CloseEyeOnApril

Lesser Celandine is one of the most evocative and reliable signs that spring is well underway. Small carpets of this flower can be found on patches of woodland floor.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:15 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Lesser Celandine is one of the most evocative and reliable signs that spring is well underway. Small carpets of this flower can be found on patches of woodland floor.

Several species of speedwell can be found in Crane Park. Common Field Speedwell is the most prominent and abundant example, growing in almost any open grassy areas, including the mowed margi ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:13 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Several species of speedwell can be found in Crane Park. Common Field Speedwell is the most prominent and abundant example, growing in almost any open grassy areas, including the mowed margi ...

Bumble bees are out and about again this month. This species is Bombus terrestris and is one of the commonest bumble bees in Crane Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:12 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Bumble bees are out and about again this month. This species is Bombus terrestris and is one of the commonest bumble bees in Crane Park.

Marsh marigold grows in clumps at selective spots by the edge of the Crane. This particular plant can be found beneath the two footbridges to the east of Hospital Bridge Road.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:16 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Marsh marigold grows in clumps at selective spots by the edge of the Crane. This particular plant can be found beneath the two footbridges to the east of Hospital Bridge Road.

April is game on for butterflies along the Crane, with many species in flight on sunny afternoons. The Comma is an easily identifiable butterfly with uniquely ragged wings that can be seen a ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:14 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
April is game on for butterflies along the Crane, with many species in flight on sunny afternoons. The Comma is an easily identifiable butterfly with uniquely ragged wings that can be seen a ...

Norway Maples are in full flower in April. This tree is easily recognisable from some distance in April because the tree glows yellow with these delicate and unusual blooms.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:16 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Norway Maples are in full flower in April. This tree is easily recognisable from some distance in April because the tree glows yellow with these delicate and unusual blooms.

This exquisite display of fresh growth comes from a small tree growing on the riverside path not far from the Shot Tower.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:18 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
This exquisite display of fresh growth comes from a small tree growing on the riverside path not far from the Shot Tower.

The good news about the Peacock, arguably our most beautiful local butterfly, is that it is also easily seen on walks along the river at this time of year.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:17 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The good news about the Peacock, arguably our most beautiful local butterfly, is that it is also easily seen on walks along the river at this time of year.

April sees the Purple Crab Apples on the back meander of Crane Park near Mill Road in full bloom.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:18 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
April sees the Purple Crab Apples on the back meander of Crane Park near Mill Road in full bloom.

Buds are sometimes more interesting than flowers. This is the strangely named Wayfaring-tree, preparing to burst forth in a show of white flowers next month.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:19 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Buds are sometimes more interesting than flowers. This is the strangely named Wayfaring-tree, preparing to burst forth in a show of white flowers next month.

The golden branches of a pollarded willow on Crane Park Island. Pollarding is an ancient form of tree management and many good examples can be seen on the island.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:20 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The golden branches of a pollarded willow on Crane Park Island. Pollarding is an ancient form of tree management and many good examples can be seen on the island.

The blossom show is cranking up in Crane Park throughout April. Fruit trees are very hard to identify for inexperienced eyes. This is possibly Wild Pear, growing close to Meadway.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:20 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The blossom show is cranking up in Crane Park throughout April. Fruit trees are very hard to identify for inexperienced eyes. This is possibly Wild Pear, growing close to Meadway.

Bluebells are another fine spring flower. We have two species on the Crane and sadly the invasive Spanish Bluebell is the most common. It is a strong, straight-stemmed plant with flower-head ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:40 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Bluebells are another fine spring flower. We have two species on the Crane and sadly the invasive Spanish Bluebell is the most common. It is a strong, straight-stemmed plant with flower-head ...

The native British Bluebell is a delicate plant with the bell-shaped flowers dangling from fragile stems. There is a small patch of "real" Bluebells beneath the "tree-dressing" oak at a trac ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:22 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The native British Bluebell is a delicate plant with the bell-shaped flowers dangling from fragile stems. There is a small patch of "real" Bluebells beneath the "tree-dressing" oak at a trac ...

Ring-necked Parakeets are messy visitors to the April blossom, leaving carnage in their wake.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:38:15 -0700

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Ring-necked Parakeets are messy visitors to the April blossom, leaving carnage in their wake.

New buds spring forth from the main trunk of a tree close to Hospital Bridge Road. April sees some astonishing fresh colours, which gradually fade as the year progresses.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:23 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
New buds spring forth from the main trunk of a tree close to Hospital Bridge Road. April sees some astonishing fresh colours, which gradually fade as the year progresses.

Invertebrate life is starting to become more visible in April and spiders, such as this Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirablis) are plentiful on the new carpet of greenery throughout the park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:24 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Invertebrate life is starting to become more visible in April and spiders, such as this Nursery Web spider (Pisaura mirablis) are plentiful on the new carpet of greenery throughout the park.

Another lifeform visibly emerging in April are amphibians. These tadpoles are in the pond on Crane Park Island and are most likely those of the extremely vocal Marsh Frog.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:25 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Another lifeform visibly emerging in April are amphibians. These tadpoles are in the pond on Crane Park Island and are most likely those of the extremely vocal Marsh Frog.

Somebody's yellow eggs cling to a dock leaf in Crane Park. Any suggestions?

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:27 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Somebody's yellow eggs cling to a dock leaf in Crane Park. Any suggestions?

The metallic Gastrophysa Viridula will be seen in April if almost any decent patch of dock is studied closely. The females often have extremely distended rear bodies.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:25 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The metallic Gastrophysa Viridula will be seen in April if almost any decent patch of dock is studied closely. The females often have extremely distended rear bodies.

Ground Ivy is flowering in April and clumps of this plant can easily be seen in areas of rank vegetation close to the edge of the river.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:28 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Ground Ivy is flowering in April and clumps of this plant can easily be seen in areas of rank vegetation close to the edge of the river.

Oak is a relatively slow starter, but by mid April tiny leaves are beginning to sprout from even the most ancient specimens, as our woodland wakes from the winter slumber.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:29 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Oak is a relatively slow starter, but by mid April tiny leaves are beginning to sprout from even the most ancient specimens, as our woodland wakes from the winter slumber.

The Orange Tip butterly is another of the Crane's commonest butterflies. They may appear all white in flight but a closely approached resting male reveals a depth of colour on the wing tips.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:31 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The Orange Tip butterly is another of the Crane's commonest butterflies. They may appear all white in flight but a closely approached resting male reveals a depth of colour on the wing tips.

Never overlook the most common plants as it is easy to take them for granted. Red Dead-nettles grow almost everywhere, including the margins of mown grass. They are short plants but at this ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:32 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Never overlook the most common plants as it is easy to take them for granted. Red Dead-nettles grow almost everywhere, including the margins of mown grass. They are short plants but at this ...

Small Tortoiseshell is one of the first spring butterflies into flight following the winter. This might be a common insect but it is radiant in the spring sunshine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:33 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Small Tortoiseshell is one of the first spring butterflies into flight following the winter. This might be a common insect but it is radiant in the spring sunshine.

Amongst the various species of dead-nettle in flower this month, only one has yellow flowers. This is Yellow Archangel and its presence in Crane Park is most likely to have been via the dump ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:34 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Amongst the various species of dead-nettle in flower this month, only one has yellow flowers. This is Yellow Archangel and its presence in Crane Park is most likely to have been via the dump ...

Late April sees the return of Whitethroat from their African wintering grounds. They immediately seek prominent perches from which to sing their scratchy song.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:38:46 -0700

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Late April sees the return of Whitethroat from their African wintering grounds. They immediately seek prominent perches from which to sing their scratchy song.

The bramble is an admirable plant. It is tough and always worth study at any time of year. In April the new shoots with their radiant new leaves are on the march for new open land to conquer ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:36 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The bramble is an admirable plant. It is tough and always worth study at any time of year. In April the new shoots with their radiant new leaves are on the march for new open land to conquer ...

Spring throughout Britain is marked by the profuse flowering of Hawthorn in our hedgerows. Good local shows can be seen on Crane Park Island and Mereway Nature Park.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:37 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Spring throughout Britain is marked by the profuse flowering of Hawthorn in our hedgerows. Good local shows can be seen on Crane Park Island and Mereway Nature Park.

April sees some of our grandest local plants beginning their new cycle. New leaves sprout on short stems from the main trunks of Horse Chestnuts. This one is on the Horse Chestnut Avenue nex ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:38 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
April sees some of our grandest local plants beginning their new cycle. New leaves sprout on short stems from the main trunks of Horse Chestnuts. This one is on the Horse Chestnut Avenue nex ...

Some of last year's plants are still in the process of decay in April. These seedheads of the unusual Thornapple on Mereway Nature Park will soon disappear amidst the new plant growth. The T ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:04:39 -0800

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
Some of last year's plants are still in the process of decay in April. These seedheads of the unusual Thornapple on Mereway Nature Park will soon disappear amidst the new plant growth. The T ...

The dusky buds of Ash break out in April after biding the winter on standby.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 13:37:45 -0700

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The dusky buds of Ash break out in April after biding the winter on standby.

The first really warm days of the year trigger the hatching of million of midges, which swarm in spiralling clouds at dusk over the Crane.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 12:59:13 -0700

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The first really warm days of the year trigger the hatching of million of midges, which swarm in spiralling clouds at dusk over the Crane.

The Crane Valley's mixture of scrub and woodland provides ideal habitat for the Song Thrush, which can be heard in full voice in April, especially after dusk.

nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 13:14:36 -0700

Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)
The Crane Valley's mixture of scrub and woodland provides ideal habitat for the Song Thrush, which can be heard in full voice in April, especially after dusk.

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nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:30:57 -0700

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nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:31:15 -0700

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nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:33:17 -0700

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nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:38:25 -0700

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nobody@smugmug.com (Anita and Keith Martin (borsuk)) — Sat, 19 May 2007 11:42:45 -0700

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