WALKING WITH NATURE

SC83 - post 18 February - random subject For this weeks' challenge I have chosen 'Hope' as my subject. Each year in late spring, the joyous awakening of the world fills many of us with hope for the future. This week started last Sunday with the background photo of snowdrop carpets, and along came bursts of more flowers including the male catkins of hazel. followed by the white froth of blackthorn flowers, the pale yellow beauty of wild primroses, beautiful early Prunus blossom and the glorious yellow of the Tenby daffodil - Narcissus obvalaris. There are many other flowers that have opened this week too, including Crocus thomasinianus, Anemone blanda, Pulmonaria officianalis, Cyclamen, and winter jasmine. But if i put all of this onto the photo the snowdrops, which are one of my favourite flowers would be hidden. Spring is nearly upon us in the Northern hemisphere, so I wish for you all the precious gift of hope.

www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/beaver-project www.myshrewsbury.co.uk/blog/beavers-to-return-to-shrewsbury-old-river-bed The 280m (920ft) route crosses the Old River Bed Site of Special Scientific Interest is now open. The plan is to reintroduce the species to the relatively urban habitat between two housing estates. A family of the dam-building mammals is expected to be released there this summer. The scheme is a partnership between Shropshire Wildlife Trust and the town council. It is envisaged that the beavers will clear the young willow and alder trees to make room for a wetland habitat which will support more species.

The Aston Cil Nature Reserve, was started in 2018 and completed in 2023. It runs parallel to the Montgomery Canal, and there are several large lakes, some of which are unavailable to the general public. The whole area was created by the Canal and Rivers Trust, and work, including 2 bird hides and various pieces of artwork, was done by a group of paid workers/artists and also school children. We walk around here fairly regularly, and until this year there seems to have been very little to find as far as birds are concerned. This time we spotted 2 egrets, a pair of swans, a grebe, ducks, and a moorhen. In the past we have seen a heron and coot too. Now that the birds have arrived we assume that the lakes provide enough food. This art fence is right by one of the hides, and conceals one of the ponds. The plaque shows a quote by Henry David Thoreau, "In wildness is the preservation of the world." His idea focuses on the human need for freedom in the beauty of ordinary places.

SC90 - Post 7 April - Unusually blue item. Bluebells are usually blue I hear you say; but often the 'bluebells' in peoples' gardens are pale blue, pink or even white and are, in fact, Spanish bluebells, Hyacinthoides hispanica, which have more upright open flower heads. They are very common in gardens in this country at this time of year, and are threatening the native populations of the English bluebell. For a bit of fun, and knowing the inverse of yellow is blue, I took a photo of yellow gorse and inverted the colours using Photoshop. The results can be seen below. 1021409/52400990" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> 1021409/52400992" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">

I won't be with you in apple blossom time, or this weekend in fact, as we are away for a few days. But here is a song - a real golden oldie - and I know all the words. ;-) 1941 HITS ARCHIVE: I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time - Andrews Sisters And just because I love this music and video: Someone You Loved (Piano/Cello) The Piano Guys

Yo-Yo Ma, Kathryn Stott - The Swan (Saint-Saëns)