The Safari was able to get out this morning but the light over the sea was bizarre, it was crystal clear but hazy at the same time, we couldn't get the scope to focus on anything more than a couple of hundred yards offshore. Not that there was anything to look at at other than about 300 Common Scoters and a lone Great Crested Grebe.
While waiting for the kettle to boil mid-morning we nipped out to get a pic of the small toadstool we spotted in the Dandelion pic yesterday, Fortunately it hadn't been trodden on by the window cleaner unlike the large Perennial Cornflower which he seems to have trampled underfoot without noticing it at all - the sooner some form of appreciation of nature is taught in all schools up to Yr 12 at least the better at least then he might have known what he was putting his size 9s down on or maybe just noticed that the blue thing at the top of the green things had little yellow and black stripy things hovering around it.
No idea what species it is but it does appear that the cameras phone has undergone some form of upgrade - can they do that?
That was the only pic we got to take today so we entered in our #100moredaysofnature series (Today is Day 4 - please don't be shy post your own wildlife pics from anywhere in the world with the hashtag)
Today it was announced by the Wildlife Trusts that we should have more, coherent and fully protected areas in our seas for the big stuff. They're right of course and anyone with half an punce of sense would agree - so that rules out the 'Greenest government ever' and the fishing industry then - exactly the two groups most likely to do these amazing creatures harm. The trawler-men still don't seem to get that if you catch all the fish today there won't be any for tomorrow and moan like mad at any hint of tighter quotas. Long long gone are the days of shoals of Herring several miles wide and even more miles long being pursued by huge pods of Dolphins, large Whales and an uncountable throng of seabirds. Lowered baselines you see, we just don't think of such sized shoals anymore but an internationally agreed quota limit and protected areas would given enough time, and probably only a decade or so, something like what is written in the 17th and 18th Century books could be witnessed again. Unlikely with all the short-termism being hoofed around at the current time.
And what a contrast, on the other side of the world almost at the same time as our Wildlife Trusts were advocating better protection for marine mammals those 'traditional; fisher-butchers were killing the second pod of dolphins in two days, Bottlenose Dolphins yesterday, yet another pod of Risso's Dolphins today. What makes the whole sorry bloodthirsty charade even more despicable is they return traumatised orphans back to the sea almost as if they're doing them a favour. Sick or what as some won't be fully weaned and all will need the experience of their extended families to hunt and learn migration routes and the best areas for prey- why can't they just be merciful for once and kill the whole lot - or better still LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!
NEVER EVER EVER go to a dolphin show or book a hotel anywhere in the world with captive dolphins or even use a travel company that offers tickets to such places because you're helping to maintain the sick demand. If you haven't done so already watch The Cove and Blackfish and make your own mind up about cetacean captivity.
And now a bit of good news to end with. All the way Down Under a small and extremely rare animal has been nurtured back to full fitness by the team at Maroo and has been released back into the wild to become part of a breeding programme for his endangered species, lets wish him a long and fruitful life (or should that be fungi-ful life seeing as how he's a Woylie and fungi are their favourite food). As Aussie Glen says We need more wildlife sanctuaries don't you think? - AG you're damned right we do and soon!
OK so that's autumn sorted, bring on winter - errr wait a minute did someone mention it had snowed overnight in North Wales and there's lashings of huge hailstones rattling someone's roof somewhere maybe winte;s alreasy begun!
Where to next? An unscheduled day off tomorrow and there''s some filthy twitching to be done.
In the meantime let us know what's being down-trodden in your outback.
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