Tag Archives: #Spring

The Upland Collection

Here is a list of some of the articles I have published which fall under the broad category of ‘moorland’ or ‘uplands’, it’s by no means exhaustive as there will be some I’ve missed out, some which overlap other themes and others which sit on the fringes. I hope you find it a useful and/orContinue reading “The Upland Collection”

The Wild and Yellow Bloom of Gorse

The Flowers of Gorse, Bright and Bold, Paint the Landscape with Strokes of Gold Also known as ‘furze’ or ‘Whin’, Gorse, Ulex europaeus, is an exceedingly spiny evergreen shrub with an abundance of aromatic yellow flowers and a familiar sight across the Northwest of England, from the windswept mountainsides of the Lake District to theContinue reading “The Wild and Yellow Bloom of Gorse”

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is the name of the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The word ‘shrove’ is the past tense of the English verb ‘shrive’, which describes the means by which to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of confession and penance. On this day, Catholics are encouraged to go toContinue reading “Shrove Tuesday”

Nursery Web Spiders

Nursery web spiders are fascinating creatures known for their unique parental care and courting behaviour. Their scientific name is Pisaura mirabilis and the second half of this, mirabilis (the root of the word miraculous), means ‘admirable’ or ‘remarkable’ and refers to the remarkable parental care the mother gives to her progeny. Another name commonly usedContinue reading “Nursery Web Spiders”

The Bullfinch

The Common Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, is perhaps the best-known species within the Pyrrhula genus, aptly named after the Greek word pyrros, meaning ‘flame-colored’. It is the male who is most strikingly coloured, sporting a rich, rosy-pink breast, black cap, and grey back. In contrast the female is more conservatively dressed with a lighter pink breastContinue reading “The Bullfinch”

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”

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”