Dr Anke Marsh

@ankemarsh

Palaeoecology, natural history, science, flora, fauna, microfossils. Researcher, writer, editor, photographer, and crocheter apparently, she/her Blog: Online shop:

3.335 Folgt5.032 Follower5.437 Posts

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Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 5d

Juvie heron balancing on one leg while giving her head a bit of a scratch :) #BirdOfTheDay #BestFootFoward #ASplashOfColour #Birds #Wetlands #ECK

A photo of a young Grey Heron. She’s balancing on the willow trunk, which stretches across the frame over the lake. She’s on one leg, using the other to give herself a scratch. The greys of her feathers are framed by the bright green leaves of the willow and the deep green water of the lake.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 7d

Found a pic of my mum with one of my grandparents’ Siamese cats, wearing a harness 🤣 Chicago, late 1960s

A photo of a beautiful woman (my mum!), wearing a dashiki, on the grass with a cat in front of her. The cat has a harness and they’re in some park in Chicago.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 7d

Gonna post this duck again. Total show offs, these guys Mandarin duck in breeding plumage #BirdOfTheDay #ShadesOfPurple #Wetlands #Birds #Photography

A photo of a male mandarin duck in full breeding plumage. Loads of colours so where to start. At the top! Ok! He’s got a teal and purple stripe down the top of his white head. Orange cheek feathers. Purple chest, white belly. On his flanks, he’s got black and white stripes going down, then a patch of light orange feathers. Then a curious orange sail feather at the back. This colourful blob is standing on a branch, which is above the lake.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 7d

Apparently it’s not just Caturday but also international cat day. This one is expecting many tributes (bits of string, catnip, empty boxes will do, oh and food of course!) #Caturday #InternationalCatDay

A photograph of a very annoyed tuxedo cat. She’s looking straight into the camera, wondering when I’m gonna feed her again. She was just fed…

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 7d

I still has a floofy butt! Mallard juvenile #BirdOfTheDay #DownyFeathers #Birds #Mallards #Wetlands #Photography

A photo of a Mallard juvenile. She is attempting to sit on a log that is floating on the lake (she kept falling off, poor thing). She’s still got most of her down feathers, but some grown up mottled brown feathers are appearing on her wings.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 8d

This Wren giving me stink eye because I interrupted her preening 😳 Also a twofer 😀 #BirdOfTheDay #LittleBrownBirds #Busted #FlyDay

A photograph of a brown bird perched on a bare branch. It’s an Eurasian Wren, with mottled brown feathers and orange feet. Her feathers on one wing are slightly ruffled - she had been preening there then she got distracted when she heard me snapping photos. She does not looked pleased. Oops. She is surrounded by other branches, also bare, and blurred branches and foliage in the background.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 9d

Long leg stretches for the Grey Heron #BirdOfTheDay #LongLegs #Birds #Wetlands

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 9d

Stonechat on a wire Rainham, February #BirdOfTheDay #RedOrDead #Birds

A photograph of a small bird perched on a wire. He’s got a black head and wings; his abdomen is a russet brown, bordered by white on top. He is sideways, looking to the right. Behind is a very bokeh background - blurred Reed and wetlands.

There is a red plastic bit just below the bird.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 10d

May I add this?

A photo of a typed sign that’s been stapled to a green wooden board. It says: Anti Bactericidal Soap.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 12d

Earliest bird captures? No time to go through all the old photos so here’s one from Salisbury, 1996 - on film! (Note to past self, don’t use glossy paper!). So an early UK photo. Adding a Robin as well (way more recent!) #BirdOfTheDay #Firsts #Robins #ForJanet #Birds #Photography #FilmPhotography

A photograph of a photograph. This is a print photo of a swan and coot in water. Because my past self was a dope, the paper is glossy and reflecting my bedroom. Erg. Ignore that and focus on the lovely white swan. She is standing in the water, her feet visible under her (wow, nice clear water!). She’s got some specks of brown on her wings. Her head is lowered, her neck making a C shape. Behind her, a coot, all black except for his face, swims quickly past. The water is a dark green and slightly rippled. My feeling is this is a river, and I know it’s somewhere near Salisbury, but that’s all I know!

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 14d

Behold, the majestic Grey Heron as he gazes up to the heavens and … erm … ok he looks a bit dorky 🤣🤣 And he’s practically in the bushes surrounding the lake :)) #BirdOfTheDay #OverTheRainbow #HedgingYourBets #Birds #Herons #Photography

A photo of a Grey Heron. He’s standing at the edge of the lake, next to the bushes that surround it. He is gazing upwards, his long neck stretched up. He’s tilted his head a bit, his two eyes visible over his long orange beak. They usually look rather intense, except when you get an angle like this. Now he looks a bit silly!

