1990 April and May
April 1st
God gave man a lovely day today, as yesterday. Lapwings and Curlews
are preparing for babies as if nothing’s changed. I saw a
Horsefly, a Black Fly and lovely Daisies all scattered over the
pastures. “In pastures green He leadeth me, the quiet waters
by.”
April 8th
About a week ago heavy snowflakes fell, whereas today the wind was
chill and cold but the sun was almost hot. Around Jumbles,
Coltsfoot, Wood Anemone and Lesser Celandines are out, as are
the small fairy-white bells of Wood Sorrel with their leafy
petticoats. David has seen a Hobby flying about the Clough, and
last week he saw Snow Geese flying North in the dark. We saw a
male Kestrel near the Last Drop and Magpies, Woodpigeon and
Twite on the moors. The Twite were in chirruping flocks, bobbing
up and down in their undulating flight.
At the side of Turton Golf Course we saw four rabbits in the wood.
It’s a Beech wood with barely any undergrowth. There were
Mallard, Moorhens, Coots and a pair of Great Crested Grebes on
the reservoir.
April 10th
A very cold wet and windy day. I saw a rather bedraggled Magpie in
the Oak outside yesterday. The Ash is flowering, while the Apple
Trees buds have broke forth into leaf. The Sun does keep
bursting through in bright brilliant rays, and then the clouds
obscure it from view.
April 19th
Today I saw a grey-headed Jackdaw with two black birds that were
the same shape, but with no grey on the head. Were they immature
Jackdaws? There are plenty of Rooks about Birtenshaw, Bradshaw
and Edgworth. To our delight we saw a pair of Goldfinches down
the Clough.
April 20th
At the large house near Dunscar Golf Club, I saw a Greenfinch,
which is a very rare sight these days. I’ve never seen two
together. Lately I’ve seen a lot of Pied Wagtails locally and I
saw a Dipper fly down the river. Who bets that when our
grandchildren are grown, there’ll be no such thing as Dippers at
Longworth Clough?
We saw a young 7inch, one lb. Perch being caught at Galebrook
River. I never knew that river was clean or deep enough to
support fish. Young boys stood on Dunscar Bridge with their rods
dangling.
April 22nd
We see the
Jackdaws on greens locally every day now, and Bob says they are
nesting in the quarry at Egerton. In the front garden a lovely
pink dot; a Herb Robert flower; one of the first wild flowers to
come out after the Spring ones. There are hoards of Dandelion
out, and loads of lovely Daisies. Saw a Pied Wagtail by Belmont
Reservoir on Sunday, and Redshanks the weekend before. Pink
Purslane is out in the back garden.
April 26th
David saw a
Green Woodpecker at Rivington this morning, and two Swallows at
Delph. At Andrew Lane and Sweetloves Lane, the Sycamore trees
are flowering with their first leaves on. Oaks are beginning to
open up, while the Ash buds are black as coal yet so it looks
like we’re only in for a splash. Bluebells are out down the
Clough, with Bittercress and loads of Daisies. On Darwen Road
there are matt black berries on the Ivy.
April 27th
Down the
Jumbles today we saw four Orange Tip Butterfly males and one
female which feed on Lady’s Smock – which is just beginning to
flower, although there is not much around. It seems to be
becoming quite rare. There were Mallard and Coot on the
reservoir.
May 1st
It is so hot and sunny that Wasps are out, with Bumble Bees
Cuckoo Bees, Ladybirds etc etc. Nine o’clock at night, and the
birds are still singing their heads off, with half a moon out.
May 3rd
Beautiful weather. Blue Common Speedwell, purple Red Clover and
yellow Hop Clover are all out, while there is blossom on the
Hawthorn and Rowan. The birds sing all the daylight hours and
well into dusk. Saw two House Sparrows landing on the side of
the house wall. David said “There getting grit to wear their
beaks down while they got chicks.” I never knew that before.
David has seen a Green Woodpecker at Rivington. Saw the first
Swallows last week.
May 6th
Beautiful day. Walked over Turton Tower to the Golf Course. At
the Railway Bridge, Wood Violets little purple flowers could be
seen. Hawthorn blossom is out everywhere, with Bluebells
carpeting underneath fresh leafy Beech trees. At Turton Towers
forget-me-nots were out, and we saw a few Rabbits. Purple sky
tonight with white clouds. Looked beautiful. Sow Thistles are
flowering down the back streets of Bromley Cross.
May 7th
On Blackburn Road near the hedge Solomon’s Seal is flowering
like an exotic Lily, and up Longworth Clough we saw the first
Red Campion. Yesterday we saw the first Swallows over the
meadows near Turton Golf Course. Down by the quarry the ground
is white with the down of Pussy Willow seeds.
