Debbie Alston

Experienced educator & ecologist with a passion for botany, birds, butterflies, mammals & poo. Retired ecology lecturer & freelancer. Now mostly on Bluesky

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

@GylesB1 Yes a Green woodpecker! Nice one 👍

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

@RevRichardColes Someone dropped some chips outside The Tiger?

[Skokholm Island @SkokholmIsland]

This evening's Puffin count was bonkers! Good conditions and a minimum of 13,174 rafting birds logged; this was the highest count since 1934 and the earliest five-figure count ever.

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

@BEACHYBIRDER Yes, still have ( and use) ours!

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

@AnneDanbyPeach @DerbyUni @DerbyUniGeo Love them! 👍👍

[Sussex Dolphin Project 🐬 @SussexDolphin]

Humpback sightings continue in Sussex 🐋

Thank you to all those who have been reporting humpback sightings over the last week. This footage, recorded by Stan Coddles on Sunday at Birling Gap shows the Humpback whale pectoral fin slapping, a form of non-verbal communication.

🧵

[Beachy Head Birder @BEACHYBIRDER]

Beachy Head: Humpback Whale breaching repeatedly off Beachy Head to the ESE 13:17 @BirdGuides @SussexDolphin

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Our #NewYearPlantHunt today at Rye harbour, East Sussex. 21 species including Vipers bugloss @BSBIbotany

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Great day out with the @sdnpa volunteers today - scrub clearing on Lullington Heath NNR. Who knew that a leaf blower makes a fantastic flame fanner to get it going! 👍🔥 @NESussexandKent

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Nine Purple sandpipers seen on the eastern marina arm in Newhaven, about an hour before high tide today @SussexBirding @SussexOrnitholo

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Big pre- Christmas @sdnpa volunteer task today. Scrub clearing on part of @SevenSistersCP . Must have been about 20 volunteers out today!

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Winter Heliotrope in flower this week in East Sussex #wildflowerhour @Sussex_Botany

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Cow parsley in flower today around Eastbourne, East Sussex @Sussex_Botany #wildflowerhour

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Surprised to see Tansy in flower today around Eastbourne, East Sussex @Sussex_Botany #wildflowerhour

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Bramble fruit, ripe and green. Seen today in East Sussex

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Bramble still in flower
Seen today on Eastbourne, East Sussex #wildflowerhour

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Wood avens still in flower in East Sussex this week #wildflowerhour

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Dove's foot cranesbill in flower this week in East Sussex #wildflowerhour

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

Tormentil in flower today at Park Corner Heath in East Sussex #wildflowerhour

[Debbie Alston @Debbie1Alston]

So wonderful to hear the fabulous Vote of thanks speech by MSc Conservation Biology student Leigh Peters at the @DerbyUni graduation today 🎓🎓