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Debbie Alston

@debbie1alston.bsky.social

430 followers 390 following 370 posts

Early retired ecologist, nature enthusiast and conservation volunteer now living in Sussex. Botany, butterflies, birds and mammals mostly. Monty Python and Michael Palin fan.

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 1d

A great day around Rye Harbour and Castle Water today - 60 species of birds seen/heard including Brent geese, Pintail, Ringed Plover and a single Grey Plover @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 1d

butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...

Number of European butterflies at risk of extinction increases

The number of butterflies at risk of extinction across Europe has increased significantly in the past 15 years, a new assessment has warned.Across the continent, 65 out of 442 assessed species - some ...

butterfly-conservation.org

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 2d

Carline and Musk thistles seen today on #EastbourneDownland. #wildflowerhour

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 3d

Not a particularly promising day to see butterflies today, so delighted to see Small heath, Small Copper, Common blue, Red Admiral plus a Clouded Yellow at Crapham Bottom on the #EastbourneDownland

Reposted by Debbie Alston

Plantlife @plantlifeuk.bsky.social · 5d

🍄‍🟫FREE online waxcap training course🍄‍🟫

Whether you’re a beginner, regular citizen scientist for #WaxcapWatch, a land manager or simply someone who loves learning about nature - our free fungi course is for you. 🍄

Take your waxcap knowledge to the next level 👉 https://loom.ly/-W0_R_4

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Reposted by Debbie Alston

BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 5d

Want to up your #WildFlowerID game this winter?
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 6d

Out with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today managing on Haven brow on Seven Sisters Country Park today. We got to see the Scrub munching machine in action too!

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 8d

Saw our first Fly agaric of the year today in Abbot's Wood in East Sussex. Plus plenty of other fungus 🍄🍄

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 13d

Helping cut and rake the chalk grassland on part of Belle Toute today with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers and #EastbourneDownland volunteers

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 15d

Great day at Rye harbour today - total of 61 species of birds seen/ heard including a Glossy Ibis seen flying over Castle Water about 3.30pm. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 16d

It was a fab night Eric, thank you! xx

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 16d

Devil's-bit scabious in flower on Eastbourne downs today #wildflowerhour

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 16d

Hemp agrimony seen flowering today on Eastbourne downs #wildflowerhour

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 16d

Field scabious seen on Eastbourne downs today #wildflowerhour

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 16d

Flowering ivy seen today on the Eastbourne downs #wildflowerhour

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 17d

The Eider duck is still visible from Eastbourne seafront near the Holywell end @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 17d

We had a wonderful evening at the Royal Albert Hall in the company of @ericidle.bsky.social . Wow, what a great night! Full of songs and stories, including some touching memories of his friendship with both George Harrison and Robin Williams. Prof Brian Cox came on during the encore. Loved it 😍.

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 20d

Chalk grassland restoration today with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers at Cloth Farm near Jevington. An ongoing project to remove a lot of the scrub

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 22d

Out with the Seaford Natural History group looking at fungi with the very knowledgeable Jim and Janet Howell in Friston Forest. Plenty of new-to-me species, including the helpfully named Orange peel fungus and Dead Moll's fingers

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · 28d

A snoozing Pelican in St James Park from our trip to London yesterday

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · Sep 15

I had a great time teaching a 3 day mammal course for the FSC over the weekend - looking at mammal signs, tracks, owl pellets and using the Longworth traps. Over two years since I last taught, but thankfully I can still do it and it brings me huge joy as well! Roll on next year, I hope....

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · Sep 8

Spent a day at Pagham Harbour today watching the tide rise and fall and the birds come and go. Total of 50 species of birds seen/heard including this Spoonbill at a high tide roost with the egrets and herons @sussexornitholo.bsky.social

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · Sep 7

Broad- leaved Everlasting pea seen this week on Hayling Island ( sadly no Long- tailed Blues hanging about near it 😔) #wildlowerhour

Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · Sep 7

Sea Holly from Hayling island this week #wildflowerhour

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Debbie Alston @debbie1alston.bsky.social · Sep 7

Autumn gentian from the South Downs this week #wildflowerhour

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