I HAD BEEN HOPING FOR A GOOD CHERRY-PLUM HARVEST THIS SUMMER - THE FRUITS MAKE EXCELLENT JAM - BUT THE HEDGEROW TREES THAT I HAD MY EYE ON ARE INFECTED WITH POCKET PLUM DISEASE, CAUSED BY THE FUN...
I ENCOUNTERED THIS LOVELY LITTLE FEMALE TAWNY MINING BEE ANDRENA FULVA, PROVISIONING HER NEWLY-EXCAVATED NEST TUNNEL WITH POLLEN, ON THE TEESDALE WAY FOOTPATH BETWEEN EGGLESTONE AND MEETING OF ...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/05/tawny-mining-bee.html
BRITTLE BLADDER-FERN CYSTOPTERIS FRAGILIS IN A SHADY, DAMP RETAINING WALL IN TEESDALE, NORTH PENNINES. A BEAUTIFUL, DELICATE FERN WITH BRITTLE FROND STALKS, TYPICALLY FOUND IN CREVICES IN LIMES...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/05/brittle-bladder-fern.html
ASHES LIMESTONE QUARRY AT STANHOPE IN WEARDALE CEASED OPERATIONS OVER 80 YEARS AGO AND HAS SINCE BECOME A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE. THE BOTTOM OF THE QUARRY IS NOW A LAKE WITH A GOOD RANGE OF WETL...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/05/tawny-owl.html
I FIRST FOUND ONE OF THESE CINNAMON BUGS CORIZUS HYOSCYAMI IN THE GARDEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. NOW THEY ARE WELL ESTABLISHED HERE. THEY OVERWINTER AS ADULTS AND THIS IS THE FIRST THAT I'VE S...
I FOUND THIS BIRD'S SKULL IN ASHES QUARRY, STANHOPE, WEARDALE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. I THINK IT'S A JACKDAW'S SKULL - IT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT SIZE (6.5 CM LONG), THE BEAK IS THE RIGHT SHAPE AND IT ...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/04/jackdaw-skull.html
THREE PICTURES OF TWO LADYBIRDS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH CONIFERS, FOUND ON A FENCE POST ON THE EDGE OF A SITKA SPRUCE PLANTATION IN THE DEERNESS VALLEY, COUNTY DURHAM. THE EYED LADYBIRD IS OUR LA...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/04/conifer-plantation-ladybirds.html
I STARTED HEARING CHIFFCHAFFS LOCALLY IN COUNTY DURHAM AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL - ANOTHER WELCOME SIGN OF SPRING WHEN THE WEATHER DIDN'T FEEL VERY SPRING-LIKE. THIS ONE WAS IN SCRUBBY WOODLA...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/04/chiffchaff.html
AT THE END OF MARCH IT LOOKED AS THOUGH WE WOULD HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL DISPLAY OF AMELANCHIER FLOWERS THIS SPRING - BUT THEN THE BULLFINCHES FOUND THEM AND THINNED OUT THE FLOWER BUDS. A SMALL...
WATCHED THIS LITTLE LONG-TAILED TIT COLLECTING NEST MATERIAL - LICHEN AND SPIDERS' WEBS - IN A PATCH OF BRAMBLES BESIDE THE DISUSED RAILWAY LINE AT BRANCEPETH, COUNTY DURHAM.
ALMOST A WORK OF ABSTRACT ART - LAST YEAR'S LEAF MINES OF THE BRAMBLE LEAF MINER MOTH STIGMELLA AURELLA IN AN OLD BRAMBLE LEAF. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WERE TWO MINERS IN THIS ONE, WITH THEIR FEEDI...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/04/bramble-leaf-miner.html
GREY WAGTAILS ARE BALLETIC BIRDS, NEVER STILL FOR AN INSTANT, ALWAYS TWIRLING AND DARTING HERE AND THERE IN SEARCH OF INSECTS. I PHOTOGRAPHED THIS BEAUTY IN THE RIVER TEES, DOWNSTREAM FROM ABBEY ...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/04/grey-wagtail.html
The river Wear begins its great loop around Durham cathedral peninsula here, at Elvet bridge. It’s always a busy spot. Aside from the rowing crews and scullers training for regattas, ther...
