Steve Gale
@stevewg.bsky.social
Surrey-based naturalist on the edge of Greater London with a particular interest in bird migration, lepidoptera and botany. A liking for searching the under-recorded parts of the North Downs.
Football will also feature!
northdownsandbeyond.blogspot.com
Football will also feature!
northdownsandbeyond.blogspot.com
Day 10 of the Surrey Uber patch ‘November plants in flower’ gig: now up to 190 species, with a short walk this afternoon adding Dark Mullein and this Winter Jasmine that has found a naturalised home on a grass verge
November 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Day 10 of the Surrey Uber patch ‘November plants in flower’ gig: now up to 190 species, with a short walk this afternoon adding Dark Mullein and this Winter Jasmine that has found a naturalised home on a grass verge
Day 9 of November flowering on the Uber patch. An afternoon on Headley Heath brought the total up to 188sp with Lesser Spearwort, Waterpepper, Bell Heather and Viper’s-bugloss (pictured) amongst the additions
November 9, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Day 9 of November flowering on the Uber patch. An afternoon on Headley Heath brought the total up to 188sp with Lesser Spearwort, Waterpepper, Bell Heather and Viper’s-bugloss (pictured) amongst the additions
Colley Hill, Surrey: a morning frustrated by fog but saved by a Woodlark @tonyblake9.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Colley Hill, Surrey: a morning frustrated by fog but saved by a Woodlark @tonyblake9.bsky.social
Day 7 of the November plants in flower (Surrey uber patch) project! Up to 179 species now, my favourite being the spreading Narrow-leaved Ragwort (pictured), first shown to me in 2011 on Deal seafront by @kingsdowner.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Day 7 of the November plants in flower (Surrey uber patch) project! Up to 179 species now, my favourite being the spreading Narrow-leaved Ragwort (pictured), first shown to me in 2011 on Deal seafront by @kingsdowner.bsky.social
Banstead, Surrey: the moon is showing two outer rings tonight, the inner much clearer, both multi-coloured (the image not really doing it justice. Moonbow or lunar corolla? Whatever it is called it is quite arresting, caused by the light on ice crystals in the passing clouds.
November 6, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Banstead, Surrey: the moon is showing two outer rings tonight, the inner much clearer, both multi-coloured (the image not really doing it justice. Moonbow or lunar corolla? Whatever it is called it is quite arresting, caused by the light on ice crystals in the passing clouds.
Day 6 - Surrey Uber patch November flowering plants: now up to 170sp with such additions as Bush Vetch (pic), Yellow-wort, Common Centaury, Clustered and Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Harebell, Arimony, Wild Basil, Parsnip and Thyme…
November 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Day 6 - Surrey Uber patch November flowering plants: now up to 170sp with such additions as Bush Vetch (pic), Yellow-wort, Common Centaury, Clustered and Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Harebell, Arimony, Wild Basil, Parsnip and Thyme…
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a worthwhile morning spent sky watching… #UKBirding
November 6, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a worthwhile morning spent sky watching… #UKBirding
Day 5 - only five flowering additions to the November Surrey Uber patch list (Bramble agg, Perennial Cornflower, Opium Poppy, Great Mullein and Russian Vine, the latter pictured), bring the total up to 146 species.
November 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Day 5 - only five flowering additions to the November Surrey Uber patch list (Bramble agg, Perennial Cornflower, Opium Poppy, Great Mullein and Russian Vine, the latter pictured), bring the total up to 146 species.
Reposted by Steve Gale
After 25 years employment in the environment & education sector, today is my 1st day working as a freelance ecologist, facilitator, & educator! I'm really excited at the start of this new journey - please do drop me a line if you have any bird survey, facilitation, or environmental education needs.
November 3, 2025 at 8:12 AM
After 25 years employment in the environment & education sector, today is my 1st day working as a freelance ecologist, facilitator, & educator! I'm really excited at the start of this new journey - please do drop me a line if you have any bird survey, facilitation, or environmental education needs.
Tonight’s useless fact - I saw all of the eleven 1966 World Cup winning footballers play for their club side bar two - George Cohen and Ray Wilson. Who says I’ve got too much time on my hands!
October 30, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Tonight’s useless fact - I saw all of the eleven 1966 World Cup winning footballers play for their club side bar two - George Cohen and Ray Wilson. Who says I’ve got too much time on my hands!
