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John Ashburner

@johnashburner.bsky.social
625 followers 1.6K following 294 posts

Does things with computers and brain scans as a profession. Very amateur parent, naturalist, etc.

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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Some strictly non-edible #fruits for #WildflowerHour . These were in the Brent River Park in West London.
Woody nightshade berriesHolly drupes
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Woody nightshade berriesHolly drupes
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Paragus quadrifasciatus (a "grass skimmer" hoverfly) is a recent arrival to the UK - after apparently travelling here by Eurostar. They now seem to be spreading further, as I saw this female at Warren Farm in West London today. #hoverflies #diptera
A tiny black with yellow stripes hoverfly on a blade of dry grass.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Slightly late, but here are some #WetlandPlants from he wetter parts of Eyecott Hill, which is run by @cumbriawildlife.bsky.social #WildFlowerHour
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This female hoverfly might, or might not, be Parasyrphus annulatus, which is not often recorded. I snapped this one a few days ago in a front garden in Cumbria (with a conifer plantation across the road). #hoverflies #diptera
Top down view of a black and yellow stripey hoverfly.Top down(ish) view of the hoverfly, showing how the stripes meet the edges of the tergites, as well as a bit of the foreheadA view that shows hind legs with black rings on the hind femurs, and all yellow front and middle legsA view showing yellowish antennae
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
It seems to be a good year for migrant butterflies in the UK. Many Clouded Yellows have been seen in West London over the last few days.
Clouded Yellow butterfly (Trumper's Field, Hanwell, London 18/07/26).
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Ni! @mothiduk.bsky.social
Ni Moth (Trichoplusia ni). This is a migrant to the UK (typically fewer than 50 records per year).
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Happy #NationalMeadowsDay to those who celebrate.
Lady's Bedstraw in flower at Warren Farm in West London.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Hardly any Himalayan Balsom ( #InvasivePlants ) to be seen today. The good people of CURB (Clean Up the River Brent) have been doing lots of bashing. #WildflowerHour
Himalayan Balsom flowers
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
This weekend was a bit hot, but the previous weekend was great weather for #PollinatorPals . These photos were from around @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social and the @brentriverpark.bsky.social in West London. #WildflowerHour
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Some #PollinatorPals pics taken in @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social in West London yesterday morning. #WildflowerHour
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
The cemetery in South Ealing (West London) is not obsessively mown, so there are a few #LawnFlowers, like these Pyramidal Orchids. #WildFlowerOur
Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) in South Ealing Cemetery.Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) in South Ealing Cemetery.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
One from the Ealing Beaver 🦫 Project enclosure in West London for the #OrchidChallenge. #WildFlowerHour
A flowering Bee Orchid
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
A selection of Ealing's bees, showing their diversity. Doesn't include any bumble or honeybees. #WorldBeeDay
A montage of six bee speciesA montage of another six bee species.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
#WorldBeeDay 🤪
A montage of six bumblebee lookalikes.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A couple of #hoverflies from the Ealing Beaver Project 🦫 in West London today.
Meligramma euchromum / Epistrophella euchroma (male)Rhingia rostrata (female)
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
A Common Reed Warbler photographed in the Ealing Beaver Project enclosure at Paradise Fields in West London today.
A small brown and beige bird, holding on to a reed and looking left.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Some for the #HedgerowChallenge from an organized walk around Warren Farm (West London) yesterday. #wildflowerhour
Bluebells growing by the South-West hedgeBluebellGreen Alkanet with a visitorRed Campion
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
I've found my missing sock. Been wondering where it was for ages.
A half-digested sock found in the washing machine sump.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
A selection from Long Wood, West London, for #WildFlowerHour .
