Sim Elliott
Worth Church & Worthlodge Forest; a relic of the former Worth royal hunting forest. 01.09.23
Worthlodge Forest is a relic of the former Royal hunting forest of Worth. Worth Forest has a more unified block of near-continuous...
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Wild Flowers
Sim Elliott
- Aug 31
- 10 min
Chailey Commons: Marsh Gentians and other flowers, bryophytes, fungi, lichens & insects 25.08.23
We always seem to see something special when we visit the Chailey Commons. Dave Bangs, The Land of the Brighton Line: A field guide to...
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Sim Elliott
- Aug 23
- 10 min
Coed Felenrhyd and Llennyrch, Maentwrog, Wales. Wild flowers, ferns, bryophytes & lichens. 15.08.23
Coed Felenrhyd & Llennyrch is a rare, Atlantic oak woodland and one of our largest woods in Wales. It sits above the Vale of Ffestiniog...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 28
- 4 min
Botanical finds at Leonardslee Gardens. A Sussex Botanical Recording Society field meeting. 26.07.23
This trip to Leonardslee Gardens was a wonderful experience, as I learnt a great deal, and saw many new-to-me species. As a novice...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 25
- 5 min
East Head, West Sussex. Flowering Plants, especially glassworts, Bryophytes and Lichens 24.07.23
Visit one of the last surviving pieces of natural coastline in West Sussex. East Head is an example of the nationally rare and fragile,...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 25
- 8 min
Eerie Nature. Parasitic & insectivorous plants. Hesworth & Lavington Commons. West Sussex. 17.07.23
North West Sussex, just north of the South Downs, has an area of lowland Wealden greensand heathlands (all called commons). These heaths...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 10
- 12 min
Heyshott, Ambersham & Graffam Commons; Sussex Lowland Heath and Climate Change. 10.07.23
North West Sussex, just north of the South Downs, has an area of lowland Wealden heathlands (all called commons). Theses heaths are on...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 8
- 6 min
Ditchling Common. Wild flowers, lichen, bryophytes and butterflies 08.07.23
Ditchling Common is an SSSI with a remarkable range of botanical and insect diversity. I travelled to Ditchling Common Country Park by...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 5
- 4 min
The flowers, bryophytes, lichen & birds of West Beech Nature Reserve, Littlehampton. 02.07.23
I visited West Beach Nature Reserve by chance. West Beach NR is in the Climping Beech SSSI see: Magic Map Application (defra.gov.uk) I...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 4
- 4 min
Wildflowers, Birds & Butterflies. Southease, Itford Meadow & Beddingham Hill, South Downs. 02.07.23
I walked from Southease Station (train from Brighton to Southease; 31 minute journey; 1 train an hour) to Beddingham Hill, via Itford...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 1
- 3 min
Fore Wood, Crowhurst, East Sussex, and its butterflies, flowers, bryophytes and ferns. 30.06.23
Fore Wood is an RSPB nature reserve just outside Crowhurst. I reached Crowhurst by train from Brighton, via St Leonards Warrior Square....
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 28
- 1 min
250+ spikes of Common Broomrape, Orebanche minor at a South Downs Site. 28.06.23
250 spikes of Common Broomrape, Orobanche minor, at one site on the South Downs; very close to where I saw 25 Spikes on 14.06.23. I...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 27
- 3 min
Camley Street Nature Garden. London. Butterflies & Birds & 100s of spikes of Ivy Broomrape. 26.06.23
I visited Camley Street yesterday for the first time since 1989, when I used to take children there when I was a teacher Copenhagen...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 14
- 10 min
25 spikes of Common Broomrape, Orobanche minor, at a South Downs site. 14.06.23
46 photos of 25 spikes of Common Broomrape, Orobanche minor, at one site on the South Downs. The location of this cluster of O. elatior...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 13
- 7 min
182 spikes of Knapweed Broomrape, Orobanche elatior, at a South Downs site. 13.06.23
46 photos of 182 spikes of Knapweed Broomrape, Orobanche elatior, at one site on the South Downs. The location of this cluster of O....
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 8
- 4 min
Burnt Tip Orchids, Sussex & Man Orchids, Darland Banks, Kent. 06 & 07.06.23
I saw Burnt Tip Orchids in Sussex. I am not going to reveal where they were as last year there were some thefts of them. When I saw them...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 6
- 4 min
Wild Flowers and a Bryophyte on the vegetated shingle of Shoreham Beach. 05.06.23
Vegetated shingle is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitat. Shoreham Beach is an outstanding example of vegetated shingle....
