tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76160151941423444062024-03-22T01:43:47.436+00:00Exeter wild thingsWildlife miscellany in and around Exeter, DevonExeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-60840611950286450182020-07-05T13:20:00.002+01:002020-07-05T13:20:27.151+01:00Internet Explorers<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If waking up some mornings with the lockdown blues, here are some alternative on-line wildlife events, some local, some not so local ... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Agile Rabbit</b>, University of Exeter-based, talks on various topics from top
name speakers, including on wildlife research and conservation subjects. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Past talks back to 2018 viewable on embedded YouTube podcasts on Agile Rabbit webpage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For live talks</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, join by Zoom </span><a href="https://www.agile-rabbit.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.agile-rabbit.com/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Art and Energy Moths to a flame </b>– Devon-based, learn about moths each
month this summer and take part in an art project which will be travelling to the
re-scheduled next international climate change conference Cop26 in Glasgow
2021.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monthly moth events 1 hour on Friday Eve – 1 hour on the following Saturday
morning virtually visiting sites around Devon. For live talks, b</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ook via Eventbrite, join by Zoom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://artandenergy.org/watch-moths-episode-1-26-june-2020/">https://artandenergy.org/watch-moths-episode-1-26-june-2020/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://artandenergy.org/moths-to-a-flame-events/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://artandenergy.org/moths-to-a-flame-events/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Field Studies Council Virtual Meetups</b> – talks on wildlife projects and subjects.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learn about oil beetles, ladybirds, barberry carpet moth, chequered
skipper butterfly, dormice, hedgehogs, insect coloration, bees ….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On FSC YouTube VMU channel – new talks added weekly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdau3EIomlitPTfE2cSMWeIvGjIDijkI2"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdau3EIomlitPTfE2cSMWeIvGjIDijkI2</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cumbria Wildlife Trust talk ‘Averting the Insect Apocalypse</b>' and what we can do at
home, by Professor Dave Goulson, leading bumblebee expert, author, one time marker of my
undergraduate essays …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On You Tube </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2k6KQ74GxY&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2k6KQ74GxY&feature=youtu.be</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can learn more about insect-friendly gardening from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbnBys2Hl1T26dzO_nbgbiw" target="_blank">Dave's YouTube channel</a>, and his books <i>A Sting in the Tale</i>, <i>A Buzz in the Meadow</i>, <i>Bee Quest</i> and the latest <i>The Garden Jungle</i>. You can also look at his <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/goulsonlab/publications" target="_blank">research papers</a>.</span></div>
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<br />Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-55475016635675123232018-02-19T13:46:00.001+00:002018-05-31T17:50:48.519+01:00If on a winter's night a traveller ...<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; tab-stops: 83.7pt;">
<span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Out on a nocturnal expedition, and discovered
I wasn’t the only one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A shape on the path, its coloration blending
in orangely with the surroundings under the sodium light, adumbrated by shadow.
There as still as a statue, as if it had both just materialised that instant and also been
there all along for centuries, was a large frog, squatting crouched in its sumo
pose, jewel eye impassively taking in the scene, weighing up a next
move. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time and toad wait for no one ....</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A few more steps and there was another, then
another, and a mature palmate newt, then another newt, a toad, then more toads
and frogs, at intervals along the church path. All 3 of our common species were
on the march, on one short brief stretch of urban Exeter footpath. One could
imagine the earth had belched them up from some netherworldly subterranean place,
an amphibian version of a Stanley Spencer mass resurrection for spring.</span></div>
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<span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The last few nights had been mild and wet,
constantly damp, intermittent rain, then more rain, with nocturnal
temperatures tipping above 5<sup>o</sup>C. This must have been the trigger to stir
from hibernation, emerging from damp corners of gardens from under stones, paths,
sheds, and the soil. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="st1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s easy to forget about the terrestrial part
of the amphibian lifecycle, and that most of the amphibian year is spent away from the
pond - apart from the breeding season. In these squally warmer wet nights, the moist
atmosphere aids breathing through the skin and gives less risk of dehydration,
plus means that ditches and ponds may be filling up. Collective emergence gives
better odds that any one individual will survive the gathering attention of predators. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Toadzilla, on the march (on some screens this may be too dark to see)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s said that the older and larger individuals make the migration trek
earlier, possibly trading off safety in return for the chance to claim first the best
breeding opportunities. Certainly the participants in this evening’s ‘frogtide’
were mature animals, collisions leading to amplexus grabs and toads inflating
in alarm, presaging the contests to come. Soon there will be spawn, soon spring
will be on the way.</span></div>
Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-14764494638805140122018-01-14T15:10:00.003+00:002018-01-14T15:10:49.924+00:00A Hawfully Big Adventure<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 83.7pt;">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">From
October 2017 onwards we’ve been experiencing a massive ‘irruption’. Several thousands
of usually rare Hawfinches arrived unexpectedly in the UK this winter, said to
be due to a good breeding year, followed by failure of food crop sources in
Germany and Romania, with journey possibly aided by storm Ophelia, and any return
trip possibly postponed by storm Eleanor. Some have made it as far as central Exeter,
loitering for a time around St Thomas churchyard and the pleasure grounds over
the road, and then at Exwick Cemetery. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEith4oqTnOz5aIJon1JlTxZBJP2fiq0tKJCG5NGXfE7It4Ng-hIhh8kuRt6L8KKB9X3tK0bsNEshudGElREPlzG-vGAGgjPFIWcY8lgfN8TT6rGEAKqxqbhlkjiXqHb0NPI5VmaEOPQjLI/s1600/Exw+cemetery2+cmpsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEith4oqTnOz5aIJon1JlTxZBJP2fiq0tKJCG5NGXfE7It4Ng-hIhh8kuRt6L8KKB9X3tK0bsNEshudGElREPlzG-vGAGgjPFIWcY8lgfN8TT6rGEAKqxqbhlkjiXqHb0NPI5VmaEOPQjLI/s400/Exw+cemetery2+cmpsd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Totally Hawsome: Exwick cemetery woodland burial area</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">This
is a special bird and a special opportunity. The national breeding population
hovers around 500-1000</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">, with fidelity to certain locations, and stronghold in south east England</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: x-small;"><sup>1</sup></span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">. These last few months have welcomed thousands to the UK, sometimes seen in
flocks fifty or more strong, instead of the average grouping of 7-8. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Size
matters; this largest finch, with the biggest beak and head, the longest
scientific name among our UK songbirds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Coccothraustes
coccothraustes</i>, and in the largest numbers - surely something this
distinctive should be easy to spot? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Afraid
not. Hawfinches are "notoriously self-effacing" and "the most challenging
songbird to observe well"<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span></sup>. Generally a woodland specialist,
secreted circumspectly high in the upper canopy, fawn plumage blending in with
bare trunks, with a relatively quiet infrequent song, and flying off stealthily
at the slightest hint of disturbance, the spotter’s traditional first - and
last - view of a Hawfinch is a flash of white feathers on long dark tapering
wings either side of a short tail, in a bounding flight…. as they disappear
away out of sight over the treetops….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Chances
of good sightings of these enigmatic visitors at Exwick cemetery then seemed low. But we could increase the odds maybe with some received
knowledge and strategy: start with any woodland areas; scan the uppermost
treetops; check especially cherry trees; look out for slight movements of
silhouettes which turn out to be unusually large perching birds with short
tails; be still, watchful, patient. There were not going to be many close-up
photo opportunities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Exwick
cemetery has lots of cherry trees as well as
numerous grand old standard trees. A green burials woodland area, the
treetops of which can be viewed from paths, seemed promising in theory. A flock of 5 Hawfinches was
reported on Saturday afternoon, on cherry trees at the top of the site. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">In the
first hour we tried a few different vantage points. Movements turned out to be
long-tailed tits, chaffinches, a bullfinch, goldcrest, blackbirds and
squirrels, once a sparrowhawk darting between the trunks. There was a keen northerly wind. Looking up at the canopy and thin
glare of the low winter sun, some minutes were spent in careful intense
observation of a clump of leaves.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-ZHlGOo3eEdvprm4e5t9xqHDBCSnye6we98BaQ0gtv-mMKaY0LZaKK3KUvmARBeYf_6sk_R-aotrZG2mF0ASX5xCnC78tCcN06z7tOITlBmj8aoxYFdwf0VRD-rqogW7gyT96NB5_nQ/s1600/Exw+cemetery1cmpsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-ZHlGOo3eEdvprm4e5t9xqHDBCSnye6we98BaQ0gtv-mMKaY0LZaKK3KUvmARBeYf_6sk_R-aotrZG2mF0ASX5xCnC78tCcN06z7tOITlBmj8aoxYFdwf0VRD-rqogW7gyT96NB5_nQ/s400/Exw+cemetery1cmpsd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There's a Hawfinch in this pic somewhere - can you spot it?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">And
then, the slightest shifting out from behind the top of a cherry trunk on to an
upper bough, part of a bird shape which seemed to be playing a trick of
perspective appearing larger by being closer. Except it was indeed large,
deftly plucking a cherry with an enormous beak. Once glimpsed, and locked on
to with the binoculars, it was unmistakable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
characteristic bill allows monopolisation of a specialised feeding niche, on
tough-coated haws, sloes, cherries especially, and beech mast, amongst other
seeds. It’s possible to tackle these when your face is equipped with a pair of
bolt croppers. For the Hawfinch's scientific name </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Coccothraustes</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> ‘kokko’ from Greek
means ‘kernel’ and ‘thrauo’ ‘I break in pieces’.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-EWFkVL5Js9tG_dTd3Lpq9jn253Go-iBncYRnT2Ela3gVOkedbTjFvUyEKZ-ygcRQRfhXxjy3gDMGFcuDw7dVhX2fUOFUuB7hjh-B2dfWFfORRRdWrCQUstiOaOd9Ayi-WAWbIySNCY/s1600/Exw+cemetery1+circled+cmpd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-EWFkVL5Js9tG_dTd3Lpq9jn253Go-iBncYRnT2Ela3gVOkedbTjFvUyEKZ-ygcRQRfhXxjy3gDMGFcuDw7dVhX2fUOFUuB7hjh-B2dfWFfORRRdWrCQUstiOaOd9Ayi-WAWbIySNCY/s640/Exw+cemetery1+circled+cmpd.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This might be it .... or not</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nature's engineering design is much more sophisticated than bolt-croppers: 4 horny pads inside the upper and lower palates hold the seed or stone in place, while distributing bite force evenly across the massive cheek muscles – the reason for the heavy-set neck and head. The crunch of the bite force is estimated to be 1000 times the bird's own weight, exerting 50-60 g/sm (1950s experiments found that 27-43kg was needed to crack open cherry stones). It is said bird ringers' knuckles, when trying to ring Hawfinches, regularly also feel this force<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></sup>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was fascinating to observe the bill in action, not just the strength but also the nimbleness dealing with the cherry stones. Our vigilance was rewarded with sightings of 3-4 more birds. Satisfied with the morning's venture, we went in search of a warming cup of tea, and to see how the photos came out.... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Postscript: as ever, I should leave it to the professionals. Here's a pic posted on the proper <a href="https://www.devonbirds.org/news/bird_news/devon_bird_sightings?blogMonth=12&blogYear=2017&blogEntry=16221">Devon Birds website</a> - for more authoritative interweb information about Devon's birds and sightings, this is the place to visit.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqpXDb3emO_EKxQ0ubtQ1FA4fv6BDm_xttMAwyLLvzbvdX3F6qDWmaCrTfB5ueNs8eCHbd3AQdAd-01U_2AHN7Gf8hxbkl3-VXBhHICmye4nmlTVNBqPKA1YM5YHQ_CDaEoI2OUFywYA/s1600/haldon_hawfinches_16221_1+John+Deakins+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="789" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqpXDb3emO_EKxQ0ubtQ1FA4fv6BDm_xttMAwyLLvzbvdX3F6qDWmaCrTfB5ueNs8eCHbd3AQdAd-01U_2AHN7Gf8hxbkl3-VXBhHICmye4nmlTVNBqPKA1YM5YHQ_CDaEoI2OUFywYA/s400/haldon_hawfinches_16221_1+John+Deakins+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from Devon Birds website - Hawfinch at Haldon by J. Deakins</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>References</u></b></span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1 </span></sup></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawfinch">Wikipedia</a> and Birdtrack
</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdtrack/news-archive/2017/record-hawfinch-arrival">website 2017</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><sup style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2 </span></sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Peter Lack 1986 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Britain and
Ireland </i>Poyser, London</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">3</span></sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> from M Cocker and R
Mabey 2005<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Birds Britannica </i>Chatto &
Windus, London, and Jonathan Elphick 1997 / reprint 2001 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The BBC Birdwatcher’s Handbook A Guide to the Birds of Britain and
Ireland </i>BBC Worldwide Ltd </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> – Jonathan is speaking to Topsham Birdwatching
and Naturalist group on <a href="http://topshambns.blogspot.co.uk/p/programme.html">Friday 9 March</a> </span></div>