Wood SpeedwellBluebells - lots of Bluebells (and an Orange Tip)Lesser CelendineRamsons
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Some #CabbageFamily plants from the Brent River Park in West London. #WildFlowerHour @brentriverpark.bsky.social
Garlic Mustard (with Helophilus pendulus). FitsHerbert Walk, by the River Brent.Honesty. FitsHerbert Walk, by the River Brent.Hoary Cress in Warren Farm.Not sure, but there's loads of it around by the River Brent.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Those wanting to understand the difference between GB and UK might find this helpful.
Great Britain is between Accrington and Clitheroe - according to google maps
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
It is a little-known fact, but this week's #wildflowerhour theme of #storyplants was probably chosen because Lesser Celendines are in full bloom.
Lesser Celendines with a Cheilosia sp of hoverfly enjoying some nectar. Photo from Long Wood in Ealing, yesterday.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Ash flowers with Chiffchaff for scale (Brent River Park, West London). #wildflowerhour
Chiffchaff and Ash flowers
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
#WhiteFlowers (Blackthorn) hijacked by insects and Ground Ivy, all from around Long Wood in the @brentriverpark.bsky.social #wildflowerhour
Blackthorn and Syrphus torvusBlackthorn and Eristalis intricariaBlackthorn and Andrena sp.Ground Ivy
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London Wildlife Trust @ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
A huge win for London’s wildlife! 🎉🌿 This week, Warren Farm in Southall was officially declared a statutory Local Nature Reserve. Meaning 61 acres of precious urban wild space are now legally protected. Thanks to collective action, Warren Farm is now safe for wildlife and people!
Small brown skylark with streaked feathers perched among dry grass and twigs in a natural setting. Text reads © Vaughn Matthews
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Southall park confirmed as local nature reserve by council
Warren Farm in Southall is already home to nesting skylarks, wildflowers, butterflies and bees.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
#SignsofSpring in the Brent River Park in West London. #WildFlowerHour @brentriverpark.bsky.social
Blackthorn (I think). Trumper's Field 08/03/26Blackthorn (I think). River Brent 08/03/26.Hogweed. River Brent 08/03/26.Sweet Violet. Trumper's Field 08/03/26.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Get off BlueSky and put the telly on.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Some of the less common hoverflies I found in Warren Farm and Long Wood (west London) in 2025. #Syrphidae #Hoverflies #Diptera #Pollinators @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social
A montage showing 16 of the less common hoverflies seen in Warren Farm and Long Wood (west London) in 2025
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Daffodil in flower in Russel Square today (09/12/25). #phenology
Daffodil in flower with a distant Christmas tree in the background.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Today's selection from in and around @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social in west London for #TheWinter10 ( #wildflowerhour ).
Montage of flowers photographed on 16/11/25 around Warren Farm, Trumper's Field and Fitzherbert Walk in Hanwell, west London.
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KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.
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Brent River Park @brentriverpark.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Short film by @brentpollution.bsky.social showing how nature miraculously survives amidst the despoilment of the River Brent. Both enraging and uplifting! youtu.be/PNRQGGjAtGI?...
youtu.be
The River Remembers
YouTube video by Jonathan Rowe
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
The Jennings brewery in Cockermouth is up and running again as an independent family-owned brewery, and is worth a visit. This is the view from the beer garden at the back, where you can see serious flood damage to one of the buildings near the bridge.
View from behind the Jennings brewery in Cockermouth, Cumbria. A good place to look out for the occasional kingfisher.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
A holiday pic from last week. We did a family walk around Ennerdale, which was lovely. It's one of the few lakes without a main road running along it, which adds to the tranquility. It is also home to a project to replace spruce trees with native species.
