The First Butterfly Photograph of the Year

 Without making an extensive trawl through this blog, I'm not sure what is my most common first butterfly photograph of the year, but I have a feeling that the last few years it has often been a comma. 

Not this year!

In 2026, the honour of being the first butterfly to fall to my eager mobile phone camera was a peacock, a peacock feeding off blackthorn blossom is the library gardens nature reserve. A peacock that was friendly enough to allow me to get a decent photograph. 

Oh, those glorious colours!

I have a horrible feeling that this is going to be a poor spring for butterflies thanks to the terrible wet weather, and indeed on the warm days I haven't seen the number of brimstones I'd expect. 

We are in another spot of cooler weather at the moment, but when it warms up again, perhaps we shall see. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 24.03.26 

Rampant Hairy Footed Flower Bees

 Spring has sprung big time here in Newark over the last few days.

I have so many critters to show you, it will take more than one post to show you them all. So I've decided to start with what are one of my most difficult targets - the hairy footed flower bee. 

These fast moving solitary bees - they aren't bumblebees despite their appearance - emerge early in spring and are only active for a few weeks. They love the library gardens nature reserve, whizzing around the star of bethlehem and red dead nettle flowers, settling only briefly, especially if another male comes close.

So to take photographs of them is rather challenging, good photos even more so. I think these are ok, my Pixel 10a seems up to the job, but the focus is often a bit soft because of their rapid movement.

Have you seen any? 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.03.26 

Blue and Yellow Rule in The Friary Gardens

 Friary gardens has essentially two main flower flushes each spring. 

The first is the time of the snowdrop and aconite, the first signs of renewal after the dull months of October, November and December. 

The second, as the sun climbs higher into the sky, is when glory of the snows, followed by daffodils, emerge from the ground to turn the gardens blue and yellow. 

All watched over by the giant oriental plane tree, the biggest tree in the town. 

As always, it's a sadly short display, only there a couple of weeks. But it is very beautiful. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.03.26 

My Planter Crocuses

 My crocus planters needed a refresh, so back in October I bought some new bulbs, moved the planters to a windowsill where I thought they'd get more light, tucked the bulbs into bed, and waited to see what would happen. 

There were two varieties, dwarf ones and standard ones. and all was quiet in the planters until January, when they began to sprout and grow rapidly. 

They avoided the rat based fate on my allium bulbs - rat repellent is going to be bought to sort that furry four legged problem out - and have brought me a crop of gold, purple and white flowers. 

Sadly they've barely been open, because there's been so little sunlight to be had, especially in my little yard. And they've not attracted any pollinators either, because bees and bumbles haven't been flying in this dull weather. 

But I'm pleased anyway, to have brought a little colour to my concrete corner of the world, rat or no rat. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.03.26 

The Blossom is Back

 Walking through Sconce Park Orchard on my way for a cup of tea at Rumbles cafe, I walked through the orchard area to find that the trees are all covered in blossom. 

Not only did it look beautiful, it smelt beautiful too. 

My favourite blossom arch is back, and the birds are in full song, with blackbirds, blue and great tits, and robins flitting through the trees. Any day now, the chiff chaffs will be calling again. 

Sadly, it was slightly chilly and dull, so pollinators were in short supply, but there were plenty of ladybirds to be seen on red dead nettle. I've got a new Google Pixel 10a, so I'm hoping my photography will upgrade, so the lack of buzzy or fluttery targets is frustrating. 

We will just have to make do with flowers for now! 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 09.03.26 

Exploring the Public Parks of Grantham

 Glorious spring weather saw a visit to Wyndham Park in Grantham, a park that I thought was a fine natural habitat full of ponds, boating lakes, an excellent cafe and wildlife everywhere. 

It wasn't quite like that. It was actually pretty small, with a boating lake for remote controlled sailing boats about the size of a swimming pool, and not a whole lot of natural habitat. 

Fortunately, Queen Elizabeth Park, a long linear park running alongside the River Witham, was just across the road. We took a path alongside the fast flowing turquoise waters, and although information boards teased the presence of kingfishers and otters, of them there were no sign. 

I did see my first brimstone butterfly of the year, lemon yellow flutterings above the grass. Many buff tailed bumblebee queens were looking for nest holes in the soft earth, and the park was full of the loudest great tits I've ever heard, their "Deeee-Dooo" calls sounding out from almost every tree. 

Plenty of robins, blue tits and wrens were about too, and a red kite soared overhead, its forked tail expertly manoevering it across the blue sky. 

Where were there were crocuses, there were also honey bees, saddle bags filled to the brim with pollen. 

I love spring so much. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.03.26 

And here is the First Bumblebee!

 I knew when I left hy home this morning, that the addition of sunshine to mild temperatures would bring out the bumblebees, and when I went to the park cafe again, it as time to go looking again. 

My tea finished, I wandered over to the little grassy area where the crocuses grow, and today the crocuses that were empty on my post yesterday, had customers today. 

Two beautifully fresh queen buff tailed bumblebees were moving around the flowers, perhaps feeding for the first time since they woke up. I think this is always the species I see first in spring. 

Sadly, my shots ended up quite soft, so I'm giving you the best one today. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.02.26