Noticing Nature: the British microseason project @Naturalcalendar Twitter profile

Pinned Tweet

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

7 months

Our book 'Nature's Calendar: the British Year in 72 Seasons' was published in September & we're delighted with the great feedback we've had. It's widely available, but do think about buying from an indy bookshop or through or 😁

8

35

136

Last Seen Profiles

@Maavoimat

@gaffrat66

@alexlifeson8

@JulsdeCarvajal

@DronamiGames

@hocca_official

@CAMBLAHINO

@isokoxyz

@pelelelamebotas

@nyMaQLF

@the_gar_eval

@BauerHockey

@maxotte_says

@__peachyrose

@nightbarbie

@TaipeiWeek

@ViajarsinAgenci

@Hoainamgayboy

@mekksii

@oreo_banana1

@jandakembangstw

@Angelamerino_

@ukinestonia

@lomakin

@JAcom_nokyo

@stoin69420

@R_u_90

@MR19776

@Dr_Joe_McIntyre

@sofiaden

@stw_pdg

@nouhara888

@CTBoysHoops

@ph_moklaf

@AmaniBruce

@ggininewman

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Reason number 1,753 why artificial grass is terrible: it gets crazily hot in warm weather.

191

4K

19K

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

A lot of you are referring to the lack of insects in the UK this spring, and referring to a 'silent spring'. Let us turn back to Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring', the 61 year old book that coined the phrase & brought public attention to the ecological impact of pesticides.

51

1K

3K

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

If you find January tough and don't have the energy for resolutions, take inspiration from the natural world and stay in resting mode until spring. It's cold and dark and not the most motivating time of year, so take it gently until the season turns. Be more dormouse.

27

493

2K

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Kiera here, and today I’m noticing lovely bluebells. In the 60 seconds it takes you to read this thread, I'm going to tell you HOW TO NOTICE A NATIVE BLUEBELL. I promise it’s easier than you think.

42

287

2K

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! You might have seen this nonsense article doing the rounds, which presents cuckoo spit as a danger. (!!!🤣) Let's look at the amazing creatures that produce it - the FABULOUS FROGHOPPERS - and see if we can debunk some of the myths.

31

342

1K

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Hello lovely Nature Noticers. It is time for today's thread! 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♂️🤸‍♀️ Follow me, and we'll delve deep into the subterranean and subversive world of Talpa europaea, the common European mole. We'll begin with a bombshell - there are no female moles.

37

410

924

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

7 months

Working outside today, in the middle of farmland and it’s absolutely silent. No birds. And I wonder what I would have heard standing here 100 years ago? #silentsummer

65

122

806

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Are you seeing great billows of white blossom around you yet? I was overjoyed yesterday to see exuberent weddings of it along roadside verges. But which species are you seeing - Cherry plum, Prunus cerasifera, or Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa? A 🧵

39

97

805

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

So January is dark, dank, and cold - but there’s one group of plants that just glows green in these conditions: the mosses, a 🧵 We associate moss with wet - but I hope to show you that this need for water also makes moss a plant of air. And perhaps also fire.

36

182

758

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Do you like the smell of hawthorn? I do, but many people don't. In earlier centuries, people thought it smelled of plague. Modern science found it contains trimethyamine, one of the first compounds formed in decaying tissue. So those who think it 'smells of death' have a case!

gabriella palmer

@GabriellaPalmer

1 year

@Naturalcalendar Hawthorn smells as good as it looks 😋

2

7

18

80

107

758

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Good morning Nature Noticers - I have a question for you today. Are the bluebells blossoming yet, in your area?

