Cherish Nature, we need it in Days like These.

The following appeared in the May edition of The Lee Newsletter, so apologies if you've already read it, if not read on.
                                                                                                                                

Since we’ve been living in a Lockdown state of Emergency caused by the world wide spread of Covid-19 more folks than usual are taking to the highways & byways to get their allowance of daily exercise. All to often I see them speeding along, music in the ears, or texting… just missing so much.

Just stand awhile take in your surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the senses, it will ease the stress of our fast moving, economy driven world, a world where nature is constantly being destroyed in the name of progress, it’s at times like these that we need nature the most. Cherish & nurture the local landscape.

Here’s a particularly fine example of how a hedge should look with Blackthorn in full blossom, as I walked the adjoining path Blue & Great Tits moved through the foliage, along with Robin & Blackbird, as possibly one of the sweets songs of Spring came cascading out from the depths of the hedge, that of a Male Blackcap just arrived back from over wintering in Africa, no Butterflies at present, but later should be Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, & this being Blackthorn who knows maybe even rare Hairstreaks.

Out in the fields a rare sight & sound nowadays due to modern farming practises is the evocative “pee wit”call of the Lapwing, or in the days when I was at Lee Common School we called it the Peewit, still a few just about hanging on in traditional sites where they perform they’re tumbling display flights.

A few of our local hedgerows harbor Yellowhammers.

Visiting Summering migrants : Whitethroats which rise up as they perform their scratchy chattering display flight, parachuting back down again.

Foxes & Badgers are busy rearing young, if you’re lucky & quiet enough you may just catch a glimpse.

In the pasture recently born Lambs are bouncing about & begging for milk, please keep any dogs under tight control especially with these excitable young Lambs enjoying the warming sun, so often I get dogs coming up to greet me without any owners in sight.

Hawthorn Wood on the Liberty Estate in the valley between Ballinger & Lee Common is developing nicely after the timber harvesting of two winters back, the sun now having the chance to shine on the woodland floor in the open glades encouraging a covering of Brambles (one of the most beneficial wildlife plants & mighty tasty Blackberries).

Bluebells are currently forming a shimmer haze, if your’re lucky enough you may even spot a white one.

As I wondered through whilst putting this together a Chiffchaff explored amongst the prickly briar's, Peacock & Orange Tip butterflies flitted through on the breeze, which until the harvesting was a dark & uninviting place for these wonderful insects. Talking of insects, those old enough like me will remember after being out on a Saturday night, how the following morning you would have to clean the splattered midges off the windscreen, well that don’t ‘appen any more, which means there’s something fundamentally wrong with the environment, one of the positive effects of this devastating virus will be the reduction in air pollution due to less Planes, Trains & Auto-mobiles, which should have a knock on effect for the insects which form the basis of all life, with us at the pinnacle.

So once we emerge from this Lockdown state hopefully folks will respect & appreciate nature more & the world will be a better place for wildlife & mankind alike. 
Don.
Images Copyright : Don Stone/ Stewart Dennis.

26th April..... Misbourne Lockdown Walk.

Today my wife and I decided to walk down to the River Misbourne. Another warm and sunny morning.

Beginning to hear common whitethroats singing and found one on the way down to the A413 in their usual favourite place, high on a bush.

Passed kites feeding on the ground and one in the hedgerow.

Under the by-pass and good to see the River Misbourne flowing well from it's source at Mobwell.

Had been told the bluebells in Coneybank Wood were the best they have been for years so carried on to have a look.

The sight and scent was wonderful and growing with them to add to the colour were the white greater stitchwort and yellow archangel.

Back home after lunch two young buck roe deer walked past the garden gate and the honesty is still attracting  butterflies as well as honey bees and more.
Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

25th April..... Rollin' Rollin'

Peter's busy out in the fields rolling.

Under the watchful gaze of a Buzzard.

25th April..... Big Garden Sit Viz Mig Session, Week Five.

My list :

Stewart's list :

23rd April..... Sowing the Seeds.

Walking from home out towards Pednor this morning, another warm day.

Orange-tip butterflies patrolling up and down the footpath which were bordered with bluebells and white stitchwort. Tortoiseshells and peacocks sunning themselves on the ground. Heard a tractor working and watched, through the dust as he finished rolling with a large gang of Cambridge rolls above Pednor Bottom.

Passed a pair of kestrels and watched a pair of distant hares.

 

 

Also came close to a pair of wrens on the narrow path, passing the alpacas on the right and shire horses on the left.

 

Wild garlic beginning to flower in the woods and passed another tractor working, this time busy drilling spring corn. Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

21st April..... Starlings & Roe Deer.

Towards the end of last week the male starling started entering the box where great tits were nesting, taking out the moss the great tit had used for its nest then taking in its own nesting material.

Not good news for the great tits who also kept entering the box and bringing out the material the starling had brought in. It carried on for two days and now the box is quiet and empty. The starlings are incubating in their own box, hopefully, hatch about the beginning of May and the great tits will  find another box.

Another quiet walk from home and came across three roe deer in a state of moult, two young does and a buck who was also shedding the velvet from its antlers.

Sunday had a distant view of my first 'passing through' wheatear also noted  two lapwings in their regular field and good numbers of skylarks.

On way back home passed a holly-blue butterfly on holly, a speckled wood and green-veined white butterfly.

Later at home a male orange-tip was sharing the honesty with bee-flies.

Stewart.
Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

18th April..... Big Garden Sit Viz Mig Session, Week Four.

My list 8-9am.

Stewart's

15th April.... Green-veined White.

Had brief visit to the garden of a pair of marsh tits.

With the day warming up butterflies appeared too. Holly blues, like the brimstone, favouring the honesty.

 

Green-veined white and a female orange-tip nectaring on the sweet rocket, Hesperis.

 Stewart.
Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.