Aira Force

 

Long ago, in days of yore

Emma fell for Sir Eglamore

Not only fell

But fell right in

And what is more

She couldn't swim

Steve Daniels 2021

Okay, so Wordsworth may have penned a better poem about the tragic love of Aira Force in his The Somnabulist of 1833, but mine's shorter and you get the gist.

This is the famous Aira Force, the upper part of which we'll be exploring today, along with our Intrepid Local Guide and Jack The Navigator Hound. Force is a northern English word for a waterfall and comes from the Old Norse 'fors'. Aira is also Scandinavian in origin, it is the feminine form of Airi, the messenger or herald. I'm not sure what the message is, but it's a very loud one. No words can describe the sheer power of the water as it cascades down the mountainside, through echoing rock chasms, at this time of year.

Leaving Emma and Aira aside for one moment, there are a couple of other girls up here, Holly and Hazel, that are showing signs of life. There's Holly on the far bank, producing a wonderful crop of scarlet berries, whilst over here, Hazel is coming into flower. In last week's Frozen! We saw that the male catkins of the hazel tree had arrived to greet the coming Spring, and now the tiny red female flowers have come out to join them. We'll have to wait until September or October though, to enjoy the fruits of their union.

Holly and Hazel are both flowering, vascular plants. That is, they reproduce via seeds (nuts in the case of Hazel and berries in the case of Holly) and they conduct water around their tissues via substances called xylem (which transports water from the soil to the stems and leaves) and phloem (which transports the sugars manufactured during photosynthesis to wherever the plant happens to need them at the time). Ferns, like this Common Polypody, which you can see growing on the trees, are non-flowering, vascular plants. They also conduct water around their tissues but reproduce using spores, much like mushrooms do. As you can see, there is also plenty of moss about (which we also looked at in last week's Frozen!). Moss is a non-flowering, non-vascular plant. It simply soaks up water but has no means of actively transporting it.

Going further back along the evolutionary scale, as it were, we come to the unicellualar algae which, among other things, are responsible for making rocks slippery (otherwise they'd just be wet). Diatoms, in particular, (which we met earlier this month when we went Half Way To Sunderland) produce slime to facilitate locomotion when they want to move, and to stick themselves to things when they don't. Very useful stuff, slime, unless you're trying to walk over slippery rocks, of course. It is the diatoms and other unicellular organisms that provide the very basis of the food web which makes all the rest of life on Earth possible. Under the microscope, watching these tiny bundles of life, ponderously grazing like sheep or whizzing around like flies, is truly mesmerising.

I hate to tell Jack, but if he's waiting for the food web to evolve into something more meaningful, he's going to be there an awful long time.

Aira Force finishes its hectic descent at Ullswater, which I'm sure we'll explore at a later date. Meanwhile, it's a beautiful location to sit and have lunch. There's a Tree-creeper making his way up that tree, just there, using his legs and tail in a sort of tripod arrangemnet for extra stability. Notice the curved beak for getting in behind the rough bark of the tree. If I just prise a bit of bark off here, I can show you what he's looking for – pupating insect larvae.

Someone asked me recently, in the Naturalists Facebook group that accompanies this blog, “How can I become a naturalist?”. The answer I gave was simple: “Never grow up. Continue to see nature through the eyes of a child and always ask: What's that? What's it doing? Why is it doing it? Everything else will follow.”

That's all for this week but if you visit my webpage at Steve's Nature Plus I've made a video of Aira Force so that you can see it in all its glory.

Steve

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!	£7.50 Paperback edition
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.	£4.99 Paperback Edition

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

*********************************************************************

LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Explore the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Cretan Flora Flowers of Crete BIRDS OF CRETE Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)

Frozen!

 

During the week, for those of you who are following News From The Old Cornmill, we were looking at the emergence of the first crocuses, heralding the arrival of Spring, a mere four weeks away. Up in The Lakes, however, it is still decidedly Winter. Not only is the human population in lockdown but it seems as though nature is too. Even the water, draining off the fells, has been stopped in mid flow. With the dashboard temperature registering 1^oC outside, and a light rain starting to fall, were off to try and find some shelter in White Moss Woods.

There is a track leading up a hill which, needless to say, our Intrepid Local Guide and Jack The Navigator Hound have already started to make an assault upon, but we're going to explore this rocky outcrop and see if there are any invertebrates sheltering in the crevices. The lush greenery upon which we are walking is provided by two species of moss. The pale green one is a member of the true mosses (Class Bryopsida), whereas the dark green one is a member of one of the other seven classes of moss, the Polytrichopsida. Despite the name of the woods there is no white moss (Leucobryum, another of the true mosses) to be seen.

