Common Nature

Nature

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:57:23 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

King Charles III England Coast Path

The King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP), originally and still commonly known as the England Coast Path, is a long-distance National Trail that follows the coastline of England. Opened on 19 March 2026 by King Charles III, the trail extends for 2,689 miles (4,328 km).

Sections of the English coast already had established walking routes, most notably the South West Coast Path. However, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 required Natural England, under section 298, to create a continuous coastal path. The first section, along Weymouth Bay, opened in 2012. The walking route is the longest coastal trail in the world, and its total length increases further when considered alongside the Wales Coast Path.

Those of you who live in or visit the United Kingdom may wish to explore this amenity.

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Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:55:39 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

a comedy in four acts:

( Read more... )

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The Woods in April

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:54:24 GMT

Posted by: puddleshark

The woods in early April. Full of sunlight and birdsong: the pensive silvery songs of robins, the repetitive two-tone squeak of coal-tits, chiffchaffs singing their own name, and nuthatches whistling like football referees.

( Read more... )

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Earth Month

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:55:45 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Earth Month -- April 2026

Earth Month takes place during April every year. It’s a time to raise environmental awareness and create consciousness around the issues that affect mother nature during this time of crisis. Every April, leaders, and environmental activists from all over the world join hands to create sustainable development and offer climate solutions, to minimize our carbon footprint and prevent further harm to our planet’s natural resources. It’s increasingly important to observe this month as Earth starts to unravel the harmful effects of climate change which not only poses a threat to our existence but is irreversibly damaging all forms of life.

( Read more... )

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Nature diary

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:50:19 GMT

Posted by: signoftea

It's getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and the scent of spring is coming in through the open window. Bird activity is very high. Some days, my birding app detects up to 25 different species within 20 minutes. Some of them are migratory birds, on the way back to where they came from in the winter. The others, about to start breeding, make as much noise as they can.

Today, as I was watering my balcony flowers, I looked down at the lawn because I saw some movement there. Two wood pigeons were wandering around, and between them, a hedgehog! I've never seen one in the open in broad daylight before. They're mostly nocturnal, as far as I know.

I googled "hedgehog active during the day" and found out that this could be a sign that the hedgehog is injured or malnourished. It did look a bit thin, as far as I could see from two storeys above, but not weak or distressed. It was walking around purposefully and seemed to be eating something, probably earthworms. In the information I found online, it said hedgehogs are often thin in the spring, because they're recovering from hibernation. It doesn't have to be a reason for concern. So I guess it doesn't need help right now.

When I checked again a few minutes later, both the hedgehog and the pigeons had disappeared.

I'm going to keep an eye out for the little hedgehog in the coming days. If I see it again and it looks like it needs help, I might take it to the vet, or to a rescue center.

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Persian squirrels inhabiting the ruins of the legendary Troy

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:32:00 GMT

Posted by: pilottttt

( Read more... )

You can read more about how we visited Troy here (in Russian).

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Bohemian Waxwings

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:42:53 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

This weekend, we went to the botanical gardens and we saw a big group of Bohemian waxwings! They are very rare guests here on their way to and from Scandinavia and I had never seen one before. I did know instantly what they were seeing them all sitting in the tree though.

( Read more... )

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Late Bloomer Sunset

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:26:59 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

The sunset last weekend looked very simple, but I liked its casual glow stretched on the clouds. Less than 10 minutes later my partner called me to come look at the sky and the red in it was astonishing.

( Read more... )

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A lifer for me!

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:05:01 GMT

Posted by: calzephyr

Wednesday was just another snowy spring day when this guy showed up!

OMG! A Northern shrike!!!

I was upstairs in my office when I heard the budgies flapping and didn't see the problem at first.

Then I saw this beautiful, but deadly bird!

He flew at the window and scared the budgies again, so I moved the cage away. He sat there for a good long time and flew away. He was not bothered at all by me standing right at the window looking at him.

Shrikes impale small birds and animals "for later", so I'm going to keep an eye on my bird feeder because I don't want my rose bush to become a graveyard. I haven't seen it again so far today, so perhaps the snow derailed his travel plans like everyone else lately.

