Basildon NatHisSoc

Not the view of the Peak District I would have chosen to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Britain's first National Parks; it showcases a homogenous landscape of erosion gullies and burn scars in poor ecological condition - without a hint of clough woodland or montane scrub.

Essex Natural History Show at @WatTylerCP this Sunday 11th August, 11am to 5pm Free entry with loads to see and do. @whatsonessex @essexbna @BNAscience @bnhsoc @DilgerTV @bugboybaker @KentWildlife @suffolkwildlife @EssexSuffolkRT @SEBirdNews @SwallowBirding @RSPBintheEast

The warmth of the sun has given this pair of large red damselflies the stimulation to start laying eggs in a garden pond in Langdon Hills.

You won't find this hotel listed on Trivago but it certainly gets a five star rating from the solitary bees in my garden. Add some interest to your garden and put up a bug hotel, they are cheap to buy or better still make your own; ready cut bamboo tubes can be purchased online.

What a fantastic time of the year! So much going on in the garden at the moment; daily visits from a juvenile Greater spotted woodpecker and the azure damselflies are busy ensuring that there will more dazzling jewels flying around our garden pond next year.

Delighted to have siskins return to our garden during the past few days.

Just days after ice in the pond melted an army of frogs turned up to lay spawn. The first clump of spawn seen on Friday 9th March. I have managed to count around 25 frogs but this is not easy when they constantly move around the pond in search of a female.

A local fox taking a nap on top of our garden arbor this morning. By the way don't forget to move your clocks forward one hour towards the end of the month.

Well deserved twitter.com/greenroofs/sta…

Great blog highlighting the addiction to a default public planting design that ignores the huge potential to create important, vibrant ecological landscapes. Inspiring:) thenatureofcities.com/2018/01/09/bla…

Happy to supply info on how to build these, heres the one at our place he based his on. Great to get ground nesting bees into urban space:)

One of the guys who came to our #brownfield workshop has made 5 #sandplanters for bees in his local park. Nice.

Lots of people asking for info on our #sandplanters Hope this helps, let me know my email if you need anymore detail. I'll post a link to a small ppt soon on the bee habitat work we do. Be great if you could send some images if you get some built:)

Going to put on a conference (very informal!) at my place on the 21/22nd July 2018. Hopefully pulling together all my great friends and other amazing people working to get food and nature back into cities, put them in our garden and watch what happens! Interested?

Marks Hill Nature Reserve in the snow, the information board looks splendid. Many thanks to Toni Dawson for sending in this picture.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Members attending the indoor meeting on Wednesday celebrated Gordon Reid's 90th birthday with a slice of this wonderful cake.

@BDSdragonflies A male Willow Emerald Damselfly visited my garden pond in South Essex yesterday, this is the second time in two weeks.

Single male photographed on marginal vegetation in my garden pond yesterday 12.30, this is the second sighting in two weeks. twitter.com/BDSdragonflies…

This species must be under-recorded in our county. Not easy to spot but tends to sit still when you approach so worth keeping an eye open. twitter.com/Pondwatcher/st…

We live in hope of finding the Purple Emperor in Marks Hill but I don’t think that this is it. twitter.com/miriamheppell/…