Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara has unexpectedly appeared under the rhubarb in the garden. Also a Peacock nectaring on Primrose. Well and truly spring today here in central Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Rue-leaved Saxifrage Saxifraga tridactylites and Common Whitlow-grass Erophila verna. Happy as Larry on this old wall in Winchester, Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Toothwort Lathraea squamaria. Plant or creature? A couple of early spikes showing in central Hampshire today. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
The true spring flower. Wood Anemone (Anemine nemorosa). Central Hampshire today. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Clearer than forecast in SW Hants last night, so 29 of 10 fewer than hoped.
Obvious highlight what appears to be Agonopterix curvipunctosa ( @migrantmothuk.bsky.social ?), which I think would be new for Hants!! A tiny thing, fw about 7mm.
Yellow Horned, Clouded Drab & Brindled Pug NFY.
#teammoth
Beige overload, 159/17 in SE Hants. 99 CQ+SQ. 4 NFY 2x Common Plume, 5x Clouded Drab, 2 D. fagella, 1x Early Thorn. Others 4x Oak Beauty, 8 Yellow Horned, 9x Twin-spotted Quaker and a single Pammene giganteana in the trap. Nice variety in the markings of the Brindled Pug #teammoth
Pine Beauty to light in the North Hampshire garden last night, only the second garden record here. Also notable was a max count of 64 Small Quaker. #TeamMoth
The spectacular blooms of Lesser Chickweed Stellaria pallida 😅. Firmly in the niche botany bracket. Hayling Island, Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Continuing the 'spectacular' theme, here's Early Meadow-grass Poa infirma on Hayling Island. Once a rarity restricted to the SW of England, it's now quite widespread and a guaranteed find here in coastal Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Sea Thrift Armeria maritima getting to the spring party early. Hayling Island, Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
The beautiful Slender Speedwell Veronica filiformis scrambling over the graves at St Stephen's, Sparsholt, Hampshire. Speed-you-well seems a perfect floral sentiment. @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Book your free ticket to the online BDS Spring Meeting on Saturday, 21 March 2026.
Featuring the 'The National Education Nature Park' - a free, Department for Education–commissioned programme supporting schools, colleges and nurseries across England
british-dragonflies.org.uk/event/spring...
Early spring is by far the best time to record breeding Goshawks as they display over territories, particularly on calm and sunny days - here’s some encouragement from RBBP Secretary @markaeaton.bsky.social #ukbirding #ornithology
youtu.be/hVgl6jYOX6A?...
Another species that’s worth looking for establishing territories in the early spring is the Marsh Harrier. Learning their call might help as well - have a listen to this
youtu.be/d5wD5vivbfE?...
Dark-edged or Dotted? 🐝
Is it Bombylius major or Bombylius discolor? Learn how to tell them apart by wing patterns, habitat & behaviour 🌍 🧪
Join our #entoLEARN webinar on 25 Mar 2026:
🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1976745510...
@uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @tonymadgwick.bsky.social
With February coming to a close, the sound of Mediterranean Gulls is a regular one over the eastern Solent harbours. At West Hayling, courtship has begun & will continue until they move on in the Spring.
A collage of photos of eight wildflowers, from left to right top to bottom they are; snowflakes at Lakeside Country Park, lesser celandine, wood avens in Winchester, daisies, winter heliotrope at Lakeside, coltsfoot at Fleet Pond and primroses and periwinkle in Winchester
A photo of the yellow flowers of gorse with a fence visible behind in the sun
A photo of common whitlowgrass, small white flowers on the ground, with purple crocuses around in the sun
One last #TheWinter10 from Hampshire this week; snowflakes, lesser celandine, wood avens, daisies, winter heliotrope, coltsfoot, primroses, periwinkle, gorse and common whitlowgrass. #WildflowerHour
@dipteristsforum.bsky.social First Tephritid of the year today here in S. Hants, Tephritis cometa in the garden.
Another day, another Tephritid, this time Tephritis vespertina, in the garden with a good array of other insects enjoying the sunshine. Eristalis tenax & pertinax (m&f), Tree Bumblebee and at least 2spp of solitary bees.
A photo of a Peacock butterfly, a red butterfly, on the ground in the sun
Good to see a Peacock butterfly at Winnall Moors at lunch time as well as a few Brimstones and a ladybird. Also good to see Chaffinch, Moorhen and a Dunnock whilst passing Lakeside this morning. #UKWildlife #Bugsky
Tortula protobryoides
Seligeria calycina
Bryum torquescens
Lovely day out in North Hants today in the company of @pilkyplant.bsky.social , Billy from @hantsbic.bsky.social and others at Ladle Hill. Very few records for bryophytes before but there was plenty of interest including Tortula protobryoides, Seligeria calycina and Bryum torquescens.
Abietinella abietina - scarce pleurocarp moss and indicator of high-quality calcareous grassland. St Catherine's Hill. It looks like a mini fir tree and is pale green with browner marking in middle and lower parts
Aloina aloides - growing on gravel alongside a path in Winchester city centre. This tiny moss has leaves arranged in a star shape. The leaves are fleshy-looking, and opaque
Scleropodium cespitans - growing on hard substrate in Winchester city centre. Looks completely different when hydrated compared to when dry. It typically grows in extensive, almost pure, dense, usually low and fairly flat patches. The curved, or even arched branches often lie in the same direction, forming thick mats. Shoots are typically 1–2 cm long. The moss is green and looks like it is platted.
Rue-leaved Saxifrage - young plants appearing in pavement cracks around Winchester. Each leaf looks like it has three toes/fingers
Our Billy is exploring Winchester and noting #PavementPlants and mosses! Rue-leaved Saxifrage starting to appear, Scleropodium cespitans, Aloina aloides in the city and Abietinella abietina on St Catherine's Hill
@bbsbryology.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
Wanting to get into botany? @bsbibotany.bsky.social have a wealth of information and training available, and this year a new challenge for beginners!
I'm delighted to be leading a #WildPavements webinar at 7pm on 26 Feb for the Natural History Museum @nhm-london.bsky.social's fab Urban Nature Network. Join the free network here the-urban-nature-network.mn.co/share/OZILcH... & then sign up for the webinar for free too. 💚
Hummingbird Hawkmoth just seen feeding on Sarcococca in Barton, SW Hants!!
Presumably having a break from hibernating somewhere cosy, but @migrantmothuk.bsky.social can have a tag anyway.
Comfortably my earliest ever.
#teammoth
A photo of a group of honey mushrooms, brown and cream coloured mushrooms on the ground with bracken also visible in the photo
Honey mushrooms at Acres Down in the New Forest in October #FungiFriends
As expected pretty poor trapping in SE Hants last night. 7/3 with 5x C. Quaker, 1x Chestnut and 1x T. alternella #teammoth
Signs of spring in south Hants 🙂
Issue 70 of the Hampshire Flora Group's Flora News is out now. Free to view at hantsplants.uk/floranews.php.
Chock full of records, articles and other botanical interest from Hampshire, UK.
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
