A Wildflower Compendium

I was hoping to bring you a lovely collection of insect shots today, as the temperature was noticeably warmer today. But apart from a brief sunny interval when I was sat  in the library gardens and  suddenly the insects appeared in numbers, including my first  tree bumblebee of the spring, insects weren't around in large numbers.

A few queen buff bumbles and hairy footed flower bees were about, but none wanted to settle again, and there were no butterflies to be seen.

What I was able to have was a lovely two hour urban walk, listening to Radio 6 as I love, and photographing the various new species of wildflower that have emerged in the past week; forget me nots are now starting to appear and I was happy to see an early cowslip too.

Of course I ended up taking loads of pictures. Why not?

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 09.04.18

And back to the Cold and Damp

Well, at least I had one nice day out in the open. Today has been a far more typical proposition; cold and damp, and it sucked all the life out me completely, especially after my run yesterday.

Everything today felt achey and sluggish, inside and out. I had a fairly slow trundle to the park for my cup of tea, spotting the painted stones children have been leaving out around town for others to find and record. There's another on the castle wall, and another on the Hawton Holt sign.

There weren't any buzzers or flutters around today, aside from a solitary hairy footed flower bee moving too quickly to photograph, as usual. The bees love the yellow flowers on an ornamental bush by the sheltered housing complex, with its almost fractal arrangement of flowers.

Me, my brain and body felt fractalled  today. I ached all the way through my two hour cricket practice, and all the time since.

Grrrr. I need to be warm!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.04.18

Spring Sprung Today

It has taken a while to get going, but Spring arrived for me today with temeperatures in the teens, finally, and a spot of sunshine too. No swallows or martins to be seen yet, but yesterday I saw my first hairy footed flower bee of  the year, and today while I had a really good 9km cross country run I came across a beautiful female tawny mining bee, and heard my first singing chiff chaffs in Sconce Park.

They weren't singing very well, sounding a bit wheezy and off key, but singing they were.

Spring has thus arrived.

I intend to make the best use of my favourite time of the year I can. Sadly our cricket ground is underwater however. Spring forgot that part of my world.

I have a tent to test, and gear to check out, and some trips out of town to do. My world is so small it hurts sometimes.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.04.18

Two Spotted Friend

I've had a very busy day at work today, but around  lunchtime there was a welcome distraction.

I was just  wandering around; frankly, just having ticcing sort of time around my new office. Being reasonably sharp of eye I noticed a small black splotch moving on a window sill. I went in for a closer  look, and was delighted to see that  it was a native two spot ladybird, a species I haven't seen for a very long time.

Smaller than the native 7 spotter, and more importantly also the harlequin, the two spot is being threatened by these invaders who pray on its larvae. Thus having taken a few pictures I knew I had to get it outside as it would never have found its own way.

So, using a reward nomination card that we use at work, I picked it up - attracting a very dirty look from a senior manager as I did so - and took it to a sill outside hopefully protected from the rain.

It was worth it for a dirty look!

Si

Little Slimies, Little Featheries

So, I've had a couple of good little close encounters over the extended weekend while spending as much time outside as I could  given my exhaustion and the occasionally horrendous weather.

The first was with a goldcrest, happy to approach me to less than a metre in a little ornamental bush in South Parade Park. These wonderful little birds are the most fearless  of wild songbirds, I've had  one feeding within 50 centimetres of my less than calming head before.

They are hard enough to photograph as it is, flitting like hummingbirds as they do - sometimes the resemblance is really striking as they will indeed hover momentarily - and me armed only with my mobile phone. But I did manage to get one passable shot.

Yesterday, walking down the cycle path of murder and violence - a third arrest happened today, for attempted murder - I noticed that the temporary pond next to the route had a population of smooth newts back in situ. Last year they spawned, but I thought the pond had dried up before they could develop.

It seems the newts have decided to try again. Good luck to them. A young family were pointing at them; I was glad to tell them what they were looking at.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.04.18

Species Turnover again in the Cemetery

No running today, just went walking for an hour and a half in the afternoon after the rain stopped - I'm told we had a spot of snow first thing - just to see what was about now.

It's another time of change wildflower wise. The crocuses reached a peak a couple of weeks ago, and then just went virtually the moment after they fully opened their flowers for the first time. The glory of the snows were even more ephemeral  - although present they are now past their best and will probably be gone altogether in a week.

The daffodils are now rampant in the cemetery, and in the area by the ditch the primroses are now out and will soon be carpeting that little area. In the ditch itself, I can  see the broad wild garlic leaves, but no flowers.

The almost plastic looking hyacinths are out to join their grape cousins, and coltsfoot is now flowering by the lake off the cycle path.

I hate it when a species of flower goes past its best then disappears. But this is the way of things.

Eventually, after I'd gone home and fixed myself pork and noodles, the sun actually came out and I looked up to look for hirundids. But it is far too soon around here.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.04.18

Blossom Dearie

Today has been cold and thoroughly miserable really, the cloud has been a dirty grey blanket blotting  out the sky all day, and there's been the odd sprinkle of rain. The weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow is even worse.

It might even end up raining space stations.

However, I've felt much more energetic today, and managed to get in a two hour walk and cup of tea this morning, and then a sharp 6km run  in the afternoon in my clementine running jacket.

I then finished off the day by watching Blakes 7 in the bath.

I've been looking at blossom - there's so many different kinds, with the brazen differences in colour, and then even more subtle ones amongst the white flowering trees. The fragrance is powerful too. Sconce and Devon Park has a lovely little orchard full of different kinds.

Still no singing chiff chaffs yet though, which is unusual. I've normally heard one by the end of March.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.04.18