tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33440245588027251012024-03-13T18:09:18.718+00:00Go Wild In KentThis blog is all about getting out there and enjoying what the natural world has to offer. Hopefully the blog will help you find out where to go in Kent and elsewhere to see some amazing wildlife and have some great encounters. I'll try to include everything I can, birds, plants, butterflies, dragonflies, moths, cetaceans, locations etc...In the links are some great wildlife blogs covering other parts of Kent in detail, please visit them.flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06644755363672325018noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-54776179632313693712015-01-25T17:28:00.002+00:002015-01-25T17:28:30.514+00:00Kent Harvest Mouse Survey<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
Yesterday I went on a harvest mouse survey course at Wildwood. The survey is an ambitious one trying to cover all 1,100 land based tetrads in Kent to survey for harvest mouse. A day spent with Steve Kirk and several other folks all learning from Steve and intent on understanding about harvest mouse ecology and then getting some experience looking for their nests in the outdoors near Wildwood.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQEdPDrkoMY/VMUmSdI9xjI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QsNVx5JR43U/s1600/2015-01-24%2B13.03.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQEdPDrkoMY/VMUmSdI9xjI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QsNVx5JR43U/s1600/2015-01-24%2B13.03.38.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a> We spread out along the road side to check suitable habitat for any nests. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eQEdPDrkoMY/VMUmSdI9xjI/AAAAAAAAAKw/QsNVx5JR43U/s1600/2015-01-24%2B13.03.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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The group gather as the first nest is found. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AQOsF7Ck5Do/VMUmWQg0VcI/AAAAAAAAAK4/olRoubury6Y/s1600/2015-01-24%2B13.04.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AQOsF7Ck5Do/VMUmWQg0VcI/AAAAAAAAAK4/olRoubury6Y/s1600/2015-01-24%2B13.04.58.jpg" height="360" width="640" /> </a>Measurements of the nest are taken. There is so little data and research performed on harvest mice and it is hoped that those participating in the survey can contribute to understanding mnoe about the habits of harvest mice.<br />
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Well 2014 is approaching the winter and i've hardly been that active on my blog. My big news for the year is that after around 183 days of being unemployed I managed to secure a new role as an assistant ecologist for Lloyd Bore down in Canterbury and i'm loving it. This afternoon it was getting to grips with the details of performing an ecological appraisal, just brilliant. This job feels like an extension of my hobby and interest than what I have been used to in the past, what a feeling.flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-66998873472500900502014-06-28T17:52:00.000+01:002014-06-28T17:52:11.482+01:00Longfield Chalk Bank<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
This small Kent Wildlife Trust reserve close to my front door held a surprise this afternoon in the first marbled white butterflies that I have seen there. In all at least 4 were flying around in the pre thunderstorm gloom along with about 30 ringlets, 6 meadow browns, 4 large skippers and a couple of small skippers. Quite a few 6-spot burnets were also on the wing.<br />
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Large skipper feeding on thistle.<br />
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Marbled white<br />
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Male small skipper on scabious<br />
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There was also one small pyramidal orchid which was tricky to see within the chalk grassland.<br />
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Last weekend was the Longfield festival and it was a pity that the rubbish aftermath cleanup had not extend to the chalk bank reserve which is directly adjacent to the footbal pitch that the festival is held on. Needless to say the football pitch had been carefully picked clean of rubbish whilst the chalk bank reserve was still littered. I do get very fed up with the neglect that some of the locals seem to have for this fantastic small pocket of chalk grassland we have on our doorstep.<br />
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litter and broken tree branches :-((<br />
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Whilst i'm in the mood to moan, i'm getting very fed up with the folks that decide to mow an area of grassland opposite a KWT roadside nature reserve that holds 2 species of orchid and other wild flowers. Last year the roadside verge was mowed and trashed with equipment left on it whilst railway bridge repairs were carried out. It was even driven over. This year the verge has been mowed twice, cutting down the pyramidal orchids that had tried to flower since the first mowing as for the bee orchids, I have seen none now for two years and they are the best examples of bee orchid I have seen in Kent, if they are given a chance to flower, grrrrrrrrr!<br />
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The KWT roadside reserve with 459 pyramidal orchids opposite the devastated grass verge below.<br />
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Needless to say I have complained to the folks responsible for the grass verge cutting.<br />
<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-85387168529926013072014-05-23T16:42:00.001+01:002014-05-23T16:42:14.168+01:00Local Checkup<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
A quick look at the local Kent Wildlife Trust roadside nature reserve, the grass verge opposite and the Rectory Meadow nature reserve for emerging or emerged orchids resulted in not seeing that many. In fact I only found three man orchids on a site where in the recent past I have found up to 70.<br />
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Still after a bit of searching I did find what I think are some emerging man orchids so maybe the majority are yet to appear, fingers crossed.<br />
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On the opposite side of the road to the KWT roadside nature reserve is a grass verge which last year was damaged and used as a storage area for equipment used to repair a railway bridge. The grass verge is home to some of the best bee orchids I have seen in Kent so I'll be checking as regularly as I can to see if any have survived. <br />
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Here is a taster of what the actual plants can look like. The first year I found them I had one plant with eight flowers on it.<br />
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<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-84014533460275413282014-05-23T14:29:00.001+01:002014-05-23T14:32:03.219+01:00Norfolk<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
Had a great week in Norfolk recently, focusing on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserves of Holme Dunes and Cley. In all the time i've been birding i've never visited Holme Dunes but what a gem of a reserve.<br />
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I've never seen so may wall butterflies in one place.<br />
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Green hairstreaks were also on the wing.<br />
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A light swallow movement of birds heading west in small groups occured over 4 days with the daily counts in excess of 400.<br />
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At Cley the sedge warblers were in full song, blasting out from the reed beds.<br />
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The Norfolk Wildlife Trust visitor centre at Cley is fantastic and does a brilliant cream tea, the view over the reserve is incredible and has to be one of the best views in the country from any cafe.<br />
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North Norfolk is still a superb place to see brown hare and I had one field with 15 of these lovely animals.<br />
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Lisa and I walked from Stiffkey to Wells-next-the-sea along the coastal path and a surprise find was this red kite drifting north over the salt marsh. Typically by the time I had got my camera ready it had started to drift across the sun.<br />
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We also had a spoonbill flying east and then a second red kite not showing the secondary moult on the return leg of the walk.<br />
The cattle in the Cley Eye field provided early morning cuteness whilst looking for blue-headed wagtails.<br />
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<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-4247768788802109582014-05-23T13:53:00.001+01:002014-05-23T13:53:23.933+01:00Darland Banks<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
A very enjoyable day at Darland banks yesterday. The man orchids are out in 1,000's and plenty of variety to see amongst them. Adonis, common and small blue on the wing with some very close encounters with small blues as they seemed to like resting on my rucksack, which itself was blue!flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-52580951588340009362014-05-02T09:20:00.003+01:002014-05-02T09:20:53.876+01:00April Round Up<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
Blimey it has been a busy and very enjoyable month for me and in a way unexpected. I managed to secure some survey work performing two breeding bird surveys on a zero hours contract basis for an ecological consultancy. Brilliant!<br />
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My 32+ years of birding experience is paying off and earning me some money as well as allowing me to learn and gain valuable industry experience including understanding a standard for the report writing.<br />
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I've also been able to get involved in great crested newt and reptile surveys which is an added and very welcome bonus.<br />
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I attended a one day ROLO heath and safety course and passed the test at the end of the day, which is one part of allowing me to then get a suitable CSCS card for entering construction sites as part of ecological work.<br />
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The voluntary American mink surveys have continued for Kent Wildlife Trust and hopefully i'll be able to get involved in their water vole surveys later in the year.<br />
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So who knows what May might bring my way, fingers crossed more survey work and experience. <br />
