tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740649587824749312024-03-05T12:48:32.827+00:00A Natural InterludeBirding, Nature and…the world of the WildLucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-17723413071123268492018-02-24T12:09:00.000+00:002018-02-24T12:09:57.429+00:00Dream big, Brambling and beyondYou know that scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail with the Black Knight, no arms, no legs but still deluded enough to think he can carry on, “Come back here, I’ll bite your legs off!”. That’s kinda how my blogging currently feels, eminently deluded. I’ve mostly been confined to the mothership this month as my health continues on its downward spiral, post house move. Going beyond my front door in order to chance upon the wild has largely been impossible. But, nature comes alongside. It is the antithesis to my restless, roiling psyche and my debilitated body. It is a steadying, soothing companion, pulling the senses outward, bathing them in life and colour. From my living room window, I see birds! Be assured, not a breath of fresh air was consumed in the making of these images...<br />
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Since moving in 9 months ago, visitors to the garden feeders have grown. <b>Robin</b> redbreast was the pioneer (isn’t he always), followed closely by a couple of <b>Coal Tits</b>, 2-3 <b>Blue Tits</b> and a pair of <b>Great Tits</b>. Occasionally, a tinkerling flock of<b> Long-tailed Tits</b> flutter through and 3-5 <b>Starlings</b> peck at the fatball thingy. 8-10 chirpy <b>House Sparrows</b> quickly became regulars.<br />
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Then came the <b>Goldfinches</b> and, currently, I have a daily flock of 16-18, all messily gobbling sunflower hearts as quickly as I can refill the feeders. Two pairs of <b>Greenfinches</b> often accompany them...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 of the Goldfinches & a Blue Tit</td></tr>
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At least 14-20 <b>Chaffinches</b>, 2-4 <b>Pied Wagtails</b>, 3+ <b>Blackbirds</b>, 2-3 <b>Woodpigeon</b>, a pair of <b>Collared Doves</b> and a <b>Dunnock</b> or two hoover up the leftovers under the feeders<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 of the Chaffinches (one hiding behind the sprigs of green) & 6 of the House Sparrows</td></tr>
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And, on the 1st January, a single <b>Siskin</b> perched in the neighbour’s garden with the Goldfinches and transformed my day! Since then, at least 2 birds, a male and a female, have visited sporadically, mainly when the weather is at its worst. There’s a row of Alder trees just up the road, so I had been hoping Siskin and Redpoll were a possibility but you just never know.<br />
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Finally, on the 26th January, a <b>Goldcrest</b> came to sample the goods on offer. He/she didn't seem all that impressed and took its sunny mohican elsewhere. But, these tantalising one-offs keep you curious and engaged and wondering what else might pop in to say hello. Perhaps those 2 <b>Brambling</b> at Warwick racecourse could flit a mile or two down the road... The one and only time I had Brambling visit my garden in Hemel Hempstead was also the first time I’d ever seen the species. Dreams do come true! At least 6 of them turned up, late afternoon, at the end of October 2010. I was so excited that every photograph I took was out of focus! After that, it always felt like the possibilities were endless. If it had wings, it could conceivably land in my garden…<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brambling, Hemel Hempstead garden, 24/10/2010</td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-43357077962949938842018-01-27T09:17:00.000+00:002018-02-03T19:51:10.501+00:00Courting Ravens & Corn Buntings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, the humble Corn Bunting... (digiscoped video grab)</td></tr>
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Six months since my last post. It’s going to be a miracle if anyone passes by this neck of the woods any more but….I’m back (I think)!<br />
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A new year, a new strategy! We’re going for quality (ha!) over quantity. The plan is to post once or twice a month with a pick of what’s crossed my path, brightened my day or made my heart sing. That should give me enough slack to fashion a post in my more, shall we say, functional moments. <b>Never</b>. <b>Move</b>. <b>House/County</b>. <b>EVER</b>.<br />
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So, where to begin? Each winter I am struck by the reality that barren branches and a muted landscape masks a season full of hope and potential and tactical preparations. As Autumn nudged into Winter, many trees and shrubs had already formed ripe buds. They were Getting Ready. I don't think there's a January that’s passed where I haven’t heard Woodpecker’s drumming, birds singing and courtships beginning. It is the month which see-saws between extremes: one moment creatures struggle to survive another second; the next they're taking advantage of crisp, sunny days to begin searching for a mate and setting up territory.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of <b>Roe Deer </b>sitting in the January sunshine, north of <b><i>Hampton Lucy</i></b></td></tr>
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As the year came to an end, with pockets of snow still on the ground, my heart soared as I watched a pair of <b>Ravens</b> courting over <b><i>Bath Hill Wood</i></b> just north-east of <b><i>Walton Hall</i></b>. My previous experience of this species has always been flyovers - it wasn’t a resident, to my knowledge, in/around Hemel Hempstead. The pair were synchronising flight, calling repeatedly, meeting and tumbling in the air and, in unison, covering the breadth of the woodland, two-thirds of a mile, this way and that. In that moment, it was completely beautiful. Hope, the future and the prospect of Spring collided and lifted and swelled over the dormant landscape. Ravens eh, I never would have pegged them for a source of encouragement!<br />
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Since then, the stepping stones which have brought me through a difficult January have included garden feeders all a fluster with feathers (....including a <b>SISKIN! </b>and an all too brief encounter with a <b>Goldcrest</b>), and learning that just a couple of miles from home there are BUNTINGS….lots of Buntings! And finches. Presumably, as part of a Stewardship or Set-Aside <a href="http://www.sdfarmbirds.com/_app_/resources/documents/www.sdfarmbirds.com/unused/cornbunting_england_tcm9-207557.pdf" target="_blank">scheme</a>, the farmer has left an area of stubble and seed crop to sustain farmland birds over winter. It is alive with <b>Corn Buntings</b>, <b>Reed Buntings</b>, <b>Yellowhammer, Linnet</b> and <b>Chaffinch</b>. I’ve never seen anything like it. Single species, large flocks, yes, but never all of them together. Brilliant yellow baubles adorn the hedgerow and flashes of white outer tail feathers dart and swerve, moving from perch to food to perch. Flurries of little birds come back and forth, perch and preen, and then they're off again. It’s totally mesmerising and, if nothing else, it highlights just how imperative these conservation measures are if we are to keep our most vulnerable birds. (Corn Buntings down by <a href="https://www.bto.org/birdtrends2010/wcrcorbu.shtml" target="_blank">86%</a>, Yellowhammer down by <a href="https://www.bto.org/birdtrends2010/wcryelha.shtml" target="_blank">56%</a> between 1967 and 2008, BTO).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The context: behind the feeding area, the Corn Buntings gathered, jangling quietly as sunset approached.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn Bunting pre-roost gathering 11/1/2018. Digiscoped video-grab</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10GA7AqQnnC3oLL6E61rezLAYYczzvdGnAJaOAPq_Cbrk0h_6Wmoy1bBcrxatT8TeioZWua7MCr2HemjFBDC8yta3mvr5PIOG-VyhvJr3Y3wv4U3OM_l-XOBM_l6XbHTXX2FP1oo4mFY1/s1600/P1270761%2528TW2b%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10GA7AqQnnC3oLL6E61rezLAYYczzvdGnAJaOAPq_Cbrk0h_6Wmoy1bBcrxatT8TeioZWua7MCr2HemjFBDC8yta3mvr5PIOG-VyhvJr3Y3wv4U3OM_l-XOBM_l6XbHTXX2FP1oo4mFY1/s1600/P1270761%2528TW2b%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The count....Some Buntings. Two were in an adjacent tree and I suspect a handful elsewhere. A total of at least 26-30.</td></tr>
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When I left Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire, with the <a href="http://naturalworldnotes.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/murderous-rage-buntings.html" target="_blank"><b>Corn Buntings</b> at <b><i>Pitstone Hill</i></b></a> and the roost at <b><i>Marsworth Reservoir</i></b>, I did wonder whether I would encounter it as easily here in Warwickshire. I needn't have worried. Hearing the flock delicately jangling just before sunset flooded me with feelings of home and blessed relief. Many thanks to Roland, Gus and Dan, fellow local birders, for sharing this gem of a site with me.<br />
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Finally, to the mundane. My camera is on its last legs (White Balance & Exposure are completely off 90% of the time, even when set manually, and Autofocus often doesn't work) so photography is more miss than hit and will only get worse (there's a limit to rescue attempts in Photoshop)! Did I say I was aiming for quality?…Oh well.Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-72204933326829391572017-07-16T09:42:00.000+01:002017-07-16T09:42:28.647+01:00Standing in a Woodland GladeGood news, I’ve found me a bit of ancient woodland to explore! It’s just up the road and is quiet and cool and teeming with life. One of my favourite things to do is to find a stretch of mixed habit, preferably with a good stand of nettles or brambles, and just watch and listen. A vigil for the tinniest movement or the slightest sound.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWbmg1UDp-RAI4tNsvC3uLWr_amb24qanQCpyWhVChuNBsMHG0IlwUme2UO6BkCp6PekfHeF31wedF1v723OjmWXOvcMW3mvVmQE8Voj8eNV3uc0jD2Ul5D7dSbwtVtX1vbJvCWRQi3h3/s1600/Untitled_Panorama1%2528TW%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWbmg1UDp-RAI4tNsvC3uLWr_amb24qanQCpyWhVChuNBsMHG0IlwUme2UO6BkCp6PekfHeF31wedF1v723OjmWXOvcMW3mvVmQE8Voj8eNV3uc0jD2Ul5D7dSbwtVtX1vbJvCWRQi3h3/s1600/Untitled_Panorama1%2528TW%2529.png" width="800" /></a></div>
