A Guest at Bedtime

I was just getting into bed last night when I found an unexpected guest in my bedroom.

Thankfully it wasn't bothered by the mess, and sat quietly on a towel hanging near my bed.

It was a beautiful, and early, angle shades moth.

Not far off the size of a hawkmoth, and with deeply curved wings, it is a beautiful species. I couldn't leave it to starve inside, so cold though it was, I did release it outside. It didn't fancy it, as it decided to sit on the warmth of my arm, but it fluttered off hopefully to find a safe roost.

As a temporary flatmate, not a bad one!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.04.19

A Great Day for Insects

It was a chilly start to the day, but as the weather warmed up then so did the wildlife. By the time I had done my shopping and reached the library gardens at midday, the various shrubs were alive with solitary bees, a lot of them seemingly attracted to sap on leaves as well as pollen.

There were a lot of tawny mining bees and hairy footed flower bees, but new for the year were hoverflies and what I think is a nomad cuckoo bee.

Judging by the bites I've had, there's been a lot of midge type things kicking around too!

In the afternoon as I walked around the two lakes, butterflies were on the agenda with the highlight being the first orange tips of spring, one of whom was kind enough to pose for just long enough. A somewhat tired looking peacock did the same.

In other news I've been looking at flats and went into an agency but the fees! £250 to sign up.

Sheesh.

Si

End of an Era

So, I had just cycled to Sconce Park for a cup of tea when my landlord's son came up  to me and said hi.

Only he wasn't the landlord's son  anymore, he was now the landlord as he had bought my place from his parents. This now explains why there was all those irritating survey visits a month or two ago. The upshot is that he wants to turn my place into one house along with the vacant downstairs flat, and I am going to have to move out.

I'm not hugely surprised to be honest, the work needed to bring my place - which I've lived in for nearly 14 years now - up to standard was always going to need me gone. The place needs gutting. But it had a nice quiet location with a little garden, and I shall miss that.

It  won't be too hard to  find another place, I hope; already seen a couple of good ones online that have things like, you know, working boilers and non crumbling doorframes. But it's a distraction to my routine, and I don't like that.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.04.19

Cricket Force

I've had a different sort of day today, a sort of "try and do something positive day", and essentially try and get out of the house before 1030am on a Saturday.

So I went down to my summer home from home, Newark R and M cricket club to help out with their "Cricket Force" weekend, a nationally sponsored exercise where cricket clubs throughout the country are  encouraged to sort out their grounds and pavilions in preparation for the new season. Work commitments have stopped me getting down before this year, as well as another sort of issue.

I am utterly hopeless at anything regarding maintenance, fixing, repairing, painting or anything that requires use of the hands.

Having explained that to those in charge, it was deemed that I couldn't make too much of a disaster of washing the windows, so I did that for the whole pavilion without breaking anything and  got some praise for not doing so.

Around me, rather more capable people were chain-sawing wood, fixing guttering and painting the pavilion ceilings. Some of them were 7 years old.

I then did a bit of gardening and leaf-raking, filling very large bags with leaves, although after a couple of hours it  looked like I hadn't done anything anyway as there was still brown crispy foilage from the several hundred trees that seem to surround the ground and my bowling is regularly hit over.

More tomorrow, if all goes well.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.04.19

Threatening Skies Again

This is actually from a few days ago, we've had rather more settled weather the last few days and I've been too busy at work to get out at lunch for a look around. Few queen red tailed bumbles have been about, but not many other insects in the cooler weather.

Around the streets, the bird song is  incredibly loud, with great tits and chaffinches now piercing above the more melodic songs of the robins and blackbirds. Over at Rumbles Cafe, their bird box has had blue tits checking it out.

It is the season of love, evidently.

Me I'm keeping as busy as I can to stave off the usual troubles, but feel very bloated and overweight. I've been trying to make some dietary changes and cut out carbs, and it helps, but there's other stuff going on.

But, fun visits upcoming.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCRackeredNature 05.04.19

The Things that weren't Pigeons

So, aside from the comedy soap opera of pigeons fighting over crisps, there was a fair bit to see on a bright Monday.

I share these images with you here.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.04.19

Chip Fight

Wanted to make the most of this double last day today - last day off and last day of good weather - and managed to have a couple of nice walks today followed by a short sharp session on the exercise bike while watching Star Trek.

As well as nature, I love my sci-fi!

I saw plenty of stuff but wasn't able to photograph much of it - a lovely bee fly was sitting still for me before some passer by disturbed it. I hate it when that happens. Holly blues never settle much for photo opps - yes they were up today - and I wasn't sharp enough for other things.

However, what I was able to watch at leisure today was a battle over half a chip fought by four rather hopeless pigeons while I had a cup of tea at the open air cafe on the market place.

It was rather like watching one of Aesop's fables being acted out for you, because the birds were fighting over the damn chip so much, none of them actually got around to eating it. Every time a pigeon got hold of the damn thing, it spend so much time strutting around with it, it never got to eat it.

I'm not sure any of them did.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.04.19