Bhutan Pine (Pinus wallichiana)
Dear Readers, today I pulled out all the stops and headed to East Finchley Cemetery for a quick look at what was going on. I feel a bit as if I’m in Wonderland at the moment – all the colours seem brighter and the sounds of the birds are enchanting.
There are some spectacular specimen trees in the cemetery, such as this Bhutan pine (Pinus wallichiana). Its original home is the foothills of the Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindu Kush, but it seems strangely at home here in North London, amidst the monkey puzzle trees and the cedars of Lebanon.
On a smaller scale, I love the community of tiny plants living on this wooden roof. What look like bird droppings are, in fact, lichens.
And then a streak of greenish-yellow catches my eye, and a young green woodpecker poses very nicely for a few minutes.
We hear a young bird of prey calling from one of the big cedars, but no amount of patience will persuade it to emerge from the foliage, and its parents are clearly not in the mood to indulge it, so I might never know what it was. Very frustrating, but then that seems to be how nature works – some days everything falls into your lap, and some days you have to sigh and walk on.
There are some lovely unused buildings in the grounds of the Cemetery, which seems to mostly use the Italianate crematorium or the big Anglican chapel at the main entrance. The Glenesk Mausoleum is a lovely building, now completely fenced off and in danger of being engulfed by the nearby trees.
The Glenesk Mausoleum
There is a hopeful kneeling saint on the right hand pediment, but the one on the left has disappeared under a tangle of ivy.
The non-conformist chapel is in better shape, though the two small heads on the doorway have seen better days.
I’m not sure how much this chapel is used, but according to the cemetery’s management plan to 2012 it was thought to be a feeding roost for brown long-eared bats, so maybe a little seclusion is not a bad thing. There are lots of bat boxes mounted in the trees around the cemetery, but as it closes at 4 p.m. I guess I will never take a twilight walk to see what’s going on. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the summer air is criss-crossed with bat flight.
And, as I am midway through my Leith’s Online Cookery Course (it’s pasta week!) my eye was drawn to this grave. Jean Baptiste Virlogeux was chef at the Savoy during the 1930s, and was then Head Chef at the Dorchester for ten years, where he catered for the Queen and Prince Phillip. Whilst at the Savoy he invented the ‘Omelette Arnold Bennett’, a mixture of smoked haddock, eggs and gruyere in honour of the famous author. At the Dorchester, Virlogeux came up with the idea of the ‘Chef’s Table’, a private table for very special guests who could watch the chef work and no doubt ply him with confusing and impertinent questions while he wrestled with their dinner.
On our way back to the entrance we encounter this cheeky squirrel, who is clearly of the view that if he stays still enough we won’t notice him.
But then, how about this? Most of the beds in the cemetery are rather formal, but this is so bright that it seers the eyeballs, and none the worse for that. There is a sweet smell, I think from the salvia. How it cheers me up, especially on a dull day like today.
And just when you think the colours couldn’t get any brighter, look who drops in.
Peacock butterfly (Aglais io)
And now it’s time to head home for a cuppa and a few hours with my feet up (once I’ve done my blog of course). As usual the cemetery has provided all sorts of delights. What fine spots they are for reflection and for nature!
Your keen eye has picked out a variety of interesting things for us to see today! What clear photographs of the woodpecker – that I should ever be so fortunate 🙂
I’ve recently downloaded an app called BirdNET, which listens to the sound and, if connected to the internet, will analyse the bird sounds and give you it’s best guess as to what it is (or they are) with a qualifier, like “Almost Certain”, “Likely” or whatever, indicating its confidence. If you’re not connected to the internet, then you can save the sound and analyse it later.
Birds are often very difficult to see at this time of year, given the foliage, so it’s good to know that you heard a particular species, even if you didn’t see it. My recent (Almost certain) list includes Greenfinch, Common Redstart, Red-backed Shrike, Sedge Warbler, Water Pipit and Blackcap to name but a few. The locations are is also recorded via a map too. You have to be quick to get your phone out sometimes though!
I must do this and see how I get on, Mike, thanks for the heads-up….
Lovely post and I have woodpecker envy! The Greater Spotteds breed in our woodland garden but we almost never see a Green, although they are hard to spot aren’t they?
So glad you are feeling better.
Thanks Rosie! The Green Woodpeckers have a great fondness for our local cemeteries, I think because of the ants’ nests. They are tricky to spot, but every so often I get lucky….