Back to wet n windy

The Safari was stuck indoors almost the whole day long today - it barely stopped raining all day and then only for a few minutes at a time. Really we wasted the day doing begger-all. A look at the Springwatch web-cams from time to time, a bit o scoping down the garden at the feeders but nothing really constructive or instructive but at least we won't have to water the garden and the water butts will have been topped up.

With reports of thunderstorms around, can't beat a good bit of lightning, we found this website which shows where all the strikes are - clever stuff - and followed the progression and eventual petering out of the storms across the fens of west Norfolk.

Here's some clips of our bees having a feast of golden syrup, a little too much middle leg waving argy-bargy don't you think!

We don't seem to have many young birds yet. In the morning while out with Frank we see Blackbirds collecting beakfuls of worms but we've seen no youngsters yet. Only the Greenfinches seem to have fledged any young so far cos we've seen a juvenile on the feeders, the Goldfinches visit regularly but only adults. There must be a pair of Robins close by as one is in and out of the garden very frequently often taking sunny seeds but again no speckly young seen yet and it's about this time of year when we see our only House Sparrows at Base Camp when a local family appears briefly at the feeders.

male Goldfinch - phonescoped through double glazed window in the rain

Scruffy Blue Tit - swingin in the rain

It's World Oceans Day tomorrow - even if you're not near the sea you can help keep it clean pee poo and paper only down the loo and watch those fats going down the sink, they harden into fatbergs in the drains and can contribute towards flooding and cross contamination. 

Eat fish? Make sure you choose sustainably caught species. Go fishing? Take your litter home too many don't on Patch 2.
Enjoy your beach, have a paddle or a swim just be careful and watch those tides! Join us for one of our rockpooling or cetacean watching events to learn what's in the 'ocean' here. Follow us on Twitter @DaveyManMcG for news of events.
Where to next? Hmm could be weather related but a sea watch for more Bottle Nosed Dolphins could well be on the cards if it dries up by lunchtime.
In the meantime let us know who's looking a bit rough round the gills in your outback.

Told you they'd find summat

The Safari had the Young Uns helping to do some work in the work's garden humping and shifting some rocks which will become part of a new and interesting habitat in due course. Part of their 'reward' is to help remove the ecological nightmare that are the 3-spined Sticklebacks from the pond. We only got about 200 or so!!! But didn't get the Goldfish some nutter has put in - an ecological disaster in our small isolated pond...and they probably thought they were doing it and us a favour, after all a pond MUST have fish mustn't it! We are getting increasing pee'd  off by the level of general ignorance about natural history and basic ecologic principles; these seriously need to be taught from an early age in school and probably should end up with the opportunity to do a GCSE (or whatever they'll be called in the future). How can anyone be expected to uhderstand environmnetal issues if they have no concept of ecological interactions or even know what is actually in their environment.

Case in point today the 'normal' news for the masses is full of potentially pregnant Giant Pandas - all cute n cuddly - but not a sniff of a mention of the imminent extinction in our own country of the no less beautiful Hen Harrier and how that has been caused by a multitude of factors not least of which is illegal killing on the orders of posh mega-rich people. Too hard a concept for them to get? Or is it because 99.9% of them haven't heard of the Hen Harrier - well it should be a fairly common British bird and so they should have done!

If you haven't already now would be a good time to sign the petition to make land owners legally responsible for the actions of their staff - well in all other industries they are so why not game shooting?????

Minor rant over on with the proper stuff. Here's a couple of the larger female Sticklebacks

And one of the ones responsible for all the tiny fry we've removed

We did a bit of  'weeding' in our wildflower garden which was absolutely buzzing with all manner of bees, hoverflies and other bugs. The sharp eyed Young Uns spied the underside of a small ladybird which turned out to be a black one with red spots and a Harlequin Ladybird at that, possibly the first for Blackpool, can't recall any others being mentioned at the mo. They also found another Deptford Pink, good job we weren't too over ambitious with the shears. Wonder how many - or more accurately how few - other sites around the country this year. Going to have to be careful to keep the population going in future years

On the other side of the path is an enormous thistle-like architectural ornamental plant which has been threatening to open its flowers for some time and finally it has much to the joy of the bees.

 Today we had a quick look at the sea early doors and at lunchtime but there wasn't anything other than a few each of Sandwich and Common Terns.

An early finish saw us down at the recycling plant disposing of some ancient poorly constructed wardrobes which are being replaced in our refurbishment. On the way back we have to pass the start of the North Blackpool Pond Trail where a couple of days ago a gigantic totem Frog had been installed  that we just had to go and have a look.

Last night we were at the BEAT NatureWatch meeting where PT showed us some pictures of the wildflower meadow her volunteers had recently sown. We hadn't seen it yet and found it was well worth the short walk even though it is perhaps a little past its best.

Simply beautiful! 

