#roe dogwood

[bonejunky6669]

little wolf

[dansnaturepictures]

Ten of my favourite photos I took in October 2024 and month summary

The photos are of; fly agaric at Matley Wood in the New Forest, shaggy scalycaps at Lakeside Country Park, Kingfisher at Blashford Lakes, Speckled Wood, Migrant Hawker, Mottled shieldbugs and view at Lakeside, autumn leaves in Winchester and Michaelmas daisies and New Forest Pony at Lymington.

October was a fantastic month of fungi for me. In the peak season I treasured seeing many spectacular, gorgeous and fascinating species including fly agaric, devil's fingers, amethyst deceiver, yellow stagshorn, shaggy scalycap, candlesnuff fungi, bleeding fairy helmet, eyelash fungi, parasol, turkey tail, earthballs, panthercap, false death cap, sulphur tuft and waxcaps. It has also been nice to see slime mould including red raspberry slime mould at a few places and lichen and moss.

I had a brilliant birdwatching month too with some special species seen heading well into autumn. Key species seen were a fair few Kingfishers, Water Rail, Great White Egret, Greenshank, Avocet, Lapwing, Jack Snipe, Sanderling, Common Gull, Pochard, Gadwall, Pintail, Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal, Goosander, Brent Geese, Egyptian Geese, Little Grebe, Marsh Harriers, Siskin, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, lots of Jays seen in their active time of year, notable Ravens at Lakeside and home, Dunnock, Blackcap at Lakeside, Cetti's Warbler, Wren and Long-tailed Tit. Turnstones and Ringed Plover seen well, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Coots and Greylag Geese at Lakeside, Jackdaw and Magpie seen a lot, Red Kite in Winchester, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Chaffinch, Grey Wagtail seen well and Pied Wagtail were also great to see. Glorious scenes came this month with the return of the Redwings a key bird of the autumn and winter, I was elated to see a Hen Harrier and I was thrilled to see the Winchester Peregrines and Lakeside Great Crested Grebes including their chicks a lot.

There were some nice butterflies to see still with lots of Speckled Woods especially at Lakeside, Red Admiral and Peacock and I was amazed to see a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in Winchester as well as other moths. Dragonflies and damselflies continued to shine this month with so many splendid views of Migrant Hawkers and Southern Hawker and Common Darters too. My first Willow Emerald Damselfly of the year was special to see at Fishlake Meadows. Other insects I enjoyed seeing this month were Mottled shieldbugs and other shieldbugs, wasps and hornets. It was good to see lots of spiders this month too including Long-bodied Cellar spider at home and snails and slugs. In terms of mammals I enjoyed seeing the also active Grey Squirrels a few times, Roe and Fallow Deers and New Forest Ponies.

Key flowers seen this month included Michaelmas daisies, forget-me-not, comfrey, lots of oxtongue, dandelion, tormentil, bell heather, common mallow, white deadnettle, stinging nettle, daisy, water mint, vervain, viper's-bugloss, horseweed, common and ivy-leaved toadflax, hogweed, yarrow, hedge woundwort, ragwort, gorse, dock, herb-Robert and wood avens which brought some wonderful colour as it quietened down for flowers. Wild carrot, teasel, hemp agrimony and spear thistle were among pretty seed heads enjoyed this month with cleavers enjoyed too. There was also a great display of berries this month again with rose hips, hawthorn berries, guelder rose berries, dogwood berries, nightshade berries and snowberries creating vibrant scenes.

And of course this month the splendour of autumn's colour was captivating and wholesome to observe. I also enjoyed taking in many great other vistas this month including coast, reedbed and general wetland, rivers and New Forest heaths and woodland. There were some special sky scenes observed this month too. Have a great November all.

[outofangband]

Flora, Fauna and Environment of Nan Tathren

I’ve been really enjoying my Flora, Fauna and Environment of Arda series and I wanted to do some smaller locations and ecosystems as well as more larger regions that I constantly go back and add more to. These will include both smaller parts of the areas I’ve done and new ones

(I’ll continue to do larger areas too and I’ll take requests for any and this includes the Barad Eithel request I got awhile back, I’m so sorry for the delay!)