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In this sunny glade last Tuesday, I was treated to 18 species of bird in just 15 minutes:<br />
<ol>
<li>Bullfinch</li>
<li>Treecreeper</li>
<li>Nuthatch</li>
<li>Coal Tit</li>
<li>Great Spotted Woodpecker</li>
<li>Great Tit</li>
<li>Blue Tit</li>
<li>Blackcap</li>
<li>Song Thrush</li>
<li>Blackbird</li>
<li>Goldcrest</li>
<li>Chiffchaff</li>
<li>Robin</li>
<li>Wren</li>
<li>Long-tailed Tit</li>
<li>Woodpigeon</li>
<li>Pheasant</li>
<li>Swift</li>
</ol>
Not too far away, in a more open area, near the River Avon, there was a singing <b>Lesser Whitethroat </b>and <b>Reed Warbler</b>.<br />
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Butterflies were plentiful too, of 13 species, including half a dozen <b>Silver-washed Fritillary</b>:<br />
<ol>
<li>Silver-washed Fritillary</li>
<li>Ringlet</li>
<li>Meadow Brown</li>
<li>Gatekeeper</li>
<li>Small Skipper</li>
<li>Large Skipper</li>
<li>Large White</li>
<li>Small White</li>
<li>Peacock</li>
<li>Small Tortoiseshell</li>
<li>Red Admiral</li>
<li>Comma</li>
<li>Holly Blue</li>
</ol>
Behind me at this spot is a lovely big <b>Honey Suckle</b>, so I’m hoping <b>White Admiral</b> might be a possibility on another visit.<br />
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Below are just a few of the species that crossed my path during a wander on Wednesday<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3H1VeX_K4B13AX6x9gdORIC4aVj-vGP0FbxR4MjccDhS5wuyOuZAyDhXaXB7JOEPMzZkskCFajlwmbkmcCpGYE3UCc1BV53UXz4M9QNDsqblCqOO6I0OBUsiVTamLsZprReZ2TqnTHtJM/s1600/P1220498%2528compositeNI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3H1VeX_K4B13AX6x9gdORIC4aVj-vGP0FbxR4MjccDhS5wuyOuZAyDhXaXB7JOEPMzZkskCFajlwmbkmcCpGYE3UCc1BV53UXz4M9QNDsqblCqOO6I0OBUsiVTamLsZprReZ2TqnTHtJM/s1600/P1220498%2528compositeNI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></div>
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<th class="tg-rg0h">Silver-washed Fritillary</th>
<th class="tg-rg0h">Mrs Blackcap collecting food for young</th>
<th class="tg-rg0h">Resting Red Admiral</th>
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<td class="tg-rg0h">Female Southern Hawker</td>
<td class="tg-rg0h">Hornets visiting an old woodpecker nest site</td>
<td class="tg-rg0h">A super striking parasitic Wasp species</td>
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<td class="tg-rg0h">Chiffchaff hide & seek</td>
<td class="tg-rg0h">Song Thrush’s anvil, complete with snail shells</td>
<td class="tg-rg0h">Foraging Treecreeper</td>
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The parasitic wasp species was a new one to me and is perhaps <i><b>Ichneumon extensorius</b></i>, although narrowing down to species from a photograph isn’t really possible. I think this group of insects requires microscopic examination to positively identify.Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-90412484377023937902017-07-08T16:12:00.000+01:002017-07-08T16:12:53.220+01:00All the better for butterflies!Hello! *as the tumbleweed rolls across my toes*….I know, it's nearly a year since I last wrote. The thing is, I had a cunning plan. You know the kind, where you decide to up sticks after 20 years living in the same area and almost 18 years in the same house. It really did seem like a good idea at the time. I was blissfully ignorant of the crippling stress, chronic sleep deprivation and sense of total bewilderment that accompanies a process like that. Still, I am alive, just, and I’ve survived more than 6 weeks in my new pad in leafy Warwickshire.<br />
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Moving 75 miles away from cherished wild spaces and a landscape which has woven itself into my very soul is a big adjustment. Nestled within me are all those hundreds of hours of quiet wandering, wondering; the joys, frustrations; the patience and the pleasure of discovering new species; of accompanying them through the seasons and finding that their lives have become intimately connected to my own. As the years went by, the rhythm of relationship forged deeper and more lasting grooves, and the visceral familiarity of old friends blossomed. Each visit brought profound comfort and relief.<br />
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Thankfully, Warwickshire does have wildlife! In the face of hot tears, and anxiety as persistent and rampant as Japanese knotweed, the medicine of birds and butterflies and their living landscape has begun to trickle into my life here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogNPNEF2Uy-lc703uOTAZW_drDMMZnbMuycO3eGKS99x0ks-algARkrBcxP40mmKNmubQqqp5MYYvnX6bgoSQ5J7V_gRdTnE41r9pxgOPHkRtUdqtNjgYeZtAF9f-PvF7kclR7Pj3wPV-/s1600/P1210497%2528TW%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogNPNEF2Uy-lc703uOTAZW_drDMMZnbMuycO3eGKS99x0ks-algARkrBcxP40mmKNmubQqqp5MYYvnX6bgoSQ5J7V_gRdTnE41r9pxgOPHkRtUdqtNjgYeZtAF9f-PvF7kclR7Pj3wPV-/s1600/P1210497%2528TW%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Spotted Orchid back there & Dark Green Fritillary on Hawkbit sp (I think!?!), Harbury Spoilbank</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AQ3DNvspOuSiRMEdKZkSG2u2VCj0SaIZyAOS2FNYWTtjd3whBkXAk6yBkK5X_XVEMrvMcgKEOZMP9YDFRCzees6g8CCwNPb7MQOFitJGd6uZM_Uvuy4wbMwzenoweY82m8LwNOqINFVT/s1600/P1210826%2528TW%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AQ3DNvspOuSiRMEdKZkSG2u2VCj0SaIZyAOS2FNYWTtjd3whBkXAk6yBkK5X_XVEMrvMcgKEOZMP9YDFRCzees6g8CCwNPb7MQOFitJGd6uZM_Uvuy4wbMwzenoweY82m8LwNOqINFVT/s1600/P1210826%2528TW%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reed Warbler on the River Avon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOaLdrCJTTShuCEJmlwnrdkaTKM82oPHJXzxdHCIqQ3O-DzZ571IOXV08umqDlH_BpVsbYCm-AsJTfidWaZRPWGQty9ZJLNo664McLIHGwrbJAKMaKR3vW0DKfG8kc6fGd-3LEmKbGw_n/s1600/P1220372%2528TW%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOaLdrCJTTShuCEJmlwnrdkaTKM82oPHJXzxdHCIqQ3O-DzZ571IOXV08umqDlH_BpVsbYCm-AsJTfidWaZRPWGQty9ZJLNo664McLIHGwrbJAKMaKR3vW0DKfG8kc6fGd-3LEmKbGw_n/s1600/P1220372%2528TW%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bramble Wars of Silver-washed Fritillary near Stratford-Upon-Avon</td></tr>
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Last Sunday, I added two new species to my butterfly life-list. I cannot tell you how chuffed I was. I’ve spent many hours standing under Oaks on Box Moor Trust land, cricked neck, staring up in hope. I never did find a Purple Hairstreak. An hour spent at Goldicote Cutting, and I’d seen my first <b>Purple Hairstreak</b> alongside the other new species, <b>White-letter Hairstreaks </b>which<b> </b>included an egg laying female! The photos are atrocious but who cares.<br />
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<tr><td>Purple Hairstreak<br />
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</td><td>White-letter Hairstreak<br />
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Hopefully, it won't be another 11 months before I write again....!<br />
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P.S. Garden delights so far include nesting Blackbirds, bouncy Frogs and a big bumbling HedgehogLucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-33974851256364464142016-08-10T13:27:00.000+01:002019-08-04T09:48:36.876+01:00Yellow Wagtails breed locally & economy of effortWell, hello again! I hope no-one was holding their breath for the next blog post. Gone blue you say? Yikes! Inhale and here I am with a short update and to let you know that for the time being I can be found on Twitter rather than Blogger (link over there, in the left sidebar).<br />
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For much of the summer, health issues have been severely limiting. However, nearly 3 weeks ago now, on a short little wander not far from home, I came upon what turned out to be 2 nesting pairs of <b>Yellow Wagtails</b>. After weeks of barely being able to walk 15 minutes around the block, I was greeted by life and chirps and flits and beaks full of insects. It was utterly delightful and completely transforming! I have been keeping an eye on them ever since and last weekend the first nestlings fledged.<br />
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On days when the clouds were low, the <b>Swallows</b> and <b>House Martins</b> would buzz past the perched Wagtails, skimming the tops of the crop. A pair of <b>Dunnocks</b> had also chosen to breed amongst the peas and the speckly youngsters joined the Wagtails forming a kind of bird crèche. In an adjacent pasture, there are freshly fledged <b>Yellowhammer, Linnets</b> and <b>Goldfinches</b>, all full of bluster and squabbles and swoops for food.<br />
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My health remains pretty restrictive but I’m hoping that the economy of effort required with Twitter will keep you and me connected.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ma</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fledgling</td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-91290458977056790042016-06-20T17:25:00.000+01:002016-06-20T17:29:56.992+01:00Bee Orchids & a medley of mothsI may well have been a monosyllabic zombie with all the get up and go of a desiccated slug for the past month, but in my more lucid moments, I have temporarily vacated the sofa. My sorties have been short and sweet but there’s always something interesting to find at this time of year, even if all you do is walk a few metres along an unkept verge. So, without further ado and minimal accompanying words <strike>because that would require thought</strike>, here are a few bits and pieces from around Hemel & Bovingdon in the last few weeks.