228

32

672

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

9 months

I think our swifts have gone. Just like that. Always a poignant moment - I miss their shrieks and dives, and hope the drastic decline in insects worldwide doesn't mean they won't make it back next year. Safe travels, friends

34

53

593

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

There is a lot of anger and grief on here at the moment, as we see @trussliz pursuing policies that will trash our precious natural environment. If you are scared, horrified, frustrated, helpless & feeling lonely in your distress, you are NOT ALONE. mini🧵

14

140

541

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Hands up who spent their childhood chasing other kids around with cleavers (aka goosegrass, aka Galium aparine) sticking it to their jumpers? But where does this plant get its stickiness? It's actually REALLY clever. 🧵 below

27

107

520

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

6 months

What did you call these when you were a kid? Did you used to “make them talk”?

174

43

472

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

7 months

Every year, I revel in the butter-yellow autumn foliage of my maidenhair tree - Gingko biloba. And it’s not just a beautiful tree but one with a fascinating history too, the kind of history that leads you down many a rabbit hole…

22

48

452

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

8 months

MORNING FOLKS! Kiera here. And today I have a question for you: have you seen these positively ENORMOUS and very beautiful moths around you? They were formerly extinct in the UK, but something very strange is happening...

11

71

448

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Today's thread is all about the robin, and we're going to be delving into an exciting emerging scientific field - QUANTUM BIOLOGY! But first, did you know that British robins, Erithacus rubecula melophilus, are slightly different to European robins, Erithacus rubecula rubecula?

10

147

422

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Today we're delving into a complex life form that confounds biological conventions - the LICHENS! Do you have lichens that look like this around you? If so, it might tell you something about the air you’re breathing! Find out more in today's thread 🧵

23

86

383

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

I’ve just discovered that, so far, we haven’t done a thread on primroses. How can this be? Primroses are perhaps the flowers most closely associated with the arrival of spring, but we’ve let them creep past, noticed but not focused upon! So today I am making amends. Read on…

17

36

347

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

8 months

Morning folks! Kiera here, and today, for obvious reasons, we're celebrating the SYCAMORE, Acer pseudoplatanus. It's a more controversial tree than you might realise!

12

59

349

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Bit of a quiz to kick off the day - can you guess the plant species from this strange looking distribution map? It's something that is in flower right now!

48

60

335

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

11 months

Did you know, the painted lady is a migrant butterfly? It comes to Europe in summer, then goes to northern Africa for the autumn. But until recently, scientists didn't know where it went over winter (Dec-Feb). However, this mystery has now been solved!

12

65

328

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Kiera here, and today I'm celebrating hellebores. Here are some flowers from cultivated varieties, which I grow in my garden.

13

26

306

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

8 months

Anyone else feeling a little freaked out by this simultaneously warm yet dark and wet October weather?

46

12

293

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

MORNING FOLKS! I hope you're all doing OK - some wild weather about this morning for some parts of the UK. Today we're noticing Lungwort, or Pulmonaria officinalis. And asking: why do the flowers change colour?

17

45

275

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

5 months

The earth tilts us furthest from the sun at 3.27am tomorrow morning. To human observers, when the sun switches from heading north (shorter days) to heading south (longer days), it appears to stand still. Sol = sun, sistere = stand still. Solstice. How are you marking it?

14

66

275

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Yesterday we identified native bluebells! Today let's think some more about them! Did you know they are associated with fairies? Picking them was unlucky, wearing a garland of them would compel you to tell the truth. If only we could use this with politicians, eh?

7

28

271

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Nature is variable and unpredictable, so you might need to use a combination of these characteristics together to be sure. But once you have noticed a few plants in detail, the differences should start to spring out at you really quickly. Happy bluebell hunting!

12

16

266

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

The fact that we continue to 'discover' the detrimental effects of the chemicals that we put into the ecosystem shows that we have failed to understand Carson's analysis. There is no chemical that can "tame" nature & make it consistently and endlessly productive.

10

39

254

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Any day when you find a greater butterfly orchid is a good day!

6

17

249

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

My Christmas tree is up! I love owls so I have over 100 of them on there. But there's still room for plenty of other wildlife, including foxes, rabbits, squirrels, mushrooms, dolphins...