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-39224472265841614682017-04-04T15:01:00.002+01:002017-04-10T11:18:05.730+01:00Goodbye Dave<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">David Ireland 1974 - 2017</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you've come along to a Devon Wildlife Trust Exeter Local Group event in the last year, chances are you would have met Dave, whether it was the <a href="http://exeterwildthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/through-scope-cloudily.html">peregrine watch</a>, <a href="http://exeterwildthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/have-we-got-newts-for-you.html">stream dipping</a>, or <a href="http://exeterwildthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/back-to-back-bulbs-and-bats.html">bat walk</a> in the October weather. Or dropping in on the Respect Festival. Or to a recent Cricklepit milling or open day. He would have been there, greeting, introducing, chatting, welcoming.</span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or otherwise if you signed up to the Exeter LG newsletter, followed any local wildlife twitter feeds, saw an event poster in the library, came along to Cricklepit gardening group, watched Devon beaver video footage, donated to a DWT campaign, or attended<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>a nature reserve open day, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">seen a DWT photograph, or </span>appeared in a DWT photograph .... </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Devon Wildlife Trust was a big part of Dave's life; and Dave was a big part of DWT, as a volunteer, then DWT press officer for many years, then once again as a volunteer. For some activities the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">re </span>wasn't a distinction: even on days off, I remember weekends joining in practical tasks, hedgelaying, or building ev<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er more sop<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">histicated</span> </span>nestbox designs. More recently he was busy and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">very <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">active for the Exeter Local Grou<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">p.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And not just DWT: also for <a href="http://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/">Devon Local Nature Partnership</a>, helping engineer e-newsletters and 'pollinator palaces' for the <a href="http://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/devons-natural-environment/pollinators/">Get Devon Buzzing!</a> project. And setting up wildflower planting and bird feeders back home in the communal grounds of his flat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If ecology is about connections, Dave was a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">keystone person. The <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">c</span>re</span></span>ativity ranged over a whole variety of ways and ideas for bringing wildlife to people and vi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ce <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">versa: </span></span>interpretation displays, publicity, fundraising, community engagement<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> events</span>. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A</span> New Year's res<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olution to get in shape was a typical example,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>characteristically developed into a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">larger </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">DWT f<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">undraising and publicity opportunity. His ent<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">us<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">iasm </span></span></span>was the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">c</span></span></span></span></span>atalyst which <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lifted plans o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ff the drawing board and </span></span>made other things happen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJ654h04OdGQQCU_jO8dKaO24sO5wskML5BvpdMZGoKLAPzhyphenhyphenHsfZX41RgYmeZhJw5HUvBtngr3LAXHbcbzwh6SdCDe2E6_0KsLa-WWxR_DKU-jIJewAQ0leEnbIJXFrmN0ewiYYx1Ow/s1600/Express+%2526+Echo+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJ654h04OdGQQCU_jO8dKaO24sO5wskML5BvpdMZGoKLAPzhyphenhyphenHsfZX41RgYmeZhJw5HUvBtngr3LAXHbcbzwh6SdCDe2E6_0KsLa-WWxR_DKU-jIJewAQ0leEnbIJXFrmN0ewiYYx1Ow/s320/Express+%2526+Echo+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Added value of £ for pounds - <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from</span> the <i>Express & Echo</i> (original photo: M Parker)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dave died suddenly in February, the indirect result of a lo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g term illness which he seemed to be conquering</span></span>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have strong memories of <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the</span> shared times <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and interests as</span> a colleague and </span>valued friend: wildlife events, fossil hunting, 5 aside football, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_(band)">musi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">c</span></a> (another <a href="http://mute.com/appliance/appliances-david-ireland-rest-in-peace">substantial part of Dave's life</a>), cinema, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">those all important support<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>ve cups of tea, to recalibrate, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">discuss </span>and make next plans<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Exeter feels a lonelier place without him</span>.</span></span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-60735703183420474322017-03-27T12:49:00.000+01:002017-03-28T10:11:00.290+01:00Barley boxes<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With thanks to Exeter City Council, we installed 12 nestboxes around Barley Valley Local Nature Reserve, as part of <a href="https://www.bto.org/about-birds/nnbw">National Nestbox Week</a> in February, ready for the new nesting season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hopefully 9 blue or great tit, 2 robin and 1 spotted flycatcher families are now in the process of setting up home. Look out for a follow up event in May when we'll carry out a bit of a survey of the new nestboxes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks to everyone who joined us to help out on the day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucmUgKOWa3HMQEKtA_yvegJlSg7zz3elkfLwCPlueoBuyJW-QeG01-BSW9yshHzKOTNYwQIvzJWLAJGNszSukr25dQQQlwDZsxjyf6VPqlIN-hgEZD6Nlkp3A2SERDBZ9PqqzxsD9TBA/s1600/barley+boxes+19+Feb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucmUgKOWa3HMQEKtA_yvegJlSg7zz3elkfLwCPlueoBuyJW-QeG01-BSW9yshHzKOTNYwQIvzJWLAJGNszSukr25dQQQlwDZsxjyf6VPqlIN-hgEZD6Nlkp3A2SERDBZ9PqqzxsD9TBA/s400/barley+boxes+19+Feb.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All about location: north-facing, tilted slightly downwards, clear flight path, 2-5m high</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemj0ADS0TuZnPtYZH0lzSW0PiExSaLUOO1-_OUSn_nJsX3wUpVoHMowqfChUXqv0RS6EvCmh9s8LDaPLeyV-uTsXnYcthUocfAe1FueLd_2tybpK_VtD0thF7gHXxt71Ox5r9Bi9sm-8/s1600/Barley+boxes+team+cmprsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemj0ADS0TuZnPtYZH0lzSW0PiExSaLUOO1-_OUSn_nJsX3wUpVoHMowqfChUXqv0RS6EvCmh9s8LDaPLeyV-uTsXnYcthUocfAe1FueLd_2tybpK_VtD0thF7gHXxt71Ox5r9Bi9sm-8/s400/Barley+boxes+team+cmprsd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barley Valley nestbox team (ph<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oto A<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Slade)</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-10130003736897851572017-02-06T12:24:00.000+00:002017-04-01T14:21:11.419+01:00The Small Garden Birdwatch<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Results in from my hour's bird spotting vigil for the <a href="https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch">Big Garden Birdwatch</a> 2017 at the end of January.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Not wishing to be repetitive (<i>c.f.</i> <a href="http://exeterwildthings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-watching-hour.html">The Watching Hour</a> post from last year), though the repeated gathering of data is part of the accumulating value of the survey. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(James Alexander Gordon vo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>ce) House <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s</span>parrow 13; <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in 2; b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lackb<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ird 2; wood p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">igeon and dunnock 1.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it occurred to me, how often would I otherwise spend an hour observing the tiny front garden space, really an hour, and really watching? More than casual glimpses, the hour<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> revealed some </span>behaviour being played out among the fea<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">there<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">d visitors. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">House sparrows domi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nated the survey count, as in previou<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s years a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nd generally for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">urvey as a whole (in 88% of gardens<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, according t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results.aspx">reported results</a></span></span> so far).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> I wonder if their gang m<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">onop<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olising of the fa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tball feeder <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">kept the blue ti<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ts and great tits at ba<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y. However, as la<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">st year,</span> the regular<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>rain of <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pecked </span>fatball fragments encouraged robins, blackbirds, the dunnock and an ambling pigeon to benefit<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>from<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the reliable spillage</span></span> below. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It sho<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ws the advantage of providing<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> more than a sing<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">le food<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> type and location, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at di<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fferent heights, for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">different spec<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>es</span></span></span>. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The blackb<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">irds had read<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>the same book</span></span> and fed at <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the</span> windfall apples left out <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f</span>or them.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mrs Blackbird has spoken (blurry picture taken through window)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span></span>he appeara<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nce of </span>same species pairs <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">teresting: a male and female blackbird and two <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r</span>obins present <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and </span>tolerating each other suggests pa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">iring up a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s a prelude to the breeding season</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; spring on the way?</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">STOP PRESS: 2017 <a href="https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results/?utm_source=bgbwjourney7&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=bgbwemails">results now posted on the RSPB website</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top 10 species in 2017 Big Garden Birdwatch:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>Bird species - average number per garden (% of gardens species recorded in)</em></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">House sparrow - 4.3 (67%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Starling - 3.2 (48%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blackbird - 2.9 (93%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blue tit - 2.5 (80%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Woodpigeon - 2.3 (78%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Goldfinch - 1.6 (34%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Robin - 1.6 (89%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Great tit - 1.4 (40%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chaffinch - 1.3 (40%)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Long-tailed tit - 1.2 (30%)</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-47628900585074808822016-12-31T15:11:00.001+00:002017-01-03T11:36:58.800+00:00Christmas tweets<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's that time of year ... with some interesting bird behaviour on show, for anyone who can pause amid the Xmas shopping and sales rush. In the dearth of natural food, whether winter insects or fruit, migrant and resident songbirds have been descending on urban areas seeking out berrying street trees and bushes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Robins might be more likely to appear on the season's greeting cards, but blackbirds - the colly bird of the traditional song - thrushes and redwings can perhaps make a similar claim. A random cotoneaster, hawthorn or rowan might have 3 or 4 perched on top, at various heights, vying for and defending this precious resource. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIyDwGY23x6rdR0jZ3rRUb9m-icpx5ke8CP0-VJLt8xAoRqzIU9O4wM49-85itHavNdZaFJlmXwnq1IZ1O9eKayK8iZVpKIkKVgj4bbxKhkOEsSgTkMEnTnWkj3_gCvQX0kFrgDEA8vk/s1600/blackbird+%2526+berries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIyDwGY23x6rdR0jZ3rRUb9m-icpx5ke8CP0-VJLt8xAoRqzIU9O4wM49-85itHavNdZaFJlmXwnq1IZ1O9eKayK8iZVpKIkKVgj4bbxKhkOEsSgTkMEnTnWkj3_gCvQX0kFrgDEA8vk/s400/blackbird+%2526+berries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PYQATgn4xGFHepK0fU5kntZJpd9x8HiNDdL_h7a4oD6ivlIGYjijZU2aeDuGu2f-3DQ1uN771KJ0LadqUdTrNRS-4nW4wws5CK0lxt6TryX_qCnThbMdyC_GV0lbV3v1ZBpy8d8KdW0/s1600/pigeon+%2526+pyracantha1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PYQATgn4xGFHepK0fU5kntZJpd9x8HiNDdL_h7a4oD6ivlIGYjijZU2aeDuGu2f-3DQ1uN771KJ0LadqUdTrNRS-4nW4wws5CK0lxt6TryX_qCnThbMdyC_GV0lbV3v1ZBpy8d8KdW0/s320/pigeon+%2526+pyracantha1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">St David's street food: blackbird on rowan; a pigeon joins in on some pyracantha</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It illustrates the value of some non-native berrying garden and street shrubs, such as cotoneaster and pyracantha. These apparently aren't the first choice of wild birds, but at a certain point the berries will be taken avidly, and must help birds survive through this otherwise lean time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's also been a winter version of a dawn chorus, of sorts: I've heard robins starting up pre-dawn in fullish song before 7a.m. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the UK most robins are sedentary, but winter numbers increase with some migrants arriving from the Continent. T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he British and Irish subspecies is <i>Erithacus rubecula melophilus</i>,
found across Western Europe and occurring as a vagrant in adjacent regions. Those that stay, or arrive,
must keep and guard a territory throughout the season. Male and female robins do this, explaining why both can sing on winter mornings. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
association with gardens and towns is a peculiarly UK phenomenon, not
so readily seen elsewhere in the robin's range, where it is more of a shy scrub and woodland bird</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While the blackbirds and thrushes are partial to rowan and cotoneaster berries, spindle bush <i>Euonymus europaeus</i>, a classic Devon hedgerow plant, is said to be favoured by robins. In German the plant is <span class="st"><i>Rotkehlchenbrot</i> </span>or 'robin's bread'. In mild
years, the next breeding season can start as early as January. Apparently individual robins can be told apart from the red breast pattern, though this is a challenge.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exe<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ter's greenfin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ches, thrushes, blue tits, thrushes and blackb<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ir<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ds were <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">also vo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cally e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">vid<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ent during a Va<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lley Park walk </span>in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the milder, almost sunny spell on Boxing Day</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>. A hint of things to come, looking towards the <a href="https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch">Big Garden Birdwatch 2017</a> on 28-30 Jan<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">uary.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Refer<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">en</span></span>ces</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wikipedia <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_robin">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_robin</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Birds and Berries</i> by Barbara and David Snow (T & AD Poyser, 1990)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">RSPB 21 robin facts page <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/8957.aspx">http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/8957.aspx</a></span></span></span><br />
<br />Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-53365470029255802042016-12-12T16:03:00.001+00:002016-12-31T14:09:47.716+00:00Mystery mouse at Mincinglake<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This construction was an autumn-winter DIY project. </span><br />
