Ian Rotherham

Jackdaw battling with the suet bars!! The Jackdaws and Magpies love fat-balls, suet dumplings, and expecially suet bars or suet logs - as this short clip shows!

The 'chip-chip-chip' calls in the nearby wood, tell of the approaching Great Spotted Woodpecker - in this case a splendid male coming to feast on the sunflower hearts.

Not much space for nature in this arable farmland in the Yorkshire Wolds. It is productive farmland but only through intensive physical & chemical inputs - but it could be so much more.......with regenerative farming maybe it could be more sustainable??

New reel for the 'Where does Nature Belong?' conference & featuring Andy Alder, best-selling author of 'Small Projects in a Big World: A path to Self-reliance in Energy, Food, Home, and Life': youtube.com/shorts/bxpBb...

Jen Horseman [National Education Nature Park programme] at the 'What is Native?' conference -coming soon! youtube.com/shorts/ce1tN...

From Nottinghamshire Life:

From TITO magazine:

From TITO magazine:

From TITO magazine:

Mute Swan taking a shower at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire! It seems to be having fun in the cascade ......

Sussex Chicken And now for something different - a Sussex Chicken - a traditional breed but here on a farm in North Yorkshire..... "dusting" to keep its feathers in good condition.

The importance of "Cultural Landscapes" Cultural Landscapes for ‘000s years – not Wild (12th Sept) youtube.com/shorts/REvHv...

Species’ Climates Tipped Upside Down (10th Sept) youtube.com/shorts/JXsX3...

There was no Golden Age! (8th Sept) - with me! youtube.com/shorts/wJCR9...

What on Earth is Natural? (6th Sept) - with Professor Peter Bridgewater: youtube.com/shorts/TByei...

More on Recombinant Landscapes with me and Peter Bridgewater Video Part 2 – Recombinant Landscapes (11th Sept) youtu.be/EbW7_lO52MM

Talking about 'Recombinant Landscapes' with Professor Peter Bridgewater as part of the build-up to the October conference 'Nature in its Place? What is Native? Where does Nature Belong?' www.ukeconet.org/nature-in-it... Video part 1- Recombinant Landscapes youtu.be/G0-Sc73Bgeo

This Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on Verbena at Chatsworth - a reminder of a long, hot summer!

As temperatures have fallen the numbers of bird visiting the wildlife garden feeders have increased, with flocks of titmice including Long-tailed Tits, but also juvenile Goldfinches & plenty of Greenfinches too.

The Poacher's Oak Markeaton Park, Derby - this venerable oak tree still stands despite fire-damage - a fate & treatment that befalls many ancient, hollow trees. So sad that (a minority of) local people treat the tree this way. However, the sheer resilience gives hope in today's uncertain times.

Juvenile Starling moulting into adult plumage and really looking very exotic indeed! I get quite a few enquiries from readers asking what these birds are ....... as they look unlike the normal (i.e., adult) Starlings.

Young Great Spotted Woodpecker and juvenile Starling together on the wildlife garden feeders. The Starling seems unsure what to do.......

What is Native? Where does Nature belong? Reel from one of our upcoming speakers: Harvey Tweats – on the fascinating topic of one-time native amphibians like Pool Frogs etc - often not recognised as 'native' in Britain: youtube.com/shorts/nHo_b...

What is Native? Where does Nature belong? Reel from one of our upcoming speakers: Steve Head – Wildlife Gardening Forum – garden biodiversity & climate change: youtube.com/shorts/qEtZp... The Wildlife Gardening Forum:

Jays are increasingly frequent visitors to the wildlife garden. Whilst not everyone's favourite, I do think they are stunning birds and much maligned!

Stunning male Greenfinch feasting on sunflower hearts in the wildlife garden. It is a privilege to have them back after many years without them - due to the pox.

The now omnipresent Grey Squirrel still raises the hackles of the purist nature conservationist. Take part in the big debate - 'What is Native? Nature in its place? Where does Nature belong?'. 7th & 8th October 2026. ukeconet.org/nature-in-it...

A feeding frenzy on the garden feeders as temperatures dropped last week. 20+ Blue Tits, 10+ Great Tits, & several Coal Tits were joined by churring, twittering Long-tailed tits. Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches jostled for position with the House Sparrows!

Grey Heron stalking the Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve, Sheffield. Set up as the region's first Countryside Management Project Area back in the 1980s when I was the city's ecologist, & great to see nature thriving here today! Much down to dedicated volunteers & rangers.

Not a great advert for 'meadow management'. This south-Sheffield site is species-poor, biomass heavy, & now tinder dry, a massive fire-risk, & it looks unkempt. A few years back it was a promising, attractive, meadow sward. It needs TLC & eco-architect species like Yellow Rattle.

Grey Squirrel and Muntjac Deer at Pensthorpe Reserve in Norfolk. What is Native? Where does Nature belong? Check out our website for the Big Debate this October: ukeconet.org/nature-in-it...

A great year for Silver-washed Fritillary butterflies - this one in Norfolk at Holt Lowes Country Park.

Wonderful Meadowsweet marsh at Natural Surroundings, Holt, Norfolk.

This is a Hummingbird Hawkmoth summer and evidenced by this short video clip from Stephen Hough of Whitwell. Lots turning up in gardens everywhere!

Jackdaws are increasingly drawn down to the feeders....

Blue Tits just love the suet bar feeders in the wildlife garden.......

The Harvest Mouse - our smallest mammal & my personal favourite. This is a denizen of the wet meadows & marshes, & formerly, of old-fashioned cornfields. Here at 'Natural Surroundings' near Holt in Norfolk. More clips to follow!

Male Blackbird feasting on an apple

Male Blackbird getting to grips with the hanging feeders. Many species are learning and adapting to different modes of feeding. My Blackbirds never used to do this.....!

Little Egret stalking the river below the weir on the Derbyshire Derwent at Chatsworth. This is a recent colonist to the Peak District. www.ukeconet.org/nature-in-it...

The 'Common Blue Dung Beetle', 'Dor Beetle', or (because of its parasitic mites), the 'Lousy Watchman'. A large, bumbling beetle often overlooked but delivering vital ecosystem services - burying dung!! Maybe declining.

Upcoming conference on 'Nature in its Place: What is Native? Where Does Nature Belong?' www.ukeconet.org/nature-in-it... - see the reel below about one of our key speakers: Max Coleman – Wych elms youtube.com/shorts/BNHhg...

Links to reels on the book, ‘Nottingham in 50 Buildings’ Castle: youtube.com/shorts/XS08F... Surprises: youtube.com/shorts/UvHPA... Weird buildings: youtube.com/shorts/3J5yC...

Banded Demoiselle damselfly apparently feeding - but drifting in and out of focus!!

Floodplain meadow by the Glaven River at Natural Surroundings near Holt in Norfolk. This is how stunning nature can be if given a helping hand.......!!

Massive veteran White Poplar, a naturalised non-native, growing medusa-like across the River Glaven at 'Natural Surroundings', near Holt, Norfolk. How old? Who knows? www.ukeconet.org/nature-in-it... @WoodlandTrust @AncientTreesATF @SYEconet

Wind through the Teasels overlooking the Norfolk Marshes (2)

Wind through the Teasels overlooking the Norfolk Marshes (1)

Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi). This Mediterranean native is increasingly common across southern England & spreading northwards! Here, this female was at the 'Natural Surroundings' visitor centre, Norfolk.

What is Native - Where does Nature Belong? ukeconet.org/nature-in-it... 'Rosebay Willowherb': native or non-native? The late Oliver Rackham felt today's plants were 'intraspecific' hybrids of the small, uncommon British native & USA imports triggering 'hybrid vigour'. Interesting!