Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Young leaves

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 Fresh young leaves are usually attractive and characteristic of spring.  These are the developing oak laeves on the oak cordon in GCM3. The...

In brief 1 May 2023 -

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3 May 2023.  18.8 max, 7.5 min.   Warmer and sunny.  Frequent visits to Wild Onion Glade by a speckled wood butterfly.  The first red campio...
Sunday, April 30, 2023

Green shield bug emerges

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The other day I spotted a green shield bug ( Palomena prasina ) on a wood dock leaf.  This is a common species that emerges from hibernation...
Thursday, April 27, 2023

In brief 27 April 2023 - 30 April 2023

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30 April 2023.   An Andrena   mining bee landed on a leaf in the warm and hazy sunshine and I observed it through by close focus binoculars....
Monday, April 24, 2023

A varied sward

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The area between M3 and Medlar Wood is about two and a quarter metres square (1.5m x 1.5m).  It has evolved virtually independently since th...
Saturday, April 22, 2023

Earth Day at the Square Metre

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The press made quite an issue if its being Earth Day and seemed to be grasping the idea that if things go on as they are we are going to be ...
Thursday, April 20, 2023

Strange buds and leaves

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Insects were slightly more abundant today: I probably saw three flies and I think a spider scuttled under a leaf. Dandelion buds are develop...
Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Silent Spring ?

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A beautiful sunny day and reasonably warm. I sat at GSM3 for about half an hour but only saw one fly.  In the past I would have expected ant...
Thursday, April 13, 2023

The holly and the ivy.

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At the back of Midsummer Pond I spotted a mine on an ivy leaf.  This will be caused by the larvae of an Agromyzid fly Phytomyza ilicis, a  c...
Wednesday, April 12, 2023

A programme of browsing

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At this time of year the leaf buds are starting to break on the various tree species in GSM3 that I keep in bounds by letting them grow one ...
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Woundwort and broad buckler fern

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This time of year produces the greatest variation of green leaves on the ground. Hedge woundwort , Stachys sylvatica, which has bright, pale...
Monday, April 10, 2023

More galls

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 I promised yesterday, I would reveal the identity of the horror teddy bear in the picture.  Henri Brocklebank gave the right answer and may...
Sunday, April 09, 2023

A return to the Square Metre

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 Nearly a year has gone by since my last entry and my 85th birthday has come and gone.  I have lost much of my mobility but can still walk f...
Tuesday, January 10, 2023

The Second Square in May

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  I have a second square metre in open sunshine where we used to grow vegetables.  This picture was taken in May 2022 and the plants include...
Sunday, December 25, 2022

Here I am again

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 It seems a long time since I updated this blog, but something has moved me to start again. We have had a peruiod of cold and snow unusual f...