Posted in Cardiff, Nature, Trees, tagged Bute, Cardiff, Nature, Trees on January 23, 2015| 10 Comments »
Fallen Alaskan birch in Bute Park, Cardiff
I went to Bute Park in the centre of Cardiff looking for a tree to follow in 2015, but I found this very sad sight – a wonderful “champion” tree felled by recent gales. I grieve a little every time I see a fallen tree and there were several big ones down this month.
(more…)
Posted in Birds, Uncategorized, Wildfowl, tagged Carmarthenshire, wildfowl, winter on January 16, 2015| 18 Comments »
A pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos) picking up scattered corn from the icy surface of a pond at WWT Llanelli
We always try to make a midwinter journey to the Llanelli Wetland Centre and this time it was an icy day, which made the ducks and geese eager to take the corn we offered.
It’s a bit slippery for this European goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)…
Posted in Carmarthenshire, Garden visits, Gardening, Uncategorized, Wales, tagged Aberglasney, Carmarthenshire, Gardening, winter on January 8, 2015| 24 Comments »
Icicles hang over the stone arch in this view from the Cloister Garden to the pool at Aberglasney
We love visiting Aberglasney Gardens in Carmarthenshire and it’s a bonus when the weather conditions are a bit out of the ordinary. A week ago, on probably the coldest day of winter so far, there was frost at dawn and to our delight it lasted all day, with the gardens glinting with icy diamonds everywhere. Here are some of my pictures – where I caption them “Mystery #1” etc, I invite you to help me to identify the plants!
The Squirrelbasket 