Mollyblobs

Kent adventure....

2011-06-30T12:52:00.017+01:00

Today we've been working on an area of grazing marsh close to the infamous Kingsnorth Power Station on the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent. At lunch time we made a quick hop over the ea bank to visit a tiny remnant of Medway saltmarsh, with masses of sea purslane and proper little muddy creeks.

It was good to see a sizable population of the silvery sea wormwood Artemisia maritima growing at the base of the sea bank.

I think we finished our fieldwork just in time, from the look of the sky and the showers that were developing over the higher ground!

To avoid the rush hour we took a short trip across the peninsula to Allhallows-on-sea, and village mostly comprising holiday chalets. But we found a small car park next to a grazing marsh and walked to the sea bank to get a view of Southend, on the other side of the Thames Estuary. The view looking west was quite idyllic with a tiny shell beach flanked by wildflowers...

...and to the north there were splendid views of the muddy isolation of the Thames Estuary as it flows into the North Sea.

But to the east there were views of the industry at Grain, including the Power Station and the new gas storage tanks, all lit up by the evening sun with the storm clouds behind them...

The sea wall was quite interesting botanically, with masses of narrow-leaved bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus tenuis and sea clover Trifolium fragiferum. At the base, between the sea wall and the grazing marsh, the dampish track had huge populations of sea barley Hordeum marinum, curved hard-grass Parapholis incurva and annual beard-grass Polypogon monspeliensis.

Annual beard-grass Polypogon monspeliensis

Sea barley Hordeum marinum

And then it was time to go back across the grazing marsh, chat to the cows and head north for Peterborough again. But I enjoyed my very short Kentish holiday!

Holme Fen insects

2011-06-26T13:29:00.008+01:00

A grey start, but soon warming up, and stimulating a flurry of insect activity along the sheltered rides of Holme Fen...

Scorpion fly Panorpa communis

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus

Rutpela maculata

Green-veined white Pieris napi

Four-spotted chaser (female) Libellula quadrimaculata

Comma Polygonia c-album

Swaddyell pyramidal orchids

2011-06-25T20:21:00.000+01:00

On the way back from collecting Pete from Bainton Pit, we dropped in at Swaddywell to see if the pyramidal orchids were flowering. They were - in profusion! Along with a good scattering of bee-orchids. A wonderful sight, especially considering the recent origins of the current grassland.

Pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis

Herbal remedies...or poison

2011-06-24T13:00:00.007+01:00

White bryony Bryonia dioica - a medicinal plant used to induce vomiting. The plants and berries are poisonous to people, with forty berries constituting a lethal dose.

Vervain Verbena officinalis - an effective nerve tonic, liver stimulant, urinary cleanser and fever remedy.

Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa - used in diseases of the sight, weakness of the eyes and ophthalmia.

All found growing at Castor Hanglands NNR.

Steely skies at Orton Pit

2011-06-18T15:34:00.005+01:00

Pete and I led a walk round Orton Pit today, for the local group of the Wildlife Trust. Having left the house in bright sunshine, this is the sight we were faced with when we arrived. A few minutes later there was torrential rain, though luckily we were all able to shelter in our cars for the duration of the storm. The downpour made the walk a somewhat sticky affair but we saw a good range of wildlife including a great crested newt, a baby grass snake and a fine slow-worm.

Three poppies

2011-06-17T15:41:00.006+01:00

Opium poppy cultivar Papaver somniferum

This morning we went for a quick walk round Orton Pit, to sort out a route for a walk we're leading tomorrow. The tops soil store close to the haul road has a good set of ruderal species at the moment including several plants of Polypogon monspeliensis, several fine opium poppies Papaver somniferum and a mixed stand of common and long-headed poppies Papaver rhoeas and P.dubium.

Later at The Boardwalks I came across more common poppies, including this rather unusual variety with net veining all over the flower.

Flat-sedge at Wansford Pasture

2011-06-16T16:30:00.005+01:00

I'm doing an NVC survey of Wansford Pasture for the Wildlife Trust, and today I made my first visit to map the vegetation boundaries and produce community species lists. The site was looking good, with significant numbers of orchids. I recorded four species (Dactylorhiza praetermissa, D.fuchsii, D.incarnata and Ophrys apifera) and at least two hybrids.

But the most exciting find of the day was much less showy - two good colonies of flat-sedge Blysmus compressus at its only site in the Peterborough area. Though the equally understated bristle club-rush Isolepis setacea was also a pleasing find.

Flat-sedge Blysmus compressus

Heron on a bridge

2011-06-15T17:31:00.002+01:00

This heron allowed me to approach very close to take its photograph - probably less than 3m - and then I quietly walked away leaving it to have its morning preen.

Porthome revisited

2011-06-08T18:00:00.009+01:00

Today was the final day of surveying Portholme Meadow and the weather excelled itself, providing a mix of sunshine, strong winds and the odd heavy shower. Portholme is known as the largest hay-meadow in England, and when you're in the middle of it there's nowhere to shelter from the rain. We hunkered down in the grass to shelter from the wind and tried not to care as we gradually got soaked to the skin...

The very strong breeze that followed, shown here by the waving flowerheads of lady's bedstraw, did help to dry us off, after chilling us to the marrow first! But somehow all these trials pale into significance when you're surrounded by such a large extent of species-rich grassland. In the best areas, the sward has more than 90% wild flowers including an abundance of great burnet, common knapweed, bird's-foot trefoil, yellow rattle, meadow buttercup, ox-eye daisy, pepper saxifrage and common sorrel. Not to mention the wonderful range of grasses: sweet vernal-grass, crested dog's-tail, Yorkshire fog and meadow foxtail. What an absolutely glorious place it is!

Bee orchids

2011-06-04T18:53:00.003+01:00

This afternoon Pete and I led the annual bug hunt at King's Dyke Nature reserve. I managed to get a couple of photos of the bee orchids in a quiet spell!

Bee orchid Ophrys apifera

Where are all the insects?

2011-06-03T18:06:00.007+01:00

I took the dogs up to Southey Wood this morning - making the most of a beautiful warm, early summer's day. The common spotted orchids were at their peak and the bramble was in full bloom so I was hoping to get some good insect shots....

But I was sorely disappointed. The commonest insects on the bramble were honey bees, accompanied by the occasional bumble bee. I saw only two longhorn beetles and fewer than five hoverflies on total, though one was a rather splendid bumble-bee mimic Volucella bombylans. I can only assume that this sorry state of affairs is a consequence of the drought, but I hope that things improve soon.

Rutpela maculata

Volucella bombylans

Fledglings...

2011-05-28T18:48:00.007+01:00

Over the past few days the garden has been filled with fledgling birds - first long-tailed tits, then a family of great tits and today blue tits. This young one was sitting in our willow tree calling persistently to be fed.

Thorpe Meadow

2011-05-27T22:42:00.008+01:00

This evening I dropped in at our local hay meadow next to the River Nene. The ox-eye daisies are in full flower and make a fine show with the other wild flowers including red clover, greater plantain, meadow buttercup, common sorrel and meadow buttercup. It's good to see plenty of greater burnet, whose deep red, long-stalked, flowers are very distinctive.

Greater burnet Sanguisorba officinalis

Back at the Rowing Lake the teenage mute swans were settling in for an evening meal of pondweed....

