Now flowering; ox-eye daisy (picture), forget-me-not, speedwell, herb Robert, cornflower (particularly alongside west approach road to Barton/A15 roundabout), early field scabious. ‘Doom and gloom’ in last blog followed by heavy over-night rain! Ash trees (my favourite) have been in leaf-bud for few weeks but very few have opened-out. It’s almost like they have an on-board […]

Miscellaneous; Have seen first migrating swifts this past week, generally arrive second week in May, probably regretting it already. First swallows seen a month ago but only seen since in ones and twos, however today saw first small flock. No April showers and semi-arid conditions on the land, taking to a person who had been

First comparatively long distance walk for ages on Wednesday, this to celebrate the long-awaited improvement in the late spring weather. From Humber Bridge Country Park walked the wide footpath next to the rail line and just above the Humber foreshore to North Ferriby. Lots of red valerian just coming into flower, also speedwell, dandelion, buttercup, bugle

No sign of the ducklings or goslings, am thinking they may have died of hypothermia, unable to endure the unrelenting cold east and north winds of late and the lack of warmth from sunshine. If so their corpses have probably been ‘hovered-up’ by local foxes that live in local reed-beds and have their own young to

Thanks very much to the couple of people who have responded to my request. Miscellaneous points – while in Worcestershire saw a low white plant in flower growing in local grass-verges which I didn’t recognise. Seems to be ‘Star of Bethlehem’, which I don’t remember seeing in eastern England. On the seaward side of the Humber

As well as the misericords the church at Great Malvern has many fine features, for example the Norman north and south arcades retained, almost incongruously, when later the building was heightened and enlarged. Also of interest are the medieval floor tiles uprooted intact during a programme of restoration and on display in the chancel. Another fine