Scott Shanks
Professional nature botherer💚 Planning, Peatlands, Pollinators & other wee beasties. Ecologist, Biochemist, Bog-trotter, Geek. Based in Moray, Scotland. All own views.
- Reposted by Scott ShanksFor #WorldWetlandsDay, we're shining a light on four of the 25% of Britain's threatened spider species that are wetland specialists. They're entirely dependent on aquatic habitats remaining wet, unpolluted and growing, not shrinking, in size and connectivity @naturalengland.bsky.social
- Reposted by Scott ShanksWhat a win for nature! Scotland is the first UK country to have Swift bricks in law – a lifeline for this threatened bird. And, for the first time ever, the Scottish Government must set legally binding nature recovery targets. Thanks for helping make history with a strong Natural Environment Bill.
- Reposted by Scott Shanks🚨 It's official! Swift nesting bricks have passed the Scottish Parliament and will now become law. Swifts are in serious decline across the UK. This will help reverse that trend and make our communities more liveable for birds. @markruskell.bsky.social and @writerhannah.bsky.social explain 👇
- Reposted by Scott ShanksToday we raised our voices outside Scottish Parliament in one last push to ensure politicians stand up for Scotland's nature. The Natural Environment Bill could be a game-changer - introducing nature targets and Swift bricks. The final debate starts today, we hope to see major wins for wildlife.
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- Reposted by Scott ShanksRoom for one more? At this time of year, Herald moths (Scoliopteryx libatrix) can be found roosting together in caves and outbuildings 😴 📷: Iain Leach #Winterwatch #MothsMatter #TeamMoth
- Reposted by Scott ShanksGulls are in serious trouble in Scotland. These remarkable birds are facing significant pressures. A recent report revealed licensed control could have contributed to declines ➡️ rspb.org.uk/scotland/news/licensed-gull-control-in-scotland We must balance the needs of protected species and people.
- Reposted by Scott Shanks147 Hen Harriers confirmed 'missing' or illegally killed in UK since 2018 - most of them on or close to grouse moors. Data extracted from reports by Natural England, RSPB, HSE, various Police forces, National Wildlife Crime Unit. #RaptorResearch 🌍 raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/01/21/1...
- Reposted by Scott ShanksHave your say on the potential return of lynx to northern Scotland. lynxtoscotland.org/information-...
- Reposted by Scott ShanksOne of our most important habitats is being destroyed, and it’s time to act. Ancient peatlands are nature’s heroes. Tell Government we need to protect them💪 actnow.peatfreepartnership.org.uk/end-peat-sal... @peatfree.bsky.social #EndPeatSales
- Reposted by Scott ShanksOur annual UK Moth Recorders' Meeting is back with a fantastic line-up of talks exploring the latest developments in moth research and conservation! 📍 Online 📅 Saturday 31 January Book your place 👉 eventbrite.co.uk/e/uk-moth-recorders… 📷: Marian Coburn
- No chance of #wildflowers for #wildflowerhour with deep snow, but did see my 1st #butterfly of 2026 on 9th January! My earliest ever Green-veined White, by about 3 months. Unfortunately indoors. Suspect we must have brought in it’s chrysalis on logs from the woodpile. @savebutterflies.bsky.social
- A few hardy #Speyside finds braving the frost for this week’s #Wildflowerhour 🌼 plus a couple of friendly locals too🐦🐿️ @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott ShanksWe have resigned from the Scottish Government’s farming policy group having lost all confidence in the process. Farming is key to tackling the nature and climate crisis. Many farmers and crofters want to do more but the current system is failing them. Full statement 👇
- Reposted by Scott Shanks🙏 A huge thank you to the more than 17,000 people who have spoken up to save Coul Links from a golf course that would cause irreparable damage to this incredible place and its unique wildlife. We’re now waiting for ministers to make a decision. Add your voice: action.rspb.org.uk/page/166270/...
