Wow! Someone has Woken Up

As I sit here typing this on my chromebook with the dodgy space bar, my foot is really sore after cricket practice, and I'm going to have to have another session rolling on the tennis ball.

But today has been good. Not only did I bat better in the nets - thank god - but I had a delightful long walk through the cemetery and across Grange Road fields to the park. Although there was a fair amount of cloud around, when the sun deigned to make an appearance it got really quite mild.

Spring is way ahead of last year, I think. As I entered the cemetery for the first time in a week, I was stunned to see how fast the full crocus emergence has taken place; the graves are surrounded by a beautiful purple and white carpet.

I'd have to check through my records to see how advanced (or not!) this is compared to other years, but it feels early.

But mere purple and white flowers, no matter how lovely, were not the main reason to get excited today. Because I, and it seems a fair few other nature watchers on my social media feeds, saw the first 2019 honeybee today.

It caught my eye straightaway, as there really isn't much flying around at the moment. It was feeding off the crocuses and judging by its full orange saddlebags,  it was having a successful day, which was how I felt as soon as I saw it.

It was the only buzzer or flutter I saw today, with the temperature forecast to rise still further, I don't think it will be long before others appear.

Crazy isn't it, for something that happens every year to be greeted with so much joy.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.02.19

Up Upon the Fort

Really  it's been a beautiful day and although I spent large chunks of it outside I felt I wasted it a little as rather than go on a bike ride I had my hair cut as it was really annoying me, and that required a long bath watching the incredible TV work of Charlie Brooker.

For the first time while having my hair cut, I was asked if I wanted my eyebrows neatening. This is revoloutionary.

In the morning I had enjoyed the lovely weather at the park, standing atop the Sconce Fort, inspecting the gorse flowers for bees - there weren't any - and then enjoying a distinctly non 17th century cup of tea in a disposable cup while listening to 6 Music.

Small things are enjoyable!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 16.02.19

Sunset and Spring Miscellany

We are back in the world of spectacular sunsets and lengthening evenings. Tracking the sun at work you can follow it as it makes its way back to setting further and further west again after its journey to the southern dark.

New flowers are emerging now into the lovely week we've had; speedwell and dandelion. My own emergence into spring is also ongoing.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 15.02.19

Squirrels Eating Crocus!

The squirrels in the cemetery - and there are a lot of them with sometimes 6 or 7 of them in view at any one time - have been very active in the mild recent weather, looking for any opportunity to forage for food in between the cold snaps.

When they pause to feed, paws to mouth, I always try and work out what they are munching on which is tricky as squirrels being squirrels don't tend to let you get close enough to see without haring it up a tree trunk.

But the colour of what they were eating stood out plain. Flashes of purple, flashes of white. They were not eating nuts or  seeds, they were eating flowers! Specifically, crocuses.

This would explain why every now and then you'd come across a little patch of crocuses on the ground that looked like they'd been vandalised by pixies. It was not little folk who were the rioters, rather bushy tailed ruffians, grabbing the flowers and running up into the branches to eat them.

Cheeky sods!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.02.19

Stunned by a Stunning Mandarin Duck

Today has been positively spring-like...

I bet loads of blogs have started like that today, largely because it was true. I knew that I'd see some sort of spring sight today, and lo and behold, a very pale and worn small tortoiseshell suddenly flew up as I walked past its sunning post in the library gardens.

I've seen other reports of bees being spotted today too, but that was nothing compared to the surprise I got when walking around Balderton Lake this afternoon, when I sight of a beautiful mandarin duck swimming towards the lakeside with a group of mallards.

Now these exotic characters are a common enough sight at the various lakes at the various stately homes round  here like Clumber, Rufford and Wollaton, but this is the first ever sighting I've come across from the town.

Like the winter resident little egret, still present on the lagoon in its second winter, we are getting more interesting species coming into town.

I wonder why...

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 11.02.19

The Clouds! The Pain!

I went to the park for a lunch time cup of tea- nothing terribly exciting there I'm afraid, apart from the fact that the black-headed gulls were incredibly noisy and sounded like the gull-like screeches on "Echoes" by Pink Floyd.

I wonder how it gets decided which gulls get their black heads back first - is it a testosterone thing, like some form of avian puberty? Who knows?

The cloudscapes on yet another scuddy day were spectacular.

The early evening was taken up with cricket practice where again I bowled well, and batted horribly if not as horribly as last week. The main issue was my foot, which was fine last week, but this evening flared up really badly as I made an awkward step while delivering the ball.

Hence, it's rolling myfoot on a tennis ball time again.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.02.19

The Sport of Magnetic Fishing

It's taken a little while, but the modern day form of metal detecting known as "Magnetic Fishing" as now reached town. You probably know what it involves; dropping a very powerful magnet on a cable or chain into an urban stretch of river  and see if you can dredge up anything interesting or valuable.

As it turned out, the guy who has started doing it here fished out a stolen motorbike, which 1) goes to show how powerful the magnets are and 2) shows how the local criminal element just dump what they steal after first ruining it - cycle theft is rampant here and most of these seem to get chucked when it turns out they aren't a desirable brand.

Of course, it  would be nice if Mr Magnet Fisherman would clear up after himself, even if his haul of rusting metalwork makes a great photo-opp in front of the castle.

I was out wandering around for a couple of hours today, on a bright but very breezy day, looking at the flowers, taking in the sights and drinking tea. This was after 45 minutes on my exercise bike so I reckon I'd earned my own version of mac and cheese when I got in.

Don't ask me too much about that mac and cheese though.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 09.02.19