Frost and ice

 It is certainly worth numb fingers to take a closer look at winter. 

Wonderful sunset today

The temperature dropped like a stone as I watched the sun sink behind the trees. 

Don't forget to put food and water out for birds tomorrow if you can.

Redpoll

How exciting to see a bird species you've never seen before. A small flock of Redpolls headed in with the Goldfinches this weekend. Niger seeds were the draw. There was a lot of squabbling, the slightly larger Goldfinches winning the perch most of the time.

Foxy gentleman

Fractal cauliflower

Totally beautiful and mathematically perfect this vegetable is truly astonishing. Each one 

of the florets is a slightly different size but it all fits together. If anyone can tell me why the top 

of the cauliflower is a strip not a point I would love to know. 

If you see one, buy it, but please marvel at it before you put it in the steamer.

winter

Pointy brown things

I think the feathers are pheasant, the leaf is willow. And the fallen tree was a huge lime. It came down in January this year and I was surprised to see how much it had weathered since. 

Although attractive bullrushes are, apparently, very invasive. Look back at February's blog entry to see just how many seeds are packed onto one stem. 

Murder

A murder of crows – so black they look like holes punched in the background landscape. 

Fine Feather Press is currently in the last throws of delivering it's Spring list to the printers. 

That is why these entries have been few and far between, no chance to Get Out! 

Don't rush away, normal service will be resumed imminently. 

Autumn in Bushy Park

Wonderful clear late afternoons with low sunlight catching dancing midges and 

cobweb wires of light strung between the brown bracken. 

And after a long time looking, my very first dung beetle. I didn't think I would be so excited. 

That is the great thing about going outside, every day is different. 

And in most cases, better than the last.

Crepuscular rays in the meadow

Wonderful autumn mist this morning. 

Happy Birthday Fine Feather Press

We are two today.

Springy

Fallow deer jumping in the autumn grass on a foggy day.

Honesty

I love the papery seed packets of Honesty. Such elegant shapes. Such a brilliant design. Perfect

leaf samples

Yeah, well, I'm not too sure what this is all for yet, but they're kind of pretty when you put them all together like this. Trouble is when I'm out walking I cannot stop myself from picking up leaves - along with conkers, cones, seeds, sticks and… 

The majority of stuff in my work room is compostable. Which some would see as a blessing.

Patterns with nature

Transparency

Today's colour samples

Things which are almost white

Autumn

Autumn is my favourite season and October my favourite month.

I can't wait for the first fog.

In praise of bracken

Elegant, colourful, fragrant what more could you wish for?

Out in the woods and fields

In the woods pheasants, treecreepers and goldcrests were to be seen and heard. Sadly not easy to photograph - that's why theres a shot of moss… at least the pheasants were kind enough to leave some feathers behind. 

Around the edge of the forest in the fields there were still some insects 

enjoying the autumn sun. 

The plants are all going to seed now.

I was grateful for a long lens, I really wouldn't have liked to have got that close to the bull.

Conkers

A battle I have with myself every year - the compulsion to pick up EVERY conker I see. 

I especially like the ones which have just fallen from the tree and have never 

been touched by another living soul. They're the best.

In praise of looking down

On a blustery day there is so much to find. New things get thrown to the ground 

and are well worth a closer look. 

I'm going on a seed hunt later.

Sunny autumn collection

The weather is still fair. The ground is dry and dusty, the grasses turning yellow. A few leaves are starting to fall. Poplar leaves lie like bright gold triangles on the ground I have to pick them up. Lime tree seeds whirl in the wind. 

I see a small copper butterfly clinging to ragwort. I find a tuft of deer hair and a beetle gnawed piece of wood. And, powering across the pond after an enemy one exceedingly angry swan.

Nature table of the day

Another bright, early autumn afternoon. Blue skies, white clouds and a touch too windy 

for my liking. It wasn't easy to photograph things blowing about, so I scoured the floor 

of the woodland gardens instead.

A duck eggshell was a surprise find. It was alongside a pile of acorn shells which the 

squirrels had left behind. 

Nature table 13th September

Every day is different. Get out and see for yourselves.

Today's nature table

Wonderful signs of autumn are appearing, the colours are beginning to change. The green 

of the deciduous trees is looking weary and dusty, so different from last month.

This is what I found today:

The fish ribs and scales were a surprise. I scoured around, but couldn't find any more remains. 

Probably a carp, there are a lot in the ponds in Bushy Park.

I love stripy owl feathers, their fluffy edges help the owl fly silently. The swallows 

were flying low over the grass and playing (or arguing) mid air. 

Late summer shower

Nothing more uplifting than a sharp shower with the sun coming through it

Hummingbird hawkmoth

Just had a few days in France and enjoyed a new selection of wildlife. 

One of these moths met a sticky end at the hands of a ghost-like spider.

Small worlds

Small copper on clover, Skippers on thistle and a Small Heath. Next week should be good for butterfly hunters, the sun is finally going to shine. 

Lime tree flowers

The wonderful smell of lime tree flowers floats over the parkland. If you have never smelt these flowers I urge you to go out now and find them. For me it is the smell of summer.

Coppers, Skippers and a Marbled White surprise

Yesterday there was an unusual dry spell. I snatched the opportunity to go and find butterflies. I saw my first Small Copper of the year, a little iridescent orange 

and black jewel. How uplifting.

A sea of different types of Skippers all jostling for space to feed on light 

purple thistle flowers.

And a wonderful Marbled White (Melanargia galathea) flew up from the grass in front of me. I felt a jolt of excitement, it was only the second one I'd seen. Instantly I felt compelled to follow. It shone out against background greens of parkland. It settled only briefly, I had little time to catch one photo through the grass stems before it danced off again.

Look what the cat dragged in

Frogs make a nasty squealing noise when threatened or hurt. Well, you would if you were in a cat's jaws. I rescued it and it seemed unharmed, just in case anyone was concerned about the outcome.

Practically prehistoric

This large capricorn (cerambyx scopolii) was snapped on the side of the road in the Aveyron in France. Prehistoric mandibles and ridiculously long antennae make it an awesome looking beetle. Not one you want in your attic – those jaws are big for a reason.

House Sparrows

Sadly not as common as they once were the cheery (if somewhat persistent) 'chee-ip' call can't be mistaken for anything else.

 Male

Female

Summer grasses

Summer grasses, all that remains of a warrior's dreams.