Pond Watcher
@watcherpond.bsky.social
Interested in natural history, particularly ponds. Yorkshire based.
Pinned
Pond Watcher
@watcherpond.bsky.social
· Dec 20
Charter for Small Waters - Freshwater Habitats Trust
In the Charter for Small Waters, we’ve joined forces with a coalition of environmental charities calling on Government to recognise the vital importance of small freshwaters, and promote their protect...
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk
Ponds and other small freshwater bodies matter. A well written supporting case here freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/charter...
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Pectinatella magnifica
Found this blob thing floating in Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain. Turns out it’s a living…um organism, called a Magnificent Bryozoan! Google it…amazing! New to me, I was scared of it. Turns out to be a sign of a healthy lake. #blackmountain
November 23, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Pectinatella magnifica
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Tickets are now on sale for our conference, 'Networks for Nature', which will be held on Sunday 7th December at York Hospitium 🎉 We'd love for you to join us - purchase your tickets here: neyedc.org.uk/c2n!
November 7, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Tickets are now on sale for our conference, 'Networks for Nature', which will be held on Sunday 7th December at York Hospitium 🎉 We'd love for you to join us - purchase your tickets here: neyedc.org.uk/c2n!
Reposted by Pond Watcher
The new Red List for Vascular Plants published this week by @bsbibotany.bsky.social highlights the serious decline in Britain’s freshwater plants.
November 7, 2025 at 10:24 AM
The new Red List for Vascular Plants published this week by @bsbibotany.bsky.social highlights the serious decline in Britain’s freshwater plants.
Reposted by Pond Watcher
We are returning once again to Hull in 2026 for the City Nature Challenge! Join us & make observations throughout the city between 24th April - 27th April 2026 using
@inaturalist.bsky.social. Our project is already up and running - join here for updates: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/cit... 🔎📱
@inaturalist.bsky.social. Our project is already up and running - join here for updates: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/cit... 🔎📱
City Nature Challenge 2026: Hull
Welcome to the Hull City Nature Challenge 2026! The aim of the City Nature Challenge is to promote the collection of biological data that can help inform the way we understand and make decisions about...
uk.inaturalist.org
November 7, 2025 at 11:10 AM
We are returning once again to Hull in 2026 for the City Nature Challenge! Join us & make observations throughout the city between 24th April - 27th April 2026 using
@inaturalist.bsky.social. Our project is already up and running - join here for updates: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/cit... 🔎📱
@inaturalist.bsky.social. Our project is already up and running - join here for updates: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/cit... 🔎📱
Reposted by Pond Watcher
The new book 'Spiders & Harvestmen of Yorkshire - An Atlas', by Richard Wilson, is out now and available for purchase: www.naturebureau.co.uk/spiders-harv...
Over 384 pages, the book describes the history of spider and harvestmen recording across Yorkshire and its varied landscapes, with mapping.
Over 384 pages, the book describes the history of spider and harvestmen recording across Yorkshire and its varied landscapes, with mapping.
Spiders & Harvestmen of Yorkshire – An Atlas naturebureau.co.uk
NatureBureau - one company, two passions. NatureBureau is a design and ecological consultancy, established more than 30 years ago. We combine ecological expertise with a distinctive style in graphic d...
www.naturebureau.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The new book 'Spiders & Harvestmen of Yorkshire - An Atlas', by Richard Wilson, is out now and available for purchase: www.naturebureau.co.uk/spiders-harv...
Over 384 pages, the book describes the history of spider and harvestmen recording across Yorkshire and its varied landscapes, with mapping.
Over 384 pages, the book describes the history of spider and harvestmen recording across Yorkshire and its varied landscapes, with mapping.
