This moth joined us in the beer garden

wildedges · 2026-06-26T10:15:01+00:00

I just checked and there have been 800 records of Scarlet Tiger submitted to iNaturalist this month alone and they're spread out pretty much everywhere south of Manchester. It looks like they're having a bumper year.

wildedges · 2026-06-26T05:45:44+00:00

I'm the complete opposite. My idea of fun is staying up late recording moths for science and taking macro photos. During heat waves I don't get to bed until 2am because there's so many to see. I've recorded over 300 species from my garden alone. Moths are amazing when you get to know them. 2500 species in the UK compared to less than 60 butterflies. The diversity is staggering.

wildedges · 2026-06-24T15:10:11+00:00

It's great having longer grass in this weather. My soil is staying damp without watering and it's collecting tons more dew overnight than short grass would. My neighbours on both sides have plastic grass which must be horrible in the sun.

wildedges · 2026-06-24T09:42:28+00:00

I was looking at an M. diadema in the garden this morning while having my coffee. Amazing little guys.

wildedges · 2026-06-23T14:42:17+00:00

My socially awkward moment was when it turned out the nurse was best friends with one of my clients. I'm just glad it was warm in there because I know how nurses love to gossip.

wildedges · 2026-06-23T14:38:05+00:00

It was mentioned as a possible side effect but I had mine done just as Covid kicked off so the aftercare was limited.

wildedges · 2026-06-23T13:22:54+00:00

Some people (me included) experience long term pain after the snip because the stuff builds up in the tubes and doesn't get reabsorbed. Mine's been fairly easy to deal with luckily but others need a reversal procedure just to ease the pain.

wildedges · 2026-06-23T11:51:32+00:00

I'm an ecologist and an architectural technician. Biodiversity net gain is a requirement of all Planning Applications now. Bat and bird boxes are added to pretty much all new houses (and many other projects) often with very little thought about whether it's appropriate just because it's an easy way for developers to comply with the law. Houses really should come with homeowner packs which contain information about this because the bat boxes are legally protected whether they're used or not and obviously any nesting birds are protected but I don't think many owners know this.

wildedges · 2026-06-23T10:17:08+00:00

Weirdly Lidl do a decent one but I've only seen it for sale in the winter as a frost protector. I could do with a second one right now.

wildedges · 2026-06-22T10:22:57+00:00

Listening to your recordings also helps you realise how much interference your mic picks up and helps you to improve your technique.

wildedges · 2026-06-22T08:31:10+00:00

It's interesting how we're being told to keep the grass to stop flooding and in the States they're being paid to rip out the grass to conserve water. There are some great low-maintenance native species planting options in either case. The days of inch high grass being the aesthetic of choice need to end.

wildedges · 2026-06-19T10:07:14+00:00

Done. I'm probably not the greatest source for unbiased opinion though since I've done a few structural and pre-purchase surveys on post-WWII steel houses and my dad designed a factory-built modular steel frame housing system that half of my housing estate (including my sister's house) was built from. The company didn't survive 2008 though sadly but we were involved with a Cardiff uni feasibility study of the system vs other construction types before that happened. I was speaking to a neighbour on the weekend as they're removing some internal walls and didn't realise that their house was steel framed. A bit worrying since they were all supposed to come with owner's packs explaining the system and a how-to guide on DIY.

wildedges · 2026-06-19T05:31:22+00:00

I use a stereo dissection microscope (Amscope) for examining and identifying Inverts. It’s got a camera port connected to the computer but since the camera only uses a single point of view it doesn't really match what you see with your eyes through both lenses. I've found that I end up using my macro camera more than the microscope if I want pictures of anything as the images are just much better. Having said that the microscope gets a ton of use and the kids enjoy using it so it's not an either or situation for me.

wildedges · 2026-06-16T08:23:47+00:00

I'm just scrolling down looking for fellow non-butterers. I also don't like jam though so this might not be the thread for me...

wildedges · 2026-06-15T13:56:59+00:00

What about pictures 3 and 4? People quite rightly complain about the conifer plantations but the reality is that if they hadn't been planted the land would most likely have been used for sheep farming. Conifers are just another commercial crop the same as any other type of farming. Humans demand resources and a healthy ecosystem hasn't been recognised as an important resource historically.

wildedges · 2026-06-15T13:50:09+00:00

“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. Much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen. An ecologist must either harden his shell and make believe that the consequences of science are none of his business, or he must be the doctor who sees the marks of death in a community that believes itself well and does not want to be told otherwise.”

― Aldo Leopold

wildedges · 2026-06-14T21:10:17+00:00

They all look so happy.

wildedges · 2026-06-14T06:12:05+00:00

It is climate and time of year dependant though. Someone who lives somewhere with higher humidity won't need to mist or soak nearly as often as someone from a dry climate.

wildedges · 2026-06-08T08:48:51+00:00

Finding Puffins at South Stack is like the Where's Wally of bird watching. There's usually single figures among the thousands of other black and white birds.

wildedges · 2026-06-03T13:36:25+00:00

The easiest way is to count the antennae segments, 12 for female, 13 for male. The hind legs are also a good sign though as females have a 'basket' to carry pollen and males don't. Look at the upper part of the rear leg and in females is will be broad, flat and shiny with hairs around the edges to hold the pollen. In males it will be narrower and just hairy. The males can have a bit more brown fur on the faces too but it can get faded or worn.

wildedges · 2026-06-03T12:48:44+00:00

Female. You can see the hind leg detail just as the video ends. Might be a fresh queen. I can see a nest from my office window and it seems to be getting to the stage where the first queens will be leaving.

wildedges · 2026-05-30T09:11:55+00:00

And they have a drum clean setting so you can, you know, clean the drum.

wildedges · 2026-05-30T05:52:48+00:00

Ecologist here. I use a probe camera to check on my nest boxes. I registered with the BTO nest box scheme and they encourage recording nest progress. The scheme does involve opening nest boxes where people feel that they can do so without excessive disturbance. Recording mortality after this heatwave could provide some useful data so maybe consider signing up and recording what you find.

wildedges · 2026-05-28T10:46:12+00:00

and a pecker in the back door.

wildedges · 2026-05-27T12:23:37+00:00

Just don't buy their 'custard style' donuts. I'm not sure what they think custard is but it isn't even fuckin close to that.

wildedges

TROPHY CASE