Natural Historian
@james99.bsky.social
formerly @jahasse at X (formerly Twitter)
Still walking while attempting to naturally historicise; battling the wannabe wood to keep a “wildflower” garden intact
Still walking while attempting to naturally historicise; battling the wannabe wood to keep a “wildflower” garden intact
Our rescue snowdrops from the M25J10 improvement scheme are doing OK, but I feel the more specialist ones we have acquired over time struggle to ever open in the wet weather has the often large petals get drenched and are then too heavy to lift up and just rot ☹️ #WildfowerHour
February 8, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Our rescue snowdrops from the M25J10 improvement scheme are doing OK, but I feel the more specialist ones we have acquired over time struggle to ever open in the wet weather has the often large petals get drenched and are then too heavy to lift up and just rot ☹️ #WildfowerHour
Lots of crocuses around our poor Surrey soils, this one from "old Surrey", a Richmond cemetery for #WildflowerHour ... Has a somewhat Spencer'esque "Resurrection at Cookham" feel to it?
February 8, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Lots of crocuses around our poor Surrey soils, this one from "old Surrey", a Richmond cemetery for #WildflowerHour ... Has a somewhat Spencer'esque "Resurrection at Cookham" feel to it?
Only real bit of colour was the Gorse (again!) though matched by this Witches' Butter/Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica) parasitising crust fungus and sometimes grows on decaying Gorse wood, as here, especially in wet winter weather, as now! #WildflowerHour
February 1, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Only real bit of colour was the Gorse (again!) though matched by this Witches' Butter/Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica) parasitising crust fungus and sometimes grows on decaying Gorse wood, as here, especially in wet winter weather, as now! #WildflowerHour
Apart from the odd but welcome banks of Snowdrops still enjoying seedheads (Teasel and Old Man's Beard/Clematis Vitalba)
#wildflowerhour
#wildflowerhour
January 18, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Apart from the odd but welcome banks of Snowdrops still enjoying seedheads (Teasel and Old Man's Beard/Clematis Vitalba)
#wildflowerhour
#wildflowerhour
Only noteworthy bloom last week as ice and snow gripped our area was the crystals on a sloping former window. I think due to some rain and frost cycles #wildflowerhour
January 12, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Only noteworthy bloom last week as ice and snow gripped our area was the crystals on a sloping former window. I think due to some rain and frost cycles #wildflowerhour
Always the Gorse, whatever the weather, the only #WildflowerHour in the frozen garden. The rest are the winter colour (and smells) cultivars: Viburnum x bodnantense, Daphne bholua, Winter Jasmine, Iris and Japanese Quince.
January 4, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Always the Gorse, whatever the weather, the only #WildflowerHour in the frozen garden. The rest are the winter colour (and smells) cultivars: Viburnum x bodnantense, Daphne bholua, Winter Jasmine, Iris and Japanese Quince.
Had hope for Juniper Top and Mickleham Down for #NYPlantHunt but all too Alpine at the moment #WildflowerHour
January 4, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Had hope for Juniper Top and Mickleham Down for #NYPlantHunt but all too Alpine at the moment #WildflowerHour
Far too late for #WildflowerHour but ... Was looking in the Blackthorn for Brown Hairstreak butterfly eggs and found one starting to bloom and then the elusive egg
December 22, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Far too late for #WildflowerHour but ... Was looking in the Blackthorn for Brown Hairstreak butterfly eggs and found one starting to bloom and then the elusive egg
Best hedgerows are rich in birds and their food: Rosehips, Wild Privet, Stinking Iris, abundant Blackthorn sloes #wildflowerhour
November 23, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Best hedgerows are rich in birds and their food: Rosehips, Wild Privet, Stinking Iris, abundant Blackthorn sloes #wildflowerhour
How much Lichen?
November 23, 2025 at 8:40 PM
How much Lichen?
The brave flowers of our early November warmth sadly wilting in the frosts of late November #WildflowerHour
November 23, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The brave flowers of our early November warmth sadly wilting in the frosts of late November #WildflowerHour
#Winter10 included an unusual (for Surrey) Centaury (Centaurium littorale) on newly accessible short-cropped sandy grassland, Holly, Autumn Hawkbit, Common Stork's-bill, Rhododendron(!), Pink and White Yarrow, Clustered Bellflower, an ocean of Periwinkle, Meadowsweet #wildflowerhour
November 9, 2025 at 8:21 PM
#Winter10 included an unusual (for Surrey) Centaury (Centaurium littorale) on newly accessible short-cropped sandy grassland, Holly, Autumn Hawkbit, Common Stork's-bill, Rhododendron(!), Pink and White Yarrow, Clustered Bellflower, an ocean of Periwinkle, Meadowsweet #wildflowerhour
Very surprised to see these (admittedly planted a few years ago now) beauties pop up in the garden late this afternoon, Snowdrops in early November?!?! Galanthus elwesii I think.
