Malus sylvestris, Wild Crab Apple leaf.

Buttercup

Buttercups are still glowering in our meadow, defying the onset of winter.

Sunrise This Morning

An early start was rewarded with a lovely sunrise.  South Northumberland.

Jet Trail

Prunus avium

Prunus avium  Wild Cherry.  South Northumberland.

"A Dark Moon"

"A dark moon arising..."

This evening, near Slaley, South Northumberland.

Autumn Leaves

Afternoon Sky

Cotinus and bracken growing on the edge the orchard at our cottage, looking rich in the evening sun.

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, growing in the orchard, on the bank above the burn here at the cottage.

Groundsel Seed Head, 

Senicio vulgaris

Inkcap, 

Parasola leiocephala

 

Hilary's birthday sunflowers are still going strong.

It was Hilary's birthday the other day, the children bought her some lovely flowers....

Swallows usually nest in our field shelter, this year we had a second clutch of three chicks hatch. We have been concerned about them growing quickly enough to start their migration with the other birds but in the last ten days they have grown rapidly and all are now on the wing.  In the evening Mum still checks to make sure they are eating enough....

On the top of the wall outside the back door there is supposed to be an Alpine bed, instead there is a Ragwort growing.  Still, against the wet looking sky to the North East, I can live with it.

Beetham Tower, Manchester.

I had a trip down to Manchester the other day, the City has changed so much since I was a regular visitor for work some twenty five years or so ago.

This is Beetham Tower, one of the impressive new and very fitting pieces of architecture which populate the City alongside the stunning Victorian era buildings around the Salford Dock area.

Stained Glass (again)

Another detail of one of the beautiful windows in St Andrews Church in Corbridge, South Northumberland.  I am guessing this one may have been installed in the 1880s.

Stained Glass - detail

A detail of one of the beautiful stained glass windows in St Andrews church in Corbridge, Northumberland.

Hogweed and friend..

A Common Red Soldier Beetle  Rhagonycha fulva on Hogweed beside the burn this afternoon.

Fiery Sky Over Slaley Village

"Lead Us Not In....

Hick...."!!

St Johns Chapel, Weardale.

Crane Fly

Not sure which Crane Fly this is but I spotted it while walking the dogs by the burn this morning. No camera so it is a phone shot.

Crane Fly - Ctenophora pectinicornis

This insect caught my eye immediately yesterday when I was wandering round the little meadow by the burn.  At first I thought it was an Ichneuman Wasp but it turned out to be a much less common Crane Fly, Ctenophora pectinicornis.  One of my best finds yet, and also learnt how to differentiate between Crane Flies and Ichneumans.

Stormy.......

The forecast for South Northumberland this afternoon was for thunder, lightning and heavy rain.  What we got was a little thunder and a few flashes of lightning, and dramatic skies.......

Prunus Domestica

Glorious sunshine the other day, not warm but pleasant.  The cherry tree in the orchard was laden with blossom.

Neighbours.......

The Highland cattle beside the cottage were feeling sociable this afternoon and came over to the wall for a chat..



Over the road, the Northumbrian Pedigree Dairy,  Marleycote Herd heifers, a distinctly "upper class" set of girls were keeping a close eye on the local ruffians.........

Greater Stichwort - Stellaria holostea

The first Stitchwort to flower in our meadow this year, always nice to see.

Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum, full, glistening buds, reaching upwards..... Slaley.

Narcissistic Narcissi

At this time of year there is always one flashy beggar.....

30 Minutes Later....

Just finished posting the previous shot and glanced up. No I am not running back up the field........

The Pikewell One....

I glanced out of the kitchen window at the evening sky and I had no option but too jog-walk across ours and our neighbours field to get a shot I had been looking at for a while. Didn't quite get to the tree I was aiming for, just too old for this rushing about, but got to this one.....

Networking.....?

Since the beginning of the Avian Flu outbreak, our hen runs have been covered by netting to isolate the poultry from wild birds.  We have been speculating as to what would happen if it snowed........

Common Daisy

Bellis perennis or Common daisies abound in our field and little meadow, we seem to have a high percentage of this pink variation.

Barren Strawberry - Potentilla sterilis

The first of the Barren Strawberrys are starting to flower here, we usually  have a great number of plants so it will be interesting to see how the mild winter effected them.

Winter Flowering Cherry

Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' in full flower in our orchard today.

Sleet.....

After a glorious if chilly afternoon, the weather abruptly changed around six, when temperature plunged and sleet blasted into the cottage from the moors and Hexhamshire.......

Photobombed........

We've all been there. Just got lined up on the latest award winning shot, then "Man's Best Friend" turns up.!!

Still, I got off lightly she usually drops a bloody great stick on my head when I am grovelling about in the mud looking for a half decent shot.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow.......

Velvet Shank Fungi

Found these lovely, delicate little Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes) fungi in the Pikewell fields near Slaley yesterday.

Fungi Gills

We spotted this fungi, among others on a dog walk round the fields this morning.

Afternoon Sky - Slaley

Street Art

This "Official" street art is behind the Sage Arts Center in Gateshead, not everyone's cup of tea but I really like some of these works.

The Sage

The Sage Art Centre, Gateshead,  briefly looming out of the fog this afternoon.

Pikewell Fields

A late afternoon walk round the Pikewell fields behind the cottage with all the dogs, the sun setting over the golf course.  I must get up there early one morning, I had forgotten how good the view to the north is.

The Derwent Valley

I pass this way once a month to collect hay from a local farmer in the valley, I always enjoy the views to and fro but yesterday the broken cloud after a glorious early morning allowed a lovely patch of light over the area below the dam at Derwent Reservoir, the moors of The North Pennines AONB in the distance.

Moon Gazing

We have been blessed with almost perfect weather for viewing the moon over the last couple of weeks.

The Dark Moon Rising...

Early evening at the cottage today, finished a few jobs while the sunset developed. I was concentrating so much on the sunset that I almost missed the moon rising behind me. The sunset was rubbish......