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 1
- 7 min
Flowering plants, including grasses, sedges and rushes, on Wolstonbury & Newtimber Hills. 30.05.23
Following attending a Sussex Botanical Recording Society Home - Sussex Botanical Recording Society (sussexflora.org.uk) field trip to St...
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Sim Elliott
- May 20
- 3 min
Butterflies, Wild Flowers, Birds, Lichens and Bryophytes. Devil's Dyke and Newtimber Hill. 20.05.23
The Devil's Dyke | Sussex | National Trust and Newtimber Hill Saddlescombe Farm and Newtimber Hill | National Trust are adjacent to each...
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Sim Elliott
- May 18
- 5 min
Scotland 5: Glasdrum Wood NNR; temperate rain forest, and Chequered Skippers. 12.05.23
I got to Glasdrum from Oban by public transport. I took the West Coast Motors bus 405 to Creagan Bridge. There are on six services from...
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Sim Elliott
- May 17
- 4 min
Scotland 4: Puffins, Razorbills, Eider, Shags & Fulmars. Staffa & the Treshnish Isles, 11.05.23
I got to Tobermory from Oban by public transport. I took the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Oban to Craignure, from where I got a West...
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Sim Elliott
- May 16
- 4 min
Scotland 3: The Wildlife of Mull. 10.05.23
I got to Tobermory from Oban by public transport. I took the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Oban to Craignure, from where I got a West...
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Sim Elliott
- May 15
- 4 min
Scotland 2: Temperate rain forest fragments around Tobermory, Mull 09.05.23 & 11.05.23
I got to Tobermory from Oban by public transport. I took the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Oban to Craignure, from where I got a West...
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Sim Elliott
- May 14
- 4 min
Scotland 1: Dunollie Woods, Oban; temperate rain forest. 08.05.23 & 09.05.23
I went to Oban for six days, to visit some of the west coast of Scotland's Temperate Rain Forests, and to watch birds on Mull and the...
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Sim Elliott
- Apr 29
- 6 min
Crowborough Warren, Ashdown Forest & Five Hundred Acre Wood. Plants, Lichen, Bryophytes. 29.04.23
Every year, more than a million people travel to Ashdown Forest to find the North Pole. Ashdown Forest is 40 miles south of London, but...
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Sim Elliott
- Apr 13
- 11 min
Lichens, Bryophytes, Fungi and Wild Flowers at Ebernoe Common. 07.04.23
Ebernoe Common is a low weald heath, ancient wood and wood pasture nature reserve managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve, north of...
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Sim Elliott
- Apr 6
- 7 min
Brede High Woods. Bryophytes, Lichen, Wild Flowers, Insects and a Brook Lamprey. 03.04.23
Brede High Woods (Woodland Trust) is a wonderful collection of ghyll woods north of Hastings Brede High Woods is home to astonishingly...
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Sim Elliott
- Feb 15
- 4 min
Fairlight Glen; a ghyll wood and its bryophytes. Hastings Country Park. 07 & 10.02.23
I visited Fairlight Glen twice in one week in order to explore it's bryophytes. My initial motivation was to see if I could find...
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Sim Elliott
- Oct 25, 2022
- 3 min
24.10.22/1. Birds, Wildflowers, Fungi and a Bumblebee, Friston Forest.
I decided to walk though Friston Forest to see what Fungi were fruiting, as the autumn is one of the best times to see fruiting fungi;...
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Sim Elliott
- Sep 15, 2022
- 3 min
Autumn Colours: Wild flowers, Woods and Insects. Box Hill. 12.09.22
On Monday 12.09.22 I took the opportunity of a sunny day to visit Box Hill. I thought I may see a few September butterflies; but I only...
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Sim Elliott
- Sep 2, 2022
- 4 min
Butterflies & Moths at Steyning Downland Scheme and Autumn Ladies Tresses at Anchor Bottom. 01.09.22
In the afternoon of Thursday 01.09.22, I went to Steyning Downland Scheme as I had heard on social media that there were quite e few Pied...
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Sim Elliott
- Aug 31, 2022
- 3 min
Birds, Butterflies and Wild Flowers at Warnham NR and RSPB Pulborough Brooks. 30.08.22
Warnham Nature Reserve is relatively easy to get to by public transport, as long as you don't mind a one mile walk from Horsham Station;...
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Sim Elliott
- Aug 24, 2022
- 5 min
Butterflies on Newtimber Hill and The Devil's Dyke. 23.08.22
On Tuesday 23.08.22 I met with another member of the Gay Birders Club for a local GBC meet-up. We went to Newtimber Hill and the Devil's...
