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Edward Pollard

@epollard.bsky.social
939 followers 282 following 1.4K posts

🌲 Biodiversity conservationist living in Cambridge, UK. 🦋 Cambridgeshire butterfly recorder so this account will mainly about butterflies and other general natural history

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Reposted by Edward Pollard
Miles King @milesking.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Latest figures from Defra show 8% of English farms produce 62% of output (ie food) from 33% of farmland. Conversely 11% of output is produced from 30% of land. There is no question that there is plenty of space for nature on English farmland. Yet we still hear "every acre must be maximised".
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Nice to hear @chrisboardman.bsky.social extolling the benefits of right to roam during his commentary of the cycling World Championships today. @guyshrubsole.bsky.social
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William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Paper written by a team of funders describing how they can and are encouraging the embedding of tests into practice. doi.org/10.1111/cobi...
doi.org
Role of funders in embedding tests in conservation practice
Effective conservation practice requires decisions based on reliable and relevant evidence, but significant gaps in the evidence base exist. Incorporating well-designed tests of the effectiveness of ...
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Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust @sbbtrust.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Purchase one of our exclusive Swallowtail pin badges with all profits going to the conservation of Swallowtail & Birdwing butterflies around the world. sbbt.bigcartel.com Choose from British Swallowtail, Queen Alexandra's Birdwing and Ulysees butterfly. Shipping worldwide. www.sbbt.org.uk
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Great Fen @greatfen.org.uk · 25/09/2026
We're sharing the power of #paludiculture at the Cambridge Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival this Sunday! Free entry. Parker's Piece, Cambridge | Sunday 27th September | 10:30 - 16:00. See you there!
A wildflower meadow with yellow and purple blooms amongst long grass. Text reads Cambridge Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival 27th Sept | 10:30am - 4pm, Parker's Piece Cambridge
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David Bradley @sciencebase.com · 24/09/2026
Meanwhile, a friend spotted a massive flux of 100+ Clouded Yellow on mixed alfalfa/clover/trefoil fields in a nearby village. It would have been rude not to check them out. I counted about 50 CYs, and got an in-flight snapshot of one the males haring about #UKButterflies #MigrantSpecies
The Clouded Yellow is a migrant to the UK and doesn't, AFAIK, survive our winters (it will eventually, but needs its foodplants to be in bloom over winter to do so, not just about temperature as it doesn't hibernate). Nevertheless, it does breed here, and has done on this farm patch as there were lots of pristine specimens around. A friend saw hundreds a couple of days ago, I think I topped out counting at about 50.
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Roel Maalderink @roelmaalderink.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
De video waarvan Meta niet wil dat je ‘m ziet
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Ed Morrish @edmorrish.com · 24/09/2026
this is the guy i reposted the other day who interviewed meta employees with pervert glasses - meta have taken his video down for “harassment”. which makes it one of the most effective pieces of satire in recent memory
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Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
📣 New paper alert. Latest study by @mingrui-li.bsky.social as part of his PhD @uniexecec.bsky.social on the impact of public access to land on #CitizenScience butterfly recording. 🥾⛔️📋🦋 @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Modelling spatial deficits in citizen science recording: a case study from UK butterflies - Journal of Insect Conservation
Abstract Citizen science data are increasingly used to infer species distributions and monitor biodiversity at large spatial scales. However, recording effort is often uneven across space, potentially...
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The international system of units would like a word. Then again metric system is too modern for the USA. And they currently aren't all that interested in anything international either
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Shifting baseline can quite disorienting. Just this morning (22nd Sept) while hanging the laundry in my Cambridge garden I had a Raven fly over, and Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring. Both unimaginable in my youth @cambsbirdclub.bsky.social @tonyjuniper.bsky.social @craigbennett3.bsky.social
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Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social · 21/09/2026
2026 gave us more butterflies on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects than 2023 and 2024 (these years were the worst since 1990), and a little bit more than 2025, especially in August. But beware of shifting baseline, numbers in most years in the 1990s were often twice as high as nowadays.
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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Ash Dieback in Monks Wood NNR. Hectares of the canopy completely dead, but dense thickets below are thriving in the light.
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Black & white image of tabby cats sleeping on a zebra print blanket
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Sussex Wildlife Trust @sussexwildlife.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Do you know something about wildlife or conservation action within 1km of a railway track? Network Rail want to hear your views.  survey123.arcgis.com/share/24c3937c…
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I've not done nearly enough training for the Chariots of Fire tomorrow. But that doesn't matter. It's not about the time. It's about remembering Judah. He was one of the good ones ❤️ @arthurrankhospice.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/running...
justgiving.com
Running for Judah
Help Edward Pollard raise money to support Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Two years ago our dear friend signed up a group of aging runners to help him with a Cambridge bucket list activity. The Chariots of Fire relay run. On a very wet Sunday we got together and ran with him. #forjudah @arthurrankhospice.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/running...
justgiving.com
Running for Judah
Help Edward Pollard raise money to support Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Interesting set of posts about the spread of one of the more unfortunately named butterflies. Nothing 'Lesser' about it in my books.
