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Tag Archives: scots pine

Pines and Primroses

27 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by theresagreen in Colwyn Bay, Nature of Wales, Wales Coast Path

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Colwyn Bay embankment, early spring flowers, King Alfred's Cakes fungus, Porth Eirias, primrose, scots pine

Pine trees are well-used as feature plantings in many parts of Colwyn Bay, but those with the greatest impact are those elegantly lining the road into Rhos-on-Sea set on the steep sea-facing railway embankment.

Pine trees along Colwyn Bay embankment

Pine trees along Colwyn Bay embankment

Where the trees thin out primroses smother the grassy embankment. They began flowering early this year but look as though they will continue for some time to come.

Pine tree and primroses

Pine tree and primroses

A lovely clump of fragrant primroses

A lovely clump of fragrant primroses

The back of Colwyn Bay railway station

The back of Colwyn Bay railway station

The grassy embankment is a favourite spot for Herring gulls to paddle for worms.

Herring gulls paddling for worms

Herring gulls paddling for worms

I walked along the promenade then crossed the road at the point where it is possible to access the elevated pathway near the top of the embankment.

View to Rhos-on-Sea

View to Rhos-on-Sea

Daisy growing from embankment wall

Daisy growing from embankment wall

Fallen pine cones on embankment wall

Fallen pine cones on embankment wall

The pathway high up on the embankment leads through the pines and offers some protection on cold windy days such as this one was as well as an elevated view. I’ve always been curious about where this gated tunnel leads, but assume it comes out somewhere close to the railway station.

Iron gate closing off a tunnel under the railway line

Iron gate closing off a tunnel under the railway line

Pathway along the embankment

Pathway along the embankment

Ivy clambering high into a pine tree

Ivy clambering high into a pine tree

This can be a good place to see a number of bird species amongst the trees, but today there was just a solitary crow.

Crow enjoying the view out to sea

Crow enjoying the view out to sea

There are other species of tree along the path and I came across the stump of a felled ash tree that is regenerating from its base. It also had a mature patch of the curious brittle black King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica  fungus.

Cut ash tree regenerating with King Alfred's Cakes fungus

Cut ash tree regenerating with King Alfred’s Cakes fungus

Scots Pine branch with cones

Scots Pine branch with cones

Approaching the end of the path

Approaching the end of the path

The elevated pathway offers a good view of the Porth Eirias Watersports centre

The elevated pathway offers a good view of the Porth Eirias Watersports centre

The pathway ends by the railway bridge opposite Porth Eirias where these beautiful Hellebores were growing.

Hellebores (Lenten Roses) with green flowers

Hellebores (Lenten Roses) with green flowers

It’s good to see that the traditional planting of pines is being continued. There are several young trees in beds at the front of Porth Eirias.

A newly-planted pine tree at Porth Eirias

A newly-planted pine tree at Porth Eirias

A last look at the sea splashing up onto the rocks at the base of the sea wall before gratefully retreating into the shelter of my car.

160214-Sea splashing on rocks

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Winter Greens

08 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by theresagreen in Bryn Euryn Nature Reserve, ferns, Nature, Nature of Wales, woodland walks in Wales

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

evergreen trees, Great Tit, hart's tongue fern, holly, ivy, polypody fern, scots pine, stinking iris, yew

My walks on Bryn Euryn have a different starting point now and it has been interesting to note the differences in the character of the woodland on this eastern to south-eastern aspect of the hill. Firstly, on this particular pathway you are immediately in the woodland and notice there is a difference in the pattern of tree species. I am fairly sure that is because the land that the apartment block that I now live in was formerly the site of a large house, one of several similar ones, most of which are still standing and in use as residential care homes. All have large mature gardens to the fronts and sides and are set back tightly against the rising wooded hillside, so certain of the trees and shrubs, such as laurels and Scots Pines, that you don’t find on the other slopes of the hill, have inevitably escaped. Other evergreens Yew, Holly and Ivy occur throughout the woodland on all sides, but this area seems to have more and larger specimens of them and so appears particularly green.

Sunlight on a path lined with evergreens

Sunlight on a path lined with evergreens-yew, holly & laurel

Yew is one of our native species of trees and occurs naturally in the wild in woodlands in several parts of Britain, although it is not as widespread as it used to be.

Yew tree

A large Yew tree

Yew foliage

Yew foliage

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is an evergreen conifer native to northern Europe, and is one of just three conifers native to the UK.

150104TGFL-Bryn Euryn 12-Scots Pine

A huge Scots Pine

A Great tit in the pine tree

A Great tit in the pine tree

Holly and Ivy

Holly and Ivy

Shiny Holly leaves

Shiny Holly leaves

Ivy

Ivy

Sun shining through an ivy leaf

Sun shining through an ivy leaf

Greenery is also abundant on the woodland floor.

Fern around the base of a tree

Polypody fern around the base of a tree

Hart's tongue fern

Hart’s tongue fern

Male fern

Male fern

Spores on the back of a fern leaf

Spores (sori) still cling to the back of a fern leaf

Vibrant green moss amongst dry brown leaves

Vibrant green moss amongst dry brown leaves

Winter is a good time time to see mosses when many are at their best.

Feather moss

Feather moss

Young fern and holly plants in a mossy bed

Young fern and holly plants in a mossy bed

A few splashes of colour…….

Red berries of nightshade strung like beads around ivy

Red berries of nightshade strung like beads around ivy

A few berries remain on a 'Stinking Iris'- Iris foetidissma

A few berries remain on a ‘Stinking Iris’- Iris foetidissma

 

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