Rob Large
@roblarge.bsky.social
Field botanist, grassland mycologist and conservation ecologist, Natural England Field Unit.
BSBI referee, FISC Assessor and FISC
Development Working Group and QA panel.
Storyteller, traveller, anarchopunk, raver, troublemaker and so many other things.
BSBI referee, FISC Assessor and FISC
Development Working Group and QA panel.
Storyteller, traveller, anarchopunk, raver, troublemaker and so many other things.
It is not Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna), it is Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
November 10, 2025 at 9:33 AM
It is not Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna), it is Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
They are strongly hygroscopic, so it doesn't require rain, just humidity or dew. I would certainly consider spkendidissima as a possibility for these. Did you take a sample or smell them?
November 9, 2025 at 10:33 AM
They are strongly hygroscopic, so it doesn't require rain, just humidity or dew. I would certainly consider spkendidissima as a possibility for these. Did you take a sample or smell them?
Sadly nature conservation is not regarded as a priority for funding st present.
Calling a site an NNR does not secure adequate funding to endsure ideal management. More often than not sites are grazed by stock owned whatever local farmers are available.
NNR staff can only advise against chemicals.
Calling a site an NNR does not secure adequate funding to endsure ideal management. More often than not sites are grazed by stock owned whatever local farmers are available.
NNR staff can only advise against chemicals.
September 16, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Sadly nature conservation is not regarded as a priority for funding st present.
Calling a site an NNR does not secure adequate funding to endsure ideal management. More often than not sites are grazed by stock owned whatever local farmers are available.
NNR staff can only advise against chemicals.
Calling a site an NNR does not secure adequate funding to endsure ideal management. More often than not sites are grazed by stock owned whatever local farmers are available.
NNR staff can only advise against chemicals.
Almost certainly due to the cattle being treated with Ivermectins as a preventative against worm infestation.
No invertebrates are able to survive in their dung so they last until they are broken down by weathering.
The majority of farmers use these treatments sadly
No invertebrates are able to survive in their dung so they last until they are broken down by weathering.
The majority of farmers use these treatments sadly
September 7, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Almost certainly due to the cattle being treated with Ivermectins as a preventative against worm infestation.
No invertebrates are able to survive in their dung so they last until they are broken down by weathering.
The majority of farmers use these treatments sadly
No invertebrates are able to survive in their dung so they last until they are broken down by weathering.
The majority of farmers use these treatments sadly
I'm guessing not in the UK? Lovely thing isn't it?
June 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I'm guessing not in the UK? Lovely thing isn't it?
Reposted by Rob Large
If a government with over 400 seats and 4 years left to govern cannot summon the courage to level with the public on social care then I despair at the capacity of our political system to ever deliver the change we need.
May 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
If a government with over 400 seats and 4 years left to govern cannot summon the courage to level with the public on social care then I despair at the capacity of our political system to ever deliver the change we need.
Just another example of Defra's opinion that actual field ecologists who know stuff are too expensive when one GIS analyst can churn out pretty maps for a fraction of the cost.
May 12, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Just another example of Defra's opinion that actual field ecologists who know stuff are too expensive when one GIS analyst can churn out pretty maps for a fraction of the cost.
I did some work piloting/ground-truthing some of the methodology for this project. I never had much faith in it to be honest.
The remote-sensing/AI approach has some value at the broad scale and the headline figures may be more or less right, but it was never going to be useful tool at field scale.
The remote-sensing/AI approach has some value at the broad scale and the headline figures may be more or less right, but it was never going to be useful tool at field scale.
May 12, 2025 at 8:23 AM
I did some work piloting/ground-truthing some of the methodology for this project. I never had much faith in it to be honest.
The remote-sensing/AI approach has some value at the broad scale and the headline figures may be more or less right, but it was never going to be useful tool at field scale.
The remote-sensing/AI approach has some value at the broad scale and the headline figures may be more or less right, but it was never going to be useful tool at field scale.
At present it seems to be getting harder to see any evidence of actual protection going on though. Labelling something as protected should only be the beginning of the process.
May 11, 2025 at 3:45 PM
At present it seems to be getting harder to see any evidence of actual protection going on though. Labelling something as protected should only be the beginning of the process.
It is surprisingly abundant on Portland, mainly as an occasional/frequent component of grassland, but when it encounters disturbed soil it can form a dense carpet.
May 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
It is surprisingly abundant on Portland, mainly as an occasional/frequent component of grassland, but when it encounters disturbed soil it can form a dense carpet.
Many dandelions are apomictic, producing seed without needing to be pollinated. Some have given up making pollen, and thus have no need of nectar to lure pollinators, so that too is dispensed with.
May 9, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Many dandelions are apomictic, producing seed without needing to be pollinated. Some have given up making pollen, and thus have no need of nectar to lure pollinators, so that too is dispensed with.
Maybe the flower too. Not all dandelions produce pollen. 🙄
April 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Maybe the flower too. Not all dandelions produce pollen. 🙄
Was that yhe only reason you had for visiting CI or Scilly then?
Plenty of other great things to see there. 😉
Plenty of other great things to see there. 😉
April 21, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Was that yhe only reason you had for visiting CI or Scilly then?
Plenty of other great things to see there. 😉
Plenty of other great things to see there. 😉
Something near Rorippa perhaps?
March 31, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Something near Rorippa perhaps?
I managed to catch one flowering in Cornwall.
March 28, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I managed to catch one flowering in Cornwall.
It's a clever bit of tv. Worth watching. No real surprises in it though. You know how it's going t end within the first half hour.
March 25, 2025 at 10:03 PM
It's a clever bit of tv. Worth watching. No real surprises in it though. You know how it's going t end within the first half hour.
I guess forest involves the least effort and expense.
March 21, 2025 at 8:16 AM
I guess forest involves the least effort and expense.
I think the key here is indeed the word poorer. Meaning lower nutrient status. Genista tinctoria is not a great competitor and is often lost when sites become enriched through neglect.
Urban sites such as verges etc. are typically both enriched and neglected so probably not suitable for the species.
Urban sites such as verges etc. are typically both enriched and neglected so probably not suitable for the species.
March 13, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I think the key here is indeed the word poorer. Meaning lower nutrient status. Genista tinctoria is not a great competitor and is often lost when sites become enriched through neglect.
Urban sites such as verges etc. are typically both enriched and neglected so probably not suitable for the species.
Urban sites such as verges etc. are typically both enriched and neglected so probably not suitable for the species.
I didn't think I was criticising your art. I thought I was criticising my reaction to it.
Forgive me, it's been one of those weeks.
Forgive me, it's been one of those weeks.
February 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I didn't think I was criticising your art. I thought I was criticising my reaction to it.
Forgive me, it's been one of those weeks.
Forgive me, it's been one of those weeks.
It's OK I look pretty odd myself and I've seen some pretty odd orchids. 😉
I don't think it detracts from the beauty of the piece, just causes my nerdy botanist gland to twitch 🙄
I don't think it detracts from the beauty of the piece, just causes my nerdy botanist gland to twitch 🙄
February 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
It's OK I look pretty odd myself and I've seen some pretty odd orchids. 😉
I don't think it detracts from the beauty of the piece, just causes my nerdy botanist gland to twitch 🙄
I don't think it detracts from the beauty of the piece, just causes my nerdy botanist gland to twitch 🙄
Seems to have been popular in planting schemes in Exeter at some point.
February 23, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Seems to have been popular in planting schemes in Exeter at some point.