Suzannek

Rest in Peace Tony, I didn't know you very well, but what I saw was a lovely, warm, funny fella, the world needs more people like Tony Suz xx

Haha yes I couldn't sleep so decided to upload a few photos Suz x

Wild Mint and a lovely White Campion

A lovely old Oak tree, down my favourite woods where I live

Our swallow and house martins arrive in May not warm enough in Teesdale until then

Hi Peter You are so right we have bird feeders up in the garden, we get all sorts of garden birds, from common sparrow and starlings to yellow hammers. We have lots of magpies . We also get ground feeding birds such as dunnocks, robins, blackbirds and a pair of collared doves oh and a handsome cock pheasant. All are thriving. We have a pair of sparrowhawks that visits to snatch a garden bird now and again. All in all I think we have a healthy garden ecosystem going on. We also have 6 cats, never seen one yet with a bird. Suz x

Red Admiral caterpillars on nettle at Morley, Teesdale yesterday

This is a common wildflower of wasteland/infertile grassland/roadsides. It is a parasitic plant which lives on the roots of other plants such as grasses. Like it's relative in meadows Yellow Rattle it increases the biodiversity of flora of where it is growing. One type of bee relies only on this flower's nectar as a food source...It is Red Bartsia. These were growing by the roadside in Wham

This is England's version of Niagara falls High Force, Upper Teesdale, County Durham taken last autumn (not by myself)

My favourite wildflower and loads of them at Wham, the Harebell

We have no street lights as have no streets ha, very little light pollution so we can see the stars Suz x

It is a tiny hamlet very remote, it is teeming with flora and fauna though Suz x

Ha people always say that Wham is actually derived from a Norse word for valley, this Wham is a valley about a 1000 foot above sea level ;)

The Harebells are just coming through at Wham where I live, without doubt my favourite wildflower. They grow on infertile, pesticide free land

Betony wildflower taken near Wham, Teesdale 12.7.14

I think me orchid has loaded the right way around

Actually you are right, thank you, it must be meadowsweet as the stalks there are like a dark reddy purple colour. It does smell lovely

Went for a walk down my favourite woods this evening down circle walk Butterknowle/South Side in Teesdale. Loads of Sweet Cicely about it smells divine

The bird on the post is a male Skylark, the skylark population in the UK has crashed. They are a red list RSPB species, felt yo be as a result of a change in farming practices. Thankfully here in Teesdale they are doing well, this particular male must have had a nest nearby with the female as he was dive bombing me n the dog, he sat on the post giving us a further singing warning Suz x

The blue flowers are Woody Cranesbill they're less common than the Meadow Cranesbill I have posted up before, both are native wild geraniums

Yes sorry it is on its side it wouldn't upload the right way up, there's lots of common spotted orchids and northern marsh orchids in Teesdale at the moment. I love wildflowers, I always keep my eyes peeled for the more unusual ones

Sorry I haven't been on for a while, here are a few pics I've taken where I live in Teesdale over the last few weeks

I love yellow hammers we get a pair on our bird feeders sometimes in early spring Suz

Have you been to the Farne Islands in Northumberland?

It's a Cinnebar Moth they feed on Ragwort, beautiful moth Suz x