Runner beans, with and without pods

We've grown and eaten runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) for over forty years and you'd think we knew them well. However, this year, for the first time, we discovered that in many countries they are eaten differently. By that I mean in some countries only the beans themselves are eaten whereas in Britain we eat the pods with the beans inside them. Our way of eating them means we pick them when they are relatively short, young and tender: elsewhere they pick bigger, tougher pods that are discarded after removing the bigger beans. In the past we deliberately let some pods grow big to supply enough beans for planting in the following year. This year, with our new-found knowledge we are eating short, succulent beans in pods and bigger beans taken from larger pods - as seen above.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Coal Tit and Marsh Tit

A recent newspaper article reported the RSPB's latest information about Britain's birds that are increasing and decreasing in numbers. One that I recall that is becoming more numerous is the coal tit. This is in part due to the effects of people feeding birds that visit their gardens. On a recent walk in the Forest of Dean we saw quite a few species congregating at a feeding station, and among them was the coal tit (first photograph).

The other species attracted by the mixed seeds on offer were the blackbird, robin, dunnock, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit, nuthatch and marsh tit (second photograph).

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2