Wrens are the commonest breeding bird in the UK. Its a dumpy little bird with a very loud voice. In the breeding season I can follow the cat’s progress around his territory by the telling off he gets from my wren. They are supposed to be shy although I appear to have a extrovert. They appear cheerful little birds & are instantly recognisable by their optimistic up-tilted tail
Kestrels, the Moosie-haaks
We have kestrels locally both across the fields by Rake Lane & down by the Priory in Tynemouth. Recognisable by its habit of continuous hovering & often seen over verges, this ‘motorway hawk’ is in fact a falcon. Considered in the past no more than a good mouser, in falconry it was the lowest ranking hence the bird of servants giving rise to the phrase A Kestrel for a Knave the title Barry Hines borrowed for his book describing a young boy’s efforts to rear & train a foundling kestrel, the basis for Ken Loach’s 1969 film Kes.
I often see one sitting in a hedgerow, masquerading as a feral pigeon, its identity given away not only by the lack of companions but also by the distinctive appearance once startle out into the open. The tail is long given the typical cruciform appearance
For me the ability to just hang in the air & then swoop down on its prey is just amazing to watch & it is often this that attracts my attention, that & the scattering of birds from its path
An Autumn Day in Kew Gardens
Visiting Kew Gardens is always a treat for a photographer who loves gardens, plants and macro-photography.
While it was wet I sheltered in the Alpine Conservatory admiring the scented geraniums.
This time I was mostly lucky with the weather as it was mostly dry but there was a brief thunderstorm giving a wonderful glow afterwards to the autumnal colours.
Outside there were bits of late colour in the borders too The nerines scattered through the gardens were bright bits of colour together with beautiful pentstemons resembling grasses. There were some scattered roses too - my favourite was Rosa Madam Isaac Periere.
The highlight for me this time visiting the Gardens was to see the Temperate House. There were familiar plants such as a bottle plant (Callindra emarginata) and salvias including this ‘Black and Blue’ (Salvia guarantica) as well as ones that were less familiar. The Temperate House is beautiful and I thoroughly recommend a visit.
A week in Badachro
Badachro bay
I've just spent a rather chilly week in Badachro in Wester Ross staying with my parents and enjoying being spoilt rotten while being out and around old haunts.
Opinan beach
No mater how often I photograph these bits of home I never quite capture the feel of the place but I think the picture below is one of my better ones of Red Point second beach. I was rather pleased with it as I had only taken the compact camera home.
Hoodies are the carrion crows of the north.
Oxford Sandy and Black piglets
Red Point at its most dramatic
Autumn
The nights are rapidly drawing in now and today its distinctly nippy at 7degrees but still the Japanese anemone blooms on in the front garden. Its the only one left now having had lots for years. They make me think of my grandmother as apparently her garden in Bonchurch was full of them at this time of year
ON the way up to Billy Mill roundabout there have been roadworks all summer and autumn with a resulting area of bare ground. Now there are a few brave plants pushing their way up into the autumn cool including this brave poppy.
Horse chestnut trees are under threat, joining so many of true native trees. This year the conkers are noticeably smaller, the hips there usual size as a comparison
Aconitum - Monkshood or Wolf's bane
I have several Aconites in the garden - all known as various forms of Monkshood. The other name these flowers are known by is wolf's bane. The former name is understandable when you look at the shape of the flowers, essentially like a monk's cowl. The hood below is bi-colour one that is currently flowering in the front garden ( A.x cammarum) - a lot later than its cousins in my magical backyard.
The name Wolf's Bane is reflective of the poisonous nature of these plants, also known as the Queen of all poisons. All parts of the plant can be used as poison but the most poisonous parts are the roots and seeds so extreme care must be taken when handling these plants. Their scientific name of Aconite comes from the arrow tips dipped in poison made from these seed heads.
Poisonous as they are, they are attractive to bees - part of the reason I am keen to have them in my garden despite the dangers they could pose.They are supposed to be particularly beloved of a species called Bombus consobrinus in Scandinavia.Here in my garden though they seem particularly enjoyed by Bombus hortorum
Autumn Butterflies
A couple of butterflies enjoying the early autumn sunshine - the wee garden is full of them
Michaelmas Daisies - the Asters
September 29th is St Michael's Day. St Michael, the Archangel, has two roles which bring him into focus for my wee Witch's Garden and its magical protections of me. St Michael is the Protector - leading the fight against the Devil. The Devil was thought traditionally to come from the north and hence churches at the northern end of town were dedicated to St Michael to gain his protection. St Michael's second role was as a Healer. With these thoughts in mind, I have planted my Michaelmas daisies in the north quarter of the central plot.
Michaelmas daisies are perennial plants belonging to the genus Aster, belonging to the Asteraceae family. In the language of flowers, they symbolise a departure or farewell. To me they signal the departure of summer, blooming their most extravagently from the equinox into the autumn. They are beloved by autumnal bees attracted deliberately into the garden - the tree bees (below) are particularly frequent visitors to the garden dancing today in the sun.
Butterflies
This week when the sun has been out so have the butterflies.
These small tortoiseshell butterflies (Aglais urticae) have been feasting on my leeks left to go to seed from last winter.
The speckled wood butterflies haunt my back garden and I think hibernate in the gooseberrry bushes, like the less welcome gooseberry sawfly.
More insects....
Just when I thought it was safe to pick the currants, this scary fellow scurries out of the berries. Perhaps time to check radioactivity levels....
