Saturday 4 April

A beautiful morning to walk

Found in the pavement nick, Common Dog Violet - Viola riviniana

Lots of Wavy Bitter-cress - Cardamine flexuosa in flower these are at home

 Wavy Bitter-cress - Cardamine flexuosa

 I am sure this is our youngster from this year that flew off a few weeks ago now in full plumage it came straight to us for feed, the ones that fly in aren't use to corn feed but this one took it straight away.

 Look whose up and about 

Definitely warmer as I call her my weather forecaster.

Take Care

Sunday 30 March

Flowers & Trees from Sunday

Blue Anemone - Anemone apennina

Bugle - Ajuga reptans

Colt's-foot - Tussilago farfara

Common Dog Voilet - Viola riviniana

Cowslip - Primula veris

Horse Chestnut - Aesculus hippocastanum

Ivy - Hedera helix

Ramsons - Allium ursinum

Teasel - Dipsacus fullonum

Wavy Bitter-cress - Cardamine flexuosa

Take Care

Friday 14 May

Nice morning for a walk.

Large patch of Large Bittercress.

First Yellow Pimpernel flower we have this year.

Goatsbeard at Worthington still not found any nearby.

Garden escapee Greater Periwinkle.

Take Care.

Wednesday 7 April

On our own again, as we crossed the river at Sunny Brow this Wren wanted her photo taken.

She was posing for a few seconds.

Not a clue what she was after - perhaps she was watching me.

Hornbeam not a common tree at this end of the country.

We walked around the lodge this morning to see what was coming through.

Wood Anemone

Lesser Celandine

Field Wood-Rush a lovely patch and in flower. Not seen it in this area before.

 

I had gone to find this - it is Barren Strawberry. It's on the banking to the river wall. Quite a good sized patch.

Managed to get to it and photograph it plus a piece in my bag for checking.

 

Magnified 10 times the gaps between the petals are visible, this is easier to see when the flowers are fully open, the petals are slightly notched.

Nearby was Wavy Bitter-cress - six stamens.

Hazel Nuts in the making.

Butterbur leaves - not full sized yet.

Woodruff just through.

Dotted Loosestrife.

Darwin's Barberry almost in flower.

Wintercress coming up again same spot as last year.

 My first 7 spot ladybird on the forget me not leaves.

Take Care.

Sunday 4 April

Lovely dry morning, we were on our own again.

Headed up through Spring Wood

Look at the balsam seedlings, there are more than ever this year.

Bashing does not work if it's left too late, needs to be done before they reach 18 inches tall.

Once they get beyond that I believe bashing does more harm than good.

Sycamore always one of the first to green up.

Silver Birch Catkin.

This had me fooled - I saw it from across the gully, we made our way to it and yes it's forsythia and no it's not growing yet, it is a cutting it may root we left it to mother nature.

We think these are Pheasant feathers - possible fox kill not a lot left.

I brought a piece of this bitter-cress home to check if it was wavy or hairy, this photo is magnified 60 times.

I opened the flower up to see the stamens only 4 so it's Hairy Bitter-cress - this photo is 10 times magnification.

Take Care.

Sunday 26 April

Dry morning, a little cool out of the sunshine.

Greater Stitchwort out in Spring Wood, it looks wonderful with the Bluebells.

Herb Robert Large Bittercress by the little stream in Spring Wood.

Sunday 19 April

A lovely sunny day for a wander about seeing what we could find.

Cowslip.

Dandelion - now this beautiful flower is one that a lot of us never appreciate.
It's very deceiving - there are now 235 species that have been recorded.
I have a book with 340 pages that just covers Dandelions, so now I look and think which one are you? (they still all look alike - a work in progress)
We see them along the roadside in masses and don't they look wonderful.

Field Wood Rush, first time I have found this on the park, it's not very big so I have probably passed it in the past.

The yellow anthers make it stand out in the sun.

Field Wood Rush.

Gorse in full flower.

Hard Fern still surviving.

Hard Fern.

Hawthorne Buds.

Ivy berries.

Lady's Mantle no flowers yet.

Large Bittercress leaves.

Nuthatch

Silver Birch Catkins.

Edward our resident male swan having a moment from patrolling the Top Lodge.

Let's hope this youngster makes it, he is certainly healthy and strong.

Just like his dad full steam ahead chasing Canada Geese.

Another Toad I moved from the path to the undergrowth, it's a standing joke now that the Toad is saying "oh no I have just come from there"

An old tree stump - reminds us of a castle, it probably is to many small animals and insects.