Brigit Strawbridge
@brigitstrawbridge
Wildlife gardening.. love insects, plants, birds, fungi, grass snakes, trees, moths, rivers, caterpillars & all things wild, especially solitary bees, bumblebees... and Dippers! Art. Poetry. Cornwall Author 'Dancing with Bees - a Journey Back to Nature'
Following on from my Agapanthus video... If anyone is wondering which other flowering plants might be worth considering for a drought resistant garden, take a look at this page on the Beth Chatto website www.bethchatto.co.uk/conditions/p...
Pea Green - by Norfolk artist, Jane Newland More of this artist's gorgeous paintings, here: janenewland.com
Our dark blue Agapanthus is proving extremely popular with all manner of insects. Bumblebees, hoverflies, solitary bees... all diving in Agapanthus also happens to be an exceptionally good drought-resistant plant, & does well in pots. Worth thinking about for your garden, as our summers get hotter
Please can anyone tell me which species of Sawfly this is? Its abdomen resembles a leafcutter bee... and its wings a Great Pied hoverfly... but the clubbed antennae say sawfly! Thank you so much. #sawflies
We’ve been doing up our annex over the last few years, for an ensuite B&B room. Just a few more tweaks before we take the plunge and put it online! Fridge stocked with delish breakfast goodies. Key on arrival. Moors, woods, lakes, & falls nearby Thinking Airbnb to avoid stress of unvetted guests…
More of this artist's stunning work, here: ukwildlifeart.co.uk
Moon and Curlew - by Hilary Kington "At risk of extinction. If you don't know our name If you haven't seen us If you haven't heard us You will not care about us Once you know our name Once you have seen us Once you have heard us You will care We are Curlew Numenius arquata"
Recently back from a week in West Yorkshire, and I can’t remember the last time I heard so many Song Thrushes singing! There were at least half a dozen in and around Haworth Central Park alone. All in good voice but this one especially… #birdsingreenspaces @btobirds.bsky.social
Happy National Meadows Day! The mini-meadow in our garden has rather been taken over by Knapweed… but the bees and other insects are not complaining… they can’t get enough of it!
After years trying (& failing) to photograph Springtails, I can't believe TWO of these minuscule invertebrates photobombed the pic I took of a Tormentil flower earlier this week. I only noticed them after downloading the image to my laptop. Aren't they ADORABLE?! Look @ed-phillips.bsky.social!
Goldcrest - by British artist and comedian, Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves)
In case it is of interest to anyone, this is the book I use to study habitats with my grandson. It’s absolutely brilliant and I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Nature Study days with my grandson get more interesting the older he gets. Now studying the mosaic habitats of Bodmin Moor. Areas of gorse, open moorland & old mines are perfect for Meadow Pipits, Cuckoos, Wheatears & Stonechats Indy chose the Stonechat for his Nature Journal. Blanket Bogs next!
I watched your WONDERFUL presentation for @biologicalrecording.co.uk last week, Rosy! Signed up to add records to your scheme, as I have so many photos taken over the years of Crab Spiders... but sadly very few with grid references. I'll see if I can work out the ref for this week's nest.
Last call for my talk tomorrow (Monday) evening. 'Gardening for Pollinators' Memorial Hall, St Cleer (near Liskeard) Cornwall 7.30 pm start. £3 Rob will also be there, selling our beautiful flowering plants!
Please can anyone tell me which type of beetle this is? I know a few different species visit, and pollinate, Magnolia flowers - including sap beetles and pollen beetles, but can't tell which is which. Thank you! #beetles #coleoptera
A beautiful Crab Spider guarding her nest. If you look closely you can see a few of her recently hatched spiderlings. Spotted under a nettle leaf in one of the Cornwall Open Gardens we visited yesterday...
36 of the plants my granddaughter and I found on our Wildflower Walk through the village, yesterday afternoon. All growing in the hedges, verges, and pavements alongside the road. Also, at least another 5 which I didn't remember till this morning. Impressive, eh?! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social
Eider Drakes - by Scottish wildlife and landscape artist, Derek Robertson. More of this artist's gorgeous paintings, here: www.derekrobertson.com
A stunning Thick-legged Flower beetle (Oedemera nobilis). This is a male... the females look more gold/green and lack the swollen thighs. The larvae of this beetle live inside the stems of thistles and other plants - so a good reason not to tidy everything up in your garden too early in Spring!
'Agrimony' and 'Fairy Flax' - both my my daughter @cstrawbridgeart.bsky.social More of Charlotte's beautiful paintings, prints, and her gorgeous new book, here: www.charlottestrawbridge.co.uk/art
My father kept diaries from 1941 through to 1963 This is his Charles Lett's School-boys Diary from 1941, when he was age 9. Interestingly there is absolutely no mention of WW2 in the diary, other than this one entry on 7th December - the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour...
I have 2 talks coming up soon in Cornwall. 8th June in St Cleer (near Liskeard) 10th June in Polruan Do please come along if you are in the area. Or share with anyone else you know who might be interested 🐝
Finally, another pair of mating damselflies. I was so busy watching this pair that I completely missed the newt in the water below, till I played the clip back... #damselflies #odonata #wildlifepond
Also, a pair of damselflies (Large Red I think?) with the female laying eggs. I wonder why some species stay attached during egg laying, whilst others don't - and whether there's a list of which species uses which strategy...
Lots happening in our wildlife pond, today! First of all, a gorgeous Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly laying eggs. I've been extremely envious of everyone else's Broad-bodied Chaser sightings, so was over the moon to spot this female whilst I was hanging out the washing this afternoon...
In case anyone is wondering 'The Meaning of Geese' is a STUNNING book. So beautifully written, and bursting with love and knowledge - tot just of geese, but of the entire natural world. Absolutely worth a read!
Unusual for solitary bees females are smaller than males. Markings are similar (bright yellow dots on dark shiny abdomen) but you can tell the photo above is female by the orange pollen collecting hairs on her underside. And males (this image) have 5 sharp spikes on the tip of their abdomen
STOP PRESS!!! I've just seen my first Wool Carder bee of the year! A gorgeous female, foraging on the Lamb's ear (her favourite plant) which we planted especially for her and her kind... If you have Lamb's ear in your garden, look out for this bee from now through to August.