Flora and fauna – almost bobbing along
Since the middle of October our garden has been home for a one-footed robin; two legs but one foot, and I’ve no idea how it lost the other. It gets chucked mealworms and crumbs of cheddar from time to time and seems to do well on them, but does struggle perching, preferring to rest itself on the ground. As you’ll know robins are with us all year round, but some extras come to us from the north for winter and others leave us, heading...
Flora and fauna – eagles or doves ?
Eagles or Doves? Aquilegia is a really common and splendid sight at the moment on roadside verges. Originally a wild flower, there are also many cultivated varieties in gardens and many of these have escaped back into the wild leading to a confusing picture! Original wild varieties are deep blue but can also be pink or white. The name possibly derives from the Latin for eagle with the petals supposedly resembling an eagle’s...
The diving Goosander – flora and fauna
An exciting yet reasonably regukar visitor to New Mills the Goosander is a medium-sized duck and a member of a group called the ‘sawbills’ because of their long, narrow bills with saw-like ‘teeth’ which are excellent for gripping fish, especially the brown trout found in the River Goyt. This long sleek, streamlined bird, is perfectly shaped for swimming after fish. Goosanders are gregarious birds, forming...
Flora and fauna – Bird Cherry
The midpoint of the Sett Valley trail is a perfect place to stop and savour the delights of the beautiful Bird Cherry tree. A tree that loves to grow near water, there are several dotted around here in the wet woodland and by the stream bank. A particularly lovely one lies in the field by the public footpath leading up to Hayfield Road. At the moment...
Flora and fauna : mining bees
Spring has well and truly sprung here in New Mills with the surrounding fields and hedgerows now blossoming. This along with the excellent weather recently has brought out some very busy bees. There is no mistaking the tawny mining bee: a honeybee-sized ginger species with a thick orange coat and a black face. They feast on shrubs ranging from willow, hawthorn and blackthorn (varieties we have planted in our recent tree...
New Mills fairy garden
Author, Michael Ross, is appealing to children everywhere to draw and colour fairies and send them to him to be included in his new book, My Fairy Garden Book 2 There will also be a grand opening of his new bigger fairy garden in New Mills on Saturday the 8th of May at 11am. For lots more information and instructions on where to send the fairy drawings, please email thewandchronicles@gmail.com or join up with the facebook group My...
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