Banded demoiselles

2011-05-21T22:24:00.010+01:00

I took the dogs for an early morning walk along the river and was delighted to find a roost of banded demoiselles on a stand of branched bur-reed, about a metre from the bank. The majority of the roost were male, but there was a single mating pair, and the following photographs attempt to capture the delicate process of getting into the mating wheel which involved much manouevring and fluttering of the male's wings.

Garden surprise!

2011-05-21T19:43:00.005+01:00

I was just carrying my cup of tea into the garden this afternoon, hoping for a bit of quiet relaxation, when I spotted this female scarce chaser Libellula fulva. I ran back inside to grab the camera, never thinking she would hang around long enough for me to get a photo, but when I came out she was still perched on the Jerusalem sage flowers. She must have wandered up from the River Nene, but it's certainly a first record for the garden!

Flying things...

2011-05-07T22:03:00.007+01:00

After a damp start, the weather became bright and humid, and a significant number of species of bee and fly were visiting flowers, particularly the Alexanders and the cornflowers.

Green bottle Lucilia sp. on Alexanders

Mining bee Andrena sp. on Alexanders

Bombus hypnorum was recorded as new to Britain in 2001 in Landford, Wilts. Since then, the bee has spread rapidly, and is now quite plentiful, particularly in the home counties, and increasingly, further afield.

The tree bumblebee Bombus hypnorum on perennial cornflower

May bug

2011-05-07T21:48:00.008+01:00

On the 20th May 2010 we had the first ever cockchafer or May bug in the moth trap. This morning, after a night which was warm and damp (the first rain for over a month), there were two, both males! And Alex saw another flying around during the day, whilst walking round the local streets. After a steep decline in its numbers, it looks as if the cockchafer might be doing a little better locally.

Baby squirrels!

2011-05-06T22:21:00.011+01:00

I went out in the garden to hang some washing, when I caught a flash of movement in our neighbour's large conifer. It was a squirrel, not particularly surprising as they love to come and steal nuts and sunflower seeds from the nearby bird feeders. Then I realised it wasn't alone, and noticed that the second squirrel was much smaller. A baby!

I went inside to fetch my camera, not really expecting them to be there when I got back. But they were!! And as I stood very silent and still, just watching, another three baby squirrels emerged from the shadows. Initially the babies remained well hidden in the deep shade, and despite setting my camera to a very high ISO I couldn't get any shots. The babies were having great fun, skittering up and down the trunk, and chasing each other around.

The mother knew I was there, but I think she had become used to being photographed through the window last winter, so wasn't unduly wary. Eventually she decided that it was time for the babies to go home. I was amazed to see her pick one up by the scruff of the neck and carry it off through the tree branches, down to the bottom of the garden. I tried to follow them, to get a shot, but they stayed weell screened by the trees.

I returned to my vigil by the washing line and watched the babies. In a short time the mother returned, and was clearly exhausted, as she had to lie down on a branch of the pear tree for a few moments rest, before going through the whole process with the second baby.

I tried and failed to photograph the process once again, but when she came back for the third one I managed to get a single shot of her carrying the baby.

I think she must have left the boldest and strongest baby behind, because when she returned for the last time she didn't try and pick him up, but coaxed him out of the conifer with a gentle chittering sound. She showed him the way through the branches, though he did get a bit distracted by looking at me, and then washing his face, before falling out of the tree onto the ground.

He wasn't hurt and was soon re-united with his mum. She gave him a cuddle and he seemed to be aiming for a quick drink of milk, before she led him down the last tree and they both scampered down the lawn towards home.

Early May mornings

2011-05-04T21:42:00.017+01:00

Recently I've been taking the dogs along the river early in the morning. Gemma dislikes heat and prefers to be out in the cool, the light's lovely and there are very few people about. Both the hawthorn blossom and the cow parsley are now at their peak.

Breeding activity amongst the local birds has become frenetic. This song thrush has a territory close to the first bridge...

while this sedge warbler has taken over a small area of reed and a young ash just to the west.

I've frequently seen bullfinches around a sallow tree near the first bridge and today heard the soft piping call, which suggests they are breeding nearby.

This morning this coot was busy building a nest amongst a stand of reed sweet-grass at the western end of the Electricity Cut...

while these mallards were using the tops of the newly pollarded willows as a look-out.

There seem to be more reed warblers than usual on the reserve - I've not kept a proper count, but have heard about six or seven singing males. This one has a nest in the pond at the eastern end of the reserve.

The pair of swans that regularly nest at the eastern end of the Electricity Cut are back, and are incubating at least seven eggs. This is the female, seen through a protective screen of reeds.

There are also seem to be plenty of wrens - this one was singing loudly in a patch of willow and bramble at the western end of the site.

And although they don't breed in the immediate vicinity, this common tern had found a good meal - I just hope its eyes weren't bigger than its stomach!

My river....again

2011-04-18T11:12:00.001+01:00

In the early morning all is quiet along the river. A solitary swan dabbles at the waters edge and the low sunlight burnishes the reeds.

Rabbits graze on the dewy grass...

...and the sun catches the beads of moisture which have formed on yesterday's web.

All trace of the fritillaries is gone, but the meadow is full of glistening dandelion clocks.

And the sun streams through the willows, while the terns scream overhead.

Look who came to the trap!

2011-04-17T22:06:00.006+01:00

Yes , the first ever Emperor Saturnia pavonia moth recorded from the garden - a fine fresh female!

The catch was pretty abysmal - only six individuals, though there were four species new for the year including Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria....

and Least Black Arches Nola confusalis....

Bluebells!!

2011-04-16T23:21:00.009+01:00

The bluebells at Thorpe Wood NR are perfect at the moment....

There are several different types of bluebell in the UK. The familiar native bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, is characteristic of woodlands, hedges and other shady places. There is also a Spanish bluebell, Hyacinthoides hispanica, grown in gardens and found in the countryside when it is dumped there. And there is a hybrid, Hyacinthoides x massartiana, which is now more common than its Spanish parent.

The easiest way to tell the difference between native and non-native bluebells is to look at the colour of the pollen. If it is creamy-white then the bluebell is a native. If it is any other colour, such as pale green or blue, then it is definitely not native.

There are several other ways of distinguishing between native and non-native bluebells. If you have a native then you should be able to answer yes to these questions:

Do the flowers have a strong sweet smell? Are the flowers narrowly tubular with the petals strongly recurved (rolled back)? Is the flower spike nodding at the tip?

For all of these questions it is important to look at plants when they start flowering and at flowers which have just opened. Older flower spikes are less unidirectional and more upright, the pollen may be lost and the flowers could have lost their scent.

(Identification information from the Natural History Museum web-site)

Ring Haw

2011-04-16T09:02:00.000+01:00

This afternoon I took Pete up to Ring Haw, where he's doing an invertebrate survey of the calcareous flushes. While he was busy I pottered around taking photographs, which easily filled a couple of hours!

Wild strawberry Fragaria vesca

There were lots of insects on the blackthorn and crab apple blossom, though most were too fast or too high up to photograph! The rarest and most spectacular of the bees and hoverflies was the furry, foxy-red hoverfly Cheilosia chrysocoma, a nationally scarce species of woodland close to calcareous wetlands, and more frequent in the west.

Male Andrena

Cheilosia chrysocoma

Epistrophe eligans

Andrena on crab-apple blossom Malus sylvestris

After hanging around amongst the blossom, I felt I deserved a bit of a lie down anongst the cowslips. The display is quite spectacular, though will probably be even better in a week or two.

