Conservation workers, Salisbury Cathedral

I've always had something of an admiration for those who work at heights. Not only do such people need to master the technicalities of their job, they also have to overcome the difficulties of doing it high above the ground. Consequently, when I see workers engaged in in this way and in this kind of location, I invariably take a shot or two of them. I've photographed wind turbine engineers, big wheel erectors, church spire repairers and conservation workers. I came across the latter again quite recently. They were on the west front of Salisbury Cathedral and seemed to be checking the statues and carved stonework, removing any loose debris.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Stinging nettle

The stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is one of the most common and widespread of British wild plants. It is one of a small number of plants, that includes cow parsley and cleavers (goose grass), that have benefitted from the nitrogenous acid rain that was and still is a feature of industrialisation. Children find its sting a source of pain though to most adults it is merely an irritation. There was a time when the nettle was always in the list of those to be planted or enouraged when making an area more wildlife friendly. However, none of the butterflies for whom it is a major food source are in danger, and it is increasingly the view that we have quite enough nettles and there are other plants more deserving of inclusion. These nettles were part of a group thriving in some woods and once again the light filtering down through the leaf canopy above made the composition.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Belted Galloway cattle

We came across this group of a dozen or so Belted Galloway cattle on the steep slopes of the Malvern Hills above the town of Great Malvern. They look somewhat like cattle dressed up in panda suits and were brought there by the Malvern Hills Conservators, the body charged with looking after this range of hills, in order to keep areas of grassland open and unencroached by bracken, shrubs and trees. The distinctive breed originates from the Galloway region of south-west Scotland where its hardy qualities enabled it to turn poor grazing into beef. They are a reasonably common sight in England, used by conservation groups to maintain open pasture and the flora and fauna that depends upon it.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100