More Tree Fruits

In my previous post- "Tree Seeds, Nuts or Fruits?"- I concentrated on the less fruit-like fruits. In this one, I will show some images of these more fruity ones that have caught my eye on walks over the last couple of months.

First, here is the trunk of a gnarled, ancient-looking Mulberry tree, which is actually bearing succulent fruits. It stands in Stratford-Upon-Avon, in the garden of Shakespeare's Birthplace- not to be confused with another one in the grounds of New Place- where he died in 1616- which is claimed to be a cutting from a tree planted by Shakespeare himself.


And here are some of the fruits, though these happen to be ones on a tree in nearby Leamington Spa, where I was the following day:


When I was walking by the River Avon in the outskirts of Bath, I came across this Damson tree, in what once must have been an orchard:



On this same walk, but alongside the towpath of the Canal, there were these Slow berries. Finding the colour blue in nature, whether in flowers or fruits, is somehow always exciting- and Slows always enchant me with both this colour and their wonderful bloom:



These Elder berries were growing below the railway line, that runs parallel with- and between- the river and the canal:




The Rose hips were prolific in the hedgerows by the canal, making me regret having missed seeing their flowers- the fragile Dog Roses- in the early Summer:


These amazing Hawthorn berries also made me regret having missed their May Blossom:


These next two photos of Hawthorn berries were actually taken not in Bath but where I am staying at present, in Manorbier, on the South-West coast of Wales:



Wherever I've been in the country I've seen Rowan trees covered with berries- but these ones are on a little tree in my brother's garden in Bath:


Now this next image seems right out of season- we expect to see Holly berries ripe at Christmas, not in September. Seeing them now is like seeing Christmas decorations in the shops in the Summer- in fact, I was horrified to hear that this year Harrods opened its Santa's Grotto in July, 151 days before Christmas! In Valentines Park in Ilford the Holly trees were weighed down with their non-seasonal fruit:


My later childhood years were spent on the Malvern Hills, which mark the boundary between Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Both counties have wonderful orchards but the Apple orchards in Herefordshire (Cider making country) were memorable. Apple trees remind me of those rural days. These first two photos, however, were of a tree I saw on my Bath walk, in the same area as the Damson tree:



Whereas this next one- actually a Worcester apple tree- was in the garden of my friends' house in Stratford-Upon-Avon:


And this last charming little Russet apple tree is in the garden in Manorbier where I am now:


And here are some of its apples...



And these rosy ones are on a nearby tree:


This last green apple is a Bramley in Stratford-Upon-Avon:

More Tree Reflections...

The leaves on the trees are beginning to turn and here are some reflected in the River Avon. First, a Birch tree on a bank followed by its reflection.

One of the hazards of taking photos when I have Rosie- my brother's Jack Russell- with me is that when I stop she will take advantage of my preoccupation to climb down one of the treacherous, slippery, muddy gullies that lead down to the river. Should she fall in she would not be able to get out as there is an overhang of the bank and she is very small- and I have no intention of being one of those people drowned saving their dogs...That is why- in the third image- Rosie is looking crossly at me: I have just said NO!

River Avon Reflections

As always, I am entranced by the reflections of trees in the River Avon, so here are three more of them:

Farm Animals...

September was a bad month for me as far as keeping Treeaware going. I have temporarily turned into a full-time "Carer", until I return to Los Angeles in November. Although I have had some breaks when I have been seeing wonderful blog material I have got very behindhand in processing it, so am now trying to gradually catch up.

Yesterday I showed some of my earlier Horse Chestnut Blight images and now I will show some of the animals around Bath. What I love about Bath is that although it is a City you can immediately walk into real country. The Pre-Raphaelite-like sheep I saw in a field on the other side of the Canal, just a short way from my brother's house where I am staying. The very English scene of a cow under an Oak tree and the Chinese-looking grey horse were seen when I was visiting a friend in the small, rural village of Kelston, a few miles outside Bath.

River Avon again

And here's the River Avon in another mood....

A Brown River Avon

The water of the River Avon changes from day to day- or perhaps I should say hour by hour. One moment it can be a deep green and at others a perfect, glassy mirror. For the last few days - as the result of continuous heavy rain - it has turned a rich brown:

Heron on the Avon

Walking along the banks of the River Avon in Bath you nearly always have a moment of visual excitement. Today- a damp, grey morning- I set out with Rosie, my brother's aged Jack Russell, along the river path. Suddenly, through the trees I spotted a Heron ( a Grey Heron) sitting on a branch keeping a look-out for fish. Although they nest in trees, usually when you see them by the Avon they are lurking on the banks, close to the water, so it was good to get such a clear, close view of it. Unfortunately, I only had a low resolution camera with me. When I tried to creep closer to the Heron, Rosie followed suit and I was afraid she would try to get down the steep, muddy bank into the river... and I have long-ago decided if she did I, as a weak swimmer, would not risk my life in the river currents by plunging in after her- much as I love her!

The Grey Herons- Ardea Cinerea- are part of the Ardeidae family, which includes the wonderful Egrets. Although Herons are common in the UK, I am always excited to see them and have always loved them. Apart from their exotic elegance, they are so unexpectedly LARGE compared to our other birds, and seem enormous when they spread out their wings to fly away...

Tree Reflections

I have written before of my fascination with reflections of trees in the nearby River Avon and the Canal. Today- walking my brother's Jack Russell, Rosie- I again became obsessed with both the clarity and the distortions of these reflections and at the risk of boring my readers I am going to show more images. That said, if I AM boring you, please TELL ME- it is so good to get some positive comments, whether good or bad....

Willows by the Avon

Down by the River Avon again- where the nettles are growing high and the Willow trees make abstract patterns among them: