Thursday 30 August 2018

Summer on the Southwell Trail - Part 5 (July 2018)

If the last set of images had some hints of autumn (see previous post), this selection from the Southwell Trail is definitely all about summer including straw bales, golden barley, and some late evening sunlight:
























Wednesday 29 August 2018

Blidworth Woods (July 2018)

The persistent dry and hot weather was reflected in Blidworth Woods with some premature yellowing of the leaves and ferns. In fact, this set of images could easily be mistaken for early autumn rather than mid-summer:

















Tuesday 28 August 2018

Summer on the Southwell Trail - Part 4

I continued documenting the wildflowers into the summer months and captured the tree fruits as they started to mature. There was nothing scientific in my approach, I just captured what interested me at the time. I made many of the identifications from the photographs which has the potential for error particularly for the flowers where there are many varieties - I try hard to be as accurate as possible though:

Horse Chestnut Tree

The wonderful flowers of the horse chestnut tree have now developed into the characteristic spiky green husks which encases the conker seeds. The leaves, however, are not looking too good and suffering from, what I believe to be, leaf blotch; caused by the fungus Phyllosticta sphaeropsoidea which is unsightly but not seriously damaging to the tree.





Lime Tree

I spotted some small white/creamy yellow flowers on one of the trees and was intrigued to know what they were. The flowers then developed into small fruits which I now believe to be common lime tree fruit (not to be confused with citrus limes which are unrelated to the common lime):





Wild Cherries

Nicely ripened wild cherries:



Common Knapweed



St John's Wort





Rosebay Willowherb or Fireweed




Broad Leaved Everlasting Pea

I think this is broad leaved everlasting pea:



Harebells

Lovely flowers but I have not seen as many this year:



Field Scabious with Six Spot Burnet Moth 



Mayweed




Hogweed Seeds




Yellowing Ferns

Bit early for yellowing ferns but it has been very dry and hot:




Field Bindweed