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Firstly, a new-to-me moth, found back at the wildflower verge along the <b><i>A41 Boxmoor/Bourne End</i></b> exit.<br />
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Unfortunately (for all involved) it’s one of those that requires dissection of its nether regions in order to determine exact species. However, I found it on Ox-eye Daisy and didn’t notice any Tansy in the vicinity, so I’m opting for an ID of <b>Broad-blotch Drill <i>(Dichrorampha alpinana)</i></b> (foodplant: Ox-eye Daisy) rather the alternative Narrow-blotch Drill (Dichrorampha flavidorsana) (foodplant: Tansy). Either way, I liked it.<br />
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Next up, <b>37 Bee Orchids <i>(Ophrys apifera)</i></b>, in 3 discrete groups (5 + 21 +11), also at the <b><i>A41 site</i></b>. I’d be hard pressed to name another plant that brings me as much pleasure as this little orchid. Aesthetically, it’s perfect. Temperamentally, it’s irresistibly capricious. One year, it’ll arrive in dozens, sometimes hundreds; another year, not a single spike will erupt from the earth at that same location. It’s unpredictable and it's beautiful and that makes the triumph of finding one all the sweeter.<br />
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Yesterday, whilst counting the Bee Orchids, my first <b>Marbled White</b> of the year fluttered in to say hello.<br />
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Back at the beginning of June, on a sunny afternoon at <b><i>Dellfield Meadow</i></b>, <b><i>Westbrook Hay</i></b>, I counted <b>11 Grass Rivulet</b> moths <i>(Perizoma albulata)</i> in the lower quadrant above the carpark. I don’t know its current status in Herts but a couple of years ago, it was considered rare and I was chuffed to find even one in this meadow. I’m so pleased the colony is doing well.<br />
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<tr><td> Marbled White<br />
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</td><td> Grass Rivulet<br />
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Finally, I have a soft spot for the <b>Yellow-barred Longhorn</b> moth <i>(Nemophora degeerella)</i>. The larvae feed on leaf litter, and little (or large!) swarms of them seem to be pretty common along woodland paths and, well, in my garden (currently). At the end of last week, there were a couple of clouds at the <b><i>Brickworks</i></b>, probably totalling more than <b>50 moths</b> (only the one female). Of all the Adelidae species, I find these the most fairy-like and enchanting to watch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-42JDNVA6GJ1ky5dIvaQbJ2Nj9wmjQsj9xZFNfgUByNTMz3X3WO7xxJzBNJa51SWlcWRcBkQ8nssIw3l233XXTGKxfXYx8X3LHpqnYwZ5OGlFSC3oottCX5KqKT3iev5saVnpCvmEa6G/s1600/P1060257%2528compANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-42JDNVA6GJ1ky5dIvaQbJ2Nj9wmjQsj9xZFNfgUByNTMz3X3WO7xxJzBNJa51SWlcWRcBkQ8nssIw3l233XXTGKxfXYx8X3LHpqnYwZ5OGlFSC3oottCX5KqKT3iev5saVnpCvmEa6G/s1600/P1060257%2528compANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-barred Longhorn moth. Left: male (loooong antennae); Right: female (short antennae)</td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-10645628893174169712016-06-10T18:26:00.000+01:002016-06-28T09:24:07.304+01:00Small Blue eggs & pretty things in ugly places<b><i>A41 Bourne End/Boxmoor turn-off:</i></b> Some of you may remember that, last summer, I went <a href="http://naturalworldnotes.blogspot.com/2015/07/wheres-wally.html" target="_blank">in search of Wally</a> (aka Small Blue caterpillars). This year, I took it back a stage - still squinting at Kidney Vetch flowers - but this time hoping to find the minuscule butterfly eggs. It was actually a lot easier than I expected. At less than about 0.5mm in diameter, the eggs are surprisingly conspicuous.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpnLT5QilHFucIlHty1zt_uLVJc1XSe9vzisTBUjmYeShy4GcHvNaY_aCmzrS2v3rRYi6iYHWzmrGkDMZmJJ71YRXZVtM97my3iFsgUb4qZpeSZJnGzmPo95PScQ4wxoYle6NBSNKGmpr/s1600/P1050395%2528ANI2%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpnLT5QilHFucIlHty1zt_uLVJc1XSe9vzisTBUjmYeShy4GcHvNaY_aCmzrS2v3rRYi6iYHWzmrGkDMZmJJ71YRXZVtM97my3iFsgUb4qZpeSZJnGzmPo95PScQ4wxoYle6NBSNKGmpr/s1600/P1050395%2528ANI2%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See!...not going to miss this little chap, tucked away</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many of the flowers had multiple eggs laid within them, here 2 are visible</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8g6WuubKagOYFAvDZM-oTc1y8F_ZHrBqoGJ48HMgqLRaGtHKt-FD0nByQwzLtr-OSZplFAyPakj4CHNJIb26afmAvYYF9YRr2V0sCTgf4BNGuQcmpWK_bVkbScfTjOOIyekWFAI6GtyB/s1600/P1050465%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8g6WuubKagOYFAvDZM-oTc1y8F_ZHrBqoGJ48HMgqLRaGtHKt-FD0nByQwzLtr-OSZplFAyPakj4CHNJIb26afmAvYYF9YRr2V0sCTgf4BNGuQcmpWK_bVkbScfTjOOIyekWFAI6GtyB/s1600/P1050465%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scale of the ruler is mm, suggesting the egg is approx 0.5mm diameter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This egg had already hatched - all that was left was the outer rim/shell (like a tyre), the centre was hollow/empty</td></tr>
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For anyone curious about the context of this A41 Small Blue colony, I've put together a few images below. The main photograph was taken from the A4251, looking down onto the eastbound embankment: this is south facing and rich in Kidney Vetch (all the clumps of yellow). Top right, is the view along the top of the embankment and, bottom right, is the view from the side of the A41, up the embankment.<br />
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Nature does have a habit of thriving in these most ugly and dangerous of places. Today, surrounded by reinforced concrete, bad graffiti and the roar of traffic, 2 Bee Orchids bloomed (the first I’ve seen this season). With them, numerous Pyramidal and Common Spotted Orchids. Salad Burnet & Ox-eye Daisies galore; Grass Vetchling, Red & White Clover, Yellow Rattle, Scabious sp, Meadow Buttercups, Poppies, Common Mouse-ear, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Wild Marjoram and numerous grasses including the irresistible Quaking-grass. The list, of course, goes on…and exceeds my mental and botanical capabilities.<br />
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Over on the westbound slip road, the big, bold and simple beauty of the Ox-eye Daisies mingled with the delicate and elaborate artistry that is Quaking-grass. I wish I’d had the energy today to really capture the scene, either in words or pictures but, for now, it’s just a couple of close-ups…daisies dancing with grasses.<br />
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Oh, nearly forgot, Small Blue butterfly count today: 27 eastbound embankment; 7 westbound slip road. Total = 34Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-57720864062805757552016-05-29T15:45:00.000+01:002016-05-30T13:55:06.220+01:00GSWs: In the shade of the Oak<b><i>Hemel (BMT):</i></b> I have tried and failed to muster up an opening with a pinch of pizazz. Instead, I shall jump straight in with the reality that the last 9 days have been largely a sedate affair (or perhaps more accurately, a stationary affair, as I’ve barely moved). Selecting highs and lows from the week seems like an easy way to carry my thoughts, so let’s go with that. The obvious low which has dominated, is the fact that my energy levels remain near rock bottom (it's attributed to ME/CFS, a condition - for those not in the know - where particular biological processes essentially fail to work properly. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160510093906.htm" target="_blank">Recent findings</a> suggest that the underlying pathology is significant impairments in cellular function but the cause and treatment are speculative and the duration of debilitation can be anything from months to a lifetime). Anyway, for the moment, even contemplating the (hilly) ~600 metre walk to the Small Blue butterflies has felt beyond me, although I may just give it a go tomorrow.<br />
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The definite high of the week was being able to return to the nesting <b>Great Spotted Woodpeckers</b>. A bit of sneaky parking reduced the walking distance to around 150 metres. The nest site was such that I was able to set up my gear (including handy camping seat) out of sight of the Woodpeckers and watch/film them without causing any intrusion or disturbance. I couldn’t manage more than about an hour but even in that time the parents were bringing food to the intensely demanding young almost every 10-15 minutes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pa (left), Ma (right)</td></tr>
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The nestlings <i>never</i> shut up (evidenced in the video!)….which is how I found their home in the first place. Squeak, squeak, squawk, squawk, rising above the sound of nearby traffic. I wish I was as adept at finding interesting caterpillars as ma and pa woodpecker, and I did note that the female was ringed although couldn't read the code, unfortunately. The light was extremely awkward (harshly backlit) but, quite honestly, I would have been happy with any record of this wholly absorbing scene. I was transported into their world of vitality and bonding and the striving for life. I loved how the young were cradled safely within the limb of a mature, ostensibly healthy Oak: the tree providing complete shade, protection and rooted solidity; the woodland around them their larder.
