December 2016 — the Shoveler duck

Someone asked me the other day whey some Holly trees bear abundant berries while others have none. Not having the answer to this conundrum, I looked at a few websites. Bees do most of the work, apparently. Individual Holly trees have either male or female flowers and the bees transfer pollen from one to the other, the female trees producing berries.

     In addition to the limitless resources of the internet, well-written guide-books can occupy a central lace when information is required. A couple of weeks ago, I peered into the old stone-lined water channel in front of Strinesdale Water Treatment Works. An electric-blue feathered flash disappeared into some brambles. I had disturbed a Kingfisher, an easy bird to identify. Not so the unusual duck on the upper reservoir. Having observed the bird, I made a rough drawing with notes of the distinguishing characteristics. Large bill, bottle-green head, white breast, chestnut belly, etc. I was then able to refer to the marvellous Collins Bird Guide with its hundreds of superb illustrations and text engagingly written by enthusiasts who have spent their lives peering through binoculars. The duck turned out to be a Shoveler.

Shoveler duck

     There can be little doubt that 2016 has been an outstanding year for autumn colour. The Silver Maple trees (members of the Acer family) in Waterhead Park have been lovely through the summer and the leaves now on the ground are shaded with subtle reds and yellows while retaining the silver undersides which give the tree its name. There are some younger and smaller trees in the park grown for their vivid red autumn colours. I would have assumed these also to be Acers, but was able to check this in Collins Guide to Trees, where I found the Liquidambar (or Sweet Gum), like the Silver Maple, a North American species. According to the book, leaves of this tree give off a ‘resinous scent’ when crushed.

     Return to park – pick up leaf – squash and sniff – leaf releases sweet herbal aroma. What we have here is a Liquidambar.

     Books can be referred to at length and kept close at hand. The dedication of authors and the high-quality editorial and production standards of a good publisher come through. Perhaps someone near you needs a book token for Christmas.

First published in December 2016