<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/AVvXsEhabrFgDDJ-BGFexqFddfldAOMvTN2EarWBq-yRhgOSYqEZ3JYk2gHYBWE3zWA3DrraCG0J3mzQ9t24cJZsdfYKhM-fk3rhrdHlbTl4mEo8sym1_cn1xpmoZXPPCsRxMm7xpx77nEd8jlQ/s1600/Mousehouse+nearly+done%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabrFgDDJ-BGFexqFddfldAOMvTN2EarWBq-yRhgOSYqEZ3JYk2gHYBWE3zWA3DrraCG0J3mzQ9t24cJZsdfYKhM-fk3rhrdHlbTl4mEo8sym1_cn1xpmoZXPPCsRxMm7xpx77nEd8jlQ/s320/Mousehouse+nearly+done%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">House for a mouse, interior </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a 'mouse-arium', now completed and stood where the TV used to be: I'm looking after three long term, quite possibly permanent, house guests, or mouse guests. Devon Mammal Group has acquired a number of harvest mice indirectly from the captive breeding scheme at <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Nicolasnow/the-role-played-by-chester-zoo-in-the-captive-breeding-and-reintroduction-of-the-harvest-mouse-micromys-minutus">Chester Zoo</a>. These rapidly did their thing, and before anyone knew it there's now an impromptu captive Devon population as well, some needing homes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These can't just be released into the wild. There are several major questions to resolve first: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">what is the current status of harvest mice in Devon, and are there many suitable sites out there,</span> with decent potential habitat? Are harvest mice already here? And if not, why not? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nobody knows, and there's little understood about harvest mouse distribution in Devon, with very few site records held at <a href="http://www.dbrc.org.uk/">DBRC</a>. The <a href="http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/7647/">national mammal atlas 1993</a> shows a scattering of records across south Devon, with blank white spaces in the mid and northern areas of the county. This could well be a lack of looking than lack of harvest mice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is why Devon Mammal Group has set up a new <a href="http://www.devonmammalgroup.org/announcing-the-dmg-harvest-mouse-project/">county wide survey project</a> to discover more. A training day at Stover Country Park in November, with excellent tutoring from <a href="http://www.mammal.org.uk/species-hub/full-species-hub/full-species-hub-list/species-harvest-mouse/">The Mammal Society's </a>Derek Crawley, showed us where and how to look; in a couple of hours our novice group found some 18 nests across two areas of the Country Park. The first was found within 5 minutes, a text book example grass-woven pom-pom attached half way up a reed stem amongst dense cover. This attachment to surrounding vegetation above ground level is a diagnostic feature.</span><br />
<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/AVvXsEg9pit7HGRuzEC7rPKZFplAbMaTtaJuO_5ongo3nJsB4fNLQvhfojvFiE8uYMwUM1HgDfejHIa36DiyeOA1AmvR-3dLahPPkTWWNcKulM9nYJidlwGXj4D94bzbRGXXoLhvYmndtNuom9I/s1600/harvest+mouse+nest+pic+compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pit7HGRuzEC7rPKZFplAbMaTtaJuO_5ongo3nJsB4fNLQvhfojvFiE8uYMwUM1HgDfejHIa36DiyeOA1AmvR-3dLahPPkTWWNcKulM9nYJidlwGXj4D94bzbRGXXoLhvYmndtNuom9I/s400/harvest+mouse+nest+pic+compressed.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mouse house, exterior</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Armed with such new knowledge, trained surveyors will explore sites around their local patches, for harvest mouse field signs of old summer nests. Harvest mice, we learned, need thickly-packed sward. They are tiny, about pygmy<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>shrew size, about 5cm, with another 5cm of tail, and weigh around 7-8g (or as much as a 50p coin), which helps, as they like to climb. For this they have a tiny reach, hence grass and other upright stems need to be close together, and interlinked. Also harvest mice do not collect or transport nesting material to a nest site location, but must use whatever is to hand, or rather paw. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This means the best places to start looking are among banks of thickly growing coarse grasses like Cock's-foot, or reeds, which haven't been cut or grazed for over a year or more, forming an impenetrable grassy forest. In high summer, nests should be impossible to find in this matrix of stems; instead the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ideal</span> time to survey is autumn-early winter, after vegetation dies down and before the attrition of winter weather destroys the old nest structures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So .... a mouse mission, off on the trusty bicycle to check out some of Exeter's Valley Parks and other wilder, grassier, green spaces. </span><br />
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<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/AVvXsEgd_DmFI-psvL7SoM6LVVDiKJmL3NaNHF69wTkkbZTawrqOWZ6qqyGkr8KY2WxIXPgA_jildzLYypSRy3w0EvjQ7geeZyJUkvA8W3ESN1chuuELtIsFXqNWu50fcfS1g8XO0yWsMj-1EU8/s1600/Minclake+h+mouse+habitat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_DmFI-psvL7SoM6LVVDiKJmL3NaNHF69wTkkbZTawrqOWZ6qqyGkr8KY2WxIXPgA_jildzLYypSRy3w0EvjQ7geeZyJUkvA8W3ESN1chuuELtIsFXqNWu50fcfS1g8XO0yWsMj-1EU8/s640/Minclake+h+mouse+habitat1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mincinglake mouse habitat</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ludwell, Duryard and Barley Valley were now grazed down to short grass, and unsuitable. DWT's reserve at the <a href="http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/reserves/old-sludge-beds">Old Sludge Beds</a>, where harvest mouse nests have been recorded in the past during reed-cutting management works, was not accessible off the boardwalk path. At Mincinglake, with unmown, extensive stands of Cock's-foot and other tall grasses, it was a different matter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crouched peering face first while teasing through the dense sward might have looked slightly odd to any dog-walking onlookers. Two hours of this did not meet with any particular success, though there were plenty of vole signs in the form of runs and piles of nibblings under the matted canopy layer of collapsed old stems, and the habitat still appeared promising. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teamwork is probably the answer: a few days later a group 30 strong from University of Exeter spent a similar amount of time here, discovering one genuine wild Exeter harvest mouse nest. It's official and wildlife-newsworthy - so little is known, but harvest mice are at Mincinglake, a valuable record for the city and the county. It fills in a blob on Devon Mammal Group's map, </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">though it took 60 person hours to find field signs of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If old nests are hard to find, practical chances of seeing live animals in the wild must be zero. Here are some pictures from the mousearium instead. It's fascinating viewing, watching them investigate new objects, pathways and food items. They are welcome to stay as long as they need.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDPRb7gIlcn02CJiUhIKxP9em3-cV7oMQKCDtMHVajR5h8IzKFHAUizMH_w7BixSpwLi7p4dXi6E-dhwy5Lt7qt0JOr1AVm__Z7Q2lr7DnNLwladvR07abbX5OxXGijvF0KM1xYtcoyg/s1600/hvst+mice+cropped+compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDPRb7gIlcn02CJiUhIKxP9em3-cV7oMQKCDtMHVajR5h8IzKFHAUizMH_w7BixSpwLi7p4dXi6E-dhwy5Lt7qt0JOr1AVm__Z7Q2lr7DnNLwladvR07abbX5OxXGijvF0KM1xYtcoyg/s400/hvst+mice+cropped+compressed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<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/AVvXsEjuzOmjbcbmdp6ooKg-ZnwVwbQQgSfSiBIsysBUZZb5zzhF5Vn3caLkfwajQvvODv7NIITHsLjAYpZYT1LI6yzxwjkOGuMwWf0afYtksip1TDKjFKJQaCmvQzpaZ_qFyqIn-teYgw52dck/s1600/h+mouse+top+view+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzOmjbcbmdp6ooKg-ZnwVwbQQgSfSiBIsysBUZZb5zzhF5Vn3caLkfwajQvvODv7NIITHsLjAYpZYT1LI6yzxwjkOGuMwWf0afYtksip1TDKjFKJQaCmvQzpaZ_qFyqIn-teYgw52dck/s640/h+mouse+top+view+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Better than TV: watching the mousearium residents</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>UPDATE</b></u> end of December 2016</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Success! Wild harvest mouse nest found at Mincinglake over the Christmas break. Merry Xmouse!</span> <br />
<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/AVvXsEjh1dyhI73YDl-K2-kvi86LWT-mozN7cr4i84KZQUXiRlT1lBh1JmZauycK3Bi5jjSW5BPoXwA7YP283T08nPG98CmsjwkBIrm5N8CQCtWyDzmK6Rrj7_o1OqyEjjOzfXCAqV6sbVTmCCQ/s1600/Harvest+mouse+nest+in+carex+pendula+Mincinglake+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1dyhI73YDl-K2-kvi86LWT-mozN7cr4i84KZQUXiRlT1lBh1JmZauycK3Bi5jjSW5BPoXwA7YP283T08nPG98CmsjwkBIrm5N8CQCtWyDzmK6Rrj7_o1OqyEjjOzfXCAqV6sbVTmCCQ/s400/Harvest+mouse+nest+in+carex+pendula+Mincinglake+26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Living on the sedge: Harvest mouse nest in clump of Pendulous sedge</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For more harvest mouse info, visit this great <a href="http://www.theharvestmouse.co.uk/index.html">harvest mouse webpage</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For anyone interested in surveying for harvest mice around Devon, further <a href="http://www.devonmammalgroup.org/">Devon Mammal Group</a> workshops are to be held through 2017. </span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-30972778873212913562016-11-15T17:20:00.003+00:002016-11-16T13:20:58.191+00:00Murmuration by moonlight<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Monday 14 November 2016</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Wheeling flocks of hundreds of starlings
over the Exe reed beds as the supermoon rose gleaming over the horizon ... is
what we should have seen. Instead we were victims of meteorology. Over 30 of us
stood in the dank gloom between the sewage works and the roar of the motorway,
under a duvet of smothering cloud, looking at nothing. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We knew wildlife frequently fails to
read the text books, or event programmes, but, we thought, at least there would
be the incidental astronomy of the biggest supermoon of the century, the
largest for 70 years, to view. No chance; not even the bright pinpoint of Venus
could pierce the ambient fug. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So, no murmuration, and no moon either. Starlings
have declined significantly, by some 80% over recent years*, but that wasn’t necessarily
the reason for their absence from the Exe reed beds this evening. Flocks
regularly re-locate their roosts from place to place, perhaps pursuing good
feeding grounds or communal warmth, or to reduce individual risk from
predators, three of the explanations postulated for flocks to converge, and the
resulting murmuration displays**.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Before the start time, a small group of
20-30 starlings was seen heading over Riverside Valley Park towards the city centre.
Murmurations needn’t be a coastal or rural phenomena, and a University of
Gloucestershire and Royal Society of Biology survey study over 2014-15*** received
murmuration records from urban Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast
and Port Talbot, not just Brighton pier. They have certainly been seen over the
Exe reed beds from the Old Sludge Beds nature reserve and from Topsham. Just not on 14 November 2016. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Although missing during the organised
event, the starling murmuration season continues all through winter, with flocks
progressively increasing in size as birds arrive from the Continent, so there
should be other chances for an independent trip to the site to view the
spectacle near Exeter. Autumn dusk can be an interesting atmospheric time in
any case: snipe and redwing were calling, and we saw and heard common and green
sandpiper, plus a bolt of blue kingfisher; ranks of cormorants warmed their
feet on the high tension power lines; gulls and corvids rotated above, perhaps
tracking an insect swarm, or a thermal generated by the motorway, or both. A
late pipistrelle bat flitted briefly overhead.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And, despite being denied the
opportunity to witness the supermoon in full refulgent glory, there will be a nearly
complete moon for the next couple of evenings, for a ‘slightly not quite so super’
moon. Supermoons are not so uncommon: each full moon at perigee on its
elliptical orbit around, and when closest to, the Earth, gives the supermoon
effect. The 14 November event was special because the moon was exceptionally close:
at 221,524 km distance, compared to more typical 356,400 km****, and with the
moon rising within hours of becoming full at 1.52pm, this was a kind of extra enhanced
supermoon, not recurring for 18 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Many thanks to all those who joined us and persevered through the event. Because the wildlife didn't share the same level of commitment, I couldn't bring myself to take a photo, but here's the poster, as a memento of what could have been, with Dawn Monrose's great picture of the elusive avifauna. Maybe we'll try again for the next extra-supermoon on 25 November 2034. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9loWNG0mDWQ00KjoK1erZcUNcykfxM82RXtP3fTeiAmPEaFzEYr_aGmLXCWAZIuGF6dmlQ_xXfC3T_35TkIHOHDMayEvEMrYmbW_wWGPZ1AjIJlr3zZRzTqrgfEXZxWQ0AhTVhJEnhQ/s1600/Murmuration+14+Nov+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9loWNG0mDWQ00KjoK1erZcUNcykfxM82RXtP3fTeiAmPEaFzEYr_aGmLXCWAZIuGF6dmlQ_xXfC3T_35TkIHOHDMayEvEMrYmbW_wWGPZ1AjIJlr3zZRzTqrgfEXZxWQ0AhTVhJEnhQ/s400/Murmuration+14+Nov+poster.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><b>References and sources </b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">* RSPB <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/starling/roosting.aspx?utm_source=Hootsuite&utm_medium=Twitter">website</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">** <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Andrew J King & David JT Sumpter 2012 Quick Guides <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2811%2901315-7">Murmurations</a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Current Biology</i> 22 (4): pR112–R114 </span>open access</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">*** University of Gloucestershire and Royal Society of Biology <a href="https://www.rsb.org.uk/news/14-news/1391-national-citizen-science-survey-re-launched-in-bid-to-solve-starling-murmuration-mystery">study</a>, led by Dr Anne Goodenough </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">**** </span>Peter Grego 2010 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Philip’s Moon
Observer’s Guide</i> revised ed. Octopus Publishing / Philip’s, London; SNAPPA
science <a href="http://snappa.press.net/#!/assets/b5febfc4-7d19-3f6b-9c2c-8cd65b045cae?feedId=science">website</a></span><br />
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-19012952575195271552016-10-27T18:44:00.003+01:002017-03-28T11:04:32.807+01:00Back to back bulbs and bats<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Sunday 23 Oct</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Wild About Gardens</b> bat event Monday 24 Oct </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rain. Downpours over the last couple of
days will be good for the wildflower bulbs Ludwell Life planted on Sunday, but were
not so welcome for our Wild About Gardens bat talk & walk on Monday
evening. The silver lining had more than its quota of accompanying cloud.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRab0QyzmdyvYJr0OMnjH5L4hfr0zeVJPJR3_TB6oYrHaAue0OhQdGuC_9gwnhAWrXptCKrfww2vQTjBaiokplyKfNW7tMYAKTTM4CQLrx-FEYrskNDWGWov7M6h75aHgLuh9F5JoyoB4/s1600/bulb+planting+6+auto+retouched.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRab0QyzmdyvYJr0OMnjH5L4hfr0zeVJPJR3_TB6oYrHaAue0OhQdGuC_9gwnhAWrXptCKrfww2vQTjBaiokplyKfNW7tMYAKTTM4CQLrx-FEYrskNDWGWov7M6h75aHgLuh9F5JoyoB4/s400/bulb+planting+6+auto+retouched.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://ludwelllife.org.uk/">Ludwell Life's</a> October practical task
saw a dozen of us enhance the woodland area alongside the Panny watercourse. When originally planted over 20 years ago, it wasn’t foreseen how the Norway
maple would self-seed so prolifically, blocking out the understorey for most
other species and the underlying ground flora.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet sweet bulbs: clearing patches for planting</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first step was to remove Norway maple seedlings, leaving space for the field maple, holly, and surviving
elms to grow. Underneath these we
planted clumps of wildflower bulbs for next and future springs: wood anemone,
wild daffodil, snowdrops and native bluebells, at their various spacings and depths. These flower early in the season, before the overhead leaf
canopy casts dense shade. Some hopefully will put on a flowering display next
spring and attract all sorts of early butterflies, bees and other insects;
others may take some years to establish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We ran out of water by the end, but the
Sunday evening weather took care of that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Future monthly activities at Ludwell are to continue:
November’s will include tree planting. All volunteers are very welcome at
these friendly events; details will be posted on the Ludwell Life <a href="http://ludwelllife.org.uk/">website</a> in due course.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On to Monday evening, and <a href="http://www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk/">Wild About Gardens Week</a>'s theme this year was bats: how to encourage them with garden planting
schemes, ponds and logpiles, which support invertebrates, aka bat food.
