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Post by Northy on Mar 25, 2020 16:35:45 GMT
One of my friends foraged some wild garlic and nettles for us and we are having it as a pesto tonight The wild garlic growing here especially in the damp atmosphere of the ravine is incredible. When it all flowers at once it's fantastic. I'll hopefully be able to get out for a walk on Friday, down the canal will be my first stop.
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Post by potterinleeds on Mar 26, 2020 9:25:50 GMT
To vary my routine, I thought I'd go for a run in the evening yesterday, rather than the morning. There was a superb sunset, the sun a ball of cerise dipping onto the black horizon, and I saw my first two bats of the year flying at about 6.45pm. Very still and quiet on all the country lanes round and about, and even coming back into the suburbs, it was good to see most people doing what they currently should be.
Saw first two butterflies of the year in the garden yesterday afternoon - Small Tortoiseshells, must have been hibernating somewhere in the vicinity.
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Post by Northy on Mar 26, 2020 10:15:09 GMT
We've had a couple of bats flying around the gardens this week, get them every year, they are great silhouetted against the setting sun skyline.
Plenty of butterflies, bees and all buzzy things about, even saw a big green caterpillar yesterday
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Post by franklin66 on Mar 26, 2020 11:00:05 GMT
We've had a couple of bats flying around the gardens this week, get them every year, they are great silhouetted against the setting sun skyline. Plenty of butterflies, bees and all buzzy things about, even saw a big green caterpillar yesterday Sorry to butt in mate but I'm glad you're well and back with us 👍
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Post by felonious on Mar 26, 2020 11:07:08 GMT
To vary my routine, I thought I'd go for a run in the evening yesterday, rather than the morning. There was a superb sunset, the sun a ball of cerise dipping onto the black horizon, and I saw my first two bats of the year flying at about 6.45pm. Very still and quiet on all the country lanes round and about, and even coming back into the suburbs, it was good to see most people doing what they currently should be. Saw first two butterflies of the year in the garden yesterday afternoon - Small Tortoiseshells, must have been hibernating somewhere in the vicinity. I regularly see the bats flying around as I pull the car in as it's just going dark and the security lights are on. Sometimes I sit in the car for a minute or two and enjoy them. I noticed this morning that the Star Magnolia is flowering which is always a sign that spring is well and truly here
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Post by felonious on Apr 8, 2020 18:51:34 GMT
Well I saw my first Swallow of the season yesterday not sure whether it was passing through because I haven't spotted any today despite being on notice. At the start of the week I saw a Lapwing diving and hollering there's surely no finer sight and sound in the bird kingdom. Beautiful day today fantastic to see the stream down to it's normal level at last and dry paths and fields to walk on. I stopped by the fish pool this afternoon and watched the Carp on the surface
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Post by harryburrows on Apr 8, 2020 18:55:20 GMT
Well I saw my first Swallow of the season yesterday not sure whether it was passing through because I haven't spotted any today despite being on notice. At the start of the week I saw a Lapwing diving and hollering there's surely no finer sight and sound in the bird kingdom. Beautiful day today fantastic to see the stream down to it's normal level at last and dry paths and fields to walk on. I stopped by the fish pool this afternoon and watched the Carp on the surface Your supposed to isolating you muppet not having a nature ramble 😡😡😷😷
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 9, 2020 6:21:26 GMT
Beach is very quiet this morning, hardly a breath of wind and really warm, good signs for the day ahead. Fantastic sunrise creeping up over the hills and mountains behind me. Water on one side mountains on the other me in the middle, not a bad place.
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Post by felonious on Apr 9, 2020 6:24:40 GMT
Well I saw my first Swallow of the season yesterday not sure whether it was passing through because I haven't spotted any today despite being on notice. At the start of the week I saw a Lapwing diving and hollering there's surely no finer sight and sound in the bird kingdom. Beautiful day today fantastic to see the stream down to it's normal level at last and dry paths and fields to walk on. I stopped by the fish pool this afternoon and watched the Carp on the surface Your supposed to isolating you muppet not having a nature ramble 😡😡😷😷 Well Harry the first two were from the garden and the last was on my hour's walk yesterday afternoon which replaced the hour's run .... I appreciate that you've unfortunately become Londonised over the decades but even your fading memory must be able to glimpse the leafy lanes around Endon, Horton, Grindon, Longsdon and if you were fit enough back in the day, Rudyard
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Post by harryburrows on Apr 9, 2020 6:44:14 GMT
I occasionally walked to the black horse 🙂🙂
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Post by felonious on Apr 9, 2020 6:57:58 GMT
I occasionally walked to the black horse 🙂🙂 When I was injured a while back I joined my older mate for a few walks who was waiting for a hip replacement and was only doing 8 to 10 mile rambles. He took me on a walk from Cheddleton station to Consall Forge. He's a proper gent and a stickler for playing by the rules then he pointed out what used to be an old Staffs CC camp site and proceeded to tell me when he was 16 he and his mates used to canoe up to the Black Lion for a night's session then canoe back in the dark
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Post by Northy on Apr 9, 2020 8:50:34 GMT
watched 2 starlings on the lawn last night, one sat vigilant looking for danger from the sky making a sort of reassuring noise whilst the other was searching for worms, then after a while they swapped roles.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 9, 2020 9:21:46 GMT
I occasionally walked to the black horse 🙂🙂 When I was injured a while back I joined my older mate for a few walks who was waiting for a hip replacement and was only doing 8 to 10 mile rambles. He took me on a walk from Cheddleton station to Consall Forge. He's a proper gent and a stickler for playing by the rules then he pointed out what used to be an old Staffs CC camp site and proceeded to tell me when he was 16 he and his mates used to canoe up to the Black Lion for a night's session then canoe back in the dark I really love that area, bit of win win for me with the railway as well. My grandad used to take me for walks around there back in the 60's. One bit I do remember were the steep steps leading down to Consall station.