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Artificial lighting along the Pembrokeshire coast disorients young Manx Shearwaters, leading them to crash inland and become stranded. Manx Shearwater Rescue Pembrokeshire, a local volunteer group, helps collect and safely return these vulnerable seabirds to the sea. bit.ly/4oqW8qQ
Welsh communities rescue over 1,000 seabirds so far this year
Find out how local communities are helping our stranded seabirds.
bit.ly
November 4, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Artificial lighting along the Pembrokeshire coast disorients young Manx Shearwaters, leading them to crash inland and become stranded. Manx Shearwater Rescue Pembrokeshire, a local volunteer group, helps collect and safely return these vulnerable seabirds to the sea. bit.ly/4oqW8qQ
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Often overlooked, small water bodies - streams, damp ditches, small bogs, ponds - support more rare species compared with larger habitats while high-quality ponds support about 2/3 of all freshwater plant + animal species in a landscape.
🧵 1/4
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/start-w...
🧵 1/4
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/start-w...
November 2, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Often overlooked, small water bodies - streams, damp ditches, small bogs, ponds - support more rare species compared with larger habitats while high-quality ponds support about 2/3 of all freshwater plant + animal species in a landscape.
🧵 1/4
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/start-w...
🧵 1/4
freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/news/start-w...
Nature's smart cutting system could transform surgery and reduce patient harm www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/na... @suillia.bsky.social
Nature's smart cutting system could transform surgery and reduce patient harm
Scientists at Heriot-Watt University have unlocked the secret behind how female sawflies make such specific cuts.
www.hw.ac.uk
October 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Nature's smart cutting system could transform surgery and reduce patient harm www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/na... @suillia.bsky.social
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Caterpillar Club (Cordyceps), parasitic on caterpillars, at yesterday's fungus foray at Tunbridge Wells Cemetery. The fruiting body emerges after the caterpillar has gone underground to pupate
October 23, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Caterpillar Club (Cordyceps), parasitic on caterpillars, at yesterday's fungus foray at Tunbridge Wells Cemetery. The fruiting body emerges after the caterpillar has gone underground to pupate
Poor photos, but I think this aquatic bug could be a 2nd for Britain - looks like Sigara longipalis from what I can tell. Only other record(?) from Norfolk in 2006. I found this on my farm survey in Suffolk last month. If anyone knows more about this species, I'd be interested to hear.
October 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Well this certainly wasn't on the radar for the local patch this morning, a Northern-bottle nosed Whale, possibly the first record for the Humber estuary.
October 19, 2025 at 2:46 PM
A rare freshwater bryozoan found in the River Foss, Yorkshire
www.neyedc.org.uk/updates-insi... @teamneyedc.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
www.neyedc.org.uk/updates-insi... @teamneyedc.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
Yorkshire’s Crystal Moss Animal — neyedc
A few weeks ago, we received an exciting email from the Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project regarding a record of a very interesting species on the River Foss. In over 20 years of collating and dissemi...
www.neyedc.org.uk
October 19, 2025 at 8:19 AM
A rare freshwater bryozoan found in the River Foss, Yorkshire
www.neyedc.org.uk/updates-insi... @teamneyedc.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
www.neyedc.org.uk/updates-insi... @teamneyedc.bsky.social @ynuorg.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social
Anyone know what this is? Found on underside of Sycamore leaf at Cayton Wood, a National Trust site just south of Scarborough, on 11th October during a visit by Hull Nats.I One proposal has been the moulted cuticle of a hoverfly larva. @ynuorg.bsky.social
October 16, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Anyone know what this is? Found on underside of Sycamore leaf at Cayton Wood, a National Trust site just south of Scarborough, on 11th October during a visit by Hull Nats.I One proposal has been the moulted cuticle of a hoverfly larva. @ynuorg.bsky.social
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Wow!
Brown rats are preying on bats at urban hibernation sites – even snatching them mid-air. Conservation efforts must include non-native rodent control at key bat roosts.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 16, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Wow!
Reposted by Pond Watcher
In the lesser water-boatmen (true-bugs of the family Corixidae), the expanded front tarsal claws are known as palae. The shape of the male pala and the arrangement of pegs on the inner surface are important in separating similar species. This is Sigara falleni with its broad, shovel-like palae.
October 14, 2025 at 8:52 PM
In the lesser water-boatmen (true-bugs of the family Corixidae), the expanded front tarsal claws are known as palae. The shape of the male pala and the arrangement of pegs on the inner surface are important in separating similar species. This is Sigara falleni with its broad, shovel-like palae.