Also through providing roosting sites around the home, via the various
different sorts of bat box, bat tiles, tubes, soffit boxes and bat bricks. And
finally understanding, on the larger scale, how hedges, watercourses, lines of trees, and darker areas free from
artificial light enable bats to find their way around the
urban landscape. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Half a dozen hardy souls braved the
misty gloom, armed with bat detectors. What might have been detected was our
thoughts on whether October was a good time of year for a bat event. But in the
damp and drizzle, we were able to see how some of these ideas have been put
into practice in DWT’s Cricklepit Mill wildlife garden. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxkOYjT5M6LD8wIz-KW2YE1wG0HoK8yxs2qTbNColz-FZcqzgSMWm9G5vD6DDvLqir2OVnQ2YieDovJdm8X6FS-B8Y_EB2FixiyExAuVsz41BWoJpGCGkxl48Ni78NIw-Tzj-DFgxO0I/s1600/Bat+detecture+Oct+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxkOYjT5M6LD8wIz-KW2YE1wG0HoK8yxs2qTbNColz-FZcqzgSMWm9G5vD6DDvLqir2OVnQ2YieDovJdm8X6FS-B8Y_EB2FixiyExAuVsz41BWoJpGCGkxl48Ni78NIw-Tzj-DFgxO0I/s400/Bat+detecture+Oct+2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Street and leat bat detecting Photo: S Butcher</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Night-scented plants, such as soapwort, bladder campion, catchflies, night-scented stock, tobacco plant, evening primrose, jasmine and different honeysuckles, which will flower in sequence through the year, are good for attracting moths, a key food item. Alongside midges, gnats and flies, of which bats can consume some 3000 a night, there are also some perhaps surprising non-flying, aquatic and diurnal invertebrates on the menu, such as spiders and the odd millipede and earwig, according to a Mammal Review <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nancy_Jennings2/publication/229496340_The_diets_of_British_bats_%28Chiroptera%29/links/5408843a0cf2bba34c2a01f7.pdf">paper</a> (N Vaughan 1997 The diets of British Bats, vol 27 (2), pages 77-94). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It reflects a diverse range of foraging techniques, not just in flight, but also gleaning from leaf and water surfaces, and would explain why generic wildlife gardening features, such as ponds and logpiles, as well as providing habitats for insects and other wildlife, also benefit bats at the same time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Just after dusk, despite the unpromising drizzly weather, we were joined by 5-6 soprano pipistrelles, flitting around the edge of the tree canopies on Cricklepit street and leat in characteristic flight pattern. At the this time of year bats will be needing to feed at every opportunity, evidently tolerating some light rain and lower temperatures in the run up to hibernation. We can do a bit to help in our gardens and open spaces, and maybe a damp October evening was not such a bad time to think about our local bats after all. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Some more information</u></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial";">WAG have produced a fine leaflet, link <a href="http://www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk/Downloads/wag-stars-of-the-night.pdf">here</a> (uploads as pdf) and there are other resources on the <a href="http://www.wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk/Downloads">WAG webpage</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";">Bat Conservation Trust's website also has an excellent <a href="http://www.bats.org.uk/publications_detail.php/231/encouraging_bats">downloadable leaflet</a> and <a href="http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/encouraging_bats.html">further information</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial";">Visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Exeter-City-Bats/223297294481957">Devon Bat Group: Exeter section</a> for bat walks and activities in the city and around East Devon</span></li>
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-89854107894153735012016-10-14T14:59:00.003+01:002016-10-17T14:53:24.577+01:00German cousins<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The striking firebug <a href="https://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Pyrrhocoridae/p_apterus.html"><i>Pyrrhocoris apterus</i></a> is very rare in the UK, known since at least 1865 from one Devon offshore islet site only, near Torquay, a Devon speciality. But it's common on the continent, here hitching a ride on my wrist at the Olympic stadium in Munich, where I was visiting last week.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bug o'clock (photo: C. Kurz)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It feeds on tree mallow, especially the seeds, and on lime trees. 'apterus' means without wings, and is the distinguishing feature from other red and black bugs; it perhaps suggests why it hasn't been able to colonise the mainland yet, or since 1865.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">For more information about Devon bugs, see Keith Alexander's excellent mini-article, from which some of the details above have been taken (link <a href="http://www6.plymouth.ac.uk/files/extranet/docs/SCI/Hemiptera%20of%20Devon.doc">here</a> - </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">uploads Word document directly).</span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-75199721816126998312016-10-03T11:49:00.001+01:002016-10-13T18:53:40.232+01:00Outside the whale<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A visitor from the deep washed up at Red Rock Beach near Dawlish at about 6am on Thursday, not a customary <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>hing to see from the train window. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3A6zVe6cpZVLCLVlp-gzAE76oWblgPPi2BCDiK9IbLfll05iMQOL-NUvFubdRUovIOrpghx1FIdnNUQihrOp0aVlsKoLXNu650YVw2gMMJ5czUB-V9rwewwbikJxoOzF5nsKK7WIiS4/s1600/approach+upwind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3A6zVe6cpZVLCLVlp-gzAE76oWblgPPi2BCDiK9IbLfll05iMQOL-NUvFubdRUovIOrpghx1FIdnNUQihrOp0aVlsKoLXNu650YVw2gMMJ5czUB-V9rwewwbikJxoOzF5nsKK7WIiS4/s640/approach+upwind.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">UK <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stran<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">din<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s Investigation Team</span></span></span></span> took samples and confirmed identity as a Fin whale </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Balaenoptera physalus</i>, the second largest <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>n the world. This is a pelagic, temperate and cool water ocean species, long and slender, built for speed, with two sub-species, one each in the northern and southern hemisphere. The global population is estimated at around 100,000 - 120,000, recovering from 38,000 in 1997*<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> perhaps less than <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1</span>0% of its pre-whaling level. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fin: <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">final resting place</span> on <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dawlish beach</span> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span>his was the third Fin whale washed up in the UK in 2016; typically 2-3 such incidents occur annually out of around 600 stranding reports each year**. Another Fin whale was <a href="https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/islands/shetland/1029074/fin-whale-dies-stranding-shetland/">stranded two weeks ago on Shetland</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At 16-17m, this one <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">wa</span>s as big as a lorry, but still not fully grown (largest can reach 26m) and was thought to be a sub-adult, weaned and maybe relatively recently independent, about 3-4 years old. Turned slightly on its back, the fin was not visible though the black and white baleen plates, and a white patch on the right side of the lower jaw, are distinctive feature of the species***. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This month's <em>BBC Wildlife</em> magazine says that from July onwards fin whales regularly turn up along Cork and Waterford coasts in south east Ireland, sometimes also seen around Scotland and the south west of England, peaking in October - November as the whales venture closer to shore in pursuit of shoals of sprat and herring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A fin whale had been observed in the English Channel over the last few months, which may have been this same, now deceased, individual. Coastguards had been tracking the carcass for the last few days, in case it may have been an upturned boat. It is thought to have died about 2 weeks ago, and been drifting on tides since.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYys7h37V20-xSEHC-FfcIBleJes5X6YIpbuLLVrg7MFklxHjftOKW-50RoHQ-DkEAySJgb_it7xb5AdYu0M2-IK2FnIZ9TuBUUscVUYjUWxNiwHU0XZgrHi5JvsN46_d96gz2BlzFTo/s1600/whale+4+baleen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYys7h37V20-xSEHC-FfcIBleJes5X6YIpbuLLVrg7MFklxHjftOKW-50RoHQ-DkEAySJgb_it7xb5AdYu0M2-IK2FnIZ9TuBUUscVUYjUWxNiwHU0XZgrHi5JvsN46_d96gz2BlzFTo/s320/whale+4+baleen.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The baleen plate of brushes - instead of teeth - meant this clearly wasn't a sperm whale, one of the toothed whales, as in some <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">early reports</span>. The baleen is what filters out the zooplankton and small fish from the huge mouthfuls of water the whale takes as it feeds, filling up the expanding mouth pouch and forcing the water out through the br<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ushes, trapping the food<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly there seemed to be a couple of bite marks in the jaw blubber. Apart from a puncture wound in the side, which may have<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnA6TNGkERfJ0wCZKty6fsND5mE83WFL4knzLNGOBIreEKXhGcSP7TxdMb_mRXiVgtta8ToDc8BFi-Hz4El10kdKvojhiFxzCJ7o19zIGgoPhmHhAuTng0R_AAjY6fOw0Paj8yS1eZHE/s1600/Whale+5+nibbles.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnA6TNGkERfJ0wCZKty6fsND5mE83WFL4knzLNGOBIreEKXhGcSP7TxdMb_mRXiVgtta8ToDc8BFi-Hz4El10kdKvojhiFxzCJ7o19zIGgoPhmHhAuTng0R_AAjY6fOw0Paj8yS1eZHE/s320/Whale+5+nibbles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">occurred after death, there were no signs of obvious injury, such as from a collision. The results of the sample analysis may provide more information in due course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">still fa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">irly intact on the outside, the </span></span>carcass was too decompos<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed internally, hastened beneath the thick cush<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ion of insulating blubber,</span> for a post<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>mortem. Any approach from downwind<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, from as far away as Dawlish W<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span>rren,</span> suggested as m<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">uch. </span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span>he leaking <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he wound conge<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">aled with the sand, which stuck well to footw<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e</span>ar, so that a reminder of this encounter was car<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ried around </span>for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">some hours afterw<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ards.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ignbridge council<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>are resp<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ons<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ible for Dawlish <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">beach, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and now al<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">so the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> large and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">unusual</span></span> clean up ope<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ration of what<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> could swi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ftly bec<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ome a health hazard. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<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/AVvXsEhIyu77Xd7lKrZyPLvpBPwBZ7_FRHS9q-A961jB5WkWVM1F21sxvooAyrrBt8bnWpp-NkmhBFrJDHYEGaLUZia5V40R6KyCBtMZwnMzk6UvA8oPq95my-e3WVAFaxa2T2J6kajFSrZeKlw/s1600/Whale+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyu77Xd7lKrZyPLvpBPwBZ7_FRHS9q-A961jB5WkWVM1F21sxvooAyrrBt8bnWpp-NkmhBFrJDHYEGaLUZia5V40R6KyCBtMZwnMzk6UvA8oPq95my-e3WVAFaxa2T2J6kajFSrZeKlw/s640/Whale+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whale meat again: advised to clean footwear thoroughly if don't want them to remind you of dead whale for the next couple of days</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the weekend the carcass is likely to be rendered and removed <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ie<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ce by<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ece<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Next ti<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">me <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">om the train <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">window <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span></span></span></span>here won't be a t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">race, except for the lingering memories prom<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pted by </span>fain<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tly smelly shoes.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">* from figures on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin_whale">Wikipedia</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for Fin whales taken in the Southern hempisphere between 1905-76</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">** Rob Deauville of UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, quoted in <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3813874/Badly-decomposed-body-huge-50ft-long-fin-whale-washes-Devon-beach.html"><i>Daily Mail</i> online</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*** David MacDonald & Priscilla Barrett 1993 <i>Collins Field Guide Mammals of Britain and Europe </i> </span></span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-27650167157143414892016-09-26T15:24:00.000+01:002016-09-26T15:32:04.535+01:00Ivy bee event goes ahead smoothly shock<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ivy Leag</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>ue event <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">25 Sept <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2016</span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes organising a wildlife<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>spotting event is a tense matter of hope and prayer that the featured species will actually turn up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No such problems yesterday, luckily dodging the showers, for a warm blue-skied autumn afternoon looking for the Ivy bee <i>Colletes hederae</i>, with colleagues from Exmouth Local Group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This handsome solitary bee was busy in numbers, swarming at ankle height round the coastal grasslands of the Maer, and the mini-quarries of bare earth where it excavates its nests. Faster than the eye can follow, only when stopped for some digging were there chances for a good view, and non-blurred photos.