Kieron Huston
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khuston.bsky.social
Kieron Huston
@khuston.bsky.social
530 followers 1.8K following 8 posts
Ecology / nature especially 🌿🐝 🐦‍⬛, wild, cultural & urban landscapes. Conservationist/ecologist working for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust / biodiversity net gain / planning / protected species / local sites. Occasional guide for Wildlife Travel.
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khuston.bsky.social
Red-billed leiothrix. A native of China (Peking Robin) to the Himalayas that also finds NW Italy to their liking. A colourful bird with a liking for shrubby woodlands going on the last few days. They sing very loudly at dawn then intermittently through the day. Took a while to see one.
A small bird with a red bill and yellow and peach chest, brownish back and red wing feathers. Native to China bit established in various plaves inc. MW Italy.
July 6, 2025 at 9:22 PM
khuston.bsky.social
Spanish Festoon is the most striking of the 5 festoon species in Europe (inc. Caucasus) & can be found in North Africa, Iberian peninsula & southern France in spring. The caterpillars feed on various birthwort species. Birthworts are toxic so confer some protection to the caterpillars #butterflies
A medium sized spring butterfly ornately marked in a disruptive pattern of cream panels separated by black lines & thicker black marks. Along the edge of the wings the pattern is a series of black arches set against a cream background giving a certain crenallated appearance. Red markings are set in a black background and are present along the leading edge of the forewing and hindwing. The body is black with small yellow patches oneach side. The antennae are black and thickened towards their ends. A picture of the Andalucian birthwort showing the flask-like tube that forms the flower. Flies are tempted down the tube where they pick up pollen and, once the hairs in the tube wither, the flies exit the tube and carry the pollen to the next birthwort plant. The tube is like an old fashioned pipe in shape and red-mauve in colour.
March 26, 2025 at 8:02 PM
khuston.bsky.social
View from Battersea's glass elevator at 109m showing the extent of green landscaping. Some looks quite minimal &/or ornamental (similar landscaping can be seen at ground level). Be interesting to know the plants used & species benefiting especially inverts & birds #urbanecology #ecology #insects, 🌍
A view of London looking south from the glass elevator 109 at the former Battersea Power Station. The view includes two chimneys and the redeveloped roof of the station. Further away are new developments, some have green landscaping including grasses, small shrubs and other plants. To the west is the edge of Battersea Park.
December 28, 2024 at 10:17 AM