View over Ennerdale Water in the west of the Lake district.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
A few #Pollinatorpals from Warren Farm in west London yesterday. #WildflowerHour @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social
Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) on Hoary MustardSmall Spotty-eyed Drone Fly (Eristalinus sepulchralis) on Hoary Mustard.Brown Argus (Aricia agestis), a bit late for this Common Knapweed.Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens - I think) on Black Horehound.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
Some #DeadNettlefamily from Warren Farm and Long Wood (west London) yesterday. @brentriverpark.bsky.social #wildflowerhour
Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) at Warren FarmBallota nigra in Long WoodHedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) seeds in Long Wood.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Four kestrels manoeuvre in the park @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social
One of the group of four perched on a tall plant in the Warren Farm meadowOne of the four kestrels hoveringA kestrel looking out for preyKestrel in flight
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
The Lady's Bedstraw at @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social is in full bloom and smelling gorgeous. #wildflowerhour
A male Sphaerophoria scripta hoverfly on Lady's Bedstraw.A massive of Lady's Bedstraw at Warren Farm.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
A bit late for #wildflowerhour, but the @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social bee orchids are blooming again this year.
Bee Orchids. Warren Farm, west London. 14/06/25
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 07/05/2025
UK government admits almost no evidence nature protections block development
theguardian.com
UK government admits almost no evidence nature protections block development
Whitehall analysis provides no data or research to support the government argument that environmental legislation holds up building There is very little evidence that protections for nature are a blocker to development, the government has admitted in its own impact assessment of the controversial new planning and infrastructure bill. The analysis by Whitehall officials provides no data or research to back up the government’s central argument that it is environmental legislation that holds up building. Continue reading...
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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 25/04/2025
PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
1. Because this issue is critical, but has received remarkably little coverage, here's a thread pulling out the key themes from my article yesterday, on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which puts decades of environmental protections to the torch. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Labour’s great nature sellout is the worst attack on England’s ecosystems I’ve seen in my lifetime | George Monbiot
The horrifying planning bill, which rips up environmental protections, was drafted with CEOs in mind. We know because Keir Starmer told us, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
The Thames is a bit high today. I guess it's related to yesterday's eclipse.
Overflowing Thames by the London Apprentice.
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Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD @ryankatzrosene.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
OMG did y’all see this over at other place? Bunch of climate deniers wrote a “scientific paper” rebutting climate science basics (published in a BS fossil fuel industry front “journal”) and claimed *Grok* as the First Author.. BUT then, they were completely ripped to shreds by…Grok! Like a symphony👌🏻
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Warren Farm Nature Reserve @warrenfarmnr.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Our Skylarks are beginning to make their presence known!🐦‍⬛🥰A 1/4 of London’s breeding population nests here every year, their iconic song fills our rewilded meadow with melody & joy of what’s possible when nature’s given a chance💚We’re an LNR in waiting🪺 Credit & thanks to photographer Malcolm Bowey
A WarrenFarmNR Skylark, wings outstretched, coming in to land on our urban meadow.
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John Ashburner @johnashburner.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
A geography homework question (Seneca). I know what the answer is supposed to be, but it doesn't make sense.
A map of Britain with three regions labelled C (one on the Yorkshire coast, one in the Midlands and one in the south). The question is "Identify the lowland area labelled C."
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RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Stop worrying about bats and newts? No Rachel Reeves MP – start worrying about the future of our economy if we tear down the nature it depends on. Nature isn’t a blocker; it’s the foundation of growth.
Screenshot of a BBC Politics tweet shows Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaking at a podium during a live broadcast of her speech. The quote at the top reads, “We are reducing the environmental requirements placed on developers when they pay into a nature restoration fund… they can focus on getting things built and stop worrying about the bats and the newts,” as she addresses the audience. In the background, there are large screens displaying the live stream of the speech, with a banner at the bottom reading “Kickstarting Economic Growth.”
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Simon Oldridge @sioldridge.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
🚨New leaked documents reveal the UK Gov is taking extraordinary financial risks to push through an £8bn gas power station & carbon capture project, despite an ongoing legal challenge & serious objections from leading climate scientists. Here’s the story: 🧵 www.ft.com/content/9273... #CCS
ft.com
UK to pay developers of gas plant if court blocks £8bn project
Agreement for power station and carbon capture scheme highlights how legal action is key factor for energy groups
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