West Country Nature
LightNews LightNews
banner
westcountrynature.bsky.social
West Country Nature
@westcountrynature.bsky.social
150 followers 64 following 49 posts
Observing and writing about nature in England's West Country.

https://victoriawoolley.substack.com/
Posts Replies Media Videos
westcountrynature.bsky.social
One of #RSPB Lodmoor's many black headed #gullsinwater. An elegant yet badly named gull with a white head in winter and a brown one in summer!

#birds #birdoftheday #ukbirding #nature #ukwildlife #photography #eastcoastkin #naturephotography #dorsetbirds
A black headed gull in winter plumage swims across a lake in winter sunshine. It is reflected in the water.
February 1, 2026 at 3:38 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
The Somerset Levels from Ebbor Gorge, including shining floodwater. It looks so harmless from here.

#somerset #nature #photography #climate #naturephotography #uk #weather #flooding #weather #countryside #winter
A drystone wall in the foreground. Pasture fields in the middleground. In the background is the Somerset Levels, including shining patches of floodwater.
January 31, 2026 at 10:47 AM
Reposted by West Country Nature
eddiephotos.bsky.social
#BirdOfTheDay A cheerful chirping blue tit.
#BirdOfTheDay A cheerful chirping blue tit.
January 31, 2026 at 9:45 AM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
An absolute rabble of house sparrows lives in my Somerset garden. They are so used to me that they hardly move when I appear out of the door. This one is making some rather grumpy #eyecontact

#gardenbirds #birdoftheday #birds #eastcoastkin #photography #wildlife #ukwildlife
January 29, 2026 at 8:08 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Representing the West Country for #SquirrelAppreciationDay is this chubby grey squirrel in Haldon Forest, Devon.

#wildlife #nature #naturetherapy #outdoors #eastcoastkin #animals #cute #naturephotography
A grey squirrel sits at the base of a tree, with its tail extended. It is looking forwards intently as if about to move.
January 21, 2026 at 8:17 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
This great tit has found his #perfectperch but looks ready to get going.

Taken at #RSPB Ham Wall.

#birdoftheday #birds #nature #eastcoastkin #photography #wildlife #naturetherapy #ukbirding #somerset #ukwildlife
January 17, 2026 at 7:48 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
The browns and greys of a British winter can seem never ending, luckily they can also be quite beautiful. Read more if you would like to:

tinyurl.com/ycyydc9y

#birds #nature #naturewriting #naturetherapy #wildlife #outdoors #wellbeing #weather #landscape
January 17, 2026 at 5:55 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
A chaffinch for today's #birdoftheday. He's a well fed chap living at #rspb Ham Wall in Somerset. I am seeing more and more of these; hopefully their numbers are bouncing back.

#birds #ukbirding #eastcoastkin #nature #wildlife #winter #photography
A male chaffinch sits on a fencepost eating seed. He has an orangey-red breast and blue-grey cap and throat marking.
January 12, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by West Country Nature
aintright.bsky.social
Gloria the Goldfinch #BirdOfTheDay #Finches #birds #photography #EastCoastKin
January 12, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by West Country Nature
aintright.bsky.social
Charles the Chaffinch #BirdOfTheDay #Finches #birds #photography #EastCoastKin
January 12, 2026 at 10:57 AM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
A gorgeous teal in its #natural marshland habitat for today's #birdoftheday. Teals are our smallest duck and their winter arrival into the West Country is one of my favourite things.
Taken at #rspb Lodmoor, Dorset.

#birds #ukbirding #dorset #newyear #winter #wildlife #eastcoastkin #naturetherapy
A male teal swimming across a natural marshland pond, towards a bank of scrubby grass and reeds. He is a small duck with a reddish brown head and green eye patch. The majority of his body is speckled grey - brown.
January 11, 2026 at 11:59 AM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Great Spotted Woodpecker by the bird feeders at Haldon Forest Park, Devon. I was on my way into the forest in search of Crossbill (which I saw but couldn't get a shot of) and Hawfinch (which are still eluding me.)

