Oliver E. Prŷs-Jones 🇺🇦🏴
@opj123.bsky.social
Naturalist, interested in bees, birds, pollinators https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/bumblebees-naturalists-handbooks-prys-jones-corbet
Amazing crabapple crop on Bryniau Clwyd this year @cofnod.org.uk Mostly unprotected trees in a heavily sheep grazed area. These two trees show how variable their fruit can be - suggesting even some isolated trees may be crosses with domestic apples. See:
www.rbge.org.uk/news/media-c...
www.rbge.org.uk/news/media-c...
October 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Amazing crabapple crop on Bryniau Clwyd this year @cofnod.org.uk Mostly unprotected trees in a heavily sheep grazed area. These two trees show how variable their fruit can be - suggesting even some isolated trees may be crosses with domestic apples. See:
www.rbge.org.uk/news/media-c...
www.rbge.org.uk/news/media-c...
Beautiful wee beetle - probably Fasta fastuosa, the dead-nettle leaf beetle. Pella, n. Italy.
September 24, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Beautiful wee beetle - probably Fasta fastuosa, the dead-nettle leaf beetle. Pella, n. Italy.
Slopes of Mt. Mottarone, north Italy. Few flowers now and few bbees (mostly probably B. pascuorum). This one a male.
September 21, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Slopes of Mt. Mottarone, north Italy. Few flowers now and few bbees (mostly probably B. pascuorum). This one a male.
In the woods above Stresa, north Italy. I think they may all be Amanita species.
September 20, 2025 at 4:51 PM
In the woods above Stresa, north Italy. I think they may all be Amanita species.
Hornet (Vespa crabro male) and Copper chaffer (Protaetia cuprea) in the hills around Stresa, north Italy.
September 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Hornet (Vespa crabro male) and Copper chaffer (Protaetia cuprea) in the hills around Stresa, north Italy.
Llyn Dulyan walk, with low water showing remains of the 1944 US air crash.
September 5, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Llyn Dulyan walk, with low water showing remains of the 1944 US air crash.
Bryniau Clwyd still purple topped in places - and males of B. terrestris an B. lucorum foraging in fair numbers.
September 4, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Bryniau Clwyd still purple topped in places - and males of B. terrestris an B. lucorum foraging in fair numbers.
Good walk round Grassholm Reservoir, Co. Durham.
August 25, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Good walk round Grassholm Reservoir, Co. Durham.
Locally it's proving a good fruiting year for crabapples.
August 13, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Locally it's proving a good fruiting year for crabapples.
New gyne of Bombus lucorum (probably sensu stricto) perched sunning.
August 6, 2025 at 5:44 PM
New gyne of Bombus lucorum (probably sensu stricto) perched sunning.
@cofnod.org.uk Being used by swallows as we inadvertently flush insects on Ynys Enlli off the Llŷn Peninsula - after several days of near gale force winds that make foraging a challenge.
June 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
@cofnod.org.uk Being used by swallows as we inadvertently flush insects on Ynys Enlli off the Llŷn Peninsula - after several days of near gale force winds that make foraging a challenge.
@bsbibotany.bsky.social Has anyone else come across an almost complete lack of Bilberry flowers and fruit set this summer? A whole day walking the Tal y Fan Ridge in Eryri and no flowers - or Bilberry bumblebees - up here (the odd one on Marsh thistle lower down). Maybe the very dry May?
June 4, 2025 at 8:44 AM
@bsbibotany.bsky.social Has anyone else come across an almost complete lack of Bilberry flowers and fruit set this summer? A whole day walking the Tal y Fan Ridge in Eryri and no flowers - or Bilberry bumblebees - up here (the odd one on Marsh thistle lower down). Maybe the very dry May?
Wild garlic looking splendid at Y Graig @cofnod.org.uk
May 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Wild garlic looking splendid at Y Graig @cofnod.org.uk
15 brimstone butterflies counted in half an hour today along Wendover canal near Wilstone reservoir. In this courtship flight the female has a slightly damaged forewing @savebutterflies.bsky.social
April 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
15 brimstone butterflies counted in half an hour today along Wendover canal near Wilstone reservoir. In this courtship flight the female has a slightly damaged forewing @savebutterflies.bsky.social
Nice Ashy Mining bee (Andrena cineraria) female.
April 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Nice Ashy Mining bee (Andrena cineraria) female.
Protecting old crabapple trees from sheep grazing on the Clwydian hills @cofnod.org.uk @bsbibotany.bsky.social
April 20, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Protecting old crabapple trees from sheep grazing on the Clwydian hills @cofnod.org.uk @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Bombus pascuorum gyne foraging for nectar on Three cornered leek (Allium triquetrum)
April 20, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Bombus pascuorum gyne foraging for nectar on Three cornered leek (Allium triquetrum)
@cmhmaliani.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social There seems to be a widespread misconception that gorse, Ulex europeas (probably other Ulex species too), produces nectar. At least I have never found any during years of casual observations. Does anyone know of any actual evidence that it ever does?
April 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
@cmhmaliani.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social There seems to be a widespread misconception that gorse, Ulex europeas (probably other Ulex species too), produces nectar. At least I have never found any during years of casual observations. Does anyone know of any actual evidence that it ever does?
Another angle.
April 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Another angle.
B. lucorum agg gyne (crytarum or possibly magnus) sunning on what is a sensational day on the Causeway Coastal Path, Northern Ireland.
April 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
B. lucorum agg gyne (crytarum or possibly magnus) sunning on what is a sensational day on the Causeway Coastal Path, Northern Ireland.
Frost last night and this recently emerged Bombus terrestris was grabbing some rays..
February 28, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Frost last night and this recently emerged Bombus terrestris was grabbing some rays..
Interesting finds on Traeth Llanddwyn, Anglesey yesterday: a new species of mollusc for me - the weirdly named 'Woody canoe bubble' (Scaphander lignarius), along with the Hungarian cap shell (Capulus angaricus) - both quite deep water species - and remains of a very big tuna (? blue finned).
January 20, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Interesting finds on Traeth Llanddwyn, Anglesey yesterday: a new species of mollusc for me - the weirdly named 'Woody canoe bubble' (Scaphander lignarius), along with the Hungarian cap shell (Capulus angaricus) - both quite deep water species - and remains of a very big tuna (? blue finned).
Great cloud inversion in Dyffryn Clwyd yesterday, with a fog bow at the boundary with the sunny uplands..
December 28, 2024 at 2:10 PM
Great cloud inversion in Dyffryn Clwyd yesterday, with a fog bow at the boundary with the sunny uplands..
Shade temp 8.5C and a Red Admiral sunning on the summit of Moel y Parc, North Wales.
December 26, 2024 at 3:01 PM
Shade temp 8.5C and a Red Admiral sunning on the summit of Moel y Parc, North Wales.
Lasius flavus nests in the snow today, on the Clwydian hills.
November 20, 2024 at 5:31 PM
Lasius flavus nests in the snow today, on the Clwydian hills.