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Photos: Coles County Community Garden

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:07:17 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Yesterday we visited the Coles County Community Garden. (See the right side and left side of the Charleston Food Forest.)

( Walk with me ... )

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Mixed Media

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:19:56 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

My partner was out for a walk given the unusually warm weather we've been having. He texted me excitedly that he thought the swan might be back. (Some of you may remember we got a weeklong visit from one last year).

Then as he came closer he realized the swan seemed unmoving and stiff...

( Read more... )

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Orchard Bees

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:13:13 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

This morning I went to check out the big insect hotel near the canal and I was just in time to catch a whole bunch of male European orchard bees who I am fairly sure had just hatched (the females will hatch a little later in the year).

( Read more... )

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goose on the loose

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:09:12 GMT

Posted by: autobotscoutriella

The geese have returned! This one was NOT happy to see me.

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Hole in the Sky Sunset

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:27:35 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Loved the look of this sunset through a cloud gap the other night.

( Read more... )

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March: Pusekätzchen

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:39:00 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

I went out for a little walk this morning and found the first willow catkins - Pusekätzchen! They are an important flower for bees at this time of year, not just for honey bees but for solitary bees, bumblebees and solitary wasps.

( Read more... )

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Planet Crocuscant

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:31:43 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

The path to the park is once again Planet Crocuscant:

( Read more... )

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Photos: House Yard

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:32:43 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today was unseasonably warm and sunny, so I took pictures around the yard. The first few are from indoors, then the rest are the house yard. (See the savanna.)

( Walk with me ... )

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Star Sunset and Flare + Ducks

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:22:12 GMT

Posted by: yourlibrarian

Perhaps because we were seeing it at a rippling distance, when I looked out at the lake the other night, the ball of fire that was the setting sun seemed to be reflected as a five pointed star. Don't know how clearly that came out here but I liked the photo regardless.

( Read more... )

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The Utrecht Fish Doorbell is back up for the season!

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:20:05 GMT

Posted by: full_metal_ox

https://visdeurbel.nl/en/

The Fish Doorbell in Utrecht in the Netherlands is an interactive online Citizen Science tool, explained in this post from last year: https://common-nature.dreamwidth.org/281642.html

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More frog

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 20:56:27 GMT

Posted by: merrileemakes

In my last posts I described the start and progression of my tadpole adventures. Here's the next instalment.

As soon as the tadpoles started growing legs they changed rapidly. Within days the kinda dopey goldfish behaviour, like nibbling around the surface of the water, disappeared, they became very elusive and shy. Almost like as soon as they started thinking about being predators they realised they were also prey. It was a bit sad, because I really enjoyed watching them, but also necessary for them to become wild frogs. I was glad that I hadn't spoiled them for life on their own.
( Read more... )

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Snowdrop Day

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:37:59 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

I went to the cemetery today and it was the first warm day of spring - even the wind was warm, and all the birds were going absolutely nuts, they were so loud. The snowdrops are in full bloom everywhere and they look so incredibly lovely against the leaf litter.

( Read more... )

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Photos: House Yard

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:08:53 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

Today I took some pictures around the yard and did a couple of garden crafts. These are from the house yard and savanna. (See the Worm Bin and the Water Garden.)

( Walk with me ... )

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tiny long-tailed tit

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 18:19:05 GMT

Posted by: turlough

We've had a very persistent winter here this year and this has happily meant that I've had lots of visitors at my bird feeders. Today I had the opportunity to photograph this adorable little Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus caudatus) while it was hunting for seeds on the bike-shed roof just outside my window.

Click to enlarge:

( one more photo... )

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Photos: Flowerbeds

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 01:58:20 GMT

Posted by: ysabetwordsmith

The first crocuses are blooming! I just had to take pictures when I spotted them this morning. Yesterday they were just buds.

( Walk with me ... )

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Crow Bath

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:29:34 GMT

Posted by: bookscorpion

The sun came out and everyone was enjoying it so much after more than a week of clouds and snowfall. This crow was taking a very energetic bath - look how far the water droplets are flying all around him!

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