Spring at Southey Wood

2011-04-15T22:59:00.000+01:00

Another dog-walk round Southey wood! Spring is now in full swing, with the early woodland flowers such as primrose and violet still blooming, but now joined by later species such as yellow archangel and wood sorrel.

Wood anemone Anemone nemorosa

Wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella

Goldilocks Ranunculus auricomus

Unfurling bracken Pteridium aquilinum

Flowers of Japanese maple Acer japonicum

Seeds of elm Ulmus sp.

Speckled wood Pararge aegeria

Moving on...

2011-04-09T16:27:00.005+01:00

Although the moth trap is still dominated by common quakers, with a scatter of Hebrew characters, clouded drabs and twin-spotted quakers, last night there were several new moths for the year: Purple Thorn Selenia tetralunaria - a first brood individual, this species is common in the south and the caterpillars eats a variety of broad-leaved trees.

Powdered Quaker Orthosia gracilis

Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta - a common species throughout Britain, occupying woodland fringes, gardens and meadowland. The nocturnal caterpillars live on low plants such as dock and plantain.

Many Plume-moth Alucita hexadactyla - whose larvae feed on honeysuckle.

Birthday picnic at Ring Haw

2011-04-09T14:18:00.013+01:00

A brilliantly sunny April day, with temperatures rising to 20C. As it was Pete's birthday we headed to Ring Haw for a celebratory picnic. Alex took advantage of the sun to top up his tan, while Gemma enjoyed sharing the quiche!

Pete spent most of his time catching bees, while I tried in vain to photograph them. The only one that stayed still enough in the heat of the day was this early mining-bee Andrena haemorrhoa.

Then Pete spotted a two-coloured mason bee constructing its nest in a disused snail shell. She'd only just started and was busy filling it with pollen for the single egg laid within. The whole process of nest-building takes a couple of days to complete, and only five or six are constructed in any one year. However, all this care and attention pays off as very few of the larvae are parasitised or predated. A really comprehensive description of the nest-building process can be found at http://fourfeetandmore.blogspot.com/2010/05/osmia-bicolor-bee-that-nests-in-snail.html

Arriving at the shell...

About to enter....

Just emerging..

off to gather more pollen...

Watching the whole process was the highlight of the trip, but it was also good to see the first early forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima flowering. This is a tiny species, and each of the flower below are only 1-2mm across!

There was also a rather nice, fresh female brimstone Gonopteryx rhamni, pretending to be a leaf!

Sky-dancing

2011-04-03T11:56:00.000+01:00

As a Mother's Day treat Pete and I went to King's Dyke to see the Marsh Harriers. A lot of the time they were rather distant, but every now and then the male would come closer... We watched the pair, plus another individual, drop down into the nest site on several occasions...this is the male coming into land...

Just when I thought it was all over the pair put on a beautiful aerial courtship display, full of drama and acrobatic prowess..

Great crested grebe courtship

2011-03-31T12:29:00.001+01:00

At Ferry Meadows there were a number of great crested-grebes around and this pair were displaying while I was there. The great crested-grebe's courtship display involves a number of stages, with a pair meeting on the water, shaking their heads and dipping their necks. The display will culminate in a 'weed dance' where both dive underwater and collect weed in their beaks before rushing towards each other, low above the water's surface, then rising upright to meet face to face.

March garden flowers

2011-03-31T12:22:00.007+01:00

Emperor moth

2011-03-26T12:14:00.004Z

Last spring we obtained a batch of eggs from a female emperor moth, and reared the caterpillars on bramble. The last day or two the adult moths have been emerging from their cocoons. This is a pristine male - smaller and more colourful than the female. They have now mated and produced fertile eggs - so the cycle begins again.

Spring sunrise

2011-03-25T16:56:00.009Z

For the first time in ages I got up really early and walked down to the river to photograph the sunrise. The dogs were very surprised to leave the house before six, and I felt very virtuous returning home at 7.30 with a set of very atmospheric photographs and two tired dogs!

Blue skies thinking...

2011-03-24T16:33:00.000Z

Today we spent the morning at Orton Pit, walking round with the Site Manager, and discussing management of scrub and ponds. It was an uncharacteristically hot day for March, without a cloud in the sky. While the group stopped for lunch I took some photographs of the golden sallow blossom against the blue sky.

There were quite a few solitary and bumble bees visiting the sallow, as well as this solitary peacock butterfly, which was nectaring.

Reptile tins are present on the reserve and are used to check on numbers, and for training of surveyors. We saw a couple of common lizards under them, and this slow-worm, who had obviously lost the tip of his tail and regrown a stumpier new one.

The first species to colonise the bare clay is colt's-foot - it must be the largest population in Cambridgeshire!

Spring at the Purlieus

2011-03-23T18:13:00.008Z

It was such a warm and beautiful day that we headed off to Bedford Purlieus. Once again there was a pair of kites at the northern end of the wood, and one of the two was calling, a rather haunting ee-ooo ee-oooo ee-oooo. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they breed somewhere in that area.

The wood still looked quite wintry, but closer examination showed plenty of signs of spring. There were primroses blooming along many of the ride edges....

Butterflies and moths were on the wing, including commas and peacocks sparring over their territories, and plenty of patrolling brimstones...

And quite a few dead-wood invertebrates were sitting around on warm trunks, including this Platyrhinus resinosus...

We also saw the first common lizard and slow worms of the year, but no sign of grass snakes or adder

Toads!

2011-03-22T18:59:00.001Z

The toads have returned to the large pond, and this year there is a pair in amplexus. Looking forward to spawn and toadpoles in due course!

Bee-fly!

2011-03-20T18:52:00.003Z

Spring must be here! While doing some gardening I spotted the first bee-fly of the year, sucking nectar from violet flowers and then sunning itself on a warm paving slab. Like a bumble bee they are covered in hair. Bee-flies have a long proboscis (clearly seen here) for drinking nectar from deep flowers. When at rest (which is rare) you can see the wings have dark markings along the leading edges.Bee-flies are expert flyers, and make a high pitched buzzing sound while they hover around flowers, with their long, stilt-like legs dangling below them.

Bee-fly Bombylius major

Oak Beauty

2011-03-20T18:46:00.002Z

Despite the full moon, we put the moth trap out last night. We only trapped four species which were:

Hebrew Character -1
Common Quaker - lots
Small Quaker - 1
Oak Beauty - 1

This last moth is definitely the prettiest of the three. It's reasonably common in England and Wales. It flies in March and April and frequents deciduous woodland and suburban habitats.The caterpillars feed on a number of deciduous trees; the species is not restricted to oak (Quercus).

Oak Beauty Biston strataria

Supermoon

2011-03-19T18:38:00.005Z

At just after 6.30pm the largest moon for over 19 years rose in the eastern sky. Initially it was the softest of blood-red, but gradually deepened in colour as it climbed, eventually becoming a golden orange.

The full moon of March was 221,565 miles (356,575 kilometers) away from Earth on Saturday, March 19 just 50 minutes after it hit its full phase, making it the biggest and brightest full moon since 1993. The "supermoon" phenomenon occurred because the moon was in its full phase and just 50 minutes past perigee – the point of its orbit that brings it closer to Earth

Early spring at The Boardwalks

2011-03-11T18:41:00.015Z

It was a brilliant, blustery early spring day and the River Nene positively sparkled in the sunshine. The hawthorn leaves are emerging rapidly, and the bright sunlight was shining through them, emphasising their fresh delicacy.

