Purveyor of woodland ecology and herp facts to the discerning. And anyone else, to be honest. Entomophile, bryo-lover, occasional runner seeking lost mojo.
Inverness
- Tweets 7,760
- Following 410
- Followers 790
- Likes 10,142
Just Hannah and Jerry up for murder then... got to hope it's Jerry personally. Hannah's going to be an asset in the missions and they all want money. Never kill the mathematician.
#celebritytraitors
1
3
695
So James Acaster is going to be one of
#TheCelebrityTraitors. Which will be interesting. He's great but Maya is going to have her hands full with two madcap loose canons!
1
337
#TheCelebrityTraitors choice! This is awesome!
220
So, before we know the truth, my top three to be #TheCelebrityTraitors would be Richard E Grant, Hannah Fry and Romesh Ranganathan. She's bound to choose at least one of the younger ones, but I haven't a clue who any of them are...
705
Jeanette Hall - ask me about woods 🌳 and newts 🦎 retweeted
70% Survival Rate! Scottish biologists are ecstatic the critically endangered Round-Leaf Bryum Moss, discovered only in one place in the UK in the last 30 years, is now flourishing at a Scottish Water reservoir. #rarespecies #moss #scotland
@NatureScot @TheBotanics @ForestryLS
2
2
2,520
FFS. OK I know not all men. I don't hate men - my brother's a man and he's great, and so's my closest friend. But definitely enough men that I'm starting to wonder if they ought to have their freedom of movement curtailed in some way.
Man admits drugging and raping his wife without her knowledge for 20 years bbc.in/4yHgPDP
1
2
85
Jeanette Hall - ask me about woods 🌳 and newts 🦎 retweeted
Strathpeffer event to highlight how trees can strengthen farm businesses 🌳
‘Your Farm's Future: Trees an option and opportunity?' will take place from 10am to 3pm on Wednesday 23 September.
More info: forestry.gov.scot/news/strat…
ALT Richard Lockett with a dog on a bale at Knockbain Farm
2
4
1,400
Jeanette Hall - ask me about woods 🌳 and newts 🦎 retweeted
Spear Thistle and Common Ragwort are native plants that provide valuable resources for wildlife.
Yes they can cause problems in specific contexts. Thistles can become tough weeds in crop fields and ragwort can be toxic to farmed animals, especially if it is dried and eaten in hay (though I’ve seen plenty of examples of it growing in pastures where the grazing animals just avoid it).
As far as I can see, it is not illegal to have either plant in your garden, despite what the article says.
If you do have them they’re certainly providing benefits for wildlife. The only issue that might arise is if you live next to agricultural land that is having problems with these plants and your garden stock is continually spreading back into the fields.
This is not a problem for the majority of people, and it doesn’t mean these plants are inherently dangerous or bad. The unfortunate consequence of these kind of articles are that people start ripping out these plants wherever they find them.
Near me, people pulled up ragwort growing harmlessly on a public verge because they thought they were doing a public good. Those plants had been providing food for caterpillars, butterflies, bees, and other insects. Removing them just meant there was less food for wildlife, and less beauty and colour around.
These are native plants that wildlife depends on. A better article would have this nuance and would share details about the real benefits provided by them in the right contexts.
@BBC @CountryfileMag why are you demonising native wildflowers ragwort and spear thistle? Dangerously misleading information. Not illegal to grow in gardens. Vital resource for declining pollinators. No wonder people refuse to pay the license fee when you publish such DRIVEL.
17
84
653
12,602
Jeanette Hall - ask me about woods 🌳 and newts 🦎 retweeted
Hidden population of rare dark bordered beauty moth found after decades-long hunt
itv.com/news/2026-08-13/hidd…
1
4
2,068
Is Inverness the safest place in the UK to watch the eclipse? It's getting a bit dark to be fair.
7
255
Jeanette Hall - ask me about woods 🌳 and newts 🦎 retweeted
Latest fire risk assessment for 12 and 13 August VERY HIGH for East Highland and East and South Scotland. Full details tinyurl.com/2fewjd3m
2
61
Well here's a heartwarming story about one woman and her highly impressive wasp nest! @Buzz_dont_tweet @RoyEntSoc
theguardian.com/environment/…
1
2
84
A range of members of the #DaisyFamily - and friends - for #WildflowerHour. Mostly along the Caledonian Canal, which continues to look gorgeous!
2
14
347
Two #WetlandPlants from very different habitats for #wildflowerhour. A drift of white beaked sedge from the beautiful bog woodland at Pitmaduthy Moss, and white water-lily in our SuDS system at work.
2
20
471
It's mostly been pleasantly warm, rather than relentlessly hot, in Inverness, and there's plenty #StillFlowering for #wildflowerhour. This sneezewort, lesser spearwort, harebells (bluebells) and ladies bedstraw were looking lovely today!
3
22
301
I love stag beetles! Fairly sure I used to see them a lot when I was a kid, but I might just have been so impressed that a few sightings stuck with me. Haven't seen one for years but then I live in the Scottish Highlands...
Male stag beetles use their antler-like jaws to battle each other for females in breeding season - much like male deer do with their antlers!
Find out more about it and see some dramatic stag-wresting photos here: brnw.ch/21x41Id
ALT A stag beetle on its hind legs clutching another stag beetle in its mandibles upside down, ready to throw it off the log they are on.
1
4
208
Lovely to see so many bonking beetles living up to their name near the Caledonian Canal in Inverness!
6
158
Seems an appropriate time for a rousing chorus of Belgium is the Best! youtu.be/FtbFvPt_ylc?is=AEew…
100