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<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-26436523623263137082014-05-02T09:12:00.003+01:002014-05-02T09:12:53.500+01:00Malta Massacre On Migration<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NNa2ro3oXIw/U2NSmiBCeiI/AAAAAAAAAGs/CUBbSpFTeQo/s1600/Malta+Massacre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NNa2ro3oXIw/U2NSmiBCeiI/AAAAAAAAAGs/CUBbSpFTeQo/s1600/Malta+Massacre.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a></div>
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Inspired by Chris Packham's video diary of the illegal slaughter of migratory birds in Malta I sent an e-mail on April 22nd to my south east MEP's who are:<br />
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<![endif]-->Sharon Bowles MEP, Marta Andreasen MEP, Nigel Farage MEP, Peter Skinner MEP, Richard Ashworth MEP, Keith Taylor MEP<br />
<br />
I decided to tailor my e-mail to ensure that it was received by them as I had read that using a prepared e-mail script may be treated as spam.<br />
<br />
On May 1st, I received the following response from Catherine Bearder.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Dear Mr Young,</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Thank you for your email about the appalling hunting of
wild birds in Malta.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
As a committed animal welfare campaigner, President of
the Green Lib Dems and member of the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, I
share your concerns and have done so for many years.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
In anticipation of the spring hunting season, I along
with 32 other Euro MPs jointly lobbied the European Commission to ensure that
the Commission took enforcement action against this continued breach of the
European Union's Birds Directive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
supported BirdLife International's call for action.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Europe's rich diversity of over 500 wild bird species has
been facing severe threats for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The EU Birds Directive was adopted unanimously by the Member States as a
response to increasing concern about the decline in Europe's wild bird
populations resulting from pollution and loss of habitats, amongst other
issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose of the Directive is
to protect migratory birds from being hunted during the crucial spring stage of
their life cycle.</div>
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Malta is currently the only Member State to still have a
recreational spring hunting season and this is achieved by a derogation and
exception from the Directive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
it is clear Malta is not even abiding by their exception, let alone the full
Directive.</div>
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This campaign has now been stepped up and is getting
increased publicly in the UK thanks to BBC Radio 4 and the presenter Chris
Packman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I requested an urgent meeting with
the Commissioner for the Environment, and followed up that request with a
letter signed by 43 other Euro MPs.</div>
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The Commission is taking action against Malta following
the killing of migrating birds, particularly in defence of turtle doves and
quail birds.</div>
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The magnitude of penalties possible under Maltese
legislation has doubled over the past few years and they are setting up a
specialised Wildlife Crime Unit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, much more action needs to be taken urgently.</div>
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<div class="MsoPlainText">
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If re-elected, I look forward to continuing
to work closely with BirdLife Malta and other groups to stamp out this barbaric
targeting of turtle doves and quail birds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know that the rest of the Lib Dem team are also committed to this.</div>
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<div class="MsoPlainText">
This is one of the many environmental issues I have
campaigned on since being elected five years ago, if you would like me to keep
you updated on this and similar issues please let me know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope this response is helpful and
reassuring, please feel free to contact me again about this or any other
European matter.</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
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Yours sincerely,</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
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<div class="MsoPlainText">
Catherine Bearder MEP</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament for
the South East of England Constituency Office</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
27 Park End Street</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Oxford</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
OX1 1HU</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
+44 1865 249838</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<a href="http://www.bearder.eu/">www.bearder.eu</a></div>
flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-15706089279194032762014-05-02T09:04:00.000+01:002014-05-02T09:04:00.408+01:00March Round Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here we are at the end of March, my last day as an I.T. Manager working for Barclays Bank is over and now that i'm home it feels odd knowing that i'm no longer employed and the rest of my life is ahead of me. My transition in becoming part of the world of ecology has taken a positive turn though in that i've managed to secure some bird survey work for a consultancy based in Essex and an update of progress there will hopefully be in April.</div>
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So what has been happening in March? Well it is difficult to believe that March has come to an end already. I put my name down to volunteer for the Kent Wildlife Trust and have got involved in helping them monitor for American Mink in the North Kent Marshes. The Trust are placing around 50 mink rafts at various sites in the marshes and I helped to build and locate 5 of them in coldharbour marshes just north of Sittingbourne. The raft is made of recycled plastics and within the tunnel is placed a basket containing a sponge and clay on top. The basket fits into a hole in the plastic allowing it to sit in the water where the sponge absorbs water which then keeps the clay moist. A mink being inquisitive is likely to inspect the tunnel and leave its footprints in the clay.</div>
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My first mink raft deployed and god bless all who sail in her! Don't like the colour of that water though, yuk! <br />
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The knot of choice to keep the raft in place is the bowline, a tricky knot to tie.<br />
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After a mornings raft deploying I moved onto Elmley, no longer an RSPB reserve but still looking fantastic all the same. I saw at least 6 hares along the track up to the old farmhouse which holds many a good memory for me as I used to help out with the WEBS counts here and quite often sat in the kitchen enjoying a cuppa before heading out for the count.<br />
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March was a very dry month with plenty of sunny days which brought out quite a few bumblebees and butterflies. This site near to Darenth was alive with early queen bumblebee species, mainly <i>Bombus terrestris</i> or buff-tailed bumblebee who were actively looking for nest sites in the rough grass habitat which is ideal for them.<br />
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Lisa and I also visited Whalefest which is held in Brighton and is the cetacean equivalent of birdfair although much smaller but in years to come could be as big.<br />
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This lady, all the way from Canada, was wandering around in a dress of plastic bags to demonstrate the number of plastic bags used by 1 shopper in a year, none of which will bio-degrade.<br />
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One of the main themes for this year's Whalefest was cetaceans in captivity and a display of crosses, one for each cetacean that has died in captivity, provided a stark representation of the terrible and unnecessary loss.<br />
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Back to the mink rafts two weeks later to check for footprints and you can just about make out what look like water vole footprints in the clay from this raft. No mink footprints were found which is good but not definite proof that they are not in the area.<br />
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<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-10321227283932921562014-03-29T18:26:00.001+00:002014-03-29T18:29:44.605+00:00Flower Power<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
Rediscovered my macro lens today.<br />
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A cute female flower bee taking a rest and warming up on the patio.<br />
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Time for a wash and brush up including making sure that you have a very clean tongue! <br />
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Now for a bit of a feed but she's got the attention of the local males.... <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4tFv2GLSCq4/UzcOzCx4V2I/AAAAAAAAAE8/LHYn_YGjTZA/s1600/_MG_8644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4tFv2GLSCq4/UzcOzCx4V2I/AAAAAAAAAE8/LHYn_YGjTZA/s1600/_MG_8644.jpg" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
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The female makes a break for it but is followed by two males who are joined by a third. <br />
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One of the males attempts to mate with the female whilst another is close by.<br />
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The male successfully mates with the female and I leave them alone.flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-50065648713871777592014-03-09T21:53:00.000+00:002014-03-10T21:08:36.395+00:00Early Spring - So Easy To Miss<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
Blink and you can miss it. I find that spring is so easily missed, you tend to wait for spring to happen and then realise that it has and summer is fast approaching. March is when it all kicks off big time, and today was no exception, what a beautiful warm and sunny day. <br />
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I visited an area close to home and happily spent a couple of hours in the company of many butterflies, I must have had at least 12 brimstones flying up and down the hedgerows along with peacocks and commas. Buzzards were displaying overhead and lizards scurrying about in the leaf litter and basking in the warmth along with a single male adder.<br />
