Hairy-footed Flower bee, female, 8 April 2024, my West Sussex garden
On Sunday 4th April, the Mid Sussex Ramblers have a walk through New England Wood. The walk is entitled "Wood Anemones" and was submitted months ago. This day I checked out how the cold winter and late spring had affected the wood anemones' flowering time. Most flowers have yet to emerge or are just emerging, as the above and below pictures show.
By Sunday week, the day of the walk, the woods should be a blaze of dazzling white flowers.
Click on any picture to expand it.
Dog's Mercury, Mercurialis perennis is flowering now.
Primroses are already a lovely sight.
And this snow or gale fallen pussy willow tree was looking especially beautiful this day.
I hope to see you on the 4th April for this short walk!
Much of this very pleasant walk was on bridle paths and I was fascinated by this equestrian crossing.
A fine specimen of evergreen oak.
What is remarkable about Surrey, compared to Sussex, is that after 7 miles of walking one's boots are spotlessly clean. No mud, clay, sheep or cow dung and the bridle paths are so well maintained that it is easy to avoid horse dung. Who would believe it?
Lipton used to like to sit and survey his lands from a high point on his estates
Tamil tea pickers need heavy aprons for protection against the bushes.
Lipton's seat
The tea bushes like light shade, but the trees that provide it are
Across the Mahaweli river in Kandy is a roosting site for fruit bats.
Click on any picture to expand it.
They are also safe in their hundreds in the magnificent botanical garden in Kandy.
This bird is safe too, perched on the live or neutral high tension electricity cable.
Bats try the same trick too... and come to a sparky end when they straddle
And now for this "Jewel of Sri Lanka" near Adam's Peak.
A deathtrap was exposed live wiring for a shower head water heater
Luckily we were not electrocuted.
The third guest in our room sadly did not survive the night -- falling victim to my boot.
