UP CLOSE & ...

Yesterday I mentioned noticing things at ground level, getting up close and photo-graphical.

I have the mickey taken out of me, as I am sometimes to be seen lying in contorted positions on the ground with my camera often at odd angles, or bent over getting a close up of tiny things. But it often amazes me how little people see as they walk around "loving the view."

I've gone back over several days for this little collection of close ups ...

Take this beautiful, heart shape >>> of newly emerged bracken with it's soft russety down. It's almost hard to believe that this will grow into such a strong pernicious weed. A curse of the commons, poisonous to cattle when young, but when harvested makes good bedding for cows in barns over winter. But then gets added to manure, rotted down and fed back to the land in a form that will not grow new dominating plants.

<<< Here's another curse of the commons, thistles! Their spiny stars are a problem for dogs paws. Ffin is very adapt at stepping around them. Sheep rarely eat them and their multiple seed heads, blown on the wind spread all over the grazing areas, so reducing the edible areas quite drastically.

But ... on the positive side, the flowers attract all sorts of insects including bees!

Now, last year I commented on the lack of bees during the height of summer and in the warmth of autumn. There were days out with the dog when I never saw a single one, but already this year I am seeing them in quite increased numbers daily, hopefully that is a good sign for the summer ahead. It's well known, but sad fact that our bee populations are in crisis. Let's hope this year sees an increase amongst all the different species of our native bees. Tiny dandelions can be seen everywhere, little bright suns in amongst the green growth across the moors. They have little problem increasing their numbers as their seeds travel on the slightest of breezes. Around here they are called "sugar stealer's" Despite many enquiries I cannot find out why. The only possible I can come up with is that it relates in some way to sugar rationing during the war.

The above is our tiny but vibrantly blue, native Speedwell. Now, this is one we all recognise but looking in my Francis Rose "Wildflower Key" there are at least 16 types of Speedwell, and surprisingly there is a Pink Water Speedwell. Why speed? Do they increase rapidly? You see once you start looking at words closely you start asking questions. 

But back to bracken, an invasive species and one that quite often gets ariely sprayed to prevent it becoming too dominant across the moors, partially due to ruination of grazing but also because when dying down, the dry brown stalks are tinder for moorland fires which can spread for miles with incredible speed, but the young shoots are beautiful.

It never ceases to amaze me that from all seeds the tiniest of dainty plants may grow or ... something as sturdy as an ancient oak or a giant redwood tree!