-
Eagles Owls, Native or Not?
Recently the Eagle Owl was cast into the spotlight once again, notable sportsman Sir Ian Botham using the species as the basis for a scathing…
-
Soaking up Spring on the local patch
Spring is well and truly here and the the last few days have been nothing short of glorious. Invertebrates emerging from hibernation, migrant birds fresh…
-
Wildcat Haven call for a reevaluation of wildcat conservation measures
By Peter Trimming – Yawning ‘Kendra’Uploaded by Mariomassone, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18462225 The woeful demise of the Scottish Wildcat (F. s. silvestris) is arguably one…
-
Trip Report: Extremadura (Parte II)
It’s been a while since my fabulous trip to Extremadura courtesy of the great people at the Spanish Tourist Board. Only now did I realise…
-
The historic decline of the Grey Partridge
Living where I do, secluded in a reasonably rural area of Northumberland, Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) are still, thankfully, rather abundant. Indeed, many an evening…
-
Spring has Sprung!
Spring has finally sprung over my little patch of coastal Northumberland it seems. Bees, buds, butterflies and a whole host of interesting birds making the…
Current Fascinations
By my own admission, I am prone to falling down rabbit holes from time to time. Typically, this involves deep-diving into a particular subject and learning as much as possible before, inevitably, another topic comes along to take its place. Regardless, below you’ll find my current areas of interest…
Botanical Bits
Botany is my main interest, and whether it’s ferns, snowdrops, grasses, ancient woodland plants, or even humble pavement weeds, I try to spend as much time as possible seeking out our wild plants.
North East Botany
Here you’ll find musings on plant identification, trip reports, sightings from walks and courses and just about anything else relating to botany in North East England.
Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside
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.
Based on six years of fieldwork, the book documents more than 1,120 native and naturalised plants -around a third of Britain’s entire flora.
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.
