lichen

14 Nov 2024

Churchyard birding

by JDO | posted in: Birds, Warwickshire | 0

I had to go to Stratford this morning for ingredients to make a batch of ragu, and I took the opportunity to do a little birding – first at the new local nature reserve off the Warwick Road, and then … Continued

10 Aug 2023

Gnarly

by JDO | posted in: Dragonflies, Invertebrates, Odonata, Wales | 0

It was Dragon City along the Glamorganshire Canal this morning, with numerous Common and Ruddy Darters, several Southern Hawkers, and at least two Golden-ringed Dragonflies hunting in and out of the reed beds. “Just go,” said R to me as … Continued

14 Jan 2023

Sunburst

by JDO | posted in: Fungi and slime moulds, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

I’m still feeling quite rough, and spending the entire morning on the computer doing financial admin didn’t improve the situation. The weather was also pretty dreich, and by lunch time I was in a deep slough of despond. At this … Continued

2 Dec 2022

Mossy

by JDO | posted in: Flowers and plants, Landscape, Monuments, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire | 0

I went over to Oxfordshire this morning to have my hair cut. It was foggy and the car thermometer was registering just 2°C, so the drive wasn’t as enjoyable as usual, but I made it there unscathed, despite a heart-stopping … Continued

27 Mar 2022

Genius

by JDO | posted in: Flies, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Mother’s Day: croissants with chocolate spread for breakfast, phone calls and flowers from the Offspring, a trip to the garden centre with R, a happy hour chasing invertebrates around the garden in the spring sunshine, and finally this afternoon, a … Continued

3 Nov 2021

Spotted

by JDO | posted in: Beetles, Invertebrates, My garden, Trees, Worcestershire | 0

I was scuttling back to the house to avoid the rain that was just starting when I spotted this ladybird on a twig of the cherry plum in the top garden. This was only intended to be a record shot … Continued

31 Jan 2021

Edging

by JDO | posted in: Flowers and plants, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Yesterday’s flooding subsided overnight, and the dipping temperature had us waking up to a few pockets of ice around the garden. I scuttled out with the macro straight after breakfast in the hope of recording some of them, but most … Continued

12 Jan 2021

Tiny garden

by JDO | posted in: Flowers and plants, My garden, Trees, Wild animals, Worcestershire | 0

It was so balmy at lunch time that a neighbour, who walked past while I was out in the garden looking for macro subjects, commented that it felt like spring. Which it did, but all the while I was relishing … Continued

12 Oct 2020

by JDO | posted in: Arachnids, Flowers and plants, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

I got myself into a Slough of Despond this morning about the state of our politics, the state of the country generally, and the state of the pandemic. Then I looked out of the window, saw that it was raining, … Continued

13 Mar 2020

Her Majesty

by JDO | posted in: Birds, Shropshire | 0

I’m just back home from a fascinating day photographing kingfishers on a private estate in Staffordshire. Across eight hours there were over twenty visits to the perches outside the hide by one or other of the main pair of birds … Continued