Ladybirds and Poppies
I have been quite busy on the allotment as ever this month but stealing moments to take the odd photograph around me to remind me of summer as much as the broad beans and raspberries I'm busy freezing.
Poppies are my mother's favourite wildflowers - I too love them for the bright positive attitude suggested in their red silken petals. These had been missed by the mower and not yet destroyed by the wind & rain.
This year seems to be the year of the ladybird on my plot. On Gardeners Question Time last week one of the contributors was saying how few ladybirds are around this year so I must have most of the British population on the allotment mopping up the aphids and brightening the day.
Warm afternoon on the Allotment
Yesterday afternoon was baking hot and humid on the allotment - I did do some weeding and thinning of parsnips. However I rapidly decided that taking photographs was likely to be more profitable as a use of my time.
I seem to be unusually well blessed with ladybirds on the allotment and judging by the number of their tank-like larvae (as below) I will continue to be so.
I like to see other insects of course besides the bees! This daddy-long-legs was quite a poser! I love the delicacy of its wings and it held itself with astounding stillness as it sunbathed.
Warm sunny morning
This morning was almost tropical in its warmth and very humid - just right for loitering in the garden and luckily for me there wasn't anything else I needed to do beyond the housework. Fortunately the visitors to the garden hung around long enough for a bit of photography.
My new 'magical' garden
I decided this year to get rid of the grass / buttercups / dandelions and had to take out the fruit trees as the crab apple had become diseased. When I decided to re-design the resulting space I decided I wanted a garden to reflect in and to have a little sanctuary with planting that can be continually renewed.
From the centre the plot is divided by five spokes of lavender ending with a solar lamp marking out a pentagon. The line between each solar point are filled by hazel saplings.
In each corner of the central plot there is a tree, each symbolic of ancient protections - a yew, an oak, a rowan and a holly. There is also a bramble and elsewhere in the garden I have black elder, an alder and a couple of crab apples.
Besides the air of tranquillity I can follow the sun - from sitting in the bower chair round the bench and chairs on the patio to the rocking chair situated to catch the last in the evening. There is a corner of 'wildness' with a bird table and feeders tucked away behind the gooseberry and I have dug a new pond with a 'alpine' area above it as yet largely unplanted. This is the outer side of the garden and so will have the skull wall created along it and I will also have a place for my carnivores plants.
The design reflects my beliefs and incorporates ideas inspired by symbolism and my love of plants as far as a small wee back garden can be filled to bursting. The main block in the centre of the garden is now outlined by a square of slabs. I have laid small gravel paths running roughly north to south and east to west. In the centre there is a slate sundial surrounded by 7 patio stones with 7 different thymes all within a circle of white and the start of a spiral of gravel.
The planting is in spirals outward from the centre. I'm trying to use plants that are either special to me (sea hollies for example), are particularly bee friendly or have some magical connection. I have used different heights to give movement and to create different vistas within a tiny space. The garden can be seen from above from my bedroom windows and the shapes are clearly delineated but from the ground a different perspective is to be had and walking across the space continually changes what you can and cannot see.
Feeling even more Remiss!
Not quite a year since I last blogged but still way too long - so much so that I had to update the browser on the laptop. This is a beautiful time o year and hence the importance of celebrating this in photographs. This weekend has been the first warm weekend this year and so the bees and other creatures are out and busy on the allotment and in the garden.
These are a selection of my favourite pictures from the last month. As ever bees feature heavily but there are other things that have caught my attention. I am pleased to be blessed with ladybirds on the allotment.
Feeling very remiss
I'm feeling very guilty having not updated the site for months - the usual excuse now: I've been busy! However I have had the camera with me and taken the occasional photograph that has been okay (and a lot that weren't!).
Poppies grow in the unlikeliest of places - this was in a corner of a carpark
The allotment is doing well and I'm pleased with its productivity.
My soft fruit crop has been good too both in the garden and on the allotment -despite the attentions of the sawfly
Even butterflies turn up in unlikely places
The nectar bar on the allotment continues to attract the bees - these were leeks that I let go to seed.... Intentionally of course!
Harrogate
I have been in Harrogate this week for the BMA's annual representatives' meeting and have taken the opportunity to disappear to RHS Harlow Carr gardens. It wasn't particularly sunny but it is always lovely to wander round.
Friday evening
Lovely sunny evening after a day at work, just right for supper and a quiet drink in the garden
Bit of a bore for the cat, this taking of yet more pictures...
A Walk from Corbridge to Hexham along the River
A belated posting from a beautiful day walking between Corbridge and Hexham, visiting the Physic Garden in between. We were expecting rain so a day of sunshine was an unexpected bonus.
Looking down the Tyne from Corbridge bridge
Looking back across the Tyne to Corbridge
As ever I was rapidly distracted by the flowers and insects - take a photographer for a walk and expect to hang around a lot while they take yet another photograph just trying to get that perfect shot!
It is good not to be the only one with cheeky snails
And after a walk through the woods, looking down the hill to our destination and lunch in Hexham.
Corbridge
Looking in our direction of travel upstream
Looking upstream we could see Hexham ahead. Not long after this we came to the Devil's elbow and turned away from the Tyne to walk along its banks.
The Physic Garden at Dilston provided a peaceful and colourful interlude although the sun had disappeared.
Late May Bank Holiday
Its hard to believe today as it is streaming down with rain but Monday was intermittently a good day to be outside. The lavender on the allotment is in full blown bloom currently - its the pretty butterfly type which is supposedly is less hardy than its more common English cousin. In my hands the opposite seems to be true. These form part of my butterfly and bee planting and the bees were happily feasting.
