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Broad-bodied Chaser
A quick visit to Gosforth Park Nature Reserve today came up trumps with my first ever Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa). Now, this is a relatively…
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Top 10 Facts: House Sparrow
A history of declines. Once one of Britain’s commonest birds, sparrow numbers have crashed in recent years, with London alone losing three-quarters of its sparrows…
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Call for public support towards a wilder Scotland
Golden eagles, beavers, ospreys and pine martens will take centre stage in a landmark new conservation book aiming to inspire a change in attitudes and…
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Green space and stormy skies, a guest post by Frances Jones
After a hot and busy day, I decided to take a walk to a nearby patch of green. Clouds were moving in and the breeze…
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The beauty of Bee Orchids
For me, the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) has always been somewhat of an enigma: a species I frequently encounter on TV, on social media and…
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Cuddy ducks, clowns and stench of guano
Britain’s seabird colonies represent a spectacle like no other: bustling, raucous municipalities where a multitude of species congregate to form a single, far larger, living…
North East Botany
An amalgamation of botanical blog posts, identification crib sheets, special interest pages, and assorted useful information, all centred around the wonderfully diverse plant life of North East England.
Ladybirds
Helpful articles, species profiles, and assorted titbits focused on our surprisingly diverse ladybird fauna, a relatively recent obsession of mine that, unfortunately for my free time, shows no signs of fading.
British Ferns & Clubmosses
A gradually growing library of ferns and fern allies photographed during my ongoing quest to find and enjoy Britain’s pteridophytes, alongside the occasional trip report and identification ramble. Quite unapologetically, my favourite subject of all.
Urban Flora of Newcastle
The Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside is the first comprehensive account of the wild plants growing across the Newcastle and North Tyneside conurbation, one of the largest in the UK.
Published with the generous support of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), it is essential reading for botanists, ecologists, conservationists and anyone curious about the surprising richness of nature in Newcastle and urban areas more generally.
Training & Tours
Through my role as Senior Naturalist with the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), I am lucky to spend much of my time outdoors leading trips, training sessions and guided walks for all manner of groups.
From field trips in search of ferns and orchids to multi-week courses on grasses, ancient woodlands and beginner plant identification, if you are interested in collaborating, please get in touch.
Meet James
Born and raised in North East England, James is a botanist, general naturalist and biological recorder with a passion for sharing the joys of North East nature with others.
He currently works as Senior Naturalist for the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) and volunteers as a vice-county recorder for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), both of which allow him to spend ample time outdoors leading trips, courses, surveys and guided walks.
