Christmas 2011

A wintery but very mild morning with the promise of rain. Apparently we have experienced a very dry Autumn but there has been ice and last week was very cold.

Already Autumn

The garden's starting to look bare and I've put out the bird nuts. This project is on going and as yet has not taken off. Yes the Martins did return and now seem to have gone.
I suspect we need a community to make this work. If you stray onto this site then drop us an email and become a contributor; there is a lot going on in our community that needs commenting on.

First House Martins and a Swallow

Well it’s the first day I’ve seen them in Takeley and I was out walking all afternoon yesterday.

No nightingales in Takeley

This picture was not taken in Takeley. It’s an Essex Man sail barge taken from Robie’s Hide at Fingringhoe Wick on the Colne estuary near Colchester looking across to Brightlingsea.
But within the lifetime of TAllen there have been Nightingales in Takeley. It was wonderful to hear them singing and my claim is I saw two! Trevor thinks not.
We reflected on why there were no longer Nightingales; insect eating birds seem to have really suffered.
Anyway it’s well worth a visit this time of the year and Nightingales are guaranteed.

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April drifts of colour

It’s Saturday and the sun has gone but I managed to see some wonderful drifts of colour around the village.

I set off up the railway track towards Dunmow hoping to see bluebells. There were walls of white blossom on the way and I was not disappointed even though there was a chill in the air and the threat of rain.









First though some vandalism. I am pondering what it represents; maybe Easter Island. Not sure but someone has put a lot of care into it.









But let’s see what nature has to offer.

 

I will try to get back for more shots in the sun but it’s a good start.

Then having seen the splashes of blue and walls of white the track opened up into Canfield with this treat.
A field of dandelions. It was actually quite overwhelmingly bright and yes there is a cat in the picture.

Snow Drops

A walk through the church yard gave us this view of the snowdrops. Aliens from Turkey thought to have been brought over by the Romans, they have become essentially British. This is a typical British Norman Church yard with ancient evergreen yew trees.

Just looking at the flowers is a prayer anticipating the coming joys of spring which starts on 21st March. Tradition has it that snowdrops symbolise new life and were planted in church yards as they flowered around Candlemas (2nd February).

This is the feast that commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the temple as a baby and the end off Mary’s ritual uncleanness; the white of the snowdrop represents her purification and the coming of the Light of the world. Church candles are blessed on this day and the glow of the snowdrops anticipates this.

www.walsinghamabbey.com/walsinghamabbey/Snowdrops.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus

Beautiful sunset

Walking down the railway in December one Sunday evening, spotted this view, looking across the fields. Specially like the grass heads high-lighted in the foreground