There are also plenty of lichens about, such as this Evernia. Lichens are curious things as they consist of two entirely unrelated organisms that have merged to form something entirely new, in much the same way as the two highly inflammable gasses, hydrogen and oxygen, when merged together, form water, a liquid capable of putting out fires. It is know as a symbiotic relationship and, as with any relationship, the whole is significantly greater than the sum of the constituent parts.

At last, having turned over a number of rocks and logs, we've found an invertebrate. All the others seem to have buried themselves deep, where the soil is warmer. It's a Shiny Woodlouse, Oniscus asellus, and those pale patches that you can just about see is where the calcium is stored for constructing the new exoskeleton when it moults. Woodlice moult in two halves, back end first followed by the front end, and then, as the shed exoskeleton is full of calcium, they very often eat it.

And finally, another sign that Spring is not too far way, the Hazel catkins are out. These are the male reproductive parts of the tree. They are wind pollinated, that is, the wind blows the pollen in all directions and some of it lands on female flowers which are small and red, and from which, the hazelnut is eventually formed. The rain has started to fall more heavily now, Jack and the ILG have returned from their jaunt up the hillside, so it seems like a good time to cosy up in the car with a mug of hot soup.

Follow me throughout the week on News From The Old Cornmill, or failing that, I'll see you next week, all being well.

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!	£7.50 Paperback edition
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.	£4.99 Paperback edition

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

The Self Decorating Christmas Trees of Pica

 

We’re off to a couple of large ponds to see if we can find some waterfowl today. These are on the outskirts of the village of Pica, and judging by the terrain, I would guess that they are old slate quarries. Of course, the bird I’d really like to photograph here is not a water bird but a magpie. This is purely because its scientific name is Pica pica and it would amuse me to have a pic of a Pica pica from Pica. (I’m easily amused). What we do have is a number of Spruce trees, who’s scientific name is Picea, which is close enough. This one looks just about the right size Christmas tree for my front room. Better not. Tempting, though.

Some of the trees even come ready decorated. This bright, natural tinsel is Oak Moss. Now, provided you haven’t got sensitive skin, rub a bit between your fingers and take a niff. This is growing on a conifer, so there’s quite a turpentine overtone. If you find it growing on oak, it’s more woody. For many years, oak moss has been used by the perfume industry to provide the base notes. It’s being phased out now and being replaced with a chemical substitute, because of the skin sensitization issue. 

The keen eyed amongst you may have noticed a small dog in the background. That’s Jack, the navigator hound who comes as a package with our intrepid local guide.

Sometimes, when you’re wandering about the countryside, you come across something that defies explanation. Like this little figure, sat on a plastic toadstool in the middle of nowhere. He does lead us on to the subject of fungi and, if you’ve been following the blog, you’ll recognise the mushroom in the top right hand picture as a member of the Agaricales, the gilled mushrooms. 

I’m going to upset you now by telling you that not all mushrooms with gills are gilled mushrooms. The great majority of them are but some, like the Russalales, have also developed gills through a process known as convergent evolution. Spotting these is just a matter of practice. You can tell a lot about a mushroom by the way the gills meet the stem. There are eight different ways which are neatly illustrated, here on Wikipedia. These would appear to be ‘free’. Free, white gills are a bit of a warning sign as many of the poisonous species display this characteristic. The fungus at the bottom looks to be a member of the Pezizales, which includes such delicacies as morels and truffles, but requires further identification.

And so to the ponds, and our appearance has immediately put to flight a trio of ducks and a deceit of lapwings (another collective noun for your collection). Still on the water, we have a pair of Mute Swans, easily recognisable from other swans by the knob at the base of the beak, and a Goosander. These we talked about last week in Welcome To The Cornmill so I won’t repeat myself. Talking of The Old Cornmill, the new windows are being installed as I type, and with a bit of luck and a following wind, I shall be spending my first night here tonight.

Steve's Wild Kitchen

This, of course, means that we’ll be able to get out foraging again and putting together some more recipes for Steve's Wild Kitchen. I’ve made a bit of a start with these sloes from a nearby Buckthorn hedgerow. I doubt that the Sloe Gin will be ready for Christmas, but I’ll keep tasting it, nearer the time, in the cause of scientific research.

As the bedroom window is now in place I’d better go and make my bed – literally (it’s still in pieces at the moment). Now where did I hide the big screwdriver.

