Frost – Bee in the Moment

Emergence from Wintering

Posted on 25/01/202225/01/2022 by BITM

It’s lovely to write for my blog after so long. I have enjoyed a quiet period for a month or so; slowly taking time for self care, reflection and planning the allotment during a time when I suffer with Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

I love this time of year. I love reading while snuggling under a blanket. I love the sights, sounds and general feeling of winter (especially in the new year after the distracting lights of Christmas) however my brain doesn’t. Each year from the beginning of October to the end of February I indergo a form of wintering. While wildlife winters through hibernation, migration or seeing the winter out with reduced activity. As hibernation is not possible, for me it is the latter; embracing the darker, quiter months as I spend most of my time at home. I have come to realise this wintering is essential in order for me to maintain a healthy mind.

I am still affected by the reduced amount of light but now I am able to see the other side of the winter solstice. For information on and how to find help for SAD, please follow the following links;

– Mental Health Foundation

– Mind

At this time nature becomes more important then ever to me. I look for small moments of comfort each day. Some of the wonderful nature I have witnessed during December and so far in January have been;

– The growth and blooming of early flowering plants. A reminder that gardens never completely sleep. Occasionally I’ve noticed a foraging Buff-tailed bumblebee queen visit them too.

The emergence of Snowdrops *(Galanthus)*.

Other bulbs beginning to show themselves like these daffodils (*Narcissus*).

– The intoxicating scent of the Sarcococca which is located by the entrance to my flat.
– Birds being more visible and starting to get more vocal. I especially enjoy hearing and seeing Carrion crows (Corvus corone), one of my favourite birds, at this time.
– Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) being visible as they search for food during the day and hearing a female fox at night (January and February are their mating season).
– The beauty of frosts, together with the knowledge it will be a cold but very sunny day.
– Glorious sunrises and sunsets.

The sun captured moments before it disappeared below the horizon.

– Night sky delights.

The Wolf moon, the first full moon of 2022.

– Trees silhouetted against the sky. This also allows you to notice nests too.

Squirrels and their homes are also easier to spot now (as shown in the last photo). A squirrel’s Drey, for both Greys (Sciurus carolinensis) and Reds (Sciurus vulgaris) are approximately the size of footballs. They are located near trunks where branches fork outwards and located about six meters above ground. They can be differentiated from bird nests which are often smaller, tidier and found further along branches and higher up the tree. Dreys are made with soft materials like moss, feathers, grass, leaves (not usually seen in bird nests) bark or pine needles. However, if squirrels find natural holes in trees, such as those made by woodpeckers, then they will make use of these too. Squirrels will have separate summer and winter dreys, the latter are more weather resistant while the summer ones are more airy.

nature

🎵🎶I see a Little Silhouetto of some Squirrels

Posted on 24/11/201925/11/2019 by BITM

There were a few frosty mornings last week. Only Yarrow (Achilles millefolium) was still flowering around the bus stop.

Now the trees across the road are bare I enjoyed watching three grey squirrels run up and down trees, jumping from branch to branch. They ate from bird feeders alongside Magpies (Pica pica). Occasionally the squirrels flicked their tails when they sensed danger; sending a warning to the other squirrels and letting any predators know they’ve been seen.

A Grey squirrel silhouetted amongst trees.

On Monday I finally managed to obtain a photo of a Red kite (Milvus milvus).

It came down low enough for it to be identifiable in the photo above. I have been trying to get a reasonable photo of a Kite for ages so was very happy to capture one of these beautiful birds at last.

Even though winter is on its way there are signs that spring will arrive eventually too. I noticed buds on another of my favourite trees, the Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) on Wednesday.

It will be ready to flower in March before the leaves appear. The Starlike shape of the white or pink flowers gives this tree it’s common name. Native to Japan this small tree fits nicely in a small garden.

nature

Crisp Autumn Mornings

Posted on 11/11/201911/11/2019 by BITM

The clear cold nights and frosty mornings have arrived. I don’t mind crisp starts to the day because eventually the sunshine appears.

As more trees become leafless I find other means of identifying them. I learnt two new trees last week; the first was a Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and the second was an American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). In both instances the first things I noticed on each was their fruit.
The unripe fruit of the Strawberry tree can be seen below alongside the delicate flowers. The common name, Strawberry tree, comes from the ripe red fruit which look similar to strawberries. The fruit of this evergreen tree will be eaten by birds. It seemed strange to see the fruit, from the pollination of last year’s flowers, appearing at the same time as this years flowers.

The American sweetgum tree also gives interest to gardens at this time of year. The leaves turn a rich mixture of yellow through to orange and red and even purple in autumn.

The spiky looking fruit dangle from the branches at the same time as the leaves turn and fall.

I have started noticing more Robins (Erithacus rubecula) hanging around lately; always eager to gobble up insects and worms that I unwittingly uncover as I work.

Moments after taking this photo another Robin swooped down and a fight over winter territory began.

It is fascinating to observe Robins, who can be relatively social towards humans, eagerly defend their patch of garden against other Robins. It is quite a contrast to the other bird which became more noticeable last week; Ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) flock together. I saw groups of this social parrot flying overhead throughout the week. They have been breeding in the area for a long time and I often see them but not usually every day.

I still notice the occasional bee and on Wednesday I saw a Buff-tailed (Bombus terrestris) bumblebee (the buff coloured tail enabled me to Identify it as a queen). I observed her walking amongst leaf litter. She could have been a new queen, going into hibernation before starting a nest next spring, or an old queen who will soon die.

More fungi are appearing as autumn continues to take hold.

*Once again, please do not use this post as a guide to edible mushrooms. I have managed to identify some but have placed question marks next to those I am unsure of.*

Those I saw last week are;

-The Bitter oyster (Panellus stipticus) fungus