Community Orchard-2024-06-Jun

Community Orchard-2024-06-Jun
Peter Orchard
Mon, 06/10/2024 - 15:43



* Read more about Community Orchard-2024-06-Jun






Sunny but a chilly wind:

 


http://dlvr.it/T84wPh

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On my walk ... the jackdaw

Image
  The jackdaw is a familiar sight about the cliffs, and also the various green spaces, around Sidmouth. A party of six are regular visitors to the grounds here where I live to feed on grubs they find in the lawns. This is a sociable little crow, not only enjoying the company of its own kind but are often found with flocks of rooks on farmland and less frequently with carrion crows. Despite their gregarious nature they can also be encountered in pairs, especially during the breeding season of course. They have lovely blue eyes and are quite endearing. They seem to be quite pompous as they strut around as if they own everything that they can see. They are also very intelligent and are known to be 'thieves' in a similar way to magpies.  The origin of their name is a little obscure and may have come about from a couple of sources. Daw is a country name for a crow so that part is obvious but Jack may come from the distinctive harsh 'jack' call they make. On the other hand ja...
Read more

On my walk ... the herring gull

Image
  On any stroll along the prom in Sidmouth you will see herring gulls. Despite popular belief herring gull populations are in decline as they struggle with diminishing natural food supplies and nesting habitats. They have become quite resourceful and have adapted their behaviour to nest on roof tops and to scavenge for scraps that humans leave behind although that scavenging seems to be reaching the point where they will boldly take food before humans have left it behind! The herring gull is a stocky bird and not something one would wish to tangle with especially when it is in the air near you and in some places it is claimed visitors are staying away because of the gulls. In Swanage recently a local started a petition to try and get the town council to 'cull' them as they are considered to be a nuisance. It is, I think, a shame that we humans act in a way that encourages animals to become what we then consider to be a nuisance and then our answer is to want to kill off the poo...
Read more

For my walk ... U3A Nature Explorers: February 2023

Image
  U3A Nature Explorers - Harcombe Lane 10.00 - 12.00 Wednesday 1st February 2023 Twenty two of us gathered at Snobrook Cross to walk east along Harcombe Lane to Knowle House. It was overcast with some sunny intervals but although the weather forecast indicated it was warmer than recent days it did not feel it to me in the chilly wind! This is a walk of two halves. The first stretch along the lane has hedgerow shrubs, trees and the brook to the left (north side) and a high bank with hedge to the right (or south). Although only a few feet apart these form two very different habitats and so gives double the interest and enjoyment. The most noticeable feature for me was that the shady, north facing bank had countless fern plants of five species; common polypody, hart's-tongue, male-fern, broad buckler fern and a small patch of hard fern. These were far less evident on the other side of the road. In February there is little sign of flowering plants on the bank but on the other side ther...
Read more