Pen Insole
@birdsblooms.bsky.social
Nature lover who dabbles in blogging about my discoveries. Always looking to learn more about the natural world and share my wonder at it.
My blog is at: birdsbloomsandbumbles.com
My blog is at: birdsbloomsandbumbles.com
Reposted by Pen Insole
25% OFF our whole shop this weekend only! protectthewild.shop/products/pro...
November 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM
25% OFF our whole shop this weekend only! protectthewild.shop/products/pro...
Reposted by Pen Insole
'Driving home...' by contemporary Welsh painter Sarah Evans #WomensArt
November 28, 2025 at 5:41 PM
'Driving home...' by contemporary Welsh painter Sarah Evans #WomensArt
Reposted by Pen Insole
Probably the main lesson I learned, after painting my garden shed black, is that that's a completely impossible thing to do without having 'Paint It, Black' as an ear worm, with the lyrics amended to "I see a shed door and I want it painted black".
November 26, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Probably the main lesson I learned, after painting my garden shed black, is that that's a completely impossible thing to do without having 'Paint It, Black' as an ear worm, with the lyrics amended to "I see a shed door and I want it painted black".
Reposted by Pen Insole
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove Made Orwell Prize Judge Despite Record of Attacking Journalists and Dodging Scrutiny
Critics say "Orwell would have enjoyed the irony" of the former Conservative minister's appointment
bylinetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
This stunning male sparrowhawk dropped briefly into the car park behind our house last week. I usually only see these beautiful raptors in flight and at some distance, so this was a real treat.
#raptors
#raptorappreciation
#raptors
#raptorappreciation
November 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM
This stunning male sparrowhawk dropped briefly into the car park behind our house last week. I usually only see these beautiful raptors in flight and at some distance, so this was a real treat.
#raptors
#raptorappreciation
#raptors
#raptorappreciation
Reposted by Pen Insole
A shameful step back for nature as UK government pushes through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Thanks to all who raised their voices and showed support for our precious wildlife.
Thanks to all who raised their voices and showed support for our precious wildlife.
A shameful step back for nature as UK Government pushes through damaging Planning and Infrastructure Bill | The Wildlife Trusts
Despite valiant efforts by nature champions in the House of Lords, last night saw the Government bulldoze the wildlife-harming Planning & Infrastructure Bill through its last remaining hurdles. Matt B...
www.wildlifetrusts.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:24 PM
A shameful step back for nature as UK government pushes through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Thanks to all who raised their voices and showed support for our precious wildlife.
Thanks to all who raised their voices and showed support for our precious wildlife.
Reposted by Pen Insole
Inspiring and hopeful. And importantly a movement that includes paid roles, increasing the ability for all to participate.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘It fully changed my life!’ How young rewilders transformed a farm – and began a movement
At Maple Farm, nature is returning in droves: nightingales, grass snakes, slowworms, bats and insects. All due to the vision of a group determined to accelerate its recovery
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Inspiring and hopeful. And importantly a movement that includes paid roles, increasing the ability for all to participate.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Pen Insole
I still think about this tweet.
![[screenshot of a tweet by twitter user @C_Zinkiev. text of tweet follows]
"Went on a date with a guy I really like. I dressed nice, did myhair, ggave him an extensvie 30 minute lecture on coelacanths, yet I haven't heard from him 🤔 the only thing I can think of is perhaps I did not provide enough information about coelacanths?? Fish people pls advise"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7soh2zyx7vqj37ngempaec4d/bafkreiafxfntj3c2wadbmdt36vatmhjtwbwf3b74y3irqmrnlx7mbpbtqy@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 3:54 AM
I still think about this tweet.
Reposted by Pen Insole
Hmmm - so tacking hard right on immigration led the Danish equivalent of Labour to lose the capital city for the first time in a century to a “Green-Left” party?
And all the seats on London’s borough councils are up next May? Including the progressive packed ones held by Labour for generations?
And all the seats on London’s borough councils are up next May? Including the progressive packed ones held by Labour for generations?
November 22, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Hmmm - so tacking hard right on immigration led the Danish equivalent of Labour to lose the capital city for the first time in a century to a “Green-Left” party?
And all the seats on London’s borough councils are up next May? Including the progressive packed ones held by Labour for generations?
And all the seats on London’s borough councils are up next May? Including the progressive packed ones held by Labour for generations?
Reposted by Pen Insole
It doesn't matter how badly we treat immigrants, it won't improve life for you one bit.
November 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
It doesn't matter how badly we treat immigrants, it won't improve life for you one bit.
Reposted by Pen Insole
Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the transgender lives lost to violence.
The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.
The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.
November 20, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the transgender lives lost to violence.
The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.
The Green Party stands shoulder to shoulder with transgender people in the face of increasing transphobic rhetoric in our society and politics.
Reposted by Pen Insole
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
Reposted by Pen Insole
Hey Scotland! 🏴 Wanna save our swifts? Ask your MSP to support @markruskell swift brick amendment to The Natural Environment Bill. Show England how it’s done!!!
November 19, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Hey Scotland! 🏴 Wanna save our swifts? Ask your MSP to support @markruskell swift brick amendment to The Natural Environment Bill. Show England how it’s done!!!
Reposted by Pen Insole
Going to leave you with a Home Office chart from their most recent asylum stats so you can decide whether the UK is a magnet for asylum seekers with a uniquely generous asylum system www.gov.uk/government/s...
November 17, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Going to leave you with a Home Office chart from their most recent asylum stats so you can decide whether the UK is a magnet for asylum seekers with a uniquely generous asylum system www.gov.uk/government/s...
