DON'T MOVE A FOOT

On the turn of our journey, when we were leaving Newcastle-upon-Tyne to come south, I saw a Black Headed Gull with its head already turned grey. Very soon, it would be winter-white, a black spot behind each eye to keep its name in.

Elderberries matured while

 we were on our travels
and are already

dropping from

their umbrella-rib frames.

The first breath of autumn.

The hedgerows which were solid green on our way up the country were mottled with early yellows by the time we came back the other way. I hadn't intended to post for another couple of weeks but the birth of autumn cannot go un-noticed.

How, though, to limit myself?

There's lots to be done on a return and I hadn't planned to write a post for Loose and Leafy until around the 17th September.

So I hit on an idea. Walk a short way from my house. Stand in one spot. Don't move a foot. Stick my nose in a hedge, see what can be seen, take photos - go home.

Result? Lots of wobbly photos from unfortunate angles in an awkward light.

Second result. I tried it in several places, forgetting that lots of ones add up to . .

. . . Never mind. I've set myself a trend.

All the photos in this post were taken within a four minute span with my feet stuck in one spot. Neither pottering nor re-positioning allowed! (11:10 - 11:14, Sunday 28th August 2011.)

At first sight, the bushes seem little more than a splurge.

I used to think these were
Ground Elder seed-heads
 until Mag of Ragbag
tactfully put me right.

But when you re-focus your perception - here are Alexanders seeds.

The tattyness of these blackberries first drew me to this spot. Walking on after my foot-stuck-photo-shoot, I found there are plenty of fine and juicy ones near by, though their flavour seems mostly to be adequate rather than fantastic.

Haws - the fruit of Hawthorn.
You can see what the flowers looked like
in the spring in the post
Lights and Bells, Mists and Flowers. 

Haws can be overwhelming. I find them vulgar in over-profusion - and, this year, they are definitely over-profuse to my eyes. I'd even say I am repelled by them. It's the same with caterpillars. One is interesting, possibly pretty - but in a writhing bunch they are less appealing. However, taking haws branch by branch, they are beautiful berries - red and shining.

Never neglect the ground.

All sorts of bits and bobs in there and, tipping us ahead to Christmas . . .

Tweet

shines the Ivy.

Note - There's a picture of a Black Headed Gull in winter

if you scroll down this page of news  from the Portland Bird Observatory.