Sunday 31 May 2015

The complex Tormentils

I have an increasing amount of Tormentil in the fields but it is not all straightforward Tormentil (Potentilla erecta). I have identified Trailing Tormentil as well (Potentilla anglica). The latter has four or five petals (rather than four) with leaves shortly stalked above and longer stalked below (rather than almost unstalked) and larger flowers. More complexity comes in with a triple hybrid known as Hybrid Cinquefoil which is quite similar to Trailing Tormentil. If I can spot that and also Creeping Cinquefoil then I will have the whole set. The first picture above is P. erecta and the second P. anglica.

Thursday 14 May 2015

The handsome Bullfinch

Surely one of the most attractive British birds. And also a gentleman as he is often seen accompanying his mate as he was on this occasion, sort of hanging around waiting, like me when on a shopping trip, as she looked for something to eat. This was the first time I managed to get my camera out and grab a photo of a bird, that I remember in numbers from my childhood but which seem uncommon today.