Here and There

Last Friday we ventured out to walk at RSPB Consall Nature Reserve.  It's one of our favourite walks.   We'd taken a flask of coffee with us which we drank in the car  as we sat and watched the birds - a tree creeper was spotted and nuthatch, robins and great tits were flitting on and off the top of fence posts where seeds had been left for them.  Then, wellingtons on, we set out for a walk down to the canal.

Down through the woods where the ground was covered in areas of Dog's Mercury, Wood Avens, Wood Anemone, Butterbur and Bluebells.

On our way we passed the two fishing pools each having seats on the paths nearby dedicated to those who used to love walking and fishing here.

Down by the wildlife pond we spotted Marsh Marigolds and a friendly frog or toad.

We crossed the bridge over the River Churnet and looked down from the bridge onto the silent railway lines of the Churnet Valley Railway  and the Caldon Canal.

Down the steps to the canal towpath and past Consall Station.

The Heritage steam railway has been closed for ages during the last year.  I think they are struggling to keep going.  We will travel the line from one end to the other when safter times allow, perhaps in the late Summer or Autumn.  I hope lots of people do the same as it would be a shame for the line to close.

 

Male Pheasant - there were a few female pheasants with him in the field.

Two herons flew in over the canal and railway. One landed at the side of the river the other up in a tree.  This one posed for a while before rising gracefully and flying further down the river.

Bridge number 50 0n the Caldon canal.

All for now.  Yesterday we walked at Westport Lake which will be my next post.  Take care.

Some sort of Normality?

This week it has felt a little like getting back to doing 'normal' things. We have plans in place to visit friends the week after next, been to Trentham Gardens to renew our yearly pass which we'd allowed to expire over the last few months.  We still have to book a time slot to visit as yet but things may change very soon.  I ordered a book from the library which I will be able to go in to collect when it is available and also look along the shelves for anything else that may tempt me.  It's been over a year since I actually held and read a proper book, everything has been on my kindle or ipad which is good for my eyesight as I can enlarge the font if I'm struggling.  We have also been out to vote, all very well organised, I remembered to take my own pencil!  We also went a little further afield to walk at one of our favourite places and I'll write a post about that in a couple of days.

Meanwhile things are growing in the garden.

Wallflowers - growing against the front wall.

Wild Garlic at the top of the garden

Geum - Lemondrops

 

Geum - Rivale

Bluebells

Ferns

Camassia

Aquilegia

Strawberries

 

Daisies plus Orange tip

Vixen visiting in daylight hours.

 The sun was out for our walk this morning but tomorrow heavy rain has been forecast so it looks like a 'staying in' day.  Take care.

Bluebells

Bluebells, a day later than promised but then it is a Bank Holiday Monday here and I always include those in a long weekend.

I took you to Hem Heath Woods a couple of posts ago and mentioned that we would go back again to check on the bluebells.  We returned on Friday but this time parked at the other entrance off the Wedgwood Estate.  The factory shops were open but of course, the Museum and cafe were still closed. 

 We wandered into the woods first and made our way along the paths we knew led to the areas where the bluebells grew closely together.  It was warm in the dappled sunlight and the birds were singing, robins, chaffinch and blackbirds.  Also the gentle cooing of wood pigeons and the tap, tap, tap of a woodpecker in the distance.

Below are a few of the photos  I took along the way.

We left the bluebell wood and wandered along to the pond which was surrounded by gorse and had cowslips growing on its banks.

Then we wandered back to the car park past the musem and visitor centre.

The willow sculptures are still in place by the show gardens

 

and Josiah Wedgwood (1730 - 1795)  is still standing in pride of place.

I think the bluebells will still be there for a week or so with some areas still to achieve their best display.  We may go back again as being in the wood early morning with the intensity of warmth, scent and colour is just wonderful.

I was upset and horrified to hear the news about the dreadful and inexplicable vandalism  of both the Osprey nest at Lyn Brenig Reservoir in Wales and the Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire.  Also more locally the destruction of the bird hide at Doxey Marshes in Stafford. 

 

Why?

 

I've put links on the places mentioned above.  Here is a - link - to the post I wrote in July 2012 when we visited the Avoncroft Museum, I noticed on yesterday's  local West Midlands news report that three of the buildings I'd taken photos of have been vandalised.  

 

Again, Why?

 

Lately....

Lately I've been....

1. Walking

Through the bluebell woods.

They are looking wonderful

I'll write more about our visit and show a lot more photos in my next post.

2. Spotting

Other wildflowers in the bluebell wood including Forget-me-Not, Dandelion, Red Campion, Cowslips and a white flower, possibly Greater Stitchwort, perhaps someone reading this can identify it for me?  

3. Reading

The latest Masie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear. I always enjoy these novels and the latest one didn't disappoint.  In this book Maisie visits an old friend of her former mentor Maurice Blanche in Mecklenburgh Square, in Bloosmsbury which is the setting of Square Haunting by Francesca Wade.  In this book the author visits the Square during the inter- war years when its inhabitants were some of our literary giants.  She has chosen five women to follow including Virginia Woolf and Dorothy L Sayers.   Pulpit Rock is the latest of the Ben Kitto novels set on The Scilly Isles.  I always race through these as they are an easy read.

4.  Listening

To podcasts and BBC radio programmes  'Life in the Garden' by Penelope Lively read by Stephanie Cole.   'The Stubborn Light of Things' a delightful podcast by nature writer and novelist Melissa Harrison and 'Obsessed with Line of Duty' a podcast by former cast member Craig Parkinson.

5. Watching 

'Line of Duty' and 'Keeping Faith'  'Make Up: A Glamorous History'  and  'The Repair Shop' all on BBC also 'Secrets of the Transport Museum' on Yesterday (Freeview) and Criminal UK on Netflix.  I'm not finding a lot of things I want to watch at the moment as there are a lot of repeat programmes and as much as I've previously enjoyed Poirot, Marple, Vera, Endeavour and Lewis, I've probably watched them two or three times and really  I want to see new programmes but I suspect it will be a while before things get back to normal.  It's not a gripe more an observation.

Today is the last day of April and what a strange month it has been.  Today we've had brilliant sunshine and hailstones.  I had my second Astra Zenica jab on Wednesday and it didn't make me feel as ill as the first one did, so far so good.  I'll be back over the weekend with bluebells.

 

In the Park

In our nearest local park it's blossom time.  

Last year when we walked here the blossom trees had been ravaged by the wind and rain and browning petals were strewn across the paths, damp, sticky and clinging to the soles of our boots.

This morning the air was warm and dry and the trees sparkled in the gentle sunlight.

There were still lots of daffodils growing along the grass edges to the paths.
 

The bees were buzzing in the branches of the trees.  Standing under the overhanging blossom the noise was amazing. 

 

We wandered off the main paths into the woodland area.

 

A few bluebells were spotted but there were many more to come.

It was wonderful to spot some Wood Anemones.

One of my favourite Spring wildflowers.

Opposite the Wood Anemones was an area of Snakes Head Fritillaries.

Their drooping heads were dancing in the slight breeze.

On our way back to the main gates I noticed that some of the Rhododendrons were in flower.

Next week we'll go back to Hem Heath Woods where I took you in my last but one post to see if the bluebells are in flower.  Something I always look forward to.