Pete Cooper
@petemrcooper.bsky.social
Species Recovery Lead at Restore. Naturalist, writer, Glow-worm keeper. Chaotic nature TikToks and mammal poo sniffer.
This is a really satisfying image. A new Dalmatian Pelican colony established themselves on artificial islands in Bulgaria, but this photo looks like it could easily be in front of a retail park in Norfolk!
February 10, 2025 at 11:53 AM
This is a really satisfying image. A new Dalmatian Pelican colony established themselves on artificial islands in Bulgaria, but this photo looks like it could easily be in front of a retail park in Norfolk!
And a day before that, surprise murmuration at old patch Fishlake Meadows just after a Marsh Harrier went to roost.
December 24, 2024 at 10:20 AM
And a day before that, surprise murmuration at old patch Fishlake Meadows just after a Marsh Harrier went to roost.
Christmas Eve Eve present yesterday in the form of two White-tailed Eagles at Keyhaven - who needs Santa when you have Roy Dennis.
Cherry on top of great morning’s birding with pals which included Spoonbill, Curlew, hunting Kingfisher and 100s of Brent Geese and Golden Plover.
Cherry on top of great morning’s birding with pals which included Spoonbill, Curlew, hunting Kingfisher and 100s of Brent Geese and Golden Plover.
December 24, 2024 at 10:20 AM
Christmas Eve Eve present yesterday in the form of two White-tailed Eagles at Keyhaven - who needs Santa when you have Roy Dennis.
Cherry on top of great morning’s birding with pals which included Spoonbill, Curlew, hunting Kingfisher and 100s of Brent Geese and Golden Plover.
Cherry on top of great morning’s birding with pals which included Spoonbill, Curlew, hunting Kingfisher and 100s of Brent Geese and Golden Plover.
I used to watch Barn Owls, which nested in the barn and hunted just outside, in this meadow as a teenager 13 years ago.
It’s now about as far from optimal barnie habitat as you can get. But at least the Little Egrets poking round the cattle, which I’ve never seen here before, were happy.
It’s now about as far from optimal barnie habitat as you can get. But at least the Little Egrets poking round the cattle, which I’ve never seen here before, were happy.
December 22, 2024 at 5:07 PM
I used to watch Barn Owls, which nested in the barn and hunted just outside, in this meadow as a teenager 13 years ago.
It’s now about as far from optimal barnie habitat as you can get. But at least the Little Egrets poking round the cattle, which I’ve never seen here before, were happy.
It’s now about as far from optimal barnie habitat as you can get. But at least the Little Egrets poking round the cattle, which I’ve never seen here before, were happy.
Well that’s just made me cry on the inside. (FYI both the dog and the aquarium are now dead)
December 7, 2024 at 7:04 PM
Well that’s just made me cry on the inside. (FYI both the dog and the aquarium are now dead)
Why is @gwruk.bsky.social such a consistent fecking joke. Train to Bristol not even due to depart for another five mins and it’s like factory farming sardines in here. Not safe and absolute daylight robbery. World away from Europe.
December 1, 2024 at 12:35 PM
Why is @gwruk.bsky.social such a consistent fecking joke. Train to Bristol not even due to depart for another five mins and it’s like factory farming sardines in here. Not safe and absolute daylight robbery. World away from Europe.
New lil’ cultural titbit of Glow-worms added to the pile! With my unintentional recreation ‘Aurora Borealis and the Glow-worm’ from Gloucestershire this summer.
November 29, 2024 at 8:11 PM
New lil’ cultural titbit of Glow-worms added to the pile! With my unintentional recreation ‘Aurora Borealis and the Glow-worm’ from Gloucestershire this summer.
Ah yes the, uh, Periwinkle www.theargus.co.uk/news/2472507...
November 19, 2024 at 10:27 AM
Ah yes the, uh, Periwinkle www.theargus.co.uk/news/2472507...