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Backlit cultivated dafodils but the sign of early spring.</div>
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This peacock was one of many warming itself after overwintering in the area. </div>
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Common lizard catching a few rays. </div>
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Common Buzzard, one of 4 in the skies, displaying. </div>
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Eristalis pertinax, the drone fly, a common but distinctive species.<br />
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Lesser Celandine, only a few in flower along with violets. </div>
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Comma butterfly, so called because of the white 'comma' like mark on the underwing.<br />
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Primroses, just make you feel good. </div>
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Male adder, my first for the year.<br />
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Only when I had to leave did events take a turn for the worst as folks arrived intent on riding their motorbikes and quad bikes around the same area that all this wonderful wildlife lives in. Such a shame, I doubt they even cared.<br />
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<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-29883323470496512392014-03-02T16:59:00.003+00:002014-03-02T16:59:42.562+00:00February Missing Bits<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
So stuff that I forgot to blog about earlier. Well the first frogs in the pond appeared around Feb 17th and since then i've seen at least 4 with 2 coupled but so far no sign of any spawn. Toad patrolling at Swanscombe has been hit and miss but so far 8 toads, 7 frogs and 6 newts have been safely carried across the road and have hopefully been able to do their stuff. Whilst 5 toads and 1 frog weren't so lucky getting squashed on the way whilst crossing the road :-(<br />
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Also on the 17th Feb I saw a freshly dead badger at the top of the dual carriageway from the Bean roundabout as you approach Bluewater, whilst driving to work at Crossways. I've never knowingly heard redwings sing in the UK before this February and on a few occasions whilst walking to the car at Crossways I've enjoyed listening to a quiet, presumed, sub-song of a couple of redwings that were feeding on the cotoneaster berries of the bushes linking the various car parks there.<br />
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Friday was the start of the spring/summer/autumn Garden Moth Scheme, so I set my 40W actinic trap with an expectation of catching nothing especially as it was pouring with rain and cold. My expectation was appropriate for the night as my check of the trap in the morning proved that I had caught nothing or at least nothing decided to stay and who could blame it.<br />
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Went to a very interesting talk on Wildlife and Planning given by David Skully from Tunbridge Wells District Council last Friday at a Kent Mammal Group meeting. Certainly a subject that I knew very little about. David is the Biodiversity Officer for that Council and gets involved in many, if not all of the planning applications. Whilst David obviously enjoys his work immensely, I came away from the talk with the feeling that local councils are placed under great pressure to manage planning applications and their biodiversity impacts with minimal resources. I was unaware that quotas for handling planning applications are set by the government with penalties imposed if quotas are not met and the government wading in to make a planning decision if the 8 week timeline from submission to decision is not met. No doubt, David and his colleagues sometimes have to make compromises.<br />
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When you see government statements such as<br />
'Purpose of planning is to help achieve sustainable development'<br />
rather than what I'd prefer to read<br />
'Purpose of planning is to help achieve sustainable biodiversity'<br />
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I tend to wonder just how long the remaining green spaces in Kent will actually remain and what will be left for future generations outside of nature reserves, assuming that the nature reserves are allowed to continue to enjoy their protected status?flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-505913119437002142014-02-22T15:09:00.002+00:002014-02-22T15:09:31.255+00:00Insects Make A Start<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
In the garden today, a brimstone, 7 spot ladybird, an Eristalis sp. of hoverfly, honey bees and a queen tree bee. Bring on the sunshine.flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-72471055313986339012014-02-20T20:04:00.004+00:002014-02-20T20:04:51.893+00:00Feel Good Factor<hr align="left" size="2" width="450" />
Out on toad patrol for the first time this year and Lisa and I managed to save 4 toads, 2 frogs and 2 probably smooth newts. The toads are so cute when they make their little squeaky noises, I know that sounds soppy but they are, honest. Unfortunately there were 3 squashed toads in the road :-(<br />
<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-34002841042808859102014-02-16T21:19:00.001+00:002014-02-16T21:27:26.603+00:00Checkout Ma Chakras<h2>
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So this week I visited Tyland Barn, home of the Kent Wildlife Trust and had a good natter with Sue Morris who heads up the people engagement side of things. Sue introduced me to Sam who is puting together a survey for water voles and mink along parts of the north Kent marshes, keen to get involved and get myself trained up in all things riparian I offered my services. So hopefully come April I will be able to attend a training course and then help our over the spring and summer, cannot wait.<br />
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Toad patrol time is getting close, I'm expecting the call from KRAG anytime now to get my fluorescent jacket on and head off to Southfleet protecting toads, frogs and newts from getting squashed as they travel to their traditional ponds to mate and have a good time. At least this year I'll know to help the toads whatever direction they are traveling in. Last year I just assumed the toads going back across the road where confused and heading in the wrong direction. Ooops.<br />
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Out for a short walk in the lovely sunshine after seeing 4 buzzards flying over the garden, certainly they seem to be doing well in the local area. 7 spot ladybird and a comma on the wing were nice to see along with a flock of 130 linnets in the surrounding farmland.<br />
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Now to the title. Chakras are the meeting points of the non-physical energy channels, seems fairly obvious to me!!! Well Lisa has a much better handle about it all than me, so we visited Glastonbury over the weekend a very interesting place for all things alternative, spiritual, earthie and non-physical energy flows. We were almost put off by the reports of the flooding and were thinking of not going but to be honest the worst of the flooding that we experienced was to the west of Glastonbury and some of the locals we spoke to mentioned that tourists seemed to be staying away due to the inflated media reports of the flooding. Well I'm sure it was not inflated if you were one of the poor people affected but you can understand what the local business folk meant.<br />
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A couple of photos here so you can gauge some of the extent as Lisa and I also visited on our way to Cornwall in September 2013. Both of these are taken from the Tor.<br />
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Sept 2013.<br />
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Just about most of the farmland west of Glastonbury is under water!<br />
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There is a great cake shop in the high street, obviously highly admired by one very patient customer.<br />
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In another shop you find yourself in a very different world of alternative medicine, just an amazing display of herbs and aromatherapy based medicinal cures, along with some freaky candles.<br />
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They also had an excellent 'Green Man' made from herbs.<br />
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<br />flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-59209095427131534452014-02-09T17:54:00.001+00:002014-02-09T17:56:48.898+00:00Welcome BackIf you are reading this then the likelihood is that you are one of my few followers that have stuck in there and noticed that I've returned, so welcome back and I hope you like the new banner. The dragonfly species is an emperor that I photographed at Beacon Hill country park many years back<br />
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This year is going to be an interesting one and I've decided to resurrect the blog to try and document what happens. At the end of March I'm getting made redundant from my IT manager job at Barclays and after 28 years in the industry this is the best chance I'm going to get in my life to make the career change I've been longing for, so here goes. I’m going to try and get a career in ecology! So at the moment I’m dusting off and totally re-writing the CV and preparing cover letters and having to re learn all those interview skills that I last used 28 years ago, to be honest it feels like I’ve left college again.<br />
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At the moment I'm having great difficulty getting my last contracted date with my current employer finalised but I expect to be leaving them on March 31st and then I’m ready for the spring big time and too be honest I cannot wait.<br />
So far this year I haven't been out that much but here is what has been happening in my world.<br />
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I’m going to sneak back into 2012 a little bit because I was lead guide on one of the ORCA I-SPY trips in September where we had Chris Packham as a guest, who by the way I consider to be a top guy. The trip was just awesome where the 80 or so guests on the Brittany Ferries Pont Aven, where treated to an amazing wildlife spectacle. Just take a look at the sightings map we kept during the trip.<br />
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On this trip I managed to see a new species of cetacean for me in the amazing shape of northern bottlenose whale and I also got another personal first for the Bay of Biscay when we picked up killer whales close to the ferry, the whole trip was just wild with mind blowing observations.<br />
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Then still in September of last year I managed to get to Grain for a visit and saw my very first water shrew, unfortunately a dead one.<br />