Freshwater recorder Ray Goulder has just published his new book 'Village Ponds in the Yorkshire Wolds', which you can purchase via place.uk.com. The book seeks to integrate the history of village ponds with their present-day role as
wildlife habitats and places for amenity and relaxation.
wildlife habitats and places for amenity and relaxation.
October 10, 2025 at 9:39 AM
c.12 mm Water Beetle from Leconfield DST 21 Sept. Keyed out using Friday to Ilybius fenestratus. Very narrow lateral part of metasternum. @palustris.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 12:49 PM
@tc271.bsky.social for info. At Leconfield DST I found this species in Swan Mere last month & in 2022. Also Whydham Lake in 2022. Are these both fishing lakes?
A local species of permanent water, usually lakes, larger drains and canals. I fenestratus secretes a particularly potent cocktail of steroidal chemicals to deter predators, so it's one of the few dytiscids to thrive in fish-stocked waters.
October 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM
@tc271.bsky.social for info. At Leconfield DST I found this species in Swan Mere last month & in 2022. Also Whydham Lake in 2022. Are these both fishing lakes?
Another Water Beetle. Noterus clavicornis. Leconfield DST 21 Sept. c. 6mm long. Prosternum with ridge and narrow neck
October 4, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Another Water Beetle. Noterus clavicornis. Leconfield DST 21 Sept. c. 6mm long. Prosternum with ridge and narrow neck
c.12 mm Water Beetle from Leconfield DST 21 Sept. Keyed out using Friday to Ilybius fenestratus. Very narrow lateral part of metasternum. @palustris.bsky.social
October 4, 2025 at 8:11 PM
c.12 mm Water Beetle from Leconfield DST 21 Sept. Keyed out using Friday to Ilybius fenestratus. Very narrow lateral part of metasternum. @palustris.bsky.social
Reposted by Pond Watcher
A quick video of an Argyroneta aquatica replenishing it's oxygen from its underwater web. @britishspiders.bsky.social
October 4, 2025 at 5:51 PM
A quick video of an Argyroneta aquatica replenishing it's oxygen from its underwater web. @britishspiders.bsky.social
Reposted by Pond Watcher
Hull Natural History Society has been recording & observing the wildlife of Hull & the East Riding since 1880. They welcome members of all levels of expertise and have a regular programme of activities - weekly meetings, outings, day trips and weekends away. Find out more: www.hullnats.org.uk
Hull Natural History Society
www.hullnats.org.uk
October 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Hull Natural History Society has been recording & observing the wildlife of Hull & the East Riding since 1880. They welcome members of all levels of expertise and have a regular programme of activities - weekly meetings, outings, day trips and weekends away. Find out more: www.hullnats.org.uk
Reposted by Pond Watcher
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall.
She was a force for nature, tirelessly advocating for the protection and restoration of our natural world.
Her presence will be sorely missed." - Tanya Steele, CEO WWF UK.
She was a force for nature, tirelessly advocating for the protection and restoration of our natural world.
Her presence will be sorely missed." - Tanya Steele, CEO WWF UK.
October 1, 2025 at 10:11 PM
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall.
She was a force for nature, tirelessly advocating for the protection and restoration of our natural world.
Her presence will be sorely missed." - Tanya Steele, CEO WWF UK.
She was a force for nature, tirelessly advocating for the protection and restoration of our natural world.
Her presence will be sorely missed." - Tanya Steele, CEO WWF UK.
@whitbynats.bsky.social for info
Locust Blowfly, Stomorhina lunata, Fen Bog, N Yorkshire 24Sept @ynuorg.bsky.social @suillia.bsky.social
September 26, 2025 at 7:13 PM
@whitbynats.bsky.social for info
Locust Blowfly, Stomorhina lunata, Fen Bog, N Yorkshire 24Sept @ynuorg.bsky.social @suillia.bsky.social
September 25, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Locust Blowfly, Stomorhina lunata, Fen Bog, N Yorkshire 24Sept @ynuorg.bsky.social @suillia.bsky.social