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
#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!
Autumn #Gentians only just got going at Yoesden in the Chilterns earlier last week #wildflowerhour
September 8, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Autumn #Gentians only just got going at Yoesden in the Chilterns earlier last week #wildflowerhour
Reposted by Natural Historian
Nine Nightshade family members from #Cambridge and #Suffolk:
Woody, Black, Green,
Small, Deadly & Tall Nightshades,
…plus Thorn Apple, Henbane & Duke of Argyll's Tea Plant.
Scientific names in ALT.
#WildflowerHour #Fruits
Woody, Black, Green,
Small, Deadly & Tall Nightshades,
…plus Thorn Apple, Henbane & Duke of Argyll's Tea Plant.
Scientific names in ALT.
#WildflowerHour #Fruits
August 31, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Nine Nightshade family members from #Cambridge and #Suffolk:
Woody, Black, Green,
Small, Deadly & Tall Nightshades,
…plus Thorn Apple, Henbane & Duke of Argyll's Tea Plant.
Scientific names in ALT.
#WildflowerHour #Fruits
Woody, Black, Green,
Small, Deadly & Tall Nightshades,
…plus Thorn Apple, Henbane & Duke of Argyll's Tea Plant.
Scientific names in ALT.
#WildflowerHour #Fruits
Ok, I know it's not native and is at Kew Gardens, but the rose hips on these Rosa Roxburghii, are as big as chestnuts, one of their common names #wildflowerhour
August 31, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Ok, I know it's not native and is at Kew Gardens, but the rose hips on these Rosa Roxburghii, are as big as chestnuts, one of their common names #wildflowerhour
Everlasting-pea are stunning in close-up, late-flowering on the Surrey chalk, and fade so well too #wildflowerhour
August 31, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Everlasting-pea are stunning in close-up, late-flowering on the Surrey chalk, and fade so well too #wildflowerhour
Got to be Guelder-rose #fruits as a companies by such gorgeously rusty leaves #wildflowerhour
August 31, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Got to be Guelder-rose #fruits as a companies by such gorgeously rusty leaves #wildflowerhour
Common Centaury just managing to pop up on the oh-so-parched paddocks across the ever more obviously sandy Surrey Hills. #wildflowerhour #gentianfamily
August 25, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Common Centaury just managing to pop up on the oh-so-parched paddocks across the ever more obviously sandy Surrey Hills. #wildflowerhour #gentianfamily
Reposted by Natural Historian
WTE G463 chasing an Osprey with fish in very murky weather over the Harbour. The Osprey dropped the fish which was caught in mid air by the one footed WTE! @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
August 14, 2025 at 6:21 AM
WTE G463 chasing an Osprey with fish in very murky weather over the Harbour. The Osprey dropped the fish which was caught in mid air by the one footed WTE! @harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social
Teasels, Thistle and Burdocks #WildflowerHour #PollinatorPals
(Essex Skipper, Red Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Comma)
(Essex Skipper, Red Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Comma)
August 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Teasels, Thistle and Burdocks #WildflowerHour #PollinatorPals
(Essex Skipper, Red Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Comma)
(Essex Skipper, Red Admiral, Silver Washed Fritillary, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Comma)
The naturalised Devil's Trumpet (Datura Stramonium) looking better after the brief spell of wet weather, much more like it's more tender Daturae cousin Brugmansia (aka Angel's Trumpet), and just as poisonous #wildflowerhour
August 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
The naturalised Devil's Trumpet (Datura Stramonium) looking better after the brief spell of wet weather, much more like it's more tender Daturae cousin Brugmansia (aka Angel's Trumpet), and just as poisonous #wildflowerhour
You can cut the banks but the ditch still flows with Purple Loosestrife (down to the River Wey) #wildflowerhour
August 10, 2025 at 7:13 PM
You can cut the banks but the ditch still flows with Purple Loosestrife (down to the River Wey) #wildflowerhour
Slightly worrying sprawl of an invasive, non-native, sort of Meadowsweet lookalike at Thursley: False spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) #wildflowerhour
August 3, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Slightly worrying sprawl of an invasive, non-native, sort of Meadowsweet lookalike at Thursley: False spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) #wildflowerhour