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[The video is best viewed in 4K: press play then click on the cog, bottom right, and select <b>2160p</b><sup><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>4K</b></span></sup> quality. In the last scene, it's the female that exits from the nest hole, taking out the rubbish]
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-63581764683467003792016-05-25T18:02:00.000+01:002016-05-25T18:58:59.699+01:00The little thingsHere with a mini update, about mini flying things, due to minimal energy for being out and about this week, unfortunately. The day before my ill-considered, strength-sapping yomp over Albury Nowers, I’d checked the A41 Small Blue colony. Conditions weren’t ideal but I’d counted at least <b>12 Small Blues</b>, including a mating pair. Also risking life and wing by the dual carriageway was a fresh <b>Burnet Companion</b> moth.<br />
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On Sunday, still unaware of quite how drained I was, I visited <b><i>Bovingdon</i></b> <b><i>Brickworks</i></b> briefly. The teeny weeny <b><i>Adela fibulella</i></b> day-flying moth had just emerged and was enjoying a rare glimpse of sunshine, fluttering on/around its foodplant, Germander Speedwell <i>(Veronica chamaedrys)</i>. In the same scrubby meadow, nestled down amongst the grasses and nettles, near one of the many stands of Bugle <i>(Ajuga reptans)</i>, I found a brilliant <b>Small Copper</b>. I only ever see a handful of this species throughout the season so I make the most of each one.<br />
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<tr><td>Adela (cauchas) fibulella. The smallest of the British Adelinae moths<br />
at approx 5mm long. <a href="http://naturalworldnotes.blogspot.com/2015/06/life-on-germander-speedwell.html" target="_blank">Scarce in Herts</a><br />
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</td><td>Small Copper. The little fibulella moth<br />
is probably as long as its antenna!<br />
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Finally, today, after what has basically been 4 days of complete rest, I went out for a very gentle stroll. It was cold and drizzling but worth it for chancing upon a pair of dishevelled <b>Great Spotted Woodpeckers</b>, weary in their quest to satisfy a nest-hole full of squawking babies. If I have the energy and opportunity, I’ll head back to them soon and see if I can get some video/photos, obviously without causing any intrusion/disturbance.Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-3249803929265313812016-05-20T20:36:00.000+01:002016-05-21T16:15:29.705+01:00All the Leps are brown...….and the sky was grey. I’ve been for a walk…<br />
<br />
…at <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/aldbury-nowers" target="_blank">Aldbury Nowers</a> </i>(which doesn't fit into the Carpenters' song lyrics...at all, even with a crowbar). It's right on the edge of Herts, a SSSI and a chalk grassland. I joined a new friend for a wander and in spite of a <i>serious</i> lack of sunshine, we notched up all things winged & brown, and the occasional splash of colour:<br />
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<b><i>Butterflies</i></b><br />
Dingy Skipper 7<br />
Grizzled Skipper 3<br />
Brown Argus 5<br />
Small Heath 3<br />
Orange-tip 11<br />
Brimstone 9<br />
Green-veined White 1<br />
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<b><i>Moths</i></b><br />
Treble-bar <i>(Aplocera plagiata)</i><br />
Mother Shipton <i>(Callistege mi)</i><br />
Small Yellow Underwing <i>(Panemeria tenebrata)</i><br />
Burnet Companion <i>(Euclidia glyphica)</i><br />
Wavy-barred Sable <i>(Pyrausta nigrata)</i><br />
Common Purple & Gold <i>(Pyrausta purpuralis)</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dingy, hoping for some sunshine</td></tr>
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Grizzled Skipper</div>
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Brown Argus</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijg3c1NMSHff8xzhuWfm1Lwczu34HL0uwpEeGkK3wxEUwz7Q3IonPvUo0qzp_xzfele5w6N1OWT1IvQREAe7dIdK6uf1SO9-KcAr3L1PsCa6Fl0QU1VjWGmgZkKAuEyXIOidmtXKqcC5J3/s1600/P1040276%2528ANIcomp%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijg3c1NMSHff8xzhuWfm1Lwczu34HL0uwpEeGkK3wxEUwz7Q3IonPvUo0qzp_xzfele5w6N1OWT1IvQREAe7dIdK6uf1SO9-KcAr3L1PsCa6Fl0QU1VjWGmgZkKAuEyXIOidmtXKqcC5J3/s1600/P1040276%2528ANIcomp%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the moth!....a Treble-bar <i>(Aplocera plagiata)</i>, I think, judging by <a href="http://www.northumberlandmoths.org.uk/files/idtips/1867-treble-bar-1868-lesser-treble-bar-side.jpg" target="_blank">this</a> helpful ID tip </td></tr>
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Wavy-barred Sable <i>(Pyrausta nigrata)</i> </div>
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on a Common Rock-rose, I think</div>
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Small Yellow Underwing<i> (Panemeria tenebrata)</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
on Common Mouse-ear, its larval foodplant</div>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-56115029322511881052016-05-18T13:01:00.000+01:002016-05-28T22:29:20.344+01:00A whole lot of finger crossing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHj-IGALIrSFhgK3xZqkS14Z7XdBTexGURRVwHH4rSzbfFThDV1Xiu_WDt9acIgLNnXNUnzk5JraYPVkdC1OXLAEii1ANtrGPiEfsDowwApOnv4_WC2XEfEDDSTrAXxrpLVwysdValRBVb/s1600/P1030802%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHj-IGALIrSFhgK3xZqkS14Z7XdBTexGURRVwHH4rSzbfFThDV1Xiu_WDt9acIgLNnXNUnzk5JraYPVkdC1OXLAEii1ANtrGPiEfsDowwApOnv4_WC2XEfEDDSTrAXxrpLVwysdValRBVb/s1600/P1030802%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother Shipton moth <i>(Callistege mi)</i> by the A41 on 12<sup>th</sup> May 2016</td></tr>
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Yikes! Where did the last 12 days go?! Although butterfly numbers are low and late, I still seem to have spent inordinate amounts of time devoted to them. Last Monday, the 9<sup>th</sup>, as part of the preparations for Duke of Burgundy (re)introduction, I scoured <b><i>Roughdown Common</i></b> and <b><i>Bovingdon Brickworks</i></b> for representative foodplants (Cowslip and Primrose) that females might choose for egg laying. It was then a case of labelling, photographing and mapping them all with a view to returning every 2 weeks to capture (photograph) their progress. The idea is that we’ll then have evidence to show that the sites can support the larvae right through to pupation….so long as these foodplants remain lush and edible (rather than desiccate in sun or drought). Fingers firmly crossed, prayers dispensed and mind set to "optimistic"!<br />
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<b><i>Pyrausta aurata</i></b> </div>
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(<b>Small Purple and Gold</b> or <b>Mint Moth</b>) </div>
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Roughdown 16/5/2016</div>
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<b>Dingy Skipper</b>, Brickworks, 12/5/2016. A male, indicated by the dark scent/sex-brands running through the forewings. These contain the androconial scales used during courtship</div>
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What else? Well, having religiously visited the <b><i>A41 Bourne End/Boxmoor</i></b> junction every weather-appropriate day since the beginning of May, the first <b>Small Blues</b> took flight on the 12<sup>th</sup>. Just 3 of them and they were feeding feverishly on Grass Vetchling, Common Mouse-ear, Red and White Clover, Cowslips and Buttercups. Despite having no influence whatsoever on the survival of these little creatures, it hasn’t stopped me willing them through the winter, hoping all those tucked away larvae stay safe, and I felt as though I were greeting dear friends returned from a perilous adventure. I was so pleased to see them. Incidentally, 60-70% of the <b>Kidney Vetch</b> <a href="http://naturalworldnotes.blogspot.com/2015/12/if-you-build-it-he-will-come.html" target="_blank">we planted</a> at Roughdown and the Brickworks has taken, so, once again, fingers crossed for the future.<br />
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The best bird of the last week was the arrival of a <b>Lesser Whitethroat</b> jangling/rattling away at the western edge of the <b><i>Brickworks</i></b>. I wonder if it’s the same bird that turned up <a href="http://naturalworldnotes.blogspot.com/2015/06/fancy-strawberry-serenade.html" target="_blank">last year</a>?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTu6862GfJfUyRFUK-XSbphINNMz63bFI01falopcv4XhuRs33Wa-VJlD2Oks-OoFjDaZ1tfgVUOc-FW6VsWIQa2JMYWw50B_2ZpoUUL8-T94hGdFqDDiYmPS3KceLPywfwnHXMbmyV5t/s1600/P1030877%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTu6862GfJfUyRFUK-XSbphINNMz63bFI01falopcv4XhuRs33Wa-VJlD2Oks-OoFjDaZ1tfgVUOc-FW6VsWIQa2JMYWw50B_2ZpoUUL8-T94hGdFqDDiYmPS3KceLPywfwnHXMbmyV5t/s1600/P1030877%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a Lesser Whitethroat but one of the many singing male <b>Blackcaps</b> around the Brickworks. This one hiding in a mess of Buddleja on Monday</td></tr>
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On the botany front, I found a new patch of <b>Wild Strawberry <i>(Fragaria vesca)</i></b> at the <b><i>Brickworks</i></b>. This, along with plenty of Agrimony <i>(Agrimonia eupatoria)</i>, Creeping Cinquefoil <i>(Potentilla reptans)</i> and copious Bramble <i>(Rubus fruticosus)</i> is surely going to be tempting to any half-sane wandering Grizzled Skipper (a rare and restricted species in Herts and absent from BMT land). You guessed it, fingers firmly crossed.<br />
