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Delighted to spot this pristine Brown Hairstreak butterfly this morning in the Lye Valley, Oxford, the first adult I've ever seen there!
#Recorded #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotos #inverts #OX3
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

A pale brown butterfly with white "streaks" through both its upper and hind wings. The edge of the hind wing is tinged orange and it has a small "tail" sticking out near the bottom. It's perched on a piece of dried brown grass, facing to the right of the photo. Its black eye is visible, as are its orange tipped black and white striped antennae. Its legs are also striped. The background is a messy mix of mostly green blades of grass.

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 15

Our Grass-of-Parnassus is now carpeting large areas of the west side of the Valley. Henry Taunt (1842–1922), an Oxford based photographer once described them as “like twinkling stars in the shadowy grass”. Seeing them now it's easy to understand what he meant!
#WildFlowerHour @judywebb.bsky.social

A photo of an area of fen with a mixture of green and brown shortish vegetation. Growing through this vegetation on thin stems are dozens of small white flowers.

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 14

We've got baby lizards! Likely lots of them! 😍
We spotted three juvenile Common Lizards (Zootoca vivipara) and one adult yesterday in a location in the Valley we've never seen them before. They seem to be doing well in the warm weather...
@arc-trust.bsky.social #reptiles #UKWildlife

Just above centre and slightly to the right the head of a lizard. It's facing right, with one eye visible. Its right front leg and foot are also visible. It's leaning on a light coloured piece of wood, and its body and tail are partially hidden by other pieces of wood. Although a little darker than most of the surrounding wood that makes up the rest of the photo, it's very low contrast, making it rather hard to see.

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Tony Gillie @drtonygillie.bsky.social · Aug 14

Really worrying. We've been following the local media, and will see for ourselves within a couple of weeks when we come back. I suspect the situation is aggravated by the steady abandonment of land and the consequent reduction in grazing. Doesn't bode well.

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 13

Rock Edge in Headington is one of the few areas of grassland chosen by @oxfordcitycouncil.bsky.social to benefit from their new "cut & collect" mowing regime. Over time this will reduce the nutrients in the soil, allowing more wild flowers to flourish here. Thanks to ODS for cutting this morning. 🌰🌍

Roughly centre is a large blue tractor with black and white wheels, with a large green hopper behind it. To the left a pile of cut grass. In the foreground mostly yellowing cut grassland, and in the background trees still in green leaf.

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Davenant 📸 @marcdavenant.bsky.social · Aug 8

Alice Clark, a doctor and volunteer for the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, waits to be arrested as a terrorist for holding up a sign opposing the genocide in Gaza and the proscription of Palestine Action.
It is strange with how little note a country may drift into authoritarianism.

A person with their eyes closed waits to be arrested

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 10

#PollinatorPals
With its false nectaries, Grass-of-Parnassus flowers must look very inviting to pollinators. However, the plant cheats, and offers very little in the way of nectar to the insects that pollinate it. Here a hoverfly is trying its luck...
#insects #OxfordshireFens
@judywebb.bsky.social

In roughly the centre of the photo a small white flower with its petals curved inward has a stripy yellow and black hoverfly in it. The large eyes of the hoverfly are facing the camera. It's surrounded by thin green stems with dark markings on them. At the extreme left of the photo is a Grass-of-Parnassus still in tight bud.

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Tony Gillie @drtonygillie.bsky.social · Aug 9

I remember it well, though I think I prefer your photo!

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 8

The "scrapes" we created and sowed with native plants in the amenity grassland at Rock Edge are proving popular with the last of the summer's butterflies. Here a Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) is nectaring on the copious Marjoram still in flower.
#UKButterflies @upperthames.bsky.social #Oxford

In roughly the centre of the photo a small blue butterfly is sitting on a purple flower with its wings closed. It's facing to the left of the photo, and its striped antenna and left eye is visible. The underwing has a number of small mostly black dots, while the hindwing has a row of orange heart shapes markings. Front left is another Marjoram flower, not fully in focus, while the background is a mix of diffuse greens and purples from other flowers.

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Tony Gillie @drtonygillie.bsky.social · Aug 8

My first post for #FlamingoFriday.
Here's a portrait of a Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) preening at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. 😊
#Birds #WildlifePhotos

A closeup photo of the neck, head and beak of a flamingo. The feathers are a mixture of a rich and paler pink, while the top of the large beak is white, its tip is black. It's facing to the right of the photo with only its right eye visible. The background is dark.

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Tony Gillie @drtonygillie.bsky.social · Aug 6

What are they up to in the second photo?

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 6

OK, so it's a dreadful photo, BUT, it's the first adult Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae) butterfly we've *ever* seen at Rock Edge. We routinely count the eggs over winter, but until now, the adults have remained elusive...
#UKButterflies #UKWildlife @upperthames.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social

A light brown butterfly with a bright orange patch on each forewing is nestled down in grass. There are several bits of dead grass covering it. It's facing towards the op of the photo.

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · Aug 4

This is amongst the most impactful two minutes of broadcasting I’ve ever seen.

By Emma Murphy, International Editor, ITV News. #Gaza

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Tony Gillie @drtonygillie.bsky.social · Aug 4

For #InternationalOwlAwarenessDay, here's my all time favourite photo of a Little Owl (Athene noctua) taken on the plains near Torresillas de la Tiessa, #Extremadura, SW #Spain. What's not to love about them?
#WildlifePhotos

A small owl with mostly brown and white feathers has its back to the camera, but its head is turned facing the camera. It's eyes are an intense yellow, with black pupils. It's standing on a rounded, white and green lichen covered rock, which steps down on the right of the photo. The background is a mixture of diffuse greens and lighter colours.

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Reposted by Tony Gillie

The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · Aug 4

I prosecute and defend the most serious sexual offences in our courts.

The overwhelming majority of offenders are British-born. Overwhelmingly the victim is someone known to them, either a partner or relative.

Anybody purporting to care about protecting women might start there.

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