Ep.4 - The light returning: Lichens on the hedgerow, Winter Aconites, and sheep in the fields

Edge of the Hedge

As we spring towards February, I have some wooly company by the edge of the hedge, and I find myself drawn to the luminescent lichen on the hawthorn hedge, before heading back into the village to see the yellow beacons of floral groundcover that are the winter aconite in the churchyard. And on the way, coming across the chattering local starlings who’ve recently lost their regular perching site.
Recorded at the end of January, we're approaching the midpoint between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and the light is returning. Days are becoming longer, and nights, gradually shorter. We start, as usual, on the bench, at the edge of the hedge, along the Viking Way in Lincolnshire, with this time, two fields of hungry sheep for company, intrigued by what I'm doing near their patch. We take a closer look at the vibrant yellow lichens on the hawthorn hedge; the subtle gradients of colour along the hedgerow, from muddy ground to newly flail-cut hedge top. Then, on the way to see the sunny-soil-beacon display of Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) flowers in the village churchyard, situated under the gnarly Horse Chestnut tree, the local recently displaced starlings make a welcome chattering appearance. What a glorious sound!
Sources and further reading:

https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/learning/what-is-a-lichen

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mutualism-examples-of-species-that-work-together.html

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/identify-nature/lichen-id-guide/index.dsml

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/pied-wagtail/

‘The Biology of Plants’. Peter Raven, Ray Evert, Susan Eichhorn.

‘Plant Names Simplified: Their Pronunciation, Derivation and Meaning.’ By A.T. Johnson and H.A. Smith.

‘Flora Britannica’. Richard Mabey.

‘The WIld Flower Key: How to identify wild flowers, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland.’ Francis Rose.

‘The WIld Flowers of Great Britain and Ireland’. Roger Phillips.

‘A Dictionary of Plant Lore’. Roy Vickery.
You can find augmented visual content relating to this episode, and other episodes, over at Edge of the Hedge's social media pages, on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you want to get in touch, to say hello or share your thoughts on aspects covered in this episode, please feel welcome to email me at [e-mail]
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Edge of the Hedge podcast is entirely independent and self-funded, and if you've enjoyed it, and wish to 'buy me a coffee', I'm always grateful for your support. Thank you!
Edge of the Hedge is bourne out of a labour of love, of hoping to help people to find moments of peace, slow the walking pace, and look more deeply at the natural world that we share this planet with, with a hope that by looking more closer, and connecting more deeply with it, we'll take greater care of the planet, and share the stories we learn, to inspire others to connect more deeply.
If you want to read more about Hannah's wider work, as a Herbalist and Nature Educator, you can find her website here.

Chapter

1. Ep.4 - The light returning: Lichens on the hedgerow, Winter Aconites, and sheep in the fields (00:00:00)

2. Today's conditions (00:00:43)

3. Introduction (00:02:09)

4. Episode introduction (00:02:35)

5. The company of sheep in the fields (00:03:07)

6. Pied wagtails (00:05:30)

7. Lichens on the bare Hawthorn branches (00:06:29)

8. Gradients of colour along the winter hedgerow (00:11:04)

9. Findings the starlings (00:14:30)

10. Winter aconite in the churchyard (00:18:22)

11. Exploring nature like child, with new eyes (00:23:56)

12. How to find me on social media and share your findings (00:25:15)

13. Episode credits (00:26:11)

14. Edge of the Hedge theme music (00:26:22)