May 13th
Comfrey is flowering down shady lanes, with Great Plantain
(Lambs Tail) as well on grassy green lawns. On Turton tops we
saw a Jay. My illness is making writing difficult. Near the
Tower two Hares were frolicking in the long grass. Alongside the
lane up to the Holmes’s, Jack by the Hedge or Garlic Mustard is
flowering.
May 15th
Down by the mill air raid shelter, Bush Vetch and Bistort are
flowering. It looks like Summer is on its way, while the smell
of Hawthorn blossom fills the air. David and I saw a Crow
attacking a Heron. The Heron swooped and flew away. It probably
had a fish in its claw that the Crow was after.
May 16th
A beautiful sunny day, with enormous white billowing clouds in a
clear blue sky. On the Moors Tormentil and Birdsfoot Trefoil are
flowering. We saw two baby Bunnies run for protection into an
old stone wall. By the Clough Hemlock is flowering.
On the moor above Turton Tower we saw a beautiful delicate
orange Small Copper butterfly. It was lovely and a rare sight.
We also saw Cabbage Whites flying around. In town, the Whitebeam
are covered in white blossom, and the Pigeons are courting -
bending their wings in many elaborate ways.
May 17th
At Walmsley Church many Creeping Buttercups are flowering, with
Red Sorrel and Meadow Buttercup filling surrounding meadows.
There were loads of Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies flying
around. In the woods near the Holmes’s delicate Wood Sorrel is
flowering while the Butterbur leaves are as big as giant rhubarb
in places.
Last Sunday while coming out of Church at Belmont we heard a
Cuckoo calling. We always see Chaffinches near the big house at
Dunscar Golf Course, quite often fighting over territory. Also,
there is always a Robin on the wall as we go past. That would
surprise some people who think Robins only arrive in Winter.
May 21st
At the bridge up Longworth Clough there was an inch-long brown
sluggishly-moving Alderfly. It looks like it could be a very
predatory fly though it feeds on leaves and pollen grains. There
was a lovely Wall Brown Butterfly fluttering about, one of the
first I've seen this year. In the hedges Red Campion, Lambs'
Tail Plantain, Red Clover and Dandelions were all out, with the
odd bunch of Forget-me-nots in places.
May 24th
On Sunday I saw many Swifts gliding over Belmont Meadows and
recently around Bromley Cross I have also seen the odd House
Martin. Mr Humphries thinks he's got Swallows – well they are
House Martins: and I shall have to tell him the difference. Down
the Back Lane I saw a tiny White Butterfly, the size of a Small
Copper, I don't know what kind it was; I shall ask David's Dad,
an expert on Butterflies.
Down the back lane there are loads of black bumpy wriggling
Tortoiseshell caterpillars on the nettles. At Nancy's on the
Pussy Willows at Belmont there are white sacs like spiders webs
full of wriggling black caterpillars – thousand of them. I think
they must be moth caterpillars, but I don't know which species.
Nature is quite wonderful.
May 25th
Red Clover is flowering all over the Clough. This evening I went a
lovely walk with Cindy while the sun set a lovely orange ball in
the sky. The White butterfly I saw yesterday I believe to be a
female Wood White; found all over the country. David’s Dad told
me.
May 28th
Up on Turton Heights, Tormentil, Mouse Ear and Chickweed are
flowering. On a pond up Cocks Green Road, in the Quarry I saw
lots of young Water Boatmen. Pond Skaters were gliding across
the surface; and in a swirl of murky water there was a Whirligig
Beetle.
All around the mill pond Yellow Flags are flowering with their
stately heads of flowers and sword like leaves. There is a pair
of Canada Geese living resident on the pond and the female maybe
sitting on a clutch of eggs. There lurking in the murky shadows
were enormous grey fish two foot long! Were they carp? They were
certainly monsters. I’ve never seen such big fish in fresh
water.
In the channel entering the pond, the water was red with iron
deposits. When it comes into contact with the air it goes red I
believe. There was a beautiful scarlet Damselfly with four
Lacewings resting on an Oak leave. David saw a small orangey
brown Butterfly. It may have been a Wall or a Small Copper. I
didn’t see it clearly.
Bush Vetch is flowering and the Yellow Meadow Vetchling leaves can
be seen, but as yet no flowers. Also near the pond, Elders are
in blossom. Pungent discs of white flowers. Very early for them
to be out I would have thought. David saw a Rabbit and at the
park I rescued a Ladybird Larvae from a concrete play park.
It’s been a lovely day - thank you Dear Lord. And guess what,
Jack’s coming on Wednesday. Hurrah! Summer is here! Well it is
if you look at the nature about us.
May 30th
I was studying a Ladybird larvae today. With grey body, black tufts
and orange spots it favoured a prehistoric amphibian of fairy
size.