Wednesday 7 September

Rain again but managed to get some photos between showers.

Balsam Galore - I don't think there is an area that has escaped - we need to get this under control before it seeds next year too late this year.

Himalayan Balsam - Impatiens glandulifera as you can see already bursting with seed, each pod holds an average of 8 seeds so we are looking at over 30/40 plants just from this little bunch.

Common Fleabane - Pulicaria dysenterica

Corn Mint - Mentha arvensis

First dead mole this year.

Lots of rabbits about and Meg is bewildered

Canadian Goldenrod - Solidago canadensis - this is now a large patch, when I first saw this it was about 2 feet square.

Take Care.

Wednesday 31 August

Cool morning, cloudy but the rain stayed away.

We went onto the Lower Burgh Meadow.

Alsike Clover - Trifolium hybridum 

 Amphibious Bistort - Persicaria amphibia this was very disappointing due to the dry weather - usually a large flowering patch but only found two flowers.

 Amphibious Bistort - Persicaria amphibia

 Apple Mint - Mentha x villosa this is the best mint for the table we love it.

Common Knapweed  - Centaurea nigra 

 Common Michaelmas Daisy - Aster novi-belgii x lanceolatus = A. x salignus

 Puccinia poarum on Colts Foot Leaves

 Puccinia poarum on Colts Foot Leaves

 Purple Loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria

Wild Carrot - Daucus carota there was plenty of this about last year but I only managed to find a small area.

 Wild Carrot - Daucus carota

The You Are Here Sign has been moved to a more prominent place.

Take Care.

Tuesday 23 August

Dry morning.

 Corn Mint - Mentha arvensis

 Corn Mint - Mentha arvensis

 Devil's-bit Scabious - Succisa pratensis

 Devil's-bit Scabious - Succisa pratensis

Fungi

Take Care.

Tuesday 9 August

Lovely sunny morning.

I had a good look round the Big Lodge.

Canada Geese on the old raft.

Terns still sitting on the new raft.

Swan family

Also saw the Great Crested Grebe with their one chick, too far away for a descent photo.

 Water Mint - Mentha aquatica

 Water Mint - Mentha aquatica

 Bread Wheat - Triticum aestivum

Fat Hen - Chenopodium album

Take Care.

Monday 7 September

Damp again this morning.

They are very shy these Moorhens

but they do tend to be bullied by the bigger ducks, this youngster is still surviving - we have not had many young this year.
Here's Billy coming for his treat.

Quite a bit of Water Mint around the lodge.

Wednesday 26 August

We wandered all over the place today - it was a damp morning.

You can just make out the very bruised apple in the centre of the photo, this is growing on the rucks. I would guess someone threw a stump away and this is the result, it has a few more apples on it, we did manage to get one last year - it was average tasting.

Canadian Goldenrod - a garden escapee or throw out.
Quite a large patch, so it likes the area.

Common Fleabane

Corn Mint

A very damp Perennial Sow Thistle.

Another throw out Giant Montbretia.

Guelder Rose - It is misleadingly called European Cranberry-bush (it is not a cranberry).
The fruit has a very acidic taste, not recommended as it is mildly toxic, and can cause vomiting or diarrhea but the birds like it so a good one for the garden.

Still waiting for those Hazel Nuts.

But look whats already appearing on the Hazel - male catkins or lambs tails.

Missed the Japanese Rose flowering - another throw out.

Meadow Vetchling in bud

and seed.

Norway Maple

with it's seeds or keys - I picked a few of these up, it was only when I got home and looked at them I found that only this one had seeds - I wonder if the squirrels also like these as there was no sign of entry until I checked them - they had been bent and the seeds removed, just like I was going to do later. So hopefully I got two good seeds.

Never seen the like of it, some one beat me to them.