Yearly Markers

 Each year around March 21st, I photograph the wild or naturalised flowers in my garden to see how the years compare. This spring has seen below average temperatures so not surprised that the spring flowers such as Coltsfoot were slow to show (now hosting lots of Mining bees and beetles). Compared to last two years, the flowering species list is much lower with Comfrey, Spurge, Japonica, Plum blossom,Yellow Archangel, Marsh Marigold not yet showing flowers or even buds for some.

Spring is in the Air

Wonderful to hear a couple of Skylarks trilling away at Trumpington Meadows - not enough for the collective  'Exultation of larks' but still enough to raise the spirits. Plenty of other activity among the rooks, waterbirds, gulls and jackdaws

Dictyostelium discoideum, A Slime Mould

 A friend donated to me a culture of Dictyostelium discoideum, a cellular slime mold. I have had great fun watching its various stages right through to forming fruiting bodies. Ours were fed on oats but 'in the wild' they live on the bacteria in soil.They first exist as separate single-celled amoebae, but after consuming all the bacteria in their area they proceed to stream together to form a multicellular organism. These features make them a valuable tool for studying developmental processes and also for investigating evolution of multicellularity. Long thought to be a type of fungus, it has recently been shown that slime molds in fact bear no relation to fungi. They are now classed as Mycetozoa. (Images taken with a USB powered microscope)

Argumentative Redpolls

We have had up to a dozen Redpolls together visiting our feeders and squabbling over the perches. These are joined by Goldfinches and Starlings.

All Saints Croydon-cum-Clopton

Croydon-cum-Clopton were originally two communities joined together in 1561 due to a decline in population. Today Clopton is a lost village and most of Croydon medieval village lies under farmland. The Church of All Saints dates mostly from the 14th century, with a 12th century font. Due to the lack of substantial foundations and movement of the land around it, the church is under restoration with cracked walls, haphazard leanings and uneven floor. The Downing family (who owned and built Downing Street in London and founded Downing College in Cambridge) had extensive interests in Croydon and they totally rebuilt the chancel in the 1685. Beneath the Chancel is a crypt for the Downing family.

Paxton Birds

A few other bird images taken at Paxton last week - Magpie and Heron in flight, Dunnock and Wood Pigeon, small warbler - probably overwintering Chiff Chaff, and an active Moorhen. The water level in the Pits is higher than I have seen it.