The Cuckooflower The Cuckooflower, or ‘Lady’s Smock’, has the scientific name; Cardamine pratensis, loosely translating as ‘peppery tasting herb of the meadows’ with Cardamine deriving from the Greek ‘kardamon’, meaning ‘pepper grass’, and the source of many plant names, especially ones used in cooking, and pratensis meaning ‘of the meadow’. It is a very pretty,Continue reading “The Cuckooflower”
Category Archives: Natural history
Rhododendron, the foreign invader smothering our native woodlands
Rhododendron, arguably the most destructive non-native plant in the British isles The common Rhododendron, Rhododendron ponticum, is widely regarded to be one of the most destructive and widespread non-native terrestrial plant in Britain and has been responsible for the degradation of many of our native habitats, including our temperate rainforest, of which there is veryContinue reading “Rhododendron, the foreign invader smothering our native woodlands”
Beware the Blackthorn Winter
There are many old rural sayings and bits of wisdom that often hold a kernel of truth to them, some of them don’t make much sense at all, others prove to be very useful and well worth paying heed to. One example of the latter is “Beware the Blackthorn Winter”. Blackthorn prunus Spinosa is aContinue reading “Beware the Blackthorn Winter”
Ring Ouzel in Bowland, notes and observations
The Ring Ouzel, Turdus torquatos is a member of the Thrush family and in appearance is similar to a Blackbird, indeed another common name for them is the ‘Mountain Blackbird’. They are quite a smart looking bird, jet black all over except for a bright white band across their breast, this is referred to inContinue reading “Ring Ouzel in Bowland, notes and observations”
Tawny Owls and their calls
The Tawny Owl, Strix aluco is our most common and widespread native Owl, found throughout the British isles except in Ireland where it is a very rare visitor. Their call is very well known too, it’s the familiar noise heard on tv soundtracks and radio shows to signify that a scene is based at night.Continue reading “Tawny Owls and their calls”
Guide to Geese, Part Two
Guide to Geese Part Two In part one of my concise, two-part guide we looked at Canada, Brent and White-fronted geese, in this part we look at Pink-foot, Greylag and Barnacle geese. Pink-footed Geese, Anser brachyrhynchus The ‘Pinkfoot’ visits us from October through to March and usually associates with other geese such as Greylag andContinue reading “Guide to Geese, Part Two”
The Wood Anemone
I was inspired to write this article after a short walk around the grounds of Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham yesterday, where Wood Anemone and another flower of the woodland floor which I have recently written about, Lesser Celandine, are abundant. Plant of the Ancient Woods The Wood Anemone, Anemone nemorosa, is a plant of theContinue reading “The Wood Anemone”
The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where
The Bluebell The flowering of the native British Bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, is one of the surest signs that summer is just around the corner. Along with the blooming of the Snowdrop and Daffodil it is one of the three events which mark the flow of spring from the cold of winter through to the heatContinue reading “The Blooming of the Bluebell, Part One; When and Where”
Northwest Nature and History 