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So why a water shrew? Well it has black fur without any change of colouration or demarcation on the belly like common shrew, it also has white fur around the ears and the underside of the tail is furred.<br />
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So into this year, 2014.<br />
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Well I've managed to do a winter bird survey, to help me build my ecology survey experience and also attended a Kent Mammal Group riparian survey training event. led by Richard Andrews, which will also come in useful later in the year when the surveys kick off.<br />
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Have I been out anywhere? Well given my change of header, I visited Beacon Woods at Bean, in the mud and rain.<br />
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This is a flooded viewing platform that normally overlooks the main pond!<br />
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I did manage to find these lovely fungi which I’ve yet to put a name too. Looks like someone's spilled some paint on them.flukeprinthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18322222627134049438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-39249930933849046152012-08-12T20:09:00.001+01:002012-08-12T20:09:36.634+01:00Mini-beasts, Dragons and Moths<p>A great weekend for me regarding insects, a couple of superb nights of moth trapping and then I managed to catch up with one of last years rare dragonfly species that I missed.</p> <p>Over Saturday night I set my mv trap in the hope of catching some good moths for me to use as part of the mini-beasts walk I was booked in for at Darenth Country Park. A good haul overnight produced ruby tiger, privet hawk moth, marbled beauty, iron prominent, angle shades and the spectacle which were chosen to show the folks attending the event. I was a little overwhelmed when 60 people turned up! I managed to get the kids to rethink which insects were best out of moths and butterflies. Generally butterflies come on as the better loved but after showing them the group of moths caught overnight, moths then became the clear favourites, hurrah!</p> <p>The mini-beasts event was totally exhausting but incredible, the kids in the party were superb, so much enthusiasm rushing about catching butterflies, grasshoppers, spiders, flies and bees, I was kept very busy trying to identify what I could. In true Olympic fashion I split the boys and girls into teams, with the girls scoring a point for every butterfly species and the boys for every grasshopper and cricket species. The girls romped home with 9 points to the boys 5 but it made it fun.</p> <p>On getting home I had a call telling me about a southern migrant hawker at Cliffe which I duly went to see and I was glad I did because it was a cracking beastie.</p> <p>The top photo is <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-e6jR3kviumQ/UCf_K80zPLI/AAAAAAAADIM/HwfeJ-n2Qlo/s1600-h/hawkers_comparison_resize%25255B7%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="hawkers_comparison_resize" border="0" alt="hawkers_comparison_resize" align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1KL0oQN_s7w/UCf_L08fb4I/AAAAAAAADIU/E_Q6X092ku0/hawkers_comparison_resize_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="360" height="713" /></a>of the male southern migrant hawker at Cliffe and the bottom photo is of a male migrant hawker, taken in September a few years back.</p> <p>On first glance they both look similar but the things to check are the colour of the eyes which in southern migrant hawker are a rich blue and the colour of segments 1 and 2. These are the segments immediately behind where the hindwings join the body. In southern hawker both segments are blue, in migrant hawker segment 1 has a set of yellow and brown markings.</p> <p>Another id feature is the the difference in the markings on the side of the thorax, thin black lines in southern and broad lime/yellow stripes in migrant.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Another unexpected find was a number of small red-eyed damselflies.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FgHsK2zCW3Y/UCf_NWK5jFI/AAAAAAAADIc/RXkH-BhBkBA/s1600-h/12_08_11_cliffe_small_red_eyed_damselfy_058%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_11_cliffe_small_red_eyed_damselfy_058" border="0" alt="12_08_11_cliffe_small_red_eyed_damselfy_058" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5KaSut9VhqY/UCf_OaMux5I/AAAAAAAADIk/IWadMaYh2O0/12_08_11_cliffe_small_red_eyed_damselfy_058_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="582" height="443" /></a>Onto some of the other moths caught over the Friday night.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-P88rWRNaWHU/UCf_PdXA8zI/AAAAAAAADIs/jKLYoAgWXTk/s1600-h/12_08_11_longfield_%252520crambus_perlella_warringtonellus_110%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_11_longfield_ crambus_perlella_warringtonellus_110" border="0" alt="12_08_11_longfield_ crambus_perlella_warringtonellus_110" align="right" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Qxj3DAt5qXA/UCf_QHCd1ZI/AAAAAAAADIw/hBKVQ-B3v4k/12_08_11_longfield_%252520crambus_perlella_warringtonellus_110_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="256" height="505" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Hqj_cYjbE-o/UCf_ROvBSxI/AAAAAAAADI8/qeYYS9yAc9c/s1600-h/12_08_11_longfield_grey_dagger_042%25255B3%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><font color="#ffffff">I haven’t noticed this form of <em>Crambus perlella</em> before it is called <em>warrintonellus</em>.</font></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>A great looking moth the grey dagger.<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Hqj_cYjbE-o/UCf_ROvBSxI/AAAAAAAADJE/ZMA0--G0EDg/s1600-h/12_08_11_longfield_grey_dagger_042%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_11_longfield_grey_dagger_042" border="0" alt="12_08_11_longfield_grey_dagger_042" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0cbeOwyXJOI/UCf_TiHKPZI/AAAAAAAADJI/-WfYOUvzcMc/12_08_11_longfield_grey_dagger_042_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="578" height="403" /></a>I’ve been having a real problem identifying pugs this year, don’t know why just cannot do them at the moment, however this was one exception a nice v-pug.<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ECc1lT8x5fo/UCf_UwVJ2gI/AAAAAAAADJQ/t-VPACoSpig/s1600-h/12_08_11_longfield_v_pug__026%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_11_longfield_v_pug__026" border="0" alt="12_08_11_longfield_v_pug__026" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z6IDy_ckCgc/UCf_V5w70OI/AAAAAAAADJU/EGJhAJFdELs/12_08_11_longfield_v_pug__026_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="578" height="500" /></a></p> <p>This one got me thinking and another first for me, the dark form of willow beauty, <em>f. rebeli</em></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-la3_RmaDWNU/UCf_Wgr3ChI/AAAAAAAADJc/oIMnt22sfyk/s1600-h/12_08_11_longfield_willow_beauty_f_rebeli_018%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_11_longfield_willow_beauty_f_rebeli_018" border="0" alt="12_08_11_longfield_willow_beauty_f_rebeli_018" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--kRjex2KQz8/UCf_X-1zJNI/AAAAAAAADJo/i4Y2gHFCotw/12_08_11_longfield_willow_beauty_f_rebeli_018_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="570" height="550" /></a></p> <p>This next micro moth was another first for me, whilst common across southern Britain it has a local distribution, <em>Catoptria falsella</em>, what a little cracker.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PmUyOuF-i94/UCf_Z_XYx9I/AAAAAAAADJw/f6QdHGcUIl4/s1600-h/12_08_11_longfield_capotptria_falsella_006%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_11_longfield_capotptria_falsella_006" border="0" alt="12_08_11_longfield_capotptria_falsella_006" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nZNW93tjl7A/UCf_bJTSHtI/AAAAAAAADJ4/F3Lyv9mnftE/12_08_11_longfield_capotptria_falsella_006_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="578" height="485" /></a></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-28675716031251013162012-08-06T20:38:00.001+01:002012-08-06T20:38:28.913+01:00Blubber and Fur<p>Last Saturday saw me down at Dungeness reasonably early taking a couple of hours out to look for marine mammals as I’d missed out on the National Whale and Dolphin Watch weekend over the 27th – 29th July. So I’d decided to complete my watch as a Kent Mammal Group activity and to be honest I wasn’t really expecting anyone else to turn up which was just as well as I spent the two hours alone, enjoying an exciting cetacean and seabird spectacle.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-imSO8LkOL08/UCAc0Ub9YTI/AAAAAAAADDo/wufc3ttnAdE/s1600-h/2012_dungeness_0804_085606%25255B8%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012_dungeness_0804_085606" border="0" alt="2012_dungeness_0804_085606" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P07qhsvt2ps/UCAc1yCsUmI/AAAAAAAADDw/4m2FoxpAZeI/2012_dungeness_0804_085606_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="585" height="452" /></a></p> <p>The watch started off well with 3 harbour porpoise being seen within 5 minutes of arriving, 2 of the animals were within 800 metres offshore and one could be seen with the naked eye. There was an obvious trickle of terns, common, arctic and sandwich moving west in the strong south westerly wind which was whipping the sea into a state 4/5. With lots of white water visible and troughs of up to 2 metres, this was hardly good conditions for trying to see the smallest cetacean in European waters being between 4.5-5.5 feet in length but at least it wasn’t raining.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0_pUFF-zg_A/UCAc3ds4aBI/AAAAAAAADD4/5I01egBrhN8/s1600-h/2012_dungeness_0804_104719%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012_dungeness_0804_104719" border="0" alt="2012_dungeness_0804_104719" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qnFj9N0NXfA/UCAc4vRWPQI/AAAAAAAADEA/0ZOJroY8Gz0/2012_dungeness_0804_104719_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="583" height="373" /></a></p> <p>Other notable birds included 2 black terns an arctic skua and an adult little gull still with a black head. Around 2km’s offshore a building, wheeling group of gannets had started to form and plunge dive, always an impressive sight and an indication of food below the waves which may also be attractive to cetaceans. Sure enough 3 harbour porpoises were there surging through the waves obviously feeding and chasing prey. At times the porpoise would be on the front side of a wave trough and you could see the whole animal just under the surface. In total I managed to see around 10 harbour porpoise and a very close grey seal.</p> <p>On Sunday, Lisa and I went to a woodland area near to Aylesbury to help out with edible dormouse <em>Glis glis</em> monitoring. Mainly due to the spring and summer weather the numbers of <em>glis </em>being found in the provided nestboxes were down on previous years. Hopefully the majority of animals were safely hibernating the year through and would appear in 2013 rather than having moved into the surrounding houses were they are known to cause havoc by chewing through cables. We were told of one home where already this year 297 had been caught and killed!