Until next time,

Be happy and be safe

Steve

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

*********************************************************************

LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Explore the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Cretan Flora Flowers of Crete BIRDS OF CRETE Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)

Into The Woods of Portinscale

 

The leaves are beginning to shade autumnal and I rather fancy a walk in the woods. Being in Crete for the last decade and a half, I’ve rather missed this seasonal spectacular as the majority of the trees down in the south east of Crete are evergreen olives and pine. I’ve found a promising looking woodland, at the top of Derwent Water, and so we’re off to the village of Portinscale and Into The Woods.




The village lies on the north bank of Derwent Water, just a couple of miles from the town of Keswick, and it would be a shame not to take a quick look at the puddle before we head off into the trees. And just as we step onto the footpath, the first item of interest is.. a tree. In this case a Sweet Chestnut. One to bear in mind for Christmas as the nuts are only just beginning to fill out. Sweet Chestnuts are not to be confused with Horse Chestnuts, of course, as the former are good to eat while the latter are mildly poisonous. Despite their similarity of names, they are not even in the same family. How to tell one from the other? Sweet Chestnut leaves are long, thin and glossy, the nut cases are prickly rather than lumpy and contain more than one nut. The nuts are also flat, or even concave on one side, as opposed to the fully rounded conker of the Horse Chestnut.




Just before we delve into the woodland proper, I’ve just noticed that the Rhododendrons are budding and a few have burst into flower. This particular species, Rhododendron ponticum, first came over to the UK in the 18th century as an ornamental. Since then it has spread like wildfire and dominates great swathes of our woodland, at the expense of our native plants. You’ll probably not be surprised to learn that they are very closely related to another ornamental favourite, the azalea, but as part of the heaths and heathers family, they are also related to Cranberries, Blueberries and Huckleberries.




While we’re on the subject of flowering plants, here’s another beauty. This one is Honeysuckle, also known as Woodbine from its habit of entwining itself around trees. When we were young, we used to pick the flowers and suck the sweet nectar from them. That was before we discovered the other type of Woodbines; half a crown for a packet of ten at the corner shop. The flowers give off their scent at night and are primarily pollinated by moths, although long-tongued bees are also partial to them during the day. The other animal to take advantage of them is the dormouse, which not only eats the flowers but also uses the bark from their woody stems to construct its nest.




Into the damp, dark, mossy part of the woods now and plenty of fungi about. This one looks interesting. I think, and it’s only a think, that this is an Oysterling. There are two types of fungi that grow laterally out of wood like this: the bracket fungi, which have pores and the pleurotoid fungi, including Oyster and Oysterling Mushrooms, which have gills. After that, identification takes a bit more work, which we will get around to, when and if I ever get around to exchanging contracts on this portion of an old corn mill which I’m buying.




Wow! Out of the woods and into an alpine meadow. And we have some game birds about. The pheasant, we’ve met before in An Urban Oasis and the Partridge is its smaller relative. They’re a native species but are often bred for hunting and have been introduced into North America for the same reason.

The first partridge was Greek – according to mythology, anyway. Remember Daedalus, he who attached wings to his son Icarus, launched him off a cliff and discovered the melting point of wax? This was in Crete, and the reason they were in Crete was that Daedalus was on the run from mainland Greece, having tried a similar experiment with his nephew, Perdix. This was before Daedalus had thought of the wing thing, and Perdix flushed the first partridge just before he hit the ground with a splat. The partridge made a mental note of the effects of falling from a great height which is why they now nest on the ground and never fly higher than seems compatible with suddenly finding themselves not flying. Just high enough to get them into a pear tree.

Which brings us to the C word. Yes, I know there’s still 11 weeks to go, but some of you like to get the present shopping done before the 24th of December and like to give something a little more thoughtful than an Amazon voucher. So, for the budding naturalist in the family, The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies is a great introduction to invertebrates, suitable for all ages. If you only want to spend a fiver on a friend, then Not Just For Twisted Women is available in paperback now, and The Eggs of Saramova and other stories will be available next month. If you just want a little something for yourself to read, now that the nights are drawing in, then both story collections are available on kindle for the price of a decent cup of coffee. Much as I hate self-promotion, people do tell me that they’re all cracking good books!


All the best,

Steve

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

*********************************************************************

LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Explore east Crete with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Crete	Cumbria
Cretan Flora Crete Birding Greek Butterflies and Moths	Cumbria Wildlife Trust Cumbria Bodiversity Data Centre Carlisle Natural History Society