Steve Coates

Goodby XXXX I’ll be on @kingsdowner.bsky.social

@surreywallcreep @SurreyBirdNews Nice!

@cornish_jack @MichaelJBooks A very enjoyable read - combines a genuine love of footpaths with a bucket-load of historical tales.

It's weird (and wonderful!) to be saying this, but here it is....I've written a book, and it's coming out in April. The Lost Paths, published by Penguin Michael Joseph, is an exploration and celebration of our ancient path network and a call to reclaim what has been lost.

Turnpike tolls for the Dover - Deal - Sandwich turnpike, as amended by an act in 1839 legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/2-3/…

Did somebody turn off the Gulf Stream without telling us? 🥶

Good to see this clear and informative sign at Walmer Castle meadow, describing the habitat improvements there, in partnership with Plantlife ⁦@Love_plants⁩

the whole idea of sustainable fuel for air travel - by jets, is a nonsense. Performative climate action or greenwashing, take your pick.

@TimOsbo44735565 @EuropeanOrchids Good photos Tim.

A few highlights from 2024 visit to the Cevennes which I can thoroughly recommend for all wild flowers, but for orchids it is outstanding both for variety and for the vast numbers. ⁦@EuropeanOrchids⁩

#newyearplanthunt around Betteshanger coal tip in Kent found 49 flowering species. Didn’t see cow parsley but did pick up upright hedge-parsley and corn parsley.

@surreywallcreep @DrDave_Birding Food for thought Steve....

Almost a plethora of flowering plants today - looking good for the #newyearplanthunt #wildflowerhour

Pazyryk wooden stag finial, crafted between 1000-500 BC. Made of cedar wood and leather. Found in Kurgan II within the Altai mountain range. Currently housed in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Pleasant dusk stroll around Worth RSPB - barn owl and shortie seen, and then six grey herons clustered in the middle of a ploughed field. @Natures_Voice

Join us Thurs 12th Dec for a festive volunteer task at Walmer Beach, helping rare butterflies, moths & wildflowers at this special coastal site. New volunteers welcome! Meet 10am at Borrow Pit Car Park (W3W: grocers.huts.baseless). @DoverDC @SamphireHoe1997 @BCKentBranch

@nikkigammans @BumblebeeTrust That's great, Nikki. Here in Walmer, volunteers will be doing the same this week - glad to hear it's not too late to sow rattle. See our page facebook.com/profile.php?id…

Alex and Jess were joined by our volunteer Roger today at Little Cheyne Court wind farm for a habitat work party. Watched by an interested herd of sheep we cut and raked patches in the grass to sow yellow rattle seeds, a key species in forming wildflower meadows. @BumblebeeTrust

It's all kicking off on the Panama feeders... good variety of species turning up. allaboutbirds.org/cams/panama-fr… <A bit of a slow day>

Burnet-saxifrage in chalk grassland, noticed as we were cutting. We worked around it. #wildflowerhour

Little jewels found under leaves today - assume eggs of a gastropod?

@TimOsbo44735565 @BritishMyology Thanks for the inspiration Tim, Dover cemeteries could be worth a look too.

Haslar Royal Navy Cemetery in Alver stoke is SSSI for fungi and orchids. We’ll worth a visit ⁦@BritishMyology⁩ #fungifriday

A second flush of bush vetch this year…. #wildflowerhour