nature notes II

[wigginhall]

Yes, many wonderful webs at the moment, watch out also for the wasp spiders, which are quite common in London, not sure about other parts.  A very handsome spider indeed.

http://tinyurl.com/ka8t9rh

[wigginhall]

Incidentally, I believe that the male orb spider tears off its own genitals.   Caution: do not try this at home.

[Enki]

Things are looking up for house sparrows, it seems, with evidence that populations are stabilising.
http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3965

[Rhiannon]

We have a large flock of them on our lane, they follow us along as we walk and make a huge racket.

[wigginhall]

Yes, the decline is leveling out.

There was also some advice about how to encourage them, e.g. if you have a garden, leave some untidy areas, for insects, grow some plants good for roosting, e.g. hawthorn, ivy, if you put out bird food, have some large seeds in it, and wash the feeders at regular intervals, to stop viruses, etc., and put up nest boxes (32 mm entrance).

I had to cut back our ivy, as it was becoming like a jungle, and the sparrows used to love it. 

And don't use insecticides!  Also for bees and other insects.

[Enki]

For me, one of the most handsome of birds which occur in Britain is the red backed shrike. The adult male is a striking bird. For those who have never seen one, here is a typical photo of one.

http://scotlandcaravanholidays.typepad.com/.a/6a010535844fa1970c0120a7755c5d970b-800wi

or

http://letterfromnorfolk.wordpress.com/tag/red-backed-shrike/


In the last few years a pair of red backed shrikes have bred at an undisclosed location on Dartmoor

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3973

which, I think, is great news because they died out as a British breeding bird late in the 20th Cent. I remember seeing the last breeding pair at a place called Santon Downham, in Norfolk, in 1988. Although the location was a picnic site, the breeding area had been roped off. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the inevitable disturbance and attempts at egg collecting. I believe the next year produced only a male which tried forlornly to look for a  non existent mate.

However, this masked invader is a regular passage migrant to the east coast, sometimes in quite good numbers, where they can sit out conspicuously on fences and branches. This time of year is perfect for them to appear, and several have already shown their impressive sense of occasion by appearing on cue.

[OH MY WORLD!]

I didn't put any bird seed out for a couple days so that the sparrows would clean up all the scattered seeds.
Well when i did put fresh seed out yesterday things got crazy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fjj32CavzU0

[floo]

I am not putting out anything apart from food scraps for the birds at the moment until winter sets in. The sparrows are fighting over the bread I put out earlier.

[RobM]

For me, one of the most handsome of birds which occur in Britain is the red backed shrike. ....

Great news about the breeding. Let's hope we get more - even back here in Kent.

I always enjoy seeing them - in the UK and abroad.

[OH MY WORLD!]

I always knew we had wolverines in my province and it's great that somebody actually got some of these critters on video. Good job!!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/wolverines-caught-on-hd-video-for-first-time-1.2424605

[wigginhall]

Great pix, pw. 

It's been a stonking autumn for birds in the UK, many rarities, tropicbird, ovenbird, brown shrike, baltimore oriole, blah blah blah.  Naturally, I didn't see any of them.  None the less, had a fab day in Titchwell last week, bright sunshine, many interesting birds, e.g. little stint, then walked on the beach. 

Next week sees the publication at last of the new atlas of British breeding birds, 700 pages of it!  The first for 20 years, it will show many changes in bird distribution, e.g. the expansion of buzzard and raven, and the shrinkage of nightingale and cuckoo, although in Scotland, things look brighter.

Also, quite modestly, I can mention that I worked on a tiny bit of it.  Published by BTO, £70 I think.

[Anchorman]

Just back from a break in the Highlands.
Sunday was stunning. I've seen Glencoe in sun, rain and white-out conditions, and scraped off the fungus while stumbling the West Highland Way yonks ago, but I've never experienced the brilliance of Sunday.
Autumn leaves were still turning ( very late for up here), and Autumnal colour was glorious in a cloudless, crisp day, with a fair sprinkle of snow on the bens and hills, and a dusting of frost on the ground.
As the frost lifted, it formed a mist which rose leaving the greens and browns of the ground and the pristine white of the mountains separated by a layer of twisting opalescence that even I could appreciate.

