Category: Notes from the sticks

THE midge season is in full swing. I wondered when we moved to a house beside a stream if they would be a problem. As it turns out, they aren’t. … Continue readingMidge over troubled water

THERE is a former limestone quarry near us, disused since the early 1900s, which is now a nature reserve. It is a haven for all sorts of wildflowers including orchids, … Continue readingUncommon orchids

I’VE been reading a rather disturbing book, called The Hidden Life of Trees. The subtitle, What They Feel, How They Communicate, made me particularly uneasy. It’s by Peter Wohlleben, who manages a large … Continue readingTalking trees

WE saw the first swifts of the year on Tuesday evening, May 5, when they arrived from their winter quarters in sub-Saharan Africa. It is always a joy to see … Continue readingSuperlative swifts

IN these achingly politically correct times, it seems hard to imagine a proudly men-only dance group capering through the streets with their faces blacked up, exchanging jokes and insults with … Continue readingBacup, land of the Nutters

IT’S funny how sometimes the least remarked and least glamorous things remind you afresh of how utterly amazing the world is. The stream at the back of our house is … Continue readingIn praise of algae

IT’S been quiet in our village since work stopped on building sites in our market town of Clitheroe. The daily procession of low-loaders carrying heavy plant, concrete mixer trucks and … Continue readingHow green was my valley

THIS week we saw the year’s first brood of mallard ducklings on the stream at the back of our house on their way to the Ribble about half a mile … Continue readingOh no, it’s duckling time

THERE is nothing like the call of the curlew. Perhaps it’s more evocative than any other sound of the uplands in spring. However it is heard less frequently these days … Continue readingCurlews calling

LAST week I wrote that spring had not arrived in Lancashire. This week we have had some lovely sunshine but it is close to or below freezing at night, so … Continue readingThe great nectar robbery