One Woodpigeon didn't seem to have woken up yet....

but the Greater Spotted Woodpecker was busy hunting for grubs in the tops of the willow trees, and its tapping echoed across the valley.

The young Black-headed Gulls seemed to have found something tasty to eat in the backwater, and a whole succession of them were flying along and then plunging down to catch their prey - possibly small fish? The approximate sequence went like this -

Getting ready...

eying up the prey....

focus and lunge....

plunge and catch (notice the prey in its beak)...

take off and prepare to do it all again!

Ring Haw

2011-03-07T16:32:00.001Z

A beautiful sunny afternoon, so a visit to Ring Haw was in order to see if the stinking hellebore was flowering. The woods were carpeted with dog's mercury....

catching the low afternoon light....

and the hellebores were just in flower, though they may look better in a couple of weeks.

As we headed back to the car we came across this small group of cattle having their supper!

Spring at Old Sulehay

2011-02-12T22:13:00.001Z

A beautiful early spring day, so Pete and I headed off to Old Sulehay, where I had a play with my new wide-angle lens. Interesting things we saw along the way included:

Carpets of Ditrichum gracile in StonepitClose ...

a huge beech tree...

a ring of small-leaved lime coppice poles, so big that the tree may be a thousand years old...

old coppiced oaks....

carpets of snowdrops.....

a wingless female pale brindled beauty moth on an ash trunk....

a basking ladybird....

a log pile, resulting from ride management....

bare horse chestnut branches.....

flowering hazel.....

flowers of spurge laurel Daphne laureola......

more mosses in Stonepit Close....

Encalypta streptocarpa

Homalothecium lutescens and Syntrichia ruralis ssp.ruraliformis

Woodwalton Fen

2011-02-11T21:34:00.003Z

Chris and I went off to Woodwalton Fen today, in the hope of seeing short-eared owls. It was sunny when we left Peterborough but by the time we'd arrived at the site, grey cloud had again returned. We decided to head to the meres first, but on our way came across this Chinese water deer, the first of many seen during the day.

We spent a bit of time sitting in the hides overlooking both Rothschild's and Gordon's Meres. Rothschild's Mere had a great many gadwall, with quite a few showing interest in each other and continually making grunting noises. Gordon's Mere had a very large number of male green-winged teal displaying, which involved dipping their heads and waggling their tails while making a soft piping call.Unfortunately all the ducks were too faraway to photograph successfully.

We then headed to the western side of the fen, where Chris had seen short-eared owls early in January and watched for a while, but only saw one very distant owl and a couple of marsh harriers. We could see rain approaching, and headed off to the hide overlooking the northern reedbed.

Fortunately the rain didn't last and soon the sun struggled to break through the clouds. We wandered round for a bit longer before heading back to the fen edge at dusk. The long-eared owls were around, but didn't approach close enough for a photograph. However, in the end we didn't really care, because as the sun set, mist began to rise, giving one of those magical moments that can only be experienced in the fens.

Red kite at Bedford Purlieus

2011-02-08T09:43:00.006Z

It was such a lovely day that Pete and I decided to take the dogs to Bedford Purlieus, to see what was about. As we entered the wood a red kite flew off from a nearby tree, really very low - of course I hadn't even got my camera out. I tried to get myself organised as quickly as possible, and was amazed when it was joined by three more. We watched them swirl lazily around high above us before they drifted off over the trees. I had fired off a few shots, but they were really too distant and too silhouetted against the bright sky.

Cursing my inefficiency, I turned to proceed with the walk, but a couple of minutes later two of the kites returned. I managed another couple of shots, and this time the light was better. Although this is not a perfect image, it captures the essence of this glorious raptor soaring in a blue spring sky. It's a shame it has a rather scruffy tail though!

The rest of the walk was fairly uneventful. we saw quite a lot of stinking hellebore at the north end of the wood, but it wasn't quite in flower. We also saw a herd of about fifteen fallow deer and a muntjac, but all were too quick for a photograph. The hazel was in full flower, but everything else remained very wintry. But the birds clearly know its spring - plenty of song and the first drum roll from the greater spotted-woodpecker for the year.

Signs of spring

2011-02-05T18:30:00.008Z

The mild weather of the last week has brought spring on with a rush. Almost overnight the purple crocuses have appeared in our lawn, and the species crocuses in the front garden are just coming in to flower.

The snowdrops are in full flower in the garden.....

as are the winter aconites, which have increased from three to nine blooms in total!

Out and about, at least six lesser celandine plants were flowering at Ferry Meadows yesterday....

while the gales were blowing all the hazel pollen around...

At The Boardwalks the willow catkins are beginning to burst....

and today I saw my first black-headed gull with a properly dark head.

Big Garden Birdwatch

2011-01-29T16:45:00.007Z

The Big Garden Birdwatch seems to come round more quickly every year! I did our survey early this afternoon, as a bit of a break from the more physical activities of the day. The weather was overcast, about 3C and with very little wind - conditions which are usually pretty good for spotting garden birds.

The survey started with a bit of excitement, when I spotted a greater spotted woodpecker in one of the apple trees. It was there for some time, though mostly on the far side of any branches, and then flew up into the willow, where I took this extremely bad record shot!

The next bit of excitement was a blackcap, which suddenly appeared in the dogwood and then flew up into the climbers on the patio. It then spent some time on the fat feeder, clearly enjoying the mix that Pete makes!

As usual there were plenty of wood pigeons and blackbirds, but blue tits were equally common, and it was difficult to keep track of them. I discovered that untidiness in the garden can have unexpected rewards. A bucket accidentally left out overwinter has filled up with water and makes an ideal drinking spot for tits. They queue up on the adjacent bush to use it. I think the rim must be just the right size for their feet, but is probably too narrow for the larger, less agile birds. I even managed to get a good capture of a coal tit while he was queueing up for a drink.

The final list for the year was as follows:

Blue Tit - 8

Wood Pigeon - 7

Blackbird - 6

Chaffinch - 3

Collared Dove - 3

Coal Tit - 2

Dunnock - 2

Blackcap -1

Great Tit - 1

Greater Spotted Woodpecker - 1

Goldcrest -1

Long-tailed Tit - 1

Magpie - 1

Robin - 1

Starling - 1

Wren -1

The main differences from last year were the absence of greenfinches and goldfinches, significantly fewer chaffinches, and a greater variety of invertebrate feeders such as blackcap, wren and goldcrest.

Fine day at Ferry Meadows!

2011-01-28T18:09:00.010Z

The weather today was better than the forecast, with sunshine pretty much all day, though it's turned bitterly cold again, a maximum of 2C with a northerly breeze. The dogs and I had a pleasant afternoon walk at Ferry Meadows. Most of the usual winter residents were around, including what I assume is a young male shoveler, who's not yet acquired his adult plumage, and a pair of wigeon.

The light was quite nice, so I took a few photos of Ferry Bridge and the River Nene looking west, using my new 10-22mm lens. Ferry Bridge was apparently built in 1716 using local limestone, and was a toll bridge.

Evening clouds

2011-01-26T18:04:00.002Z

There was quite a spectacular cloud formation over the Rowing Lake late this afternoon!