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Blimey. He's going after the pubs in Cambridge now!
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I like this article about the Big Butterfly Count by @patrickbarkham.bsky.social Doesn't just repeat the press release, but also informed opinions from @richardfoxbc.bsky.social and Matthew Oates. Latter is optimistic that next year won't be a disaster after all. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Record heatwaves bring Britain’s second-best butterfly season in 16 years
Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last year
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Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Big Butterfly Count results are out 📈 📊🦋 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
butterfly-conservation.org
Big Butterfly Count results 2026: Heatwaves help butterflies but could kill caterpillars
The results of Butterfly Conservation's 2026 Big Butterfly Count have revealed it was a great summer for butterflies, but what comes next could be dire.With the Met Office confirming it ‘increasingly ...
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cop17arm.bsky.social @cop17arm.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🌿 COP17 Armenia is now live across social media. Follow the official channels for conference updates, Armenia’s biodiversity, and stories of action for nature. bit.ly/m/cop17armenia 📍 Yerevan | 19–30 October 2026 Follow. Share. Take Action for Nature. #COP17Armenia
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It's getting pretty worrying in Indonesia. The fires are spreading into the undisturbed forest now. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Indonesian wildfires threaten leading orangutan research site in Borneo
Critically endangered Bornean orangutans flee forests as staff at Cabang Panti work round the clock to stave off blaze
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Andrew Knights @andrewknights.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A lovely Goat Moth caterpillar crossing the road at Upware, Cambs, this morning. Luckily the road is closed so it made it across safely.
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Mr and Mrs Trellis @thenorfolkcoast.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Pulloxhill Marsh purchase campaign by Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants. This 12½ acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a fragment of ancient countryside that has somehow escaped the impacts of modern agriculture and development... www.wildlifebcn.org/pulloxhill
wildlifebcn.org
Pulloxhill Marsh | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants
Can you help save a piece of ancient countryside?
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Wildlife Trust BCN @wildlifebcn.org · 14/09/2026
🌾Pulloxhill Marsh survived. Help us protect it forever. 👉 Donate today at www.wildlifebcn.org/pulloxhill Just a few fields from our Flitwick Moor nature reserve, lies Pulloxhill Marsh. A fragment of ancient countryside that has somehow escaped the impacts of modern agriculture and development.
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Nature Positive Initiative @npinitiative.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
📢 Big news: on 13 October the Nature Positive Initiative will release the final outcome of a two-year global consensus-building process. This update is synchronized with the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the Science-Based Targets Network. ...🧵
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Plantlife @plantlifeuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The UK’s largest citizen science fungi survey, #WaxcapWatch, is back!🍄 It’s really easy to take part. Just head out to a grassy spot and record any waxcaps and grassland fungi you find. Join today 👉 www.plantlife.org.uk/waxcapwatch/
Two red fungi growing amongst some grass. The title reads 'Join the UK's largest citizen science fungi survey'
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
ooh - this looks good
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Clive Baker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇪 @elyclive.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A colleague of mine found this very squashed insect on her Road in Norfolk this weekend and was looking for identification, I am thinking it could be a Migratory Locust?, I know they are rare but perhaps after the Hot Summer it’s possible. Anyone able to to confirm or dismiss. #Insects
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Two years ago our dear friend signed up a group of aging runners to help him with a Cambridge bucket list activity. The Chariots of Fire relay run. On a very wet Sunday we got together and ran with him. #forjudah @arthurrankhospice.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/running...
justgiving.com
Running for Judah
Help Edward Pollard raise money to support Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
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David Harris @cycle4nature.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#FavouritePlant #2 2026 — Bee Orchid f. bicolor. My wife and I found 39 in a single colony on private land this summer — an extraordinary number for a form so rarely seen in Britain, especially in VC29. And we hadn’t even searched the whole colony. Still slightly mind-blowing! 😅 #WildflowerHour
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Dr Marcus Rhodes @marcusrhodes.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Thrilled to find a Queen of Spain Fritillary in Cot Valley, St Just, this afternoon! My first encounter with this wonderful butterfly on British soil.
A Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly basking on asphalt. The upperside of its wings are orange with black spots.A side-on view of a Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly basking on asphalt. The upperside of its wings are orange with black spots.A Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly resting on asphalt with its wings partially closed. The underside of its wings are orange with large, pearly white spots.A Queen of Spain Fritillary butterfly basking on asphalt. The upperside of its wings are orange with black spots.
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Great Fen @greatfen.org.uk · 11/09/2026
Just over one week to go until our Heritage Open Days event at the Bungalow at Woodwalton Fen🏠 Step inside this historic building, learn about the history of the area and explore this beautiful nature reserve! www.wildlifebcn.org/events/2026-...
photo of a brown painted wooden bungalow on concrete stilts with a thatched rood. Set in a lush green nature reserve. Text reads heritage Open Days: Rothschild Bungalow Open Day. Woodwalton Fen NNR PE26 2RS. Sunday 20th September 10am-3pm Free entry wildlifebcn.org/events
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Great Fen @greatfen.org.uk · 11/09/2026
Please join our community consultation at Ramsey Library on Tuesday 15th September, from 11.30am-2pm. We'd love to hear what you already know about the Great Fen, what you'd like to know, what we could offer you in future and any other ideas or feedback you have!