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_LBM6wKMCduJzItWh2MTeeLxbtP_ZPb_FCDGFHNCjTxylvqo430SwSkvOdi7AqifuWM2kqeNKkHriFV41pJ6XacbbaWzxGyzcZaLTgwlmXCejbYNCZeV3sIisXh2nY4YzUAVmXp6heg/s1600/Ivy+bee+burrowing+25+Sept+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_LBM6wKMCduJzItWh2MTeeLxbtP_ZPb_FCDGFHNCjTxylvqo430SwSkvOdi7AqifuWM2kqeNKkHriFV41pJ6XacbbaWzxGyzcZaLTgwlmXCejbYNCZeV3sIisXh2nY4YzUAVmXp6heg/s400/Ivy+bee+burrowing+25+Sept+2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Head in the sand - busy burrowing out a nest site</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not recognised as a separate species until 1993 (from the similar <i>C. halophilus</i> and <i>C. succinctus</i>), and first sighted in the UK in Dorset and at a single location in Devon in 2001, it has gradually been spreading its range since. Ivy <i>Hedera helix</i> , which flowers late in the year, is its predominant, and often sole, pollen and nectar source of choice; hence, in sync, the Ivy bee is also late flying; in more sense than one, it's our latest solitary bee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although solitary, where the habitat is suitable, as it definitely is at the Maer, large numbers can nest in aggregations, a fascinating, often overlooked, spectacle, right under one's feet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9miHunmDLXUcOvVUQ9EHPWm_Jj26-lTDl7naaxacFvOI6BE_pjQjFsn9qRFjyiQiaT_QzcuzFcCpfado_n7TMgndeEQHEnY3fGQAc8jnjzUfq6HEk1NtvXWByXVe5dib7MYc2bifygQ/s1600/Ivy+bee+on+ivy+25+Sept+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9miHunmDLXUcOvVUQ9EHPWm_Jj26-lTDl7naaxacFvOI6BE_pjQjFsn9qRFjyiQiaT_QzcuzFcCpfado_n7TMgndeEQHEnY3fGQAc8jnjzUfq6HEk1NtvXWByXVe5dib7MYc2bifygQ/s400/Ivy+bee+on+ivy+25+Sept+2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhv0c7RtqB8mmN8XgUjCMrLw76ehQI7XGiC5np6yhoUWSA9mpm7ry9P2Zz0yBbcspfAITsfcCoex8JETovswRjLc6sMwWN_hrx9U-bt_gsDOGTfNtuFifaUgEog-q0qO6VCz95TXshvo/s1600/Ivy+bee+%2526+budding+naturalist+cropped+25+Sept+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhv0c7RtqB8mmN8XgUjCMrLw76ehQI7XGiC5np6yhoUWSA9mpm7ry9P2Zz0yBbcspfAITsfcCoex8JETovswRjLc6sMwWN_hrx9U-bt_gsDOGTfNtuFifaUgEog-q0qO6VCz95TXshvo/s400/Ivy+bee+%2526+budding+naturalist+cropped+25+Sept+2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Potted (natural) history: Ivy bee reveals itself to budding naturalist</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the nesting site on to the other main component of the life cycle, stopping off to check out<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>a dense clump of ivy. Ivy bees were co<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nspicuous </span>foraging here, alongside numerous other bees, wasps, hoverflies and other insects, at this important late food source. A successful event, wh<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ic<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h the wildlife also turned <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">up t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o.</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWlid7q-fy7gBV0Kb9K-WFdsbYnncE-npKKEBOGi6EAK9T7Uvg7yoJxcWUbHsItVF7rf4_dKU56DfpdI09tZ5Z89Tht8L1v0_GcgVDyBR2Vwu3JaGvA5sInRYhfscbR8l6I-CKOi3-l8/s1600/Eristalis+25+Sept+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWlid7q-fy7gBV0Kb9K-WFdsbYnncE-npKKEBOGi6EAK9T7Uvg7yoJxcWUbHsItVF7rf4_dKU56DfpdI09tZ5Z89Tht8L1v0_GcgVDyBR2Vwu3JaGvA5sInRYhfscbR8l6I-CKOi3-l8/s320/Eristalis+25+Sept+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Eristalis </i>hoverfly (note looped vein in wing)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some further information about the Ivy bee:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BWARS <a href="http://www.bwars.com/bee/colletidae/colletes-hederae">webpage</a> and <a href="http://www.bwars.com/sites/www.bwars.com/files/info_sheets/01_Colletes_hederae_20100908.pdf">info sheet</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">National <a href="http://www.bwars.com/content/colletes-hederae-mapping-project">mapping project</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izWYxRM-75A">Video</a> of the amazing 'mate balling' behaviour taken in east Devon</span></li>
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-6570161612205837352016-09-05T16:46:00.000+01:002016-09-09T16:23:19.624+01:00Knotgrass in my backyard<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Life after concrete </b>(reprise)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Knotgrass</b> <i>Polygonum aviculare</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ort of pla<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nt which catches the attention of herbicides,</span></span> in the name of botani<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cal c<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">leanliness. But Wait! Stop <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">before you s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pray</span></span>! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not just a weed, this is a bare ground coloni<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ser<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, taking nature's first <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">steps t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o fill </span></span></span></span>a vacuum. It has<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>noted wil<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dlife value: a</span>s the 'aviculare' part of the name suggests, birds <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">such as finches and sparrows feed avidly on the seeds</span>. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbC9Wc2H6NILjLKyvlOxiC1OYj8oxURA3Bcuy0VS88jKvZdDq86EcdDeUv3EwdhHt_a7fqQ49qSDG3WlL7aIbmAZeakkvB7rEzQW2cEkSTOrtHwochz8BwrF9jMlwDkJ2pbL7g-HjUno/s1600/Cathedral+knotgrass+1+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbC9Wc2H6NILjLKyvlOxiC1OYj8oxURA3Bcuy0VS88jKvZdDq86EcdDeUv3EwdhHt_a7fqQ49qSDG3WlL7aIbmAZeakkvB7rEzQW2cEkSTOrtHwochz8BwrF9jMlwDkJ2pbL7g-HjUno/s640/Cathedral+knotgrass+1+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knot overlooked ... supporting wildlife on Cathedral Green</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Added to which, the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">long </span>f<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lowering period <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">can support insects from</span> May - November</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span>Right now Knotgrass clumps are </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">flowering in profusion ar</span>ound Cath<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dral<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Green and St D<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">avid's church, in <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the worn bare <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">areas</span></span> among the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">grass</span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y clusters of 1-6 flow<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ers<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">merge at the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bases of the upper le<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">af stalks. The three inner stamens are <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bent ov<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er so that p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ollen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> falls directly on the </span></span>st<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">yles; the others p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oint o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">utwards for any <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">p</span>assing insects.</span></span> </span></span></span>But this isn't all: there are also <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">conce<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">aled flow<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ers under the membraneous sheaths (the ochreae) around the stem 'joints' (the joints give the plant <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the other part of its scientific name: P<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olygonum 'many - kneed')<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span></span></span> These hermetically sealed <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">flowers do not open (<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or in technical <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">terminology, are </span>cleistogamic)</span>,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> which, along with the arrangement of inner stamens,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>ensures</span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">some <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">self<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-pollination at least. It is said Knotgrass may <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">produce <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s</span></span>imilar cleistogamic subterranean flowers underground<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> as well, among <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">its roots</span> and runners, alongside which<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> t</span>he tap roo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t can penetrate <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">up to </span>45cm deep in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to the g<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">round. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s a multi-pr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">onged pollination and propagation strategy, t</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hese <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">would be useful a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">daptations for an annua<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">l</span> plant, which dies <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">off e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">very year, but for which<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the seed bank must persist biding its ti<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m</span>e <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span>il for years, until the next unpredictable oppor<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>unity brings seeds <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>o the surfac<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e where they<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">can expe<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ditiously </span>germinate</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> well as a pioneer species to kickstart vegetation recovery on bare g<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">round, </span></span>Knotgrass is a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.brc.ac.uk/dbif/hostsresults.aspx?hostid=4231">host plant</a> for over a hundred<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> d<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ifferent </span></span>invert<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">brates: some 9 beetle species<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, 2 flies, 8 bugs, a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">d <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">93 <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">moths, espec<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ially among the the Geom<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eter moths</span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olerating a bit <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of Knotgrass </span>in the bare patches<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span>n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span>oks and crannies among the concrete would be small, simple <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and effective </span>action to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h</span>el<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">p our urban wildlife.</span> </span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-15463559781444125152016-09-04T15:33:00.000+01:002016-09-04T15:44:25.075+01:00Have we got newts for you?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Monday 29 August</b> dipping at the new flood relief channels, Riverside Valley Park</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The quick answer would be nope, we didn't find any newts.</span></span><br />
<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/AVvXsEghFPNBLh1wO6GRdxonJzf1pN5-jXSoHnjtFV73gFFjG9EKOs6cmZY-ScemXRpJkcR80Yc3Oq-G9ZUYNAhfrfm5tLJYegaGU1w1SQZioLmh4XWg9LdqGLEJdf-HFmnb5OkUerqxfQc09y8/s1600/pond+dipping+newts+for+you.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFPNBLh1wO6GRdxonJzf1pN5-jXSoHnjtFV73gFFjG9EKOs6cmZY-ScemXRpJkcR80Yc3Oq-G9ZUYNAhfrfm5tLJYegaGU1w1SQZioLmh4XWg9LdqGLEJdf-HFmnb5OkUerqxfQc09y8/s400/pond+dipping+newts+for+you.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Net gain: pondlife enthusiasts dip in </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Possibly
the new channels are just too new for any newt population to have
re-established itself yet. We used to run this event annually over
several years, recording numbers of palmate newts, water scorpions,
sticklebacks, dragonfly, damselfy and mayfly nymphs, and the occasional
water measurer and eel.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to being still quite bare, yet to develop more mature bankside and floating- leaved vegetation, the newly re-formed channels (see post <a href="http://exeterwildthings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-joy-of-exe.html" target="_blank">'Joy of Exe' Mon 26 October 2015</a> about the larger flood relief scheme) flow much more quickly, shallowly and clearly, as opposed to being deeper, standing water. It might suggest we were in for a long afternoon. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the first nettings proved otherwise, with abundant <a href="http://www.arkive.org/water-boatman/notonecta-glauca/" target="_blank">water boatmen</a> and water snails. These seemed both numerous and quite small sized, new colonisers moving in to the new habitat. </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5mk4cEVRbP82jm3yso330cbHinH8zt78v8WVMNR8Pi6XVJnHaYjLsszLyretE6XnDrI5Z245BhotiNfkCKSYK5-H-ljVJxpOKNDX-xkuqu8AdmSyOGZh2x6jGfczPEOae9iw2xfB_Vw/s1600/newts+for+you+spot+the+minibeast.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5mk4cEVRbP82jm3yso330cbHinH8zt78v8WVMNR8Pi6XVJnHaYjLsszLyretE6XnDrI5Z245BhotiNfkCKSYK5-H-ljVJxpOKNDX-xkuqu8AdmSyOGZh2x6jGfczPEOae9iw2xfB_Vw/s640/newts+for+you+spot+the+minibeast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spot the freshwater minibeasts ... they are in there somewhere</span><u><br /></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the tray contents settled, more species were found with successive dips: <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphnia" target="_blank">Daphnia</a> </i>water fleas, <a href="http://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/habitats/pond/identifying-creatures-pond/water-slaters/" target="_blank">water slaters</a>, midge larvae, freshwater shrimp <i><a href="http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/freshwater-shrimp" target="_blank">Gammerus</a></i>, a gelatinous glob of snail eggs. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A stick turned out to contain a <a href="http://www.lifeinfreshwater.org.uk/Species%20Pages/Caddis%20flies.jpg.html" target="_blank">Caddis fly</a> larvae. </span></span></span></span>Most of these feed on vegetation or detritus, quite sparse in the new and constantly flowing channels. We also found several freshwater leeches (probably <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erpobdella" target="_blank">Erpobdella</a> octoculata</i>, with its 8 <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eyes and mottled coloration), a minnow, and a planarian flatworm, from the different ventral and dorsal colouring <i><a href="http://www.aphotofauna.com/worm_flatworm_dugesia_polychroa.html" target="_blank">Dugesia polychroa</a></i>, with its amazing orange eye slits and partial shapeshifting. Despite the flow, there were also a few <a href="http://www.arkive.org/common-pond-skater/gerris-lacustris/" target="_blank">pond skaters</a> skimming over the surface. </span></span></span></span><br />
