My Walk this Week 128 – Rowntree Park Soundscape

Posted on 12/10/201808/10/2018 by Alastair

The soundscape for my walk this week in Rowntree Park in York, is formed by buggies and bicycles, footsteps and wheelchairs, skateboards and birds, children and adults – all enjoying the mid afternoon sunshine and warmth.

The sound file below describes and refers to the images in this and the two previous posts for this walk but does not say anything about the strange object amongst the trees that I noticed in the shadows from a distance. I couldn’t figure out what it was until I reached its other side – I assume it refers to an aspect of York’s history but as there was no information on it I cannot say for sure.

I did not explore the whole park on my walk but enjoyed every minute of it from the pergola to the ponds, the gates to the grasses, and all the activities of calm relaxation surrounding me. I like the gates to the park’s southern entrance, and their shadows, but have only just realised how closely they match the pattern of growth in my photo of tall grasses below!

Rowntree Park Soundscape

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strange object

texture and colour

It’s a giant helmet!

Relaxing in Rowntree Park

tall grasses

shady woodland

Rowntree Park, York

Rowntree gates

exit shadow pattern

Fluffy, Furry and Fuzzy – New Edgeland Growth

Posted on 04/04/201830/03/2018 by Alastair

The edgeland of Newport which I was exploring on my walk this week were partly coloured by industry, but Spring knows no bounds and prompts all plant life to new growth at this time of year.

And so, looking away from some of the other aspects of this liminal industrial space, I took a closer look at some of the different wasteland plants that were coming to life around me. The buds and seed heads were fluffy, furry and fuzzy as they set out for the sun against the red earth and water of the ponds in this abandoned area of the Newport Levels.

I never did get to the official Newport Wetlands but was very happy to see this less cared for environment where there was plenty of evidence of man but no man to be seen.

patterns and light

Red water grasses

edgeland ripples

tall grasses

seed heads

Spring time

furry buds

fuzzy buds

My Walk this Week – Edgelands and Old Reens

Posted on 02/04/201830/03/2018 by Alastair

My walk this week is through the edgelands of Newport, South East Wales (UK). It took me towards what promised to be Newport Wetlands, according to the footpath sign post. I hadn’t gone there for this purpose but found myself frustrated in another errand and in need of an escape from the pressures of the day.

I’d looked to see if there were any nearby walks in a natural environment. What I found was a wild space between industries that promised at least the potential to check out the reensContinue reading→

Pond Plants

Posted on 21/08/201321/08/2013 by Alastair

Strictly speaking of course, these are not specifically pond plants. However, they are all plants that were found close to the pond and woodland environment in Three Crosses where we went dragonfly hunting last week (see earlier posts).

Anybody feel like identifying them for me?

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Dragonfly Environments

Posted on 20/08/201320/08/2013 by Alastair

Following on from my weekend posts on the Countryside Connections dragonfly and damselfly hunt at Three Crosses community woodland, these photos are about the environment in which we found the creatures.

The pictures say almost everything about the kind of environment you are likely to find dragonflies but every time I see these wonderful creatures, I am reminded of another environment.

During my childhood in Northern Ireland we had regular visits to a cottage in the Annalong Valley of the Mourne Mountains. The riverbed of the Annalong River was pretty dry a lot of the time because the water was diverted to the Silent Valley reservoir, but it was a perfect place for dragonflies and my memories of those days, playing among the rocks and boulders of the river, are marked by the fantastic colours of the numerous dragonflies that also enjoyed that environment.