Earthworm (deceased), Home

What troubles you, worm?

Are you ok?

Its not rained for a while

But why do you stay?

You seem rather tired

And thirsty and... crispy

Should we call help?

Has anyone, missed thee?

We'll help you to grass

You'll feel better there

Farewell, poor old worm

We love you - we care 💚

Blackbird on her nest, The Jolly Farmer

To breed in a courtyard is all that matters

To Mr and Mrs Blackbird 

who, oblivious to clatter -

Continue their work in the business of offspring

amid lunchtime meets, gossip and drinking

Highlights: The landlady told us that during the previous year, a pair of Bluetits also took up residence in the courtyard - making their nest in a small hole in the stone wall and successfully producing a number of fledgelings.  

Treasure: New sparkly trainers, fish and chips, and lemonade.

Rugose Coral (from 416 million to 358 million years ago), Torquay

The fossil we found earlier this week seemed so impressive, it deserved a post all of it's own. With a little help from the Natural History Museum's ID Fossils and Rocks forum, we have discovered that the beautiful creatures in this stone are ancient pieces of Rugose coral, presumably from the local limestones of the Devonian period (Middle or Upper) - making them a whopping 416 to 358 million years old.

The Horn Coral or Rugosa, (Rugose means wrinkled) are an extinct order of corals that were abundant in seas during the 'Ordovician' period, before a Great Permian Extinction Ice Age likely wiped them out.

They had many tentacles sticking out to gather for which gave them a flower-like appearance.  Unlike modern corals which are all colonial, these horn corals could be colonial or solitary animals.  In fact, the animals that lived within the coral had such a specific mode of growth that they are employed as biological clocks to determine the length of day and year in the distant geologic past. 

Greenleaf Bristle Worm, Torre Abbey rock pools

Worm, he scours the rock for food

Grass green and very creepy

Might think it's being a little rude

When actually, he's sleepy

Hard work to be a worm, you know

No flashy fame - like starfish

All that wriggling, chewing 'n pooing

Makes one rather tired'ish

Highlights: Getting tickled by a crab, not getting caught in the rain. 

Treasure: A wonderful fossil and a pocket full of shells (with holes) to make a necklace with.

Frog spawn, Hackney Marshes

Wibbly, wobbly, shiny like stars

Tapioca puddle

Foamy, gooey, jelly-in-rain

Like eyeballs that got in a muddle

Frog spawn is always laid in clumps,  if you see toad spawn instead you'll know it because you'll see long pearl-like chains draped over pond weed and in shallow water.  Female frogs lay thousands of eggs as only a small fraction of them will survive to adulthood.

Highlights: Falling into a muddy puddle and sharing half a ham sandwich with a wooden fox.

Treasure: One very long stick, aka - a fishing rod. 

Snowdrops, Decoy Woods

Snowdrops, nosedrops

white and green

nodding in the wind

Tiny spikes of happiness

Heralding the spring

Catch the rays, dear little ones

For we are all but done

Of cold and grey

wet, gloomy skies

Please, send us in the sun

Highlight: A sausage dog called Bertie who wore a pink coat.

Treasure: An acorn cup (a fairy hat), two sticks (a helicopter), half a tennis ball. 

Storm Doris and Celandine, Vicarage Lane

Doris, such a harmless name

All biscuits and cups of tea

You would never expect a Doris

To blow quite so much wind up thee

The flowers of Celandine open to the sun and close in dull weather.  It couldn't keep up with the skies as they raged one moment, then shone the next. 

Highlight: A coughing sheep.

Treasure: Hailstones in our hoods.