Michael Foley

@bumble_being Well spotted, Charlotte!

Beechmast Candlesnuff! 🕯️ This little fungus grows on the outer seed cases of Beech. Amazing! #Fungi

Whimbrels coming to roost on shallows on Ribble, May, 2017

@HedgehogCabin Fully deserved!

@MichaelFoley_1 That's kind of you to say, Michael, thanks.

Tommy, one of runty Bunty's brothers got up from hibernation last night. This family hibernated quite early; the 1st week of September, 5.5 months ago. If your garden hogs disappeared to hibernate early too, please do make sure you have fresh food and water out nightly. Speed x32

@HedgehogCabin Thanks for that, so they’ve just evolved to do that. As you say, there are too many unhelpful developments for them nowadays. All your advice is so helpful for people though - thanks.

@MichaelFoley_1 Yes they have a fantastic sense of smell. Hedgehogs have been around, unchanged, for more than 15 million years, so they've learnt a trick or two about survival. But sadly nothing prepared them for our deck-loving, concrete-laying, plastic grass generation.

@HedgehogCabin Thank you, that’s really interesting. I assume they locate their own places by smell - and what a remarkable habit in having a second nest ready just in case. Must have been developed by natural selection following millenia of lost/failed nests?

@MichaelFoley_1 They all have their own pen with their own house in it. If there is a spare house some hogs will build a second hibernaculum in it. It's what they do in the wild, as a security measure, in case their primary nest becomes unsafe or flooded.

Two Bombus pratorum males on scabious, Lancashire, June 6, 2021.

Sometimes it's the little things that make my day. Found my first Nickar nut at Traigh Eais this afternoon. This tropical drift seed, once prized as a talisman in the Outer Hebrides, has floated all the way from the Caribbean before making landfall on Barra.

Bombus hypnorum vigorously foraging on Scabious, Lancashire, 21.6.2021 @BumblebeeTrust

Bombus dahlbomii visto por el equipo de Vi Un Abejorro en el Parque Nacional Los Alerces 🐝

@HedgehogCabin He appears almost back to normal. Well done miracle worker 🦔!

With drugs to help his breathing dear little Rudy slept for 14 hours straight. When he woke he was so excited at being able to smell and taste again that between 1am and 8am he came out to eat 11 times, for approx 17mins each time (over 3 hours eating in total) and gained 83g.😊

Bombus pascuorum extracting nectar from Linaria repens, Burns Beck, Cumbria, August 26, 2017 @BumblebeeTrust

@StevenFalk1 Yes you might be right. It was a few years ago but I’ve no notes. Thinking back now, I recall seeing that really. distinctively coloured pollen on bees when foraging on Common Vetch!

@MichaelFoley_1 Are you sure about the flower ID Michael? Leaves look more like Common Vetch.

Bombus pascuorum worker collecting very deep orange-red pollen from Grass Vetchling (Lathyrus nissifolia), Brockholes, Preston, 14.5.19.

🔴🐝New paper in #Osmia : Two new overlooked bee species from Spain (Hymenoptera: Anthophila: Andrenidae, Apidae) by T. Wood. osmia-journal-hymenoptera.com/osmia-10-1.html

@HedgehogCabin You are in safe hands, Bruno ! 👍

Every day in between the medicated baths dear old Brunos' bald spots, crusty ears and scabby nose are gently creamed to kill the fungus, soften and hydrate the tight dry skin, and provide relief from the intense itching. This will also speed the regrowth of protective spines.

@FRhebergen I’m sure all will go well for you 🐝🐝

Tomorrow! #PhD #Defense #Evolution #Plasticity

@StevenFalk1 @PaulWilliamsNHM …..and Paul.

@StevenFalk1 @PaulWilliamsNHM Thanks Steven.

Bombus humilis on common ragwort, Newport, August 26, 2021