In 2015 I spent the first two weeks of November @dungenessbirdobs.bsky.social and because it was such a late flowering season sought out those species of plant still in flower - and ended up with a remarkable 135 species. 10 years on and I’m going to replicate the effort here on the Uberpatch.
October 26, 2025 at 10:31 AM
In 2015 I spent the first two weeks of November @dungenessbirdobs.bsky.social and because it was such a late flowering season sought out those species of plant still in flower - and ended up with a remarkable 135 species. 10 years on and I’m going to replicate the effort here on the Uberpatch.
FA Trophy
Leatherhead 1 Canvey Island 1
Afternoon memorable not so much for the home team’s 4-2 win on penalties but for the 22-man free-for-all that followed, which owed more to Strictly Come Dancing than any combat sport.
Leatherhead 1 Canvey Island 1
Afternoon memorable not so much for the home team’s 4-2 win on penalties but for the 22-man free-for-all that followed, which owed more to Strictly Come Dancing than any combat sport.
October 25, 2025 at 4:16 PM
FA Trophy
Leatherhead 1 Canvey Island 1
Afternoon memorable not so much for the home team’s 4-2 win on penalties but for the 22-man free-for-all that followed, which owed more to Strictly Come Dancing than any combat sport.
Leatherhead 1 Canvey Island 1
Afternoon memorable not so much for the home team’s 4-2 win on penalties but for the 22-man free-for-all that followed, which owed more to Strictly Come Dancing than any combat sport.
You can only take the back catalogue of 10 artists onto a desert island. My pick:
The Beatles
David Bowie
Kate Bush
Cocteau Twins
Nick Drake
Joni Mitchell
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Sufjan Stevens
Neil Young
Just missing out:
Kevin Ayers
B52s
Fairport Convention
Aimee Mann
Tom Petty
Suede
The Beatles
David Bowie
Kate Bush
Cocteau Twins
Nick Drake
Joni Mitchell
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Sufjan Stevens
Neil Young
Just missing out:
Kevin Ayers
B52s
Fairport Convention
Aimee Mann
Tom Petty
Suede
October 23, 2025 at 7:15 PM
You can only take the back catalogue of 10 artists onto a desert island. My pick:
The Beatles
David Bowie
Kate Bush
Cocteau Twins
Nick Drake
Joni Mitchell
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Sufjan Stevens
Neil Young
Just missing out:
Kevin Ayers
B52s
Fairport Convention
Aimee Mann
Tom Petty
Suede
The Beatles
David Bowie
Kate Bush
Cocteau Twins
Nick Drake
Joni Mitchell
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Sufjan Stevens
Neil Young
Just missing out:
Kevin Ayers
B52s
Fairport Convention
Aimee Mann
Tom Petty
Suede
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: my dawn vismig spot, looking east. Not terribly productive so, after a couple of hours, I went wandering down the hill and headed west across the farmland.
October 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: my dawn vismig spot, looking east. Not terribly productive so, after a couple of hours, I went wandering down the hill and headed west across the farmland.
Westcott, Surrey: I do like to have a good nose in a game cover strip to see what has popped up - today’s reward was Great Millet (Sorghum bicolor)
October 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Westcott, Surrey: I do like to have a good nose in a game cover strip to see what has popped up - today’s reward was Great Millet (Sorghum bicolor)
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: 15 Red Kite, 1 singing Woodlark, 13 Stonechat, 250 Chaffinch, 50 Siskin and 7 Crossbill. My highlight was this pristine Clouded Yellow butterfly #UKBirding
October 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: 15 Red Kite, 1 singing Woodlark, 13 Stonechat, 250 Chaffinch, 50 Siskin and 7 Crossbill. My highlight was this pristine Clouded Yellow butterfly #UKBirding
Canons Farm, Surrey: at least 250 Linnets in amongst the winter wheat and a group of seven Stonechat at Reeds Rest Bottom #UKBirding
October 21, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Canons Farm, Surrey: at least 250 Linnets in amongst the winter wheat and a group of seven Stonechat at Reeds Rest Bottom #UKBirding
Juniper Top, Surrey: 2 Ring Ouzel, 200 Redwing. Earlier at Denbies Hillside, 500 Redwing and 11 Fieldfare, nice mix of finches that included 4 Brambling #UKBirding
October 14, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Juniper Top, Surrey: 2 Ring Ouzel, 200 Redwing. Earlier at Denbies Hillside, 500 Redwing and 11 Fieldfare, nice mix of finches that included 4 Brambling #UKBirding
Headley Heath, Surrey: a Goshawk, 5 Hawfinch and a Crossbill, but highlight was the vast numbers of Harlequin Ladybirds on the wing. I brushed so many off me and my optics that at the end of the session my hands smelt strongly of their acrid defence ‘juice’ #UKBirding
October 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Headley Heath, Surrey: a Goshawk, 5 Hawfinch and a Crossbill, but highlight was the vast numbers of Harlequin Ladybirds on the wing. I brushed so many off me and my optics that at the end of the session my hands smelt strongly of their acrid defence ‘juice’ #UKBirding
One of my favourite aliens - Corsican Mint - which has spread over paving for almost 40 years now. I have also seen it at Flimwell in East Sussex, alongside that great rarity Heath Lobelia. I do hope the latter species is still there!
October 12, 2025 at 10:40 AM
One of my favourite aliens - Corsican Mint - which has spread over paving for almost 40 years now. I have also seen it at Flimwell in East Sussex, alongside that great rarity Heath Lobelia. I do hope the latter species is still there!
Ah, Mr Frowhawk! Of interest to you @dunnjons.bsky.social
Excited to find drawings of moths by FW Frohawk (1861-1946) in the archive of biologist William Bateson @theul.bsky.social.
They’re catalogued as ‘27 drawings of Milan Leps’, but think this should be ‘Melan[istic] Leps’? Do they look right for showing melanism, #TeamMoth? MS Add. 8634/J.3 #EntHist
They’re catalogued as ‘27 drawings of Milan Leps’, but think this should be ‘Melan[istic] Leps’? Do they look right for showing melanism, #TeamMoth? MS Add. 8634/J.3 #EntHist
![Montage showing coloured illustrations of moths and the envelope in which they’re kept. There is blue handwriting on the envelope, which might read: ‘Frohawk’s drawings [o]f Melan[istic] Leps’.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:spsmiagur74jvkmhduvkmki6/bafkreif2nqrqp7234ghv6gzn7avjaq5qdirknvp6su4octwkbkp5mjd6ry@jpeg)
October 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Ah, Mr Frowhawk! Of interest to you @dunnjons.bsky.social
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: from this higher viewpoint a dribble of overhead passage included 10 Crossbills, but it was a calling Yellow-browed Warbler that stole the show. I was unable to clap eyes on it as it made its way down the slope. Relocated 50 mins later by Andy Holding #UKBirding
October 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: from this higher viewpoint a dribble of overhead passage included 10 Crossbills, but it was a calling Yellow-browed Warbler that stole the show. I was unable to clap eyes on it as it made its way down the slope. Relocated 50 mins later by Andy Holding #UKBirding
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: Red Kite numbers are increasing along this section of the North Downs. My estimate of 20 this morning includes 15 together in the air. At 08.30hrs I came across seven birds perched on the scarp slope. How high can the count go? #UKBirding
October 9, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: Red Kite numbers are increasing along this section of the North Downs. My estimate of 20 this morning includes 15 together in the air. At 08.30hrs I came across seven birds perched on the scarp slope. How high can the count go? #UKBirding
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a sign of our times - October 9th, stood in a t-shirt watching Redwings and a Brambling at the same time as this Chalkhill Blue butterfly!! It’s all over the place…
October 9, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a sign of our times - October 9th, stood in a t-shirt watching Redwings and a Brambling at the same time as this Chalkhill Blue butterfly!! It’s all over the place…
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a glorious morning of sun and warmth, with a steady trickle of birds west along the downs: 258 Chaffinch, 140 Siskin, 1 Brambling, 43 Redwing, 2 Woodlarks south, and at least 20 Red Kites loafing in the area #UKBirding
October 9, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Denbies Hillside, Surrey: a glorious morning of sun and warmth, with a steady trickle of birds west along the downs: 258 Chaffinch, 140 Siskin, 1 Brambling, 43 Redwing, 2 Woodlarks south, and at least 20 Red Kites loafing in the area #UKBirding