May the Fourth be with You
This is apparently 'Star Wars Day' because of the punnery with 'May the force be with you'.
Having never seen a Star Wars film it floats several yards above my head.
Having never seen a Star Wars film it floats several yards above my head.
These wee beasties were following Mama to the undergrowth
What beautiful pink feet
The greylag goose is a large, pale grey goose with pink legs and an orange bill.
The greylag goose is a large, pale grey goose with pink legs and an orange bill.
Our commonest native goose, they can be very territorial while nesting, chasing other geese and large birds away from its nesting site. Greylag geese become sociable again once the chicks have hatched, with several families of goslings sometimes grouping together. They have short bills and prefer to graze pasture and meadows where cattle or sheep are grazing. They will also take grain, root crops and leafy vegetation.
Wild birds nest in Scotland, while others come from Iceland to spend the winter. Feral birds nest throughout the country on lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits.
The wild greylag goose is the ancestor of most domesticated, farmyard geese. It was traditionally eaten at Michaelmas (the 29th September: a day for celebrating the archangel St. Michael), and was cooked with port and mustard.
Wild birds nest in Scotland, while others come from Iceland to spend the winter. Feral birds nest throughout the country on lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits.
The wild greylag goose is the ancestor of most domesticated, farmyard geese. It was traditionally eaten at Michaelmas (the 29th September: a day for celebrating the archangel St. Michael), and was cooked with port and mustard.
(From here)
Sparrow with dinner for the kids
Great crested grebe inspecting the nest
Whitebells
Quite common round Worksop.
These are apparently the result of Spanish invaders hybridising with our native blues.
Lady's smock
Cuckooflower, also commonly known as 'Lady's-smock', is a pretty, springtime perennial of damp, grassy places like wet meadows, ditches and riverbanks, as well as roadside verges. Its pale pink flowers bloom from April to June and are thought to coincide with the arrival of the first Cuckoo - a sure sign that spring has arrived at last
Cuckooflower has a rosette of leaves at its base and an upright stem that bears the delicate, small, pale pink or mauve flowers. Each flower has four petals, although double-flowered varieties do appear.
The common name 'Lady's-smock' arises from the cupped shape of the flowers. However, 'smock' was once a slang term for a woman and the name may have alluded to certain springtime activities in the meadows!
(From here)
Tuesday the Fifth of May
Sparrow among the reeds
Mum and the kids
Hands up all those who've had enough duckling pics!
Hands up all those who've had enough duckling pics!
First bramble (blackberry) flowers I've seen this year
I have no idea what this beast is
She's now sitting on at least one egg - just visible underneath her.
More lady's smock on the rugby field
Twenty past nine o' the evening moon
Wednesday the Sixth of May
Moon at a quarter to one in the morning
Just passing by
A huddle of ducklings
Ladybird
Turtle
(or terrapin)
(or terrapin)
Yellow bellied turtles are native to the Eastern United States but are captive bred in the UK.
Their Latin name is: Trachemys scripta elegans. Other names you will see are the Yellow Bellied Terrapin or Slider. They are all the same animal.
The Yellow Bellied Turtle is an aquatic freshwater species which has evolved to live in warmer waters than are found in the UK.
They are strong swimmers but spend a good deal of their time basking in the sun on rocks and logs. They are omnivorous (i.e. they eat both meat and vegetable matter). Young turtles tend to feed more on animal protein while adults … more on vegetation. In the wild they start by eating a wide variety of snails, fish fry, small crustaceans, insect larvae and amphibian larvae, together with a variety of land and water plants.
Their Latin name is: Trachemys scripta elegans. Other names you will see are the Yellow Bellied Terrapin or Slider. They are all the same animal.
The Yellow Bellied Turtle is an aquatic freshwater species which has evolved to live in warmer waters than are found in the UK.
They are strong swimmers but spend a good deal of their time basking in the sun on rocks and logs. They are omnivorous (i.e. they eat both meat and vegetable matter). Young turtles tend to feed more on animal protein while adults … more on vegetation. In the wild they start by eating a wide variety of snails, fish fry, small crustaceans, insect larvae and amphibian larvae, together with a variety of land and water plants.
(From here)
At the nest
Grebes are diving waterbirds, feeding on small fish and aquatic invertebrates. A little bit larger than a Coot, great crested grebes nest on floating platforms made up of waterweed. They can be found on lakes and reservoirs everywhere.
The largest and most often seen grebe, the great crested grebe has an impressive plume on its head and orange ruff around its neck during the breeding season. It has white cheeks, a dark cap, a white neck and a dark body.
Never mind Strictly Come Dancing, to see some fancy footwork head down to your local lake or reservoir to watch the wild dance of great crested grebes. Their early spring courtship includes 'mewing' and calling, synchronised swimming, preening and fanning out their feathery ruffs.
(from here)
Frau Grebe
Moon, almost full, at ten to ten (BST)
November
November is the 11th month of the year in the modern day Gregorian calendar and its predecessor, the Julian calendar. The month kept its original name from the Latin novem meaning “nine” which marked it the 9th month of the year in the Roman calendar.
November was named during a time when the calendar year began with March, which is why its name no longer corresponds with its placement in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
Middle English - novembre
Latin name - novembris mensis - 9th month
Old English - Blotmanad - Blood month
November was originally the 9th month of early versions of the Roman calendar and consisted of 30 days. It became the 11th month of the year with a length of 29 days when the months of January and February were added. During the Julian calendar reform, a day was added to November making it 30 days long again.
November’s birth flower is the chrysanthemum.
The birthstone for November is the topaz.
Monday November the Eighteenth 2019
Red haws over the blue of the reflected sky
Heron, this is the one with the short upper bill that's been around the pond for yonks, showing gulls the meaning of patience.
Kestrel
Fighting the wind
Bee in the leaf litter
What are they doing when they scramble around in the undergrowth?
Are they looking for a place to overwinter?
Or are they just too knackered to fly?
Googling … … … …
Bee in the leaf litter
What are they doing when they scramble around in the undergrowth?
Are they looking for a place to overwinter?
Or are they just too knackered to fly?
Googling … … … …
… leaves and other “litter” are essential shelter for hibernating bumble bee queens and the larvae of numerous butterfly and moth species. Many of these species will happily tuck into a leaf or mulch pile …
Hazel catkins yet to release their pollen
The pond - fifteen pics stitched together.
Web in the sun
Sunset over the pond
Silver birch bark looking like an aerial photograph of snow covered mountains and deep valleys
Pond from opposite sides as the sun goes down
Bare tree against the sunset sky
(from here)
Hazel catkins yet to release their pollen
The pond - fifteen pics stitched together.
Web in the sun
Sunset over the pond
Silver birch bark looking like an aerial photograph of snow covered mountains and deep valleys
(Yes, I have a weird imagination)
Pond from opposite sides as the sun goes down
Bare tree against the sunset sky
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