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-a94svj58xxA/UCAc6F0ru6I/AAAAAAAADEI/1qnGabz-JZw/s1600-h/12_08_05_edible%252520dormouse_126%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_05_edible dormouse_126" border="0" alt="12_08_05_edible dormouse_126" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-41AzHR7T5iE/UCAc8IljoTI/AAAAAAAADEQ/_prBbe_Ef9E/12_08_05_edible%252520dormouse_126_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="363" height="489" /></a></p> <p>How can you do that to something so cute! Watch out for those teeth though as they bite back and they hang on, hence the need to wear gloves when handling.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TVIDVxsW0LE/UCAc-BU_LyI/AAAAAAAADEY/pXs915Twnw0/s1600-h/12_08_05_edible%252520dormouse_134%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_05_edible dormouse_134" border="0" alt="12_08_05_edible dormouse_134" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zoSWiJadeWo/UCAc_eV8owI/AAAAAAAADEc/CdjpgEPW-Oc/12_08_05_edible%252520dormouse_134_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="569" height="494" /></a></p> <p>A superb set of whiskers helps this little beastie check out it’s surroundings at night as it wanders the canopy looking for beech nuts.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-X2gWTT3EaWQ/UCAdAyAXLwI/AAAAAAAADEo/BdNzKWqNnYo/s1600-h/12_08_05_edible%252520dormouse_080%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_08_05_edible dormouse_080" border="0" alt="12_08_05_edible dormouse_080" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-K8PdKk5jI5E/UCAdDOJnbTI/AAAAAAAADEw/8NalheX0Pq4/12_08_05_edible%252520dormouse_080_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="596" height="532" /></a></p> <p>This year the use of endoscopes made it easier to checkout the contents of the boxes for any snoozing dormice. As I approached one box and looked through the scope I said ‘ I’m not sure but I think there is a dormouse in here, probably worth taking down just to double check.’. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HxNXDsGHLFM/UCAdFNQ1hDI/AAAAAAAADE4/iDRSllFiBLw/s1600-h/2012_endoscope_0805_102606%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012_endoscope_0805_102606" border="0" alt="2012_endoscope_0805_102606" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mpoO7P9G1cM/UCAdGfpJMBI/AAAAAAAADFA/OPt73j-SNvw/2012_endoscope_0805_102606_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="396" height="554" /></a></p> <p>The box was duly taken down and emptied into a collecting bag. In the bottom were 8 mature dormice, it must have been a squash in there, just awesome!!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3BDLC3r3a4s/UCAdIR9RsGI/AAAAAAAADFI/iwaOTZ9BxVw/s1600-h/2012_dormouse_0805_124406%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012_dormouse_0805_124406" border="0" alt="2012_dormouse_0805_124406" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AP3o85W4TfA/UCAdJoq468I/AAAAAAAADFM/ZMIgMajtdnI/2012_dormouse_0805_124406_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="407" height="570" /></a></p> <p>After a lot of box checking and data gathering it was back to the control hut for tea and cakes after a job well done.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3TxKE3JYBX4/UCAdLMWnXMI/AAAAAAAADFY/CQtDfE-Idb8/s1600-h/2012_dormouse_0805_160038%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2012_dormouse_0805_160038" border="0" alt="2012_dormouse_0805_160038" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wat3MqMt9LU/UCAdMqCWThI/AAAAAAAADFg/uB0Iqm1032s/2012_dormouse_0805_160038_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="588" height="454" /></a></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-60065577858933619812012-05-29T22:16:00.001+01:002012-05-30T19:15:50.765+01:00So Where Have I Been?Well most recently, between 14th –21st May, I have been to Norway on a SAGA cruise. Actually i’m not quite eligible to officially join as a cruise guest just yet but I managed to get a place as part of an Organisation Cetacea (ORCA), survey team on the lookout for cetaceans. In fact SAGA and ORCA have built up a good relationship that allows ORCA survey teams aboard providing a welcome additional wildlife aspect to their cruises and giving ORCA much needed extra survey data. So both parties benefit.<br />
The ship is called the Quest For Adventure and a good size vessel she is too.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BYq4yZnjVK4/T8U70XW8WjI/AAAAAAAAC74/jUmb6wS909w/s1600-h/12_05_18_norway_070%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_18_norway_070" border="0" height="336" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ATB7dkTeRf8/T8U70w98y4I/AAAAAAAAC8A/Hb_LDKGHUcA/12_05_18_norway_070_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_18_norway_070" width="589" /></a><br />
Whilst we are there to survey for marine wildlife it is an important part of the role to get involved in other aspects of the cruise and ensure we engage with the other guests. So with best formal frocks and suits on, I’ll introduce the survey team. Me, Cheryl, Debbie and Steve, what a fine bunch.<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V6Z0HXLtRB8/T8U71sftURI/AAAAAAAAC8I/Ewhhqg0Haus/s1600-h/12_05_15_norway_012%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_15_norway_012" border="0" height="422" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9UcADhpWE1w/T8U72MTccqI/AAAAAAAAC8Q/JKT-QU28mWc/12_05_15_norway_012_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_15_norway_012" width="546" /></a><br />
So off to Norway but the weather conditions are not that good for cetaceans but we do manage to see a couple of harbour porpoises and a few puffins.<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9VD93r5sulE/T8U73XrqowI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/1FJv6EfUeOI/s1600-h/12_05_14_norway_006%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_14_norway_006" border="0" height="424" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4oZ_f2s5v64/T8U75N4kakI/AAAAAAAAC8g/vJnWIUOnaFU/12_05_14_norway_006_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_14_norway_006" width="549" /></a><br />
The first stop was Bergen , a major port for the support of the oil industry.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-USB09eAJH7M/T8U76MYZNxI/AAAAAAAAC8o/1OQZLLQpw3U/s1600-h/12_05_16_norway_014%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_16_norway_014" border="0" height="420" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fDBwt-bmOkE/T8U76lYDCkI/AAAAAAAAC8w/3vtHC6tJJAQ/12_05_16_norway_014_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_16_norway_014" width="600" /></a><br />
This ship looks like a seismic survey vessel, used for finding gas and oil fields, potentially not good news for cetaceans. In fact it’s an anchor handling tug, still looks very odd though.<br />
Part of our role is to also help out being additional guides on excursions, which is good fun and allows us to see some of the local colour. The funicular railway gets you on your way to Mount Floyen .<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XtrfNZ_fitc/T8U775t2TpI/AAAAAAAAC84/X9cfIAVzvgs/s1600-h/12_05_16_norway_018%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_16_norway_018" border="0" height="426" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ih_iCwUExCg/T8U79w43AcI/AAAAAAAAC9A/Jypt5K9npCc/12_05_16_norway_018_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_16_norway_018" width="552" /></a><br />
The view from the top.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WEB5GtW-hjU/T8U7-cQsdtI/AAAAAAAAC9I/94jxuoR83G0/s1600-h/bergen_Panorama1%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="bergen_Panorama1" border="0" height="183" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EPsibckkFdU/T8U7--ZiHnI/AAAAAAAAC9Q/hiGIUj2LwZE/bergen_Panorama1_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="bergen_Panorama1" width="600" /></a><br />
During World War II Bergen being occupied by the Germans hosted U-boats and you can still see the formidable old concrete pens in the harbour.<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QFdUS8tI_7M/T8U7_nYh_NI/AAAAAAAAC9Y/szWTSzE5Dec/s1600-h/u-boat_pens_bergen_12_05_16_norway_006%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="u-boat_pens_bergen_12_05_16_norway_006" border="0" height="319" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ptmpkFLl9Qg/T8U8AImCpnI/AAAAAAAAC9g/g3vP8LO2kCU/u-boat_pens_bergen_12_05_16_norway_006_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="u-boat_pens_bergen_12_05_16_norway_006" width="602" /></a><br />
Next day saw us further north at the more picturesque village of Flam.<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mSvXl2avHG8/T8U8AtoVhnI/AAAAAAAAC9o/-4OjVSaztE4/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_134_flam%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_134_flam" border="0" height="341" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rDlmOzEprkU/T8U8BGMVvaI/AAAAAAAAC9w/07q030Lr-Z4/12_05_17_norway_134_flam_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_134_flam" width="598" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7qc9f5BCyEE/T8U8CUtrSDI/AAAAAAAAC94/2lsvLhxB-k8/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_236_flam%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_236_flam" border="0" height="411" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ilwpc01jABs/T8U8D0AXbuI/AAAAAAAAC-A/DCJ_TyquI5Q/12_05_17_norway_236_flam_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_236_flam" width="597" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-A6uuWFq1QQE/T8U8FJkFB9I/AAAAAAAAC-I/0IYaiyqHTdk/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_242_flam%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_242_flam" border="0" height="394" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WNP01m9vh-M/T8U8FqawjlI/AAAAAAAAC-Q/bGNezqov1NU/12_05_17_norway_242_flam_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_242_flam" width="594" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XVcCVuYL5Zo/T8U8GdkYJjI/AAAAAAAAC-Y/OfX0npJfAnw/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_061_flam%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_061_flam" border="0" height="361" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HsOMf7x0GeE/T8U8G5EnvgI/AAAAAAAAC-g/0gBF05Uen6M/12_05_17_norway_061_flam_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_061_flam" width="594" /></a><br />
Certainly a more pastoral feel to the local farming practice leading to fields full of wild flowers, these being ladies smock.<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-D6rwBt91shA/T8U8INz7_cI/AAAAAAAAC-o/EnX5Q2Qi7Zo/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_224%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_224" border="0" height="411" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4PXP49q-RWc/T8U8I8DFaMI/AAAAAAAAC-w/21dz0aTldQ0/12_05_17_norway_224_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_224" width="597" /></a><br />