Nan Tathren, “valley of willows”, is a vale in mid Beleriand where the River Sirion met its largest and Southernmost tributary, the river Narog. It was South of the gates of Sirion and north of the Havens. The Power of Ulmo was strong here even after Nirnaeth where the area was roamed by orcs. 

In The Book of Lost Tales, it was said that all butterflies came from Nan Tathren and though this was discarded as canon, the flowery meadows of the vale were said to have lots of butterflies. 

The climate was likely warm temperate with little snowfall despite seasonal changes. This was due to the influence of Ulmo who shielded the valley from harsher weather. This meant that there was something of a protective sheen around the vale with some notable differences within its borders to the surrounding regions. 

The trees of Nan Tathren are not close or crowded together and elf, orc or other creature alike can easily wander through the more forested areas. Weeping willows, musk willows, and white willows as well as common and Engler’s beech trees and common ash make up the highest number of trees in the vale

In the meadows grow a wide variety of wildflowers and herbaceous plants that are home and nutrients to the many butterflies of the valley; the Apollo butterfly which feeds on white stonecrop, swallowtails which feed on rue and fennels, female orange tips with common dogwood violet, small tortoiseshell and common nettle, scarce fritillary and honeysuckle, speckled wood with annual meadow grass, dusky meadow brown, silver studded blue and rockrose, mother or pearl blue and woundwort, and green hairstreak with blue vetch, peacock butterfly with willow, dandelions and danewort, poplar admiral with poplar and aspen,  clover and cape broom. 

During the nighttime, moths flutter over the fragrant meadows feeding from their various sources; magpie moth with red current, meadow sweet button with meadowsweet, blood vein and sorrel, barred yellow with dog rose, common marbled carpet with strawberry, 

There are more of course, this is only a small selection! 

Fish are abundant in the crossing of Sirion and Narog. Marbled trout, common minnow, spiny loaches, grayling, asper, and other, stranger creatures that aren’t known to modern earth are in the protection of Ulmo’s power here. As I believe exist throughout Arda (and is supported by Tolkien’s description that ‘all creatures that ever walked the earth and many that did not’) there are species that no longer exist on earth today.  Perhaps Paleoparadoxia find safety in the deep waters where the tributary meets Sirion. 

Larger animals are rare here and usually only pass through, adding to the feeling and description of the vale as desolate but peaceful. Larger mammals do occasionally enter the valley to drink from one of the many clear pools along the river. Roe and fallow deer and elk cross along one or two of the fords, timber wolves shelter under the willows after an unsuccessful hunt, strange okapi like creatures blend into the trees as they sip from the water. 

Smaller mammals do make their home in the valley more permanently as do birds.

Field mice, garden dormouse, flying squirrel, water vole, pine voles Kogaionon, smaller species of gray foxes, Vulpavus, the occasional Rhizosmilodon, tayra, and species of hedgehogs. 

Greenish warbler, willow warbler common firecrest, dusky thrush, black and green woodpeckers, spotted nutcracker, common kingfisher, ural owl, and  marbled teal being some examples of birds along with a few giant swans that take sanctuary in the reeds of the slower sections of the river, 

Spiny newts, brook salamander, midwife toad, agile frog, along with  wood turtle, striped neck terrapin, snake eyed lizard and green meadow snakes. 

[chief-cooker]

❤ TABLE CALORIE FOODS ❤

http://chief-cooker.tumblr.com

If you want to weigh in: 55 kg - no more than 1540 calories a day. 50 kg - not more than 1420 calories a day. 45 kg - no more than 1350 calories per day.