16

4

239

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Sometimes on this account we bow to popular pressure. We can take a hint, especially when it comes in the form of dozens of pictures of RED DEADNETTLE, Lamium purpureum! 😂Let's have a look at it shall we....

10

28

238

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

You know how wasps’ nests look like a paper ‘ball’? Well the one in my shed has just collapsed, revealing the astonishing architectural layers inside!

6

24

234

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Do you know how to tell the difference between male and female RED CAMPION flowers? 🧵 🌸Male flowers are larger, have 10 stamens and a 10-veined calyx (left) 🌸Female flowers have 5 styles and a 20-veined calyx (right) The difference is obvious when you have pictures:

12

48

237

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

I know lots of you are and have been revelling in wood anemones recently - so here's my contribution to the season. A white sea of cheerful little flowers, soon top be overtaken by an equally stunning sea of bluebells.

6

13

232

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

8 months

In our book this microseason is named ‘Bees cling to ivy’. A reader sent this pic - ivy is such a valuable source of nectar as we move into autumn

8

39

232

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

It's easy to think of December as a time of stasis in nature. But get out twigging and bear witness to a world of geometric beauty and budding changes!

6

22

228

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Yesterday, we completed our final poll for our first year of microseasons! So it's time to unveil our complete calendar for year one. Thank you all so much for your fantastic suggestions which have made this such a rich list.

17

56

223

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

11 months

This microseason, I'm definitely noticing all the gooseweed flowering in my garden! Do you remember sticking it to other kids ' jumpers at school? 🤣 This plant has an INCREDIBLE tactic to get its leaves out on top as it fights for light with other vegetation! Thread 👇👇👇

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Hands up who spent their childhood chasing other kids around with cleavers (aka goosegrass, aka Galium aparine) sticking it to their jumpers? But where does this plant get its stickiness? It's actually REALLY clever. 🧵 below

27

107

520

32

27

213

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

I'm feeling the weight of things a little today. But there's a robin having a bath on the wall beyond my kitchen window, which is immensely cheering. What's catching your eye or lifting your spirits today?

67

9

210

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

6 months

It's a WAXWING WINTER! For some reason (a shortage of berries in Scandinavia? A successful breeding season?) many more of these beautiful birds are coming to the UK this winter than in recent years. So how do you see these beautiful migrants? Let's have a thread about it.

4

39

208

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

I wonder whether "no mow May" is the right message. Lots of people seem to be cutting the lawn on 31 May under the impression they've "done their bit". But in many cases it's too early. Things need longer to flower and seed! Keep it up guys, insects need you! #letitbloomjune

Plantlife Scotland

@PlantlifeScot

1 year

Its the last day of #NoMowMay ! so what's next? Well its time for #letitbloomjune ! We recommend a mixture of different grass lengths! If your still waiting for those wildflowers to bloom in the North of Scotland, let it grow for another month!

2

12

25

15

47

204

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Today I'm noticing early purple orchids! They're one of those plants with hundreds of local names. We have Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, ducks and drakes, gander-goose, locks and keys. Why all these pairings?

9

30

204

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

4 months

Are you noticing the whispers of Spring around you?

Oliver Woodman

@woodmanoliver1

4 months

The woods are gradually reawakening after the winter slumber. Dawn is earlier, there are pinks in the sky and the birds are singing. Joyous. @Team4Nature @hillholtwood @MeadowInGarden @RSPBFrampton @LincsWildlife @BirdwatchExtra @Natures_Voice @Britnatureguide @Naturalcalendar

3

7

54

15

22

193

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

10 months

Oh Gosh! Feeling ridiculously emotional - the 1st copy of our book has arrived! It's the first time we've seen it as an 'item' and it's beautiful!🥲 Huge congrats to @drkierachapman @rowanjaines & @LulahEllender , my co-authors, & @GrantaBooks for a fantastic team's work!🍾

32

29

189

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Hallo folks, Lulah here taking the helm for the next two weeks 💛 I'm hoping we can coax the sun out from behind these omnipresent clouds with a thread about the beautiful primrose...