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Sim Elliott
- Aug 6, 2022
- 3 min
Butterflies, Wild Flowers & Birds at the Steyning Downland Scheme 04.08.22
On Thursday 04.08.22 I visited the wonderful Steyning Downland Scheme. It is very easy to get there by public transport. I got the 2 bus,...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 23, 2022
- 3 min
Birds and Butterflies. Seaford Head and Cuckmere Haven. 22.07.22
The walk from Seaford via Seaford Head Nature Reserve (Sussex Wildlife Trust) and Cuckmere Haven (Cuckmere Valley) (National Trust) to...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 8, 2022
- 1 min
An early evening walk. Butterflies and Wild Flowers at Mill Hill. 08.07.22
I went to Mill Hill, Shoreham for an evening walk. I got to the Shoreham on the 700 bus from central Brighton, and walked from the foot...
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Sim Elliott
- Jul 7, 2022
- 1 min
An early evening walk. Butterflies and Birds at Devils Dyke. 07.07.22
I went to the Devil's Dyke for an evening walk. I got to the Devil's Dyke on the 77 bus from central Brighton. The sun was low in the sky...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 30, 2022
- 2 min
Butterflies and Birds at the Devil's Dyke and Newtimber Hill. 29.06.22
I went to the Devils Dyke and New Timber in the afternoon on the 77 bus, and spent four hours looking at butterflies, moths, other...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 28, 2022
- 9 min
Bookham Commons. Birds, Wild Plants & Butterflies. White Admiral. 27.06.22
Bookham Commons, National Trust (Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its flora...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 23, 2022
- 6 min
Butterflies, Trees and Landscapes. Box Hill, Dorking, Surrey. 22.06.22
Box Hill is under the stewardship of the National Trust Box Hill | National Trust, and is an extraordinarily beautiful landscape of chalk...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 22, 2022
- 3 min
Mill Hill NR and Anchor Bottom (Beeding Hill). A profusion of Marbled White Butterflies. 20.06.22
I took the 2 bus from my home to Shoreham. I walked up the Adur and then up the footpath to Mill Hill that crosses on the road bridge the...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 20, 2022
- 7 min
Dark Green Fritillaries at the Devil's Dyke. 18.06.22
After seeing a couple of Dark Green Fritillary on Friday 17.06.22 on the path that leads into the bottom of the Devil's Dyke, I decided...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 17, 2022
- 2 min
Friston Forest, Friston Gallops and Lullington Heath. Butterflies & Birds. 14.06.22
I travelled to Exceat (Seven Sisters Country Park) by 12 bus, see 12 - Eastbourne-Brighton | Brighton & Hove Buses. From there, I walked...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 12, 2022
- 5 min
Wild Plants, Insects and Birds. Birling Gap, Beachy Head and Lullington Heath NNR. 09.06.22
I visited the Downs to the west of Birling Gap, and the east, specifically the area around Horseshoe Plantation, and north of Shooter...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 7, 2022
- 1 min
Southern Marsh Orchids. Sussex. June 2022.
The Southern Marsh-orchid is tolerant of a wide range of predominantly alkaline habitats, but occasionally it strays into mildly acidic...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 7, 2022
- 4 min
Butterflies, Moths, Birds and Wild Flowers in the Castle Hill National Nature Reserve. 06.06.22
Castle Hill National Nature Reserve is one of my favourite reserves in Sussex, the abundance and diversity of wildflowers and insects,...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 5, 2022
- 3 min
Birds, Butterflies and Wild Flowers. The Devil's Dyke. 04.06.22
I visited the Devil's Dyke on Saturday 4th June 2022 in the morning. I caught the 77 Brighton and Hove bus at 9.52 (runs every 45...
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Sim Elliott
- Jun 4, 2022
- 1 min
Wild Flowers. Ditchling Beacon & Mount Caburn. 31.05.22
Ditchling Beacon The north-facing scrape of Ditchling Beacon is a very good location for wild flowers. This area is part of the Ditchling...
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Sim Elliott
- May 29, 2022
- 11 min
Wild Flowers. Wolstonbury Hill NR, Ditchling Beacon NR & Mount Caburn NR. 25.05.22
On Wednesday 25th February the weather was overcast and very windy; not at all like late spring like weather. In such weather conditions...
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Sim Elliott
- May 20, 2022
- 2 min
A Late Afternoon Afternoon Walk around The Coombe & Chalkpits of Malling Down LNR. 20.05.22
I took the 28 bus to Lewes, getting off at Lewes Waitrose, and walked into the reserve via Wheatsheaf Gardens (reserve not signposted)...
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