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”
Tag Archives: #trees
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”
Charming Goldfinch
A group of Goldfinch are called a ‘Charm’ and they are indeed one of the most charming songbirds you might spot in the countryside. The scientific name of the species: Carduelis carduelis, comes from carduus, which means ‘thistle’ or ‘Teasel’, as the bird is very fond of the seeds of this plant, in fact theContinue reading “Charming Goldfinch”
Juniper in Bowland
The fragrant Juniper, Juniperis communis, (Communis being latin for ‘common’, which is unusual as vulgaris is more commonly used to convey this meaning) is the plant from which gin gets its name and flavour, and along with the Yew and the Scots pine, is one of the three species of conifer that remained native toContinue reading “Juniper in Bowland”
The Rowan
The Rowan or Mountain Ash, Sorbus aucuparia, a common tree of the cloughs, woods and hedgerows of the Northwest, is fruiting at the moment, there seem to more berries than in previous years and the bright red fruit will attract flocks of fieldfare, Blackbirds, Ring Ouzel, Long-tailed tits and many other birds over the autumnContinue reading “The Rowan”
Temperate Rainforests
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”
The Spotted Flycatcher
The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is found throughout the British isles and is a summer visitor to these shores, arriving in May and departing for Southern Africa around September. Although it is a small bird, only reaching up to 15cm in length at the most, which is about the same size as a sparrow, itContinue reading “The Spotted Flycatcher”
Northwest Nature and History 