Devils- bit scabious Succisa pratensis, is found throughout the British isles on unimproved grasslands such as those found along established hedgerows, wasteland, meadows and pastures. Violet, globe-shaped flowers It has pretty, globe-shaped flowers which come in a variety of shades of blue from navy through to violet, and is in bloom from around June toContinue reading “Devils-Bit Scabious”
Tag Archives: #Yorkshire
The Tosside Tragedy
Here is an article about a tragic aircrash that happened 73 years near the Yorkshire village of Tosside, it is still talked about locally but little known outside of the area. Aircrash near Tosside 73 years ago the Yorkshire countryside around the tiny farming village of Tosside was shaken by a tragic disaster that remainsContinue reading “The Tosside Tragedy”
Livestock Farming in Summer; a look at a few of the many jobs a livestock farmer has to do in the summer months
A year round job Farming is an all year round job, and whilst some of us might be leafing through holiday brochures, kitting out the camper van for an escape to the coast, or simply putting our feet up in the garden, farmers will be as busy as always in the summer months. Here areContinue reading “Livestock Farming in Summer; a look at a few of the many jobs a livestock farmer has to do in the summer months”
Hayrattle in Bowland
The Forest of Bowland has several SSSI’s or Sites of Special Scientific Interest within its bounds and most of these are of interest to botanists for the rare native plants they harbour. One of these is the Hay Rattle, Rhinanthus minor, also know as the yellow rattle or cockscomb. The plant gets its name fromContinue reading “Hayrattle in Bowland”
Honeybee Swarms
Bee Swarming The period from May to July can be the hottest time of year and is often the hotspot for beekeepers being called out to deal with swarms of honeybees, which can occur almost anywhere in seemingly random places. Very often the ‘swarm’ will turn out to be a Wasp nest, which can beContinue reading “Honeybee Swarms”
The Brimstone Butterfly
The Brimstone Butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni, is one of our largest butterflies and quite often the first to be seen as it languidly flaps across the landscape after emerging from its winter hibernation. It is thought to be the original butterfly after which the common name for this type of insect came from, as its wingsContinue reading “The Brimstone Butterfly”
The Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopus major, dendrocopus being Latin for ‘tree striker’, is the most frequently seen of the four species of woodpecker native to the British isles. It is rapidly becoming the most common too as it’s range has spread to areas it was previously rare, including Scotland and Ireland, where they became absentContinue reading “The Great Spotted Woodpecker”
Some notes on Placenames of the Northwest and the Ancient Wildwoods
The long and complex history of the British isles, composed of centuries of conquest and colonisation, has bequeathed to us a linguistic heritage unlike that of any other country, this is reflected most clearly in the history behind our place names. Inspired by the article I recently published about ‘Bothvar’s farm’ here we have aContinue reading “Some notes on Placenames of the Northwest and the Ancient Wildwoods”
Northwest Nature and History 