Flowers of Larix decidua, European larch On a sunny Easter Saturday here;s a European Larch, Larix decidua, with an abundance of flowers. A leaf bud bursts to reveal fresh green needles, behind it a crimson female flower. To the left of the twig, the smaller, greenish male flower. The larch is thick with pine cones from last summer, and possibly from two summers past. The light is perfect so I show the detail of larch flowers, and their distribution in the tree.
Yew grow on Whitbarrow limestone pavement, their form indicating the direction of the prevailing South West wind. Sometimes, where yew has been grazed, it clings dense and low to the pavement. Or appears in dark fingers amongst more mature yew. The sunlight is strong so the reddish bark shows well. And the yew-lawn effect, where the trunk is green with thick new leaves.
There are stands of downy birch, Betula pubescens, on Whitbarrow and in the sunlight their silver-grey trunks contrast with the reddish-purple of the canopy they form. Downy birch has fine branches but with an upright thrust, unlike the pendent branches of silver birch, Betula pendens. Downy birch has darker bark than silver birch, and young downy shoots. The underside of its leaves have down about the veins. The white bark peels into papery layers.
Skylark and meadow pipit were in song flight all day. I hoped to see wheatear, a spring migrant. 3rd April is optimistic although I found one in March a few years ago. Coming off Whitbarrow, we found a wheatear calling from limestone clitter, they nest in rocky outcrops. The male has a white supercilium, a black-bandit face-mask, a hint of warm colour high on the breast. White on the vent and black on the tip of the tail. His back shows greyish, with black on the wings. The male wheatear I photograph and show on the cover of my book Cumbrian Contrasts has more colour. Today's bird is looking toward the sun so light strikes its head and breast. Mantle and wings are rather in shadow.
I'd been listening for wheatear but the last bird of the day took me by surprise. I heard the explosive sneeze-like call that marsh tit begins with, followed by a rapid, monotonous call. The black crown extends down to the mantle and there's a pale spot on the upper mandible both are diagnostic, neither shows because of the bird's stance and I'm photographing into the sun. The quest is for the perfect image and , like the Holy Grail, it will always be elusive.
I hear that numbers of swallows are making landfall in the South West of England.
I'd been listening for wheatear but the last bird of the day took me by surprise. I heard the explosive sneeze-like call that marsh tit begins with, followed by a rapid, monotonous call. The black crown extends down to the mantle and there's a pale spot on the upper mandible both are diagnostic, neither shows because of the bird's stance and I'm photographing into the sun. The quest is for the perfect image and , like the Holy Grail, it will always be elusive.
I hear that numbers of swallows are making landfall in the South West of England.
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