9

12

188

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Carson's 'Silent Spring' focuses on the insecticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). The book has a prehistory that resides in a little bird sanctuary in garden in Duxbury, a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts...

1

25

187

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 months

Our book has "butterflies emerge" as the current microseason. But I haven't seen any yet! Have you? What I am seeing are the critters in ou next microseason: queen bumblebees the size of golf balls! This lovely was on my window this morning.

49

16

189

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Genetic researchers have recently discovered that female moles have reproductive organs unlike any other mammal. If measured by the standards of other species, there are no fully female moles. Instead, there are males and individuals that would be considered intersex

3

14

179

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! As many of you know, there are 4 of us behind this account. I'm Kiera & I've been with you through March, which has been so much fun! But before I go, I thought I'd salute the beauty of the spring willows and their catkins.

6

9

181

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

11 months

Morning folks! It's the weeeeekend, and time for a one minute identification thread! In the next 60 seconds, you'll be able to tell the difference between our most common white butterfly species - and to tell males from females! THREAD! 🧵🦋

5

55

180

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Advent riddle: December 2nd: a bit trickier... I'm weak and emotional, not up for a fight Yet a force to be feared on a wild winter's night Six delicate arms, round a heart made of dust Can steal the world's colour in muffling crust.

34

28

179

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

The mole also reminds us of the complexity of sexual development. The shifting sexual characteristics of the mole shows how the process of sexual development can, and does result in a wide range of natural variations.

6

10

176

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

In 'Silent Spring' Carson called into question the belief in scientific progress that defined post-war American culture. Carson's argued that pesticides are more properly termed biocides, she argues, because their effects are rarely limited to the target pests.

2

29

177

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

5 months

Mistletoe is becoming more abundant in many places in Britain. The reason may be that more blackcaps are overwintering in the UK. They eat the sticky berries and then wipe their beaks on branches, distributing the seed. (Thrushes poo them out, which is less effective).

9

35

177

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Enjoying some solstice sunshine. This moss was so glowing with greenness that it made the fallen leaves look purple.

3

19

176

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

MORNING FOLKS! Yesterday we noticed Pulmonaria - today we're noticing a spring visitor to that early flower, the HAIRY FOOTED FLOWER BEE, Anthophora plumipes! This can come out in February, though many of us may have to wait til March to see it.

10

25

175

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

In the letter to her friend Olga asked Rachel to help her find more information about the aerial spraying of DDT. Olga's letter prompted 4 years of research for Carson, & resulted in "Silent Spring" which created a new genre of literature and started an environmental movement.

1

21

174

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Riddle - 15th December - what species am I? I am white poison And yet you hold me close I give wordless licence to your articulate mouth Inside trees I grow, and yet I am green when twigs are bare.

44

25

172

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Tentative yet tenacious - hoping to tackle 2023 like this incredible creature

Tansu Yegen

@TansuYegen

1 year

Nature is full of amazing surprises🐌💙

403

7K

45K

5

24

171

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Good morning folks, Kiera here. Feels like we're split into two groups of people this microseason: those who've had rain, and those who haven't! 💧 So I thought I'd do a thread on a plant that's still green and flowering in spite of the dry: YARROW, Achillea millefolium.

4

20

171

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

So how did DDT, the chemical that inspired Carson’s book, come to be used as an agricultural insecticide? DDT was first used during the WWII to treat lice & typhus in troops. As the war came to an end, massive amounts of DDT (& DDT manufacturing capacity) needed a new market.

2

19

168

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

11 months

Today I am going to try to convince you of the fascinating history and uses of Dyer's Greenweed, Genista tinctoria. It's in the broom family, and inconspicuous most of the year, but blazes with yellow flower about now.

