Wednesday 29 January 2014

Week 11 29/01/14 - Rain, Fungi and Snowdrops

Photo Blog Week 11 - Wed 29 Jan 2014

 route: Right of Timberyard CafĂ© into Crow Wood and around to border wall

Ground in Crow Wood and much of the Park is saturated and currently shows no sign of recovery.

Hardly a native, this Monkey Puzzle tree towers in Crow Wood among traditional British trees.


'Conkers' coming to life hoping to create the next generation of Horse Chestnut trees.

This Wood Sorrell in a few weeks will be beautiful bright green trefoil leaves with a sweet apple flavour.

Looking down onto the Play Scape from boundary wall.

This fungus is thin and crisp in appearance like a scallop

and this one loops almost like a closed sea anenome

and another like orange oyster mushrooms


 route: Four Winds wall, across The Knott to Car Park then wall paths back to Main car park

It's a murky wet day, not conducive to scenes

I have never seen this before. If you think you know the Park, do you know where this is? 

Resident Heron is back across the Mill Pond from the Timberyard

route: Hall North gate, The Stables, outside woods to Park Moor

  
These optomistic buds on a Hydrangea hanging over from the gardens will not survive if we get a frost
 
Snowdrops are in flower outside the Stables

route: onto Park Moor and West along wall outside Hampers Wood then inside edge of Knitghtslow Wood

I always love the feeling as I cross a stile out to Park Moor

again, too much water as a drain overflows and spills across the path and under a wall into the wood


Even in poor weather the Moor presents a beautiful sight which ever way you look


more fungi, pale brown with dark edges like nicely cooked bread

route: Down into bottom of Cluse Hey and West


Look across banks of Silver Birch at this time of year, notice the distinct purple shade of the new growth

Down into Cluse Hey. (Camera lens difficult to keep clear either steamed up of dripped on)

Not a good path to choose the bottom of Cluse Hey today. Paddling involved.

route: Cluse Hey toward Westparkgate, up onto heath and across to Pursefield Wood

  
Rhododendron buds ready to lead this year's growth

and seed pods from last year ready to spread this invasive species further

The conservation team at work burning cut Rhodi' 

route: Pursefield Wood the across Drinkwater Meadow to Main Car Park

A handsome grey Fallow Buck watching as I return to the car park

today: 10:30 - 15:30  6.7miles

Sunday 26 January 2014

Week 10 22/01/14 - North and West

Photo Blog Week 10 - Wed 22 Jan 2014

Very murky early on and camera battery failed after 2 shots so the rest on my phone.

route: Crow Wood to North Entrance then back via Cage Hill (morning)

Nature's Art Work



Always worth keeping an eye out for the wonderful variety of fungi in the Park. These logs are on the path from Crow Wood to the North Entrance.

Afternoon Phone camera shots

route: Boundary Wall West then Westpark Drive,


View from above 'The Knott' car park looking into the Park.  

Skies clearing a little after a dismal morning 

Path through the firs parallel to Westpark Gate drive

Signs of spring in the woodland carpet?

If you see rhododendron with roots hanging on a stump it's because in clearance areas they are hand pulled and hanging them stops them re-rooting before they die. 

route: Leave Westpark Drive over moor to Cluse Hey


A late afternoon glow in the light across Cluse Hey to Bowstones


route: Cluse Hey to Paddock Cottage, Pursefield Wood and straight on to Drive and Car Park



Heading up to Paddock Cottage - centre


  
Young oak with oak apples



Light gently fading looking back across the meadow and the air cooling as I head back to the car park

Friday

I had to nip up to Lyme Park for a meeting Friday and was greeted by a slushy car park and slippery paths. Maybe winter is coming at last?

Wednesday 15 January 2014

Week 9 15/01/14 extra - 360 from Highest Point in Park

Photo Blog Week 9 (extra) - Wed 15 Jan 2014


 An extra post for this week with 360 images take from the highest point in the Park North of Bowstonegate Farm along boundary wall toward Lantern Wood.

360 without zoom

Spinning to Left, all photos can be knitted with overlap


Starting looking South along bounday wall (Bowstonegate Farm aeriels to Sponds Hill)


 North along Boundary Wall

 Chrshire Plain


Another 360 with some zoom applied

 Spinning to Left, all photos can be knitted with overlap

Best viewed by clicking 1 image then scrolling along larger versions

 Bowstonegate Farm aeriels
 Shutlingslow centre












 Lyme Hall and Cage; Manchester and Oldham


 Woodford and Manchester Airports

 Alderley Edge

Sponds Hill and Jodrell Bank