#wildflowerhour
#wildflowerhour
November 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Very surprised to see these (admittedly planted a few years ago now) beauties pop up in the garden late this afternoon, Snowdrops in early November?!?! Galanthus elwesii I think.
#wildflowerhour
#wildflowerhour
Always nice to have the Holly berries put to good use as the first Redwing return to the UK and our garden (how do they find it each year?) ... with a bonus Blackcap lurking. #wildflowerhour
November 2, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Always nice to have the Holly berries put to good use as the first Redwing return to the UK and our garden (how do they find it each year?) ... with a bonus Blackcap lurking. #wildflowerhour
Why are thistles so difficult? #wildflowerhour #wildflowerID this tall scraggly one, in a somewhat damp area, with a lovely flowerhead may be a Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre)
October 26, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Why are thistles so difficult? #wildflowerhour #wildflowerID this tall scraggly one, in a somewhat damp area, with a lovely flowerhead may be a Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre)
All the pinky purples for #WildFlowerHour from Denbies Hillside today: Clustered Bellflower, Knapweed,Self Heal, Marjoram, Scabious and Harebell
October 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
All the pinky purples for #WildFlowerHour from Denbies Hillside today: Clustered Bellflower, Knapweed,Self Heal, Marjoram, Scabious and Harebell
South Downs Way had plenty of colour: always astonishing Chicory blue, White Campion, Burnet Rose, Field Sowthistle and Greater Knapweed #wildflowerhour
September 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
South Downs Way had plenty of colour: always astonishing Chicory blue, White Campion, Burnet Rose, Field Sowthistle and Greater Knapweed #wildflowerhour
Parked in a Steyning municipal car park today, under a deliberately planted pear tree with abundant small round fruits. Can't be a Plymouth Pear (Pyrus Cordata) surely? Brought some "samples" home for later tasting. #wildflowerhour #wildflowerid
September 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Parked in a Steyning municipal car park today, under a deliberately planted pear tree with abundant small round fruits. Can't be a Plymouth Pear (Pyrus Cordata) surely? Brought some "samples" home for later tasting. #wildflowerhour #wildflowerid
Keep seeing #Caterpillars #Moths on paths. Why so much moving about in the open at the moment? Or just lucky spotting them? Two intriguing beauties: Fox Moth and Pale Tussock #WildWebsWednesday
September 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Keep seeing #Caterpillars #Moths on paths. Why so much moving about in the open at the moment? Or just lucky spotting them? Two intriguing beauties: Fox Moth and Pale Tussock #WildWebsWednesday
Orchid seed heads in abundance on Mickleham Down escarpments, Birdsnest and Broad-leaved Helleborine #wildflowerhour
September 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Orchid seed heads in abundance on Mickleham Down escarpments, Birdsnest and Broad-leaved Helleborine #wildflowerhour
Clustered Bellflower, now in a range of colours #wildflowerhour
September 21, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Clustered Bellflower, now in a range of colours #wildflowerhour
It's not exactly a bloom but blooming gorgeous, invasive escapee on a local river bank, but incredible too, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) #wildflowerhour
September 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
It's not exactly a bloom but blooming gorgeous, invasive escapee on a local river bank, but incredible too, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) #wildflowerhour
Nice find on edge of a paddock near Guildford was some Field Bugloss (Anchusa arvensis) #WildflowerHour
September 14, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Nice find on edge of a paddock near Guildford was some Field Bugloss (Anchusa arvensis) #WildflowerHour
Super bloom of Persicaria maculosa in the base of a currently dried-up pond #wildflowerhour
September 14, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Super bloom of Persicaria maculosa in the base of a currently dried-up pond #wildflowerhour
Chilterns walk from Bledlow revealed the superb material for #wildflowerhour especially on Lodge Hill, awash with huge clumps of #Eyebright #Scabious and views!
September 8, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Chilterns walk from Bledlow revealed the superb material for #wildflowerhour especially on Lodge Hill, awash with huge clumps of #Eyebright #Scabious and views!