Monday 2 June

Near the Lower Burgh on another beautiful day

 Bracken - Pteridium aquilinum - considered a pest by some but it's our own and I like it

 Common Spotted Orchid - Dactylorhiza fuchsii hundreds open at the moment

Ground Elder - Aegopodium podagraria definitely keep this one away from your garden, it's hard to eradicate

Take Care  

Thursday 8 September

Another wet morning - managed to avoid most of the showers.

 Heron on the Top Lodge - the water level has been lowered for the winter months.

 What has got the young swans attention?

 An outsider has landed on the lodge and Mum is charging it -

 it didn't stay long it was soon off.

I wondered where Billy the resident male was and have been informed he's at swan sanctuary due to being tangled in fishing line, hope he is okay and back on the water soon. 

 Bracken - Pteridium aquilinum

 Footpath on the rucks.

 Plenty of Fungi about with this damp weather.

 Fungi heaven

Lesser Burdock - Arctium minus

Monday 18 January

The snow & ice are almost gone, just parts of the paths still have patches left.

On our own today did not see a soul till we got back to the lodges.

Looking back to Primrose Hill Gate.

This is where we feed Charlie, plus all the others that are waiting for us to move on.

They sit in the trees waiting like this Great Tit.

Charlie 2 almost coming to greet me.

After the frost comes the new birth, these are male silver birch catkin.

Oak Buds

Oak Marble Galls - these seem to have weathered better than the ones in the next photo.

Bracken, looks like something has been keeping warm here, possibly deer, maybe a fox.

This is an old stump near the slippery log the moss has almost covered it.

Unmistakable Ash Buds - a fascinating tree the Ash well worth reading up on.

Beech Buds

Red Clover Leaves

A few Wood Sorrel Leaves

Meg found some Fox muck - why do dogs love rolling in it? It was all down her back mucky pup.

She is laughing at me - don't I smell lovely, we got back to the river and yes she had a swim got most of it off and then a quick bath at home.

Take Care

Monday 14 December

Damp & cold this morning, there was a mist hanging over the water it was also in areas of the woods, mornings like this make me realize how Will O the Wisp came about, he was everywhere this morning.

The Bracken has died back, it won't be long and it will be up again trying to gain another yard.

Sunrise over Duxbury, I just hope the view is never spoiled by developers.

Very misty as we approached Spring Wood & the Christmas Tree

Gained quite a bit more - I am reminded of court jester - with the colours & baubles.

The river is back to normal level.

This is part of the old retaining wall on the big lodge.

This is some ones home, I wonder who?

George & Arnold waiting to get on with the trek home for breakfast.

We had a good walk - did not see anyone till we got back to the park.

Take Care.

Monday 12 January

Well above freezing this morning, so it was raining it finally stopped so we did not get wet. Saw Dawnie on the Barrow but she was off to work, we walked to the corner of Burgh Wood with her and then we carried on.

We just did our usual drifting looking at all sorts of things, like this vivid coloured lichen on the Hawthorn, it was so tiny.

Oak buds and plenty of them, all ready for the sign to open.
Bracken has had it's time - it will be back later in the year, covering a bit more ground and stronger than ever.

Lichen it is like a second skin to the branches.

To an ant this would probably be a forest, it is a moss and was on the banking near the stream at Slippery Log.

Another lichen - Cladonia sp. don't know which one. It was on Primrose Hill.

They look like little cups, quite pretty.

Take care.