Words about wildlife, wilderness & nature conservation
Spring has sprung, at long last. And all about my local area, the sapphire blooms of English bluebell mingle with the garish, Simpson-yellow of lesser celandine and the pristine white of flowering wood anemone. The air encompassing them ripe with the stench of ramsons carried on the breeze and nearby waterways - the ponds, streams [...]
The descending song of a willow warbler, the years first, catches my ears as I take my first steps into the wood - a sound which, to me, evokes everything profoundly beautiful about the British springtime. Calling to mind longer days and warmer nights; the electric blooms of bluebell and the yellow radiance of celandine; and [...]
New Nature is launching it’s first nature writing competition! All entries will be judged by the New Nature team and Robert Macfarlane. Pieces of work can be written in any style but must be a maximum of 600 words and focus on the subject matter: the Embodiment of Spring. Closing date: 31st March 2018. Winners [...]
There has been an intermediate feel in the air of late; as Winter begins to release its frigid grip on the landscape and the welcome rejuvenation of Spring begins. Birdsong, amorous amphibians, butterflies and bursting buds marking the start of the new season while loitering relics of Winter remain very much apparent. It has all been [...]
Orchids hold a fascination for many people around the world. For me that began when a Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) popped up in an unmown area of my parents’ lawn one summer when I was a child. They slowly spread and it became a game each summer to see how many there were flowering [...]
I posted last week about the resurgence of spring on my local patch - a few bees, buds and butterflies heralding the arrival of the changing season. Of course, these things have continued to factor into my daily ventures this week though, of late, things appear to have stepped up a gear or two. The [...]
Spring has finally sprung over my little patch of coastal Northumberland it seems. Bees, buds, butterflies and a whole host of interesting birds making the last week or so an entirely enjoyable affair. Despite the resurgence of some much loved species, the weather has left rather a lot to be desired; hale, rain, sleet, strong [...]
