Tag Archives: #Autumn

The Logs upon the Fire

Beechwood fire burns bright and clear, if the logs are kept a year. Store your Beech for Christmastide, with New Year Holly cut beside. Chestnut’s only good, they say, if for years ’tis stored away. Birch and firwood burn too fast, blaze too bright and do not last. Flames from Larch will shoot up high,Continue reading “The Logs upon the Fire”

The Farming Series

A collection of some of my farming themed articles Most, if not all, of my articles are connected in some way to farming, after all everything in life is in some way, these are some I’ve picked out which are more directly connected. Yain Tain Tethera. A look at the ancient method of counting sheepContinue reading “The Farming Series”

Waxcaps, the Jewels of the Pastures

Waxcaps are attractive looking grassland fungi found at biodiverse sites, those that are rich in flora and fauna species. They earn their common name by way of their shiny, waxy-looking caps which, depending on the species, come in a wide variety of colours ranging from red, orange, yellow through to green, there is even oneContinue reading “Waxcaps, the Jewels of the Pastures”

Arrival of the Redwing

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”

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”

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”