This coming May there is a wildlife trust project #NoMowMay during which people are being encouraged not to mow lawns and verges to give wildflowers and pollinators a chance to develop which seems like a really good idea. If I had a lawn I would definitely take part.
It was a brilliantly sunny day and it just lit up this bed of beautiful lilies, creating a wonderful and uplifting display.
At this time of year it is just beginning to come into bud and walking beneath the frame it is fascinating to see how carefully it is maintained with each branch and twig meticulously tied and trained into its correct position.
This is just one bud that will very soon be a golden chain of tiny flowers. I love the colours in this image and the shape as the buds curl downwards and it is filled with so much promise.
The sun was shining and so I put the top down on my car and drove down to Burton Mere Wetlands. I didn't actually make it to the reserve itself because I first went for a walk through the woodland to look at the bluebells and spent quite some time taking the stunning display, the scent was wonderful too although a couple of people complained they couldn't smell them which in these times of Covid 19 made me wonder if they should get tested...
Seeing these bluebells brought back many happy memories, among them memories from my youth in Kent walking with my family in Bluebell Wood, and more recent times of Boilton Wood in Lancashire.
I love to see the wonderful carpet of blue but I also like to look closer and see the detail of each delicate flower and you can see that as they open out they really are little bells. These are the native English Bluebells and they are a protected species. As such I was unable to wander freely in the woods and had to stick to the marked footpath, I was able to spot a couple of trails through the bluebells which marked the route of badgers that live in the woods.
I was so glad I took a little time to myself to end the week on a high note.
It is a rather handsome cock pheasant that was strolling along a woodland path as I was walking back to my car. I was used to seeing hundreds of these as a teenager in the fields around my home in Lincolnshire. I don't see so many where I live now but I am always impressed by their stunning plumage.
A couple of years ago I sat in a hide at Mere Sands Woods watching a pair of little grebes gathering material to build their nest and feeding right in front of the hide. They are such cute and wonderful little birds.
It was nice yesterday to watch this little fella fishing at Burton Mere. Everybody else around me was trying so hard to spot the Bittern (see yesterday's post) that they hardly paid any attention to the little grebe right under their noses. As tiny as they are these birds are so graceful and they are excellent at catching fish, they dive gracefully and you can follow a trail of bubbles in anticipation of where they will rise to the surface once again. They are constantly on the go though so even when they bob back to the surface they are not there for long.
Even cropped it is hard to spot the beautifully camouflaged Bittern. I know its not the best shot but it really was a long way off and it it is so well hidden it was the best I could do and I have to say I was totally chuffed to see such a rare bird, for the very first time.
I could make excuses after all they were quite a way off, high above me and it was very cold so that combined with the fact that they hardly stopped still for a fraction of a second made it really challenging to get even these shots. However I wont make excuses and will simply admit they are not at the standard I would hope for and as always that will motivate me to go out and try to do better next time. And anyway they're not terrible and you can still see how lovely they are.
Corvids are not always the most exciting birds at first glance but if you look closely at this Jackdaw you can see they are actually quite beautiful with sleek and shiny plumage. They're also really quite intelligent so they are definitely worth a closer look. You could say they are bright and beautiful!
The name Myosotis comes from a Greek word which translates as "mouse ear" and relates to the shape of the leaves rather than reference to the flower itself.
The petals have a tissue like texture and the delicate tendrils that draw in the bees and other pollinators are really quite beautiful.
I think this is possibly my favourite image from my walk around the garden at Dunham Massey, the light is perfect and the colours are so vibrant, I love the lustre of the deep blue petals which beautifully frame the flowers' golden heart.
The flower is Anemonoides apennina, Apennine Anemone or blue anemone. Nearby there were many other anemones but their colour was a little muted compared to this one so when choosing a photo to share today there was no competition. I hope you like it as much as I do.
There were masses of daffodils forming a golden carpet through the woodland garden. It was really beautiful but getting down to flower level and focusing on an individual bloom really shows the flower off at its best. It looks especially good because it is backlit by the sun and it brings a warm glow.
