Susan Davies
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smdavies67.bsky.social
Susan Davies
@smdavies67.bsky.social
nature | golf | travels
Former nature conservation | land management leader.
Great day in Dundee with @hutton.ac.uk. A showcase of diverse, impactful science — incl. mountain soil #biodiversity via eDNA, AI/GPU diagnostics, #sustainable biofuels, carbon-flux modelling, resilient soft-fruit breeding for #foodsecurity & the importance of tree diversity & structure in forests.
November 25, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Lovely sunrise over the #FirthofForth as I trundle by train to #Dundee for the @hutton.ac.uk scientific symposium today. A day packed with short talks on the breadth of science being undertaken by the Institute and partners. Looking forward to the day …

#science #research #knowledgeexchange
November 25, 2025 at 8:37 AM
It’s a bit “meh” out there, so here’s another #winter #wader fix — the #Sanderling. Often seen zooming back and forth in the wave splash zone. They don’t have a hallux (hind toe), which cuts down resistance on firm sand and lets them shift along at a quick pace. A clever physical adaptation.
November 24, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Plenty of our regular #waders around the #EastLothian coastline at the moment feeding on the mudflats and strandline. #redshank, #oystercatcher & #turnstone are on the watchlist (amber) for conservation concern & the #curlew is flagged as being in serious trouble (red-listed).
November 22, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Reposted by Susan Davies
And the first winners tonight at the #NatureOfScotland Awards are:
🚜 Farming with nature: Johnnie Balfour - Balbirnie Home Farms.
🚶 Youth action award: Ullapool Sea Savers - Love Our Seas! AND
Biodiversity Literacy (BioLit) VIP
Well done everyone!
November 20, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Reposted by Susan Davies
The next winners in the #NatureOfScotland awards are:
🌳 Health and wellbeing award: Recovery Through Nature in the Phoenix Forest
⚓ Innovation: It'll Never Work - A Ground-breaking Electric Fishing Vessel
🐞 Nature tourism: Biosphere Experiences: Nature-Friendly Adventures for All
Congratulations!
November 20, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Reposted by Susan Davies
The next group of winners at the #NatureOfScotland Awards 2025 are:
⛳ Business for nature: Seven Golf Courses for Nature
🌊 Coasts and water: Green Shores
⛰️ Nature and climate action: Affric Highlands
Well done everyone!
November 20, 2025 at 10:44 PM
#BerwickBank is assessed to have catastrophic impacts on internationally important #seabirds. Please join @seabirdcentre.bsky.social
by taking action now - tell SSE and Scotland’s First Minister to #CancelBerwickBank and to support #naturepositive developments.

▶️ www.seabird.org/cancel-berwi...
Take Action Now - Cancel Berwick Bank
Please take action now - tell SSE and the First Minister to Cancel Berwick Bank.
www.seabird.org
November 20, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Winter golf ⛳️ A chilly 🥶 but braw day at #DunbarGolfClub today. Long shadows casting across the greens and fairways in low sunshine ☀️

#wintergolf #eastlothian #scottishgolf
November 17, 2025 at 5:51 PM
It wasn’t smiles by the end …. What a disappointing 2nd half, what a disappointing outcome. @scotlandteam.bsky.social need to play 80 minutes with structure & passion. 😭

#AsOne #ScottishRugby
November 16, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The blue-purple hues of #Phacelia - grown widely in Scotland as a cover crop to improve soil health by suppressing weeds and adding organic matter when returned to the soil. Its flowers attract pollinators, helping support biodiversity.

#Farming #EastLothian #Autumncolours #landscape
November 9, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Not to be at Murrayfield (yet again). Kind of hoped Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 may have turned up in the first half too against New Zealand 🇳🇿. #AsOne
November 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
A common find on the stumps of dead broadleaved trees and moss - the #candlesnuff fungus with its black base, grey mid-section and white tip. Laboratory studies have shown that extracts from these #fungi can inhibit certain viruses in test-tube conditions.

#fungus #woodland #autumn #autumncolours
November 7, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Binning wood in #EastLothian in its autumn colours - quite spectacular. No other words required.

#BinningWood #AutumnColours #Autumn #WoodlandWalks #Woodland
November 6, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A grey heron “foot-paddling” or “foot-stirring” - a movement they use when hunting for food in murky or moving water, where visibility is reduced.

#greyheron #urbanwildlife #birds #birdphotography
November 5, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Plenty of winter plumage #turnstones to be seen along the tide line of the coast - resting at high tide or scurrying around turning over seaweed or stones in search of food. They can turnover their body weight ~120g.

#birds #bird #wader #birdbehaviour #eastlothian
November 4, 2025 at 1:24 PM
It was definitely landscape views between #AberladyBay and #GullaneSands earlier in the week - #saltmarsh #mudflats #sanddunes & #beach habitats stretching out to the #FirthOfForth - love it

#landscape #coastal #coastalwalks #seascape
November 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
A favourite perch for the #bluetits in our garden is the willow tree. They find plenty of insects to peck off the leaves. Not long until those leaves all fall #autumn 🍁

#gardenbirds #gardenbirdwatch #bird #birds #nature #featherdfriends
November 1, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Having been “runner up” in two of the Dunbar golf club finals this year (mixed and singles knockout) I was chuffed to come away with two prizes at the ladies annual prize giving last night - Swanston Plate and Christie Cup. My #golf ⛳️ occasionally rises to a good game!
November 1, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Coastal #saltmarsh is flushed pink just now with #glasswort (Salicornia spp).
As salt levels rise through evaporation and cooler nights set in, anthocyanin pigments build up in the stems, leading to this change in colour from green to bright pink.

#EastLothian #Nature #Coastal
#Autumn
October 30, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Bright orange #seabuckthorn always stands out. It sparks debate; whether to remove it for being so dominant or keep it for the benefits it brings to soil, air and wildlife. I came across #SeabuckthornScotland a social enterprise creating natural products from it ▶️ www.seabuckthornscotland.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Susan Davies
Want to know what happens at the #NatureOfScotland Awards? Take a peek at this video with last year’s highlights buff.ly/nRRWt0L Remember, ticket sales close on 30 Oct buff.ly/nxJK2O1
📷 Mike Wilkinson
October 28, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Landscape views along our walk from #PrestonMill to #JohnMuirCountryPark earlier today - a near 7 mile stroll.

#Walking #VisitEastLothian #CoastalLiving #Dunbar
October 28, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Lovely to see the diminuitive #coaltit on the garden feeders. Most likely just passing through as they join mixed flocks moving between habitats in search of food. Just 4.5inches long and 8-10g in weight.

#gardenbirdwatch @bto-gbw.bsky.social #birds #gardenbirds #Dunbar #EastLothian
October 28, 2025 at 8:47 AM