A diary of wildlife on Banstead Downs

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

Do you know your trees and shrubs from their leaves, flowers or fruit?

Common Snowberry [Symphoricarpos albus]

Common Snowberry [Symphoricarpos albus]

Common Snowberry leaves and flowers - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 25 Jun 2015

Silver Birch [Betula pendula]

Silver Birch [Betula pendula]

Silver Birch leaves and female catkins; note Jersey Tiger Moth centrally on left edge of image - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 09 Aug 2025

Silver Birch [Betula pendula]

Silver Birch [Betula pendula]

Silver Birch leaves and female catkins - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 28 Jul 2025

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel leaves - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 14 Oct 2025

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel terminal leaf bud - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 30 Dec 2025

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel, showing early stages of development of hazelnuts - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 03 Jul 2025

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel male catkins, fully developed - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 20 Mar 2025

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

On the same tree, unopened male catkins (left) and catkins at various stages of opening - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 30 Dec 2025

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Common Hazel [Corylus avellana]

Close-up of female flowers on a hazel twig - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 08 Feb 2026

Sweet Chestnut [Castanea sativa]

Sweet Chestnut [Castanea sativa]

Sweet Chestnut leaves and early stage of male catkins - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 09 Jun 2025

Sweet Chestnut [Castanea sativa]

Sweet Chestnut [Castanea sativa]

Sweet Chestnut terminal leaf bud - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 30 Dec 2025

Sweet Chestnut [Castanea sativa]

Sweet Chestnut [Castanea sativa]

Sweet Chestnut seed cases (cupules) – Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 27 Jul 2025

Beech [Fagus sylvatica]

Beech [Fagus sylvatica]

Beech leaves - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 16 Oct 2025

Turkey Oak [Quercus cerris]

Turkey Oak [Quercus cerris]

Turkey Oak, a continental European species that is naturalised in the UK - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 17 May 2025

English Oak [Quercus robur]

English Oak [Quercus robur]

English (or Pedunculate) Oak leaves - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 02 May 2025

English Oak [Quercus robur]

English Oak [Quercus robur]

English (or Pedunculate) Oak terminal buds - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 30 Dec 2025

European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior]

European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior]

Ash leaves - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 27 Jul 2025

European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior]

European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior]

Ash leaves - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 11 Oct 2025

European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior]

European Ash [Fraxinus excelsior]

Ash ‘keys’, the seeds of the ash tree - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 27 Jul 2025

Common Privet [Ligustrum vulgare]

Common Privet [Ligustrum vulgare]

flowering Common Privet - Location : Banstead Downs, Surrey, England – Date of image : 28 Jun 2015