A Naturalist Abroad
@anaturalistabroad.bsky.social
Sharing the wonders of nature from my base in Norfolk and on trips much further afield.
Seems like the new, urban population of Jersey Cudweed has finally reached North Norfolk - I found these this week in Sheringham and Holt. Might be interesting to speculate on the effects of possible gene flow with the native population that is not too far away now...
November 6, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Seems like the new, urban population of Jersey Cudweed has finally reached North Norfolk - I found these this week in Sheringham and Holt. Might be interesting to speculate on the effects of possible gene flow with the native population that is not too far away now...
The wonderful Galanthus olga-reginae flowering in our garden today. Don't you just love snowdrop time!
October 31, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The wonderful Galanthus olga-reginae flowering in our garden today. Don't you just love snowdrop time!
Krüper's Nuthatch is almost endemic to Turkey, extending only into the neighbouring Caucasus of Georgia and Russia and (as here) onto the island of Lesvos, Greece. Great to watch a family group coming to drink with my group yesterday.
September 19, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Krüper's Nuthatch is almost endemic to Turkey, extending only into the neighbouring Caucasus of Georgia and Russia and (as here) onto the island of Lesvos, Greece. Great to watch a family group coming to drink with my group yesterday.
Plants with a view: Recurved Thorn-apple (Datura innoxia), Molyvos, Lesvos, Greece. Introduced as a garden ornamental from Central America.
September 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Plants with a view: Recurved Thorn-apple (Datura innoxia), Molyvos, Lesvos, Greece. Introduced as a garden ornamental from Central America.
Today's Highlight - the much desired and very intriguing False Hemp (Datisca cannabina). An entirely new plant family for me. See Alt text on pictures for more.
September 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Today's Highlight - the much desired and very intriguing False Hemp (Datisca cannabina). An entirely new plant family for me. See Alt text on pictures for more.
Today's Highlight - the large and spectacular Bivon's Meadow Saffron (Colchicum bivonae). Lesbos, Greece.
September 14, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Today's Highlight - the large and spectacular Bivon's Meadow Saffron (Colchicum bivonae). Lesbos, Greece.
Spectacular views of the Black-winged Kite at Hickling today. What a beauty!!!
September 8, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Spectacular views of the Black-winged Kite at Hickling today. What a beauty!!!
First there was Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis), now we have some newcomers, rapidly spreading across our landscapes. These two are trail-blazing across Norfolk these days - see Alt text for more...
September 5, 2025 at 10:52 AM
First there was Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis), now we have some newcomers, rapidly spreading across our landscapes. These two are trail-blazing across Norfolk these days - see Alt text for more...
Sea-heath (Frankenia laevis) is considered a scarce plant in Norfolk, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a good quantity of this smart little plant on my recent coastal plant survey. They seem to especially thrive in the cracks on concrete revetments, turning bright red in the hot, dry weather.
September 4, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Sea-heath (Frankenia laevis) is considered a scarce plant in Norfolk, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a good quantity of this smart little plant on my recent coastal plant survey. They seem to especially thrive in the cracks on concrete revetments, turning bright red in the hot, dry weather.
Sometimes it's nice to post a 'just because picture. Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)... just because they're amazing!
August 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Sometimes it's nice to post a 'just because picture. Blue Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)... just because they're amazing!
Do you remember when we were kids, and we just 'went to the beach' and had fun?!
August 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Do you remember when we were kids, and we just 'went to the beach' and had fun?!
Still managing to fit beach plant recording days in between other work. Here's a few more from the past week (see alt text for more)...
August 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Still managing to fit beach plant recording days in between other work. Here's a few more from the past week (see alt text for more)...
Feeding the ducks creates a sideline in interesting plant records - Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) growing beside Salthouse duckpond.
August 21, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Feeding the ducks creates a sideline in interesting plant records - Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) growing beside Salthouse duckpond.
Early morning at Salthouse Beach yesterday.
August 21, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Early morning at Salthouse Beach yesterday.
A popular twist... Our native Black Poplar (Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia) has a distinctive associate - Pemphigus spyrothecae, an aphid species that produces a distinctive gall in the leaf stalks which, over time, twist into a spiral and turns bright red.