Reposted by Pen Insole
Snail traveling via salamander express — specifically, a Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) — not something you see every day.
📷 harukano on iNaturalist
📍 Bulgaria
🔗: www.inaturalist.org/observations...
#ObservationOfTheDay
📷 harukano on iNaturalist
📍 Bulgaria
🔗: www.inaturalist.org/observations...
#ObservationOfTheDay
November 17, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Snail traveling via salamander express — specifically, a Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) — not something you see every day.
📷 harukano on iNaturalist
📍 Bulgaria
🔗: www.inaturalist.org/observations...
#ObservationOfTheDay
📷 harukano on iNaturalist
📍 Bulgaria
🔗: www.inaturalist.org/observations...
#ObservationOfTheDay
Reposted by Pen Insole
Reposted by Pen Insole
We don't need to "protect our borders"
Our biggest threat doesn't need to cross a border to harm us.
From a yacht, billionaires can move markets, pressure govs, dodge taxes & bankroll politicians to rewrite our laws.
The threat isn't the "outsider"
It's the concentrated power already inside.
Our biggest threat doesn't need to cross a border to harm us.
From a yacht, billionaires can move markets, pressure govs, dodge taxes & bankroll politicians to rewrite our laws.
The threat isn't the "outsider"
It's the concentrated power already inside.
November 17, 2025 at 5:14 PM
We don't need to "protect our borders"
Our biggest threat doesn't need to cross a border to harm us.
From a yacht, billionaires can move markets, pressure govs, dodge taxes & bankroll politicians to rewrite our laws.
The threat isn't the "outsider"
It's the concentrated power already inside.
Our biggest threat doesn't need to cross a border to harm us.
From a yacht, billionaires can move markets, pressure govs, dodge taxes & bankroll politicians to rewrite our laws.
The threat isn't the "outsider"
It's the concentrated power already inside.
The government really needs to stop ignoring these reports; this isn't the first one with these findings.
Skills shortages and underresourced planning departments block sensible house building, not nature
committees.parliament.uk/committee/62...
Skills shortages and underresourced planning departments block sensible house building, not nature
committees.parliament.uk/committee/62...
Nature not a “blocker” to housing delivery, MPs find in new report - Committees - UK Parliament
Nature is not a “blocker” to delivering new housing, but rather a necessity for building resilient towns and neighbourhoods, MPs argue in a report published today.
committees.parliament.uk
November 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
The government really needs to stop ignoring these reports; this isn't the first one with these findings.
Skills shortages and underresourced planning departments block sensible house building, not nature
committees.parliament.uk/committee/62...
Skills shortages and underresourced planning departments block sensible house building, not nature
committees.parliament.uk/committee/62...
Despite being from North America, this cute green-winged teal drake has spent the last few winters in Easter Ross, Scotland. Presumably he now summers with our Eurasian teal and pairs with a Eurasian female like the one in the second picture. He's still showing a few eclipse feathers at the moment.
November 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Despite being from North America, this cute green-winged teal drake has spent the last few winters in Easter Ross, Scotland. Presumably he now summers with our Eurasian teal and pairs with a Eurasian female like the one in the second picture. He's still showing a few eclipse feathers at the moment.
Reposted by Pen Insole
The plan to take jewellery from refugees is a new low for the Labour government. Sign the petition: r.ippl.es/refugees-jew...
Petition: Taking refugees’ jewellery: stop the cruelty
I’ve just signed to support this campaign – join me
r.ippl.es
November 17, 2025 at 1:14 PM
The plan to take jewellery from refugees is a new low for the Labour government. Sign the petition: r.ippl.es/refugees-jew...
Reposted by Pen Insole
"When the teams come out of the tunnel, they are accompanied by children. The Basque players are anyway... [carrying] with it a power that hits hard. Palestine’s players instead carry white roses, symbols of the children they have lost."
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
‘It touched us from the start’: Palestine savour historic night in Bilbao | Sid Lowe
More than 50,000 fans cheered on Ihab Abu Jazar’s team with the coach and players ‘shocked’ by the outpouring of support during their visit
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM
"When the teams come out of the tunnel, they are accompanied by children. The Basque players are anyway... [carrying] with it a power that hits hard. Palestine’s players instead carry white roses, symbols of the children they have lost."
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Reposted by Pen Insole
2015 Shabana Mahmood really needs to have a word with 2025 Shabana Mahmood
November 16, 2025 at 8:14 PM
2015 Shabana Mahmood really needs to have a word with 2025 Shabana Mahmood
Reposted by Pen Insole
Without asylum:
Marks and Spencer wouldn't exist
Queen would have been without a front man
The other queen wouldn't have had a husband
Judith Kerr would never have written The Tiger Who Came to Tea
And thousands of less famous people wouldn't have been teachers, politicians, neighbours, etc
Marks and Spencer wouldn't exist
Queen would have been without a front man
The other queen wouldn't have had a husband
Judith Kerr would never have written The Tiger Who Came to Tea
And thousands of less famous people wouldn't have been teachers, politicians, neighbours, etc
November 15, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Without asylum:
Marks and Spencer wouldn't exist
Queen would have been without a front man
The other queen wouldn't have had a husband
Judith Kerr would never have written The Tiger Who Came to Tea
And thousands of less famous people wouldn't have been teachers, politicians, neighbours, etc
Marks and Spencer wouldn't exist
Queen would have been without a front man
The other queen wouldn't have had a husband
Judith Kerr would never have written The Tiger Who Came to Tea
And thousands of less famous people wouldn't have been teachers, politicians, neighbours, etc