Encounter – Canned Wildlife

Pilewort or Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)

Mar 5, 2023Mar 5, 2023Posted in Canal, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Exploration, Farm, Garden, Greenbelt, Lakes, Local, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Plants, River, Walk, WoodlandTagged Adam Frost, April, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Springwatch, BBC Wildlife, Botany, Bromsgrove, Bugs, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Canal, Canal Walk, Conservation, country park, Countryside, CPRE, Days Out, Encounter, Exploration, Farm, February, Flora, Garden, Gay Farmers, Gay Naturalist, Get Your Boots On, Green Belt, Green Space, Greenbelt, Horticulture, Huawei, March, Meadow, Micro Farm, Midlands, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Naturalist, Nature, Nature Reserve, Outdoors, Pond, Rewildling, River, RSPB, Semirural, Sir David Attenborough, Spring, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, The Campaign for Rural England, The Lakes, The Wildlife Trust, Walk, Waseley Hills Country Park, Wetlands, Wild Garden, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Woodland, Woodland Trust, Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Worcestershire, World Land TrustLeave a comment

Pilewort or Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), flowering between January and April; these lovers of damp woodland pathways, stream banks and ditches, can be found in gardens, meadows and shady hedgerows, and even Narnia, yes, Narnia! ✨

Ficaria verna growing on the bank of a field edge

An important nectar source for early emerging insects from hibernation, such as Queen Bumblebees 🐝

Lesser celandine were used to treat haemorrhoids, hence “Pilewort” and scurvy, due to being high in Vitamin C.

All in all, they are a pretty cool plant!

Thanks for reading! 😊

A Greener Childhood

Mar 10, 2021Mar 10, 2021Posted in BBC, Conservation, Countryside, Environmental, Greenbelt, Literature, Natural History, WoodlandTagged 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birding, Birds, Birmingham, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, CPRE, Encounter, Environment, Environmental, Frankley, Garden, Green Birmingham, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Outdoors, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

. . .I remember more countryside, more greenspaces, more woodland, more birdsong, more sightings of wildlife, such as rabbits, foxes and badgers.

Sunny days. Less pollution, less superficial ideas and materialism.

Fun was exploring and adventures outdoors; the new park, or going to a country park – for the first time.

Everyone cared about nature, everyone wanted to see it, talk about it.

The environment is for all ages, all stages of life.

I remember a greener childhood. . .

Day 30 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 30, 2020Jun 30, 2020Posted in BBC, Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Countryside, Encounters, Environmental, Exploration, Film, Garden, Greenbelt, Insects, Local, Natural History, Nature Art, Nature Reserve, Plants, TV, Video, Vlog, Walk, WoodlandTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Bugs Life, A Focus On Nature, A Fork-tailed Flower Bee (Anthophora furcata), Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, Antz, ARG UK, Artwork, Bat Conservation Trust, Batcam, Bats, BBC, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Bees, Bill Oddie, Birder, Birds, Birds of Prey, Birdsong, Birmingham, Black Ants, Blackbird, Botany, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Bugs, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Challenge, Chickens, Chris Packham, Collaboration, Conservation, Conservationists, Countryfile, Countrylife, Countryside, CPRE, Cranesbill Geraniums, Creative Conservation, Dance in a downpour, Dancing in the Rain, David Oakes, Dawn Chorus, Days Out, DEFRA, Design, Devon Bat Project, Do Something Great, Documentary, Drawing, Dunnock, Earth Capture, Encounter, Entomology, Environment, Environmental, Exporation, Farm, Farmers, Film, Forget-me-not, Frankley, Garden, Gay Birders, Gay Farmers, Get Your Boots On, Greater Horseshoe Bat, Green Belt, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, Horticulture, House Sparrows, Random Acts of Wildness, Springwatch, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trusts, Vlog, Wild June, Wildlife FilmmakerLeave a comment

There we have it, 30 Days Wild! Today is the last day of Random Acts of Wildness 🥳 So I am looking back over the past 29 days, and in this post I am sharing my highlights 💚

