Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Birding on the south-west Lizard
Around and about Lizard Point is known as a good area for birding, but travel a bit further north and west, and there is plenty to see. The whole area […]
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Dryad’s Saddle
Damp weather is annoying for humans, but good for fungi, like this Dryad’s Saddle, a common bracket fungus on dead and decaying wood. Photos: © Natural England/Paul Glendell
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Algal diversity at Kennack Sands
While walking toward the coast path from Lizard recently I got talking to a fascinating botanist who told me that the slope he was looking at was home to twelve […]
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Bloody Crane’s-bill
The meadows above Kynance Cove are a good place to see Bloody Crane’s-bill in the summer, following recent habitat restoration and scrub clearance. Photo: Steve Townsend
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Creeping Buttercup
Not much beats a meadow full of golden buttercups. Photo: Jörg Hempel, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons
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Ruby-tailed Wasp
What a jewel of an insect! This Ruby-tailed Wasp was spotted at Poltesco. Photo: Andy Pay
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Ragged-robin
Tousled pink flowers of Ragged-robin sway on their tall stems from late spring through to summer’s end. Photo: © Natural England/Chris Gomersall
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Red Valerian
The rich magenta and ruby hues of Red Valerian are a lovely sight in the summer, whispering of the Mediterranean. Photo: Amanda Scott
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Common Crab Spider
This little crab spider was spotted scuttling across the beach at Church Cove, near Gunwalloe, but they can be found in many habitats, especially open, undisturbed ground. Photo: Amanda Scott
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It’s fledging time….
Right now hedges, trees, heath and grassland as well as nestboxes are all of a flutter as the breeding season gets into full swing. Birds are busy diving into all […]
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Kidney Vetch
The books say Kidney Vetch blooms from June, but this is The Lizard, so it flowers from May. Look out for it on cliff tops and sand dunes from late […]
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Hoards of Prehistory, History & the Future
The invention of the Cornish shovel made it easier to shove things into the ground. It didn’t necessarily make it much easier to retrieve them as you had to remember […]
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Jumping Spider
This attractive little species of Jumping Spider was spotted at Kennack Sands. Photo: Tony Blunden
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Cuckooflower
The flushed pink flowers of Cuckooflower can be spotted in damp meadows and on stream banks in the spring. Photo: Steve Townsend
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Flavous Nomad Bee
This lovely little nomad bee was spotted at Poltesco. Called the Flavous Nomad Bee, it was gorging itself on Three-cornered Garlic. Photo: Andy Pay
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Barren Strawberry
Similar at first glance to Wild Strawberry, the pretty Barren Strawberry can be found flowering earlier, from February through to May. Photo: © Natural England/Peter Wakely
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