Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, Spring, thompson's park on April 5, 2020| 2 Comments »
Magnolia bloom in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff
I started the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown a fortnight ago with the intention of visiting a park every week for some exercise, but already I am slacking. So far I have visited only one – Thompson’s Park.
It is our nearest park but I hadn’t walked through it for a few years, since I started working down in Cardiff Bay. There was a time when I visited it monthly, and here are my images from those days. (more…)
Posted in Cardiff, Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Cardiff, Nature, oak, Spring, Summer, thompson's park, Trees, winter on January 8, 2017| 12 Comments »
Frosted oak leaves on January 3, 2017
Before I turn my attention to a new tree to follow in 2017, I am looking back with fondness at the old oak (Quercus robur) I have followed throughout 2016 in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff.
I visited again on a frosty day last week but now it’s winter there is not going to be much change until it starts the annual cycle again in spring.
The only new observation was this spent firework from the New Year’s Eve festivities…
Firework shell under the oak on January 3, 2017
So here is a comparison of how the tree looked as the months passed in 2016. (more…)
Posted in Cardiff, Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged autumn, Nature, thompson's park, Trees, winter on December 18, 2016| 8 Comments »
Lush leaf of bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis) in December
At the beginning of 2016 I promised myself I would keep an eye on Thompson’s Park in Cardiff as the seasons changed through the year, so I have just enough time before Christmas to fit in a snapshot of the park as we pass from late autumn into early winter.
I took these pictures on November 25 and December 9 and in just a fortnight almost the last of the autumn leaves fell. Some berries and seeds remain and there are a few winter blossoms. Please let me know if I have misidentified anything… (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, oak, thompson's park, Trees on December 13, 2016| 6 Comments »
Fallen oak leaves in December
Last month I was becoming a bit impatient with the oak tree (Quercus robur) I am following in Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park, as it seemed slow to take on autumn hues. But I knew that when the right time came it would all happen very quickly, so I have visited the tree twice this month. And what a difference a fortnight has made.
The following pictures were taken on November 25 and December 9 and where I can I put similar shots together for comparison. A fortnight ago the leaves were golden but now they are brown and more have fallen to the ground. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged thompson's park, Trees on November 29, 2016| 8 Comments »
Fallen horse chestnut in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff, in June 2016
This is the story of the life after death of the horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) blown down in Storm Imogen in Early February. It stood in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff, and I have been keeping an eye on it all year. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Cardiff, Nature, oak, thompson's park, Trees on November 10, 2016| 9 Comments »
Autumn leaves on the oak tree (Quercus robur) in Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park
I had hoped by now that the oak tree (Quercus robur) I am following in Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park would be gold all over, but it seems to be one of the last trees to change colour, along with one or two stubborn ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) I have seen around.
It has been a wonderful autumn for trees in the city this year, as we have had mostly cold and dry weather throughout October. See my other autumn blog posts here.
Most of the following pictures were taken on November 10. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, tagged autumn, Cardiff, Nature, thompson's park, Trees on November 5, 2016| 11 Comments »
Chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff, on October 25
I usually blog just once a week, but there is so much of golden autumn around at the moment that I can’t help keeping on about it, as it will be over so soon. Here are some recent images from Thompson’s Park in Cardiff, which I have been visiting throughout the year. It’s certainly a time of mellow fruitfulness. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Uncategorized, tagged fungi, Nature, thompson's park on November 3, 2016| 9 Comments »
Fungus in Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park
I’m a big fan of fungi and took these pictures in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff, in August, but I recently revisited, so I’m using that excuse to share them now. I had often seen this fungus, which I always thought was Trametes versicolor, turkeytail, on a tree stump in the park (see my January fungus foray here). But fellow blogger Earthstar tells me it’s giant polypore, Meripilus giganteus. (more…)
Posted in Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Nature, oak, thompson's park, Trees on October 9, 2016| 11 Comments »
A few leaves on the oak tree are turning to autumn gold
The oak tree (Quercus robur) in the middle of Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park is at last tinged with autumn colours – although it’s still mostly green and you have to make an effort to find the golden leaves.
Now we are past the equinox and the daylight hours are getting shorter there is a distinct nip in the air. This has been particularly noticeable in the last fortnight as we have had cold easterly winds, unusual in South Wales. (more…)
Posted in Cardiff, Nature, Trees, Uncategorized, tagged Cardiff, Nature, oak, thompson's park, Trees on September 11, 2016| 8 Comments »
The oak shows no sign of autumn yet
As I suspected, the oak tree (Quercus robur) in the middle of Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park doesn’t know it’s autumn yet. When I visited it on September 9 it looked no different from a month earlier, apart from the fact that someone had removed the fallen branch.
Sadly I have had to give up totally on finding ANY acorns, despite the large size of the tree. They all seem to have been subsumed by wasp galls of various sorts, so I had to make do with inspecting those again. (more…)
