Tattoodave

It not a tree you bump into on a daily basis, and the leaves are pretty much identical to our native hawthorn. I'm amazed that it's in leaf already, hopefully spring will spring forth soon as I return to England on Tuesday. There aren't many trees that have leaves like a hawthorn, so well spotted.

It's Crataegus crusgalli, the Cockspur Hawthorn, a thornless cultivar as the species is heavily armed.

My favourite bird, the Yaffle.

If he'd spent five days lying on the platform it might easily have been a Sunday morning, midnight the tube seems to be far more busy than the one other evident passenger, unless he'd persuaded all the other late night people to stand behind him, which somehow seems unreal, as I'd have told him to f off.

Definitely a Sunday morning photo, I've seen tons of mice on the underground after the 100 Club closes

I used to go bush beating as a teenager to supplement my habits and have only ever seen one shot. I'm sure there's a dead one in a famous painting, though by whom I have no idea as I'm a little gin fogged at the moment

Not taken by me, but well worth a share as it's probably the nicest photo of a Bedlington that I've ever seen.

My father used to use all sorts of words that baffled me, he'd call a thrush a throstle, which I thought was something to do with the woollen industry, and he always called them "a walk of snipe", I'm with you, I prefer "wisp" or "whisp". Apparently they are good eating, though the source of that wasn't my father, he barely ate meat apart from pork pies and haslet.

I was always told that it's "a walk", which sounds weird.

Admittedly the leaf shape does look similar to Crataegus monogyna, even if it isn't, it is still an earlier than normal sign of spring.

My Chinese elm are just coming into leaf and that's in the south of Spain. I'm puzzled! (commonplace occurrence)

Curiously lacking in thorns, I'd like a close up of the leaves as I think you might have stumbled on something strange.

The late great Steve "Danny" Daniels of Peterborough won the 2nd Anniversary Dance Competition.

Completely lost for words, RIP Lorraine

Happy Christmas to one and all, I hope the UK weather improves for everyone there, I'm in the sun for a while to thaw out.

Shame

Enjoy Hitsville, if that's where you're heading.

Thanks Louise, these are my darkest days, thankfully there are chinks in the clouds (no not Oriental pilots) and whatever happens I know I'll always keep him in my thoughts as I do my mother.

Thanks Steve, she's the only thing that gets me out and talking to people, I would have emptied every bottle of alcohol in the house if it wasn't for her needing her exercise. Dave

She was my father's gun-dog, her name is Ruby and she's the best behaved dog I've ever had the pleasure to walk. She was abused before my father got her, but is a very loving and loyal companion. She went to the funeral and pulled to the grave side to look down into the grave, that is where I fell apart. Dave

Having recently lost my father I've gained a dog.

it's hemp, a close relative, but doesn't deliver the required effect.

Not so unusual then, but still nice

the fully open flower at the bottom middle, what colour is the flower? Looks unusual

I hate to be pedantic, but it's aquilegia, you also have aphids.