The undisputed star of the show today: Great Sundew (Drosera anglica). A new one for me, and more than worthy of a quick prod 😂

It was also a pleasure to see White-beak Sedge (Rhynchospora alba) for the first time at Butterburn Flow. A pretty little thing!

Genuinely a little bit in love with the delicate flowers of Bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia). Seen for the first time today on a long-overdue visit to Butterburn Flow, and quite possibly my favourite plant of the day... #wildflowers

While we're on the subject of moths, I simply had to share this beauty of a Garden Tiger (Arctia caja) spotted yesterday along Hadrian's Wall. Once a familiar sight, they're not one I come across very often these days.

A very welcome visitor to the yarden today when this Hummingbird Hawk-moth dropped in to feed on Tuberous Thistle. It even stayed still long enough for a 📸! #moths

Right back at it with the rapid willow revision during a lovely trip to Hadrian's Wall today... 📸 Salix × multinervis (x2), S. aurita, S. × holosericea, S. cinerea subsp. oleifolia, S. repens and, best of all, S. phylicifolia (at last!). #botany

Orchid season may be drawing to a close, but there are still a few Broad-leaved Helleborines (Epipactis helleborine) to be found in scrubby corners locally. The variation in their flowers never ceases to surprise me! #wildflowers

A slightly ragged but very welcome Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus) today at @nenature.bsky.social Gosforth Nature Reserve. My first in yonks! 🦋 #butterflies

A big old patch of Parsley Fern (Cryptogramma crispa) growing on a Cheviot hillside. Most of the plants we saw had be scorched but this one appeared quite happy! #ferns 🌿

A busy pair of Small Copper and Bilberry Bumblebee from yesterday's Cheviot walk. The best of a momentary detour into inverts! 👀

Back at it with the #Salix this morning with lots of lovely Dark-leaved Willow (Salix myrsinifolia) spotted along the Tyne. Hairy undersides, hairy twigs, committed to memory... 😆

A few goodies from a fab field trip exploring the 'North Tyne bank assemblage'. Clustered Bellflower, Dyer's Greenweed, Wild Basil & Northern Bedstraw were perhaps the highlights among a great cast of plants. #wildflowers

One of the willows I am not too sure about. It may turn out just to be bog-standard S. x fragilis, but the leaves seem broader, much less hairy and somewhat abruptly tapering to the tip. Salix × fragilis var. furcata was where I ended up! 🤨

Fear I've gone down a bit of a Salix rabbit hole in the last few days! Practice makes perfect... 😬 📸 S. x calodendron, x holosericea, aurita, x reichardtii, cinerea subsp. oleifolia (x2), viminalis, alba and purpurea. A few others are still vexing me...

A lovely double-act of Dune (Epipactis dunensis) and Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) from the edge of Newcastle today. The former isn't having an especially good year, but still a few to be found. #urbanflora

A few other nice ferns spotted on this afternoon's plod about: Oak Fern, Beech Fern, Lemon-scented Fern & Borrer's Male-fern. #ferns

Spent a delightful day delivering a fern ID session for @nenature.bsky.social. We covered 16 species over the course of the day, but the highlight had to be Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes subsp. pachyrachis) 🌿 #ferns

Must admit, I was quite taken with this little Hare's-foot Clover (Trifolium arvense) growing from an old wall on Lindisfarne. #wildflowers

A rather lurid pink Dactylorhiza spotted on today's trip. Seemed to be nicely intermediate between nearby D. incarnata and D. purpurella so I'm hedging my bets of D. x latirella 👀 #orchids

Another not so small Small Adder's-tongue (Ophioglossum azoricum) from Holy Island today. #ferns

Frog Orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis) seemed to be top of everyone's "must see" list on today's @greenwingstours.bsky.social trip so feeling rather relieved that we managed to find some... #orchids

Small Adder's-tongue (Ophioglossum azoricum) was undoubtedly the star of the show for me today on Holy Island. Not as colourful as the orchids, I admit, but rather beautiful! 🌿 #ferns

It's rare that a Dark Green Fritillary sits still long enough for a photo, so I was thrilled when this one decided to play ball yesterday on Holy Island 🦋 #butterflies

It is physically impossible to visit Holy Island in summer and not take gazillion photos of Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris). Another from today's @greenwingstours.bsky.social tour.

The undisputed star of the show on day #1 of our @greenwingstours.bsky.social tour...the lovely Lindisfarne Helleborine (Epipactis dunensis subsp. sancta) #orchids

Well, that was a surprise... Reversed Clover (Trifolium resupinatum) growing on some disturbed ground around recent waterworks in Heaton today. #urbanflora

And while we're at it, it would have been rude not to nab a few photos of Lobed Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomones subsp. pachyrachis). #ferns

Lemon-scented Fern, Brittle Bladder-fern and Oak Fern rounded out today's fern foray quite nicely... #ferns

Seems I got ever so slightly carried away photographing Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) on today's trip... #ferns

Bits and bobs from today's @nenature.bsky.social grass session! Hordelymus europaeus looking lovely with a supporting cast of other AWI species. #botany