August 19, 2025 at 6:42 PM
A popular twist... Our native Black Poplar (Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia) has a distinctive associate - Pemphigus spyrothecae, an aphid species that produces a distinctive gall in the leaf stalks which, over time, twist into a spiral and turns bright red.
Orange Balsam (Impatiens capensis) is native to North America, where it is generally known as Jewelweed and is famous for its sap, that has the ability to counteract the effects of Poison-ivy. Not so useful here in Norfolk, but not so invasive as its Himalayan cousin, either!
August 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Orange Balsam (Impatiens capensis) is native to North America, where it is generally known as Jewelweed and is famous for its sap, that has the ability to counteract the effects of Poison-ivy. Not so useful here in Norfolk, but not so invasive as its Himalayan cousin, either!
Undesirables! It was disappointing to come across several of the highly invasive, alien, Red Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in the River Bure below Aylesham yesterday. Seems the local Otters are at least keeping them in check, though...
August 19, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Undesirables! It was disappointing to come across several of the highly invasive, alien, Red Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in the River Bure below Aylesham yesterday. Seems the local Otters are at least keeping them in check, though...
The amazing diversity of plants - that the seed-bearing cone of one species can dwarf the entire plant of another species is truly wonderful. Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra laricio) cone and Creeping Ladies-tresses (Goodyera repens), North Norfolk.
August 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
The amazing diversity of plants - that the seed-bearing cone of one species can dwarf the entire plant of another species is truly wonderful. Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra laricio) cone and Creeping Ladies-tresses (Goodyera repens), North Norfolk.
Mainland UK's only native population of Jersey Cudweed hangs on by a thread at its sole North Norfolk location, but there's a nice crop of young seedlings coming on for next year.
August 14, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Mainland UK's only native population of Jersey Cudweed hangs on by a thread at its sole North Norfolk location, but there's a nice crop of young seedlings coming on for next year.
Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), sadly much declined in our area, so always a delight to find a sizeable colony of plants on the Norfolk coast.
August 13, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), sadly much declined in our area, so always a delight to find a sizeable colony of plants on the Norfolk coast.
Surveying beach plants is not too taxing at times!
August 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Surveying beach plants is not too taxing at times!
"Beach baby beach baby here on the sand from July to the end of September". First Class were singing about Norfolk botany in 1974! A few from my botany walk today...
August 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
"Beach baby beach baby here on the sand from July to the end of September". First Class were singing about Norfolk botany in 1974! A few from my botany walk today...
We chanced across two female Silver-washed Fritillaries at Sheringham Park today. The righthand individual appeared first and is of the less common colour form 'valezina', which is only found in females. Both enjoying dappled sun patches in the woodland.
August 2, 2025 at 8:23 PM
We chanced across two female Silver-washed Fritillaries at Sheringham Park today. The righthand individual appeared first and is of the less common colour form 'valezina', which is only found in females. Both enjoying dappled sun patches in the woodland.
A perfect end to the day; a couple of hours using the BSBI recording App for the first time (great by the way!), pub dinner and a pint, then this lovely Roe Deer waiting just outside the garden as we returned. But stay outside the garden chappie, we're done with the ticks already!
August 1, 2025 at 7:29 PM
A perfect end to the day; a couple of hours using the BSBI recording App for the first time (great by the way!), pub dinner and a pint, then this lovely Roe Deer waiting just outside the garden as we returned. But stay outside the garden chappie, we're done with the ticks already!
A walk to the post office takes me past this remarkable bigeneric hybrid, X Chitalpa tashkentensis. This hybrid between Chilopsis and Catalpa species from North America was first produced in the botanic gardens in Uzbekistan in 1964 and was a real horticultural achievement in its day.
July 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
A walk to the post office takes me past this remarkable bigeneric hybrid, X Chitalpa tashkentensis. This hybrid between Chilopsis and Catalpa species from North America was first produced in the botanic gardens in Uzbekistan in 1964 and was a real horticultural achievement in its day.