     Combine that with the roar of a red deer, call of buzzard and, high over all, the clear sound of a golden eagle, and the tang of pine and peat, and the whole experience was pure magic.

     I just had to sample nature's bounty in the form of GlenTurret malt to finish off the experience.

[torridon]

Glorious post Jim.  Now, where's my boots ..

[Enki]

I can empathize with that, Jim. Takes me back to some wonderful times spent in Scotland, especially in a beautiful place we called 'Eagle alley' (Findhorn Valley). 

[Anchorman]

ant;
Did you visit the Findhorn community??*



* - Fundamentalists should look away now.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jim,

GlenTurret a close cousin of Grouse I will keep an eye out for it, what did you sample, 10 year old, seventeen year old??

Although the person who writes the bollocks below, saying that some numpty actually pays for this rubbish.

The nose is full with malted barley and toasty cereal. Notes of nutty oiliness, a touch of fruit peels and a herbal tones. There is a good oaken honeyed sweetness. The palate is fruity and rich with thick sweetness and well-balanced oaked tannins. A touch of cut hay and a little earthen notes. The finish is of medium-length with a beautiful sweetness.

A touch of cut hay

Gonnagle.

[Anchorman]

Gonners;
Glenturret is the distillary from which the base malt for the Famous Grouse * is made. It is definately worth a visit; the visitors centre is not the usual tourist tat. The display and IMAX set up is visually stunning, and a generous sample of two of the products of the firm are available. I've been there a few times, now.


* - Apart from Glenturret itself (the 17 year olld), samples of Grouse, Black Grouse, Black Grouse Alpha ( probably the best blend I've tasted), and Snow Grouse were available as samples.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Jim,

Oh you sweet talker!! we have a meet up at the end of this month myself and Gordon like a wee dram or twa, will keep an eye open for this Genturret

Gonnagle.

[OH MY WORLD!]

Sounds amazing Anchorman. We are already having snow avalanches here.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/avalanche-warning-in-place-for-k-country-1.2126792

Here's a pic from last year. My little flock of grouse warming themselves against my greenhouse

[Enki]

ant;
Did you visit the Findhorn community??*



* - Fundamentalists should look away now.

Afraid not, Jim, although we knew something of them at the time. We basically went up the A9 to Tomatin, then off left following the River Findhorn to the Dalmigavie area, a most beautiful area. I can still remember the red deer and the mountain hares on the hillside, my first singing ring ouzel, a majestic soaring golden eagle and a pair of goshawks. It was a privilege to be a part of such unspoiled and open countryside.

[Anchorman]

Grouse, powow?
OK, I suppose....but you can't drink em.
Even if you put ;em in a liquidizer.


(Sorry).

[OH MY WORLD!]

Hey Anchorman,
We drink weird things in Canada.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ONbXtifdtc

[SweetPea]

Oh, wow! Jim and Ant, reading your posts had my heart racing.

Jim have you visited the Findhorn community? If so, I'd be interested in your views - if we can go off topic for just a couple of posts.

Wiggs - great stuff, getting an entry in the new atlas for British breeding birds.

And Powwow - love the pics of the grouse snuggling against your greenhouse trying to escape the snow.

[Anchorman]

SweetPea.
It's been more than a few years since I visited the Findhorn Community. I had a friend who worked in the REAL village of Findhorn.
Trust me, the members of the community, though they tried to integrate with the locals, were regarded as a nuisance at best, and a bunch of hippy time wasters at worst...shall we say relations were, despite the .FC's efforts and public profile, strained!

[SweetPea]

SweetPea.
It's been more than a few years since I visited the Findhorn Community. I had a friend who worked in the REAL village of Findhorn.
Trust me, the members of the community, though they tried to integrate with the locals, were regarded as a nuisance at best, and a bunch of hippy time wasters at worst...shall we say relations were, despite the .FC's efforts and public profile, strained!

Jim, this made me laugh - if I'd been around at the time, I would probably have been one of the nuisances.

But I'm very fond of a book by Sir George Trevelyan, one of the FC members (also a member of 'The Essene Network') - 'A Vision of the Aquarian Age' which can be found now as an online book.

 http://www.sirgeorgetrevelyan.org.uk/Vision.html