Great Britain is famously haunted by phantom black dogs, a great pack of monstrous mongrels seemingly spread to all four corners of the realm, but while East Anglia boasts its Black Shuck, Devon its Whisht Hounds, the Isle of Man the Moddey Dhoo and Wales its Cŵn Annwn; the Dogs of Annwn, Northwest England possesses an especially chaotic catalog of spectral canines.
Tag Archives: #Cumbria
How to Spot the Orionid Meteor Shower in Northwest England (2026 Guide)
The Orionid meteor shower, one of autumn’s most reliable displays of “shooting stars”, remains active across British skies until the 7th of November this year. Its peak occurred on the nights of the 21st and 22nd of October, but activity continues (though at lower rates) for another couple of weeks, giving observers in northwest England more chances (if the weather cooperates that is).
Plecotus auritus, the Halloween Bat
Brown Long-eared bats emerge late, after full darkness, to hunt and their echolocation calls are very quiet to avoid being detected by prey (they are simetimes called “whispering bats”), so bat detectors only pick them up at close range (typically under 5m). They are very skilled at gleaning insects from foliage while hovering or flying slowly, as well as catching prey in flight.
Coprinellus micaceus, the Glistening Inkcap
(Excerpt) Glistening Inkcaps (Coprinellus micaceus) are one of the most common and easily recognised Inkcap mushrooms in the British Isles and are widespread and frequently encountered wherever suitable dead wood is present.
Violet Coral Fungus
(Excerpt) C. zollingeri is a characteristic member of the CHEGD fungal assemblage (Clavariaceae, Hygrocybes, Entolomataceae, Geoglossacaea and Dermoloma). These taxa are restricted to nutrient-poor, often mildly acidic grasslands that have remained largely unimproved for decades or sometimes centuries.
Nightshades of Northern England
The Nightshade family (Solanaceae) includes the familiar food plants potato, tomato and aubergine, yet several of its members are toxic.
Three of these poisonous species are common in Northern England:
Woody Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara), Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) and Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum).
The three species differ markedly in appearance, toxicity, and habitats, here we look at these differences, how to identify them, and the roles the plants have played in our culture and history.
Autumn Days when the Grass is Jewelled
(Excerpt) Autumn brings with it many sensory delights; sounds, tastes and sights unique to the season, yet it does not arrive with a single scent but instead with a layered, shifting perfume that settles into the hedgerows, woodlands, and wet country lanes.
The Common Darter
In the serotinal days of late summer, when the countryside’s tones shift from emerald to gold, our insect life slowly fades from the scene and the buzz and hum of bees and flies dials back to the silence of winter.
Yet life still lingers, and some flying insects remain to stir the cooling autumnal air, including the striking and swift-flying Sympetrum striolatum, the Common Darter dragonfly.
