Author Archives: Barbara

Near Mossley Hill Station, on the grassy central reservation between Templemore and Rathmore Avenues, which continue southwards as Brodie Avenue, is a group of trees called the Liverpool Thorn Collection. They are various rare relatives of the Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.) … Continue reading →

The RSPB were having a “Birds from the Pier” event, which was odd because, unusually for Southport, the tide was in. The only birds to be seen were those flying past in groups, called out by Sefton Ranger John Dempsey. … Continue reading →

The Gingko trees in Williamson Square are just sprouting and the leaves of my neighbourhood Whitebeams are coming out like hands clasped in prayer. Despite these signs of advancing spring, there was a fine drizzly rain all day. We started … Continue reading →

We had a long run on the bus this morning, almost the whole route of the 47. My goal was to see the magnificent pink Cherry trees on Preston New Road, planted in the last half mile before the Crossens … Continue reading →

The wayside flowers were out next to the ramp up from Overpool station platform – Dandelion, Red Dead-nettle and Forget-me-Not. The way to Rivacre Valley is north along Overpool Road, first left onto Seymour Drive, and at its western end, … Continue reading →

In Thornton Hough village there’s a tall old Monkey Puzzle tree Araucaria araucana (on the right of the white house). It’s not the tallest on the Wirral, which honour is held by a tree south of Arrowe Country Park, near … Continue reading →

In the Crosby suburbs as I set out my local Weeping Willow was shading from light gold to pale green, although the Weeping Ash outside Saints Peter and Paul church was still bare and grey. Bright yellow Forsythia was well … Continue reading →

We got off to a very good start with a Peregrine Falcon flying over Bank Hall Station, heading into town.  It was the Spring equinox, the sun was shining, the Magnolia buds were just breaking, but there was still a … Continue reading →

Rather than going right through to Parkgate, we got off the bus in Neston, then walked through the churchyard and onto the Wirral Way. There were lots of birds tweeting and singing, and it sounded like spring all of a … Continue reading →

From Seaforth and Litherland Station we went over Princess Way by the footbridge and into the southernmost area of Rimrose Valley. Wayside trees were showing small flowers, but they weren’t Blackthorn and the bark didn’t look like Cherry, so perhaps … Continue reading →