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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Our next work party will take place on Saturday, September 12th, 9am-3pm, led by Lauren Baker from @bbcwildlifetrust.bsky.social. We will be raking and removing cuttings from the meadow area following its first cut in 3 years, to improve plant diversity in the area. @bosfonline.bsky.social

A Common Blue butterfly, one of the many species that benefits from a well-managed meadow (photo R. Newby)

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Ruth Newby @ruthnewby.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Lots of Migrant Hawkers at Hill Hook LNR yesterday, but they very rarely rested for any length of time. I was lucky that this one shot turned out OK. #dragonflies @ecorecord.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @hillhookfriends.bsky.social

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Ruth Newby @ruthnewby.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A Brimstone Moth caterpillar, found on Hawthorn at Hill Hook LNR yesterday. @pmandrews1973.bsky.social @ecorecord.bsky.social @hillhookfriends.bsky.social @rlewington2.bsky.social

A small green caterpillar with a brown head on a Hawthorn leaf. It is holding onto the leaf with its prolegs and trying to look like a small green twig.

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Ruth Newby @ruthnewby.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Purple Loostrife, Tufted Vetch and Devil’s-Bit Scabious flowering at Hill Hook LNR this week. 💜@wildflowerhour.bsky.social #wildflowerhour @hillhookfriends.bsky.social

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Great to see this species doing so well on the reserve, especially when it was only seen there for the first time last autumn. @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Phil Andrews @pmandrews1973.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

An amazing min count of 16 Willow Emerald Damselfly at Hill Hook NR late afternoon, all in a short stretch of SW side of the Mill Pool. Hard to believe it was first recorded for the site only last autumn + in Britian in 2007 @ecorecord.bsky.social @ruthnewby.bsky.social @hillhookfriends.bsky.social

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Join us for to find out about the different species of bats that make their homes at Hill Hook, and see some of many types of moths that they feed on there! We will be using bat-detectors to find and identify bats around the reserve. @bbcwildlifetrust.bsky.social @bosfonline.bsky.social

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

A male Emperor dragonfly taking a brief rest on a bush near the mill pool at Hill Hook Local Nature reserve today. These fast-flying dragonflies are easy to see whizzing across the pool right now. @ecorecord.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

A male Emperor dragonfly resting on a Hawthorn bush (photo R. Newby)

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Wouldn’t it be great if one of these was seen at Hill Hook…keep your eyes peeled! 👀

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

We have some upcoming events for your diaries! Our next conservation work party will be on Saturday July 25th, and we are very pleased to announce the return of our Bat and Moth Night on Friday August 28th. @bosfonline.bsky.social

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Phil Andrews @pmandrews1973.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Very pleased to have encountered my first Willow Emerald Damselfly for Hill Hook NR this morning, following on from their discovery last September by @ruthnewby.bsky.social. Will try to do a proper survey later in the week. @ecorecord.bsky.social

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

An enormous thank-you to our wonderful volunteers who turned up at short notice to work on our wildlife garden. We removed unwanted shrubs and planted out a wide range of pollinator-friendly perennials, as well as plants which will provide food for birds in the winter. @bosfonline.bsky.social

A volunteer removing a deep-rooted Cherry Plum which was over-shading the bed.

Digging holes for the new plants under the watchful eye of a four-legged friend.

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Ruth Newby @ruthnewby.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

A new species for me today at Hill Hook LNR: a Slender-striped Robberfly (Leptogaster cylindrica) with its prey. Strangely no Sutton Coldfield records on iRecord, though quite a few in the Tame Valley. @hillhookfriends.bsky.social @ecorecord.bsky.social

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

We’re getting ready for our Wildlife Garden planting day on Saturday! The first lot of plants have arrived and are being looked after in our Chair’s back garden until then! If you fancy helping out, we’d love to see you. @rosybeeplants.bsky.social @bosfonline.bsky.social

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Great to hear that so many wonderful insects have been seen at Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve recently.

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

We now have dates for our volunteer work parties for 2026/27 20th June: Wildlife garden planting (led by Friends of Hill Hook) 25th July 12th September 14th November 23rd January 13th March (activities/events tbc, led by Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust) More details to follow!

Volunteers clearing the area for our demonstration wildlife garden at our April work party.

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Reposted by Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve

Birmingham Open Spaces Forum @bosfonline.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

With temperatures already soaring this week, keep yourselves and each other safe in our parks and green spaces! Open water such as rivers, streams, pools and lakes may look tempting in the heat - but please do stay out. Look out for one another out there and enjoy the sunshine safely!

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Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve @hillhookfriends.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

The Friends of Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve are now on BlueSky! We are a community group who manage a small local nature reserve in Sutton Coldfield (W. Mids). Follow us to find out about the reserve’s wildlife, events & volunteer opportunities. @bosfonline.bsky.social @ecorecord.bsky.social

Some of the wildlife making its home at at Hill Hook: a family of Canada Geese (photo R. Newby)

A Song Thrush singing in the woodland area of the reserve (Photo R. Newby)

The reserve is home to many wild flowers: this is Cow Parley which is currently flowering by the mill pond (Photo R. Newby)

The reserve is also home to many species of Dragonfly and Damselfly. This is a female Blue-tailed Damselfly.

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