I've noticed a lot of "feral" Snapdragons (and Marigolds) this year.

Looks like there's plenty of flesh left on the fish. Do you think the Otter might come back for a second feed?

It's particularly noticeable at this time of year because it carries on blooming well into the autumn.

Looking forward to reading it.

Get a bicycle bell and use it!

Nice photo, but I think that's actually Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) rather than Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris).

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing it!

We had the box installed in 2022 but this is the first time the birds have used it.

In recent years, Diplolepis mayri galls have turned up on various sites around Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham. The species now seems to be well established in South Yorkshire and appears to be spreading.

"Maggie’s patience was well rewarded, and in total 20 insects were reared by October. The next stage was the identification. Robin Williams undertook this task, and in January 2016 we had the confirmation from him that the causer was indeed Diplolepis mayri."

"The next stage was for the gall to be given to Maggie Frankum, who is an expert in rearing these invertebrates. The waiting then started, and when almost all hope in the emergence of live specimens was receding, in July 2015, the first cynipid wasps emerged. Excitement!"

Joan wrote about the discovery in the July 2016 edition of the @sorbynathissoc.bsky.social newsletter:
"Margaret Redfern thought it to be a possible specimen of the rare Diplolepis mayri, but to confirm this, the causer would need to be reared and identified."

It's a very distinctive species.

Volucella inanis, I think.

His use of the word "superdad" makes me a bit queasy.