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Summer Leys

5th March 2026

A mild and pleasant day in early March saw us take a gentle potter around Summer Leys Nature Reserve. The landscape was still a little wintery in appearance but signs of the coming spring were to be seen

White Blackthorn Blossom with five broad petals and long white stamens with bright orangey yellow anthers.
A rather stocky bright lime green catkin with plenty of white hair like filaments sprouting from it.
A fully opened willow catkin very pale almost white in colour with yellow anthers is sharing a branch with some young leaves just emerging from buds.
A very hairy Caterpillar mostly blue in colour with long broken stripes of black orange and white.
A pair of 7 Spot Ladybirds are mating on an old brown plant stem.
A plump red and brown Robin is sitting on a metal kissing gate and looking backwards over its shoulder.
A pair of large tree buds reddish brown in colour with hints of pale green and developing on the end of a slim branch.
A trio of pale brown Teasel flower heads are almost silhouetted by the sun.


The welcome sight of Blackthorn blossom complete with tiny beetle!

White Blackthorn Blossom with five broad petals and long white stamens with bright orangey yellow anthers.





Felmersham Gravel Pits

2nd March 2026

With decent weather forecast we took an early March trip to Felmersham Gravel Pits. It wasn't as muddy as we feared although the water was still fairly high. As always we enjoyed our walk and the peace and quiet

A view across the large lake at Felmersham Gravel Pits with bare wintery trees on the far side.
A glossy yellow Lesser Celandine flower with long slender petals and yellow stamens.
Close to the ground is a bright yellow Dandelion flower.
A small Bee is foraging for lunch in a bright yellow Dandelion flower.
A glossy red and black Seven Spot Ladybird is enjoying the sun and exploring the undergrowth.
A very small glossy black beetle is investigating some old foliage near to the ground.
Displaying some brown colouration alongside the more usual green is a Common Green Shieldbug which is sunbathing on a crumpled leaf in a small tree.
A Butterbur plant just starting to emerge showing a couple of large rhubard type leaves and a large pinkish red head of small white flowers.
A solitary medium sized mushroom shaped fungi creamish in colour and growing close to ground.


The trees still looked a little wintery but spring is in the air!

A view across the large lake at Felmersham Gravel Pits with bare wintery trees on the far side.





Our Wildlife Garden

28th February 2026

As winter is drawing to a close the Wildlife Garden is starting to show a little bit of life, Newts have arrived in the pond and the trees and bushes have buds on. Here's a few photographs mostly taken towards the end of the month:

A bright yellow bowl shaped Winter Aconite flower with yellow stamens and a very pale green centre.
A small cluster of fully open white Snowdrop flowers hanging beneath the curved stems typical of the species.
A deep red Seven Spot Ladybird is wide awake on an old brown flowerhead.
A Cream Streaked Ladybird in the four spotted form with an orangey red colouration marbled with cream streaks and a black spotted white pronotum.
A Cream Streaked Ladybird in the four spotted form with an orangey red colouration marbled with cream streaks and two black spots showing near the base of the Elytra.
Dark green foliage surrounds the Greater Periwinkle flower which has 5 large purple to lilac petals and a pentagon shaped hollow in the centre for the reproductive parts.
A large Tree Bumblebee resting in the sun with black head and ginger haired thorax whilst the abdomen has hints of grey leading to a white tail.
A large hoverfly mostly dark brown to black with pale brown to cream hairs is resting on a pebbledash concrete wall.


The Winter Aconites in the garden seem to get eaten, perhaps by slugs, those in pots however do somewhat better and revel in sunshine!

A bright yellow bowl shaped Winter Aconite flower with yellow stamens and a very pale green centre.