You know that wilding and reintroductions gave entered the mainstream when you can’t even get away from this sort of thing while washing your hands in the Minsmere toilets (hehe I love it)
November 16, 2024 at 4:55 PM
You know that wilding and reintroductions gave entered the mainstream when you can’t even get away from this sort of thing while washing your hands in the Minsmere toilets (hehe I love it)
The captive Glow-worm colony, part of a reintroduction project with Lower Ure Conservation Trust, have donned their sleeping caps and gone into winter diapause.
Last week I moved them to their new shed home at Westbury Wildlife Park Foundation where there’ll rest up until spring.
Last week I moved them to their new shed home at Westbury Wildlife Park Foundation where there’ll rest up until spring.
November 14, 2024 at 5:05 PM
The captive Glow-worm colony, part of a reintroduction project with Lower Ure Conservation Trust, have donned their sleeping caps and gone into winter diapause.
Last week I moved them to their new shed home at Westbury Wildlife Park Foundation where there’ll rest up until spring.
Last week I moved them to their new shed home at Westbury Wildlife Park Foundation where there’ll rest up until spring.
When I take people to see my animals, one of the 1st questions they ask is, "what use is it?" … Does a creature have to be of direct material use to mankind in order to exist? …you are asking the animal to justify its existence without having justified your own.
- G. Durrell
- G. Durrell
December 5, 2024 at 1:24 AM
When I take people to see my animals, one of the 1st questions they ask is, "what use is it?" … Does a creature have to be of direct material use to mankind in order to exist? …you are asking the animal to justify its existence without having justified your own.
- G. Durrell
- G. Durrell
A slow news day at the star
December 5, 2024 at 1:24 AM
A slow news day at the star
Elephants seeing they're classed as ungulates under UK government import legislation:
December 5, 2024 at 1:24 AM
Elephants seeing they're classed as ungulates under UK government import legislation:
I'd almost rather have another Coypu mistaken ID than this weird, AI created beaver-otter hybrid. At least the former is real. Why do orgs think this is a good look?
December 5, 2024 at 1:24 AM
I'd almost rather have another Coypu mistaken ID than this weird, AI created beaver-otter hybrid. At least the former is real. Why do orgs think this is a good look?
If I was to be any Werecreature it would be a Werebinturong purely so I could say “if I’m binturong I don’t want to be binturight”
December 5, 2024 at 1:24 AM
If I was to be any Werecreature it would be a Werebinturong purely so I could say “if I’m binturong I don’t want to be binturight”
Day between conference and meeting, except it’s up in the Cairngorms. Cue Caledonian Forest, Crested Tits, glimpse of (properly wild!) Beavers and Badger and Pine Marten on slow night drives. Yes please.
December 5, 2024 at 1:24 AM
Day between conference and meeting, except it’s up in the Cairngorms. Cue Caledonian Forest, Crested Tits, glimpse of (properly wild!) Beavers and Badger and Pine Marten on slow night drives. Yes please.
One of my fave moments from Sarah Watts at #BigPictureScotland - how her 8 year-old son, growing up used to Beavers 50 metres from the door in Tayside, asked how “a really, really long time ago, there wasn’t beavers here?”
Sometimes shifting baseline syndrome ain’t so bad.
Sometimes shifting baseline syndrome ain’t so bad.
December 5, 2024 at 1:29 AM
One of my fave moments from Sarah Watts at #BigPictureScotland - how her 8 year-old son, growing up used to Beavers 50 metres from the door in Tayside, asked how “a really, really long time ago, there wasn’t beavers here?”
Sometimes shifting baseline syndrome ain’t so bad.
Sometimes shifting baseline syndrome ain’t so bad.