Some of the more common garden birds<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qIQkhR6LlCI/T8U8JgeXSVI/AAAAAAAAC-4/i8QecqLC44A/s1600-h/marsh_tit_12_05_17_norway_182%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="marsh_tit_12_05_17_norway_182" border="0" height="517" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cfc42C_vPxQ/T8U8J0Xc7mI/AAAAAAAAC_A/9Gol9gkfqCg/marsh_tit_12_05_17_norway_182_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="marsh_tit_12_05_17_norway_182" width="590" /></a><br />
Marsh Tit<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ytxvGK_3ZlI/T8U8LSNmWtI/AAAAAAAAC_I/oih0KK-C7yE/s1600-h/Piedfly_12_05_17_norway_193%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Piedfly_12_05_17_norway_193" border="0" height="425" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6E62i8dMKJc/T8U8LziRZwI/AAAAAAAAC_M/fUXcrAIpyFc/Piedfly_12_05_17_norway_193_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Piedfly_12_05_17_norway_193" width="476" /></a><br />
Pied Flycatcher<br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZZKHKBb4q_M/T8U8MWwDTTI/AAAAAAAAC_Y/_GDbDwsjkhI/s1600-h/whinchat_12_05_17_norway_019%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="whinchat_12_05_17_norway_019" border="0" height="442" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1K1vyiSE3Us/T8U8M7i7S5I/AAAAAAAAC_g/k9Hd-6KQvbg/whinchat_12_05_17_norway_019_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="whinchat_12_05_17_norway_019" width="586" /></a><br />
Whinchat<br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-besjfPojYuw/T8U8QWib48I/AAAAAAAAC_o/Mxf1ZvMgF9Q/s1600-h/white_wagtail_12_05_17_norway_062-2%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="white_wagtail_12_05_17_norway_062-2" border="0" height="352" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-igsZzc1A47U/T8U8RcZKn_I/AAAAAAAAC_w/osVPxkl2icE/white_wagtail_12_05_17_norway_062-2_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="white_wagtail_12_05_17_norway_062-2" width="584" /></a><br />
White Wagtail<br />
There were also some cute local residents.<br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HdfO8_B1HHQ/T8U8SAAwIqI/AAAAAAAAC_4/2qiMixb4pFA/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_081%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_081" border="0" height="402" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pHAUz97U_Nw/T8U8UpIAOWI/AAAAAAAADAA/oadnIcffnXc/12_05_17_norway_081_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_081" width="261" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9oncanvNg9M/T8U8Vt4jxEI/AAAAAAAADAI/JHxhf34VJLk/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_068-2%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_068-2" border="0" height="473" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-g_JQLs3Hbk4/T8U8WJ0vwzI/AAAAAAAADAQ/M70uhUHRnUk/12_05_17_norway_068-2_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_068-2" width="569" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eKoGCvFpJJk/T8U8XOs-lkI/AAAAAAAADAY/crqTGQNiin0/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_040%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_040" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9OBvhI6pZao/T8U8XnHhEQI/AAAAAAAADAg/GgtuVdRDhj4/12_05_17_norway_040_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_040" width="581" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zHSUzfhfYN4/T8U8YoDmgLI/AAAAAAAADAo/tPFwZzr7_Fo/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_263%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_263" border="0" height="309" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2ffyZYdWPdw/T8U8ZX5_udI/AAAAAAAADAw/NrFCkgeIfYA/12_05_17_norway_263_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_263" width="595" /></a><br />
Some of the team got a bit stuck trying to get up close to a local waterfall.<br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EFoll-CowXk/T8U8bWU_KeI/AAAAAAAADA4/JkDx2DLS5UY/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_171%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_171" border="0" height="408" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BepMump08t4/T8U8cxV6mvI/AAAAAAAADBA/BUlvZmynaMQ/12_05_17_norway_171_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_171" width="592" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yO1T9Uxt2xU/T8U8digTgBI/AAAAAAAADBI/Ttoddlkxs-w/s1600-h/12_05_17_norway_132%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_17_norway_132" border="0" height="610" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jjmQIar9eaY/T8U8eAEZvqI/AAAAAAAADBQ/IYntQFG2ceU/12_05_17_norway_132_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_17_norway_132" width="359" /></a><br />
The next day we were at Skjolden, the scenic Sognefjell Mountain pass and the Sognelfjord.<br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-z3G1oB7oMb8/T8U8ehcsx5I/AAAAAAAADBY/fLZVshGLNmY/s1600-h/12_05_18_norway_075_sognefjell%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_18_norway_075_sognefjell" border="0" height="456" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IsOe9kvqg0g/T8U8fO2SKCI/AAAAAAAADBg/XddPNf2FZYc/12_05_18_norway_075_sognefjell_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_18_norway_075_sognefjell" width="590" /></a><br />
Some of the local reindeer.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-UTV5IRswMIE/T8U8flSLNfI/AAAAAAAADBo/sd6xbiqBzHY/s1600-h/12_05_18_norway_083_sognefjell%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_18_norway_083_sognefjell" border="0" height="318" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nJJ44zLWp30/T8U8gCK-jUI/AAAAAAAADBw/lTNyRQO0c50/12_05_18_norway_083_sognefjell_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_18_norway_083_sognefjell" width="581" /></a><br />
The trip along the Sognelfjord gave us our first chance to see harbour porpoise in good calm conditions.<br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-n-n7hLEPh5g/T8U8g2IvQ5I/AAAAAAAADB4/a4IQfaaIcrw/s1600-h/12_05_18_norway_310_hporp%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_18_norway_310_hporp" border="0" height="438" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BLNnEYCwp1I/T8U8hlsI6BI/AAAAAAAADCA/QMnBhzIV8vQ/12_05_18_norway_310_hporp_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_18_norway_310_hporp" width="569" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aH2pR4z0RI8/T8U8iNLImbI/AAAAAAAADCI/ivJPaU4KplQ/s1600-h/12_05_18_norway_322_hporp%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_18_norway_322_hporp" border="0" height="334" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-veJu7wx9Kcc/T8U8ipQCLiI/AAAAAAAADCQ/3hTiMohKfeo/12_05_18_norway_322_hporp_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_18_norway_322_hporp" width="585" /></a><br />
That days sunset was particularly special.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pdbpwkibEco/T8U8jOnZvpI/AAAAAAAADCY/bSBx-wiMBfA/s1600-h/12_05_18_norway_338%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_18_norway_338" border="0" height="330" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b72dg205Cpw/T8U8jWxJNXI/AAAAAAAADCg/63HiZ6hNfBg/12_05_18_norway_338_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_18_norway_338" width="600" /></a><br />
Our last day in Norway was at Stavangar, once again we were able to join in as additional escorts on some of the excursions. One of which went through the old part of the town which still has 130 preserved buildings from the late 1700s and mid 1800s.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-X_djgSDaSxc/T8U8krKTQII/AAAAAAAADCo/hc3XBcVOvq8/s1600-h/12_05_19_norway_141_stavangar%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_19_norway_141_stavangar" border="0" height="459" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-K1vPbM-Fw1o/T8U8lsZtncI/AAAAAAAADCw/1AHn9JMPBMU/12_05_19_norway_141_stavangar_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_19_norway_141_stavangar" width="594" /></a><br />
The impressive Hafrsfjord monument ‘Swords in the Stone’ is thought to be where the viking king Harald I defeated the last of regional princes and started the unification of Norway.<br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eQ3Bmpj3bdg/T8U8q_tMGMI/AAAAAAAADC4/IwoVtosDfys/s1600-h/12_05_19_norway_138%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_19_norway_138" border="0" height="464" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uvpeo4ci9gs/T8U8rZqhsTI/AAAAAAAADDA/NwLLY0oryI4/12_05_19_norway_138_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_19_norway_138" width="382" /></a><br />
Our last day at sea travelling back to Dover actually gave us an incredible sea state 1 which allowed us to record over 30 harbour porpoises and 7 minke whales. The sunset was superb and a fitting end to the trip.<br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Gk6UXHMgWrY/T8U8r6jHv6I/AAAAAAAADDI/a8zzJiCt7b0/s1600-h/12_05_19_norway_398%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="12_05_19_norway_398" border="0" height="362" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-y5XFTpywjFE/T8U8sPE3IdI/AAAAAAAADDQ/UaOfLqOwwC4/12_05_19_norway_398_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="12_05_19_norway_398" width="601" /></a><br />
A great trip and team, the crew of the Quest looked after us very well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-85678272572197662122012-03-20T16:12:00.001+00:002012-05-26T13:03:47.663+01:00Adding Up and Keeping Count!