Low Cut - No Cut - High Cut

My #BumbleBird patch is way behind what it was in 2023. However, last year it was in year 2 & this year I’ve re-sown. Cotswold Seeds Bumblebee Conservation Trust RSPB

Flowers as far as the eye can see

We’re delighted to see the progress of our wildflower strips. Working with Prof Duncan Westbury (@worcester_uni / Royal Agricultural University ), one third of our vineyard is dedicated to managed wildflower strips (for research). We can’t wait to watch its progress!

L’approccio agroecologico ha bisogno di tante conoscenze. Solo parlando, confrontandoci, e scambiando idee e esperienze, possiamo cominciare a capire come guidare la transizione agroecologica. Noi proporremo degli spunti, ma siamo molto curiosi di sentire anche le vostre voci!

Large bitter-cress in a flush in Barbondale - a moderate ‘decliner’ over recent decades but still relatively widespread - meanwhile in the trees - pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher (a first for me for some years!), redstart, treecreeper & nuthatch ⁦BSBI: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland⁩

This shouldn’t be happening. The seed bank will still be viable & Natural England Field Unit 🕷🦗🐸🐌🦇🦉🦊🐍🌿🌳🍄 might be interested in taking a look along with Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Patch dynamics in our #EcoLawn

Accounts of English village birds in early 20th century seem crazy, but here in E Poland it’s still true. Sat here with Redstart, Tree Sparrow, Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat, Swallow. Also had LSW, Hawfinch, Wryneck. Cuckoo & Corncrake outside. England’s villages lost this.

Unimproved neutral grassland, known under the NVC system as MG5 grassland, was once ubiquitous in the English lowlands. Since the late 1960’s it has sustained large losses. There is now less than 6,000 ha remaining in England. publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/66…

It must be remembered that yellow rattle #Rhinanthus also supports numerous insects directly! It’s not just a “meadow maker”

A rare orchid that looks like a naked man has revealed itself in the grounds of St John’s.

The Orchis Simia is known as the ‘Naked Hanging Man Orchid’ or the ‘Monkey Orchid’ and is described as ‘the find of a lifetime’. 🌷👇

joh.cam.ac.uk/rare-naked-han…

A flock of about 30 juvenile & adult starlings just flew over. Knowing our garden has contributed about a 1/3 of these from those already fledged was so great! @bto_worcs @worcswt

Can you spot it? A Brimstone butterfly egg on our buckthorn! West Midlands Butterfly Conservation

Our latest paper working in orange orchards in Spain

Free download: authors.elsevier.com/a/1j538cA-IrlPL

Wow, saveourfarms 🍃💚🍃 such a beautiful bird, they love #dandelion seeds. Glad you have let your lawn bloom and seed to provide a great feast.

Prof Duncan Westbury Yep not good. Keeping honey bees to save nature is like keeping chickens to save red list birds. Utterly pointless and can actually harm wild bees.

A great quote from the legend Si King Hairy Bikers today at Malvern Spring Show. “I have never grown a carrot that looks like a carrot!” BBC Gardeners World

At the #MalvernSpringShow & continue to be concerned that honeybees are seen as being important for nature recovery.