Late Season Critters

 It's been a week of mist, fog, and grey skies depositing various amounts of rainfall on our heads. Storms are expected later in the week. 

But the critters of warmer months have not quite left us yet. My household pipistrelle bat still comes out after sunset to perform acrobatic feats just above me in the postage stamp garden, and where the last of the flowers bloom, bees and bumblebees are still to be seen.

That being said, darkness closes in, more so when the clocks fall back next weekend. When I go running, I'm clad in various lights and fluorescent clothing, and cricket whites already seem long ago. 

Early December, and then we will see the first snowdrops and the time of renewal begins. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.10.25

A Final Common Blue Butterfly

 I was taking my usual lunchtime walk over our campus, on another very mild day, when my attention was taken by a small, bright shape on the ground. 

I've been keeping an eye out for fungi on my walks recently, as well, there isn't really a whole lot else to see at this time of year, but this was no toadstool. As I walked over I could see that it was a beautiful male common blue butterfly perched on a blade of grass. 

I thought the poor little chap was dead, but no, it was still just about alive although I don't fancy it had too much time left on this earth. It was in perfect condition, so wonder if it was perhaps a very late second flight imago that had grown up during the very mild autumn. 

As everyone knows, it has been a dismal year for butterflies. Last year there were brown argus all over campus, and I've not seen any this year. Holly blue and common blues have been barely present and only the high summer species like meadow brown and ringlet seem to have been around in reasonable numbers. 

To see this tired little butterfly, then, was both gratifying, and sad at the same time.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.10.24

Well I'm Still Finding Things!

 I've been doing a fair bit of running again, and getting faster to boot! This seems to be spurred on by the purchase of a new semi-smart watch, an Amazfit Bip 5 with onboard GPS. Sadly, because I live in the centre of town the GPS is often borked on one one of my main running routes and has me running 2km before it even registers one, but outside of that one road it seems fairly accurate, and I'm now running 5km in just over 29 minutes.

We are still getting days of mild weather, often preceded by grimly misty mornings for me to cycle through. Lights are on all the time now, including my head torch at night. Sadly, I haven't been able to see Comet A3, town lights are too intrusive. 

So that's running, cycling and being rubbish at astronomy covered, what of nature? We have entered the autumn holding pattern, with goldfinches flocking up and robins the only birds still singing. Meadow pipits have arrived at work for the winter. When I can find something in flower, there's still the occasional hiney bee around which gives me joy and delays winter sadness. 

Counting down already to the first snowdrops.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.10.24

The Last Bees of the Year

 The weather is misty grey and damp, but it is also rather mild. Hence I've been able to get out and take a look at the ivy plant at the far end of the campus badlands, and see who is about. 

We don't get ivy mining bees on this ivy bush; it might be a bit noisy and dirty for them here as the heavy traffic thunders by on the A46 emitting heaven only knows what pollutants into the air. But the honeybees were feeding off the remnants of the ivy flowers. 

Because it isn't exactly high summer, the bees were quite low energy and were thus fairly easy to photograph. 

They can't be on the wing for much longer, and the sad months of the year start. October and November, everything goes to sleep, and the colours of campus become green and brown, with the stark remains of this years teasel silhouetted against the sunsets. Late December, the first snowdrops emerge and the cycle begins anew.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 16.10.24

The Flooded Town

 Well, Storm Babet hit us much harder than it initially seemed it would. There was a day of strongish wind and a bit of rain, then a calm Thursday, but Friday it suddenly started raining and blowing a hoolie unexpectedly. 

Apparently, some sort of atmospheric block up north skewed the storm back down the east coast, and a month of rain fell in twenty four hours, blocking roads, cutting off villages and creating a lot of misery in places like Lowdham and Retford, that visits from a government minister - Teresa Coffey - did very little to alleviate, to say the least. 

Here, the Trent and Devon burst their banks, and also the vast housing developments on the edge of town caused hitherto non flood plain areas finding themselves underwater as the water ran off the estates. 

The cricket club is underwater, of course, as is the rugby club. Devon Pastures in the park was turned into a lake. A charity duck race has been cancelled, as it was feared the ducks would end up in the North Sea rather than the lock as they were supposed to. 

All that rain gave me a cold too. 

Si

All text and images copyright Cream Crackered Nature 25.10.23

Red Admirals and Ivy Bees

 We are deep into autumn now, the last of the hirundids are gone and the winter thrushes are arriving from Scandinavia. Locally the feral geese are arriving at their favourite muddy field down by the river. Cold morning cycling has returned, so its buffs, hats and gloves for me on my commute. 

But there are still bright days and enough verbena and ivy in flower to attract pollinators. The hardy red admirals, always the last butterfly on the wing every year, are still plentiful, and although it took me a while, I found my first ivy mining bee of the season.

I have upped my running, getting in a 10km run at one point, and it certainly seems to be helping with my mental health and burning off excess ADHD energy and reducing tourette tics. 

So let me show you what I've seen while out and about, and I hope you like it.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 16.10.23

Autumn is Here

 It's October, one of what I think of as my two "doom" months, where wildlife and flora declines and everything goes green and brown, until December where the first snowdrops appear indicating that spring is on the way. 

I've restarted running now the cricket season is over. It was a painful and slow start, by golly gee I get so stiff now after a run compared to my younger days. But after a few weeks, I'm back under 30 minutes for 5km, so I've still got a bit of fitness left. 

It really helps with my mental health too, burning up some of that Tourette's and ADHD energy that would be otherwise used in highly constructive pursuits like waving my arms around, or hurting my already tic destroyed neck that is waking me up every morning with painful little spasms. 

The odd hirundid makes its way over the workplace, where the kestrel has resumed hunting after breeding season, and buzzards try and find thermals on the brighter days. Hopefully with the warm weekend forecast they will be able to do that.

But as thing stand now, rain is falling on the washing on my line. First world problems eh?

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.10.23