He’s a mainly grey bird, with some white on his abdomen and neck, and some black markings over the white on his neck. He also has very long legs though they are submerged here. The lake is calm and reflects the green vegetation on the dorky bird perfectly.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 14d

Latest archaeological crochet project finished! Bronze Age beaker, dated to 2500-800BC, from the Folkestone Museum collection #AncientBlueSky #Crochet #SciArt 🏺 #BronzeAge #FibreCrafts #CrochetSky

A photograph of a crocheted beaker. It is based on a Bronze Age beaker and made up of a light yarn and a darker brown yarn. The body is light brown, with dark brown lines and slashes to emulate the incised markings on the original beaker.

Another photo of the beaker, now paired with the grape cup I made earlier. Behind is some yarn, with the blurry background of my flat.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 15d

Grey Heron London, July #BirdOfTheDay #EgretsAndHerons #Birds #Photography #Herons

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 16d

JFC. The Torygraph is just full of horrible people

Headline from the god awful Telegraph:

Now we're empty nesters, I can't wait for our dogs to die

Everyone else calls them 'fur babies, but all I see is expensive, demanding dependants who the children never offer to look after

Illustration is a woman with three dogs and she looks annoyed.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 16d

lol it really does Here’s another one from the lake. They love divebombing but as ever, too far and too fast 🤬 🤣

A really bad photo of a barn swallow diving into the lake. Water droplets everywhere, a blurry blue bird and two ducklings, bemused, sitting on the lake nearby.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 16d

Haven’t been out birding/photographing in ages 🥺 but here’s a Barn Swallow from June. Absolute pains to photograph - usually too far away and too fast. Best photo I’ve managed… #BirdOfTheDay #YourChoice

A photo of a Barn Swallow. Heavily cropped, noisy and blurred as the bird was far away and zipping across the cricket pitch. It’s a small dark bird with some blue iridescence and a ling forked tail. It’s flying low across short green grass.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 16d

Not a horror writer, but plants (inc poisonous ones) are in the book I’m writing. Favourite is Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet), related to deadly nightshade, and of course the humble tomato and potato. Beautiful flowers and tempting nope berries. Also used medicinally #HorrorWritersChat #Botany

A photograph of a stem with dainty green leaves and lovely purple and yellow flowers at the end. Behind is blurred green vegetation. I often see these flowers in amongst the vegetation in wetter woodlands and by the lake, eye-catching and colourful.

A photograph of the very red nope berries of the bittersweet plant. There are eleven berries dangling from a stem, similar to cherry tomatoes. These are brighter and much smaller. Plus, it’s not advisable to eat them! (also they are bitter…)

These have been used medicinally, along with stems, roots and leaves. But you really need to know what you are doing. A tricky plant, both useful and dangerous and always beautiful.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 17d

Two very different places, one beautiful sun London and Honolulu #Sunset #Scape

An iPhone photo of a sunset in London, from this evening. There are tress in the foreground, on the left and among the bottom. In the distance is the sun, partly obscured by a cloud. The clouds are fiery orange, reflecting the colour of the setting sun.

A photograph of a sunset in Hawai’i. In the foreground is the sea, with people swimming, a sailboat in the distance. The sun is barely visible, dipping behind the horizon, leaving a trail of orange colours across the cloudy sky.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 18d

I’ve just learned that it is a legal requirement to post a Robin for Janet, for today’s BotD alt theme, weathering the elements. This is a Robin I photographed last December. You can’t see it, but it was cold #BirdOfTheDay #WeatheringTheElements #ForJanet

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 18d

Female tufted duck London #BirdOfTheDay #EmeraldBackdrop #Wetlands

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 18d

No worries there! She’s like my dad - always with a pad and pens/pencils. She decided against A level Art as she hated GCSE art (although made some fab stuff, always with Greek themes 😀). She now has a part time job at a small art school, helping out with little kids doing art :))

A photo of a photo. It is of my dad, sitting down, drawing pad on his knee. My daughter, then about 3, is watching him intently.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 18d

This is still my favourite Odyssey adaptation (Drawn by kiddo, Aug 2024) #Odyssey #AncientBlueSky #Art 🏺

A photo of a page in a drawing pad. It’s a short comic with 5 panels, depicting the scene where Circe turns Odysseus’s men into pigs. First panel, the men are approaching her residence, second panel, shows Circe singing. Third panel, the food that she has imbued with magic. The fourth panel is Circe again, casting her spell and finally the fifth panel shows a pig with some armour next to him.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 18d

And a mini me Amesbury grape cup keychain 😀 #Crochet 🏺

A photograph of the original grape cup with a smaller version, in cream, on top.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 18d

Collared dove having a look around #BirdOfTheDay #Grey #Birds #BlueSkyMonday

A photograph of a Collared Dove perched on top of a beach hut roof. Only the top bit of the beach hut is in the frame, with some wood wood at the front and red roof tiles on the pointed roof. The bird is all grey with some black accents, including a black slash on its lower neck. Its eyes are red. It is perched sideways, looking off to the distance. Behind is a cloudless, light blue sky, setting off the dove’s greys beautifully.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 19d

I was working on a completely different pot and ran out of one coloured yarn. So while I wait for the delivery, I made a couple of amigurumi grape cups. Because why not? 🤣 #Crochet #Amigurumi #FibreCraft #HumanMade 🏺

Another photo of the grape cup keychains. They are placed under and in front of the original crocheted grape cup. They Bothe have large black eyes and small smiley faces.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 19d

Uh oh… what has the Bronze Age grape cup been up to? #Crochet #Amigurumi 🏺

A photograph of two crocheted keychains in another crocheted vessel. One is purplish-grey, the other an off-white. They are both round with lots of baubles.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 19d

Go Clacton! Reposted with alt text

1. I will boost the region's economy, prestige and fame.
2. I will cut your taxes, and raise everyone else's.
3. Bus fares to be capped at £1.99, and 99 Flake ice-creams to cost no more than 99p.
4. I promise to spend more time in Clacton-on-Sea than in Washington DC, and to champion the area.
5. MPs who resign mid-parliament to be barred from the resulting by-election.
6. MPs who change party mid-parliament to be forced to face a by-election.
7. I pledge to build at least one affordable house.
8. Arcade grabber games to be made fairer so players actually have a chance to win.
9. Oil and gas companies to pay for solar panels for everyone. (From Jack, aged 10)
10. Regeneration of Walton Pier so it is just as great as Clacton Pier.
11. A windfall tax on cosy crime novels written (or 'written') by celebrities.
12. Potholes to be filled, using copies of the 2024 Labour Party Manifesto.
13. Parliament to be moved to my new Bin HQ, in Weeley, while the Palace of Westminster is restored.
14. People who drive past Clacton station with annoyingly loud exhausts to lose their licence.
15. I will not accept £5 million gifts from crypto billionaires (on Earth).
16. A referendum on whether Pluto should regain its planet status.
COUNT BINFACE
PARTY
17. The hand-dryer in the gents' toilet at the Great Himalayas restaurant, Southport to be moved to a more sensible position.
18. Wayne Rooney to be new expert summariser for the BBC at Eurovision.
CLEAN UP CLACTON
19. Count Binface to represent the UK at Eurovision 2027, with Clacton hosting Eurovision 2028.
20. I stand by my past manifestos: Ceefax, speakerphones, nationalising Adele, renaming HS2 'FFS]', the hand-dryer at the Crown & Treaty, I've got it covered.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 20d

Like @pbvantilburg.bsky.social, I’m still affected by a bird. There are a number of captures - when Plucky was with his parents, when he was abandoned and when he showed up with a horrible gash on his neck. I took photos, I wrote about him. I still look for him #BirdOfTheDay #Memories #TeamPlucky

This is Plucky, a little Mandarin duckling. Here he is photographed on the dry bank of the lake, resting for a bit. He is a round ball of floof, with light brown down on his abdomen and darker down on top. What isn’t so visible in this image is the gash on the back of his neck.

I saw him a few times after he was injured, still paddling around, eating. But no parents around. And I haven’t seen him in weeks. I am hoping still that he’s ok, keeping safe in the back of the lake.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 21d

St Martin’s in the Fields, London #AlphabetChallenge #WeekCForCurves #BlueSkyArtShow #Glass #ClassicMono

An iPhone photograph taken as I sat in a pew, waiting for a talk to begin. I looked up and saw this window, which I thought looked really cool. Bad angle and people’s heads in the way but not too bad considering.

There are two windows. The one on the left in arched at the top. There is a circle of glass in the middle and lines (wrought iron I think) coming out from the circle and curved. The window on the right is rectangular, also with wrought iron. The design - thinner lines emanating from the circle- continues in this window.

Dr Anke Marsh@ankemarsh· 21d

@robcrank68.bsky.social is devious 1 Robin, 2 pelicans, 3 swans and 4 little grebes (look carefully!) All in London over the last few months #BirdOfTheDay #OneTwoThreeFour #ForJanet #Birds #LondonBirds #Wetlands #SmallBirdSaturday #Photography