Hawthorn shieldbug

2011-01-25T18:06:00.000Z

Today, while putting some garden waste in our green waste bin, I found this hawthorn shieldbug Acanthasoma haemorrhoidale on the rim. This species overwinters as an adult, emerging and mating in the spring. I suspect the slightly milder weather we've been experiencing over the past weeks has encouraged it out of hibernation.

Grey wagtail

2011-01-25T17:55:00.006Z

After suffering a bout of winter vomiting virus last night, I took the dogs out for a short potter along the river and Boardwalks at lunchtime. Almost as soon as we arrived we spotted a heron settling in for a spot of fishing...

The rest of the walk was fairly uneventful, until we got back to the Rowing Lake, and there was a grey wagtail dabbling around at the edge. It wouldn't let me approach very closely, so this is the best shot I could get.

In the afternoon we had a red kite over the garden. We see them occasionally, but this one was relatively low and circled a few times before flying off.

Hibernating frogs

2011-01-22T16:53:00.003Z

While working in the garden this afternoon I found four frogs hibernating under a stone next to one of our ponds. This one was obliging enough to let me take its photograph!

Jay Day

2011-01-20T18:47:00.009Z

I went for a walk through Bluebell Wood today. As I entered the main part of the woodland I spotted a jay land in a tree not too far away. The jay was clearly searching for acorns that it had buried in the autumn, and I managed to get a shot of it with an acorn in its mouth. A bit later on I came across three more jays, who were systematically stripping off ash keys and eating them.

On my way back on the flood meadow bank I spotted the jays again, still busy foraging for food. I was also lucky enough to catch glimpses of a kingfisher and a couple of male bullfinches, all a long way away though. Shortly afterwards I came across a heron, and grabbed a couple of shots of it flying away and then I spent a few minutes watching a cormorant, in breeding plumage, fishing. The somewhat blurry shot of it below shows a perch in its mouth.

Spring is in the air!

2011-01-19T17:28:00.014Z

Reflections of ash

After a few days without walks, enforced by bad weatherand Gemma having a poorly paw, we resumed our visits to Thorpe Meadows and the Boardwalks. Thert's been quite a change over the last week or so. Mostof the hazel is now in full flower - wonderful yellow lamb's-tails and the tiny red starry female flowers.

Female flower of hazel Corylus avellana

There are still remnants of autumn and winter though; the flower-heads of the hogweed still retain their seeds, while those of the cow-parsley have long lost theirs.

Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium seedhead

The large number of swans that were overwintering on the RowingLake have mostly dispersed, leaving the regular few who breed in the area. One male swan has taken to standing on the paved area between the backwater and the Rowing Lake, and won't be moved. Another pair of swans were dabbling about further downstream, and I saw at least two more potential pairs on my way round.

An unexpected, but very welcome, record was that of a female goldeneye on the Rowing Lake. This is the first time I've ever seen one here.

Female goldeneye

Gloom, gloom, gloom

2011-01-07T17:37:00.006Z

After heavy rain all morning, grey gloom persisted through the afternoon. I took my camera to The Boardwalks with little expectation of getting any good photographs. Close to the Rowing Lake a small mute swan family were boldly hoping for food, enabling me to get a close-up of the male. The low light levels helped to retain the detail in the white feathers.

Further along I was taken by the textures and colours of the rotting sweet-briar hips and a rather frilly lichen. My new monopod enabled me to take some reasonably acceptable shots despite the greyness.

At the far end starlings were gathering up on the wires between the pylons, prior to flying off to their roost. I love the simple silhouetted shapes - I just wish I could have recorded the chattering and whistling that accompanied these views!

Goldcrest and friend

2011-01-06T17:31:00.003Z

A goldcrest came into the garden today - the first time we've seen one for ages. I tried to get a good photograph, but the speed with which it moved, combined with low light levels, conspired against me. The only one that was half decent doesn't show the gold on its head - though it shows up the tiny tweezer like beak well.

And who could resist the patio robin?

Birthday trip to Welney

2011-01-04T19:26:00.019Z

As a special treat for my 50th birthday, we went off to the Wildfowl Trust's Welney Reserve. Many years ago I produced a Management Strategy for the Ouse Washes, and I still have a deep affection for it. The Welney Reserve has the advantage of a cafe and heated hide, which helped tempt my youngest offspring along too. Unfortunately the weather was pretty awful, with a deep grey sky and intermittent drizzle, which made photography challenging.

As usual there were heaps of mallard, pochard, mute and whooper swans near the main hide. Much of the area is still frozen which restricted the other birds a bit, but we saw some wigeon and pintail. There were five geese hanging around the main hide, four of which appeared to be greylags, with a single pink-footed goose accompanying them.

Pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus

Greylag goose Anser anser

The whooper swans have laid claim to the open water around the hide, and are keeping the Bewicks away. There seemed to be quite a lot of juvenile birds - this pair appear to have seven cygnets with them - very good going!

Although most of the time things are peaceful amongst the swans, sometimes tempers become frayed!

Whooper swans Cygnus cygnus

I tried out my new wide-angle lens, although the conditions weren't really suitable. After a couple of shots I reverted to the telephoto!

As dusk approached the sky started colouring up, and the washes were particularly atmospheric with parties of duck wheeling around in the sky.

At about 3.30pm the swans are fed with grain, which causes a major scrum!

After the swans and other wildfowl had been fed, light level had dropped so low that the only available subject was the glorious sunset, a huge contrast to the greyness which had persisted for the rest of the day.

Garden seagulls in the snow

2010-12-22T16:26:00.000Z

We had our first decent snowfall this morning. Having topped up the feeders and the water bowl, there were plenty of birds in the garden, including at least fifteen blackbirds. Pete spotted a few seagulls scouting around, so we put out some bread to see if they would come down.

Under normal conditions seagulls very rarely visit the garden, because it's too wooded and enclosed. There are always plenty around on the nearby recreation ground, and we've seen them go down into gardens with larger lawns. After a few minutes a mob of seagulls came down, squabbling over the crusts.

The majority of the scrum were young black-headed gulls. However there were also a few juvenile common gulls. This is the first time we've ever recorded this species in the garden - perhaps a sign of how hard conditions are at the moment.

Thorpe Hall

2010-12-21T16:15:00.000Z

Although the fog had disappeared to be replaced by welcome sunshine, the hoar frost was still present. Pete and Alex both had flu, so I took the dogs for a quick walk round Thorpe Hall before continuing with the Christmas preparations. I walked all the way through the grounds and onto Holywell Fish Ponds. On the way round I had good views of a bullfinch, two jays, a green woodpecker and a rather scrawny looking fox, though no chance of photographs while holding two dogs on the lead.

Hoar Frost

2010-12-20T15:54:00.008Z

Today we woke to find dense freezing fog and the most amazing hoar frost. I took a number of pictures in the garden.....

and then a few more at The Boardwalks. The ice on the rowing lake was thick enough to skate on - at least 15cm!

No snow

2010-12-18T16:22:00.005Z

Even colder here today. Much of the country has been crippled by heavy snowfall, particularly the south and west, but so far we've had none. There were some amazing ice crystals on the ivy this afternoon, and the predominantly grey day was brightened up by frozen hips of sweet-briar and some completely iced fungi!

The big freeze returns....

