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What I do on Mondays!
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buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 17 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

This week we went to a Country Park. I'm not sure we expected to see anything in particular - as I recall the venue was chosen because of its good paths and likely freedom from mud.

We saw lots of white blossom - it's too early for Blackthorn and anyway the ones I looked at lacked spines, so they were probably Cherry Plum or some variety of Wild Plum. There were patches of white Violets, a few Celandines, and some daisies.

We also found a few Common Toads in one of the ditches.

But the highlight of the morning were these little beauties:




Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata). When we first saw them they were sitting quietly under the trees on a small island. Then they swam across to hide in some reeds, where it was just about impossible to get a good photograph. Then they suddenly decided to swim out into open water anf gave us the chance of some good shots. Introduced from China and spreading, I gather. Well worth the trip!

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 17 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

a very crispy duck photo

nice to know you have a few toads about, venerable creatures and very friendly if hand raised or gently "tamed" with the odd gift .

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 17 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
a very crispy duck photo

nice to know you have a few toads about, venerable creatures and very friendly if hand raised or gently "tamed" with the odd gift .


A colleague found just how friendly they can be when he put his hand into the pond at work, and it was immediately grasped by an amorous male toad!

Henry

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Mar 14, 17 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nice picture of the duck. The white flowers might be Mirabelle plums; we have a lot of them round our way, some planted along the dual carriageway edge. They have been in flower for some time, but the blackthorn isn't out yet.

Lovely to see the white violets. We have a few primroses in flower in the woods, but I haven't seen any violets yet, although the leaves have come on well. The celandines are shining brightly when the sun in out too.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 17 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I didn't go for a walk this Monday, but here is another picture from last week - the Prunus blossom that we saw a great deal of.



Back to walking next week, assuming the weather is friendly.

Henry

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 17 7:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That is beautiful Henry. Thanks for posting. The mirabelles up our road are going over now, but the blackthorn is coming into flower, so a second wave of lovely blossom. I passed a hedge down nearer the coast yesterday that was quite green. It is a mixture of elder and hawthorn, and both of them are early in leaf.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 17 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Instead of the warm weather and sunshine, that yesterday's forecasts suggested were coming our way, we had grey skies, thick mist and chilly winds - but we still went for our walk!

We heard Chiff-chaffs, a Blackcap, a Cetti's Warbler, Hedge Sparrows, and saw assorted ducks and a few Canada Geese looming through the grey. There were also quite a few Snipe, and we had good, if distant, views of an Avocet. Some swore there were two, but I only saw one.

There weren't many different fungi, but quite a few of these:




This is (I'm told!) the Yellow Fieldcap (Bolbitius titubans) which was actually rather more yellow than it appears. They are very yellow when young, but become paler as they grow.

By the way, I think the camera decided that the drops of water on the grasses were more interesting that the fungus.

Henry

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 17 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nice pic anyway.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 17 4:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

ditto

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 17 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nice picture. The birds were singing here yesterday too, and we had the weather you should have had. I am no good at identifying birds, but there were plenty of them singing. Bluebells are starting to come into flower, still plenty of wood anemones to come and found some more toothwort. It seems to be everywhere this year. Saw a couple of orange tip butterflies too. I thought it was too early for them, but apparently the can start to be seen about now with a peak in May.

Woo



Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 787
Location: Mayenne, Pays de Loire
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 17 7:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I like the water droplets...the fungi is nice too.
we have had a few nice days. I saw some butterflies on the blossom but what always amazes me most is the tiniest bird high on a branch making such a loud beautiful song.

sgt.colon



Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 17 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've only just stumbled across this thread, thanks Buzzy for some very intersting pictures.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 17 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks everybody for your kind comments on my photo. I'll post whenever I can.

Henry

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Apr 03, 17 2:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

This week we went to a piece of 'ancient' woodland. We heard Chaff-chaffs, Willow Warblers, Song Thrushes, Marsh and Cole (or Coal) Tits. There was distant Buzzard or two, and some of us saw a Sparrowhawk. There were lots of Oxlips, and a few False Oxlips, and lots of Wood Anemones and Lesser Celandines.

There were a few fungi, including these:




Galerina marginata, which is called the Funeral Bell, apparently because if you eat them, you die!

Also, about twenty feet up a dead tree, was this:




the aethalial or spore producing stage of the slime mould Enteridium lycoperdon, known (apparently) as the False Puffball.

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Apr 03, 17 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

the slime mould up a tree is interesting, iv'e never seen one at that stage of life.

fascinating life forms ,have you come across the ones that glow pale purple in the dark? they live on wet dead twigs on the woodland carpet. in daylight they look like wallpaper paste with a hint of milk and are easily overlooked , in full darkness they are a bit freaky until identified as "not an alien beast with glowing eyes"

the shrooms are definitely on the NOT food list

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