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Post by felonious on Apr 9, 2020 11:32:07 GMT
When I was injured a while back I joined my older mate for a few walks who was waiting for a hip replacement and was only doing 8 to 10 mile rambles. He took me on a walk from Cheddleton station to Consall Forge. He's a proper gent and a stickler for playing by the rules then he pointed out what used to be an old Staffs CC camp site and proceeded to tell me when he was 16 he and his mates used to canoe up to the Black Lion for a night's session then canoe back in the dark I really love that area, bit of win win for me with the railway as well. My grandad used to take me for walks around there back in the 60's. One bit I do remember were the steep steps leading down to Consall station. Crowgutter wood, it's an RSPB reserve now. The steps presumably were used by the workers from Ipstones to get them down to Consall Forge bringing you out alongside the Black Lion. On the other side of the wood is another path which starts by following the stream from the canal and takes you also back up to the Ipstones road. The canal section from Cheddleton station is interesting because it starts with the canal one side and the river the other and then some clever engineer decided that instead of continuing to did out the cut he could merge the two so you have a couple of miles of merged canal/river then at Consall station they send the river back on it's way.
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Post by felonious on Apr 12, 2020 14:03:44 GMT
Incorporated Bateswood Country Park into this morning's run. It's that time of the year when the meadow at the rear of the park is awash with cowslips, a wonderful sight.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 22, 2020 10:30:53 GMT
One of the major bonuses of living where I do is the short walk (20 paces) to the sea. It's a beautiful day today and there's a lone fishing boat in Cardigan bay. Add into the mix the pod of dolphins, cormorants diving for fish and other so far unrecognised birds doing the same it's quite a privilege to be here. Pic of the boat to follow.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 22, 2020 11:51:49 GMT
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 22, 2020 11:54:20 GMT
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Post by murphthesurf on Apr 22, 2020 12:39:04 GMT
Recent good weather has made for great sunsets again. Interesting camera angle.... Lying on the beach plastered again, Chuff? Nice sunset, btw. xxx
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 22, 2020 12:42:01 GMT
Recent good weather has made for great sunsets again. Interesting camera angle.... Lying on the beach plastered again, Chuff? Nice sunset, btw. xxx I only clicked the rotate button once, live and learn. It is a nice beach though ☀️🏖
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Post by Northy on Apr 22, 2020 15:23:00 GMT
Spotted Mr Heron thought he had become an estate, but was really waiting for his lunch to arrive, just as it was nearly in striking distance a little girl came running down the garden to play and scared it off, luckily for the ducklings
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 26, 2020 12:30:29 GMT
Really miss being on the footplate driving through the woods at this time of year. Working trackside was fun though. Attachment Deleted
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Post by chuffedstokie on Apr 26, 2020 12:32:59 GMT
A mate of mine having all the fun. Bluebells are wonderful this time of the year. Attachment Deleted
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Post by murphthesurf on May 21, 2020 13:28:46 GMT
Feeding the birds! - Haven't had this for a while.... I already get small suet pellets - some have chopped mealworms in them, and some have berries, etc. - for this lot round 'ere, and they love them. Anyway, these new Suet Fat Balls look good and they have some really excellent feedback, plus a charming short film a customer has sent in showing them being devoured by various birds in her garden, so I've ordered some and will see how popular they are when they get here. I was wondering if anyone else might be interested: Peckish Natural Balance Energy Suet Fat Balls for Wild Birds, 50 Tub £8.99www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073ZPBTV3/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
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Post by chuffedstokie on May 22, 2020 10:45:59 GMT
Attachment DeletedThis little darling appeared on my beach walk yesterday, didn't know they were about. My size 10.5 for comparison.
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Post by chuffedstokie on May 22, 2020 10:48:21 GMT
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Post by felonious on May 24, 2020 10:36:36 GMT
On yesterday evening's run a hare ran across the lane right in front of me and I was able to watch him clear off across the field.... the second one in 4 days to do that
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Post by chuffedstokie on May 30, 2020 10:05:26 GMT
This mornings walk along the beach was fantastic. The temperature has been consistently high of course (mid 20's) and today is no exception. More spider crabs lurking around but today very close to the shoreline were the Dolphins. So serene watching them glide effortlessly along. I was watching this with another guy and he had been out earlier and got a picture of a Minke whale. That's a first!.
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Post by felonious on May 30, 2020 12:39:34 GMT
Fantastic time of the year just sat out on the lawn eating lunch and watched a woodpecker land on the walnut tree.... cleared off as soon as the pesky magpies appeared. The swallows are back in big numbers and are back nesting under the covered walkway now that we haven't got any cats here anymore
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Post by felonious on Jun 3, 2020 18:15:41 GMT
I was walking down by the stream yesterday and disturbed a rabbit which promptly jumped around 5 feet across to the other side, made me chuckle. Spotted a Cinnabar moth yesterday as well can't remember seeing one around before although they appear to be a common species. Glorious marking and colours in the bright sunshine. butterfly-conservation.org/moths/cinnabar
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