2010-12-17T16:16:00.006Z

After a brief spell of sleet and snow on Thursday afternoon, which left a dusting of the white stuff on the vegetation, temperatures plummeted. On Thursday morning it was 7C and by the end of the night it was about -5C! Friday was gloriously clear and crisp, and the river was an excellent place to recuperate from a noisy Christmas party.

Grey and gloomy

2010-12-15T16:13:00.006Z

A grey and gloomy walk at Ferry Meadows this morning - with persistent mizzle, occasionally turning into rain. The thaw hasn't had a major impact on the frozen lakes. There's slightly more open water, but in general most of the surface is now ice, with a thin layer of water on top. The pochards and tufted ducks seem to have retreated to the river. There are still an awful lot of coots though!

On the way back I was quite surprised to find a hazel catkin, apparently almost fully open. There was no free pollen, but this may have been a result of the damp conditions. All the other hazels still have tiny catkins.

Hazel Corylus avellana catkin

Frozen wildfowl

2010-12-09T23:26:00.006Z

Although temperatures are now above freezing, the ice has expanded even further since our last visit to Ferry meadows, and it looks as though it'll take a while to melt. There are only three very small areas of open water, and most of the birds seem to have moved on. Today there were no wigeon, shoveler or gadwall, and only a very few tufted duck and pochard. Coot number remain high though, with well over a hundred present. The resident geese, swans, mallards and cormorants are also sticking it out!

Holme Fen sunset

2010-12-07T22:43:00.002Z

After having walked round Woodwalton Fen in the morning, I drove back to collect Pete from Ramsey Heights and then we took the dogs for a walk round Holme Fen, just in time for one of the most glorious and coldest sunsets I've ever experienced (-5C). The photographs are in sequence, showing how the sky changed, and they haven't been altered in any way. The colours were truly amazing.

Woodwalton Fen on ice

2010-12-07T18:20:00.017Z

It was the coldest night so far this winter, going down to -10C at Wittering. Pete had to go to a meeting at Ramsey Heights, and it was still only -6.5C when we set off at 9.45am.

I had the luxury of a walk around Woodwalton Fen on my own, as dogs aren't allowed on the reserve. This fragment of undrained fen is always beautiful, but today the heavy hoar frost had transformed it into a magical fairytale land. The snow had frozen hard and crunched underfoot, and the reeds rattled when the breeze blew, because they were encased in ice.

The prospect of icy roads seemed to have put off most other people and I almost had the fen to myself. Despite the cold there was plenty of wildlife - flocks of fieldfares and redwings on the hawthorn berries, assorted tits (including a marsh/willow tit), flocks of redpolls feeding on the birch and alder, a buzzard, a Jack snipe flushed from a ditch and several water rail.

For a while I became disorientated, but managed to navigate back to an area I recognised using the sun. I walked along the outer edge of the reserve for a while, looking out over the dazzling silver fenland, until I came to another ride heading back in the direction I needed to go. I was just about to descend the steps down the bank when I saw a Chinese water deer grazing on the edge of the ride. I took some photos, but it was very distant. However it seemed preoccupied and I was able to approach much more closely, managing to get a few shots on the way. I noticed it kept staring across the ride, and it was only when I was much closer, that I realised there was a second deer hidden behind the reeds. Eventually it moved off, disturbed by the other deer rather than me, and I started to stride out more quickly. However, all of a sudden it burst out of the reeds and stared straight at me, before leaping off into the fen. Magical!

And just when I though it couldn't get much better, I spotted a water rail foraging around in a frozen ditch. It too seemed remarkably unperturbed by my presence, and I managed to get several nice shots of it, of which this is the best. What a morning!

Ferry Meadows freeze

2010-12-06T17:46:00.000Z

The freeze is well and truly back - at Ferry Meadows today the large lake was almost completely frozen over, except for two pools, which were full of wildfowl.

Most of the birds were content to dabble in the pools or loaf on the ice....

but the coots couldn't decide where to be, and made their way across the ice in a long row, with much flapping and prancing...

The range of wildfowl was pretty much as usual - feral greylag geese, coots, tufted ducks but it was good to see a few pochard.....

and gadwall...

And we were just in time to watch a beautiful sunset over the completely frozen small lake,throwing the bulrushes into silhouettes.

Southey Wood thaw...

2010-12-05T17:30:00.000Z

After ordering the Christmas meat we took the dogs to Southey Wood. It was another frosty start, but during the day there was a slight thaw, and the trees and bushes were covered with sparkling droplets.

The Big Freeze continues.....

2010-12-03T22:19:00.011Z

The Rowing Lake is almost completely frozen over and is covered with animal tracks, including rabbit, fox and these swan prints....

but the fifty or so swans have managed to keep one area of open water amongst the ice....

Many black-headed gulls were resting on the ice, all facing south-west, towards the sun and the prevailing wind....

The low winter light shows up the row of planted willows along path...

There were plenty of rabbits searching for food on the banks, though rather strangely the dogs seemed to ignore them today. This one is obviously hungry as it's gnawing the bark from a fallen tree trunk....

The temperature didn't rise above about -2.5C today, preserving the perfect snow crystals that fell last night. There is at least one intact hexagonal snowflake on this leaf....

Although we might complain about the cold, the dogs absolutely love it - their wolf origins come to the fore!

Castor Station to Wansford

2010-11-28T21:48:00.012Z

At 10.30am the temperature was still -3.5C, and we had to scrape ice off the car windows before setting out for a walk along the River Nene from Castor Station to Wansford Station. It was a glorious morning, the ground still dusted with yesterday's snow.

Surprisingly, we found that the stretch of the Nene between the lock and the backwater weir was lightly frozen, something neither of us have ever seen before!

Near Wansford Station we came across a herd of friendly bullocks, who didn't seem to be at all bothered by the cold weather (or the dogs!)

First snow

2010-11-27T21:33:00.006Z

On Friday we had frost. By Saturday morning we had our first covering of snow!

Not very deep - scarcely 1cm - but with rather a strange granular texture....

Freezing Ferry Meadows

2010-11-26T21:19:00.000Z

After a busy day, we managed to get out for a dog walk just in time for sunset. The weather was bitingly cold, giving fantastically clear conditions, and superb reflections.

Just before the sun finally set, we realised that there was a second, less bright image to the left of the sun. This is a sun dog, caused by refraction of the sun's rays by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

No ice on the large lakes, but the smaller lake is beginning to freeze at the sheltered ends.

Starling murmuration

2010-11-25T08:52:00.009Z

Yesterday we went to see the starling murmuration at Fen Drayton Pit. I'd hoped to see them against a glorious sunset, but after a promising start, the day turned grey and cloudy. However, I'd read that after a peak of 10,000 birds, numbers were now dropping, with about 5,000 seen the previous day, so we decided it would be better not to postpone our visit.

We arrived about 3.15pm and all was quiet - not a starling in sight. However, after a few minutes the first small groups began to arrive, and gradually numbers built up until more and more had joined the flock.

We watched in awe as they swirled around the sky forming a range of patterns. All the time new flocks of starlings were coming in from the south, and as they flew over our heads we could hear the beat of their wings.

Twice sparrowhawks came to hunt, splitting the flock into a number of smaller groups. Both were successful and we saw them drop to the ground with the unfortunate starlings they had caught.

