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Continue reading →: Botanical Notes: March 2025The countryside is waking up, the lanes and woods are decorated with lesser celandine, wood anemones, violets, dog’s mercury and primroses. For most of March I have been racing to get out before the sun goes down at around 6:30. But now that the clocks have changed, every evening presents…
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Continue reading →: Field Mouse-ear (Cerastium arvense) at Wilden Top Meadow30.03.25. Wilden Top Meadow. “Three large clumps growing on anthills, Grassland fairly rank so possibility of becoming swamped out. Patches c. 50cm x 50cm. Plenty of flowers SO82857243” “Another small patch c. 20cm x 20cm at SO82797242 with Rumex acetosa” I can’t recall ever seeing this plan in Worcestershire. The…
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Continue reading →: Rough Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) at Chaddesley WoodsOn Saturday (22.03.2025) we held a North Worcestershire Flora Group meeting at Chaddesley Woods NNR. We had set out to record along the main rides, but also to search for two rarities: Marsh violet Viola palustris and Rough Horsetail Equisetum hyemale. We failed to refind the marsh violet after a…
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Continue reading →: Photo Journal: March 2025Titterstone Clee – 19.03.25 Yesterday, Jake and I decided to drive out to Titterstone Clee Hill to catch what ended up cracking sunset. St. Peter’s Church & Dick Brook – 18.03.25 Lauren and I ventured out before tea to have a spring mooch around St. Peter’s Churchyard in Astley. We…
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Continue reading →: Walk: Salwarpe to Severn via Droitwich CanalThe Walk (7km / 1hr 48mins) Last weekend Lauren and I decided to meander our way along the Droitwich canal from St Michael’s Church to the confluence where the River Salwarpe meets the Severn at Hawford. We started the day by dropping one car off at the end point along…
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Continue reading →: Photos: Wyre Forest & Ribbesford Woods. Sept-Oct 2024Wyre Forest – 29th September 2024 Lauren and I decided to visit the Wyre Forest for some autumn colour and the Wild Service trees Sorbus torminalis along the Dowles Brook didn’t dissapoint. We walked in from Buttonoak, stopping off at Coopers Mill to have lunch where we watched the cattle…
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Continue reading →: 10 Places within 10 Minutes of Stourport-on-SevernThe List ‘Doorstep’ Places Mitton Marsh Conservation Area This is a short loop that can be done on foot in around 30 minutes literally from the front doorstep. Follow the footpath that can be picked up from the junction of Millfields Drive and the B4193 which runs along the bank…
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Continue reading →: Botanical Notes: August & September 2024It’s been a while! But we’re back with some botanical highlights from August and September, and my first couple of months with Severn Rivers Trust. 1. Hybrid Woundwort (Stachys x ambigua). It shares the characters of both parents (S. sylvatica and S. palustris), but unlike S. palustris it has leaf…
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Continue reading →: Photos: Withybed, Wyre Forest. Janurary 2023.With autumn drawing ever closer, I have been sifting through old photographs hoping to finally get around to making a photobook. These three from January 22nd 2023 stood out to me, as I look at them I can almost taste the crisp winter air of Wyre.
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Continue reading →: ID Tip: Early Dog vs. Common Dog VioletsEarly Dog Violet (Viola reichenbachiana) vs. Common Dog Violet (Viola riviniana) These two violet species are fairly similar in appearance and are often found growing together in woodlands and hedgerows. Early Dog Violet (1) has a spur that is usually darker than the petals and has short sepal appendages. Common…
Hello,
I’m Tom
Welcome to my blog! I’m a professional ecologist and joint BSBI Vice-county Recorder for Worcestershire.
Here I share my photographs, insights on natural history, botanical musings, and spots to botanise. Enjoy!
Tom the Botanist 