Category Archives: Flora/Fauna

Jun 07 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Mother of nine

Saturday 7th June 2025, 3.40pm (day 5,035)

Dunsop Bridge ducks, 7/6/25

I don’t think I have ever seen a brood of ducklings as large as this. Even though a couple of them are only glimpsed on this shot (there’s one right behind the duck, and another mostly concealed in the left-hand group) there were definitely nine of them. No wonder she looked somewhat frazzled: and there was an equally stressed-looking drake in the vicinity too. Still, they’re a good size: quite an achievement in fact.

Incidentally this was taken at Dunsop Bridge in the Forest of Bowland, a few yards from where, on 27/12/2011, I depicted Clare stood in the phone box that is still there, being the reputed “centre of Britain”. That was 4,911 days ago, meaning that Dunsop Bridge now takes over as the place with the longest gap between appearances on this blog. Can things get any more exciting, you ask? Hey, this particular journey has only just started.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Jun 06 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Threatening skies

Thursday 5th June 2025, 3.20pm (day 5,033)

Birds, chimneys, clouds, 5/6/25

I’m sure birds have just as much of a developed weather sense as do humans. Why wouldn’t they? High winds, for a start, could really screw up that trip they were planning to make to, say, the local household waste centre. These guys may or may not be trying to sort some stuff out before the latest heavy shower comes rolling in, just as we might speed up our journey home from the shops in the face of a cloud like this.

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Jun 03 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Teenage goose and hanger-on

Monday 2nd June 2025, 4.25pm (day 5,030)

Gosling and pigeon 2/6/25

Only a few weeks back the gawky thing with over-size feet would have been an adorable little ball of golden fluff. We all go through an awkward phase at adolescence though, don’t we. The pigeon, meanwhile, is attempting to recruit this new arrival in the war against the ducks, but soon, the goose will realise it is above all that rubbish.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
May 31 2025
1 Comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Watching me watching him

Friday 30th May 2025, 2.30pm (day 5,027)

Young deer, 30/5/25

There have been, I count, five previous photos of deer on here down the years and with the possible exception of the first one (13/10/2015), the subjects of each were well aware of my presence, watching me just as carefully as I was watching them: take this lot, for instance. This young chap (and he is a male: there are antlers beginning to sprout) was no exception. He let me take the picture but scooted off the moment I made to come any closer. It’s just as well for him I didn’t have a gun, though.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
May 30 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Snail snog

Thursday 29th May 2025, 11.25am (day 5,026)

Snail mates, 29/5/25

The damper weather appears to have made these two frisky. But guys — doing it on the pavement is probably a bad idea. You need to keep an eye out for the Boots of Death coming your way.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
May 28 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Chances of being saved, fairly high

Wednesday 28th May 2025, 2.40pm (day 5,025)

Insect on beer, 28/5/25

I suppose, to an insect, that the foam layer on top of a glass of beer looks like a solid landing place. But this is one of those risks that if it gets a second chance at it, this will only be because of the benevolence of the putative drinker of said beer, who doesn’t want a mouthful of insect to spoil his enjoyment. Learn the lesson, kid.

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
May 14 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Jackdaw in the sunshine

Tuesday 13th May 2025, 5.50pm (day 5,010)

Jackdaw, 13/5/25

The sunshine continues: if you hear any Britons complaining about the weather this spring, you have my permission to scoff. This jackdaw seems to be enjoying it just like the rest of us.

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
May 05 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Milo tries hypnosis

Sunday 4th May 2025, 5.00pm (day 5,001)

Milo waits, 4/5/25

“If I stare at him in the right way, perhaps some of the food will leap off the plate.” It didn’t work though, Milo. I’m immune. (Well, maybe I gave him a bit later on.)

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
May 02 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Plumlings

Friday 2nd May 2025, 2.30pm (day 4,999)

Plumlings, 2/5/25

Going on the number of plumlings that currently festoon the tree, I predict that come around late July, the whole thing is going to fall over. Should it stay standing, even 2023’s glut (forty-four pounds of fruit) may be surpassed.

Hello, it’s day 4,999. I’d better not forget to get the camera out at some point tomorrow.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Apr 29 2025
Leave a comment
Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Ready to fly

Tuesday 29th April 2025, 11.05am (day 4,996)

Dandelion clock and leaf, 29/4/25

The weather has been pretty good for some time now and things seem to be emerging earlier this year, nature-wise. It feels we should be well into May already, but that month doesn’t start yet for two more days. The dandeliion clocks are heavy with seeds, and an explosion is surely imminent.

Tagged , , , , , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →