Tag: cowslip
Keeping connected to nature: even during lockdown
Hard times for us all. So many pressing concerns. Not least of these, for many of us, is the way in which our access to the natural world has suddenly become so constricted. Absence, it is said, makes the heart grow fonder. How true this seems now, regarding not just family and friends, but also […]
Wildwatch February 2020
Headline Early spring blossom brings out the queen bees, while some winter bird visitors depart. Plenty to see under logs, too. Weather February 2020 was officially the UK’s wettest February since records began 160 years ago, but happily every Wildwatch Wednesday at St Nicks in February dawned frosty and sunny. Birds 27 bird […]
Wildwatch spring (March – May 2019)
Highlights Summer migrant warblers put on a good show while Red Kite surprised everyone. Beetles, Hoverflies and Bees were the stars of the insect world. St Nicks’ trees sprung into leaf and flowered as beautifully as ever, whilst cowslips and fritillaries led the way in brightening up the meadows. Weather After an exceptionally warm […]
Wildwatch: March 2014 sightings
Weather: A warmer patch mid-month was sandwiched between a cooler start and end to the month. Fortunately, we managed to stay dry on all four of the Wildwatch walks! A fairly dry month, so the water level in both becks started to drop, exposing muddy banks. Observers: Once again, numbers on the walks were in […]
Wildwatch: 8th May 2013 – Oak before Ash??
Weather: overcast with showers, cool at first, light breeze. Observers: Linda, Kaye What a contrast with the weekend’s mini heatwave! But the showers were a welcome refreshment for yet more leaves and flowers, and the birds seemed to like it – at any rate they were much more in evidence than last week. The new […]
May 2013: Spotlight on Cowslip
Cowslip Primula veris Cowslips are easy to see and almost impossible to confuse with anything else. Stems of scented yellow flowers rise from rosettes of simple, elongated leaves. Each petal has a deep orange spot at the base, which occasionally produces a variant form with yellow markings on orange petals. The flowers provide a […]
Wildwatch: 1st May 2013 – Mayday! Mayday!
Weather: sunny, warm in the sun, breezy Observers: Doug, Janetta, Kaj, Kaye For weeks we’ve been predicting a sudden surge. At last it’s happening! It’s brilliant but induces a sense of panic in our record-keepers – far too much to do in one short session even when we can remember perfectly what we learnt last […]
Wildwatch: 24th April 2013 – Sorting Little Brown Jobs
Weather: Warm, sunny, breezy Observers: Linda, Roger The first really warm Wednesday of the year brought out more birds than watchers. Linda and Roger rose to the challenge magnificently. Linda’s report gives the flavour of the morning: “We sat for a while on a fallen log and just watched everything around us.. went to the […]
Wildwatch: 25th April 2012 – It might have been a Blackcap
Weather: Overcast, turning to rain. Strengthening wind. Chilly. Observers: Janetta, Lindsay, Philip, Vicky, Kaye The forecast rain luckily held off until the end of the morning. Tang Hall Beck, which was almost at flood level on Saturday, had dropped considerably but was still higher than usual and running fast between very muddy banks. The paths […]
Wildwatch: 11th April 2012 – Beetle Drive
Weather: Changeable. Warm in full sun; chilly under cloud. Occasional light showers. Observers: Aingeal, Carrie, Janetta, Linda, Lindsay, Richard, Kaye Cooler weather over the last week hasn’t deterred trees and herbaceous plants, and the reserve continues to grow greener every day. The Environment Centre garden and pond are well worth a visit. Intermittent rain has […]
