Last grip of Winter

Weekly View

Not had a lot of time in Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve this week,on the trail round i saw & heard the Green Woodpecker also a Gold finch amongst all the others like Robins,blackbirds,wrens,



We've had some Lovely frost then more snow, i think it's safe to say this has been a proper British winter this year just like when i was growing up surely Spring cannot be far away.

2 different sides

WEEKLY VIEW
The weathers been a bit up & down here this last week from HAIL/Sleet/snow/rain/Sun we've had it all.
The Wildlife in Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve has been getting ready for SPRING the Birds have been busying themselves tending nests & foraging for food,
From the 14th century English people believed that birds chose their mates on the feast of their patron Saint Valentine.
By Feb. 14, birds do start to reappear and repair their nests in some climates. So, the promise of spring renewal and fertility can be felt in the air around this time.
here a pair of Coots have been repairing their nest they made in a discarded wheel/tyre in TADPOLE POND.








I managed to get out & feel some nice winter sunshine on my back & the SILVER BIRCH stood out against the blue sky


was nice while it lasted.
EYESORE
This weekend i did a litter pick & got 5 black bags full & still needed more bags,it's a shame when you walk round Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve & you see the Crap that people leave i know i keep moaning about it i just can't see why folk would want to turn such a beautiful place into a landfill tip !! I also can't understand why when the crap has been reported it still sits there months later ??




Here's what i managed to pick up today, it's amazing how many folk will point some rubbish out to you when your litter picking & moan about the state of the place so it's obvious they see it too but can just ignore it !!




SYCAMORE
Celts introduced the Sycamore tree from Gaul where they used the
ground down seeds to make a flour or gruel from.


In Wales, clogs and love-spoons are made from sycamore. In the West
country harvest cakes were baked upon sycamore leaves. The most famous sycamore
tree is the Martyrs' Tree on Tolpuddle Green in Dorset. In the 1830's the
Tolpuddle Martyrs formed the first agricultural trade union beneath this famous
tree, as meetings of this kind were illegal in the 1830's so they were deported
to Australia. The tree still survives and is currently cared for by the Trades
Union Congress.
The timber is also of use, it is as strong as oak but does not last as long. The wood was commonly used for making toys or kitchen items as it was easily dyed and lacked a sticky resin which some other woods have. Now sycamore is a commonly planted street tree as it copes well with the polluted and harsh environments of our towns and cities.

Misty mooch

WEEKLY VIEW

Went for the usual mooch round Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve & as you can see it was a little misty though mild, I don't think the mild is going to last long & SNOW will return again this week & back to Minus temperatures so make the most of it,



This is known as the "sunken heath" the volunteers cleared this area of RHODODENDRON approx 3 years ago & you can see how invasive it is, this is just 3yrs growth !!!





It is going to take a few years & a lot of hard graft to eradicate the RHODODENDRON problem in Swanholme Lakes Nature Reserve.







Black Witches Butter (Exidia Glandulosa)
This i found on an old OAK tree, you can find them in Winter on old LIMES & occasionally on other DECIDUOUS trees & is fairly rare.





An alternative theory for the origin of its common name is that it was thought to have the power to counteract witchcraft if the fungi were thrown on to a blazing fire.