Making the Most of the Colour while I can

 Well, that was an intergalactically hot weekend. I'd been looking forward to a warm weekend, but cricket on Saturday was brutal, Sunday was grey and tropically sultry, and then Monday was so blisteringly hot that even going for a sit down by a river resulted in my phone shutting down, my kindle being too hot to touch, and my feet getting burned through my shoes. 

So long distance runs and cycle rides were out of the question. 

Instead, short walks to the library gardens or through my work campus, and see who was enjoying the sun. 

Lots of bees on the wildflowers, and also loads of tiny moths - the colourful mint moths, and another small species with the rather baffling name of the apple leaf skeletoniser moth sat on yarrow. 

The colours there are stunning, with the yellow of ladies bedstraw being the dominant hue, and I'm making the most of it while it is there. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.07.25

The Wildflower Meadows of the Library Nature Reserve

 The library meadows are near their peak, filling this small area with colour and the buzz of various bee and bumblebee species working their favoured blooms. 

Common blue damselflies are mating and laying eggs in the pond, while four spotted chaser dragonflies hawk for smaller prey along the hedgerows. 

It cost a lot of money for them to make it this way, probably way too much. It might be over landscaped. But it is still a beautiful place on a bright day. 

These pictures are from a few days ago, I've got a stinking cold - or something - and haven't been out around the town much. Grrrrr. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 12.06.25

The Library Gardens are Pretty

The Library Gardens, now a nature reserve after the locally famous "Stop the Chop" campaign, has been beautiful this spring and summer, awash with colourful wildflowers and more cultivated species too.

A wildlife pond has been added, where I photographed the broad bodied chaser a few weeks ago, and the wall of flowers on the metal equipment shed has been in full bloom. The bees and bumblebees love the place, with vestal cuckoo bumblebees being particularly numerous. 

Not so many butterflies for some reason, but then it's been a terrible year for them. There's plenty of the low level ground loving species like meadow brown and small skipper about, but the more obvious peacocks and small tortoiseshells have been in very short supply. 

There's been reports of fritillaries locally, which is news to me, so I shall have to go looking!

Anyway, enjoy the pretties I have found for you. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.07.24

More Critter Hunting

 After the dismal cricket destroying weather of last week, we have had a few nicer days this week, enabling me to hunt for pretty little things in the library nature reserve and on the badlands of our work campus. 

It has been fruitful, finding new species like the tiny common furrow bee, five spotted club horned wasp and a thick legged hover fly. I found my first cinnabar moth of the year today, which led me on a merry dance as I tried to photograph the recalcitrant little insect, and have picked up some nice action shots of bees. 

The library gardens, rich with scabious, seems to be a favourite haunt of both vestal and bohemian cuckoo bumblebees. no doubt on the look out for a buff tailed bumblebee nest to parasitise. It seems to be a terrible year for butterflies however, there's been so few on the wing even on bright days.

I hope you are finding pretty things to look at. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.06.24

Carpets of Blue and Other Miscellanea

I figure that the one thing they can't take away from us is the outside world at the moment; you aren't likely to pick up anything out there and I will continue to get out and about, for the sake of my sanity as much as anything else.

It might help cheer up other folk as well. Frankly during the day at work I am in such a state sometimes I don't know what to think.

Just stay safe as much as you can, especially those of you who are vulnerable!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.03.20

The Fruit Tree at the Library

I'm very tired again today after three days of running and other exercises, and rain meant it was a bit of a quiet day today.

I visited the library, took some books back, read a bit as I love to do, and went shopping. That was it. I liked the vivid yellow tree in the library gardens, a tree that has fruit on it too, like a quince or a crab apple.

I love the library gardens, this time of year there are about a  thousand different shades of green on view. As well as a load of fast food wrappers. But no folk with substance issues today.

Tomorrow I will be back out on the road, running in hopefully dry conditions, seeing if my holly tree gets any visitors, wondering if any redwing or fieldfare are about, seeing if there are more sparrowhawks flap flap gliding over.

So much to see I guess and you don't have to look very hard.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.10.18

That 70s Show

Done my usual pootling around today without a whole lot to be found apart from a 70s exhibition in the local library.

"Do you recongnise any of this stuff?" asked the librarian and indeed I did, I had the very same "Lou Reed Greatest Hits" cassette and Scrabble with Turnbtable I could see prominently on display. I also loved Scalextric, but never actually owned one myself - I had a much smaller Matchbox system that sat in my bedroom, used properly for a while by 6 year old me, before inevitably becoming a series of attempts to make the cars jump over things.

I did have a train set, but only the basic track and engines, I didn't have anywhere to put it up properly.

Really, there should have been Warlord Annuals, Spangles, slimfones and spacehoppers present to make it the 70s I remember.

And Starsky and Hutch. Where the hell were they.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.11.17

Spring now Welcomes Irises

The dwarf irises have now appeared in their customary little row in the library gardens, there to greet the sun that made an appearance early morning, before hiding away again until it re-appeared in the late afternoon.

I love their yellow tongues, they almost look like a landing strip for bees. Not that there were any bees about today.

Today, I was able to get away with wearing a T-Shirt and a quilted shirt on top. My sister was sweltering in a vest top in London, where she had more sun than I did.

It meant, that as I spent a couple of hours walking around this afternoon, I found myself wondering if I would hear the song of a chiff chaff, or see a brimstone butterfly, but not that warm!

Two weeks, I reckon.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.02.17

Greedy Sluggies are at it Again

This time, they've been finding algae to graze off on the library windows.

Must be wonderful to find all that food and be able to just slither around slowly and eat; however I bet they have to worry about birds who might fancy a big fat slug.

These patterns are like expressions of chaos theory.

Si