Meadow – 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! 😊

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 22 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 22, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Countryside, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Greenbelt, Insects, Local, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Video, Vlog, WalkTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham, Bugs, Butterflies, Challenge, Conservation, Countryfile, Countryside, CPRE, Days Out, DEFRA, Earth Capture, Encounter, Entomology, Environment, Environmental, Film, Frankley, Get Your Boots On, Green Belt, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, Huawei, Invertebrates, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Insect Week, Natural England, Natural History, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Park, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Semirural, Springwatch, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, The Campaign for Rural England, The Countryside Charity, The Wild Side, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, Walk, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

It’s the beginning of National Insect Week, so there was only one thing for it! Get out & film (video below) some cool Insects!

I was happy to find some obliging Butterflies 🦋

Thanks for visiting 💚

Day 20 + 21 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 21, 2020Jun 22, 2020Posted in BBC, Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Film, Fungi, Greenbelt, Interview, Natural History, TV, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Wildlife, Big Wild Quiz, Birders, Birmingham, Broadcast, Challenge, Collaboration, Conservation, Conservationists, Countryfile, Countryside, David Oakes, Days Out, Earth Capture, Environment, Environmental, Exporation, Film, Fly Agaric, Frankley, Fungi, Get Your Boots On, Green Belt, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, Huawei, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nest, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Park, Presenting, Random Acts of Wildness, River, River Rea, RSPB, Semirural, Sophie Pavelle, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, Summer, The Campaign for Rural England, The Countryside Charity, The Wild Side, The Wildlife Trust, Trees, Video, Virtual Quiz, Vlog, Walk, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild Time, Wild Webcam, Wilder Future, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife TV Presenter, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

Yesterday I had a wee trip to my local town & I documented how green the journey there is 🏞️

Today I celebrated Father’s Day with some of my family & we had a BBQ, which my Brother-in-law & I tended to 🙂

When the evening arrived, it was time to prepare for the Big Wild Quiz, hosted by Sophie Pavelle and David Oakes. Which kicked off just after 7pm, it was great fun & a laugh! 💚

You can see my score in the comments 😆

Thanks for visiting! 👍🏻

Day 14 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 14, 2020Jun 14, 2020Posted in BBC, Canal, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Country Park, Countryside, Environmental, Exploration, Greenbelt, Local, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Video, Vlog, WoodlandTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, Challenge, Coast, Conservation, Conservationists, country park, Countryfile, Countrylife, Countryside, CPRE, Days Out, DEFRA, Do Something Great, Documentary, Earth Capture, Environment, Environmental, Exporation, Film, For The Love Of, Frankley, Frankley Beeches, Green Belt, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Greenbelt, HS2, Huawei, Journalism, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Trust, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Park, Presenting, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, River, River Rea, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Summer, The Campaign for Rural England, The Conservation Volunteers, The Countryside Charity, The Wild Side, The Wildlife Trust, Trees, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder FutureLeave a comment

This morning I unsure what to do, thankfully a friend reminded me that I’m passionate about Green-belt & suggested I make a video (below) regarding its benefits.

Thanks for visiting 💚

Day 13 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 13, 2020Jun 14, 2020Posted in BBC, Challenge, Conservation, Environmental, Film, Garden, Insects, Natural History, Nature Reserve, Plants, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, #MyWildLife, #NowForNature, #TheTimeIsNow, #WilderFuture, #WildTime, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam Frost, Adam O'Hare, AFON, Bat Conservation Trust, Bats, BBC, BBC Countryfile, BBC Earth, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Bees, Birds, Birmingham, Botany, Broom, BTO Garden BirdWatch, Bugs, Bumblebees, Butterflies, Challenge, Conservation, Conservationists, Countryfile, Countrylife, Countryside, CPRE, Cranesbill Geraniums, DEFRA, Digitalis purpurea, Do Something Great, Documentary, Environment, Environmental, Feeding Birds, For The Love Of, Frankley, Garden, Garden BirdWatch, Gay Birders, Green Birmingham, Green Space, Horticulture, Huawei, Insects, Invertebrates, June, Made in Birmingham, Meadow, Moths, My Wild Life, Natural England, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, Nature Reserve, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Ornithology, Outdoors, Presenting, Random Acts of Wildness, Rewildling, RSPB, Semirural, Spring, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Timelapse, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wild Time, Wilder Future, Wildflower, Wildflowers, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife TV Presenter, Wildlife VlogLeave a comment

I’m going to let the video (below) speak for itself 🙂

Thanks for visiting! 💚

Day 10 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 10, 2020Jun 10, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Insects, Natural History, Plants, Video, VlogTagged #30DaysWild, 30 Days Wild, A Focus On Nature, Action For Insects, Adam Canning, Adam O'Hare, AFON, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Bees, Birmingham, Botany, Bugs, Bumblebees, Challenge, Conservation, Conservationists, Cranesbill Geraniums, Earth Capture, Encounter, Entomology, Environment, Environmental, Film, Flora, Frankley, Garden, Green Birmingham, Huawei, Insects, Invertebrates, June, Meadow, Natural History, Nature, Nature On Screen, New Frankley, Now for Nature, Outdoors, Random Acts of Wildness, Semirural, Springwatch, Springwatch 2020, Suburban, Suburbia, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Garden, Wild June, Wildflower, Wildlife, Wildlife Filmmakers, Wildlife From My Window, Wildlife Garden, Wildlife Gardening, Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife Vlog, WLT Bigger Picture, World Land TrustLeave a comment

Most of the day was chilly & grey, but when there was a warm sunny spell, the Bees came out in force to feed on the Cranesbill Geraniums etc in the garden 🐝 💚 🌸

Thanks for visiting! 🙂

Wildlife in August

Aug 15, 2017May 24, 2020Posted in Birds, Country Park, Countryside, Encounters, Farm, Garden, Greenbelt, Insects, Video, VlogTagged Adam Canning, Birding, Birds, Birmingham, country park, Countryfile, Countryside, Documentary, Environment, Film, Flora, Garden, Insects, Meadow, My Wild Life, National Trust, Nature, Outdoors, RSPB, Suburban, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Vlog, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife Trusts, WorcestershireLeave a comment

A lot of birds are quieting down now, but Yellowhammers 🐤 are continuing to sing away! Plus this is another great month for seeing some beautiful Butterflies! 🦋

(The videos below were made a few years ago)

Thanks for visiting! 😊

Day 16 – 30 Days Wild

Jun 24, 2016May 24, 2020Posted in Challenge, Conservation, Encounters, Environmental, Film, Garden, Interview, Local, TV, Video, Vlog, WorkTagged 30 Days Wild, Adam Canning, BBC Gardeners' World, BBC Midlands Today, BBC Wildlife, Birding, Birds, Birmingham, Challenge, Conservation, Countryfile, Environment, Film, Flora, Lucy Hall, Meadow, My Wild Life, Nature, Random Acts of Wildness, RSPB, Springwatch, Suburban, The Conservation Volunteers, The Wildlife Trust, Video, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wild Time, Wildlife, Wildlife TrustsLeave a comment

Enthuse About Nature

16/06/16

I was at the Birmingham N.E.C yesterday and today – as a member of Press – to report on BBC Gardeners’ World Live (but my focus was on the wild side of it).

I interviewed a number of interesting people (the interviews haven’t all been edited together yet) and in the video below, I have taken a selection of clips from the interviews; showing gardeners – from all walks of life – enthusing about nature: