron as its moved stealthily along the margins. #birderswales #birds #wales #nature #wildlifeUK
Castle Meadows, #Abergavenny this morning proved unexpectedly warm with good sunny spells. There wasn’t much about on the #odonata front but a few male Banded Demoiselle more than made up for a disappointing lack of other species. #dragonfly #Wales #UKwildlife #nature #insects
July 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Castle Meadows, #Abergavenny this morning proved unexpectedly warm with good sunny spells. There wasn’t much about on the #odonata front but a few male Banded Demoiselle more than made up for a disappointing lack of other species. #dragonfly #Wales #UKwildlife #nature #insects
In yesterday’s heat. A male Common Darter in flight over our #Abergavenny garden pond. He stayed around the pond for most of the day which was more than i could do in the heat. #dragonfly #odonata #nature #wildlife #Wales
July 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
In yesterday’s heat. A male Common Darter in flight over our #Abergavenny garden pond. He stayed around the pond for most of the day which was more than i could do in the heat. #dragonfly #odonata #nature #wildlife #Wales
This seems to be the year of the Golden-ringed Dragonfly - at least in my #Abergavenny garden. I am normally treated to two or three good sightings a year but this year it must be approaching double figures. #dragonfly #UKwildlife #nature #Wales #odonata
June 29, 2025 at 2:28 PM
This seems to be the year of the Golden-ringed Dragonfly - at least in my #Abergavenny garden. I am normally treated to two or three good sightings a year but this year it must be approaching double figures. #dragonfly #UKwildlife #nature #Wales #odonata
Emperor Dragonflies put on a good show this last week. Most ponds I visited had their resident Emperor patrolling assertively over the waters & claiming them as their own - ready to take on any interlopers of their own or other species. #wales #odonata #dragonfly
#nature #wildlife
#nature #wildlife
June 23, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Emperor Dragonflies put on a good show this last week. Most ponds I visited had their resident Emperor patrolling assertively over the waters & claiming them as their own - ready to take on any interlopers of their own or other species. #wales #odonata #dragonfly
#nature #wildlife
#nature #wildlife
Some sunshine yesterday & I & dragonflies took advantage to be out & about. This is a female Four-spotted Chaser ovipositing. The circular ripples are where she has dipped the tip of her abdomen into the water to deposit an egg.This is a much repeated action. #odonata #dragonfly #nature #Wales
June 12, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Some sunshine yesterday & I & dragonflies took advantage to be out & about. This is a female Four-spotted Chaser ovipositing. The circular ripples are where she has dipped the tip of her abdomen into the water to deposit an egg.This is a much repeated action. #odonata #dragonfly #nature #Wales