And the full reference by Edmund Bogg to Glow-worms at @NosterfieldLNR in the 1920s;
“on summer evenings the Glow-worms are wont to hang out their fieldstar lamps, illuminating almost supernaturally hedgerow and bank, as if lit by the hands of fairy folk”
“on summer evenings the Glow-worms are wont to hang out their fieldstar lamps, illuminating almost supernaturally hedgerow and bank, as if lit by the hands of fairy folk”
December 5, 2024 at 2:09 AM
And the full reference by Edmund Bogg to Glow-worms at @NosterfieldLNR in the 1920s;
“on summer evenings the Glow-worms are wont to hang out their fieldstar lamps, illuminating almost supernaturally hedgerow and bank, as if lit by the hands of fairy folk”
“on summer evenings the Glow-worms are wont to hang out their fieldstar lamps, illuminating almost supernaturally hedgerow and bank, as if lit by the hands of fairy folk”
Big thanks to Simon, Jill, Charlie, Ashley and everyone else at LUCT who have helped make this possible - I’m so happy to be doing Glow-worm conservation again. And what an amazing native plant nursery they have on site too!
December 5, 2024 at 2:03 AM
Big thanks to Simon, Jill, Charlie, Ashley and everyone else at LUCT who have helped make this possible - I’m so happy to be doing Glow-worm conservation again. And what an amazing native plant nursery they have on site too!
Today, 480 of those or about 75-80% of the brood went out to Nosterfield for release.
We won’t know if they’ve reached the adult stage where they can be seen easily glowing till 2026 and we’ve got another 3 years of releases to go, so it’s just the start of the journey!
We won’t know if they’ve reached the adult stage where they can be seen easily glowing till 2026 and we’ve got another 3 years of releases to go, so it’s just the start of the journey!
December 5, 2024 at 1:51 AM
Today, 480 of those or about 75-80% of the brood went out to Nosterfield for release.
We won’t know if they’ve reached the adult stage where they can be seen easily glowing till 2026 and we’ve got another 3 years of releases to go, so it’s just the start of the journey!
We won’t know if they’ve reached the adult stage where they can be seen easily glowing till 2026 and we’ve got another 3 years of releases to go, so it’s just the start of the journey!
In the 4-6 weeks following hatching, the voracious wee larvae were ‘head-started’ on baby African land snails that would otherwise have been frozen from a local animal management college to ensure most would be as fit as possible by the time of release.
December 5, 2024 at 1:46 AM
In the 4-6 weeks following hatching, the voracious wee larvae were ‘head-started’ on baby African land snails that would otherwise have been frozen from a local animal management college to ensure most would be as fit as possible by the time of release.
Luckily there were nearby, healthy populations that while unable to reach Nosterfield naturally were likely to be well adapted. So this summer adults were collected from a private site, bred in captivity in my Bristol flat and over 600 larvae were hatched!
December 5, 2024 at 1:40 AM
Luckily there were nearby, healthy populations that while unable to reach Nosterfield naturally were likely to be well adapted. So this summer adults were collected from a private site, bred in captivity in my Bristol flat and over 600 larvae were hatched!
Today I’ve been very proud to have released 480 Glow-worm larvae I’ve reared this summer to Nosterfield Nature Reserve in Yorkshire!
Here’s a bit about the project 🧵
Here’s a bit about the project 🧵
December 5, 2024 at 1:29 AM
Today I’ve been very proud to have released 480 Glow-worm larvae I’ve reared this summer to Nosterfield Nature Reserve in Yorkshire!
Here’s a bit about the project 🧵
Here’s a bit about the project 🧵
Two weeks ago while on a family gathering in Cornwall, I was delighted to find there were Adders in the garden of the place we were staying - way better than fairies.
And even better that none of my nephews or nieces showed any fear, instead just widespread awe and curiosity.
And even better that none of my nephews or nieces showed any fear, instead just widespread awe and curiosity.
December 5, 2024 at 1:29 AM
Two weeks ago while on a family gathering in Cornwall, I was delighted to find there were Adders in the garden of the place we were staying - way better than fairies.
And even better that none of my nephews or nieces showed any fear, instead just widespread awe and curiosity.
And even better that none of my nephews or nieces showed any fear, instead just widespread awe and curiosity.