Paeonia.

My bright red paeonia is a lovely flower for the time of year. It doesn't really last very long but i use the fallen petals to make my own pot-pouri mix.

From ten to nine.

What did i say about working in numbers. The poor canada geese has lost the first gosling to some sort of predator.

may 2007.

Half eaten cherry tree.

Wonder if its the Cockchafer ( maybug ) eating my wild cherry tree leaves. Surprising what this tree provides food for. The pigeons often eat the flowers as they r about to set for fruit. But they must have missed alot as this time as it now has the most cherries i have ever seen on it. Also now in june the birds have a filling of blackfly they feed off this for a few weeks now. Then the Bullfinch and Blackbirds will start on the ripe cherries too. the Honeysuckle that is growing up it is now flowering for the bees and moths and in the autumn the bullfinches will be back for the berries.

may 2007.

Yellow Wagtail.

Also near the pond was this male Yellow Wagtail.

May 2007.

Canada Goslings two.

can't resist taking many pictures of these cute little things.

May 2007.

Canada Goslings.

These goslings on Monkton Earthworks pond are growing well. At first when they were hatched we thought they were all ten of one family but ever since there are allways four adults with them so we now presume they are two families working together and this has happened before here too. Possibly a good way to work to help each other to protect from predators.

Taken may 2007.

Bluebells.

Bluebells at Wallbrook woods, Aconbury. I first went to the wood in may to see the bluebells but i was too early. So i did manage to get back there one evening to see the lovely display. Lots of singing birds too, it was like the dawn chorus but in the evening. There were cuckoo's calling from one side of the wood to the other. White throats singing really loud from the tops of the tree's. Woodpeckers drumming. Blackbirds everywhere. Plenty of small birds busy in the bushes.

Tawny Owl.

The poor pictures of the Tawny Owl at Audits Bridge.

More from Audits Bridge,,,,,,,

Audits Bridge.

Audits Bridge a small private site nr St Weonards , i have kind permission from Mr Ward

http://www.nigel-ward.co.uk/

to visit his land, Thanku all the Ward family.

Allways a nice variety of wildlife there and this short trip was no exception. Canada goose were sat on nest. Mallard had several very early young. Mute swan has not bred this year as the female died last last year, but there is a young pair there. Sadly alot of fighting between the mute swans and the canada goose and one young gosling had left the nest too early and got caught up amongst it all, looks like it has brain damage, the adult male was doing its best to try look after it but i don't hold out much hope for the tiny thing. nature. The pond plants are all starting to shoot and flower.

Then as usual on the way back to the car, my time limit up, what twitawhoo's at me from the tree's, a baby tawny owl. The light was fading so only a few very poor pictures but never mind twas nice to see and hear them.

Other wildlife on the hill.

After taking pictures of the stretch of pipeline from Wormelow

http://archive.herefordtimes.com/search?q=wormelow

to St owens cross. There was just enough time to see and hear some wildlife. Loads or rabbits up the tracks. At least three skylarks singing. Two Buzzards floating about. Whitethroats singing.

Gas Pipeline, Herefordshire.

I went for a power walk up the hill ( o;k so i still took my camera, lol, ) We can't actually see the pipeline from our doorstep but it is just down the road / field. We can hear all the lorries / machinery at 5;30am most mornings. Anyway i thought i'd take some pictures incase anyone might be interested at a later date.

http://archive.herefordtimes.com/search?q=gas+pipeline

Oh we r also lucky as we don't have to look at the miles of tunnels right from our window but as before they r only down the road.

Cockchafer.

Cockchafer ( Melolontha melolontha ).

A loud, almost angry buzzing sound signals the arrival of a cockchafer beetle in a lighted room in early summer. Once inside, it flies about clumsily, colliding with things in the room. The Cockchafer is commonly known as the may bug as it is most often found in may or early june.

The larvae of the cockchafer are the white grubs sometimes found when soil is ploughed or dug. They feed on plant roots and can be serious pests of farm and garden crops, especially cereals and soft fruit. Great damage can be caused after particulary good summers when the female cockchafers have laid large numbers of eggs. As the larvae need two or three years to mature, crops may suffer for two or three seasons after a good adult summer. The cockchafer is found over most of britain, but is rarely seen during the day because of its nocturnal habits.

The adult beetle emerges from its pupa in october but remains underground until spring, when it pushes its way to the surface and lives for a further three or four months.

Rooks, magpies and gulls regulary search fields for the larvae which are sometimes called '' rookworms '' or '' whitegrubs ''.

Clearly this one hasn't long woken up, it is on my nelly moser clematis in the morning sun, so as it eats mainly roots it may not be eating the actual flower. However they will eat the leaves of deciduous trees, so it may be eating the leaves on my wild cherry tree.

What i really wanted to see,,,,,,,,

Yes i was hopeing i would see the Stonechats. As i made it back around to the south and east side the stonechats were singing and carrying foodstuff. So that made my walk a nice ending. The stonechats were very scarce up on the hill for many many years but now they are making a comeback. Also skylarks singing all over the hill. Large flocks of the crow families, crows, rooks and jackdaws crowing an displaying about the hillside.

Out in full sun, ??.

Well i sat on the side of the hill overlooking a hay meadow full of ewes an lambs beside the woods. Set the camera up an had a drink. Saw a ewe stand up very sudenly to stare at a red fox trotting straight through the sheep. Well he was a sly fox out in full sun it was heading for the woods. So i only got part pics of him.

Garway Hill Bluebells.

Still on the hill managed to walk around to the west side where the banks were a thin coat of bluebells but covering a large area drifting out of the woods.

Garway Hill.

Haven't been up Garway Hill for ages. I could see it beconing me when i was on Garway Common with the kids. So my borrowed car took me up there. Twas a lovely clear day, just how i like it. So a few pics of my favourite landscape views.

Bluebells.

The kids wanted to have a run around and play on Garway Common. So they got to play an i got to have a very quick walk around the quieter parts on the common. Bluebells are out so a few pics had to go on camera.

Clematis.

I am now back in May 2007.

This year my clematis '' Montana'' '' queen elizabeth'' has done us proud this year. I have managed to take cuttings last year for friends and they survived. The wasps use it to lay their eggs on. The Wren took up residency in the small nest box amongst it and fledged with 3 young. So this year some more cuttings i think.

Hay's bales it's wrens,,,,,,,,

Debbie's wrens,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hour nearly up,,,,,,,,,,

Had to check the time as time flies by when a Kingfisher keeps showing off or flying off,,,,,,,,,lol

What a poser,,,,,,,,,,

Still all in an hour,,,,,,,,,,

ooops one wrong one crept in there,,,,,,,,,,will try edit later,,,,,,,,,,lol