Phil Gates

England

Writer at The Guardian

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Articles

Country diary: In praise of the ‘low-value’ sycamore tree

4 weeks ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Phil Gates

Sunbeams flicker through the translucent young foliage of the sycamore canopy overhead. A shadow darts among them: a blackcap, pecking aphids from the underside of the leaves. The insects hatched from overwintering eggs in early April, congregating on loosening bud scales, waiting for tender new leaves to unfurl. Now there are legions of them, aligned along leaf veins, hypodermic stylets plugged in, siphoning sweet sap while simultaneously giving birth to more.
Country diary: In praise of the ‘low-value’ sycamore tree | Phil Gates

4 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Phil Gates

Sunbeams flicker through the translucent young foliage of the sycamore canopy overhead. A shadow darts among them: a blackcap, pecking aphids from the underside of the leaves. The insects hatched from overwintering eggs in early April, congregating on loosening bud scales, waiting for tender new leaves to unfurl. Now there are legions of them, aligned along leaf veins, hypodermic stylets plugged in, siphoning sweet sap while simultaneously giving birth to more.
Country diary: Down in the hay meadow, competition is hotting up | Phil Gates

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Phil Gates

Through a kissing gate, into an old meadow of gently undulating humps and hollows, like the long swell on a calm green ocean. A hare, startled by the clang of the gate, lollops away into the hedge. In the far corner, abandoned among nettles on a rabbit warren, there’s an old rusting hay tedder. Its wiry whirligig wheels, spinning behind a tractor, finally came to rest here one summer day after turning its last windrow, the air heavy with the coumarin scent of sun-dried, new-mown hay.
The colourful coltsfoot was once in great demand

1 month ago | msn.com | Phil Gates

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Country diary: The colourful coltsfoot was once in great demand | Phil Gates

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Phil Gates

On our way into town this morning we found coltsfoot blooming on the bank of the River Tyne, and when I noticed a jar of coltsfoot rock in the corner of the Hexham Sweetie Jar’s bow-fronted window, it seemed like an auspicious moment to investigate this herbal confectionery.
Driving a wood mouse to a new home

2 months ago | msn.com | Phil Gates

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Country diary: Driving a wood mouse to a new home | Phil Gates

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Phil Gates

We’ve only been driving for a few minutes and already our passenger – a wood mouse – is restless. We caught it in the cupboard under the stairs this morning, lured into a humane trap with peanut butter bait. Wood mice seem to find this irresistible, and five have succumbed to its aroma this year; we’re hoping this might be the last for a while.
Are there any black flowers?

2 months ago | discoverwildlife.com | Phil Gates

The world of flowers is a vibrant tapestry of colours, shapes, and scents, but among the rich spectrum, one question often arises: Are there any truly black flowers? While nature offers a dazzling array of hues, the concept of a 'black' flower is more complex than it seemsThere are no truly black flowers, says Phil Gates. The biological purpose of petals is usually to attract pollinators, using coloured pigments that reflect one wavelength of light and absorb all others.
Country diary: Collared doves are such a success story – especially in our garden

2 months ago | msn.com | Phil Gates

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Country diary: Collared doves are such a success story – especially in our garden | Phil Gates

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Phil Gates

A pair of collared doves in close formation glide in an elegant arc over the garden hedge and, with an angelic raising of wings, stall their flight and perform a feather-light landing. We used to see a lot of them, fewer in recent years. There’s a suggestion that the species has suffered from the same trichomonosis parasite that has afflicted greenfinches. Competition from wood pigeons – increasingly frequent garden visitors – might have been a factor too.