<p> <br />Recently I’ve been reading a book by Rodger McPhail called ‘The Private Life Of Adders’. To be honest it doesn’t take long to read but for someone like me that doesn’t know a lot about the life history of adders it is full of very useful information and a good introduction and I would recommend it as it is also full of great and surprising photos. One aspect of adder watching is trying to work out just how many individual adders you might be looking at and a study in the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire showed that adders posses unique head-patterns that can be broken down into 3 components. Eye lines, inverted V and the apex of the zig-zag. <br />So far I have made 3 trips to the adder site and I think I’ve seen 7 different male adders, which if true is the most I’ve ever seen in one area and quite exciting and the females aren’t even out yet! <br />The challenge is to try and get a photo of the back of the head which is easier said than done given that your average adder doesn’t want to be noticed let alone photographed and bits of grass and bees get in the way but that is all part of the challenge. <br />What do you think, there are certainly 4 different males below but do you reckon there are 7 different males here? Answers on a postcard. <br />March 18th. <br />Male 1  <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-a7-ZIiynqc8/T8DGUAmgPuI/AAAAAAAAC4E/g1Ou3JeaKbM/s1600-h/12_03_18_mh_116_male_4%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_18_mh_116_male_4" border="0" alt="12_03_18_mh_116_male_4" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_SsBzN7qLtk/T8DGVIBZPWI/AAAAAAAAC4M/hTgV_bPpR08/12_03_18_mh_116_male_4_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" height="439" /></a> <br />Male 2  <br /> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CeUd7MNVZxs/T8DGWRq5xaI/AAAAAAAAC4U/9iLS4M0Tbx4/s1600-h/12_03_18_mh_074_male_3%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_18_mh_074_male_3" border="0" alt="12_03_18_mh_074_male_3" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pVEAGMlkgPU/T8DGXoAw5vI/AAAAAAAAC4c/OZs79EDvHUo/12_03_18_mh_074_male_3_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="582" height="584" /></a> <br />This one will be easy to identify as long as the spring flower bee stays put! <br />Male 3  <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BAQ1lkaiC3U/T8DGYu2quEI/AAAAAAAAC4k/R7wVHs8omvE/s1600-h/12_03_18_mh_040_male_2%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"> <img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_18_mh_040_male_2" border="0" alt="12_03_18_mh_040_male_2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YQ5XOKFR3UQ/T8DGZpYIbSI/AAAAAAAAC4s/kOsOwj-BCJo/12_03_18_mh_040_male_2_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="594" height="583" /> <br /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-p5igRgEvL08/T8DGa4t6J8I/AAAAAAAAC40/d8xVLAeW_9c/s1600-h/12_03_18_mh_031_male_2%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_18_mh_031_male_2" border="0" alt="12_03_18_mh_031_male_2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9Itb0h5_5pE/T8DGb2YskiI/AAAAAAAAC48/FDIlISZhCEU/12_03_18_mh_031_male_2_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="593" height="470" /></a> <br />Male 4<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NnR73xXbBxc/T8DGc-ABynI/AAAAAAAAC5E/eFQLjfYuC9s/s1600-h/12_03_18_mh_016_male_1%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_18_mh_016_male_1" border="0" alt="12_03_18_mh_016_male_1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-d9PkKwudHO0/T8DGeF1wwKI/AAAAAAAAC5M/Brud-To5MEc/12_03_18_mh_016_male_1_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="578" height="611" /></a> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GYwAY88IsD0/T8DGfyz77VI/AAAAAAAAC5U/zhzWn7kr9Cs/s1600-h/12_03_18_mh_010_male_1%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_18_mh_010_male_1" border="0" alt="12_03_18_mh_010_male_1" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-loPQDzUHnvI/T8DGhXyQKSI/AAAAAAAAC5c/2R4ZJ6ShiQk/12_03_18_mh_010_male_1_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="596" height="398" /></a> <br />March 8th <br />Male 5 <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WQiVHGzWyS8/T8DGiYMrlJI/AAAAAAAAC5k/fK3WAWLnqmg/s1600-h/12_03_08_mh_001_male_7%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_08_mh_001_male_7" border="0" alt="12_03_08_mh_001_male_7" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Glkx5zx_RgQ/T8DGjcTeA1I/AAAAAAAAC5s/zE0WH80eYTQ/12_03_08_mh_001_male_7_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="470" height="534" /></a> <br />26th February <br />Male 6<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JxVpxDlHiRY/T8DGkikS0JI/AAAAAAAAC5w/ARl0Oi241RE/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_056_male_5%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_056_male_5" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_056_male_5" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wgSz8ehdEEw/T8DGl2GfJxI/AAAAAAAAC58/6PKvy-if_lg/12_02_26_mh_056_male_5_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="574" height="452" /></a> <br />Male 7 <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-dtyiNXEY1mk/T8DGnEtvaJI/AAAAAAAAC6E/7ZfXWiF4-qo/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_059_male_6%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_059_male_6" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_059_male_6" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DLhlv-n8Ptc/T8DGoC8cxeI/AAAAAAAAC6M/K7ncShABiSc/12_02_26_mh_059_male_6_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="559" height="569" /></a></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-10995039302135488552012-03-11T20:42:00.001+00:002012-03-20T18:28:46.371+00:00Tree BeeFor the past couple of weeks I have been setting my 40W actinic light trap on a Friday night as part of the garden moth scheme. It is a constant effort moth trapping survey to determine moth population trends for the commoner species. Well my tally so far is a total of 4 moths and 2 species with Friday nights new species being a chestnut and a worn individual at that. <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qeLl_0l0iNI/T2jMWCqYN6I/AAAAAAAAC30/bwxEztqoK5o/s1600-h/12_03_10_Longfield_019_chestnut%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_10_Longfield_019_chestnut" border="0" alt="12_03_10_Longfield_019_chestnut" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QKRmLZ3vv-4/T2jMXJpD95I/AAAAAAAAC38/lcvGwZtVc6U/12_03_10_Longfield_019_chestnut_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="591" height="513" /></a> <br />A beautiful warm and sunny day today, the local 7-spot ladybirds were catching a few rays as they started to emerge from their overnight roosts, if you can call them that? <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-I1UcEz_AJLA/T10N_F5U4NI/AAAAAAAAC00/ClMgnhiI0cg/s1600-h/12_03_11_Longfield_054_ladybirds%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_11_Longfield_054_ladybirds" border="0" alt="12_03_11_Longfield_054_ladybirds" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Tw3nXWZi8kc/T10OAQOj3UI/AAAAAAAAC08/svCSvusFDtY/12_03_11_Longfield_054_ladybirds_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="601" height="395" /></a> <br />There are 11 in the picture above and nearby there were another 15. So far I haven’t seen a single harlequin ladybird in the garden, which I think is good. <br />Bumblebees were also very much in evidence today with queen buff-tailed bumblebees visiting the flowering hellebores. Then Lisa pointed out a bee that had landed on an ornamental butterfly and luckily I managed to get a shot. <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-A8mNUtrTRVA/T10OBYVKaBI/AAAAAAAAC1E/qK1-j8HVp8c/s1600-h/12_03_11_Longfield_067_tree_bee%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_11_Longfield_067_tree_bee" border="0" alt="12_03_11_Longfield_067_tree_bee" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-g--0Luf2XYs/T10OCF__SCI/AAAAAAAAC1M/CkI7sbyBzt8/12_03_11_Longfield_067_tree_bee_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="575" height="509" /></a> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ICkOp5tKrB0/T10ODDnyOQI/AAAAAAAAC1U/owOMMhCnm_E/s1600-h/12_03_11_Longfield_097_tree_bee%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_11_Longfield_097_tree_bee" border="0" alt="12_03_11_Longfield_097_tree_bee" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pz5cFmqFxy0/T10OGjhlh5I/AAAAAAAAC1c/NliRXg9D6J0/12_03_11_Longfield_097_tree_bee_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="567" height="642" /></a> <br />This is <em>Bombus hypnorum</em> or the tree bee. First recorded in the UK in Hampshire in  2001, it has rapidly been spreading across the south and south east and even starting to spread north. In fact amongst our UK bumble bees it is bucking the trend in that it is increasing and expanding it’s range and becoming more common. This is a queen and mighty fine she is too and needless to say the first one I have recorded in Longfield. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-50681309025332429492012-03-08T18:23:00.001+00:002012-05-26T13:06:29.330+01:00Something New For The Area…<br />Well for me anyway. The day started well enough with an unexpected peregrine falcon flying over the garden whilst I was eating my breakfast. I then waited for the sun to break out and headed back up to the adder site in the hope of finding more adders this time in the company of Neil Tew. <br />Several blackthorns were in blossom but no accompanying butterflies in the sunshine.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0xUtCxghppU/T1j421jm4DI/AAAAAAAACzk/ORC9wpCy6l8/s1600-h/12_03_08_mabledon%252520hospital_008_blackthorn%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_08_mabledon hospital_008_blackthorn" border="0" alt="12_03_08_mabledon hospital_008_blackthorn" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jgZOG7ticEc/T1j44UPUUxI/AAAAAAAACzs/9J_NuoQi1KA/12_03_08_mabledon%252520hospital_008_blackthorn_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="591" height="455" /></a> <br />Oddly I also saw a peregrine here as well. I assume it was the same bird although there was a good two hours between the separate sightings. <br />We managed to see two males, one of which was in a different area than on the 26th Feb so a total of 3 males thus far. <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wJstYOu3UKs/T8DHPF8zfaI/AAAAAAAAC6U/TXZ4m-GuCWk/s1600-h/12_03_08_mh_004%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_08_mh_004" border="0" alt="12_03_08_mh_004" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o8pgCsZBxeU/T8DHQsuGq4I/AAAAAAAAC6c/D3XjJ4aKAw8/12_03_08_mh_004_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="601" height="426" /></a> <br />Under one of the refugia we came across a pygmy shrew which was quickly scurried away and that brings me on to the fact that I'm now the Kent mammal recorder as part of the Kent Mammal Group. So if you are reading this post and record your mammal sightings in Kent please send them onto me. At the moment the Kent Mammal Group is planning to create a new mammal atlas so we need all the records we can of both live and dead, marine and terrestrial mammals to get as complete a picture on status as possible. You may be surprised to read that rabbit and rat records are amongst the fewest we have!! <br />This afternoon Neil showed me a pond nearby where toads have been occurring in good numbers and it was to good an opportunity to miss for a couple of photos. In fact these are the first toad photos I have ever had the opportunity to take and the first toads I have seen in the Longfield area. <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xzTPPFnwGMA/T1j5AzMAd8I/AAAAAAAAC0E/8xcty3tjFgI/s1600-h/12_03_08_longfield_004%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_08_longfield_004" border="0" alt="12_03_08_longfield_004" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-swUA9hU9O4s/T1j5BorL94I/AAAAAAAAC0M/IaxmpCLVFfI/12_03_08_longfield_004_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="596" height="390" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aH8S4mSzH3o/T1j5C9UcrzI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/eCKysvP9jzk/s1600-h/12_03_08_longfield_016%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-top: 0px" title="12_03_08_longfield_016" border="0" alt="12_03_08_longfield_016" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZPWLLRgUf28/T1j5DiHG80I/AAAAAAAAC0c/0gnrfXWA5IE/12_03_08_longfield_016_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="595" height="410" /></a> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-32883193276208596642012-02-26T18:04:00.001+00:002012-05-26T13:12:54.574+01:00An