#birds #wildlife #devonbirds #forestrycommission #devon #eastcoastkin #newyear
January 10, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by West Country Nature
omahaill.bsky.social
While walking under a large yew at St Mary's parish church in Charlcombe, nr Bath something caught my ear and I saw a few goldcrest (I think) feeding. Then one hopped down on the floor and didn't seem to notice me

#wildlife #birds #nature #ukbirds
@westcountrynature.bsky.social
January 8, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by West Country Nature
fatboyisslim.bsky.social
My son found and photographed this Firecrest whilst we were at Ham Wall yesterday. It was on the main track about 100 metres east of the windmill #somersetbirding
December 20, 2025 at 9:06 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Velvet Shank mushrooms in Edford Woods, Somerset today. Known as the winter mushroom as they last into the colder weather, even surviving a freeze.

#mushrooms #fungi #mycology #nature #wildlife #UKNature #WinterWildlife #Winter #holidays #frost #Somerset
Tiered, orange mushrooms grow up a tree in a winter woodland.
December 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Sleeping shoveller ducks at #RSPB Ham Wall this weekend. The closest my #ducks have ever been to being in a row! These shovellers gather in numbers on the #Somerset Levels every winter.

#SideViews #BirdOfTheDay #birds #sleep #rest #EastCoastKin #winter #BirdSky #wildlife #photography
An image of five Northern Shoveler ducks, four in a diagonal row across the image. All are sleeping with their heads under their wings. Four are male, but the bird in the front is a female. The image is lit with a pale winter light. The water is gently rippled.
December 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
A robin in a frosty Forest of Dean. The most obvious and cheering of all #winterbirds.

#birdoftheday #birds #nature #christmas #festiverobin
A robin fluffs itself up on a frosty fence.
December 16, 2025 at 3:36 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
I hope you are enjoying the bluer skies this weekend. This blue tit is, in Edford Woods Nature Reserve, Somerset.

The flitting acrobatics of blue tits are heartwarming. This one is investigating a swelling bud.

#birds #ukbirding #somersetbirding #Wildlifetrusts #somerset #bath #nature
A blue tit sits on the uppermost branches of a bare tree. It is nibbling at a bud which is starting to swell ready for spring. The sky behind it is a weak winter blue.
December 14, 2025 at 12:07 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
A grey heron on a grey day at RSPB Lodmoor in Dorset, for today's #birdoftheday. Easily the most 'dinosaur' of our native birds.

#heronsandegrets #birds #dorset #nature #naturewriting #wildlife #britishbirding #weymouth #dorset
December 14, 2025 at 11:43 AM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
#birdoftheday finches in my back garden in Somerset. The goldfinches often fight to get onto this feeder full of niger seed. I have to sneak it in at night for its clean, so that they are never disappointed! These are the most common finch I see in my patch. #birds
December 13, 2025 at 6:27 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Ravens visit my work regularly. It turns out that they are not just 'big crows' after all... Feel free to take a read.

open.substack.com/pub/victoria...

#raven #birds #birdsky #somerset #nature #naturewriting #wildlife #iceland
The Raven Himself...
Ravens in a Somerset School
open.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:24 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
We had so many ladybirds across the West Country this summer. There are still loads to be found tucked away in nooks and crannies for the winter. This pair are hibernating on an elder stick on my allotment.

#nature #insects #winter #hibertnate #somerset #wildlife
Two ladybirds hibernating on a licehn covered elder stick which has been used to grow beans up on an allotment
December 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
In central Bath this evening, hundreds of pied wagtails came into roost on this Christmassy tree. They were illuminated by the lights and looked like living snow.

Credit to my sister for taking this video.

#birds #birdsky #nature #bath #christmas #ChristmasLights #urbanbirds
December 11, 2025 at 3:34 AM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Little egrets in the UK still seem exotic to me, despite having started to arrive in considerable numbers in the 80s. They are so elegant, until their bright yellow feed appear out of the water!

#Birds #Birdsky #BirdOfTheDay #sideviews #nature #wildlife #dorset
A little egret walks through water, which is up to its knees. Behind it are reedbeds. Another reed bed is visible in the foreground.
December 9, 2025 at 1:33 PM
westcountrynature.bsky.social
Paying attention in a small Somerset nature reserve inspired this latest piece of reflection.

open.substack.com/pub/victoria...
#nature #naturewriting #mushrooms #fungi #somerset #rivers #ukwildlife #bath #wellbeing #environment
November 30, 2025 at 9:00 AM