Hagg Wood – Burtonwell Wood – Lambert’s Meadow – Bank Well – Myer’s Allotment – Trowbarrow Quarry – Eaves Wood – Elmslack.
I watched this blue tit going in and out of a narrow crevice in an oak tree close to home. I took several photos, all blurred, except for the ones where the bird was too quick, or I was too slow and all the pictures show is a tree trunk. These two are the least bad. I assumed that there must be a nest here, but on subsequent visits I haven’t noticed any further activity.
Marsh Marigolds at Lambert’s Meadow.
Female Chaffinch with nesting material.
New sycamore leaves.
Dog Mercury – virtually ubiquitous in our woods, with nondescript flower so easily overlooked.
Buzzard.
Myer’s Allotment.
Leighton Moss from Myer’s Allotment.
Silverdale Station with train – any passengers?
I’ve been intrigued by our local bus and train services. Both the buses and the trains seem to be travelling without passengers, at least most of the time. There’s something very poignant about the apparently futile, but quietly heroic effort to keep these services running in the present circumstances.
Trowbarrow Quarry.
Dandelions?
Yellow dandelion-like flowers are often still a bit of a mystery to me. With tiny leaves and very-short stems, these didn’t look like very typical dandelions, but I think that may just be down to the impoverished soil of the quarry floor.
Comma on willow catkins.
Peacock.
This was an excellent walk for butterflies. There were brimstones about too, but they wouldn’t pose for photos.
Bee fly.
Three years ago I didn’t know what a bee fly was; now I realise that, in early April, they are everywhere. Another indication of the value of putting a name to the things that you notice whilst out and about.
Coltsfoot.
Forget-me-nots.
Violets and celandines.
Primroses.
Grey squirrel.
Wren.
Woodrush.
Elmslack.
This roadside verge is one of the most cheering sights when the sun is shining and the celandines are flowering.
Celandines.
The flowers close when the sun isn’t shining, but the way they strain towards the sun when it is on show is almost comical: like a class full of primary school kids with their hands up, all earnestly entreating their teacher, “Pick me, pick me”.
Quince.
Definitely dandelions.
The tune was supposed to be ‘Third Stone from The Sun’ by Jimi Hendrix, but I can’t find an original version. Nor can I find either BBC session version of his ‘Driving South’ one of which was on the original ‘Jock Hols’ tape.
(“But who is Jock Hols?”, asked TBF)
So, here’s a highly enjoyable alternative, ‘Back Off Boogaloo’ by Ringo Starr:
Beating The Bounds 
I’m enjoying the tunes at the end of your posts at the mo, particularly the different versions of often (but not always) familiar songs. On a related(ish) topic I’ve been having a bit of an epiphany regarding a music genre that I have to date more or less completely ignored (or perhaps avoided), namely hip hop. I know that the obvious answer to that is “because it’s s***”, but bear with me.
Number 2 step son is totally into his music, of many and varied types, but particularly hip hop (still not really sure what hip hop is by the way, but then jazz is quite hard to define as well), and has been trying to educate me. What has really piqued my interest (and hence the vague link to your posts) has been cover versions and /or samples of familiar songs.
So, in no particular order, I have recently been listening to Hits from the Bong by Cypress Hill, Can I kick it by Tribe called Quest, Express yourself by NWA, Use me Up by UGK, Killing me Softly by the Fugees, We trying to stay alive by Wyclef Jean and One Day by UGK.
Some of these are quite well known, but it has at least given me a way in to “get into” the music a bit more, which is not something I ever expected.
‘It Takes A Nation of Millions’ was my turning point I think. All of the songs on that album sample very heavily from James Brown I suspect. I know most of these but not UGK, will seek them out. And – add some hip-hop to the mix.
The UGK song samples Bill Withers I think. Will check out It Takes a nation of millions. Sam (no2 step son) is a fan and knew it right away.
My hip-hop knowledge, like of my musical taste pretty much stops in the late nineties, but other obvious suggestions: ‘Three Feet High and Rising’ by De La Soul, DJ Shadow, Eric B and Rakim, Latryx and Jurassic 5. For a British take – though they probably wouldn’t agree that they are hip-hop, Nottingham’s Sleaford Mods.
A thumbs up from Sam on those and will check them out. Sleaford Mods were a new one for him, although I had come across them before – either 6 music or your blog He’s becoming a fan of the former although may be harder to sell the attractions of the latter!
Glad to get the seal of approval!
An uplifting, we need it, collection of photos. Thanks.
Thanks for that, much appreciated. Not many in the outdoor community blogging at present, for obvious reasons, so I’m aiming to throw out a handful of colourful photos and a tune each day.
Keep up the good work.
Your locality is ideal for the lockdown period.
Others who prefer the mountains have not all adjusted to the minutiae. The Lakes don’t want them back just yet despite the Governments blurred messages about travelling.
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for the South Lakeland constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale, has written an open letter to the prime minister asking him to limit the number of miles people can drive for exercise “to help prevent the inevitable high influx of people travelling to the Lakes, the Dales and south Cumbria”.
I’d better get out on my bike and find something interesting.
I think cycling is probably the best bet in most areas. We’re certainly lucky here. I saw Tim Farron’s letter. We’re not quite in his constituency, and instead have the dubious honour of being represented by David Morris. Some have been writing to Morris to ask him to make similar representations to Bojo. I’ve written to Morris before, he doesn’t even deign to answer, so I shan’t be bothering.
Interesting stuff abounds around your neck of the woods although I guess it takes your eyes to spot all of it. On the dandelions subject I didn’t realize they are very edible a nutritious as well as pretty as well as being a member of the sunflower family which I didn’t know. I’m leaving the ones in my lawn to grow wild having read that it’s a huge help to our bees and insect community and the ecosystem they support not to cut the grass in May. Of course that means I have to spend more time in the garden drinking beer and reading but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make 😀
I knew that there had to be a sting in the tail!
Meanwhile I’ve had the weed and feed, a scarifying rake and the old roller lawn mower on ours with the result that it’s virtually bare. I shall have to run that ‘no mowing in may’ gag past TBH I wonder if she’ll fall for it, sorry, I mean be persuaded.
I haven’t had a dandelion leave salad for ages, to the point that I can’t remember whether I liked it much or not. Nettles are good too, just so long as you cook them.
As for spotting stuff – I think being out frequently is the key. The more often you get out there, the more chances to see something of interest. This area is pretty diverse though, you have a point there.
Enjoy your beers!