Thanks for visiting! 🤙🏻 x

Day 29 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 29, 2020Jun 29, 2020Posted in Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Environmental, Natural History, Nature Art, ReptilesTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Beach, Bempton Cliffs, Birmingham, Bridlington, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Conservationists, Countryfile, Countrylife, David Oakes, Days Out, DEFRA, Design, Drawing, Earth Capture, Earth on Location, Encounter, Environment, Environmental, For The Love Of, Frankley, Gannets, Green Birmingham, Herptiles, High Summer, Illustration, Island, Isle, Jack Perks, June, Made in Birmingham, Marine life, Merseyside, Migration, My Wild Life, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature Art, New Frankley, Norfolk, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Planet Earth 2, Pond, Random Acts of Wildness, Reptiles, RSPB, Sea Life, Sea Turtles, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Summer, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trust, West Country, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

The weather has been similar to yesterday, so I got cosy and added colour to the drawing I did yesterday.

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 27 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 27, 2020Jun 29, 2020Posted in Birds, Challenge, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Local, Mammals, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Big Garden Birdwatch, Birder, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Birmingham, Blackbird, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Challenge, Earth Capture, Encounter, Environmental, Feeding Birds, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Huawei, June, Made in Birmingham, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Simon King, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WLT Bigger Picture, World Land TrustLeave a comment

Was chilling out in the garden, when I heard a Blackbird singing close & loud, it then got closer – so I filmed it 😆

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 25 + 26 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 26, 2020Jul 4, 2020Posted in BBC, Birds, Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Natural History, Nature Reserve, TV, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Big Garden Birdwatch, Bill Oddie, Birder, Birders, Birding, Birds, Birdsong, Birdwatching, Birmingham, BTO, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Camera Trap, Challenge, Conservation, David Lindo, Dawn Chorus, Dunnock, Earth Capture, Earth on Location, Encounter, Environment, Environmental, Feeding Birds, Film, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, House Sparrows, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Ornithology, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, Robin, RSPB, Semirural, Simon King, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Urban Birder, The Wildlife Trust, Trail Camera, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

My new toy arrived, a 4K video-recording 20MP photo-taking Trail CAM! 💖

Late in the afternoon I set it up in our new Wildlife Corner of the garden.

This morning I reviewed the footage that was recorded from yesterday afternoon, the evening & from this morning. I am over the moon with what the Trail CAM managed to capture! 💚

Thanks for visiting! ☺️

Day 24 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 24, 2020Jun 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Insects, Natural History, TV, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Bugs Life, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, Antz, BBC Earth, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham City Council, Black Ants, Bugs, Challenge, Chris Packham, Copulation, Courtship, DEFRA, Earth Capture, Earth on Location, Encounter, Entomology, Environmental, Eruption, Film, Flying Ants, Frankley, Green Birmingham, Huawei, Insects, Invasion, Invertebrates, Iridescence, June, Made in Birmingham, Migration, My Wild Life, National Insect Week, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Visual Migration, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife At My Window, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

My kitchen was overran with Flying Ants & the non-flying ones 🐜 🐜 🐜 It was like a plague! I am not kidding.

So of course I had to document it. It was somewhat nightmarish! 👇🏻

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 23 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 23, 2020Jun 23, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Insects, Natural History, Nest, TV, Video, VlogTagged #MyAutumn, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, A Fork-tailed Flower Bee (Anthophora furcata), Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Bees, Birmingham, Bugs, Challenge, DEFRA, Earth Capture, Encounter, Entomology, Environmental, Film, Frankley, Garden, Green Birmingham, Huawei, Insects, Invertebrates, June, Made in Birmingham, My Wild Life, National Insect Week, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, Nest, Nest Building, Nesting, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, Summer 2020, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WLT Bigger Picture, World Land TrustLeave a comment

I am delighted & amazed at what I am discovering in the garden lately. Today I was pottering about & I could hear a munching / crunching sound coming from the gate.