- Reposted by Scott ShanksOur scientists have been busy this year! From dinosaurs to diatoms, they have helped to describe an amazing 262 new species from all around the world! 🪸🐠🦎🦋🪱 Read more about this year’s new species list 👇🏻 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
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- Reposted by Scott ShanksA win for Swifts! Thanks to your support, Scotland might become the first UK country to require Swift nesting bricks in all new buildings. Today MSPs voted to include this in the Natural Environment Bill – now we must make sure it stays in the Bill through the final stage.
- Reposted by Scott ShanksDay 4 is Bog-rosemary. With nodding pink bells and bicoloured, Rosemary-esque leaves, it brightens up autumnal raised bogs a treat! It reaches the north of its range in central Scotland, where I spent several Sep days refinding old records of this local rarity from the 1980s and 90s #wildflowerhour
- Reposted by Scott ShanksDay 8 of my botanical #adventcalendar - Yellow Bird's-nest. This bizarre plant is a mycoheterotroph - it has no chlorophyll, so can't photosynthesis, and gets all its food from parasitising underground fungi! In central Scotland it is found on mining bings - islands of biodiversity #wildflowerhour
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- Reposted by Scott ShanksThese wood ants are edge specialists... but not all edges are equal. Jacob Podesta used a decade of population expansion data to show that wood ants spread more quickly along certain edges, depending on the edge orientation. Currently available open access here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
- Reposted by Scott ShanksThe new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...
- Reposted by Scott ShanksScotland's swifts are in freefall. They need action now. Yesterday, @scotgov said Swift Bricks don't belong in the Natural Environment Bill. We disagree. There's still time to back Swift Bricks - email your MSPs now: action.rspb.org.uk/page/181323/...
- Some #Speyside finds for this week’s #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott ShanksMy first Snow Flea (Boreus hyemalis) of the winter at Cali Heath @yorkswildlife.bsky.social reserve today. Nice of her to pose out in the open on a fallen leaf, so didn't need to spend hours waiting for one to emerge from the Polytrichum moss! @ynuorg.bsky.social #Mecoptera #Boreidae #ukwildlife
- A few #Speyside finds for this week’s #Wildflowerhour from a hike up Ben Rinnes near Aberlour. Bonus Ptarmigans too! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95 @rspbscotland.bsky.social
- Reposted by Scott ShanksOur #NPMS10 online celebration event is this Saturday! Good news - you can still book & join for all or part of the programme ow.ly/xqqf50X4fEE talks from @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social as well as volunteers & stakeholders.
- A few #Speyside finds for this week’s #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- A few #Speyside finds for #UKFungusDay @britmycolsoc.org.uk @plantlifeuk.bsky.social #Moray #VC95 #mushrooms #fungi 🍄🍂🍄🟫🪵
- Reposted by Scott Shanks🍄 ⭐ It's #UKFungusDay today! ⭐🍄 Join in with events, online activities, competitions. Share your favourite fungus facts, photos & creations. Learn about these amazing organisms & celebrate our fungal world. www.ukfungusday.co.uk #fungi #nature #mushrooms #fungus
- The Big BRISC #Bioblitz starts today to celebrate 50yrs promoting biological recording in Scotland! Runs 22nd to 28th September.Record all animals🐦⬛🐸🐞, plants🌲🌿🌼, fungi🍄🍄🟫 etc that you find. You can take part using iNaturalist or iRecord app projects. nbn.org.uk/news/big-bri... @nbntrust.bsky.social
- Some #Speyside finds for this week’s #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott ShanksDo you want to make your neighbourhood better for wildlife? Join us in Glasgow for a friendly, informal workshop, open to anyone who wants to organise action for nature in their community. The workshop will run on 16 September at 10am and 2 October at 7pm. Sign up - bit.ly/3UGTQqp
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour Including a few for the #seedhead challenge. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Oops a few days late! But here are a few #Speyside finds for the #Wildflowerhour #fruit challenge🍒. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95 #berries #autumn
- Reposted by Scott ShanksNot ready to stop counting butterflies yet? Good news! You can help butterflies and moths all year round by recording your sightings through the iRecord Butterflies app 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/recording-… 📷: Green-veined White - Iain H Leach
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour Including a few🌼 for the #DaisyFamily challenge. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott ShanksThe theme for yesterday's #WildFlowerHour was #PollinatorPals - check the tag for some great examples of pollinators in action, from @wildflowerhour.bsky.social, and if you've enjoyed watching pollinators have a go at counting them with a PoMS FIT Count ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour Including a few blooms with wee beasties for the #PollinatorPals challenge. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Oops! Missed Tachina grossa off the alt-text species list! Spotted quite a few of these chunky orange-faced parasitoids a few weeks ago- which strangely coincided with the visit of another bloated, orange-faced parasitoid.