<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/AVvXsEhfMqgowOb9FTx9LZnRQ8a1JVVfyCuSwHgR7GjOwyzytsPCubNvLDchION2eaqvYvFRMHuzdKRNshyphenhyphenDhWRSwrWs4leyiNHSxAOwMv7v-PC3HH87OfB2oaECRPZNKDaH4W-Bf2bCVic6aF0/s1600/caddis+newts+for+you.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMqgowOb9FTx9LZnRQ8a1JVVfyCuSwHgR7GjOwyzytsPCubNvLDchION2eaqvYvFRMHuzdKRNshyphenhyphenDhWRSwrWs4leyiNHSxAOwMv7v-PC3HH87OfB2oaECRPZNKDaH4W-Bf2bCVic6aF0/s320/caddis+newts+for+you.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brown and sticky. With a caddis fly inside</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As to what could be supporting such proportions of predatory species ... a pond, or a freshwater channel, is a bug eat bug world, where survival is of the biggest, the fastest growing, or the best at hiding. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly while most of minibeasts in the newest channel were early stage, mobile or fast-developing species, some of the other deeper, more established and weedier channels with still water contained other species, such as sticklebacks, </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">damselfly nymphs, and a dragonfly nymph (likely one of this year's <a href="http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/broad-bodied-chaser" target="_blank">Broad-bodied-chasers</a> <i>Libellula depressa</i>), in the early stages of accumulating its cladding of algae.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Around the watercourses themselves were a few other terrestrial species to spot amongst the emerging vegetation: a <a href="http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/common-darter" target="_blank">Common darter</a> dragonfly basking on the open ground, a <a href="http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/species/udea-ferrugalis/adult-2/" target="_blank">Rusty dot pearl moth</a> <i>Udea ferrugalis</i>, and the telltale woven together leaf blade of a Clubionid spider. </span></span><br />
<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/AVvXsEilgTmUJU3LmGFSgpDwo3ow02aZUeFsipkZ5aSAIq6Rl95AZ0rdl7rBy0sQ0TDSDNHNgUff6vGBdlo6kbYPyZP-wXCffWuuHcPEjs9tPPwt-9tnD7MvsRPtKbnf5YmK-02v20xg8B8m4pg/s1600/Dave+I+common+darter1+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgTmUJU3LmGFSgpDwo3ow02aZUeFsipkZ5aSAIq6Rl95AZ0rdl7rBy0sQ0TDSDNHNgUff6vGBdlo6kbYPyZP-wXCffWuuHcPEjs9tPPwt-9tnD7MvsRPtKbnf5YmK-02v20xg8B8m4pg/s320/Dave+I+common+darter1+cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ruddy for action: Common darter dragonfly (photo: D Ireland)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<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/AVvXsEjR3l45uNpShdGBjH9HpCKywsUNMFsieYTavdzekxaom7ZOuQ7y7N6NkN9SSg-inFfV46FU5mqQbNCxyQXYHjdA2SJJ1wCPm1CYxu1HdJTNLnlujA0Nep55D8Abnz_ZTfO7lsZrmBjgXeE/s1600/Crabonid+newts+for+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3l45uNpShdGBjH9HpCKywsUNMFsieYTavdzekxaom7ZOuQ7y7N6NkN9SSg-inFfV46FU5mqQbNCxyQXYHjdA2SJJ1wCPm1CYxu1HdJTNLnlujA0Nep55D8Abnz_ZTfO7lsZrmBjgXeE/s320/Crabonid+newts+for+you.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who lives in a web like this? Probably a Clubionid spider</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<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/AVvXsEhmzSD9r4XosPTD-1IDsTxTNR3vED2Udvc4wQ5ZP9DRM_LHg9XyvtD4DjJjlvZLKe_Fc9Cw4Tag4swoLUOFB7OtXuMuzaa-e2LAiIGOF23t2MdYv-5WNppaIw_BrQCwdxTfecg-9SCLqeA/s1600/moth+newts+for+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzSD9r4XosPTD-1IDsTxTNR3vED2Udvc4wQ5ZP9DRM_LHg9XyvtD4DjJjlvZLKe_Fc9Cw4Tag4swoLUOFB7OtXuMuzaa-e2LAiIGOF23t2MdYv-5WNppaIw_BrQCwdxTfecg-9SCLqeA/s320/moth+newts+for+you.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rusty dot pearl moth dropped by</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the end of our allotted two hour survey event slot, we had gathered a useful species list. The value is in regular monitoring, to build up a picture of the species assemblage and any changes over time. We'll be back; no newts today; but next time....</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With many thanks to Matt, Nicky and Dave for help on the day.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFPNBLh1wO6GRdxonJzf1pN5-jXSoHnjtFV73gFFjG9EKOs6cmZY-ScemXRpJkcR80Yc3Oq-G9ZUYNAhfrfm5tLJYegaGU1w1SQZioLmh4XWg9LdqGLEJdf-HFmnb5OkUerqxfQc09y8/s1600/pond+dipping+newts+for+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-47151768843286595382016-08-19T15:12:00.004+01:002016-08-19T15:12:39.085+01:00Window on wildlife; wildlife on window<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First <a href="http://butterfly-conservation.org/51-1312/jersey-tiger.html" target="_blank">Jersey tiger moth</a> <em>Euplagia quadripunctaria</em> of the year yesterday evening, perched on the window sill. </span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChYuhYZE6pKbHmxbB2-BSyOae3w5plJ-R_ybuAzbjMQkBHVI4Lc90bSUEI9l0jTvDAoGPuEb5BeXYd7SUppNhKh53IVEbdtB_vE2HOTg4u4HVO3d2msHw1jPH0EkhMi3ejE9N4I2d74I/s1600/Jersey+tiger+on+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChYuhYZE6pKbHmxbB2-BSyOae3w5plJ-R_ybuAzbjMQkBHVI4Lc90bSUEI9l0jTvDAoGPuEb5BeXYd7SUppNhKh53IVEbdtB_vE2HOTg4u4HVO3d2msHw1jPH0EkhMi3ejE9N4I2d74I/s400/Jersey+tiger+on+window.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a nationally rare species with a stronghold in Devon and the south west, though apparently extending its national range in recent years. It's thought some of the summer brood may be from individuals which have been able to develop, all the way from eggs to maturity, as occasional residents, though there may also be migrants from the Continent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... which means, it's time to look out for other arrivals, such as Clouded yellow butterflies and Hummingbird hawk-moths, travelling to Devon over the August Bank Holiday period.</span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-50963136802132552562016-07-25T16:54:00.001+01:002016-07-25T16:54:29.400+01:00Pigs in the Panny<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cherry-tastic wildlife walk and picnic, Ludwell Valley Park Sunday 10 July</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If a flying horse is Pegasus, a flying pi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g must be P<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">igasus. Ju<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">st one of the porcine<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">anecdotes and activities shared </span></span>with </span>35-40<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Ludwell folks by <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">storyteller Clive PiG, who joined us for a wildlife walk and p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">icnic around the meadows and orchard<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span><br />
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<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/AVvXsEhmNwwf8YIN9HTGA8XOya21LZiXxhn4oKOSP_etFgrSwrtNGc70Tr48D0SskAXXbMhSAql4HWZKf7SSjbQBtKRI83h0s5L3lMAOQIHNwWq8FenfWzunP2-h3FSVpWx688wQKTzQyXgChK0/s1600/Clive+PiG+in+action+Ludwell.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNwwf8YIN9HTGA8XOya21LZiXxhn4oKOSP_etFgrSwrtNGc70Tr48D0SskAXXbMhSAql4HWZKf7SSjbQBtKRI83h0s5L3lMAOQIHNwWq8FenfWzunP2-h3FSVpWx688wQKTzQyXgChK0/s400/Clive+PiG+in+action+Ludwell.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A PiG's tale: storyteller Clive in action</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<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/AVvXsEhdttOwiIwH6pLnr7xv1LoJ4zJ8uHNEUlHMe28Ae-8g45dw5mDY3sVw10fw1JksvG_yVBedomfShvvflEJBoeM04TnJqEC-rmSoHi9ZzY9J9veIXjS3yOT7DMmjM0RJS8FwrrOpPXj4zVg/s1600/Ludwell+VP+compressed+ES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdttOwiIwH6pLnr7xv1LoJ4zJ8uHNEUlHMe28Ae-8g45dw5mDY3sVw10fw1JksvG_yVBedomfShvvflEJBoeM04TnJqEC-rmSoHi9ZzY9J9veIXjS3yOT7DMmjM0RJS8FwrrOpPXj4zVg/s640/Ludwell+VP+compressed+ES.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ludwell Valley Park looking north east towards central Exeter. Photo (c) E. Stallworthy</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part
of the Valley Park, now hillside meadows and hedges with sweeping views
over Exeter and beyond - a kind of Devon landscape in miniature - used
to be home to a pig farm. </span>As well as Clive's entertainment on the day, there are several local stories about Ludwell. One - or many - are about how The Panny, the Northbrook watercourse which runs through the site, got its name: from the Indian word for water, or where wartime troops used to wash their pans, or relating to sewage disposal. Or to pigs maybe ('panage' is a right to let pigs hoover up dropped acorns in autumn)? Whichever has the best claims to truth, The Panny now runs clear and fast on to the River Exe, ideal for a game of Pooh sticks. </span><br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEiFkGohL5ZodJXice4Tnq3LlFrSY1k4akDbxIu7mpq1NBJI4CT435c3qjPWFzchgQ02lAtsv4nyYYe522dva6u300VWaWxB5jPb0uvelBeaNhTJ-EbmNgo2vPAlcjApp3ke8-uhBZNH1Us/s1600/Pooh+sticks+at+the+panny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkGohL5ZodJXice4Tnq3LlFrSY1k4akDbxIu7mpq1NBJI4CT435c3qjPWFzchgQ02lAtsv4nyYYe522dva6u300VWaWxB5jPb0uvelBeaNhTJ-EbmNgo2vPAlcjApp3ke8-uhBZNH1Us/s400/Pooh+sticks+at+the+panny.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Poohsticks on the Panny</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ser<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>ous side of the event was to highlight this open s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pace, so close to the city centre, and its wildflower meadows, mature hedges, enhancements for <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/c/cirlbunting/" target="_blank">Cirl buntings</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cherry or<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">chards, and biodiversity ge<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nerally. Local in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">volvement generating ideas about looking after t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he Valley <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Park, and for further wildlife enhancements, are a key part of <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">local projects such as <a href="http://ludwelllife.org.uk/" target="_blank">Ludwell Life</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <a href="http://www.eci.org.uk/the-listening-project/" target="_blank">Exwick & Wonford Listening Project</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and <a href="http://www.exeterandeastdevon.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Exeter and East Devon Growth Point</a></span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6D6JGH4HCbnhfgtLapzX7G1j1Pok_j1fhEfTrj1XZDzSa2-8NDjb79S_3KCkKb-Jr2PLIEz0Xf7WlcQkFsJWsrL5yXvFwsLjU4lA089zLMdtxYbXsVIGKUYvUGMC4omU_ajPcjNcrc4/s1600/hello+Chrysolina+beetle+Ludwell2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6D6JGH4HCbnhfgtLapzX7G1j1Pok_j1fhEfTrj1XZDzSa2-8NDjb79S_3KCkKb-Jr2PLIEz0Xf7WlcQkFsJWsrL5yXvFwsLjU4lA089zLMdtxYbXsVIGKUYvUGMC4omU_ajPcjNcrc4/s400/hello+Chrysolina+beetle+Ludwell2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Chrysolina banksi</i> beetle found in the meadow</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After some more tall stories from Clive, a pig hunt, and a successful bug hunt, we finished with a picnic among under the cherry trees in one of the new orchards. The cherries were not quite ripe, but give it a week or two.... </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsMSOGoKOsd4M_M8S9geefOJNpSTX-4NrrlIsg580LepUdyKmqS4KGxbv8EiLGy4qoS2hb1wv3gmpxhGqKG0_7XlMG4ucEZ5ryGa0FMJhfUGaho4NrAYsPUzwT0AApkUqEWO_YZRaASU/s1600/Pig+on+hogweed+at+the+old+piggery1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsMSOGoKOsd4M_M8S9geefOJNpSTX-4NrrlIsg580LepUdyKmqS4KGxbv8EiLGy4qoS2hb1wv3gmpxhGqKG0_7XlMG4ucEZ5ryGa0FMJhfUGaho4NrAYsPUzwT0AApkUqEWO_YZRaASU/s320/Pig+on+hogweed+at+the+old+piggery1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pig on hogweed, naturally enough</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With thanks to Tesco<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, who kin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dly provided extra cherries for the pi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cn<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ic and su<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ppo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rted the event</span></span></span></span>. </span></span></span>
