The Round-leaved Sundew, Drosera rotundifolia, (Drosera meaning ‘dewy’ in latin) is a small carnivorous plant found in bogs, it is locally common but hard to find, in England its strongholds are on our acid uplands, in particular those of the Northwest. A small plant, with reddish coloured ‘leaves’ covered in sticky hairs the Round-leaved sundewContinue reading “Round-leaved Sundew”
Tag Archives: #Summer
Haytime
In the cold depths of a northern winter farmers will go through a lot of hay, it’s good, nutritious winter fodder for store lambs, hill sheep overwintering in the valleys, dairy cows, beef cattle, and horses. It’s also portable, there are 3 types of bale which can be easily transported in winter time when feedingContinue reading “Haytime”
The Common Blue
The Common Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, is on the wing now and can be seen in most parts of the British isles fluttering low in the grasses and shrubs of our countryside and gardens. There are several species of blue butterflies in the British isles but the Common Blue, as its names suggests, is theContinue reading “The Common Blue”
Padiham on Parade
Padiham on Parade is on the 29th and 30th of June this year, it’s a whole weekend themed around the 1940s and well worth visiting as there’s lots of events and things to see for all ages and interests. This years programme; Here’s some photos from the last couple of year’s events; A B-H
The Common Field Grasshopper
The chirping of grasshoppers is a familiar sound in the British countryside during the summer months and certainly contributing its song to this chorus is the Common Field Grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus, which is one of our most common and widespread grasshopper species. Its scientific name is rare in being perfectly descriptive of the creature, (youContinue reading “The Common Field Grasshopper”
Meadow Crane’s-bill
Meadow Cranesbill, Geranium pratense, is a perennial wildflower of the British countryside and is in bloom from June to August, its scientific name pratense means ‘of the meadow’ but it is often found on roadside verges, embankments and hedgerows too. Its nectar-rich flowers make it an important and popular plant for many species of pollinatingContinue reading “Meadow Crane’s-bill”
Northwest Recipes; Elderflower Cordial
The famous British novelist and journalist Sebastian Faulks once said, “If I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life, it would be rhubarb fool, which I would make with ginger and a hint of elderflower cordial”. Now that the hedgerows are white with the delicately formed and scented flowers of theContinue reading “Northwest Recipes; Elderflower Cordial”
The Ephemeral Phenomena of Noctilucent Clouds
So far this year we haven’t really been blessed with that many cloudless nights but the few we have had did provide us with some opportunities to espy spectacular night-sky phenomena such as the Aurora borealis a few weeks ago. That display was an absolute boon for photographers and astronomers, especially those who combine theContinue reading “The Ephemeral Phenomena of Noctilucent Clouds”
Northwest Nature and History 