Here I am striding out on across the Pegsdon Hills, walking in the warmth of winter sunshine. Isn't retirement great!!
Hazel Catkins, Corylus betulus
Feather flag after a fox feeding
Often the morning mists give a beautiful muffled edge to the skyline when I set off
Very newly tilthed field, undisturbed and ready for seeding. Bert Fry would be proud of these lines
These bindweed stems look so much more attractive here than in my garden.
Many a weary bottom has rested on this log, and many small children jumped from it. Love the grass growing out of it.
There we are ...catkins glowing with the light behind them, in the early morning sunshine
Another catkin!
These are horse's hoof prints in the frost on a very crisp bright February morning
I like the symmetry with the tractor imprints and the hedges leading up the slope into the mist
Old nest exposed in winter
In this clip, if you watch very carefully you'll see two hares racing down the Ickneild Way. Not a sound though, they're very strong silent creatures.
Zen gardening on a very grand scale. A mighty big rake was used for this! Newly tilled fields
One of the first flowers to bloom. Insignificant but beautiful in a small waxy way. Lightly scented. Spurge Laurel. Daphne mezereum
My first go with an SLR. Lovely evening March sky, coming home.
Usually an inviting bench on which to stop and rest, but a bit chilly today.
That's lovely...snow round the scrubby pond where the catkins glowed a few days ago
The snow got quite thick on the branches of the Beech trees Fagus Sylvatica, looking more sylvatica than usual for April.
Spectacular sunset spotlighting the trees over Sharpenhoe Clangers
Still April, this is Alexanders. A recentish introduction to the lane, but not to the countryside. Introduced by the Romans I believe.Smyrnium Olustrum and I think it's a bit glossy and out of place in this chalky setting
Now this is more natural. What could be more pretty in April than May blossom? Ne'er cast a clout till may is out. Keep your vest on I would, it might snow again is what that means. Prunus Spinosa, very thorny with gorgeous sloes in Autumn. Unlucky to bring the blossom into the house
Gorgeous! Lords and Ladies, Cuckoo Pint, Arum maculatum.
Closer up, what an extraordinary flower the Cuckoo Pint is! Quite like this shot with the tree in the background
Closer up, I'm pleased with the definition, but not with the the colour. These purply blue small grape hyacinth are hard to get the colour right without a filter. Bluebells are the same.
Still a bit misty!
A thrush somewhere must be exceedingly fat! Empty snail shells
These are more alive. Snails basking in the sunshine on the bark of ? tree. Below them lie the skeletons, so beware.
These common snails (Helix aspersa) are tucked in a crevice, probably hibernating
Live bait. A little off the beaten track and I came across this Magpie in a larsen trap. Apparently it's perfectly legal. I found it quite shocking
Another damp April morning and the Lords and Ladies are just emerging. What more can I say!
When it's this damp the snails are having a ball.
Acrobatics! Grove snail, Cepaea nemoralis. He looks a little surprised at having his photo taken. Oops, anthropomorhism creeping in there.
Violets remind me of Mothering Sunday in chapel in Wales. Common Dog Violet, Viola Rivianna.
Here's the clue to the ancientness of the Ickneild Way, the carpets of Dog's Mercury (Meruralis Perennis) emerging in the Beech wood are a good indicator of ancient woodland. Laying the Autumn cut branches make an attractive natural looking hedge. What you can't see though is the new urbanised barbed wire fence just behind it recently erected to keep us out.
Still the snails have found a good home in the overly cleared log piles. Common, Grove and Ramshorn snails. Helix aspersa, Cepaea nemoralis and Planorbis planorbis
Just look at these. Common little primroses, Primula vulgaris. Remember the railway banks, they used to be covered in them. They're still abundant on this grassy slope, along with the cowslips a bit later on.
Look at the light through those leaves. Primula vulgaris. Common Primrose (Dog's Mercury again in the foreground)
Dewdrops on Primrose!
Paris Quadrifolia, Herb Paris from the top. You can see why its called quadrifolia.
Herb Paris, Paris Quadrifolia, by the stream at Barton Springs. This is quite unusual in this area, and a flower I've never seen before. How exciting!
Barton Springs, running quite fast. This is where I found the Herb Paris, also Celandine as you can see. My daughter tells me she used to cycle up this stream bed in the summer.
Wood Anemone, Anemone ranunculoides, in the woods beside Barton Springs
Diminuative Wood Anemone (Anemone ranunculoides) delicate nodding heads in the breeze.
Lesser Celandine, Ranuculus ficaria. I brightened this up so it wouldn't look so dull on line, but its not as natural.
Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria, by Barton Spring stream. A common sight but still love the shine on the petals.
Cuckoo flower, Cardamine pratensis, delicate lilac petals in the grass by the spring
Pond near Hedgerley
Bluebells and beech trees at Hedgerley Woods. Endymion non-scriptus and Fagus sylvatica
Ramsons in Hedgerley Woods. Allium ursinum
Yellow Archangel, Lamiastrum galeobdolon in wood near Hedgerley
Pathway through the bluebell wood in Hedgerley, Buckingahamshire. Endymion non-scriptus
Bluebells luminescent in the clearing
Bluebells in soft focus
Deer track through the bluebell wood
The imprint of a deer amongst the bluebells
Good old Buttercup, Creeping, ranunculus bulbosus
New growth, a Sycamore tree, weed really. Acer pseudoplatanus. Tingley Wood
Wayfaring tree flower close up. Viburnum lantana
Red deadnettle, Lamium purpureum. Very common but very lovely colouring.
Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina. Under the trees on the Ickneild Way
Bracket fungus on Birch
Hawthorn flower, Craetagus mongyna, on Telegraph Hill
Cowslip, in woods on Telegraph Hill. Primula Veris
Fungus!?
Rape seed oil crop as far as the eye can see. At what cost?
Cow parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris soft focus.
Elderflower, Sambucus nigra. Just coming out. Woodlane. Must make some Elderflower Champagne from grannie's recipe!
Fungus, quite horribly spectacular. Don't know what fungus it is.
White Helleborine, Cephalanthera damasonium.
Red Campion, Silene dioica
Stinging Nettles, Urtica dioica.
