Explore the diverse flora and fauna on the Downs from season to season through personal observations and photographs

Green Crab Spider on a bramble leaf

Saturday, 1 Nov 2025

A lovely morning for a walk and I thought that’s all it might be until I turned over a bramble ...
Oakmoss

Wednesday, 5 Nov 2025

Having seen my first Birch Catkin Bug (Kleidocerys resedae) of the year just 4 days ago I came across a ...
Turkey Tail mushrooms

Saturday, 8 Nov 2025

Another close encounter of the Goldcrest kind – yet again the wrong camera lens with me! The Downs are looking ...
Orange Bonnet mushroom

Sunday, 9 Nov 2025

A glorious sunny morning with heavy dew on the grass. Unlike yesterday no insects on the wing, with not even ...
Candlesnuff fungus

Wednesday, 12 Nov 2025

I mentioned unseasonal warm spells in my last post and that is exactly what we had today. Glorious sunshine and ...
Orange Ladybird

Friday, 21 Nov 2025

Over a week since my last visit and what a change! The unseasonal warm weather is a thing of the ...
Oak Marble Gall

Tuesday, 25 Nov 2025

It may be cold and underfoot conditions are getting somewhat soggy, but there is still much to be seen on ...
Birch Polypore fungus

Thursday, 27 Nov 2025

First seen on 21st October I came across more Himalayan Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster simonsii) this morning. A quick glance at the ...
Holly flower

Friday, 28 Nov 2025

A different route to yesterday, but some of the images I took were of things I saw yesterday. First was ...