✔Table of calories - fruits and berries (100 grams ) Apricots 47 Avocado 100 Quince 30 Plum 38 Pineapple 44 Orange 45 Watermelon 40 Bananas 90 Cranberries 45 Grapes 70 Cherry 25 Grapefruit 30 Pear 42 Melon 45 BlackBerry 32 Strawberries 38 Kiwi 50 Dogwood 41 Cranberry 33 Gooseberries 48 Lemon 30 Raspberry 45 Mandarin 41 Peaches 45 Plum 44 Currants 43 Cherry 53 Blueberries 44 Apples 45

✔Table calorie - vegetables and herbs Eggplant 28 Green peas 75 Zucchini 18 Cabbage 23 Brussels sprouts 12 Sauerkraut 28 Cabbage, red, 27 Cauliflower 18 Boiled potatoes 60 Green onion 18 Onion 43 Carrots 33 Cucumbers 15 Pepper green sweet 19 Parsley 23 Tomatoes 20 Rhubarb 16 Radish 16 Radish 25 Turnips 23 Salad 11 Beets 40 Pumpkin 20 Dill 30 Fuck 49 Garlic 60 Spinach 16 Sorrel 27

✔Table of calories - mushrooms White mushrooms 25 White mushrooms, dried 210 Mushrooms cooked 25 Mushrooms in sour cream 230 Mushrooms fried 165 Mushrooms 20 Birch 30 Aspen 30 ✔Table of calories - nuts and seeds Seeds 580 Walnuts 650 Nuts earthen 470 Pine Nuts 620 Almond 600 Pistachios 620 Hazelnut 670

✔Table of calories - dried fruit Raisin 270 Fig 290 Raisins 310 Dried apricots 290 Dates 290 Prunes 220 Apples 210

✔The table of caloric content - eggs Chicken egg 1 PC. 65 Egg powder 540 ✔Bread-bakery products Sugar 295 Pellet rye 375 Butter cakes 300 Drying, gingerbread 330 Bread Darnytskyi 206 Wheat bread 265 Rye bread 210

✔Table calorie milk products Acidophilus milk (3.2% fat) 58 Cheese cow 260 Yogurt (1,5%) 51 Kefir fat 60 Kefir (1% fat) 38 Fat-free yogurt 30 Milk (3.2% fat) 60 Cow's whole milk 68 Ice cream 220 Yogurt 59 Kefir 85 Cream (10% fat) 120 Cream (20% fat) 300 Sour cream (10%) 115 Sour cream (20%) 210 Dutch cheese 357 Cheese Lamber 377 Parmesan Cheese 330 Cheese Russian 371 Cheese sausage 268 Cheese curds: 380 Cottage cheese (18% fat) 226 The low fat cottage cheese 80 With cream cheese 260

✔Table calorie-grains and legumes Pea Green 280 Flour 348 Rye Flour 347 Cocoa powder 375 Unground Buckwheat 346 Unground Buckwheat 346 Semolina 340 Eyeglasses 374 Pearl barley 342 Wheat groats 352 Barley groats 343 Cornflakes 369 Pasta 350 Oatmeal 305 Millet 351 Figure 337 Soya 395 Beans 328 Lentils 310 Barley flakes 315

✔Table for meat, poultry and meat products Lamb fat 316 Ham 365 Beef stew 180 Beef roast 170 Brisket 475 Goose 300 Turkey 150 Cooked sausage 250 The sausage 380 Loin 430 Rabbit 115 Chicken cooked 135 Chicken fried 210 Beef liver 100 Buds 66 Sausage 160 Pork chop 265 Braised pork 350 Heart 87 Sausages 235 Veal 90 Duck 405 Language 165 ✔Table caloric value-fish and seafood Caviar 250 Siberian salmon caviar 245 Pollock ROE 130 Squid 75 Carp 46 Carp fried 145 Chum 157 Canned rybnyi oil 320 Canned fish in its own juice 120 Shrimp 85 Crabs 70 Bream 48 Salmon fried 145 Salmon smoked 385 Pollock 70 Seaweed 16 Cod 44 Bass 95 Cancers 75 Herring 98 Stellate 137 Atlantic herring 57 Pike 43 Cod 59 Sprats in oil 250 The pike 41 ✔Table calorie sauces, fats Fat melted 930 Ketchup 80 Mayonnaise 625 Light mayonnaise 260 Margarine butter 745 Margarine sandwich 670 Margarine for baking 675 Corn oil 900 Olive oil 824 Sunflower oil 900 Butter 750 Soybean oil 900 Vegetable oil 885

