Freezing in Upton

 Sunday took us to play Upton, our traditional friendly game season opener, and the fact that we were playing a great bunch of guys with a tea in the offing, was rather off-set by the fact that it "a bit chilly".

I lie. It was freezing, freezing cold. Upton's ground is high upon a Trent Valley plateau, and the wind swept in from the Arctic North over the ground. No chance of a buzzard or red kite flyover today. Or even getting in the ground, as Upton's keyholder was a bit late so cars were hogging the narrow lane the ground lies beside. 

Facing a strong Upton side with a keen, but very young, team of our own - it was me keeping the average age above 18 - it was agreed that Upton should bat first in a 35 over game. 

They did very well, but so did we. All five of our young players, two of them being young ladies making their debuts in senior hard ball cricket, did a fantastic job with bat and ball. They took wickets, kept things tight, and batted really well. 

It was myself that let the side down, bruised tailbone rendering me virtually immobile in the field, not helped by some kind of panic attack that made me lose my nerve and not want to field the ball I couldn't bend over to field anyway. I had to resort to fielding with my feet, resulting in some painful whacks on the ankle. 

My bowling suffered from being at two very good bats, both of whom wiped me to the boundary whenever I dropped a fraction short, which was ineptly too often. 

When we batted - we had no chance of winning but were out to acquit ourselves well - I found myself umpiring for twenty overs in the bitter cold, but at least got a chance to watch our youngsters bat really well in close up. Far better than I could, I got out first ball while falling over to a leg stump yorker. 

I wanted to put a bag over my head, and plugs in my ears to drown out the endless mickey taking by my older team-mates. 

I felt like I never wanted to play cricket again until tonight, when I had an ok net bowling. The feeling that there might be a golden day one day comes back. Ha ha. 

Luckily, these young players we have will have plenty of golden days. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.05.25

Cricket is Back

 Feeling low on confidence, it was finally time to return to the greensward to play for our second team against Coddington and Winthorpe at our home grown, on a day where when the sun was out it was pleasant, and when it wasn't it was freezing. 

Even the local buzzards stayed home most of the day, although a great tit was busy at its nest in a tree, and what sounded like a whitethroat was singing away. 

Playing way above my pay grade, and with a bruised lower back from a fall hampering my movement, it fell to me to go out to umpire. Our new opening bat rather eye-openingly hit his first ball for 6 with a lovely lazy flick over square leg, which gave me a chance to stretch my arms up and stay warm, but in the main it was a hard slog for out batters on a slightly up and down wicket against good accurate bowling. 

Getting the ball away was very difficult, and at 50 for 5 things were looking very dicey indeed. But our young all rounder partnered our older all rounder, and supported him well as he blasted a 50 against the support bowlers. 

The third team captain blasted a big 6 too. I thought I'd mention that so he lets me bowl in the next third team game. 

I did have a bat, as usual against the rampant returning opening bowler, but I managed to survive two whole deliveries without too much difficulty or physical injury and suggested to my batting partner that he should now take the bowling apart. 

He was caught out two balls later, but it was the right plan! 

We closed on 129, which at least was something to bowl at. Alas Coddington's batters were talented and experienced, and our bowlers were very young. Or very old and rubbish in my case. Or new player looked the part though with a sharp spell that removed one of the openers LBW, but otherwise in the sunshine now it seemed like a different wicket. 

I fielded ok by my lamentable standards, and I did get a bowl, which was unexpected. But I was too slow and a little short, and all I did was finish the game a little quicker. 

Still, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I wold, and it was good to be out there again. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.05.25 

Tawny Mining Bee, Among Others

 Well, we are in a spell of lovely weather, and spring feels like it has properly sprung now, with butterflies on the wing today - of which more in another post. 

I've been loving visiting Sconce Park, reading and drinking tea at the cafe while listening to cricket on the radio, before walking through the park wildlife hunting. This weekend has been superb, with the highlight being my first ever capture of a tawny mining bee feeding off blossom. 

These stunning yellow and deep gold solitary bees are usually seen flying around at low level around the patches of dry dirt where they make their mini-volcano like homes, but I managed to catch one on the lovely crisp white blossom, and somehow got decent photographs despite my phone camera really struggling with the sun. 

There were other small bees about too, one in the old oak wood being a suspected short fringed mining bee, while another on blossom being perhaps an early mining bee. 

All hail iNaturalist!

Well, I hope you are finding some rewarding spring sights as well!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.04.25

Out of their Mines, come the Mining Bees

 We are just running into a another patch of fine weather, and I am taking advantage by getting outside again, trying to bathe my pale face in vitamin D, and ease my Tourette tics. 

The last few weeks, we've mainly had bumbles and honeybees on the wing, with only hairy footed flower bees being the other bees in flight, doing their ferocious zig-zag flights around the red dead nettle and green alkanet. 

But yesterday and today, mining bees have appeared. The sappy leaves of a shrub at work attracted grey patched mining bees and chocolate mining bees, while today at the library gardens, a stunning tawny mining bee paused for a brief rest on a clump of alkanet.

There was a bonus today too, the first common carder bumblebee of the year was looking for a nest hole among the grasses. 

Tomorrow will be warmer, and perhaps I might even find a butterfly. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.03.25

From Bumbles to Honeys

 As well as bumblebees, obviously the brighter weather has seen plenty of honey bees on the wing, with orange saddlebags full of crocus pollen!

This is my favourite time of the year. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.03.25

Bumblebees are Up!

 January was endless, February seemed endlessly grim. Not a lot to see anywhere as cold weather and grey skies seemed to set in for weeks on end. The early emergences of early January seemed to stall. 

The last few days however, have seen a return of actual springlike conditions; sunlight and a smidgen of warmth have returned. I feel like I have returned too, with more enjoyment in the outside once again as I seek to burn out the endless Tourette energy.

And at the same time, we have seen an explosion in light and colour. 

Today I wish to concentrate on one species. The better conditions have brought the the return of the big, busy and buzzy buff tailed bumblebee queens, that have been loving pollen bathing in the colourful crocus carpets we now have in the town's green spaces. 

Particularly impressive has been their beep buzzing noise they make when they lumber into the air after feeding, like an overladen World War 1 aircraft.

I hope you are enjoying seeing them on the wing too!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.03.25

It's January, and Bees are about

 We've had a couple of very bright sunny days this week, not cold when the sun is shining on you, and when the air is still can you almost imagine its low yellow rays might be warming you up a little. But it was hardly tropical, indeed it wasn't even double figures.

A decent January day, in other words.

So, on my little Tourette relief walk I like to take at lunch time, inspecting the bright gorse flowers on campus, imagine my astonishment when at the back of the bush, I saw a lone honey bee making its way into the flowers, orange pollen shopping bags very visible on its legs. 

Walking back, there was another feeding off high up hazel catkins. 

A little later on, with the sun a little higher, I went out again, and there they were, in reasonable numbers. I was able to get a couple of photos, before heading further out onto the campus badlands, to where the stinking helleborine grows. 

The flowers weren't even fully open, and yet there were a few more honey bees feeding off the closed green flower bells, climbing deep inside until out of view. 

That was yesterday. They were about again today, although fewer in number in chillier temperatures. 

I've never before seen bees on the wing in January. Normally, its mid February when the crocuses are in flower that they appear. Other people have reported seeing them too. 

Have you?

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 30.01.25