By about 3.40 the first of the starlings started to funnel into the reed-bed. This was an amazing sight - it was like a switch had been thrown and a set of them just dropped from the sky. They didn't all go in together, there were about three or four separate drops. Even after most of the starlings were in the roost, latecomers kept arriving, but they just flew straight into the reed-bed, having missed the murmuration. The chattering of the roosting starlings is something I'll remember for a long time.

Frosty walk

2010-11-24T09:08:00.002Z

Today I went for a frosty morning walk along the river with the dogs. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, and saw lots of birds, including a kingfisher. A young heron was sitting on the red bridge, and I managed to capture a shot of it as it flew off. We followed it for some distance until it found a safe place on the other side of the backwater to go fishing. It's now looking very wintry down there - and with the recent weather forecasts, will look increasingly so.

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos drake

Young grey heron Ardea cinerea

Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium

Ash Fraxinus excelsior keys

Robin Erithacus rubecula

Garden birds (and others)

2010-11-22T18:40:00.010Z

Lots of birds at the feeders today - they often seem to like dull grey days best - which is not so good for photography. However, I decided to practice my bird photographya bit this morning, even though I had to use ridiculously high ISO settings. As you can see it's not only the birds who use the feeders. We have three squirrels, but so far they are not managing to raid the new feeder too badly!

Coal tits - at least one pair visiting regularly

Blue tits - seem to be five or six around at the moment

Greenfinch - we have a lot of these but they mostly congregate on the more distant feeders

Male chaffinch

Female chaffinch - very numerous at the moment

Wintering birds on the Wash

2010-11-22T18:27:00.007Z

Yesterday Alex and I went to visit some friends who live in a cottage right on the edge of The Wash. After lunch we went for a walk along the sea bank and were treated to the sight and sounds of redshank, curlew, oystercatcher, little egret, large numbers of dark-bellied Brent geese...

and swirling flocks of small waders, possibly dunlin or knot (as it was a social visit I hadn't taken binoculars or a telescope).

And on the way back to their cottage there was almost a sunset!

Ice,ice....drip

2010-11-16T21:50:00.009Z

A very hard frost this morning ....

melting rapidly in the morning sun....

producing perfect diamond drips.

Crown Lakes

2010-11-16T21:29:00.010Z

Couldn't get out till this afternoon, but as it was one of those crisp, clear, late autumn days we thought we'd take the dogs to Crown Lakes. Not much around in the way of birds, apart from a flock of redwings that flew over, but the low light made the reeds and wood small-reed glow.

View across Crown Lake towards Yaxley

Grey club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, with the reed-bed behind

Common reed Phragmites australis

Silver birch Betula pendula

Wood small-reed Calamagrostis epigejos

Development land on the far side of the railway

Honey bee and daisy

2010-11-15T22:49:00.006Z

Although it was very cold overnight, by lunchtime it felt quite warm on our patio, which is sheltered and south-facing. I was still surprised by the number of insects visiting our Mahonia aquifolium, a gloriously sweet-scented winter-flowering shrub. I spent five minutes watching the bush, and noted early bumble-bees (again!), two species of hover fly, bluebottles and this very industrious honey bee. I took a quick stroll around the rest of the garden and was also surprised to see this newly opened ox-eye daisy - all the other daisy plants finished flowering months ago!

Honey bee Apis mellifera

Ox-eye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

Frosty morning at Ferry Meadows

2010-11-15T22:39:00.006Z

After a very frosty start the morning was all dazzling sunshine and blue sky, with hardly a breath of wind. The River Nene looked very tranquil in the morning light, and the low sun highlighted the shapes of the young pollard willows.

In Bluebell Wood, the last leaves were still hanging on to the plane tree, and the larch needles glowed like polished gold against the dark green of the pines behind.

Roses and honeysuckle - in November!

2010-11-14T16:46:00.006Z

The strange out-of -season flowering continues in the garden. The 'Rambling Rector' rose has put on a small but very welcome second display, while the honeysuckle seems to be having a pretty major second flower. I have never known either of these species to flower in autumn before.

More seasonal are the flowering spikes of this Pennisetum, which always flowers late in the year, although normally in September rather than November. This species is somewhat tender, and we thought we had lost it after last winter. Thankfully it has survived, though is not quite as vigorous as it was.

Pennisetum sp.

Bedford Purlieus - again!

2010-11-13T17:34:00.011Z

My eldest son, Chris, has been home this weekend, the first time since mid-September. Today we had a lovely leisurely walk around one of his favourite sites, Bedford Purlieus. The sheep are still grazing, so the dogs stayed on their leads for the first part. We were a bit concerned to see two sheep on the far side of the paddock fence, so I held on to the dogs while Chris went to try and herd them back through the gate. We soon found out why they were there - they could easily fit under the gate and were soon back with the rest of the flock.

The wood is looking substantially barer than last weekend, following the rain and high winds in the week. In fact, with fairly cold temperatures the whole place had quite a wintry feel. However, the bare branches meant that we could see the birds more easily. We had good views of a goldcrest, as well as jays, buzzard, red kite, various tits and a flock of redwings. There was also a large herd of female fallow deer roaming around, including an almost black individual. We had some very good views, although only Chris managed to get a photo.

Seeds of hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum

Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna berries

Beech Fagus sylvatica plantation

Golden beech leaves

More beech!

Seeds of Traveller's Joy Clematis vitalba

Summer, autumn or winter?

2010-11-09T21:19:00.010Z

Common wasp Vespula vulgaris

Today the rain stopped, but there was a bracing north-easterly wind which brought a chill to the air. I always think this time of year is quite strange. There are the last vestiges of summer - flowering hogweed and red campion as well as the last wasps sipping nectar from the ivy blossom. Berries, fallen leaves and fungi are autumn icons. The large number of swans on the Rowing Lake (at least 54 today) is a winter feature, and the tiny hazel and birch catkins are the first harbingers of spring.

As I walked through the nature reserve, I could hear a plaintive whistling. Turning a bend I found a single cygnet on one of the shaded pools, calling for its lost family. At least three sets of swans bred in the general area last summer, so I'm not sure which it belonged to. I hope it found them eventually.

Young mute swan Cygnus olor - calling for its family

A decaying log in the central part of the site supported a very large number of inkcaps, while another dead shrub on the floodbank had hundreds of tiny ear-like fungi, whitish on the upper surface and a soft brown underneath. They are clearly jelly fungi (Ascomycetes) and are quite reminiscent of Jew's Ear, but the largest were no more than 1.5cm across. I have searched in various fungus books and online, but I can't seem to put a name to them. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Coprinella micacea

Coprinella micacea

Unidentified jelly-fungus

Bedford Purlieus

2010-11-07T21:04:00.008Z

We took the dogs to Bedford Purlieus today,for their birthday walk. As usual we let them off their leads once we had entered the gated paddock - but to our immense surprise there was a flock of sheep in it. Luckily we saw the sheep before the dogs did, and called them back to have their leads put on again. It seems very strange that there were no warnings - the stock fencing has been up for about four years now, but this is the first time there have ever been sheep present,and lots of people exercise their dogs there. Ours are fairly well behaved, but have a lot of hound in them, so will chase anything that runs. We can't risk letting them off their leads when sheep are around, though they have a very healthy respect for cattle and horses.

The autumn colours were stunning - especially in the beech and sweet chestnut plantations.

There were also a few fungi lingering on, though nothing like the huge numbers in mid-September.

