Scarlet pimpernel

Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis; also known as red pimpernel, red chickweed, poorman's barometer, poor man's weather-glass,^[1] shepherd's weather glass or shepherd's clock) is a low-growing annual plant found in Europe, Asia and North America. Scarlet pimpernel flowers are open only when the sun shines.

Evening Primrose

The species vary in size from small alpine plants 10 cm tall (e.g. O. acaulis from Chile), to vigorous lowland species growing to 3 m (e.g. O. stubbei from Mexico). The leaves form a basal rosette at ground level and spiral up to the flowering stems; the leaves are dentate or deeply lobed (pinnatifid). The flowers open in the evening, hence the name "evening-primrose", and are yellow in most species but white, purple, pink or red in a few. Most native desert species are white. The fragrant tufted evening-primrose Oenothera caespitosa, a Southwestern species, first blooms white but turns pink or light magenta.

Common Knapweed/Hoverfly

Centaurea nigra is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Lesser Knapweed, Common Knapweed and Black Knapweed. A local vernacular name is Hardheads.
It is native to Europe but it is known on other continents as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.

Yellow Iris (Yellow Flag)

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1-1.5 m (or a rare 2 m) tall, with erect leaves up to 90 cm long and 3 cm broad. The flowers are bright yellow, 7-10 cm across, with the typical iris form. The fruit is a dry capsule 4-7 cm long, containing numerous pale brown seeds.

Cute baby spiders

Moss Forest

Mosses have stems which may be simple or branched and upright or lax, simple leaves that often have midribs, roots (rhizoids) that anchor them to their substrate, and spore-bearing capsules on long stems. They harvest sunlight to create food through photosynthesis.^[3][4] Mosses do not absorb water or nutrients from their substrate through their roots, so while mosses often grow on trees, they are never parasitic on the tree.

Greater Stitchwort

Stellaria holostea (Addersmeat, or Greater Stitchwort) is an ornamental plant native of Europe.
It can grow up to 50cm in height, with leaves that are long, narrow and fresh green.^[1] The flowers are white, 20-30mm across and have five distinctive petals split to about half way down.

Bluebells

The common bluebell flowers in April and May. The flowers are lavender-blue, pendulous, tubular with the petals recurved only at the end, and borne on one side of the flowering stem only. The flower stem is 10–30 cm long and bends over at the top. The anthers are yellowish-white or cream and are attached more than halfway up on the inside the tube. The flowers are pleasantly and usually strongly scented.

Dame's-violet

Hesperis matronalis is a herbaceous plant species in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. It has numerous common names including: Dame’s Rocket, Damask Violet, Dame’s Violet, Dames-wort, Dame’s Gilliflower, Night Scented Gilliflower, Queen’s Gilliflower, Rogue’s Gilliflower, Summer Lilac, Sweet Rocket, Mother-of-the-evening and, Winter Gilliflower. Plants are biennials or short lived perennials, native to Eurasia and cultivated in many other areas of the world for their attractive spring blooming flowers.

Common Gorse

Common gorse flowers a little in late autumn and through the winter, coming into flower most strongly in spring. Western Gorse and Dwarf Furze flower in late summer (August-September in Ireland and Britain). Between the different species, some gorse is almost always in flower, hence the old country phrase: "When gorse is out of blossom, kissing's out of fashion". Gorse flowers have a distinctive coconut scent, experienced very strongly by some individuals, but weakly by others.

Hawthorn Bloom.

Crataegus monogyna, known as Common Hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. Other common names include may, mayblossom, maythorn, quickthorn, whitethorn, motherdie, and haw. This species is one of several that have been referred to as Crataegus oxyacantha, a name that has been rejected by the botanical community as too ambiguous.

Catkin Buds

Willows are dioecious with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on different plants; the catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves, or as the new leaves open.

Periwinkle

                                    Periwinkle is a color in the blue-violet family. Its name is derived from the lesser periwinkle or myrtle herb (Vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color.

Spring Daffodil

                                            "Daffodil" Narcissus (pronounced /nɑrˈsɪsəs/ is the botanic name for a genus of mainly hardy, mostly spring-flowering, bulbs in the Amaryllis family native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. There are also several Narcissus species that bloom in the autumn.

Purple Delight

                                      Crocus (plural: crocuses, croci) is a genus of perennial flowering plants, native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe (including the islands of the Aegean), North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China.

A Little Gem.

The Welcome Sign

                      I think everyone's got their favorite place where they go on a regular basis, go for a walk, watch nature, chill out, take a few snaps, birdwatching, you know what i mean, "well i'm the same", its nice to get out and about with my Nikon doing just that.             

The Reception Area.

 Carlton Marshes isn't to far from where i live, 10min cycle ride, its run by the S.W.T (Suffolk Wildlife Trust), now as far as Nature Reserves go, this one is small, and i mean small, its tiny compared to the other Nature Reserves around our way, its about 1,000m long and at its widest point 70m, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for what you see. The secret to this "little gem" is the surrounding farm land and the marshes, that's why its so special, yes it can be a little bleak during the winter, but as soon as spring comes along, it sparkles.
 

Reed bunting.

                    The main species on the Reserve are, Reed bunting, Cetti's warbler, Water vole and the Norfolk hawker dragonfly. Wildflower's there's plenty to see as well, Cuckoo flower, Ragged robin, Water soldier (in the marsh ponds and dyke's), Willow herb and the Marsh orchids. These are just a few to name, but of course there's plenty of the common birds and wildflowers to see as well.

Great Willow Herb.

           My main passion is taking photos of wildflowers, but now and then a butterfly will come along and land some where near me to focus my lens on that, "well why not they are nice", the main species around here are, Gatekeeper, Speckled wood, Small tortoiseshell and a few common Skipper's, so you see there's plenty to see for everyone.

Helpful signs.

           Walking around the reserve will not take you long, but my tip is - take your time, the nature will come to you, yes it can be hard work with this reserve at times, but in the long run well worth your patience. There are various signs dotted around the Reserve giving you additional information, direction of paths and species as well, also you can pickup leaflets from the reception area for more added information.

River Waveney.

           For those wishing to take a longer walk, there are four main footpaths that lead from the Reserve onto the farm meadows and marshes, the best two will take you down towards the river Waveney, and along the way you will see Marsh Harrier, Barn owl, and Kestrel's, and in the reed beds various warblers, Sedge and Reed. Once at the river there's plenty to see as well, the most common being, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, a few waders and of course plenty of Swans and Ducks.  "Have you a little Gem" ??

                                                                     

First blog with blossom.

              This is my first blog, please go easy on me. Out and about with the Nikon last week hoping to take a few snaps and struck lucky with these pics of the blossom, i must admit that i was quite shocked to see any blossom at all this time of year, but you never know whats through your view finder.

             Also there were plenty of Snowdrops about, and of course i took a few snaps of them as well.