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Finally, I walked the Brickworks late afternoon yesterday. The Common Blue butterflies have yet to emerge and there’s still no sign of Brown Argus. The latter theoretically emerges the first week of May but my first sighting last year was the 10<sup>th</sup>. This year, I’m anticipating that they’ll be slightly late but we’re definitely getting to the end of the window of expectation. All I can do is stay optimistic and hope for the best (no more fingers left to cross!).Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-2271347715483950442016-05-06T16:45:00.000+01:002016-05-06T17:40:25.912+01:00Tring Park Hoopoe & a finessing of feathers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFBBJf9wUPIOXzvfA4eOzsNnUn8LPfNBvcEsGeUYpuOy8BQqJqpbcTfc-ph38HWnXMUjdH-UkffnK5zfrHcZtSGt5Z87e27flCC7A8MHCwvSUNfgoxVnHpq1tH-WxnDmQV4mhN-UEzuSr/s1600/P1020986%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFBBJf9wUPIOXzvfA4eOzsNnUn8LPfNBvcEsGeUYpuOy8BQqJqpbcTfc-ph38HWnXMUjdH-UkffnK5zfrHcZtSGt5Z87e27flCC7A8MHCwvSUNfgoxVnHpq1tH-WxnDmQV4mhN-UEzuSr/s640/P1020986%2528ANI%2529.png" width="518" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's emerged! Duke of Burgundy, Ivinghoe Beacon, 05/05/2016</td></tr>
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This week I think I’ve been trying to cram the whole of April and early May into two sunny days. Yesterday was a good’un, with year firsts for local <b>Swifts</b>, <b>Dingy Skipper</b> and <b>Duke of Burgundy</b>, plus an out of the blue <b>Hoopoe</b> bouncing around in <b><i>Tring Park</i></b>. Judging by Twitter, it was truly magical, “now you see me, now you don’t!”. I got lucky, arriving just 10 minutes before it flew up the steep slope on the south side (the wooded bank, in the far distance, in the photo below), and appeared to keep going, heading SSE. That was the last I saw of it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View over Tring Park plus digiscoped Hoopoe on 05/05/2016</td></tr>
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Of course, firsts and the rare are the exception. Mostly, the highlights are extraordinary encounters with the ordinary: a bird that is settled, perhaps singing or preening, showing no fear or aversion and, without fanfare, you find that you are permitted to weave your senses into the experience of The Other. You forget yourself, and you and the bird unite. A delicate yet very real relationship comes to life: the observer and the observed. I had one such moment yesterday.<br />
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In the morning, I walked the length of the <b><i>River Bulbourne</i></b> where the <b>Grey Wagtails</b> are nesting. The female was safely on her eggs and I left her to it. However, a male flew in and perched up nearby. I’m guessing he’s the mate although there is this third adult around which I’ve not yet been able to sex. I’ve no idea what role this extra bird has. Is it perhaps a young adult from last year’s brood, helping with this year’s rearing? I know some species have that type of familial relationship but I’ve no idea if it happens in Wagtails?<br />
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Anyway, the smart male balanced and preened and swished his tail for nearly 2 minutes. I stood in the sunshine, watching/filming through the scope, savouring every second. The terms of these encounters are always dictated by the other. As soon as he was through finessing his feathers, the tether between us dropped and he was wild again. My breathing returned to normal, my consciousness expanded and each of us assumed our separated selves, mine the richer for our brief alliance...<br />
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[The digiscoped video is best viewed in 4K: press play then click on the cog, bottom right, and select <b>2160p</b><sup><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>4K</b></span></sup> quality]<br />
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P.S. Ever the optimist, I’ve added a new widget in the left sidebar called <b>Follow by Email</b>. If you’d like to be automatically notified when a new post has been published, just enter your email address. Simples!Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-57784396069817302442016-05-04T20:06:00.000+01:002016-05-06T00:13:07.177+01:00Spring butterflies at last!Just a few photographs and notes from this week so far…<br />
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Monday, it was “yes” to the best bird in <b><i>Watford</i></b>, a male <b>Lesser Spotted Woodpecker</b>, drumming and calling in Cassiobury Park. I’d not seen this species since 2012 and had forgotten just how tiny it is. Unfortunately, it was “no” to the mega rare <b>Roseate Tern</b> that dropped in, half dead, at <b><i>Wilstone reservoir</i></b> early that evening. I think I felt a bit like the Tern but I was lucky enough to be tucked up in the warm, about to dig in to a hearty meal. The Tern was not so fortunate, stuck out in the cold and rain, hundreds of miles from where it wanted to be. It was taken in to care the following morning and later, sadly, died (for a first-hand account, see Roy's sharply observed write up, <a href="http://www.fotr.org.uk/2016/05/may-2016.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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Tuesday marked the start of BMT staff and volunteers getting stuck in to a really exciting new conservation project: we're working towards the introduction of the rare <b>Duke of Burgundy</b> butterfly to Trust land in Hemel Hempstead and Bovingdon. As far as anyone is aware, there isn’t a single Duke of Burgundy butterfly <i>anywhere</i> in Hertfordshire. Nationally, it is one of the most rapidly declining species, with its <a href="http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/distribution.php?species=lucina&style=distribution" target="_blank">distribution</a> concentrated in central-southern England and a few isolated colonies in the southern Lake District and the North York Moors. Over the coming months and possibly, even, years, the Trust is going to be gathering data and developing land management strategies to support an application to Natural England & Butterfly Conservation for a (re)introduction programme. When I have a bit of time and brain power, I’ll put together a new page with all the details and outline one of my first tasks.<br />
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Today, it finally felt like Spring and I had to make the most of it. <b>Grey Wagtails</b> are nesting by the River Bulbourne: a pair on eggs and a third adult also in the area. The <b>Small Blues</b> haven’t yet emerged at the A41 colony but, over in the chalk dell at <b><i>Roughdown Common</i></b>, I had my first <b>Green Hairstreaks</b> (3) [two weeks later than last year] and<b> Small Copper</b> (1) of the year. A male <b>Orange-tip</b>, <b>Holly Blue</b>,<b> Small </b>& <b>Large Whites</b> and a <b>Brimstone</b> also fluttered by. Blissful sunshine...and more of it tomorrow...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upperwings of Green Hairstreak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Hairstreak, nectaring (an unusual sight in general) on Forget-me-not</td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-88310551760321890932016-04-25T15:32:00.000+01:002016-04-25T15:35:56.744+01:00Black-winged Stilts at Manor Farm NRAgh, it’s another desperately unimaginative blog post title, shamelessly designed to harvest google search hits. Sorry about that. Actually, I’m still recovering the power of speech after yesterday’s leggy lovelies. I have been wanting to see Black-winged Stilts for years. I’ve dipped them once and seen a ringed escape but that’s it. When I heard that a pair had been spotted yesterday morning at the <b><i>Ouse Valley Park</i></b> / <b><i>Manor Farm NR</i></b>, on the north side of <b><i>Milton Keynes</i></b>, I had to give it a shot. It took me more than half an hour to figure out how to get there and my master plan was “if I get lost, I just head for the M1 (and home)”. Thankfully, it was surprisingly easing to find and after a brisk walk, I laid eyes on my first ever pair of elegant, wild, wonderful <b>Black-winged Stilts</b>. Cor, they’re striking! All angles and contrasts and flourishes. Just beautiful!<br />
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No sooner had I set up my scope than the pair flew together to a distant island and proceeded to go through the intimate behaviours of courtship and mating. I think my chin hit the floor at that moment! I hadn’t even had time to configure my camera properly but I was so pleased that I managed to capture something of the moment, slightly blurry and mildly out of focus but frozen for posterity nonetheless. I particularly loved how the male bird’s final gesture (accidental or otherwise) was his right wing placed around the female, as if offering a little post-coital reassurance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Context for the mating sequence, hastily digiscoped from approx 150+ metres away</td></tr>
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After that, the birds separated and were constantly on the move around the site. Eventually, I decided I’d walk around the southeast edge and see if I could get to one of the new hides. This turned out to be the best decision of the day. As I rounded the corner and approached a narrow inlet, I could see the male bird foraging. He was infinitely closer than before and it gave me the precious opportunity to digiscope some better photographs (the top image and the following 3 images were all taken at this location, photographed right). By this point, I reckon I was probably grinning from ear to ear. I stayed on site for more than an hour, enjoying the birds and what is a superb nature reserve. I wished I lived closer.<br />
