SPRING FLOWERS 4: GROUND IVY

and back to the spring flowers

A more striking purplish blue than the violet but still quite small 

so keep your eyes peeled along the edge of hedgerows.

Ground ivy is no relation of ivy but it does hug the ground.  

It's closer to the mints and dead nettles.  

The leaves are nothing like ivy either 

but slightly tinted purple and  almost round with scalloped edges .

It spreads by its long trailing stems that root as they go.

 

BADGER

As you can see, as recently as March14th this badger was boldly padding around near Jo's trail camera.

(You'll have to draw in the eyes yourself as the flash has concealed them!)  

 They are very wary of people but not cameras apparently.

Their senses of smell and hearing are very acute but there vision is not so good,  So, if you are downwind and very still and quiet, you can watch them quite closely - if you know where they regularly go on their nightly feeding travels, that is.

But be careful who you tell about their whereabouts; they are often persecuted by badger baiters with dogs - not to mention government employed cullers (and David Archer).

SPRING FLOWERS 3: VIOLET

A favourite spring flower.  

Although beautiful, violets don't make as much of a show as some.

In fact it's quite easy to overlook them amongst the other greenery.

But when you do get close they are a charm.

The several species of violets are essential food for a number of the fritillary butterflies' caterpillars.

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STOP PRESS: Today I saw this cute little Holly Blue butterfly warming up in the sunshine.

Note the tiny black dots on the underside of the wing.

Their caterpillars feed on holly - or ivy, depending on the season.

 

SPRING FLOWERS 2: COLTS-FOOT

This is not a dandelion although it is related.  The centre of the flower  is a disc rather than all ray florets.

There are no proper leaves, just scale leaves on the flower stem.

 The name 'colts-foot' comes from the shape of the leaves, which appear when the flowers are dead and gone.

It was formerly used as a cough cure.

 I'm posting a lot of spring flowers in close succession on this blog before they all disappear.

SPRING FLOWERS 1: MARSH MARIGOLD

'And winking Mary-buds begin to ope their golden eyes'

William Shakespeare

At the edge of the hilltop pond at Filnore Woods, there are a couple of plants of Marsh Marigold or Kingcup.  The flowers don't last long so hurry if you want to see them.  Hopefully they will increase year on year.

They were known as Mary-buds because they were holy to the Virgin Mary, and used to be placed on window sills, doorsteps and around cows' horns to protect them from evil, especially just before May Day or Beltane.

In the play Cymbeline the phrase 'winking Mary-buds' occurs in the song 'Hark hark the lark'.

Hark, hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings

And Phoebus 'gins arise,

His steeds to water at those springs

On chaliced flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin

To ope their golden eyes:

With everything that pretty is,

My lady sweet, arise:

Arise arise.

 I'm going to post a lot of flowers in close succession on this blog before they all disappear.

Blackthorn blossom

Blackthorn blossom makes quite a hit in hedges, even from a distance, especially if overgrown.

Blackthorn has sour sloes in autumn and prickly twigs all year

 but in spring it is a sweet, fresh sight.

Compare with the pictures of wild plum as in my post of March 9th and you will see that the blackthorn flowers (below) are smaller and not such a pure white but they are later to flower and more frequent in the countryside.

 

DCW 2

 Here is your homework for the Dawn Chorus as mentioned before.  

Go to

RSPB birdsong guide

and click on 'which birdsong is that' .

You can listen to the Dawn Chorus on your own any time between mid April and mid June if you get up before dawn.

Or if you want a bit of personal guidance come on the Dawn Chorus Walk at 5.00 am on Monday 2nd May.  Meet at the field gate on the far side of the Leisure Centre car park.  

These are the first songsters we shall hear   

      

   Blackbird Photo: (Forgotten who from)                      Robin at Filnore:                                         Songthrush:photo: Daily Mail

Nadya Webster