Flaming Skies

 The combination of rain falling, with dark clouds clearing the horizon at sunset, led to spectacular skies this evening. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.11.25 

Late Season Critters

 It's been a week of mist, fog, and grey skies depositing various amounts of rainfall on our heads. Storms are expected later in the week. 

But the critters of warmer months have not quite left us yet. My household pipistrelle bat still comes out after sunset to perform acrobatic feats just above me in the postage stamp garden, and where the last of the flowers bloom, bees and bumblebees are still to be seen.

That being said, darkness closes in, more so when the clocks fall back next weekend. When I go running, I'm clad in various lights and fluorescent clothing, and cricket whites already seem long ago. 

Early December, and then we will see the first snowdrops and the time of renewal begins. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.10.25

Make the Most of the Bright Days

 Well, I've just hit 21 years old again, and getting over a Tourettes mega phase and all the manic nonsense that accompanies it. 

Hot weather is long behind us, and the leaves are falling from the trees, as well as various acorns, hazelnuts and walnuts - I planted a couple of hazelnuts I found on a pavement on our work campus. I've collected seeds from the library gardens in order to plant them in my planters, and bought some new bulbs to plant whenever I can ever clear out the weed roots from my plant pots. 

I like visiting the park, although cans of shandy have replaced tea as my drink of choice, my body having decided to become wheat and dairy intolerant in my old 21 year old age. Still some nice flowers blooming at the park, and a common carder bumblebee was paying a visit. 

Always the hardiest of our bumbles, it's good to see them still around, and I will miss them during the dead months, as I have done for all these 21 years. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.10.25

Sunbathing Dragonflies

 For some reason, the cycle track bridge over the A1 becomes a favourite sunbathing spot for dragonflies this time of year. 

More specifically, common darters, and even more specifically today, female common darters, three of which were out enjoying autumn sun on the bridge today, their huge brown eyes following me as I tried to get photographs. 

Most of the time, dragonflies are pretty skittish and hard to photograph, but at this time of the year with colder nights - and it was chilly last night - they take a while to warm up and are a bit more amenable to posing for irritating photographers.

The coralberry bushes were busy too today, lots of bees going like hooligans at the last of the flowers. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.09.25

The Last of late Season Colour

 The warm weather disappeared largely very quickly, replaced by unsettled weather and occasionally heavy rain that blocked my guttering and caused water to run down my kitchen and living room walls. 

Plaster wrecked, good job I'm renting. 

Back issues have eased, but sciatica remains an issue some mornings when I wake up. I get into some mad positions when I sleep. 

So, what's out there?

White butterflies are still around, honey bees too and bufftailed and common carder bumblebees. All feeding of the last flowers in bloom - hawkbut, bristly oxe tongue, the occasional creeping thistle. Ivy mining bees have also been around feeding off guess what ivy flowers. 

I'll show you what I've found. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.09.25

Photo Dump amid more Health Issues

 Summer's over, Autumn begins, and with that I've had a sudden spike in Tourettes, IBS and eczema symptoms. Joyous stuff. Goes to show how neurodiverse conditions, GI issues and skin troubles are all linked. 

That being said, I've still got out there briefly, to take photos at the library gardens or on my work campus, waving my Pixel 6A around and getting strange looks from a few folk as always!

Let's see what we found, starting with a small white butterfly I found in the library gardens nature reserve today. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.09.25 

The Stunning Fungi of Belvoir Castle

 We took a family trip to Belvoir Castle on a lovely crisp, if dull, autumn day to commemorate the 5th anniversary of my mum's death. We felt that was a nice way to mark it; a walk up to the castle and a mooch around the gardens there, followed by lunch down at the bistro in the rather pricey commercial village at the bottom of the hill. 

It is indeed a steep little drag up to the castle, along paths lined with fallen leaves and fallen sweet chestnuts, with the inevitable squirrels flittering about picking up various edibles to much on. 

The castle itself is a magnificent folly; a status symbol with no strategic purpose, but visible from far afield and boasting commanding views from the top. The gardens must look magnificent in spring and early summer, with their huge plots of roses, a babbling fountain and statues, but it what was visible on the day that took the attention. 

It was the numerous fungi poking out of the grass, and clinging onto to trees. In particular, the stunning oramge peel fungus, a species I've never seen before, was everywhere. How something that looks so delicate can force its way out of the ground is beyond me. 

Also present in one corner of the garden were big white fungi that looked like giant funnels. Feeding their photo into iNaturalist, it turns out that they are called "Giant funnels" so whoever classified them back in the day was obviously of a very literal mindset. 

I was particularly excited about seeing red kites up there; I've seen plenty while playing cricket at Belvoir cricket club in the past, but we only got to glimpse one off in the distance. But we had a lovely, and fitting, day regardless. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.11.24

A Final Common Blue Butterfly

 I was taking my usual lunchtime walk over our campus, on another very mild day, when my attention was taken by a small, bright shape on the ground. 

I've been keeping an eye out for fungi on my walks recently, as well, there isn't really a whole lot else to see at this time of year, but this was no toadstool. As I walked over I could see that it was a beautiful male common blue butterfly perched on a blade of grass. 

I thought the poor little chap was dead, but no, it was still just about alive although I don't fancy it had too much time left on this earth. It was in perfect condition, so wonder if it was perhaps a very late second flight imago that had grown up during the very mild autumn. 

As everyone knows, it has been a dismal year for butterflies. Last year there were brown argus all over campus, and I've not seen any this year. Holly blue and common blues have been barely present and only the high summer species like meadow brown and ringlet seem to have been around in reasonable numbers. 

To see this tired little butterfly, then, was both gratifying, and sad at the same time.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 29.10.24

Well I'm Still Finding Things!

 I've been doing a fair bit of running again, and getting faster to boot! This seems to be spurred on by the purchase of a new semi-smart watch, an Amazfit Bip 5 with onboard GPS. Sadly, because I live in the centre of town the GPS is often borked on one one of my main running routes and has me running 2km before it even registers one, but outside of that one road it seems fairly accurate, and I'm now running 5km in just over 29 minutes.

We are still getting days of mild weather, often preceded by grimly misty mornings for me to cycle through. Lights are on all the time now, including my head torch at night. Sadly, I haven't been able to see Comet A3, town lights are too intrusive. 

So that's running, cycling and being rubbish at astronomy covered, what of nature? We have entered the autumn holding pattern, with goldfinches flocking up and robins the only birds still singing. Meadow pipits have arrived at work for the winter. When I can find something in flower, there's still the occasional hiney bee around which gives me joy and delays winter sadness. 

Counting down already to the first snowdrops.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.10.24