5

35

168

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Kiera here, and today I'm sharing something a big unusual - look at this beauty! This is chickweed wintergreen, Lysimachia europaea. The name is confusing -it's not a chickweed or a wintergreen, it's a rhizomatic lover of acid soils. And only found in the north!

5

19

165

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Take for example, the herbicide Glyphosate. This organophosphate hadn’t been identified as a potent herbicide when Carson was writing In the last 30 years it has become the most widely used herbicide in history. Recently Glyphosate has been found to be detrimental to bees.

2

29

164

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Britain did not follow the US until 14 years later. In 1986 the UK government officially banned the use of DDT. Although DDT was a feature of Carson's argument it was by no means the only concern. Many of the other chemicals Carson named are still in wide circulation today...

2

25

164

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

This week, I found this beautiful plant growing on a wall - it's fairy foxglove, Erinus alpinus. It got me thinking about my own reactions to the native/non-native debate. Romantic legend has it that this plant grows in Northumbria wherever Roman soldiers have trodden...

8

21

164

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

In a misstep worthy of a Succession storyline, this smear campaign only brought attention to Silent Spring & sales soared. Over time, research found Carson's theses to be correct. In 1972 the US government banned production of DDT & its use in agriculture in 1972.

1

17

164

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

First cowslip! 💛

6

4

163

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

7 months

Morning folks! Today I'm marvelling at the work of eighteenth century botanical illustrator, Lucy Hardcastle. She was born in Derby in 1771, and educated by Erasmus Darwin. After her husband became sick, she established a school to educate girls.

1

27

164

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Happy May Day folks! Today is known for two things: Beltane celebrations and the international Labour movement. But have you ever wondered about the relationship between the two? It has its roots in different uses and abuses of time.

11

64

162

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

In response to Carson's alarm call America's chemical industry tried to sue her. When this approach failed, they launched a $250,000 smear campaign against Carson, most of which was of a highly misogynist nature.

1

20

161

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

So today's news is that my snakes head fritillaries are in flower and that makes me happy!

5

8

160

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

But what does this mean? In short the female mole shows us that evolution doesn't work in the way that we have assumed since Darwin - their DNA changes within the living organism.

5

10

158

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 months

21-25 March is the microseason "The thud of dozy bumblebees" in our book! Are you seeing large queen bees emerging from winter dormancy around you? Do you have early sources of nectar for them?

20

30

161

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

11 months

Morning folks! And today I've got a bit of a mission for you: keep your eyes out for this insect, the green oak tortrix moth, Tortrix viridana. I've noticed it in my garden for the first time. I'm not the only one. People are reporting an outbreak with counts into the thousands

11

27

154

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

This little bird sanctuary was created by Carson's friends Stuart and Olga Owens Huckins on the land that surrounded their property. In 1958 aerial spraying of DDT commenced in the fields near the Huckins' home, causing harm to the birds that they loved to nurture...

1

21

155

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

And it wasn’t only chemicals that needed a market in the post war period: large numbers of surplus planes & pilots did too, leading to widespread DDT aerial spraying campaigns, the phenomena that Olga Owens Huckins brought to Carson's attention.

1

16

154

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

So, lets look at how this works. Female Moles are called Sows. Sows have both ovarian AND testicular tissue They also have vaginas that disappear between breeding seasons!

2

9

151

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

I knew I couldn't get anything past you brilliant guys! The answer is Danish Scurvy Grass, Cochlearia danica, a brassica that has spread remarkably quickly along our road network since the 1980s.

5

3

155

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Most of the year, female moles look and behave like males. They have masculinised genitals, with no external vagina + an enlarged clitoris. When this point in the year arrives, mating season begins. At this point the Sow's testosterone levels drop + they develop a vagina .

1

7

152

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

First, stand back and have a look at the overall SHAPE. 🌿Native bluebells have a shy droop to one side, like a bashful teenager (left) 🌿Hybrids flower boldly all round the stem (right)

4

11

153

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks. What are you noticing in nature around you? For me it’s the tentative shoots and buds. What’s catching your eye/ear?

87

7

148

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

And here's the important bit: cuckoo spit is really harmless to humans. Being xylem-feeders they do not even really damage the plant much. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REMOVE IT FROM YOUR GARDEN! Let the nymphs enjoy their little homes.

3

20

151

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Just saw the first snakeshead fritillary in one of my pots! They are so incredibly intricate 😍

Philip Strange

@PhilipsWriting

1 year

These took my breath away @Naturalcalendar @NearbyWild

6

5

39

6

7

152

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! And today I've got a plant mystery for you, around one of my favourite March flowers - COLTSFOOT, Tussilago farfara. Keep your pipes and Sherlock Holmes deerstalkers at the ready - here we go.

5

25

151

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

As is typical for mammals, Sows are equipped with two X chromosomes and Boars with an X and a Y chromosome. Unlike any other mammals Sows simultaneously develop functional ovarian and testicular tissues united in one organ, the 'ovotestis'. This is unique to Moles.

3

2

147

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! And yesterday @DrRJWarren tweeted that this plant - Caltha Palustris - had started to flower in her garden. But what are the local common names for this flower in your part of the world? Where I'm from they are called MOLLYBLOBS!

39

25

152

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Olga wrote a letter to the Boston Herald stating that: "The “harmless” shower-bath killed seven of our lovely songbirds outright. […]. All of these birds died horribly and in the same way. Shortly after, she wrote another letter to her friend Rachel Carson...

1

19

149

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Now move in closer still and look at the tips of the petals. 🌿In native bluebells, these curve back on themselves giving the plant FRILLY KNICKERS (left) 🌿In hybrids, they just curve back just a little bit, like a 60s bob (right)

2

8

148

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Not only are synthetic insecticides still in use, new formulations flooded the market after bans on DDT. Carson's work won a number of environmental victories, including but not limited to the DDT ban. But despite this, the war against against synthetic pesticides was lost.

1

18

147

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Also in 2021, researchers at John Hopkins found that glyphosate inhibits the production of melanin, which insects often use as part of their immune defenses against bacteria and parasites. In other words, it reduces the resistance of these species to infection by common pathogens

2

21

146

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

4 months

As I’ve got older, I’ve come to love a plant I once disliked: winter jasmine (jasminum nudiflorum). Ok it’s a bit ‘lax’ but those cheerful little yellow stars are just what I need in mid-winter. Here’s mine today, under snow! Anyone else ‘grown into’ once-disliked plants?

14

148

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

In 2021, researchers at the University of Konstanz Germany investigated the impacts of glyphosate on bumblebees & found that whereas environmentally realistic exposure levels resulted in a decrease in the ability of colony members to maintain required hive temperatures.

1

21

144

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

4 months

Morning, Nature Noticers! The first signs of spring are not visual but auditory. Almost as soon as we are past the solstice, the tone and amount of birdsong changes. Despite the grey weather the birds are welcoming in the spring! Listen to this:

13

31

143

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

(continuing my moan about the generic use of monarch butterflies) I mean, COME ON!! Won't you just look at this beauty!

6

7

141

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Today we're noticing the DUNNOCK! It's name comes from the word 'dun' (brown) and -ock (little) - so literally "little brown job"! But this somewhat drab-looking bird is the site of a cultural controversy, centring on its surprisingly colourful sex life!

8

22

140

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

1 year

Morning folks! Today I'm celebrating yesterday's publication of the @BSBIbotany Plant Atlas 2020. Look at this beauty (soooo much work has gone into this). And there's a superb website:

3

39

140

Noticing Nature: the British microseason project

@Naturalcalendar

2 years

Morning folks! Kiera here and today I'm noticing a plant that is flowering a shining yellow in spite of the drought conditions. It's also a potent plant of fairies and witches - and still demonised by those with livestock. It's ragwort, Senecio Jacobaea

11

17

139