Fairies' Bonnets Coprinella disseminata

Collared Earthstar Geastrum triplex

Holme Fen

2010-11-06T18:32:00.002Z

Summer Standing

After glorious sunshine, the clouds gathered and our walk at Holme Fen was mainly overcast. This didn't dull the glorious gold and copper hues of the birch leaves and bracken.

Tomorrow Gemma and Rosie will be 11, but they still have plenty of energy to chase sticks, even if they never bring them back.

Sprawler at Ferry Meadows

2010-11-04T18:19:00.001Z

Today we varied our dog walk, and headed through the woods towards Alwalton. On our way back we came across this pair of Sprawlers, in cop in a fence-post. They were very smart, and very well camouflaged against the wood.

Sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx

It was a grey and windy day, but extraordinarily mild for the time of year. The oaks were just beginning to colour up, and many of the other trees were at their peak, although lots of leaves were falling in the strong breeze.

Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur

More Oaks

Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus plantation

Gulls!

2010-11-03T18:23:00.009Z

A mother and child were feeding the ducks at Ferry Meadows, and had also attracted a large crowd of black-headed gulls. I used this opportunity to practice taking photographs of flying birds, something I find generally difficult. There were a lot of blurry shots, but a few came out OK, so I was quite pleased.

Orange and red

2010-11-03T18:07:00.005Z

It's certainly been a funny old year. When wandering round the garden this morning I noticed that the seedpods of the stinking iris were splitting to reveal the vivid orange seeds (a late autumn event), while only a few metres away the wild strawberry was in full flower and producing a second crop of fruit (normally a mid-summer event). Our 'Rambling Rector' rose is also having a quite creditable second flower, the first time that it has done this in fifteen years.

Stinking Iris or Gladdon Iris foetidissima

Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca

November in the garden

2010-11-02T18:44:00.009Z

Autumn in the garden...

Autumn - our Millefeuille Dutch Bantam

Summer - our Silkie cross - a good egg layer

Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, flowering again

Banded snail Cepaea sp - without any bands

Fading Marsh Mallow Althaea officinalis

Pampas Grass Cortaderia sp.

All Saint's Day

2010-11-01T17:54:00.000Z

After the excitement of Halloween, All Saint's Day was mild, calm and grey. Not much to see on our morning dog-walk, although the leaf colours are reaching their peak. A bold swan approached us inquisitively - probably hoping for bread and we found a small grove of Shaggy Pholiota. Gemma had a disagreement with a large brown dog. We later found out that this was a rescue dog who had been ill-treated in her former life, so we had to forgive her.

Norway Maple Acer platanoides

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Shaggy Pholiota Pholiota squarrosa

Rummer's Lane Orchard - again

2010-10-31T19:06:00.009Z

This morning we made a return visit to Rummer's Lane Orchard. Although the sky was grey, the orchard was as beautiful as ever, the ancient trees festooned with red and gold apples. There were many windfalls which were gently fermenting, scenting the air with cider. We found several species of fungi, and a beautifully marked spider, hiding in a crack of an old trees.

Shaggy Pholiota Pholiota squarrosa

A giant specimen of the SpectacularRustgill Gymnopilus junionus, over 20cm across

Sulphure Polypore Laetiporus sulphureus

The Walnut Orb-weaver Nuctenea umbratica

Halloween

2010-10-31T18:06:00.002Z

Alex and his friends carved a splendid set of pumpkins for Halloween. You can see that Alex's one is a biohazard from the green glow and the logo....

while this one seems to be a binge drinker....

and this one doesn't seem to have very long to live....

Ring Haw autumn

2010-10-30T18:35:00.001+01:00

We went for a walk at Ring Haw this morning. The hazel and field maples glowed gold in the sunshine, and the blackthorn bushes were dripping with sloes, their bluish bloom contrasting against the bronze and yellow foliage. In a shady corner we found a deadly nightshade, with its sinister black berries - so appetising but so deadly. The Manx Loghtan sheep were grazing peacefully, and in the distance a fallow deer stag roared, the king of his harem.

. Hazel Corylus avellana

Manx Loghtan sheep

Berries of deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna

Sloes Prunus spinosa

Golden leaves of field maple Acer campestre

Frosty morning walk

2010-10-25T20:43:00.012+01:00

It was such a glorious sunny morning that I decided to take the dogs through the Boardwalks fairly early. There had been quite a significant frost last night, and all areas that hadn't been touched by the sun were still white and crystalline. For the first time this year I had to wear my gloves!

As soon as we left the car I spotted our local flock of Canada geese grazing in the morning sun. This flock have been regular winter residents of the area, and I suspect they are the overflow from Ferry Meadows. They made for the water as soon as they saw me and the dogs approaching, and once in the Rowing Lake many of them started drinking, supping up the water and then tipping their heads back to let it run down their throats.

Canada Geese Branta canadensis

Along the river and through the Boardwalks, the low winter sun was lighting up the vegetation - a single stem of common reed, golden birch leaves and the yellowing leaves of poplar. The seagulls were in their usual place on the red bridge, and I managed to get a quick shot before the dogs scared them away. This bridge can be a good place to photograph herons too.

Common Reed Phragmites australis

Silver Birch Betula pendula

Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus

Hybrid Black-poplar Populus x canadensis

Although it still felt very chilly, near the end of my walk I was amazed to see that there were quite a few wasps feeding on ivy blossom (though I didn't manage any good photos) - they must be very hardy.

Ivy Hedera helix

Seedheads galore... and polypores

2010-10-22T21:04:00.014+01:00

Although we are now well into autumn and have had our first frost, the trees are mostly staying stubbornly green. The hickory and Japanese maples at Southey Wood, which were beautiful a couple of weeks ago, have largely shed their leaves, and at the moment the main trees showing autumn colour are the buttery-yellow poplars and some of the beech, which are just beginning to turn russet.

There are plenty of seed heads around including....

Traveller's joy Clematis vitalba

Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium

Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris

and the delicate white seeds of Gromwell Lithospermum officinale

The number of mushrooms and toadstools seems to be declining, although there are new flushes of certain species. However, the bracket fungi just seem to be reaching their peak.

Lawyer's Wig Coprinus comatus

Razorstrop Fungus Piptoporus betulinus

Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa

The underside of Blushing Bracket showing the shape of the pores

It was quite warm enough to walk around without a jacket, and in sunny corners there were still a few insects including drone-flies, hornets and several comma butterflies.

Comma Polygonia c-album

Gemma certainly enjoyed her walk!

First frost

2010-10-21T17:53:00.003+01:00

This morning I came down to find the grass and leaves dusted with frost, all of the crystals tiny and almost cubic. It seems a long time since we've had a frost this early in the year in Peterborough - in 2009 the first frost arrived on 1 December, 40 days later than in 2010.

Not quite winter yet....

2010-10-20T20:16:00.009+01:00

Much of the country had a frost last night, but here in Peterborough the lowest temperature was about 2 degrees, so no beautiful frost crystals to photograph yet, just a heavy dew. Took the dogs for a lunchtime walk along the Rowing Lake and River Nene, and, as usual, we were greeted by the crows, who like to taunt the dogs.

The wall-to-wall sunshine brought out the glowing colours of the lichens and dogwood leaves....

and quite a few invertebrates were warming themselves in its rays - making the most of their last few days...

Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina

Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis

Male Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum