Wild About the Borders

Not something I expected to capture on camera - two pine martens being chased up a tree by an otter! @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Hazel catkins. Does anyone know why these ones have grown like this? I wondered if it was a gall but haven’t been able to find anything that looks like it. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @plantlifeintl.bsky.social #wildflowerhour

Is anyone else having issues with their #zeissseacam trail cameras? Neither of mine are working - keep getting a ‘can’t connect to server’ error message. @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Out checking pine marten den boxes. Remains of a pigeon foot & a lovely marten shaped depression in the sawdust in one & the remains of a grey squirrel & egg in another. The martens are definitely around and making use of the boxes - even if it’s not for breeding. @pinetencolin.bsky.social

A family of otters has taken up residence in a local pond. It’s been brilliant to be able to see them up close. #localwildlife #otters #mustelids

Seriously! This little guy is determined to destroy the camera! @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Please don’t destroy my camera…… @pinetencolin.bsky.social

It’s taken a while but the red squirrels have found the feeder. They’ve been back and forth all afternoon, emptying the feeder as they go. Now the hazelnuts are gone, so are they! @scotwildlife.bsky.social #squirrels #woodlandwildlife

Can anyone help me find out what this is? It was blown out of a tree during Storm Amy. About the size of a small football and made from grass, moss and small sticks. No feathers in it. I think it might be a squirrel drey….? #nests #ukwildlife

Found this stunning Phaeolepiota aurea (golden bootleg) fungus at work this morning. Not one I’ve come across before - seems it might not be that well recorded in the region. @whitmuir1.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk #fungi #mycology #fascinatingfungi

Looks like we have a second marten visiting now. Brilliant. @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Can anyone help me with ID for these fungi on this #ukfungusday? All found in Selkirkshire, Scottish Borders. @whitmuir1.bsky.social @jeremybartlett.bsky.social @davidst999.bsky.social @joaniemcnaughton.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk

Decided to try an experiment. One of our pine martens (Big Norm) likes eggs and will immediately carry them away. Tonight I thought I’d try hanging one from a branch. Took a bit of work but it was fun watching him trying to remove the egg! @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Love how gently this marten removes the egg from the feeder. @pinetencolin.bsky.social @whitmuir1.bsky.social

Could this be rosy bonnet (Mycena rosea)? Found on grassland next to Beech trees in the Scottish Borders. #fungi @davidst999.bsky.social

Really enjoying this new woodland. This marten is around at the same time every day - mid/late afternoon, just after dark and then again just before dawn. Love it 🥰 @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social #pinemartens #woodlandwildlife #mustelids

Just started monitoring a new pine marten site. This one is a large conifer plantation (my others are in deciduous woodlands). Amazing how quickly this one found the feeder - although it still needs to figure out how to use it! Cranberries seem to be a winner though… @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Wondering if these are young martens. Normally they don’t pay attention to the cameras… @pinetencolin.bsky.social #pinemartens #ukmammals #woodlandwildlife

Pine marten tucking in to what I think could be a grey squirrel. Can’t quite tell but a shot of it disappearing earlier showed what looked like a squirrel in its mouth. Love the ZEISS cameras for that instant notification but they do miss quite a bit of the action… @pinetencolin.bsky.social

A case of the wrong place at the wrong time for this wee mouse. @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Some more pine marten action. Nice to see them so playful. @pinetencolin.bsky.social

The hard work and patience is worth it when you get footage like this. @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Helping pine marten gurus Johnny Birks and John Martin with their pine marten surveys in Dumfries and Galloway. So lucky to be able to learn from them. #pinemartens #ukmammals @mammalsociety.bsky.social @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Thank you very much little PM - that’s the perfect position! @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Nice to have one of the pine martens stop for a while at the log. @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Had this beautiful Drinker moth in the traps last night. Only the 3rd record for Selkirkshire apparently! @whitmuir1.bsky.social

If you look closely you can see that this fox is carrying a deer! I’m assuming it’s a fawn but even so I’ve not seen them carrying anything this big before. It’s not the only one either as another video shows it carrying another one. The cubs are being fed well! #foxes #ukwildlife #ukmammals

Looks like the pine marten dry spell is over - THREE on camera this afternoon! I’m assuming a female and kits but I really have no idea. @pinetencolin.bsky.social @whitmuir1.bsky.social

Finally, a pine marten appears on camera. It’s been quiet over the last couple of months but things seem to be picking up now! @whitmuir1.bsky.social @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Can anyone help me identify these flies? All found yesterday in the Scottish Borders. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

Wolf spider with her spiderlings ❤️ @britishspiders.bsky.social

Can’t quite figure out what moth this is. I feel it should be really easy! Found early this morning flying low to the ground on a grassland site in Selkirk. About 30mm wingspan. Can anyone help? @whitmuir1.bsky.social @mothiduk.bsky.social

@ashwhiffin.bsky.social Hoping you can help ID this beetle. It was found yesterday in Selkirk, Scottish Borders. Could it be Poecilus versicolor?

Ok, so what on earth could this bone be from? A couple of my junior rangers found it yesterday while out exploring a pond in the Scottish Borders. Could it be from a horse or cow? @gw-ecology.bsky.social @skull-bloke.bsky.social

Love zebra spiders! @britishspiders.bsky.social #arachnids

The pine martens have been very quiet over the last few weeks so it was nice to see one on camera. Hopefully they’ll be more active again soon, maybe with kits? @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Peacock butterfly on willow. #butterfly #springwildlife @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

Otter prints and spraint at a local site. One day I’ll manage to see the actual animal! #otters #mustelids #ukwildlife #ukmammals #localwildlife

Amaurobius similis or fenestralis? Found yesterday on a stone dyke that borders a grassland habitat. VC79. habitat suggests A.similis. Disappeared before I could get a closer look. I’m still learning and so would appreciate any feedback. @britishspiders.bsky.social

I think these might be one of my favourite spiders - walnut orbweaver (Nuctenea umbratica). @britishspiders.bsky.social

Is this a female palmate newt? Found in grassland (few hundred metres from pond). No spots on throat but throat doesn’t look particularly translucent. No obvious filament on tail. @uk-wildlife.bsky.social @froglife.bsky.social @arc-trust.bsky.social

Spotted wolf spider (Pardosa amentata) or not enough detail on photo to confidently ID? VC79 this afternoon. Grassland site but found in the quarry at bottom of site. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Araneus diadematus? Found in the Scottish Borders this afternoon. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Anchomenus dorsalis. Beautiful little beetle found at The Haining in Selkirk this afternoon. @ashwhiffin.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social

Badgers - so dramatic! #badgers #ukmammals #localwildlife

Otter passing through. #otters #mustelids #localwildlife

Perfect little bank on the side a burn that had both badger and otter prints on it. Would be a fantastic spot for a camera - if I could remember the way back! #badgers #otters #localwildlife

When using live traps for grey squirrels in an area that has pine martens, how often should traps be checked? @scotsquirrels.bsky.social

Finally some bib pattern success! @pinetencolin.bsky.social

Think mum might need to work on her parenting skills 😬 Fantastic to get our first glimpse of cubs - love this time of year! #badgers #scottishbadgers