Friday 12 June 2020

Wayside Gifts

Sometimes
when I wander along the paths around home
I receive unexpected gifts

Sometimes
it's a Tortoiseshell butterfly


Sometimes 
a patch of Poppies
enlivens a dull day beside a drab field of wheat


Sometimes
a distant Hare keeps an eye on me as I pass by


Sometimes
I notice that the Elder is now in full flower


Sometimes
it's just a rotting log that attracts my attention


Sometimes
I'm stopped in my tracks
by House Martins collecting mud for their nests


Sometimes
I'll see some Broomrape,
a strange plant which lacks chlorophyll of its own
and taps into the roots of other plants to gain nutrients


Sometimes
I struggle to identify
just which Blue butterfly I've photographed


Sometimes
there's a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee
on the flowers of the Cow Parsnip


Sometimes
(but not very often)
I find a Pyramidal Orchid lurking beside a field gate

and
they are all very welcome.

*******
And sometimes
I find myself singing a song 
that was part of the soundtrack to my life
almost half a century ago



Take care


31 comments:

  1. Your photos are wonderful and I like the sweet simple explanation you put under each. Thanks so much for sharing these!

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  2. Sometimes you see the most wonderful sights. Truly, I think you see them most of the time! I've never heard this music before. Love this. I'm going to look for more of his music. Thank you for this.

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    1. John Martyn was an interesting character! He was always rather wild and unpredictable, but despite all kinds of personal problems and rather too much drink for his own good, he kept going making fine music for years. His most celebrated albums are probably Bless The Weather and Solid Air, made in the early 70s.

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  3. Hares can be so quick, you captured this one beautifully.

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  4. The tortoiseshell butterfly is very handsome and the little blue butterfly is a beautiful accent to the alfalfa (?). So many wonderful creatures and plants, music, skies,...we have so much to give us joy.

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  5. I love seeing the hare. He definitely knows and sees you. :)
    Great photo gifts, John. Have a nice weekend.

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  6. Lovely informative post, John. I especially like the Pyramidal Orchid. I've never seen one before.

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  7. Oh my, the flowers and butterflies are just beautiful. They are all definitely gifts. I don't know the tune, but I did enjoy the video. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna .

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  8. Thank you for sharing all these gifts with all of us!

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  9. Those little surprises you find on hikes are the best! I thought the blue butterfly was a flower until I read your caption.

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  10. Such a wonderful post of things which are easy to miss if we don’t look.

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  11. Such wonderful photo gifts. I have never heard of this singer or the song but i like it! Will look him up.

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  12. That clump of poppies does it for me John.

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  13. Beautiful photos both hare and blue butterfly are magical. When I was a child house martins used to nest above my bedroom window, they flew towards the window and then at the last minute would swoop upwards to the nest. something I'll never forget:)

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  14. Beautiful details. I've never seen broomrape. I thought it was a dead orchid!

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    1. You're not the first person to think that! Looking at the photo more closely I think it might be Tall Broomrape which is a speciality of the Cambridge area, though telling the different Broomrapes apart is a tricky business.

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  15. Many thanks for these generous gifts.
    Broomrape has opened up an enticing rabbit hole I need to go down and explore.

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  16. Its always pleasant to come across a Small Tortoiseshell John.
    Common blues can be quite frustrating at times with the variation in colour.

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  17. I am delighted once again my your photographic observations. Not sure I've ever seen a blue butterfly!

    Isn't amazing how these songs can take us back decades? This fellow is great -- I'll look him up as he is new to me. Have a lovely weekend, John.

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  18. Lovely photos - I especially like the Pyramidal Orchid. Wonderful colour.

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  19. You are correct to describe them as gifts, John, for that is exactly what they are. Sadly, fewer and fewer people are aware of these gifts and care little for them.

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  20. All of these would be a highlight of my day...I don't know what that says about me. LOL Love the butterflies...I am not seeing many this year so far.

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  21. So much beautiful nature. I’ve taken to scrolling down and finding the music at the end of your post first so I have the soundtrack to listen to while I enjoy your photos. The photo of the tortoiseshell butterfly is my favorite today.

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  22. Beautiful photos, and lovely explanations. I love the House Martins. The Bumblebee is a brilliant capture. It's scary when we talk about half a century ago!!

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  23. Sometimes (well, always) I find your posts most enjoyable.....

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  24. Gorgeous series of captures John, the blue butterfly is so pretty, the House Martins a delight 💙

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  25. merci pour les images de la merveilleuse nature et pour la découverte de ce musicien John Martyn avec "may you never" dommage que je ne comprenne pas bien les paroles. je viens de trouver un lien pour "John Martyn in concert"
    bon dimanche

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  26. Blue butterflies and orchids ! Such treasures beneath our feet.

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  27. All lovely gifts to receive on your travels :)

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  28. Hi John - what a wonderful area to live in ... and you show it to us so well. Fascinating to find out about Broomrape - I hadn't come across it before ... or its characteristic of living off other plants. John Martyn - I loved that song ... again something new for me. Take care and enjoy the summer week - Hilary

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