Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula

The Green Dock Beetle  Gastrophysa viridula is currently around the  breeding season is from March to October. A single female can lay over 1,000 eggs, laying them in clusters of 20 to 45 and can generate over a 2000 in 2- 4 broods in a year. This bright Green Beetle feeds on Dock Leaves and is responsible for the net Skeleton on some plants later in the season when the leaves have been fully eaten  Both sexes are green with a metallic shimmer and make excellent photographic subjects

Circa 4 - 6 mm

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Rainy Day Banjo

A little bit more Celtic Music played on the Irish Tenor bBanjo By Mick Fitzpatrick

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hours of Showers April Showers !!

Some Sayings & Proverbs

March winds and April showers

bring forth May flowers

Oak before ash,
in for a splash
Ash before oak,
in for a soak

A wind from the south has rain in its mouth.

"Halo around the sun or moon, rain or snow soon."

Did You Know ?

Some flowers close up as the humidity rises so rain doesn't wash away their pollen. The leaves of some trees curl just before a storm.  

Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata

Garlic mustard or Jack-by-the-Hedge Alliaria petiolata Family Brassicaceae a typical hedgegrow plant is now flowering and approaching its best . This Brassica is an important source of Fodder for many Butterflies and earlier Spring Insects.

Industrial Gems !!!!!

Well this is the findings from a Yorkshire Woodland Today - Although Rainy and you might think not much photograph a quick glimpse underfoot gives some clues to Yorkshires  Industrial past.
Below a Tree in the wet April Rain soon to flourish in the coming Spring but today Drab and Wet




These unmade paths where close to the old Low Moor Steel Works and all around the area is the recipe for Iron  , Old Wood for the Furnaces, Iron Ore in the Geology and Crude Coal to fire the Furnaces

As the rain water runs over the crude agregate and stone of the unmade paths ablue stone of varying shades is uncovered by the running water of heavy rain this shiny stone has been fired in the furness and which has been discarded as part of the Steel and Iron making process Blast furnace slag is a man-made type of glass, , some of it is .It occurs as orange bands in the black . It is not a Malchite Ore as originally thought

The photo is the blue/milky white from, that and a milky page green being the most common. In Whitby, York and a lot of other places it was remoulded and cast in to brick for roads, Some times made on to small hexagonal road patterns, mainly as pavement edging. Being glass it’s quite hard (hardness 7 or so) and protected pavements edges from damage by the iron on horse drawn carriage wheels. The pure black form of slag was made in to domestic items like cups, bowls, milk jugs etc. 

The Tippings from the Iron Kilns where depositted around the district as surfaces for unmade roads in By Gone Days

The colours are almost Gem like and various layers formed in the intense heat of the kiln

The Halifax Gibbet - Off with His head

Halifax Gibbet early precursor to the Guillotine used to decapitate and punish villains who stole more than 13 1/2 penneth of cloth used between 12th century and 1600 where over 50 victims met their end.

What to Do on A Rainy Night - The Kitchen Banjo

Here is a tune on the Irish Tenor Banjo played by Mick Fitzpatrick - See if you can spot the Link to Yorkshire . The Irish Tenor Banjo he is using is a Heartwood . The music is characterised by the characteristic Triplets and played as Jigs , Reels and Hornpipes. Watch ot for more of Mick's music

The banjo is a four or five stringed instrument with a piece of plastic or animal skin stretched over a circular frame. The 5 String banjo is  also associated with Bluegrass Music

More Celtic Music Fear A Batha by Karen Matheson 

More April Showers Rainbows and St George

Well No Blue Sky today typical of the months Rainy April Skies  but a great time to catch the Rainbow St Georges Day today watch out for the Dragons

Near Oughtershaw in the Yorkshire Dales (Last year)

St Georges Day 23rd April !!! Stained Glass
Window in a Dales Church.

Countries that celebrate St George's Day include England, Canada, Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, ,Greece,  Serbia, Bulgaria,  Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia. Cities include Moscow in Russia, Genova in Italy, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Beirut in Lebanon, Qormi and Victoria in Malta and many others

The Postman of the Hedgegrow , The Robin

Natures Postman , The Robin,  Erithacus rubecula always seems Brighter and more colourful after a drab winter , this little chap , is seen feeding with glee on recently installed bird feeding stations on a local Nature reserve

 

Footage Copyright (C) 2012 Colin Duke infringemnets pursued 

"Who killed Cock Robin?" "I," said the Sparrow,
"With my bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin."
"Who saw him die?" "I," said the Fly,
"With my little eye, I saw him die."
"Who caught his blood?" "I," said the Fish,
"With my little dish, I caught his blood."
"Who'll make the shroud?" "I," said the Beetle,
"With my thread and needle, I'll make the shroud."
"Who'll dig his grave?" "I," said the Owl,
"With my pick and shovel, I'll dig his grave."
"Who'll be the parson?" "I," said the Rook,
"With my little book, I'll be the parson."
"Who'll be the clerk?" "I," said the Lark,
"If it's not in the dark, I'll be the clerk."
"Who'll carry the link?" "I," said the Linnet,
"I'll fetch it in a minute, I'll carry the link."
"Who'll be chief mourner?" "I," said the Dove,
"I mourn for my love, I'll be chief mourner."
"Who'll carry the coffin?" "I," said the Kite,
"If it's not through the night, I'll carry the coffin."
"Who'll bear the pall? "We," said the Wren,
"Both the cock and the hen, we'll bear the pall."
"Who'll sing a psalm?" "I," said the Thrush,
"As she sat on a bush, I'll sing a psalm."
"Who'll toll the bell?" "I," said the bull,
"Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."
All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.

Cuckoos Orange Tips and Green Vein Whites

The Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock Cardamine pratensis soon if already not upon us we will be heralding the emergence of the early Spring Butterfly The Orange Tip Cuckoo Flower. These early Spring Barssicaes are bread and butter for this species. The flowers are produced on a spike 10-30 cm long, each flower 1-2 cm diameter with four pale pink petals and is found close to water and marsh water.

 

The Male 1553 Orange Tip Butterfly Anthocharis cardamines Family Pieridae
 is much more colourful than the plainer white female as can be seen in this pair below

The Orange Tip is readily distinguished from the similar Green Veined White by its mottles underdside as seen below. The one below is seen nectarring on Garlic Mustard another early Spring Brassiccaeae

Wild Spring Flowers

Well for all you Gardeners and lovers of Flowers here is a brief resume of Spring Flowers currently around in Yorkshire this early Spring. As the season progresses we will look at the many insects dependent on these such as Hoverflies and other bugs .

                                Marsh Marigold

Coltsfoot Tussilago farafara - A plant of trampled and waste places



Wood Sorrel and the delcate purple flower veins



And of Course Bluebells the most fragrant and familiar of all our early woodland flowers



A Splash of colour after a drab winter The Daffodil

Welcome to My Blog florafaunauk !!

Welcome to my Blog !!!

Whats it About ?

Well my travels around Yorkshire and the Natural Historyof this great County . I do hope you will enjoy the pictures and tales and learn about the fantastic nature that this country has and too often taken for granted.

All aboard off we go on a journey !!!!



April Showers today mean big Rainbows



This Rainbow was seen in the early spring showers  over Malham in the Yorkshire Dales