In the last few days I decided that with the least fruitful month coming up (i.e. February) for vascular plants I would switch to trying to make 100 beetle records. Inevitably, that would produce some new beetles. Nevertheless, there are a good few individual plant species which are available before it all becomes a bit "samey".
I have been surprised about how much water is available in NT18, including this nice pond in Calais Muir Wood (NT1386):
This is part of the DEX - Dunfermline Eastern eXpansion - and that hosts another nice pond from which the name of the housing development is taken - Duloch Park. This is widely mis-pronounced as dull-loch, rather than doo-loch (Dubh Loch). Worthy locals will definitely correct you on it if you allow it, which is funny because nobody who moves to new houses there knows how to pronounce it.
The amazing efficiency of the Gaelic is revealed here. "Dubh" is Gaelic for "Thousands of lazy, dirty, selfish {expletive deleted} and their untrained and untethered dogs ruining a place which used to have otters before it became a dog toilet and a doss-house for people living in tents working for Amazon across the road". Something like that - Gaelic is a very nuanced language. Some people might interpret it simply as "black loch", but all the clues are there if you look. They are currently developing even more houses right up to the ditch on the edge of the wood. Might as well just burn it down and build houses on the rest, but then they would take their hordes of dogs somewhere else. Would be great if we could sacrifice one big dog field and force all of them to go there so they can have the Cult of Dog conversation. "Oh, he's so cute - what's his name? How old is he? etc., etc."
There are some carved deer and squirrels. Should be also some carved skylarks, which used to be singing gaily about now on these fields, and some carved Wheatear, which used to be numerous here on passage. All this site deserves now is some plastic ducks.
I did manage some nice water plantain, which must be regretting its choice to grow here. Unbelievably, I had a new for Fife lichen here too once upon a time, but presumably that won't last for long. Anything that grows on dog shit, however, has a golden future.
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| Water Plantain |
I really agree with your sentiments on these issues, but think of all the pavement weeds coming your way!
ReplyDeleteOnce the houses have bedded in a bit. Of course the Tesco has had waxwings. And, amazingly, I've had Goosander on this pond! Seriously, I think there will be a lifer or two in this square, more than likely among the houses!
DeleteI can't believe you didn't take me to this glorious wonderland whilst I was in your square! Dirty rotter, keeping it all to yourself. And the dogwalkers. And the dossers. If it's any consolation, I endured similar conditions in a small part of Sussex this morning.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who literally can't be taken here. All those dogs would have him frothing at the mouth. At least they don't wander much off the path, so the dark interior was safe. Until the tent camps, that is. That is legit. People lived here and worked at the Amazon warehouse opposite.
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