- Happy #BogDay! Celebrating brilliant bogs and their importance for carbon sequestration, water capture & purification, gorgeous habitats, specialist biodiversity, history & culture. Find out more at bogday.org
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour Including a few for the #DeadNettleFamily challenge. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott ShanksIt’s #BogDay and this time last year, the Flow Country became the first peat bog in the world awarded World Heritage Site status 🎉 Healthy peatlands can: 🔒 Act as carbon sinks, locking away CO2 💧 Improve water quality 💪 Support flood management 🏠 Provide a home for wildlife 📷 Paul Turner, Andy Hay
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- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour Including a few Harebells💙 for the #HarebellChallenge @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
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[This post could not be retrieved] - Some #Deeside finds for #Wildflowerhour from within the Cairngorms National Park @cairngormsnews.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social
- Final post for #insectweek! We have 23 species of resident #dragonflies & #damselflies (Odonata) in Scotland. Azure Hawker, Northern Damselfly & Northern Emerald only breed in Scotland within the UK. Find out more at british-dragonflies.org.uk @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
- It’s #insectweek! In the UK we have ~47 species of #Shieldbugs in the Hemiptera superfamily Pentatomoidea, (which generally have a shield-like shape). Many feed on trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers & berries, but others are predatory on beetle larvae or caterpillars.
- It’s #insectweek! We have 4 #Snakefly species (Raphidoptera) in the UK, but these long-necked tree-top predators are rarely encountered. A 5th species, Raphidia ophiopsis is predicted to be found in Scotland. I spotted this male Snakefly beneath a ScotsPine🌲 in Moray, Speyside last week. 🐍🪰
- It’s #insectweek! 🐝 Bees are among our most important & best-loved #pollinators. We have ~280 species in the UK including the honeybee & bumblebees which generally have a queen & workers, but the vast majority are solitary bees where females collect pollen & nectar to provision their own nests 🌸🐝
- It’s #Insectweek 2025! Ladybirds🐞 are beetles of the family Coccinellidae. There are 47 species of Ladybirds in the UK, with 30 species recorded in Scotland. Many are brightly coloured, but not all of them have spots🐞
- Reposted by Scott ShanksWorking together can make a real difference for Pine Hoverfly - and benefit other wildlife and habitats too! The FIRST EVER Pine Hoverfly Conservation Strategy is here – an important step forward to protect this rare species and restore the habitat it calls home 🪰 👉 www.rzss.org.uk/news/new-pin...