Exciting DayWe’ll I have adders 3 miles from my front door, for some people that would be horrific for me that is very exciting. A visit to the site and I find 2 male adders basking in the glorious sunshine today. <br />Tricky, how much do I give away as most people, and I don’t understand why, don’t like snakes. Okay maybe I do understand why but fear of snakes is a bit like fear of sharks, you have more chance of being hit on the head by a coconut than being bitten by a shark….I think it’s the press that have a fear of snakes and sharks and people that read newspapers get drawn into the unnecessary and overblown hype. <br />Anyway the site is a tangle of bramble, dogwood, hawthorn and silver birch. <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-S9JxmBVhz3M/T8DIlXy9DOI/AAAAAAAAC6k/lenVLE9AR6c/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_014%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_014" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_014" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0svHokqKMKA/T8DImTY-dzI/AAAAAAAAC6s/MUvkjn-Wdu8/12_02_26_mh_014_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="606" height="417" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IF8VjkebIH0/T8DInwv5W0I/AAAAAAAAC60/h9QTlVvON1s/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_016%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_016" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_016" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nLp-wh6ZQqU/T8DIox5L-6I/AAAAAAAAC68/BPOWXuBUsFs/12_02_26_mh_016_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="604" height="374" /></a> <br />This lovely brown and black male was coiled up taking in a few rays near to some refugia. <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yyIcvXOPOlU/T8DIqIWFYgI/AAAAAAAAC7E/uglTWUPFAiU/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_051%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_051" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_051" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7qisBDRaxwQ/T8DIsQWt-VI/AAAAAAAAC7M/F-7ZPcXj6c4/12_02_26_mh_051_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="602" height="415" /></a> <br />I was concentrating on this male so much that I nearly missed another male doing the same i.e. basking, not concentrating on the other male, in the dead grass about 5 feet from me. <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b9qDD9jmrWI/T8DItwwg7dI/AAAAAAAAC7U/JOEWNO5oLPk/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_058%25255B5%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_058" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_058" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0btT4r5AcO8/T8DIuxQbQeI/AAAAAAAAC7c/-5H8HV6RrfE/12_02_26_mh_058_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="602" height="424" /></a> <br />After increasing their body temperatures, both snakes moved off and i managed to get a back of the head shot of the first male, useful for future id’s of individuals. <br />Thanks must go to Greenie for pointing out my id error with regard to the first adder which I thought was a female but is in fact a male. A rule of thumb which is generally about 90% true is that the zigzag pattern in a male is black and in a female is brown. <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-lIbZ7tpBpn0/T8DIwBEvYwI/AAAAAAAAC7k/NJihmkGyt1M/s1600-h/12_02_26_mh_066%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_26_mh_066" border="0" alt="12_02_26_mh_066" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZW8Jb_wTLWc/T8DIxHxaW3I/AAAAAAAAC7o/tvnPRYp3OBU/12_02_26_mh_066_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="602" height="513" /></a> <br />Don’t be afraid of snakes, certainly in the UK. Adders just want to get on with their lives, just like you and me. They will not hurt you as long as you respect them and don’t go doing something silly like trying to get too close or attempting to pick them up. I’m hoping that having adders in the area also means a healthy population of small mammals which are a preferred prey item. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-39685549892078080372012-02-25T16:55:00.001+00:002012-02-25T16:55:28.348+00:00Winter or Spring?<p>Back on the 5th Feb it looked like this.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_mpezVqChRM/T0kSWWtE5PI/AAAAAAAACxE/3kCC-W60woI/s1600-h/12_02_05_longfield_010%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_05_longfield_010" border="0" alt="12_02_05_longfield_010" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OZu08J1jcpA/T0kSXuPH4jI/AAAAAAAACxM/aTcIaXN5c5M/12_02_05_longfield_010_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="601" height="414" /></a></p> <p>Then 20 days later, so we are still in February, we have a beautiful almost windless, blue sky day with temperatures in excess of 10°C. It was so lovely in my back garden that I got the garden furniture out and enjoyed a cuppa in the sunshine. If only I felt better from this bloomin flu/cold thing that I cannot seem to shake off. Still a quick look around the garden produced a few surprises. At least 20, 7 spot ladybirds had emerged and spring was definitely in the air as I found a pair coupled.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cqdV61WDGaU/T0kSYsOgNQI/AAAAAAAACxU/Es_RgMlETWs/s1600-h/12_02_25_garden_011%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_25_garden_011" border="0" alt="12_02_25_garden_011" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-lcVPsJnyWL0/T0kSZdillLI/AAAAAAAACxc/QcrMJvpSJGY/12_02_25_garden_011_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="597" height="466" /></a></p> <p>A couple of hoverfly species were also around in numbers, not just singles.</p> <p><em>Episerphus balteatus</em> or marmalade hoverfly<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3Fsw-3vVHQw/T0kSads9ARI/AAAAAAAACxk/bORzmftbO6w/s1600-h/12_02_25_garden_episerphus_balteatus_027%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_25_garden_episerphus_balteatus_027" border="0" alt="12_02_25_garden_episerphus_balteatus_027" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d5ufN9tn2hk/T0kScZyspqI/AAAAAAAACxs/XNKD6ZZT24w/12_02_25_garden_episerphus_balteatus_027_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="582" height="474" /></a></p> <p><em>Eristalis tenax</em>, the drone fly.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ljguqCky4ls/T0kSdMJADvI/AAAAAAAACx0/eG05on7Hon4/s1600-h/12_02_25_garden_eristalis_tenax_021%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_25_garden_eristalis_tenax_021" border="0" alt="12_02_25_garden_eristalis_tenax_021" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FlbAyQNNUaM/T0kSd2dYvGI/AAAAAAAACx8/TuIPKVuK_Ks/12_02_25_garden_eristalis_tenax_021_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="583" height="447" /></a></p> <p>Green Shieldbug, in the winter they go a dark reddish-brown.<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-T8ERFqF5NS4/T0kSexY6KPI/AAAAAAAACyE/uUmlty8uAO0/s1600-h/12_02_25_garden_green_shieldbug_032%25255B4%25255D.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="12_02_25_garden_green_shieldbug_032" border="0" alt="12_02_25_garden_green_shieldbug_032" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8HqW9rlUrWI/T0kSfmJLC2I/AAAAAAAACyM/ROpMj3fwCfU/12_02_25_garden_green_shieldbug_032_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="593" height="480" /></a> </p> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin"><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Calibri"></font></span></p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3344024558802725101.post-47683008637982469602012-02-19T14:35:00.001+00:002012-02-19T14:36:42.989+00:00Bad Omen Or Just A Sign Of The Times<p> <br />A beautiful sunny day today. Noticed in the garden a hoverfly <em>Eristalis tenax</em> feeding amongst open flowers of winter acconite. Otherwise still recovering from a week of illness. <br /></p> <h3>And finally… Development</h3> <p>When I lived in Hampshire and went to secondary school, so I was about 13 or 14, I decided to have a go at the Duke Of Edinburgh award scheme. I decided that I would record the birdlife of a nearby woodland and scrub area that my parents and I had walked through many times whilst I was younger with our family dogs. My initial visits allowed me to start recording linnets and yellowhammers and I made notes not only on where I saw the birds but their behaviours even down to what direction they were flying in. The area consisted of pockets of mature oak woodland, a small stream that had water voles living in it, a rough wet marshy meadow with grazing cattle and probably orchids and then areas of gorse scrub. On my third visit to the area I was left devastated as it had turned into a construction site and had been earmarked for a huge housing development. The gorse scrub was gone, the wet meadow was wrecked and fences were being erected around the woodland pockets as The Woodland Trust had managed to save them. I remember getting home and being in a terrible state and needless to say I gave up the attempt to get my Duke Of Edinburgh award. This was undoubtedly my first personal experience, and a bad one, to the world of development and the impacts it has on the environment.</p> <p>These days when I visit my mum who still lives in the area, even more of the surrounding countryside has been turned into housing estates the wet meadows are now tidied grass fields where dog walkers roam. The populations of deer have been road killed and the water voles no more.</p> <p>When I moved to Longfield in Kent, I managed to get involved in an environmental impact survey on the proposal to build a new school in Longfield and a housing development in the grounds of the old school. Whilst the survey did not come up with anything that important for birdlife, there were indications that the area was good for reptiles and badgers. The development went ahead, the new school has been built and the housing development has started, I doubt the badgers and reptiles will survive the onslaught.</p> <p>I started to visit the Isle of Grain with some regularity only to have this wonderfully rich wildlife area put under threat as a potential site for a new international airport.</p> <p>Today I went to a local area that I had not visited before, it is called Darenth Woods or actually the old site of the Mabledon Hospital. A brownfield site and an area used for recreation by many local folks, football, toy motorbikes, guys collecting silver birch twigs for flower arranging, me looking for wildlfe and dog walkers. The area looks great for insects, reptiles, mammals and possibly orchids and maybe even Watling Street Thistle that occurs just the other side of the A2. So the first folks that I speak to mention a plan to build a crematorium there, I cannot believe it! </p> <p>Am I a bad omen or is it just a sign of the times that in our small crowded country, it doesn'’t matter whether brownfield or greenfield, all sites are under increasingly significant development pressure, where will it all end?</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0