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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Confused, looking for small blues, found a small blue butterfly - much smaller than common blues - think a silver studded male #1,2 - but the underside is all wrong #3 - sure it the same one… also think i saw a female silver studded. They are smaller than common blues?@savebutterflies.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Now I know Mr & Mrs Blackcap found each other. About 4 fledglings in the garden yesterday. Pity they migrate in the winter - but then we get others migrate in for the winter - I wonder if behaviour will change? Will they return to where they bred/grew up? @rspb.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Got a bit of an aphid explosion - they are starting to form the flying ones - but blue tailed damselflies are munching them up.

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Common Blue on the front lawn is- how front lawns have changed since the 1970 of boring stripes. #savebutterflies

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Reed bunting collecting dog hair from our lawn. Happy to say we don’t use and never needed to use insecticides/ flea killers on our dog. So safe bird family. I’ve had a pet dog for 40 years ( 4 different dogs) just occasionally brush and hover house, no need for toxic chemicals.

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Mr House Sparrow having a freshen up in the garden pond. The Sparrows arrived last year and we have a couple of families now. So delightful and hoping to build trust so I can have fun watching the fledglings. #nature #birds #ponds

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Never realised how hairy Red Mason bees - Osmia bicornis were on their underside - but guess thats for carring pollen (or have I ID image 2 wrong? ). All go at the bee hotels today. @ianbeavis.bsky.social #solitarybees #beehotels #insect #bee

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Painted lady having a top up On the perennial wall flowers. First one I’ve managed to photo this year. 1/5/26. They make such a journey each year. ( over a number of generations) @savebutterflies.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Do female holly blues ‘patrol’ their patch. I have seen a holly blue zig zagging over 6 pyracantha bushes the last few days. Finally this one stopped - was surprised it was a female. Perhaps I have both. Hopefully more next year. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Quick snap of my second nomad bee sp this year. Pretty sure it’s a female Nomada goodeniana, happy to be corrected. A nigroaenea and probably A nitida frequent the garden. #ecology #bees @ianbeavis.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Green veined white waking up on a white tulip. Possibly just emerged from its chrysalis. I think our garden as dry but there are some damp areas by the pond, where I have some cuckoo flowers for the caterpillars to feed on, they don’t eat the veg. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #butterfly

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Bit of a problem the Coronilla valentina has been giving some of the bees. Looks like some part of the flower is pushing the proboscis to one side and so they are missing the nectar. They must succeed with some flowers and they stay trying for a while. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Male house sparrow, pleased to be getting these in garden now. Hopefully he has a family somewhere nearby, they are such fun cheeky birds. We are trying to garden slowing scruffy corners and definitely no pesticides. #birdsseen2026 #ukwildlife #ukbirds #canonr6iii

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Lovey holly blue dropped by for a quick rest in a pear blossom- think it’s a male.

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I never thought of shield bugs a pollinators - but this one has other ideas - not sure if thats tulip pollen or something else - but clearly a good dusting. #britishbugs #ukinsects #pollinators #shieldbugs

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Bees galore yesterday 6/4/26. Queen red tailed bumblebee, Queen Garden bumblebee and fun female Hairy footed flower bee - loads of other sp but all to fast for me @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #solitarybee

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Fascinating to watch this female mallard take aim, launching herself herself, grab young beech catkins - hang on super tight and pull off a tasty snack. The drake just pottered nearby.

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76... If you live in a community that is being swamped by planners going crazy for fast and easy profits but infrastructure that is already swamped - you might be interested in this petition that’s just been set up.

petition.parliament.uk

Petition: Pause housebuilding targets imposed on councils, review and identify local need

We ask the government to pause housebuilding targets and consult local communities to identify where substantial house building is needed, not where developers prefer to build. We worry about develope...

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Tawny mining bee female A fulva, and I think, Gwynnes mining bee female A bicolor on the garden cherry. 26/3/26 Mickleton, N Cotswolds. @ianbeavis.bsky.social @solitarybee.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

iPhone snaps on the wild area on the housing estate - Vestal Cuckoo Bee - first cuckoo bumblebee sp spotted this year. Hope to see them in the garden for better shots. We have loads of Buff tailed @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #bombus

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Bumblebee sp number 4 for our semi urban garden. Common Carder queen bumblebee on 21:3/26 on the rosemarie. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Pretty yellow honey /lemon scented shrub that flowers December to April - Coronilla glauca. Not native - but happy in a hot dry location - looks like Buff Tailed bumblebees will enjoy its early flowers. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Not great ID shot but pretty sure Painted Nomad bee - male. We get loads of the host yellow legged mining bee ( only seen the males of those so far this year) @ianbeavis.bsky.social @solitarybee.bsky.social #nomadbee