Screenshot of a black and white poster that reads We’d love to hear what you think Join our community consultation to share your thoughts on the stories we tell about the fens and how we tell them.
15 September 2026, from 11:30 - 14:00 Ramsey Library
25 Great Whyte, Ramsey, Huntingdon, PE26 1HA 
Your input will help us develop the walking trails around the Great Fen. We are interested in talking to people of all ages, with all levels of interest in nature and with all levels of prior knowledge about the fens and its wildlife. 
You can also share your voice by scanning this QR code and completing the five minute survey.  The first five people to complete the survey will each receive a £10 gift voucher
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Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service @suffolkbis.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Once extinct in Suffolk, the polecat is making a comeback – find out more about this elusive and charismatic mustelid. >>> storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/...
storymaps.arcgis.com
The SBIS Species of the Month
Explore some of Suffolk's fascinating wildlife species with us.
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David Higgins @davidhiggins.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Can anyone recommend an authoritative but accessible book, chapter, or online resource about wetlands? I particularly need stuff on how different kinds of wetland are classified + the associated geomorphology.
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Ross McNally @rossmcnally.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is an excellent video on a project that has probably gone under the radar for most people. I wrote about Tauros myself a while back, discussing their ecology, how they differ from bison and domestic cattle, and their potential role in rewilding Europe. sussexbylines.co.uk/news/environ...
sussexbylines.co.uk
Can Europe accept wild cattle again? We’ll soon find out
Introduction of the Tauros, bred from domestic cattle to replace wild aurochs, will test Europe's commitment to rewilding
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Ludwig game Find a scene (not inter-shot) actually filmed in Cambridge
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This is going to be brilliant. @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social delivering the Reith Lectures. www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
bbc.com
Robert Macfarlane to challenge humanity’s ‘superiority complex’ in the 2026 BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures
The acclaimed writer will argue for the urgent need to re-imagine humanity’s relationship with the living world, in order to shape a more hopeful future on Earth
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
What a great story. Nice work @petemrcooper.bsky.social and everyone at Lower Ure Conservation Trust. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Glowworms shine again in North Yorkshire after larvae reared in garden shed
Volunteer ‘glow-getters’ overseeing reintroduction of endangered beetles at Nosterfield nature reserve
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The Essex Queen of Spain Fritillaries have sparked some discussion as to whether they will survive the winter and become established. Assuming they are of Dutch origin they should be might be better suited to the Thames estuary climate than previous rogue releases of unknown provenance
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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Year 25 of the Monks Wood Marsh Tit demographic survey has begun! It's raining, but @martamaziarz.bsky.social & I are out trapping & ringing. How has heat & drought affected survival and productivity? Has the 11 yr old male survived to challenge the national longevity record? #ornithology
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BirdGuides @birdguides.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Two impressive raptors pictured side by side feature in this week's Photo of the Week:
f.mtr.cool
Photo of the Week: 1-6 September 2026
BirdGuides Photo of the Week for 1-6 September 2026 features two impressive raptor species, Red Kite and Osprey, pictured side by side.
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Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social · 08/09/2026
Migrant butterflies are having a good year on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects, with high numbers of Red Admiral and Painted Lady in summer, and lots of Pale Clouded Yellow now (the best year since the start of monitoring in 1990). Clouded Yellow is having an average year.
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Butterfly Conservation - Cambs & Essex @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Queen of Spain Fritillary in Essex Sadly we will never know their provenance. But east winds, and an apparently bumper year on the near Continent means these have to be as good as any. They might be around for a few more weeks
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
RFI Does anyone know if there are Brown Hairstreak in the grounds of Worcester College, Oxford? @upperthames.bsky.social
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The volunteers risking their lives to defuse Indonesia's wildfire 'carbon bombs' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Indonesia fires: The volunteer firefighters risking their lives to defuse 'carbon bombs'
Peat fires in Borneo are releasing ancient stores of carbon - and sending a toxic smog across South East Asia.
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Clare Boyes @pickeletto.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
It's 5 years since Douglas died. Some lovely friends organised a fundraiser for their birthdays with the proceeds going to the Diarsia fund run by @savebutterflies.bsky.social to fund research into UK lepidoptera declines. Feel free to contribute here. Thank you. www.justgiving.com/page/tom-ter...
justgiving.com
Tom & Tereza's fundraiser for Butterfly Conservation (The Diarsia Awards)
Help Tom Hayek raise money to support Butterfly Conservation
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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I've heard that the sightings book at Wicken Fen has a report of Camberwell Beauty on 1st September. Does anyone know anything about this? @ajaytegala.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk @bc-suffolk.bsky.social @norfolkbutterflies.bsky.social
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