Nature’s Clues and Signs – Black Down
I’m back from a routine ‘sharpener’, one of the short, intense natural navigation exercises that I like to do regularly to keep my hand in…
Tag: wildflowers
Foxgloves Face Away From the Forest
Foxgloves – Digitalis purpurea – are a sign you are near the edge of the woods. The flowers point away from the trees.
Nature’s Clues and Signs 1 – East Marden
Welcome Welcome to the first in a new nature’s clues and signs series. Over the coming months I will be heading out on a series…
The Meaning of Bluebells
The bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is a perennial bluish-purple bell-shaped wildflower of the Lily family (Liliaceae). It is a European plant, common in the British Isles.…
The Wood Anemone – Anemone nermorosa
The Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) is a pretty perennial wildflower of damp deciduous woodland, scrub, hedgerows and ditches. It has earned the nickname ‘windflower’, possibly…
“Gorse is out of bloom, when kissing’s out of fashion”
There was heavy snow in the early hours of Sunday morning. We didn’t need any more encouragement. The Gooley family set off for an explore…
Fast Recognition and Optical Illusions in Nature
Our brains are pattern-recognising machines. This is true everywhere, but not least in nature, where it honed these skills over millions of years. Bird calls,…
Water-pepper, Persicaria hydropiper
Water-pepper, Persicaria hydropiper, is a bitter tasting map-maker. It is an inconspicuous annual plant, but it is useful to natural navigators. It grows up to…
Daisies Opening – A Time Lapse
This is a time lapse of daisies opening and orientating themselves towards the sun. It was filmed over a couple of hours and compressed down…