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- Reposted by Scott Shanks📢 Calling all peatland protectors, fen fanatics and the bog-curious – we're hosting a Bog Film Festival! Join us on 10th July to watch a collection of short films about these vital habitats 🌱💧 Register now 👇 cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2025-07-10-b…
- Hoverflies🪰 are some of our most frequent & important pollinators. We have approx 280 species in the UK. Different species utilise a wide variety of habitat niches with wildly different larval strategies from aphid predators to rot-hole filter feeders. 🌸🪰🌼🪰 #insectweek @dipteristsforum.bsky.social
- It’s #insectweek! Raising awareness about these amazing wee beasties! 🥳🦋🐞🐜🐝🪰🦗 In the UK, Scotch Burnets are only found within the #CairngormsNationalPark. The caterpillars feed on Crowberry- which is more widespread. @royentsoc.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @cairngormsnews.bsky.social
- Reposted by Scott ShanksAs @royentsoc.bsky.social #InsectWeek begins, we’re excited to share the latest @pomscheme.bsky.social annual report 🐝🪰🪲 Explore this year’s findings and help us welcome The RHS as a new PoMS partner! 👏🏼 Planting a variety of flowers and creating diverse habitats is key for pollinators 🌼 🧵🧪 1/
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott Shanks📣PondWatch is back - and this year, we’re doing things a little differently! This July, we’re inviting you to spend 30 minutes by a pond - watching, listening, feeling, and of course, looking out for dragonflies! 🐉 📆 Stay tuned! Our recording form will go live on 1st July.
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including a few for the #PeaFamily challenge. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including a few Caryophyllaceae for the #PinkFamily 🌸 challenge. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray #VC95
- Reposted by Scott ShanksThe "Targeting revisits" map for soldierflies has had a refresh for 2025: you can now highlight "rediscovery targets" - 1 km squares with multiple species in the past but no records for 10+ years. Would be great to know if the species are still there! Go to: connect-apps.ceh.ac.uk/targeting_re...
- Some #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including a few #speedwells for the speedwell challenge 🩵💙 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray
- A few #speyside wee beasties spotted this week ☀️🌲🌳🪲🦋🕷️
- Great turn-out for the @bchighland.bsky.social Kentish Glory🦋 training event near Boat of Garten on Saturday. Fantastic range of moths & wee beasties seen on the day- and we managed to find a good number of KG egg batches too!
- A few #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour 🌸🌷🌸 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray
- A few #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including some wild brassicas #CabbageFamily 🥦🔍 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray
- Oops -alt text for first montage should say Garlic Mustard rather than Cuckooflower.
- Reposted by Scott ShanksWhat if every garden looked like this? #NoMowMay is fast approaching and this year you can give #PowerToTheFlowers!🌸 Whether you’re in a city, town or the countryside, pack away your lawnmower and allow wildflowers to bloom freely, starting this May🌱 Join the No Mow Movement 👉 t.co/yPZrFcC9qy
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- Reposted by Scott ShanksWe’ve landed on Bluesky! 🐉✨ Here to share the beauty of dragonflies, conservation updates, and ways you can help protect these incredible insects. Follow us for news, ID tips, and stunning sightings! #BritishDragonflies
- Reposted by Scott ShanksButterfly Conservation's Scotland team are helping with a unique four-month ‘Easter egg hunt’ involving one of the UK’s rarest and most beautiful moths, the Dark Bordered Beauty Read the full story here 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo... #MothsMatter #TeamMoth
- A few #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including some #tinyplants 🌸🌿🔍 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray
- Reposted by Scott ShanksWhile there have been papers looking at Beaver effects on immature aquatic insects, the latest @freshwaterscience.bsky.social #FreshwaterScience issue shows how Beaver dams can increase biomass in emergent adult insects - along with community changes www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
- A few new #moths this week💡🦋. Garden Carpet, Red-Green Carpet, Pale Pinion, Double-striped Pug & Shoulder-Stripe all new for the garden. #Speyside #Moray #VC95 @bchighland.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social
- A few spring #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including a few #treeflowers 🌳🪵🌸🌼🐝 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray
- A few #Speyside finds for #Wildflowerhour including some #Woodlandplants 🌳🪵🌸🌼🐝 @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social #Moray
- A few mothy finds from Glen Shieldaig, Wester Ross last week. Clockwise from top-left: female Rannoch Brindled Beauty (on Bog Myrtle), Drinker🐛, Emperor cocoon & Northern Eggar🐛 @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bchighland.bsky.social
