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robyaxley.bsky.social
Naturalist: lichens, moths, beetles, bugs and anything else that catches my eye. “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.”
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Candelaria concolor, Earsham, Norfolk, England. First hectad record. Most British records of this #lichen date from past 10-20 years: it's spreading because it tolerates nitrogen pollution well. Perhaps also under-recorded: of ~60 records in intensely agricultural East Anglia, 2/3 made since 2020.

submitted 17 hours ago • 1 comment

Chaenotheca hispidula, a really smart pinhead lichen at Houghton Park today. Immersed thallus, greeny yellow pruinose base to fruiting head, and relatively large globose spores. First county record since 1974.

submitted 20 hours ago • 0 comments

Lifetime goals Rabbit poo nail fungus, extremely rare and bizarrely rather attractive

submitted 1 day ago • 6 comments

A neat little turf pond, made by winching a small alder tree out of the fen. These ponds are ace for inverts and early succession fen plants. A neat management solution at Scarning Fen.

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

Irreplaceable habitats are on the line. This is the reality if an unamended Part 3 of the Bill passes. It must not.

submitted 5 days ago • 5 comments

Promoting bad development by allowing the easy destruction of our last patches of nature is wrong. It is not necessary for dealing with the real need for housing and infrastructures.

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

Revealed: 5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals www.theguardian.com/environment/... This is what the Planning & Infrastructure will mean, if it becomes law. Every single SSSI in England will lose its protected status, as well as non-SSSI sites for protected species.

submitted 5 days ago • 1 comment

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

Crested Cow-wheat - annual pilgrimage. Nice to show this one to a few of my colleagues after a botanical training sesh.

submitted 5 days ago • 1 comment

Tillus elongatus, a nationally scarce beetle with a preference for old woodland, but in this instance found in a hedgerow oak.

submitted 6 days ago • 2 comments

Dark Mullein in South Creake churchyard. With added Mullein moth caterpillars. #wildflowerhour

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

A large area of Lecanora campestris parasitised by a fungus, which I think looks most like Vouauxiella verrucosa. #lichenGBI

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

Lobster, Ghost, Large Nutmeg and Foxglove Pug from a busy light trap last night.

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

Beautiful Golden Y was the visual pick of the moths this morning in the light trap.

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Spindle Ermine moth cocoons under a Spindle bush completely stripped by the caterpillars. Slightly ghoulish.

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

Lecanora barkmaniana, Earsham, Norfolk, England. Nationally scarce; possibly just 3rd Norfolk record; but greatly under-recorded. Distinguished from very similar L compallens and L expallens by distinct yellow tint, K+ yellow and K/UV(dry)+ yellow (atranorin), and K/UV(wet)- (lack of xanthones).

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

A couple of smart longhorn beetles - the Spruce Shortwing Beetle (Molorchus minor) and the ever-spectacular Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn (Agapanthia villosoviridescens).

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

After sitting down on a sandy bank to rest after a survey yesterday, I saw these tiny lichen squamules on the ground next to me. Placidium squamulosum looks likely, only the second Norfolk locality for any species in this genus.

submitted 9 days ago • 2 comments

Magpie moth pupa in shady woodland yesterday with Norfolk Flora Group. Also the Plaited Door Snail Cochlodina laminata.

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

A very fine mature tulip tree was a feature of today’s site survey.

submitted 11 days ago • 3 comments

1,000 moth species in my tiny, un-special garden since Aug 2014! #TeamMoth milestone reached thanks to these three Tortricidae this month: 998: Endothenia marginana (Bordered Marble) 999: Pseudococcyx posticana (Dark Pine Shoot Moth) 1,000: Ancylis mitterbacheriana (Amber Hook-wing) #NorfolkMoths

submitted 11 days ago • 13 comments

Some green stuff from today’s excursion with Norfolk Flora Group. Soft Shield Fern, Sweet Woodruff and Thujopsis dolabrata (Japanese Hiba).

submitted 15 days ago • 1 comment

Some cool beetles from today - Hazel Leaf-roller, Rhagium mordax and Elaphrus cupreus.

submitted 15 days ago • 2 comments

My Leatherbug is more Denticulate than your Leatherbug.

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

The largest UK cranefly, Tipula maxima, was a nice surprise near the light trap this morning. I do enjoy a good cranefly.

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Always a pleasure to come across a Golden-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta) nest! This is one of 3 UK bee species to nest in empty snail shells. A female had just finished pasting leaf mastic over the entrance to the shell when I came across her yesterday at Porth Neigwl. #SolitaryBeeWeek

submitted 19 days ago • 5 comments

The cranefly Ptychoptera contaminata on an Iris petal. Spectacular size difference - female above, male below.

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Gyalecta jenensis, on the shaded wooded limestone Quarries in the steep Scarp woodland of Stanley & Penn woods this weekend,lovely brown thallus and splendid abundant Orange Apothecia.

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

Is this your doing @comicterns.bsky.social ?

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

Brown argus and slow worm behaving nicely early on this morning. Pirri pirri bur not so welcome.

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Marsh stitchwort at East Walton Common yesterday. #wildflowerhour

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

Vacancy | Assistant Warden, WWT Welney We are looking for a proactive individual with a passion for British wildlife to join the flock. The role is very varied including surveying, habitat management, livestock checks, guided walks Closing date: 30 May 2025 More info 👉 bit.ly/3F7DAdV

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

A patch of licheny material on a mossy brick wall in my garden looks to be Vezdaea leprosa, with tiny loosely organised apothecia and long squirly paraphyses. 1st occurrence in VC28.

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

Interesting link to article about different perceptions of lichen interactions with building stone

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

A very small patch of Opegrapha areniseda on Cromer church yesterday, and some very fancy flint knapping!

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

@suffolkseawatcher.bsky.social this is right up your ally! #Anas

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

Here’s that Puss Moth photo you wanted.

submitted 25 days ago • 2 comments

A few of the 35 cockchafers in the trap this morning. Absolute units.

submitted 26 days ago • 3 comments

Platrhinus resinosus, the Cramp-ball Fungus Weevil, must be having a population boom at the moment with Ash dieback creating lots of opportunity for its host fungus.

submitted 28 days ago • 1 comment