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-33104891285750367662016-06-10T17:06:00.001+01:002016-09-09T16:26:35.497+01:00Through a scope, cloudily<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Peregrine watch</b> Sunday 5 June 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not a guided walk but a guided watch, with many thanks to Nick Dixon, plus Andrew and James. Over 40 people joined us to see the peregrines closer up, through scopes and binoculars, with observations explained and recounted by Nick, who has been <a href="http://www.urbanperegrines.co.uk/">studying the Exeter peregrines</a> for over 20 years. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMPPFRIU5kWFHsoIqIff59jkdeeOlRw1-336xQOkVsa-CiwkSJgEg5WsbdRroSZhWqRMyll0yNWjn0L7_7aBK227WYq0oxMwdJQlGHdOenVRYZrGpvV6LU15d6vWo0axqH3kC3jFPp0Y/s1600/Perg+thro+scope1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMPPFRIU5kWFHsoIqIff59jkdeeOlRw1-336xQOkVsa-CiwkSJgEg5WsbdRroSZhWqRMyll0yNWjn0L7_7aBK227WYq0oxMwdJQlGHdOenVRYZrGpvV6LU15d6vWo0axqH3kC3jFPp0Y/s400/Perg+thro+scope1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Male, slightly darker, and smaller than female. Photo taken by</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sophisticated method of holding smartphone to eyepiece of scope (photo: Simon Bates)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The current nestbox - or more accurately tray - is at the base of the trefoil window on the south east elevation. There are 2 chicks, both male, from the 4 eggs laid this year, about a week from fledging at time of viewing. The chicks had been fed around 8am, and so relatively inactive for the next part of the morning, but for occasional callisthenics, shadow boxing ducking and diving as if in tribute, as Simon said, to Mohamed Ali. They were perhaps also getting rid of some of down as their flight feathers came through. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile the male and female took up stations on a pinnacle each. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaFiycreg7BHD-pa11aFAO2VEb1WEZJyDPDfJiJ5lKhBvfT_Pbko5ekwE6rCQ5ooEU5OG6-Pfp4nEPQsI8QChY14gc642oMAGq0kFlkW2ZyIWWTx83UGnShY5bmvSlLSP9G8rS9T90Ug/s1600/perg+thro+scope+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaFiycreg7BHD-pa11aFAO2VEb1WEZJyDPDfJiJ5lKhBvfT_Pbko5ekwE6rCQ5ooEU5OG6-Pfp4nEPQsI8QChY14gc642oMAGq0kFlkW2ZyIWWTx83UGnShY5bmvSlLSP9G8rS9T90Ug/s400/perg+thro+scope+2.jpg" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Through the round window. One of this year's chicks (photo: Simon Bates)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Webcam to see what's behind the window - link <a href="http://www.stmichaelsmountdinham.org.uk/peregrine-falcons/">here</a> </span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH2ddjAz7YLAaT_qFxlsSU67_Zkc9P3P1lpBU3zUE1SW1DBaKSkOZ4vaWDgsOhGiJo19lsKZzt5Cm1iXefnuzQ9NyhaP76R0NKV8cdFMiwv0bsq6bF79aTOKD7Xl17Ll4VdIaEIQLGd8/s1600/view+of+viewers3+cropped+Dave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH2ddjAz7YLAaT_qFxlsSU67_Zkc9P3P1lpBU3zUE1SW1DBaKSkOZ4vaWDgsOhGiJo19lsKZzt5Cm1iXefnuzQ9NyhaP76R0NKV8cdFMiwv0bsq6bF79aTOKD7Xl17Ll4VdIaEIQLGd8/s400/view+of+viewers3+cropped+Dave.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peregrine watchers (photo: Dave Ireland)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apart from this, it might be said the peregrines were not doing very much, though one sensed they were intensely watchful, vigilant for prey and buzzards. We watched the peregrines watching, and watched the people watching the pergrines watching. Maybe the peregrines were carrying out their own 'people watch', wondering when we were going to do something other than stand on a car park looking at them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While this was all highly observant, there was not much in the way of other activity. Then suddenly one of the parents darted after a prey item, heading over Exe bridges, but came back empty-taloned, a hunting foray which lasted about a minute. However as the clouds gradually lifted, and rising thermals started developing, buzzards started to pass by over the city. The peregrines burst into action: perching on the cross at the top of St Michael's spire, flying out circling higher to get above the buzzards, issuing agitated alarm calls, and attacking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exeter seems to be the only place in the UK where the peregrines have such a honed specific technique for attacking buzzards. There has been some scepticism from seasoned peregrinologists / watchers, some of whom have come to witness the behaviour for themselves (one such visit is described <a href="http://hawkandowl.org/an-opportunity-to-observe-cooperative-attacks-on-common-buzzard-by-urban-peregrines/">here</a> ). But it appears very much to be a clearly co-ordinated and repeated strategy: an extension of mobbing behaviour possibly, but evolved into phased, looping strikes. The first peregrine makes a stooping attack, to defend against which the buzzard flips upside down to present its talons; however when the buzzard then rights itself, the second peregrine has timed its stoop perfectly to impact at just this moment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The buzzards are not killed every time; most are driven away, and some have picked themselves up and flown away after crashing to the ground. The peregrines seem </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">particularly aggressive in the period just before the chicks are about to fledge, and if
buzzards venture too close to the church. </span>Whether this is a learned behaviour, so that fled<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ging young will start to repeat this behaviour in their own territories in due course remains to be seen. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, although peregrines checked out passing Red kites, they did not attack them in this way. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here in Exeter, are the time and place to watch this special behaviour. </span>As
temperatures need to reach a certain level for thermals, such buzzard -
and peregrine - activity </span>often does not start until later in the day, but watch the sunny afternoon skies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">STOP PRESS: <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">report<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed that </span></span>peregrine chicks fledged on Monday (13 June), plus that 3 buzzards were downed over the last week. One of the chicks had to be retrieved a nu<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mber of times <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from local roo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fs after first launch attem<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pts, </span></span></span>but is now flying su<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ccessfully after a meal of roadkill squirrel.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Both <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ledglings are now airworthy<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and might be seen airborne with the adults</span>. </span></span></span></span></span>Nick and Andrew are following up the buzzard reports</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LATEST NEWS August 2016: one of this year's fledged young was found dead on Paul St, after apparently having collided with the footbridge over the road between Guildhall and Harlequin shopping centres. It's thought it may have been chasing a pigeon. The other of this year's fledged young has still been active and vocal. </span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-40285309613957899712016-06-03T14:27:00.000+01:002016-06-09T13:31:57.836+01:00Ph.O.G.O.Fs at Duryard <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That is, photo one, get one free, on a visit to Duryard valley park (Belvidere Meadows Local Nature Reserve). This wonderful grassland site is starting to come to life this year.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRcDTPwsSQSPkBfuPHQno_zS2AtLwZ2ujhPSwTeXtxhtX7PmC2Lt7mIF0C8DSSQRPeoP_ylJQ5T7owNgsmllfdYSIwXh-U8dbDp8HH6-zEb6ECGlEA6o0QTXRcG1_RTqpLLYZCL6bwCM/s1600/Duryard+Cuckooflower1+egg+cmprsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRcDTPwsSQSPkBfuPHQno_zS2AtLwZ2ujhPSwTeXtxhtX7PmC2Lt7mIF0C8DSSQRPeoP_ylJQ5T7owNgsmllfdYSIwXh-U8dbDp8HH6-zEb6ECGlEA6o0QTXRcG1_RTqpLLYZCL6bwCM/s400/Duryard+Cuckooflower1+egg+cmprsd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cuckooflower plus orange egg of Orange tip butterfly</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RWYcTfz55NMNa7Qa_8piTRzKIvte6pine1wwLYyJLqaFFyC2v1KjfdrgmOWJv1ry43lOfSnHSsHkdqjUiUrPM3tmj-9nYrLUGNw-9mwjGZodvjwPq-KBs9xGwdrr9ESCvNyEU2iAVsw/s1600/Duryard+early+purp+%252B+cuckoo+spit+cmpsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RWYcTfz55NMNa7Qa_8piTRzKIvte6pine1wwLYyJLqaFFyC2v1KjfdrgmOWJv1ry43lOfSnHSsHkdqjUiUrPM3tmj-9nYrLUGNw-9mwjGZodvjwPq-KBs9xGwdrr9ESCvNyEU2iAVsw/s400/Duryard+early+purp+%252B+cuckoo+spit+cmpsd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Early purple orchid plus Common froghopper cuckoo spit</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzDzKFdK7jQATDVyQ9L8-ZxqlGYtFVbglyhmrUl2ZeFi1mGFcCTOMa12KwIdTm8_zuHp9_qx5tI_c6-7Hg6GcoQyqf8Xi2GgVK3CdKHRjSkHLOyW-hbebDEF_VU3SL-_Ln3WDesnNf74/s1600/Duryard+buttercup+cmprsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzDzKFdK7jQATDVyQ9L8-ZxqlGYtFVbglyhmrUl2ZeFi1mGFcCTOMa12KwIdTm8_zuHp9_qx5tI_c6-7Hg6GcoQyqf8Xi2GgVK3CdKHRjSkHLOyW-hbebDEF_VU3SL-_Ln3WDesnNf74/s400/Duryard+buttercup+cmprsd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Buttercup plus massed Golden micromoths <em>Micropterix calthella</em></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some quick research found that moths like these have been found in 125 million year old amber - that is from around the time that flowering plants first evolved. The moths have primitive chewing mouth parts with which they munch pollen, instead of the more sophisticated nectar-sipping equipment of other moths. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyf1QddesEMgP9IyZCHk5PQbeVSvHjIn3qnKHfDHxrn9QPa8yfDeEUBn-F-tXjuptrSiE5LFUx2FRCBjtR1f03_jFNrGW6hpDeDkLQMgIcrYJaDdcG1IqTEmV6SrIa5504Skoh1GuUV8/s1600/Duryard+%252B+carder+bbee3+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyf1QddesEMgP9IyZCHk5PQbeVSvHjIn3qnKHfDHxrn9QPa8yfDeEUBn-F-tXjuptrSiE5LFUx2FRCBjtR1f03_jFNrGW6hpDeDkLQMgIcrYJaDdcG1IqTEmV6SrIa5504Skoh1GuUV8/s400/Duryard+%252B+carder+bbee3+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bugle plus common Carder bumblebee <em>Bombus pascuorum</em></span></td></tr>
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-61876723422037922332016-05-31T16:12:00.001+01:002016-05-31T16:12:40.810+01:00'Life after concrete' & 'Streetwise ferns' revisited<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exeter RAM Museum is running a competition for photographs of wild plants in wild unusual urban places: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Inspired by Exeter's famous plant hunters, the Veitch family, we’ve joined forces with Toby Buckland's Garden Festival for this Plant Hunter competition.<br /><br /> Be a Plant Hunter by sharing photographs of your own discoveries of plants in strange places on Instagram or Tumblr. <br /><br /> Take a picture of a plant in an unusual place, whether it's growing up a mountain, between paving stones or dangling from a bridge. View weeds in a new light and keep an eye out for exotic plants in strange places."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winners get a chance for a cup of tea and garden chat with <a href="https://www.tobybuckland.com/">Toby Buckland</a>, or a copy of <em>An International Garden Photographer of the Year</em> book. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNajHt_o-PqLdcuOQz7lbgP2oqCR_QmKHN3oeVTsNj7eRpRhQR-ndhuKSezPmcCaVUXvq_2IirjsMXguYnv4yh3XtvrHA03H0iezYsV96QiLlaXyl5sUG4OlzqcMVGTbzFd_w_1oqlEWQ/s1600/Tudor+polypody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNajHt_o-PqLdcuOQz7lbgP2oqCR_QmKHN3oeVTsNj7eRpRhQR-ndhuKSezPmcCaVUXvq_2IirjsMXguYnv4yh3XtvrHA03H0iezYsV96QiLlaXyl5sUG4OlzqcMVGTbzFd_w_1oqlEWQ/s320/Tudor+polypody.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More details at </span><a href="http://exeterramm.admit-one.eu/?p=eventtimes&ev=25009"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://exeterramm.admit-one.eu/?p=eventtimes&ev=25009</span></a>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-5327812461050771002016-05-09T11:57:00.000+01:002016-05-09T11:59:11.914+01:00Sound of spring<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Swifts first heard over Exeter on Thursday 5 May evening last week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My relative pitch, or instrument tuning, or quite possibly both, may well be off, but the calls seem to be in the region of G# and E, though the note also seems to modulate microtonally mid-call. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Groups congregate in 'screaming parties' as they zoom around their nesting areas. The female calls are at higher pitch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Click <a href="http://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/British-wildlife-recordings/022M-W1CDR0001375-0500V0">here</a> for a link to the British Library sound archive recording of swifts, and <a href="http://www.commonswift.org/5457Ansorge.html">here</a> for a more in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> depth analysis of the c<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">alls</span></span>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's that <a href="http://www.racingtheswift.com/cycling-africa/swifts-ted-hughes">well-quoted poem by Ted Hughes</a>. Which I'm not going to quote. But here is a link to the lovely guitar piece 'Birds Flew Over the Spire' from Gary Ryan's 'City Scenes'. It's meant to be about swallows, but for a city scene, I'm thinking swifts, circling high above St Michael's church on St David's Hill (<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it's in E ma<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">jor, so both<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> E and G<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#</span> feature ...)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2O6FVpVk4I"><span style="font-size: x-small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2O6FVpVk4</span>I</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some more swift info:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Swift conservation <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.swift-conservation.org/">www.swift-conservation.org/</a></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RSPB <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swift/">www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swift/</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wikipedia</span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_swift">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_swift</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-25653669194796856212016-04-27T18:59:00.003+01:002016-04-27T18:59:44.998+01:00Alternative Signs of Spring 3<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stoke Woods over the weekend, and a traditional spring woodland floral scene, bluebells, wood anemone, violets, wild garlic fading, first dog's mercury and yellow archangel appearing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But instead of a sign of spring - what about a smell of spring?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0Dw0E1LtNdEVVzgMDwurouThCOVXVfL3-b7vAtDy0Zz92fuiU5CKJd6uB1KgHGvYtZ2Q69tLOAqVZyOWB8-Ia93ZrbHq1lJMGj-sXTjCySoTqwY8EzZxuKR7YQKzDPM98nXnbJMQ2dc/s1600/Stoke+Woods+bluebells+compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0Dw0E1LtNdEVVzgMDwurouThCOVXVfL3-b7vAtDy0Zz92fuiU5CKJd6uB1KgHGvYtZ2Q69tLOAqVZyOWB8-Ia93ZrbHq1lJMGj-sXTjCySoTqwY8EzZxuKR7YQKzDPM98nXnbJMQ2dc/s640/Stoke+Woods+bluebells+compressed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebell haze all around in my brain</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stood on a particular path in a sweet spot, with the prevailing westerly wind pushing up the slope towards us, we were bathed in the sweet fragrance from the bluebell carpet, in glorious smell-o-vision. No wonder it attracts bees and butterflies from afar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bluebell woods are distinctive to the UK, and there are a few questions about that. Is it because there are no wild boar (or at least not widespread .. .yet?!). There have been some studies and assessments of this point (link </span><a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/QJF_2011_105_195_202_Harmer_Straw_Williams.pdf/$FILE/QJF_2011_105_195_202_Harmer_Straw_Williams.pdf"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11258-014-0397-9"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). There is also hybridisation with the introduced garden Spanish bluebell to look out for: to tell them apart, the garden one is chunkier and grows in a more upright, sprawling habit, whereas the native one is more slender and delicate, generally with the flowers all in a row and leaning one way. Some field guides say that the native bluebell has blue pollen, whereas this is white in the garden variety, but a stamen with all its pollen discharged will also be white. The native bluebell has a much stronger scent, as we found out today.</span> Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-2940619382500330352016-04-13T13:43:00.001+01:002016-04-26T17:50:16.327+01:00Things which really work 2 . 1Yesterday Red mason bee males emerged from the stick case in the garden. Success!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6C7IdE_XhLB03Ik3zQ5-cZKMVzpDdWjNWQcSdHB6H1JqX2G10AQHKTdtLRU6RmWgnLWeQn3UqI7vCiav8zhOfyP_eNlgp_G4OwY6-kGd_08x-2PrKp84dNj4aS3lLi2kUg4UADFjGr4/s1600/Red+mason+bee+emergence%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6C7IdE_XhLB03Ik3zQ5-cZKMVzpDdWjNWQcSdHB6H1JqX2G10AQHKTdtLRU6RmWgnLWeQn3UqI7vCiav8zhOfyP_eNlgp_G4OwY6-kGd_08x-2PrKp84dNj4aS3lLi2kUg4UADFjGr4/s320/Red+mason+bee+emergence%2521.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5VgeQY6Zzg3qqWR7NyCD5zr7JoAj3ENO9jvOgyKaumessYmlWe3ja_kbQfiQgGJ-FU5ifCP9UsQhk8gVQghqzAajQXwUR76wocRBL5pVLgVY6AnD2UNlKzQHfBU0zLX5Hl3g-LJFgTQ/s1600/Red+Mason+bee+male+12+April.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5VgeQY6Zzg3qqWR7NyCD5zr7JoAj3ENO9jvOgyKaumessYmlWe3ja_kbQfiQgGJ-FU5ifCP9UsQhk8gVQghqzAajQXwUR76wocRBL5pVLgVY6AnD2UNlKzQHfBU0zLX5Hl3g-LJFgTQ/s320/Red+Mason+bee+male+12+April.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(note the pale facial hairs and long antennae)</div>
