Redwing, Turdus iliacus, the former meaning ‘Thrush’ and the latter coming from the latin term ‘ilia’ meaning ‘flank’ or ‘side’, are flocking into the British isles now, heading south for warmer lands from their summer breeding grounds in Scandinavia and Iceland. Although they are a member of the thrush family like the Fieldfare and arriveContinue reading “Arrival of the Redwing”
Category Archives: Natural history
Rivers are Life
Rivers are life Without them our world could not exist We must care for them and all that call them home Here are just some of the creatures and plants I’ve written about which call our streams, rivers and estuaries home, please care for the watery world we share with them. The Common Frog TheContinue reading “Rivers are Life”
The Common Stonefly
The Common Stonefly, Diura bicaudata, (Diura meaning ‘day’ and bicaudata meaning ‘two tailed’) is a common insect in the rocky cloughs and streams of our uplands. It belongs to the order Plecoptera (from the Greek, ‘pleated wing’), which is an ancient order of insects originating at least 250 million years ago. There are 34 speciesContinue reading “The Common Stonefly”
Roe Deer
The Roe deer, Capreolus Capreolus, is one of two breeds of deer native to the British isles, they are a sleek, medium-sized animal with only a minuscule, rabbit-like scut for a tail and stand about 60 to 70cm tall and around 1 metre in length. Found moving around the countryside in small family groups theyContinue reading “Roe Deer”
The Lady of the Woods and the Witches Brooms
The Silver Birch The Silver birch, Betula pendula, the ‘Lady of the Woods’, is a graceful looking deciduous tree which grows up to about 30m tall and flowers from around April to May, they are a short-lived species and rarely live beyond 100 years. Its scientific name, betula, comes from the ancient Gaulish word ‘betu’,Continue reading “The Lady of the Woods and the Witches Brooms”
The Melancholy Thistle
The Melancholy Thistle, Cirsium heterophyllum, Cirsium originating from the Greek word ‘kirsos’, meaning swollen vein which refers to thistles being used as a cure for varicose veins, and heterophylum meaning ‘different leaf’, is a fairly tall thistle with a deeply-furrowed, wooly stem, large flower-heads and soft, downy leaves with an almost felt-like underneath. It prefersContinue reading “The Melancholy Thistle”
The Salmon Run
At the moment you might be lucky enough to see Salmon running on the streams and rivers of the Northwest as they make their arduous and risky journey upstream to their spawning grounds. Where to watch Weirs such as at those at Abbeystead and Waddow hall near Clitheroe and waterfalls such as Stainforth where theyContinue reading “The Salmon Run”
Charming Goldfinch
A group of Goldfinch are called a ‘Charm’ and they are indeed one of the most charming songbirds you might spot in the countryside. The scientific name of the species: Carduelis carduelis, comes from carduus, which means ‘thistle’ or ‘Teasel’, as the bird is very fond of the seeds of this plant, in fact theContinue reading “Charming Goldfinch”
Northwest Nature and History 