All about the Natural History and History of the Northwest of England
The arrival of spring often feels hard-won here in northern England, winters linger longer here than in the south, with colder temperatures and more frequent frosts delaying the greening of the landscape.
Yet, as days lengthen and occasional milder spells arrive, typically from late February through March, the first tentative signs of nature’s renewal appear on the trees.
Winter Gnats (Trichoceridae), also commonly known as winter craneflies, are a small family of delicate, long-legged flies in the order Diptera. They are particularly noticeable during the cooler months, and thrive in our damp, temperate climate where mild winter days provide perfect conditions for their activity.
A look at one of our Most Common Foliose Lichens, with some Notes about Uses for Measuring Air Pollution and Chemical ‘K, C and Pd Identification Tests
As the autumn rains soak our countryside, the fruiting bodies of fungi sprout forth, bewitching us with their bewildering multitude of forms.
One of the most bizarre of these is the Common Inkcap.
Lacewings are amongst the most enchanting and delicate insects encountered in the British isles and are named so for their exquisitely intricate wings, which resemble fine lace due to the network of veins that crisscross them. These wings are typically held roof-like over their bodies when at rest, giving them a distinctive silhouette and areContinue reading “Beauty and the Beast; the Lacewing and the Lion”
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”
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”
Wood Sorrel’s scientific name, Oxalis acetosella, derives from the Greek Oxys, meaning ‘acid, or ‘sharp’, and hális, which means ‘salt’. Acetosella comes from the Latin acetum, meaning ‘vinegar’ or ‘sour wine’. It is one of the earliest spring-flowering plants of the woodland floor, along with Wood Anenome, Bluebell and Wild Garlic and is characteristic ofContinue reading “Wood Sorrel, the original Shamrock”
Northwest Nature and History