A Queen a query

 The renovations continue as do my efforts to get outdoors to stay sane. We are up to the ninth day, excluding Saturdays and Sundays. The Plasterer came round to start his two and a half day contribution. As I was clearing the kitchen,  I saw a bee on the window ledge. Not wanting it to be disturbed by stripping wallpaper. I caught it in a pot and took it to a place of safety. It was a queen Buff tailed bee.

Despite more rain, I had to get out to avoid the workmen putting in kitchen cupboards and new kitchen sink. I went to collect one of the SD cards from a trail camera on Cuerden. It had a good clip of a fox. Occasionally going out when you don't really want to, has advantages. This photo is a screen capture of that video clip.

Still restricted to weekends on when I can go out, I walked to Cuerden and collected the SD card from Ice House Wood. It was good to see a variety of spring flowers starting to blossom. Fritillary, Wood Anemone and Cowslip all within a small area.

  

 

The following weekend I walked to fill up the hedgehog feeder. When I arrived it had been disturbed see photo below. The brick that was on top had been discarded. I know it was too heavy for any four legged mammal so I suspect homo stulti. It would not be sapiens. I corrected it and re-filled the feeder.

 

 Lots of chiffchaffs singing that Sunday morning and the spring plants continuing to be in flower include Wood Forget-me-Not, Wood Speedwell, and Ivy-leaved Speedwell. The photos show the latter two

The improvements to my home are nearing completion so I may go away for a week to get refreshed

 

  

Mayhem, moschatel and lunch with the ladies.

I live in a Housing Association house, and thanks to my landlord we are getting a new kitchen, bathroom and a re-wiring of the house. We are still living there while this happens. It means I sometimes need to stay in, waiting for workmen and sometimes get out of their way when they are doing electrical work. Here is the state of my kitchen after the first two days. You can see why getting out is a neccessity

  

 On one of the first escape efforts I had a look round Cuerden Valley Park on my regular check for the signs of spring. The herons were continuing their nest re-build, still about a dozen Goosanders fishing the reservoir and I found several more groups of primroses on the reservoir wall. Lesser Celandine and Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage were by now in abundance, but I was searching to find another early flower. Moschatel is a very small flower with a green floret usually well hidded under its leaves. After about thirty five minutes, there it was. For me it is the confirmation that spring has arrived.  

 

I was able to have two more days "escaping", one of which I showed a good friend from the Forest of Bowland team where to find more signs of spring. We did notice that the amount of frog spawn was increasing. 

The second day was spent showing a group from one of the local WI's round the Park. We started by having a quick look in our Walled Orchard. and a distant look at Cuerden Hall. It meant that I was able to give a condensed chat about the history of the estate and of Cuerden Valley Park Trust.

Continuing our journey, I  took them past the reservoir to see some waterfowl as well as the Herons starting their nests. By taking them through Dog Kennel Wood, I ensured their walk took in our WI bridge.Their appreciation to me was an excellent lunch in Cuerden View cafe. This is not my photo, but gives a good illustration of their superb menu.

 

 The following day I went to see if  another spring flower had started to bloom. As we set off from the car park we met one of the people who rents an allotment from Cuerden Valley Park. As we chatted he mentioned he was a forager and had found Velvet Shank fungus, not one with which I am familiar. He also said it made excellent soup. We left him and continued our walk passing carpets of crocus and daffodils. It wasn't until we nearly finished our walk that we saw the yellow splash of our prize, Colt's Foot. Nearby was a dead branch with lots of Scarlet Elfcup growing on it. Another satisfying day of escaping the chaos in my house.