Author Archives: Barbara

Gorse Hill Apple Festival, 9th October 2016

We turned right out of Aughton Park Station and headed up Long Lane. At the corner of one of the gardens there’s a Red Oak Quercus rubra, with its enormous leaves. Here are a few with some Beech leaves for … Continue reading

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Flaybrick Memorial Gardens, 2nd October 2016

It was a glorious sunny day with a clear blue sky, and it was quite warm for early October.  As we approached Flaybrick we looked up at the overhanging Holly branches. The bottoms of the leaves were full of the … Continue reading

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Chester, 25th September 2016

The plan was to walk from Chester Zoo to Ellesmere Port along the Shropshire Union Canal, but I had to pass on the five mile walk because I seem to have pulled a muscle in my foot. Limping but getting … Continue reading

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Tree-hunting in Scotland, September 2016

Last week I stayed with my brother and sister-in-law near Stirling and we went about looking (mostly) at trees. One day we went to the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (RBGE). Amongst the prettiest trees there was this Katsura Cercidiphyllum japonicum. … Continue reading

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Bat Walk

If anyone is interested, there is a Bat Walk advertised this Saturday 24th September at 7 pm in Victoria Park, Crosby. Meet at the pavilion, bring a torch.  The notice doesn’t mention bat detectors, but if you have one …

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Liverpool Biennial, 18th September 2016

Not a lot of wildlife to report this week, because our plan was to visit some of the normally-closed buildings which were hosting exhibits for the Liverpool Biennial art festival. Yet again we were frustrated in one of our choices, … Continue reading

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Heritage Open Day, 11th September 2016

On the way out to the bus this morning I found this lovely back-lit spider’s web on a Rowan tree. In St John’s Gardens the Indian Bean trees are now full of their long grey seed pods, and the Trees … Continue reading

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Court Hey Park, 4th September 2016

Just into September and the trees are starting to display their fruits and seeds, but the only autumnal leaf colour was on those Horse Chestnuts which have been badly affected by the leaf miner. We found our first conker today, … Continue reading

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Hilbre Island, 28th August 2016

The notice at Dee Lane slipway said we were not supposed to set out until 11.30, but there were crowds already ahead of us at 11.20. After the recent uptick in seaside fatalities, the Lifeguards were very obvious all day. … Continue reading

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Blacktoft Sands RSPB, 21st August 2016

This isn’t a full report of the MNA coach trip, just an account of the drama in the afternoon, seen by some of us from First Hide, when a Heron caught a Water Vole, killed it slowly, then ate it. … Continue reading

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