Odds and Ends

The blog has been a bit sparse lately, so here are a few 'odds and ends' from our recent walks. We begin with a couple of watery pictures, the first one is of the Nutbrook Canal, which has been rather full after all the rain.

Things have settled down a little now and the water level has dropped once more and with the sun glancing through the trees, it all looks quite nice.

In the wetter parts along the water courses and by the side of most of the ponds and lakes around here, Purple Loosestrife has been looking beautiful in it's colourful finery. The bees like it too!

The small brook which featured in the short video a few days ago, was still quite full the other day, which made it such a pleasure to just stand and listen for a few minutes.

Another common plant around these parts - and another one popular with the bees and hoverflies - is the Ragwort. Covered with hundreds of open, yellow flowers it's easy to see why it is so popular.

Lots to see beside the lakes of Straw's Bridge too, including more of that glorious Purple Loosestrife.

Brook

Following yesterday's atrocious weather, the brook running through the trees of Shipley Woodside, was gushing through beautifully this morning.

Lancaster

We've just been treated to the rare sight of the Lancaster Bomber from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

One of only two left in the world, still able to fly, this particular aircraft came off the production line on 31 May 1945 and is one of some 7,377 built in total.

The sound of those engines is always a treat.

Just time for one more shot before it departed once more.

FABULOUS!

Wild Flowers

The wet weather this summer, has resulted in some very lush, hedgerows and verges. Last year, we were desperate for rain and the countryside was parched and brown. No such problem this year.

A walk along the old West Hallam mine railway lines this morning, proved to be extremely colourful. Yellow Ragwort and St John's Wort, rubbed shoulders with the purple of the Knapweed and thistles and the pretty pink of Common Centaury, while a few flashes of white Yarrow stood out above all.

Everywhere, the insects were enjoying this flowery abundance. Honey Bees...

and Hoverflies were particularly abundant.

It was all rather beautiful.