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I hear today that the birds have not been seen and have likely headed off. Perhaps they’ve realised they overshot their destination and are backtracking to mainland Europe. It’s a shame they’re oblivious to the immense joy they brought to many a birder on a chilly Sunday in April. Here’s hoping they fair well wherever they end up.<br />
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The all important Stilt stats<br />
<ul>
<li>The last Buckinghamshire sighting was in 1988 (1st summer pair @ Willen Lake, 7-18th June)</li>
<li>The last Hertfordshire sighting was in 1998 (adult @ Park Street Gravel Pit, 27-28th May)</li>
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“The birds' 'knees' are actually in their feathers so the middle bit of their legs is actually their ankles. Stilts' legs are so long that when they sit in the nest their ankles are above their heads!” (<a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.aspx?id=tcm:9-189956" target="_blank">RSPB website</a>)<br />
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Where they should be...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distribution maps courtesy of <a href="http://www.planetofbirds.com/charadriiformes-recurvirostridae-black-winged-stilt-himantopus-himantopus" target="_blank">HERE</a> and Birdguides, <a href="https://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=53001" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-33439575117579196592016-04-24T18:38:00.000+01:002016-04-24T18:38:24.416+01:00In search of a RedstartEvery time I go out looking for a Redstart, I invariably find one of these instead...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleS32brZ-m2c4kp_T6cqbP2_t23wVmxr_4eqIrCZl6QTMBHonegGaB7hUL1Og0RWfCU4ZQfz26qyErEjDlMGP0FzC8ocJODmtcma30xucsSsiO8YcAnIirtOrTm5HmuHvv4WGCv4G-gPx/s1600/P1000881%2528ANI2b%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleS32brZ-m2c4kp_T6cqbP2_t23wVmxr_4eqIrCZl6QTMBHonegGaB7hUL1Og0RWfCU4ZQfz26qyErEjDlMGP0FzC8ocJODmtcma30xucsSsiO8YcAnIirtOrTm5HmuHvv4WGCv4G-gPx/s1600/P1000881%2528ANI2b%2529.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Wheatear at the Water End horse paddock, Friday (digiscoped)</td></tr>
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Not that I’m complaining really. Better a <b>Wheatear</b> than a whole lot of nothing-but-the-usual.<br />
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Yesterday, after a couple of <b>Whimbrel</b> briefly joined the <b>Spotted Redshanks</b> at <b><i>College Lake</i></b>, I followed in their wake, hoping something else might alight in the shallows. Optimism eventually gave way to a practical realism and I left the Octagon Hide to walk a circuit of the reserve. I was hoping for <b>Cuckoo</b> but, at this time of year, there’s an openness to the possibility that anything could turn up, anywhere. And so it did…<br />
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As I walked down through the scrub at the NW end of the reserve, I saw a flash of red as a bird flew from the fence line to a tangle of leafless bramble in the enclosure. It called and then I spotted it at the base of the bush, a beautiful male <b>Redstart</b>. At last! I had been looking for one of these for the past month or so and there he was, a blaze of orange and black and white, with those lovely slate grey upper parts. Unfortunately, I had only seconds to drink in the sight before he skilfully tucked himself away, completely out of view. I waited another 20 minutes but he’d studied the Redstart manual in skulking and there was no way he was going to give me another glimpse.<br />
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Still, nothing beats the thrill of the chance encounter with a hoped for passage migrant. I walked back along the west bank footpath, smiling, with <b>House Martins</b> and <b>Sand Martins</b> swooping barely a metre above my head, snatching insects from the air. The nippy NE wind had deterred every other butterfly except for a single male <b>Orange-tip</b>, my first of the season, which perched briefly on a pretty Dog-violet.<br />
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When I got up this morning, I was content with the weekend’s birding. Little did I know that the best was yet to come…. More on that tomorrow.Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-82710151442997246562016-04-21T18:14:00.001+01:002016-04-21T18:14:46.949+01:00Spotted Redshank at College LakeBy 11:15am, the highlight of my morning had been catching the last few notes of what might possibly…probably….maybe was a <b>Lesser Whitethroat</b> at the<b><i> Brickworks</i></b>. I’d also managed a record shot of the/a female <b>Muntjac</b> (I know, exciting times). Anyway, when I got back to the car and heard that there were 2 summer plumage <b>Spotted Redshanks </b><i>(Tringa erythropus)</i> at <b><i>College Lake</i></b>, I was off!<br />
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I think I’ve only ever seen a couple of breeding plumage birds and certainly none of any plumage in Herts or Bucks. As a fairly scarce wintering species in the UK, it’s not really a bird I have much experience of at all. To add a little frisson of <strike>discomfort</strike> excitement to the chase, I’d left my scope at home, so had to pick that up on route. I finally got to College Lake some time after midday, wondering if my scope detour had cost me my prize.<br />
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From the Octagon Hide, I could find only one of the Spotted Redshanks but that was quite sufficient. One definitely trumps none. There were also at least a dozen displaying, noisy <b>Redshanks</b>; one <b>Little Ringed Plover</b>; two <b>Common Terns</b>, plenty of <b>Lapwing</b>…and various other wildfowl which I basically ignored.<br />
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The Spotted Redshank came to within about 100 metres of the hide and, unfortunately, from there, most photography suffers from being badly backlit. Below are my best digiscoped efforts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_XVm__4CirMzbbUTWo_XY_I3OFx-1OiaGYV9HhpLxAnz_eXW6h2hpKVlrhBPkvlhBgxz1p7y2NJXAjsI_SIaJZplI7xAT1r_7RECiW3j8ZIsu8yf8DKk3Lw-Z3bbKFWfzPn2wYmpx_LE/s1600/P1000650%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_XVm__4CirMzbbUTWo_XY_I3OFx-1OiaGYV9HhpLxAnz_eXW6h2hpKVlrhBPkvlhBgxz1p7y2NJXAjsI_SIaJZplI7xAT1r_7RECiW3j8ZIsu8yf8DKk3Lw-Z3bbKFWfzPn2wYmpx_LE/s1600/P1000650%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJaa2RYanGkyrHj8W6hKYB-mNwcjz70haOWwG3X0oizEkEyifnIN7PTCynZQ05wpfeoh6B3EtUHQUpA8xUno4bxWuk2rt28PwzZ-F6xIdpd2HV8A3DBAQ8dQujmfJZHonZuMRMiDwCbaX/s1600/P1000679%2528ANIcomposite2%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJaa2RYanGkyrHj8W6hKYB-mNwcjz70haOWwG3X0oizEkEyifnIN7PTCynZQ05wpfeoh6B3EtUHQUpA8xUno4bxWuk2rt28PwzZ-F6xIdpd2HV8A3DBAQ8dQujmfJZHonZuMRMiDwCbaX/s1600/P1000679%2528ANIcomposite2%2529.png" width="800" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHRznDY1qJyqRexv0geWawTBNDVjGgXDk4Z8y5Mph2BeNW27rS3CcQy3EMP7gnwi4VficdJQsbY1iXQuTAl2KNXweOoVgMVcz0cQV6kwTCKRzIIYMaLQu9ZIACJfvhxtZA_hxy7czSUb7/s1600/P1000687%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHRznDY1qJyqRexv0geWawTBNDVjGgXDk4Z8y5Mph2BeNW27rS3CcQy3EMP7gnwi4VficdJQsbY1iXQuTAl2KNXweOoVgMVcz0cQV6kwTCKRzIIYMaLQu9ZIACJfvhxtZA_hxy7czSUb7/s1600/P1000687%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Redshank (left) with Redshank (right) for comparison</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgGBpgBdUDlR0peXfAAx6Cy65gXbDBeO-8eDFtz7izAHQJz_BaKJ4X0L8a__IlfeRwaUVXtjBhead2WJC_WvySd5Xzi0MjeP6vtRf6IYnTACQjmPjoE_7LJCGQ7ptFElPFUdN-ii5Zrmt/s1600/P1000703%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgGBpgBdUDlR0peXfAAx6Cy65gXbDBeO-8eDFtz7izAHQJz_BaKJ4X0L8a__IlfeRwaUVXtjBhead2WJC_WvySd5Xzi0MjeP6vtRf6IYnTACQjmPjoE_7LJCGQ7ptFElPFUdN-ii5Zrmt/s1600/P1000703%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The context. The view from the hide. The arrow indicates where the Spotshank was when digiscoping it, approx 100 metres</td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-59319151277710833312016-04-20T16:21:00.000+01:002016-04-20T16:21:03.580+01:00What's better than a Wheatear?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy1lBOdh-fOBmURvOJcWdjUemKe3OjIrhw-dfd0ca9ZGkSICWcMgFcXsWma7QvJsx0SCSONBGB-V99DPAoj5-almycJ3yGQQbItRboI8qiObIapmJDgPwE_dhxiT-5UMcKc2Hjdo0GDNE/s1600/P1000220%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy1lBOdh-fOBmURvOJcWdjUemKe3OjIrhw-dfd0ca9ZGkSICWcMgFcXsWma7QvJsx0SCSONBGB-V99DPAoj5-almycJ3yGQQbItRboI8qiObIapmJDgPwE_dhxiT-5UMcKc2Hjdo0GDNE/s1600/P1000220%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></div>
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<h4>
....a FLOCK of Wheatears</h4>
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Yesterday, a sunny day and a morning off BMT monitoring. I headed for the hills. After a single <b>Wheatear</b> at <b><i>Pitstone Hill</i></b> and assurances that the beacon was “dead, no sign of migrants”, I was happy just to saunter in the sunshine. As it turned out, the SE slope of <b><i>Ivinghoe Beacon</i></b> was very much alive, with at least <b>6 Wheatears</b>. Unfortunately, the moment I spotted them, a screeching child ran along the footpath not far from the flock, and they all took flight. I relocated 5 but there could well have been a few more around. I plonked myself down on the grass and just watched the little group.<br />
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One pair took it in turns to have a dust bath. Another male was actively watching insects in the air, following them with his gaze and then jumping up to catch them. He was great entertainment, with the flash of his white rump and the bouncy way he launched himself up and then down again.<br />
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The slog back up to the car park was a lot less painful knowing it hadn’t been in vain!
Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-33278586603381214042016-04-14T18:48:00.000+01:002016-04-14T18:48:30.996+01:00Rosy Redpoll<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu15TKDYLWPmAb8puSs-TorAPGRhwalz1SmiQFI8mN8ddah31mFvNFLCsJXaIcAn2u4x5bcNSqsmIV-xNzhRWOsiDG6umwmw1PTw77lGlkIJY2A3EFM44OF_YTEjwEM25BFhZybJ1OS4GM/s1600/P2150616%2528ANI1%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu15TKDYLWPmAb8puSs-TorAPGRhwalz1SmiQFI8mN8ddah31mFvNFLCsJXaIcAn2u4x5bcNSqsmIV-xNzhRWOsiDG6umwmw1PTw77lGlkIJY2A3EFM44OF_YTEjwEM25BFhZybJ1OS4GM/s1600/P2150616%2528ANI1%2529.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy crop; horribly, <i>horribly</i> backlit...but…<br />
it’s a Lesser Redpoll with a super duper rosy chest so who cares?!</td></tr>
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<b><i>Bovingdon Brickworks (BMT), yesterday:</i></b> Sunshine and warmth and…ROSY CHESTED REDPOLLS.<br />
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For the past 7 days, a little flock of <b>6 Lesser Redpolls</b> have been hanging out in the blossoming Blackthorn and Willow, on the west side of the site. I admire their economical approach to life. Why not spend 99.9% of the day hauled up inside a pretty Blackthorn, nibbling on juicy new buds? They barely move more than a couple of metres left, right, up or down. That’s not to say they make it easy to get photographs and/or video footage. Oh my word, no.<br />
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As I stood in front of the <a href="http://www.xeno-canto.org/281790" target="_blank">zinging</a> bush, Long-tailed Tits, a pair of Blue Tits, a couple of Bullfinches and a few Goldfinches came along to join us. Dunnocks, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrush and couple of Chiffchaff were already within earshot. The newly returned, mixed singing Willow Warbler was east, just out of range; as were a handful of singing male Blackcaps and the long time drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker. He really means business, having started his display back at the beginning of March. Overhead, not to be forgotten, were a couple of soaring Red Kites. Finally, after umpteen useless video clips [bits of twig, flashes of tail/wing/chest/foot], one of the males ventured out to my side of the bush. It wasn’t the one with the most impressive rosy, pink chest but it was as good as I was going to get. I hope you enjoy him.<br />
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-75709155609375290432016-04-11T09:00:00.000+01:002016-04-11T10:27:42.034+01:00Egg of Newt & spawn of Toad<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgZXu9t5c0lyPAGphisEpgs42Rc6MyQYwFufeEE4hbq5Zs7rjC8hiQGgpyJSJkLIBBA6DtwvQ1PPNfW6xG-IberCKTsHd5E0ngX7sRSPqLV7e97ltCzDLzOEQmoQWYSvZ8QVCU-JApE0h/s1600/P2150443%2528ANI%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgZXu9t5c0lyPAGphisEpgs42Rc6MyQYwFufeEE4hbq5Zs7rjC8hiQGgpyJSJkLIBBA6DtwvQ1PPNfW6xG-IberCKTsHd5E0ngX7sRSPqLV7e97ltCzDLzOEQmoQWYSvZ8QVCU-JApE0h/s1600/P2150443%2528ANI%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Smooth Newt<i> (Lissotriton vulgaris)</i></b>. Male. <br />
Without the buoyancy of the water, the crest, which runs along his back, is folded over onto his body/tail</td></tr>
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Apart from mangling a bit of Shakespeare, last week, I slid into the watery world of the <b>Smooth Newt<i> (Lissotriton vulgaris)</i></b>. This is the UK’s most common and widespread newt species. In terms of its length (up to 10cm), it sits comfortably in between the UK’s smallest newt, the <b>Palmate Newt <i>(Lissotriton helveticus)</i></b> and the UK’s largest and most protected newt, the <b>Great Crested Newt <i>(Triturus cristatus)</i></b>. All 3 native species are fairly widespread and it seemed plausible that we might have at least 2 of the 3 on BMT land. The only way to find out was to get stuck into a proper, grown-up newt survey.<br />
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Close by, local <a href="http://www.rsk.co.uk/" target="_blank">RSK</a> ecologist, Jess Breeze, and 3 bright, young Master’s students, found themselves in need of a convenient training ground. It was a match made in Resource Management heaven. A plan was struck, collaborations agreed and wellies cleaned. We even had an average overnight temperature of or above 5°C on Thursday, making bottle trapping a possibility. All that was missing were the slinky, lizard-like amphibians.<br />
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There are four main surveying methods: torching, bottle trapping, netting and locating eggs. They’re all fairly self-explanatory but there’s a whole lot more info <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjn4pfwxP_LAhXCNhoKHdNBByQQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.narrs.org.uk%2Fdocuments%2F04.%2520NARRS%2520AMPHIBIAN%2520SURVEYS.pptx&usg=AFQjCNGxYKY1GQzvAgoMX9_jfcp48H_g0g&sig2=r-hr8rIsTBzE23gbEWZFsw&bvm=bv.119028448,d.d2s" target="_blank">here</a>, if you’d like it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bovingdon Brickworks, lined pond</td></tr>
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We started at <i><b>Bovingdon Brickworks</b></i>. The torching count was a complete surprise. Although I’ve seen frogs here, I hadn’t expected newts. We tallied 28 male and 30 female <b>Smooth Newts</b>. It was crawling with life!<br />
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Following a count of the adults, it was time to look for eggs. This entails a search for vegetation which has been folded over by the female, using her hind feet, to protect/house the solitary egg in its jelly sack. A single length of vegetation can be used more than once, creating a concertina appearance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq4et0yJltRwDb6sHbJBfP8ngxAAwbLcZFNEuHyO8yEf-EtaQiSIcpnaiB5H23zhdW1onfw8p_Kdh9PSzz_OizndyDyowdb1q9FKk4f3WmI46tx0ONlZMMggw4cxtBSOaFVVCH2NFhMtz/s1600/P2150447%2528ANI2%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq4et0yJltRwDb6sHbJBfP8ngxAAwbLcZFNEuHyO8yEf-EtaQiSIcpnaiB5H23zhdW1onfw8p_Kdh9PSzz_OizndyDyowdb1q9FKk4f3WmI46tx0ONlZMMggw4cxtBSOaFVVCH2NFhMtz/s1600/P2150447%2528ANI2%2529.png" width="800" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the folded grass stem</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth Newt egg, 1) inside the grass stem 2) revealed 3) up close</td></tr>
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Over the course of a breeding season, she’ll lay a phenomenal 200-300 of these and they will be the offspring of numerous different males.<br />
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The eggs are tiny, approx 2mm in diameter.<br />
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The fun didn’t end with the egg hunt. Oh no, after that it was time for bottle trapping in <b><i>Hay Wood, Westbrook Hay</i></b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8/4/2016, 9am, Hay Wood pond. Bamboo poles mark the location of bottle traps, set 2m apart, 12 hours previously</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottle traps: 1) in the pond, 2) out of the water, showing angle of submersion, which enables the formation of an air bubble inside to provide trapped newts with oxygen</td></tr>
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Our trapping, torching and egg hunt success was less impressive at the Hay Wood pond. Just 1 male and 1 female in the bottle traps. 3 spotted the previous night, torching (the water was too murky, following the heavy rain). No eggs found.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottle trap results: 1 female and 1 male<b> Smooth Newt </b>plus a well developed frog tadpole (back legs starting to sprout)</td></tr>
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Having never surveyed newts before, it really was a fascinating and fun process. When Jess showed us the telltale sign of the presence of eggs and then unfurled the grass stem, it was one of those moments where you couldn’t help but gasp and smile at the ingenuity of nature. Sure, less than 1% of all the eggs laid will make it to adulthood but the fact remains, delicate, tiny and vulnerable organisms do survive. Nature may be red in tooth and claw but it is also structured in such a way as to sustain a life when it is at its most defenceless. To be aware of that is to experience, and to be enveloped within, a unique kind of limitless beauty. Many thanks to Jess and her colleagues for the opportunity.<br />
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Finally, in other news, Toads have spawned at the Brickworks. This is my first record of breeding Toads in the 3 years I’ve been walking the site. I’ve never seen so much frog and toad spawn as I have this season. Perhaps the mild winter meant that significantly more adults survived to breed another day…<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5/4/2016, Brickworks breeding Toads <sup>#1</sup><br />
[Top Left] flooded dell, arrow points to spawn. [Top Right] spawning Toads around that vegetation<br />
[Bottom Left] Toads. [Bottom Right] strings of pearls aka spawn in adjacent dell</td></tr>
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P.S. Before I forget, I’ve added a new widget to the top of the left side-bar. The title will likely vary but for now, it links to a post from “this time last year...”.<br />
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P.P.S. Brickworks butterflies so far this year: <b>Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Brimstone</b>.<br />
Bird highlights last week: a flock of <b>6 Lesser Redpoll</b> feeding in a willow at the Brickworks. Amongst them, 3 or 4 males nearly in full breeding plumage - their bright red foreheads now complemented by gorgeous rosy pink chests. In Hay Wood, a pair of <b>Treecreepers</b> at chest height, no more than a few metres away. Exploring tree trunks together and occasionally singing. Any day is improved by a decent sighting of a scuttling creeper.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">#1 If you’d like to see each of the photos more clearly, click on the image, then right click and select “open in a new tab”. In the new tab, click on the image to enlarge.
</span>Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-78988191750293025982016-04-03T12:08:00.000+01:002016-04-06T19:08:36.236+01:00Kitchen sink birdingIf any bird were to wake you on April fools day, which would or should it be? Yup, a Green Woodpecker, <a href="http://www.xeno-canto.org/176278" target="_blank">yaffling its head off</a>.