SOME PICTURES FROM A WALK LAST WEEK IN THE DERWENT WALK COUNTRY PARK, WINLATON MILL, GATESHEAD. SILVER BIRCHES AND WILLOWS, SEEN FROM THE TOP OF THE NINE ARCHES RAILWAY VIADUCT OVER THE RIVE...
MAYBE IT'S TIME SOMEONE PRODUCE A SURVEY OF THE FLORA OF ROTTING FENCE POSTS. THERE ARE SO MANY FASCINATING AND OFTEN BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLES OF THESE MINIATURE GARDENS, COLONISED BY MOSSES, LICHENS, ...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/03/fence-post-lichen-garden.html
TO MANY GARDENERS IT'S A WEED; TO BOTANISTS IT'S A WILD FLOWER; TO ECOLOGISTS IT'S A RUDERAL - A PRIMARY COLONISER OF DISTURBED GROUND. CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, GROUNDSEL SENECIO VULGARIS IS A RE...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/03/rusty-groundsel.html
WHEN I'M LOOKING OUT OF THE KITCHEN WINDOW EARLY IN THE MORNING I OFTEN SEE THIS LITTLE WREN ROOTLING AROUND IN THE FRONT GARDEN. HERE IT'S PECKING TINY ANIMALS FROM THE MOSS THAT GROWS BETWEEN T...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/03/wren-finds-food-in-mossy-crevices.html
CHERRY PLUM PRUNUS CERASIFERA IS IN FULL BLOOM HERE IN COUNTY DURHAM AND ITS BLOSSOM IS ATTRACTING BULLFINCHES, THAT FEED ON THE FLOWER BUDS. YOU COULD ALMOST SAY THAT THEIR TERRITORY IS DEFINE...
WE'VE HAD SINGLE SISKINS AT THE GARDEN BIRD FEEDER SINCE DECEMBER BUT LATELY THEIR NUMBERS HAVE RISEN, SO NOW WE HAVE A SMALL BUT REGULAR FLOCK OF ABOUT HALF A DOZEN. THEY ARE FEISTY LITTLE BIR...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/02/siskins.html
WE WATCHED THIS LOVELY BARN OWL, HUNTING AT MID-DAY, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE LOCATION WAS THE NATURALLY RE-WILDING SITE OF A FORMER COAL MINE IN THE WEAR VALLEY NEAR THE VILLAGE OF WILLINGTO...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-barn-owl-at-mid-day.html
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WE ARE ALL ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE FIRST SIGN OF SPRING FLOWERS - THE FIRST CELANDINE, COLT'SFOOT OR MAYBE EVEN A PRECOCIOUS PRIMROSE - BUT ONE OF THE FIRST NATIVE SPECIES T...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/02/early-blooming-spurge-laurel.html
WHEN WE FIRST MOVED INTO THIS OLD HOUSE, ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO, IT HAD AN INTERESTING AND DIVERSE INVERTEBRATE FAUNA. THERE WERE GAPS AND DRAUGHTS THROUGH THE DOORS, WINDOWS AND FLOORS AND I CAN R...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/01/lacewing-fly-winter-guest.html
IT'S THIRTEEN YEARS SINCE WE LAST SAW A WAXWING, WHEN A WHOLE FLOCK TURNED UP IN OUR GARDEN , FEEDING ON CRAB APPLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THESE SPECTACULAR BIRDS ALL OVER THE NO...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-waxwing-at-last.html
WATCHED SOME INTERESTING BEHAVIOUR BY A GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER RECENTLY. IT ARRIVED AT A SALLOW CARRYING A SITKA SPRUCE CONE IN ITS BEAK, THEN WEDGED IT IN A HOLE THAT IT HAD ALREADY HACKED W...
MISTLE THRUSHES TEND TO BE WARY BIRDS, HARD TO APPROACH CLOSELY. I PHOTOGRAPHED THIS ONE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT STANHOPE IN WEARDALE, MANAGING TO GET WITHIN CAMERA RANGE BECAUSE IT WAS GUARDI...
http://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2024/01/mistle-thrush.html