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Beautiful fresh Red Tailed bumblebee queen enjoying the hyacinths (first one this year for me) 12/7/26 @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #bumblebeetrust

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Dark-edged bee-flies in the garden, though they were mating but confused 1 - male (eyes close together- image from early in the day) 2 and 3 mating? top fly has eyes apart - is this a female - or just angle? 4 female? from mating? @flygirlnhm.bsky.social #beeflywatch @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

ID check please 1 Andrena bicolor female - ( wondering if thorax has enough hairs and abdomen hairs too long) looks a bit shabby and was warming up In the morning sun 2&3 Lasioglossum calceatum male on heather flowers ( Im rubbish at furrow bees) @ianbeavis.bsky.social #solitarybee #ukwildlife

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Just love it when the Hairy-footed flower bees come’s out to play. It loves the Grape Hyacinths, I do have primroses too. This is a male and has the hairy third leg and foot. #Anthrophoraplumpies #solitarybees @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social @ianbeavis.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Dark-edged Bee-fly, male. I do love these cheeky chaps - they whizz around with their probosis sticking out and snacking on the spring flowers, the females lay their eggs in solitary bee so nests. 5/3/26 N Cotswolds garden #beeflywatch

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

I do believe this is a Gwynnes mining bee, Andrena bicolor. Had been busy enjoying nectar from the crocus. #solitarybee @ianbeavis.bsky.social #andrena #springwatch. In my N Cotswolds garden 5/3/26.

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

2 male Dark-edged Bee-flys in my N Cotswolds garden today. #beeflywatch #Bombyliusmajor

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

A good number of little male yellow leg mining bees Andrena flavipes in the garden today. This one captured resting on a hellebore flower. #solitarybees #bees

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Corrections to yesterdays IDs of my garden bees, many thanks @ianbeavis.bsky.social this time with better ID. 1 Lasioglossum calceatum female, 2 Andrea bicolor male, 3 Bombus pratorum queen (note not the whole tail is orange - so was rather lazy with my original ID) @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

First year growing anemone coronaria - such jolly pops of blue. I just planted the little dried up corms last year an up they grow. Female drone fly is pretty pleased too. #insects #hoverfly #uknature #february #inmygarden #ukwildlife

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Oh yes, first active 7 spot ladybird of the year. The little critters are waking up. N Cotswold. #coccinella @ukladybirds.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

30 mins of lunch time sunshine, the daphne was buzzing, first hoverfly of the year, Meliscaeva auricollis female; they overwinter as adults so are some of the first hovers to see. She is fueling up on the nectar and her larva will eat aphids. @buzzclub.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Who else has got a massive influx of blackbirds? We must have a 3 fold increase, they are so busy eating pyracantha berries and other berries. So good to see them. @rspb.bsky.social #ukwildlife @bbcspringwatch.bsky.social #blackbird #britishbirds

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Fieldfares are so loving the hawthorne berries this year Wonder if they will move on to the crab apples next week N Glos 40/01/26

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Buff tailed worker (seemed way to small to be a queen) out on the daphne in our N Glos Garden 04/01/26 - and it was freezing cold

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Am I the only one who has dunnocks that have learnt to hop up through a shrub to hop into a seed feeder, for a cheeky snack. I know they are really an invert/insect feeder - but mine definitely use the feeder (now its easy from them to access)

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Oh yes - Small Copper in the garden - think this is a male but happy to be corrected. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

Mrs Southern Hawker checking out the mossy logs on the pond edge for some egg laying

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Cob bricks for HFFB advice. I have some ‘blue’ clay (friend doing an extension), some straw, sharp sand, and some spare wood. Any advice on brick size - max/min - should I make the wooden housing first then pack the clay in or make bricks first then build housing to fit? @davegoulson.bsky.social Ta

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

I did not realise wrens had nested in or near the garden - but in yesterday drizzle the family fledged and the garden was full of fluttering and cheeping. Not sure if this is an adult or young one but so pleased to see them. Even though I had to nip out in the drizzle.

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Caroline Byrne @caroline-byrne.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

So loving the Common Blue female butterflies on the wild front lawn. Seen males locally - just not on the ‘lawn’. They are remarkably wings are so pretty and so intricate - remarkable.

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