That’s what I got on the 1<sup>st</sup> April at 7am. Oh the irony. This morning, it was the Collared Dove who, year on year, in spite of my best dissuasive efforts, insists on singing under the amplifying eaves outside my bedroom window <i>just after dawn</i>. I love spring but first light serenades, not so much.<br />
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Momentous news from yesterday. I did not leave the house. And, I had my first ever visits to the garden feeder by <b>Siskins</b>. I’m guessing the two events aren’t connected. The Siskins visited throughout the afternoon, staying in the immediate area and returning, on average, every half hour. I had all the get up and go of a heavily sedated Walrus and so the chance to pull up a kitchen chair, fling open the kitchen window and position myself behind the kitchen sink to watch the garden was ideal. The streaky pair lifted the day completely.<br />
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As well as the Siskins, I had my usual visitors. Nearly all in pairs. So, pairs of Robins, Greenfinchs, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Collared Doves (grrr), Blackbirds and Dunnocks. Singles of Wren and a few House Sparrows.Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-63885488962223700402016-03-29T20:02:00.000+01:002016-03-29T20:02:26.248+01:00Drive-by Stonechat<b><i>Water End nr Hemel: </i></b>After Wheatears in the sun yesterday, it was a <b>Stonechat</b> in the rain today…viewed from the car. I’m no fool.<br />
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I had commitments for much of the day, so my first chance to see if the bird reported earlier was still about was after 16:30, just as the rain moved in. I parked up and scanned the fence line from the car. Well marked, spring male Stonechats stand out like daisies on a hillside. There he was, jet black head, brilliant white collar and that warm orange-russet chest. Even through the murk and pouring rain he was stunning. I watched him fly down to the farmed field and return with a whopper of a worm. That soon disappeared and he continued to work his way along the fence line until he was as near as he ever got to the car. I watched him a while longer and then called it a night. Crossing my fingers he might still be around tomorrow….in the sunshine.<br />
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-26030173871911211212016-03-28T20:52:00.000+01:002016-03-28T23:45:42.816+01:00Wheatears hit Water EndWell, hello everyone. It’s been a fair old while! Where do I begin? How about I just dive in with today’s stuff. The remnants of storm Katie, followed by a flat car battery and an hour’s wait for “home assist” made sure I didn’t leave the house this morning. That fiasco was closely followed by an afternoon fighting the urge to snooze, until, at about 16:30, I crowbarred myself off the sofa and out into the blustery sunshine.<br />
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With not a lot of energy, the horse paddock just north of Hemel, at <b style="font-style: italic;">Water End</b>,<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>seemed like a good plan. I really wasn’t expecting anything, sure that others would have checked the site earlier in the day. But, hey, I got lucky. Not one but <i>two</i> gorgeous Spring male <b>Wheatears</b>: a much needed antidote to the winter hangover and proof that spring really is taking hold, thank goodness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One bird would occasionally hop over the paddock fence line into the adjacent ploughed field, blending in perfectly with the earthy tones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the birdie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two Spring males: one had a stubby tail (top bird), the other had a pronounced/very striking white supercilium (bottom bird)</td></tr>
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-31788152901151271822016-02-11T13:54:00.000+00:002016-02-11T20:53:49.533+00:00Killer Squirrel: the end of Robin Redbreast<b>Warning:</b> not for the squeamish or lovers of Robins<br />
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I can’t say I feel a million dollars today but I did fancy sharing a garden drama from earlier this week. Tuesday morning, there I was, standing by the kettle, waiting for my first cup of tea of the day, when out of the corner of my eye, Something was happening in the garden. Still slow with sleep, I turned to take a look. A squirrel emerged from the undergrowth and proceeded to manhandle a meaty looking prize. Aww, how sweet, it’s found some burnt toast, I thought. But wait, nope, there’s orange on it….what on earth?! Surely not….flipping heck, it’s only gone and killed a Robin! Mr butter-wouldn’t-melt Nutkin must have employed stealth and cunning, clawed the Robin from the top of the back fence and finished it off on the ground. He proceeded to carry his plunder to the Honeysuckle trellis podium, where he proudly plucked and tore at its lifeless body. Nothing like a bit of death and carnage before breakfast. Anyway, I’d never seen a squirrel kill or eat a bird before, so, thought it worth a blog post. I’m hoping the Robin wasn’t my <a href="http://naturalworldnotes.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-insomniacs-friend.html" target="_blank">midnight singer</a> but I fear the worst, unfortunately.<br />
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The video was shot in 4K. To watch it at the best resolution, press play and then click on the cog in the right lower corner, select Quality and choose 2160p 4K<br />
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P.S. Was woken in the early hours of this morning by a "singing" Tawny Owl. Spring advances...Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-92051052136074988592016-02-01T02:00:00.000+00:002016-02-01T02:00:11.333+00:00In the shallowsSunshine on the rippling surface of the River Bulbourne transformed plain pebbles into an ever changing, flickering canvas of colours and kinks. Totally mesmerising.<br />
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Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874064958782474931.post-21999234836924248172016-01-23T13:19:00.000+00:002016-01-23T13:24:57.850+00:00I'm not back & sunlit BuntingsI’m not back. I’m just kinda popping my head around the door. I’m here but I’m not here. And, whilst I’m here but not here, I thought I’d see if I could surreptitiously pave the way for continued blogging whilst unwell which doesn’t involve invading my own privacy too much.<br />
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I’ve lived with unipolar depression for most of my life. It’s been an unwanted and unwelcome appendage-to-my-psyche for as long as I can remember. It didn’t come alone either. It brought mates (disorders of anxiety etc) and, given the right circumstances, it multiplied into other more extreme and incapacitating conditions. Whilst I’m not able to work, I have found a way to live a small, quiet life which is mostly stable and functional (and isn't quite as pitiful as it sounds!). At times, you might even describe me as being useful to society, which, believe me, feels like something of a miracle.<br />
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Living with a mental illness is to have a constant and unpredictable companion. Sometimes it’s fairly quiet and easy to ignore. Other times, it’s like a ravaging cyclone: completely engulfing, completely destructive and utterly overwhelming. At the moment, it is tugging at my shirt sleeves like a needy 4 year old. It’s distracting and limiting and requiring most of my attention but, every so often, the chaos clears a little and I can do more than put one foot in front of the other, like Wednesday morning’s frosty, sunlit walk along the River Bulbourne.<br />
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Many years ago, I read William Styron’s <i>Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness</i>. I can’t for the life of me remember whether I thought it good/bad/helpful etc, but I did mark up a few paragraphs.<br />
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“Depression is a disorder of mood, so mysteriously painful and elusive in the way it becomes known to the self - to the mediating intellect - as to verge close to being beyond description. It thus remains nearly incomprehensible to those who have not experienced it in its extreme mode.”<br />
― William Styron, <i>Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness</i><br />
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At the heart of depression is pain. Extreme, unrelenting, psychic (of the soul) pain. I think the best description I’ve ever read was that it feels like someone is holding a naked flame to your soul. It is pain so acute and otherworldly that, at its worst, it is an effort even to breathe, never mind stand. Being conscious is excruciating: you’ve lost all capacity to feel comfort, hope, joy, interest, etc. It is, I think, the closest thing to hell on earth.<br />
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Thankfully, I’m only at the tugging-shirt-sleeve rather than ravaging cyclone stage. And, last Wednesday, I was able to enjoy a group of feasting <b>Reed Buntings</b> in the tiny Fishery Moor reed bed. Had they been difficult to photograph or required delicate fieldcraft to observe, I’d have given up. As it was, with the sun behind me, the birds remained perched on the tops of the reeds, skilfully extracting the seeds. There were at least 8 of them (my highest count here) and there could well have been as many as 12. I managed to photograph 5 of them.<br />
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One of the biggest difficulties with depression is that it is an invisible illness. It’s not possible to see how someone’s thoughts and emotions have drifted and skidded into an obscure realm of darkness, confusion and thick, treacle-like chaos. You can’t see the constricting anxiety and the trapped, walls-closing-in-on-me feelings; nor the struggle to remember what the world used to look like before its sinister transformation into a twisted, dark, distorted reality where nothing is as it should be. There is no comfort, no joy and no clarity. Just a heavy, suffocating blanket of confusion and pain. I am so very glad that I write these descriptions largely from memory and from the transitory echo that is my current experience. It is perhaps easy to understand why depression is so deeply isolating.<br />
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OK, time for a photo of a Goose, I think. Another from my sunny Wednesday walk. By the Hemel “magic roundabout”, on Plough Gardens & Balderson’s Moor, there is a resident flock of <b>c40 Canada Geese</b>. I mostly ignore them but this week they seemed like a nice, easy target.<br />
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The strange thing about depression is that you really do feel as though you’re walking around with a gaping chest wound, heart exposed to the elements. You feel intensely vulnerable and flinchingly raw. It is made all the more painful by the fact that no-one can see it. It’s no wonder that bursting into tears “for no apparent reason” is the all too frequent consequence.<br />
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William Styron shared this sense of wounding and I think his exploration is worth sharing in full (skip it, if you're pushed for time). After that, I’ll bring this blatant departure from natural history to a close.<br />
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“In depression [a] faith in deliverance, in ultimate restoration, is absent. The pain is unrelenting, and what makes the condition intolerable is the foreknowledge that no remedy will come - not in a day, an hour, a month, or a minute. If there is mild relief, one knows that it is only temporary; more pain will follow. It is hopelessness even more than pain that crushes the soul. So the decision-making of daily life involves not, as in normal affairs, shifting from one annoying situation to another less annoying - or from discomfort to relative comfort, or from boredom to activity - but moving from pain to pain. One does not abandon, even briefly, one’s bed of nails, but is attached to it wherever one goes. And this results in a striking experience - one which I have called, borrowing military terminology, the situation of the walking wounded. For in virtually any other serious sickness, a patient who felt similar devastation would be lying flat in bed, possibly sedated and hooked up to the tubes and wires of life-support systems, but at the very least in a posture of repose and in an isolated setting. His invalidism would be necessary, unquestioned and honourably attained. However, the sufferer from depression has no such option and therefore finds himself, like a walking casualty of war, thrust into the most intolerable social and family situations. There he must, despite the anguish devouring his brain, present a face approximating the one that is associated with ordinary events and companionship. He must try to utter small talk, and be responsive to questions, and knowingly nod and frown and, God help him, even smile. But it is a fierce trial attempting to speak a few simple words.”<br />
― William Styron, <i>Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness</i><br />
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And so, there we have it. I really did not intend to write such a mammoth post. I hope you weren’t in a hurry! Well done to anyone who has persevered this far…and thank you. I’ve only touched on a few of the psychological symptoms of depression and I inadvertently shared one of the many physical symptoms at the beginning of January - the brutal insomnia. Many years ago, at its worst, I was taking a nightly cocktail of tranquillisers, sedatives and sedating antidepressants in order to get the bare minimum of sleep. It was <i>not</i> pretty. Anyway, enough of the intricacies of mental health…how about a <b>Crow</b> harvesting grassy icicles from a frozen flood on Fishery Moor. There was a group of 4 of them all gingerly traversing the ice and breaking off the shimmering protrusion, presumably to eat/drink.<br />
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I came across a wintering <b>Chiffchaff</b> and both <b>Kingfishers</b> perched up in the sunshine on Wednesday. The female (below) was just down stream from the <b>Reed Buntings</b>, tucked into a tangle of branches. The male was fishing along the Bulbourne through Station Moor. It really was one of those extraordinary mornings, full of unexpected pleasures and sensations soothing to the soul.<br />
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I hope I haven’t scared off the few readers I do have by delving into the mire of mental health. If you haven’t already run for the hills, I hope that by sharing a little of my situation, you’ll understand why there are periods - like the past few weeks - when blogging is more difficult or will need to be brief. Every so often, all my energy is suddenly taken up with putting one foot in front of the other and simply holding on while the mental chaos churns. In spite of a longing to connect and to be involved in a wider (on and off line) community, sometimes I cannot overcome the feeling of brittle tenderness to do anything other than withdraw. Thanks for reading and I hope to be back soon.Lucy @ A Natural Interludehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10239907920826512177noreply@blogger.com14