I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief Springtime interlude as much as I have had taking the pictures? This lockdown has hindered any opportunity to stretch my legs and travel around London on my endoftheline travels, so seeing nature recovering from winter has been a welcome change.
I’m now returning briefly to my themed archive collection. One more week of ‘Windows and Doors’ followed by a theme of your choice before I return to the rails and resume my travels. Help me decide on the last collection by voting here.
In the meantime, you can relive the week’s social media posts in this blog. Please enjoy…
#01 Buzy Bee
I found this wee chappy sitting on a Daffodil smothered in pollen. Maybe just taking a break from his busy day. Spring has sprung and I hope you’ve all changed your clocks (UK time that is)?
#02 A flying Corvid
No not that kind of Covid, this is the collective name for rooks, crows, ravens and jackdaws. It made me look up the difference between them. Do you know how to tell them apart? Do share and tell.
Spoiler alert – my take is that jackdaws are small, crows have a black beak and a curved tail, rooks have a grey beak and ravens have a diamond tail. This particular bird caught my attention as it was snapping twigs off no doubt to build a nest nearby.
#03 Larry the Laridae
Or seagull if you prefer. This cheeky young seagull was perched on a park bench next to our car. As we got in, it had an almost inquisitive, yet threatening manner. I could hear him think – ‘are you looking at me?’
I was tempted to wind the car window down to get a better view, but decided against it. There are many gull varieties, and depending where you live, which are the more common ones. Why not explore online to learn more on how to identify the many varieties in the UK
#04 – Riddled with Roots
I always imagine tree roots on the surface to be magical with some mystical qualities. Maybe I’ve watched too many films where the pixies, elves and fairies live in realms of our fantasies.
Did you know that up to 90% of a tree’s root system is no more than 2 feet deep underground. And that trees are connected and talk to each other through a connection of mycorrhizal filaments. Let’s not take our trees for granted…
#05 Onions on the march
The ‘Ailsa Craig’ seeds are the first to germinate. These are almost two weeks old and are a good cropper. So good in fact we still have strings of last year’s onions in the shed, although some are now starting to bolt.
Used in folk medicine for the relief of colds, coughs, catarrh, asthma and hayfever and more recently they are believed to have properties that help balance blood sugars as well. And on top of all that, it’s an all round culinary companion.
#06 A Beautiful Bud.
The red anemones are starting to bud and looking majestic as they burst amongst the yellow tete-a-tete daffodils. The image reminds me of a Solar Sailor bulk transport vehicle from the sci-fi movie TRON.
#07 A Carrie-esque hand
No, but this Paeony bursting from its winter slumber has an eerie quality to it and those of you familiar with the movie’s end scene will know what I mean. The bud grows so quickly that you can almost see it stretching its arm.
Symbolic for love, honour, prosperity and good luck, although the Victorians believed that if you dug up a peony, fairies would come and put a curse on you. No matter what your view, the flowers are always impressive, and if well cared for will survive for up to 100 years.
The End Of The Line 