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These will visit flowers for nectar and also investigate places like wall cavities and post holes, any potential nest sites from where the females may emerge over the next couple of weeks. This is all about mating opportunities: the males are competitive and will aerially try to jostle each other out of the way. The females mate only once; the males then have few and briefest chances to pass on their genes to the next generation. They wear themselves out in this pursuit and might be expected to live 3-4 weeks. During this time they will pounce on any male bee rival suitors, or female bee potential mates, or any insect which looks a bit like either!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMth_pL7VZ2mDZaPx22AZJ-XLj9NbalklfEXrJf_bfhEmVg2KJ_EYWaYa3kM8AV4ipYwS8hoCFM5BZBtON5zT0Vis07JXZXu5ZIeq7fzjRCmqebI7eMcbTZNx6g1SZDurzTflCx9qYDoY/s1600/Peeping+from+stickcase2+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMth_pL7VZ2mDZaPx22AZJ-XLj9NbalklfEXrJf_bfhEmVg2KJ_EYWaYa3kM8AV4ipYwS8hoCFM5BZBtON5zT0Vis07JXZXu5ZIeq7fzjRCmqebI7eMcbTZNx6g1SZDurzTflCx9qYDoY/s640/Peeping+from+stickcase2+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First emergence nibbling a way out. It reminds me a bit of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_Alcatraz_%28film%29#/media/File:Escape_from_alcatraz.jpg">Clint Eastwood Escaping from Alcatraz</a></td></tr>
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Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-35139340393504017862016-04-12T17:51:00.002+01:002016-04-13T13:38:27.758+01:00Saturday Newt Fever<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great c<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rested newts <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">have alwa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y</span>s been rare in the south west: uncommon in De<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">von and believed absent from<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Cornwall</span>; this may be to do with acidic soil conditions. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But ot<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">herwise the UK hosts an important and sizeable proportion of the European pop<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">u</span>lation, which has declined massively in the last 100 <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y</span>ears. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC6TXMQbgIA9UA5xkY-cYaHFGiNP4RSZnsS16bN9-jobkxKFQiiOlSFT_hyphenhyphenNS-dA2qTjAjbsp2K0zzVZu5aWBT_rIhKkV8kEN7OH6j9M5ywCeGVdiTYP8DGSoduGwEp-dP5YwNlGqJgY/s1600/Looking+for+newts.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC6TXMQbgIA9UA5xkY-cYaHFGiNP4RSZnsS16bN9-jobkxKFQiiOlSFT_hyphenhyphenNS-dA2qTjAjbsp2K0zzVZu5aWBT_rIhKkV8kEN7OH6j9M5ywCeGVdiTYP8DGSoduGwEp-dP5YwNlGqJgY/s400/Looking+for+newts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: blue;">Let the survey begin</span><u><br /></u></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Formerly there were perhaps around a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dozen known sites for Devon, a few with current populations, some <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">old historical records of uncertain status, occasional tantalising reports of possible new sites, anecdotes and rumours, and so<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">me info<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rmed guesswork </span></span>as to potential<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> new locations; the </span>e</span>ffort<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s of Devon R<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eptile <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">& <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Amphibi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">an Group <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">have been instrumental in following these<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>up.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hence the importance of regular m</span>onitoring, such as at <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a s</span>ite just outside Exeter<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> Among several naturalistic ponds, the</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">small shallow </span>rectangular </span>o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rnamental pond is perhaps not <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the one which immediately suggested <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">promising <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">C<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rest<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ie habita<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But this was one of the best sites I've </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">visite</span></span>d for viewing Great crested newts and their mating behaviour: the shallow central open area served as a watery dance</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">floor, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">under our <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">disco torch </span>light*. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19bXExjOA_OzrJay8Aid2-LjTu1an4v7KsVhmd57nxwu1t9xHAy_ealmWmYn5sr0Xa3GMJossb4GKumpkS8tPDiD1-8TPx_hbOxhOranlepVwfKDX9lIQA11glK2w6nEpDy-UR67jR3A/s1600/Newts+dancing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19bXExjOA_OzrJay8Aid2-LjTu1an4v7KsVhmd57nxwu1t9xHAy_ealmWmYn5sr0Xa3GMJossb4GKumpkS8tPDiD1-8TPx_hbOxhOranlepVwfKDX9lIQA11glK2w6nEpDy-UR67jR3A/s400/Newts+dancing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: blue;">You can tell by the way I move: tail flash </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a wild night out<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, it d</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">id not disappoi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nt. </span></span>There were over 30 <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">adults </span>a</span>t this newty n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ghtclub, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m</span></span></span>ales<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> in best <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">full<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>crested finery displaying to females, or </span></span>engaged in dance-offs against other male<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s. The male approaches the female for a sniff, then arches his back, supported on just his forelegs, called the 'cat buckle' stance. Then he beats his tail, leaning forward to waft pheromones towards her, sometimes rocking back and forth and lashing his tail. Similar, but more vigorous, versions of these moves are directed towards competing males, with occasional synch<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ronised writhing S-shaped <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s</span>wi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mming and swishing wh<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ite tail flas<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hes. For recourse to the chill out zone, with their </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">stripy jazz hands</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (jazz feet?) the newts would </span>kick up a c<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">loud of silt <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>o hide within.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxrVp6P_k36KQHExHzOexb_X0VztUrrkfqaY71C5KRe_0OkUTMIWXk2IqHp7LGJ9u2Or2Z6Tsb2p1mjkWgLYZmztdX88R61lL-_7pWjZSMTV8iFnhpRcHTRN1V4NXlgG8ovzcF3Qx6i0/s1600/Newt+jazz+hands.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxrVp6P_k36KQHExHzOexb_X0VztUrrkfqaY71C5KRe_0OkUTMIWXk2IqHp7LGJ9u2Or2Z6Tsb2p1mjkWgLYZmztdX88R61lL-_7pWjZSMTV8iFnhpRcHTRN1V4NXlgG8ovzcF3Qx6i0/s400/Newt+jazz+hands.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">Jazz feet, kicking up a silt storm</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was difficult to tell whether this impressed the female newts or not, around the p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ond edges. Some were clearly </span>gravid, bulging with eggs nearly ready to be laid</span>. We also fo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">und a few of the characteristic large circular cream eggs within the folded over leaves of pond vegetation, and</span> numerous <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">much s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">maller </span></span>smooth and p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">almate newts; the whole UK set.</span> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhSU-_gr4e3O9AlJMMbvMmuNKUAk7FGj38wKaGuXPE1ZxlxmXspzqSdWoJ84ZB5wURAKwcQhxzIsOLoKmHjIOara0H9kLdaSKAtuALHIs5OWdkaDEFfy0_Rx4EJwW_rTqZ8A_xfmiQR8/s1600/Newt+female+belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhSU-_gr4e3O9AlJMMbvMmuNKUAk7FGj38wKaGuXPE1ZxlxmXspzqSdWoJ84ZB5wURAKwcQhxzIsOLoKmHjIOara0H9kLdaSKAtuALHIs5OWdkaDEFfy0_Rx4EJwW_rTqZ8A_xfmiQR8/s320/Newt+female+belly.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: blue;">Party dress: belly patterns are unique to individuals</span><u><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></u></span></u></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">got home just as<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">weekend revellers were making their way to the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pubs and clu<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bs <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f Exeter</span>....</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">F<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or some <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">more info a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bout Great crested newts</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.arkive.org/great-crested-newt/triturus-cristatus/">Arkive</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.froglife.org/amphibians-and-reptiles/great-crested-newt/">Froglife</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/habitats/pond/identifying-creatures-pond/great-crested-newt-triturus-cristatus/">Freshwater Habitats Trust</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">* Please note a special licence is needed to search for Great crested newts, which <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cludes using a torch a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nd handling. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">M</span>onitoring at this site <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is carried out </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by l<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">censed surveyors.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<br />Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616015194142344406.post-82022667251558003692016-04-09T16:13:00.001+01:002016-04-13T12:58:53.028+01:00Alternative Signs of Spring 1 & 2<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Traditionally there are the wild daffodils at <a href="http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/reserves/dunsford">Dunsford</a>, ramsons and bluebells starting to send up leaves at <a href="http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/englanddevonnoforeststokewoods">Stoke Woods</a>, and the first <a href="http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Nature-Watch-sand-martins-Exeter/story-21029273-detail/story.html">sand martins</a> arriving in Exeter to look out for. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But what about some other quirkier seasonal indicators?</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alternative Sign of Spring no. 1 </span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Hairy-footed flower bee</b> <i><a href="http://www.bwars.com/bee/apidae/anthophora-plumipes">Anthophora plumipes</a></i> males </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">circling the garden on a sunny day, visiting a range of flowers, but especially lungwort. As solitary bees go, this one is relatively identifiable, brown with light facial hair, and long hair tufts on its middle pair of legs. There are several flying around, seemingly patrolling the same areas as if staking out territories, waiting for the emergence of the females (which are completely black with yellow pollen brushes on the hind legs).</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2oewCBer9CUmcARhWRh2JYFD-kTu_caQPVwIUuz5PkeVrIQ-xd_FFbwiEMnJDXDFKmkJHBti1W_cH2ZzOJSUrVkDLqgrcYBcpW7vTWSUGlNNWuEDUjdq6YnmG1o_78VuX2kwdKeRvHU/s1600/Hairy+footed+flower+bee3+male+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2oewCBer9CUmcARhWRh2JYFD-kTu_caQPVwIUuz5PkeVrIQ-xd_FFbwiEMnJDXDFKmkJHBti1W_cH2ZzOJSUrVkDLqgrcYBcpW7vTWSUGlNNWuEDUjdq6YnmG1o_78VuX2kwdKeRvHU/s400/Hairy+footed+flower+bee3+male+cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spotting which regular places they stop to bask, the same particular stone, leaf, slat on the picnic table, is fascinating. Some of the garden insects seem interested in yellow objects at the moment - or at least flies and bees are landing regularly on a large yellow coloured garden sack, and also on the yellow parts of variegated leaves of shrubs. Is this because the paler areas are more reflective for basking, or because the colour is being confused for flowers? </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alternative Sign of Spring no. 2</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Green shieldbugs turn green </span></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.britishbugs.org.uk/heteroptera/Pentatomidae/palomena_prasina.html">Palomena prasina</a></i> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">... as opposed to being brown, its colour through the winter as an overwintering adult. One of our commonest and most widespread shieldbugs (look for the 'broad shoulders', the widened pronotum / upper section of the thorax, and the reddy segments towards the end of the antennae), the green coloration returns as it feeds on plant matter available again in the spring. This one found its way into the hall last week. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0XP_Esxu4SyPQTN4GBhtv3cwg3M01Rvaa9EpgR4WlGClrYMrOT6auv8liADemsujpTJCWMrjhbDtBFNtP2u88MiP0zsY7fuqJGmJ_7WVpBHuE8Kusjdqby6Dv_zeNXxx5EmZoOxHBcM/s1600/Green+shieldbug+Palomena+prasina+in+hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0XP_Esxu4SyPQTN4GBhtv3cwg3M01Rvaa9EpgR4WlGClrYMrOT6auv8liADemsujpTJCWMrjhbDtBFNtP2u88MiP0zsY7fuqJGmJ_7WVpBHuE8Kusjdqby6Dv_zeNXxx5EmZoOxHBcM/s640/Green+shieldbug+Palomena+prasina+in+hall.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Exeter wild thingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03366575260493080275noreply@blogger.com0