Preserve not to lose 📌

[hortascountrysidenotes]

Big changes in the garden

Despite being blown from here to eternity almost continually for a month, work has continued in the garden through gales, hail, snow flurries, driving rain and finally today at last, a still frosty March morning with a blue sky and NO WIND.

The project I had been dreading since last autumn is done and almost complete - the two runs of box hedging as readers know came out, were summarily burnt and the 30 x 60cm flag stones have been beautifully laid and pointed up this morning. The effect is extraordinary - not only do they seem to make the garden seem lighter but they also make that particular area seem wider and the borders  have more presence.  I could say I should have done it years ago, but I did love the italianate look of the garden especially in winter with the structure it gave.

All that remains is for me to move one or two plants further forward to spill onto the paving slabs, - the left hand side is easy and will take no time at all, but the right hand side is more challenging owing to the bed being slightly raised.  It will entail chamfering off some soil at a clever angle, and then bringing plants such as catmint forwards which will hold the soil in place and stop it endlessly falling forwards. ... as long as we get the angle right I dont envisage it being a problem

Today brought a huge amount of jobs to a close - and the start of new ones.  the Salix fargesii which is magnificent has been reduced by about 3′ in height and all the dogwood coppicing was completed today.  I have removed two of the yellow stemmed variety from the pond bank to allow the now strongly growing Hamamelis Jelena to fill her space.  We have dug up some baby Cornus Midwinter Fire from the bog garden and put them in other places and prepped the bog garden for spring.  Masses of kingcups now which is super.

All the mulch is on and the compost heaps are empty - we even managed to have enough to put a layer on the asparagus and the autumn raspberries.  Sulphate of iron has gone on the moss - not actually very bad this year, and one or two areas of weak grass to give it a boost.  Buckets of Diggens mix - ie Vitax Q4, Fish Blood and Bone, a bit of Sulphate of Iron have gone on the beds with the addition of some extra Magnesium - the very wet weather will have washed through a lot of trace elements from the soil.

We have started clearing the bank away from the back of the greenhouse so we can have a little more storage space for pots, compost and plant trays.  We have a lot of bark chip from last years Yew tree reduction so that can go down as a weed supressant.  Nearly all the broad beans are through and growing well and the first sowing of sweet peas.  Another batch of sweet peas - the home collected ones, are chitting in water on the kitchen window sill.  Cosmos is sown now and some fun Snapdragons.  Next up are Tomatoes.

I have given the Daphne a big feed of iron - both sulphate and liquid as it has patches of very yellow foliage.  Sadly they do not seem to live a long time and when the foliage starts to go sparse and yellow it is not a good sign.  I am hoping a tonic once a month might do the trick - it could be the alkaline soil here in East Anglia as I frequently see this slow dying back.

The dogs are all well - Mavis has a working test this weekend - I have done a little with her but she definitely was feeling a little depressed with a minor phantom pregnancy - I will take her out on Thursday to do some light training as she seems more cheerful now!

The wildlife situation is starting to move - woodpeckers and finches are visiting the garden now the feed rides for the shoots are declining in maize and cereals. There is the odd sighting of a rabbit - something we havent seen much of for a few years!  Deer are everywhere especially roe.  The egrets are back on the Panford Beck.  Who knows, we might only have to wait three more weeks for the swallows to arrive.

HORTA

[bonejunky6669]

vermin of the world, titan reformed

[bonejunky6669]

redraw 😋

[bonejunky6669]

Angry Wolf Girl Polka