TINY TUESDAY - ALDER CATKINS

As I hadn’t been out for a walk for a few days, when I saw it was a beautiful sunny morning, I decided to get kitted out in all my warm clothes and walking boots, including my thermals, and go over to “my field”.  

I also decided not to take my earphones, but just to listen to the birds and the wind in the trees, and I was glad I did.  The birds were singing well and I then heard another bird calling, looked up and saw a Red Kite circling round.  I couldn’t get a decent shot, as I only had my iPhone, but it was enough to see and hear it.

Wandering round, and bearing in mind this is the first winter I have been in this particular field, it was amazing how much more I could see into the wooded areas because the leaves have fallen - in fact, when the field got boggy in places, which it did, I was able to walk into the undergrowth and be on firmer ground.  I did get quite muddy, but I wasn’t too worried - it will wash off my jeans!  

I found lots of fungi on fallen trees, which would have done for Tiny Tuesday, but I rather liked this branch of what I believe is an alder tree that shows the male catkins, two old leaves, still clinging on, and also some new buds.  

The alder tree is monoecious, which means that both male and female flowers are found on the same tree, in the form of catkins.  The male catkins, and these appear to be male, are yellow and pendulous and the female ones are green, smaller and rounded.  After being pollinated by the wind, the female catkins gradually turn into brown and woody fruit by autumn, and look like tiny cones.  I did see some of these, but couldn’t get any decent shots as it was too windy, so that’s a project for another Tiny Tuesday!

When I was leaving the field, I walked round by the apple tree and saw lots of blackbirds feeding on the fallen apples - and of course, some were singing too, so another bonus.

What a lovely morning I’ve had and it was so good to be out and about and enjoying God’s wonderful creation.  

“Know that somewhere
     deep within the tree of Winter
          there is still the life that produced
               last Spring’s beautiful leaves.”
Jeanne Guyon - 1648-1717