The Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus, is a medium-sized bird of prey, found throughout Europe and resident in the UK. Its scientific name aptly describes the appearance of the bird, with circus, the Latin for ‘circle’ or ‘ring’, referring to the propensity of the female and juvenile birds to have white rings around their tails, (whichContinue reading “Hen Harriers, Fates and Fortunes, Part One”
Category Archives: Natural history
Mushroom Picking
It’s nearing the end of September and the start of mushroom season, more wet weather is forecast and in this part of the country, with our rainy prevailing winds, we have some of the best fields and woods for picking funghi you could hope to find anywhere. Mushroom picking is traditionally a social activity, it’sContinue reading “Mushroom Picking”
Juniper in Bowland
The fragrant Juniper, Juniperis communis, (Communis being latin for ‘common’, which is unusual as vulgaris is more commonly used to convey this meaning) is the plant from which gin gets its name and flavour, and along with the Yew and the Scots pine, is one of the three species of conifer that remained native toContinue reading “Juniper in Bowland”
The Rowan
The Rowan or Mountain Ash, Sorbus aucuparia, a common tree of the cloughs, woods and hedgerows of the Northwest, is fruiting at the moment, there seem to more berries than in previous years and the bright red fruit will attract flocks of fieldfare, Blackbirds, Ring Ouzel, Long-tailed tits and many other birds over the autumnContinue reading “The Rowan”
Hedgehogs
The European Hedgehog, Erinaceous europaeus, is our only spiny mammal and in severe decline at the moment, it is also one of the most widely recognised animals in Britain. Typically pictured in a rural setting they are surprisingly common in our urban environments too, finding our parks and gardens to be full of the kindsContinue reading “Hedgehogs”
Summer in Lancashire; Silage, Ospreys, Deer, Adders and some other random observations
One ambient summer sound of the Lancashire countryside is the constant whirring sound of farm machinery cutting, rowing up, and baling grass to make into silage, though many farmers have been late to get it in this year due to the exceptionally wet spring. Silage doesn’t have to be completely dry when it is baled,Continue reading “Summer in Lancashire; Silage, Ospreys, Deer, Adders and some other random observations”
Temperate Rainforests
Rainforest, but not as we know it Lofty green trees clad in lianas and vines, broad waxy leaves dripping with rainwater, howling and screeching monkeys and birds, the whine of flying insects and unbearable humidity, for most people the images these words conjure up are of the archetypal tropical rainforests, those vast, mysterious jungles ofContinue reading “Temperate Rainforests”
Compass Jellyfish
The scientific name of the Compass jellyfish is Chrysaora hysoscella, Chrysaor being the son of the Sea God Poseidon and Snake-headed Gorgon Medusa. This is very apt as being a true member of the jellyfish family they follow the typical ‘medusae’ body-plan when in their adult stage, with a round bell-shaped body below which longContinue reading “Compass Jellyfish”
Northwest Nature and History 