Worryingly was another example of woeful general ignorance when two young totties walked past while we were crouched down taking the pics one said to the other in a hushed tone "why's that fella taking pictures of those weeds?" Where are we going with this level of general ignorance it really is quite frightening. We've become that conditioned to no nature were almost frightened by it, or weirded out by it, when it springs forth in from of our very eyes.

Where to next? The small matter of the NBPT Bioblitz tomorrow to help with follewd by a National Moth Night event at another location, gonna be a long day!
In the meantime let us know who has no idea about the joys of the wildlife in your outback.

To bee or not to bee

The Safari is very relieved after the sensible EU vote to curtail the use of three Neonicotinoid pesticides this afternoon and go someway to helping the beleaguered bee populations. We actually don't thisnk they wnt far enough and will be interesting to see if our more than useless Environment Secretary ignores the decision in favour of his big business chums anyway.

We'd have liked the ban to last for three years not two as the half life of these chemicals in the soil where they remain active is three years, six might have been better the way they have been used willy-nilly over the last few years! But that's the price of 'cheap' food.

What we don't want to see happen is a cocktail of even more deadly chemicals developed to replace these, or have these dumped on the developing world 'to improve their agricultural output'...no pollinators no output!

Lets hope some proper independent science can find a sensible way forward and the big agrochemical corporations can develop more specifically targeted pesticides. We've gone as organic as we dare but still eat a fair proportion of 'normally' produced food. We don't want the return of Potato Blight or Ergot in to our crops and we don't want to lose significant volumes to the hungry insect hordes, a happy medium has to be found to ensure security of supply without decimating the ecosystem on which we all depend, farmers and politicians included.

Continuing the bee theme a Tawney Mining Bee on our neighbours dry stone bank where the other (unknown) mining bee species lives, not sure if we've seen one here before, don't think so.

All pollinators have an important role to play so wiping them out in the name of short-term financial gain has got to be just a bit stupid.

General conditions in the gardens because we saw a Blackbird desperately clinging to the sunny seed feeder like a Blue Tit this evening - can't say we've ever seen that before!

After work we called in at the entrance to the big hotel where a Wood Warbler had been seen first thing this morning. MMcG and PT where stood their lenses pointing at the trees in the corner. Appareently it was singing and showing quite well until PT arrived - we're saying nowt!

We stood there having a bit of banter about PT's enormous carbon footprint but the warbler didn't warble.

We could stay all afternoon so had to leave it and come back later. We did just that and within a couple of minutes of standing under the same trees it fired up, living up to the lovely sibilatrix part of its scientific name. Wood Warbler (155, MMLNR #102), not exactly on the nature reserve but just within our recording area centred on the mere. PS got some good view as it hopped around the canopy singing sporadically, we just couldn't quite pick it up and only saw little flits here and there through the tree top twigs.

Patch 2 was poor, beyond poor even; best wasan unidentified very distant skua.

Where to next? More Patch 2 dreams tomorrow, the wind should have dropped so what will be revealed - still waiting for that Whimbrel to fly past too.

In the meantime let us know what's shivering and trembling while it sings in your outback

 

Friends of Devonshire Road Rock Gardens moth & bat night

The Safari, in association with the Friends of Devonshire Rock Rock Gardens, held a very well attended moth and bat night last night, pity we forgot to invite the moths and bats!

We did have a mooch round and got a few registers on the bat detector. Some of the group took nets and torches and had a rummage around the bushes. Our Extreme Photographer had a close encounter with a Fox and a small mammal mouse/vole/shrew shot across the track in front of him. He did find and was able to pot up a Hawthorn Shield Bug.

The wet net was taken to the pond where yours truly struggled to get just a few of the many Smooth Newts in there.

Any webs on the trees were checked for their resident spiders and we found a couple of beauties, both turned out to be the same species although the second one was three times the size of the first; male and female? Whether they are or they aren't different sexes they are 'new' to the Fylde.

With rain setting in we had to abandon the event earlier than planned but it was too cold for any insects and therefore bats to be out...better luck next time...which will be August Bank Holiday.

Yesterday we took a few, what we consider to be, fairly good pics...reason - we had three things in our favour 1, sunshine, 2 time...no deadlines and 3, no Frank being held in the other hand.

Here's some more from yesterday.

Andrena sp

Unknown bee

Adrena nigroaenea

Hybrid Bluebell

Dandelion

Forget-me-not - anyone know which species

Fox & Cubs aka Orange Hawkweed

Ladies mantle

Nomad Bee sp?

Today we had another bash at the Hawthorn Shield Bug as we'd kept it overnight to get some pics in better light..well daylight for a start!

We didn't know they had a 'Rhino' horn, did you? 

Chores were order of the day but then we gt a txt from AB saying there was a Whinchat at the wetland near the nature reserve. we asked if we could go and the answer was in the affirmative - pheww. Took ages to get there - too many dipsticks out on the roads on a Bank Holiday weekend :-(

Worth it though. (170, MMLNR 87)

A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling from the next bush along but we couldn't see it.

Then AB got wind of a Cuckoo a few miles away...of we went with AB & co and once again we were baulked by numpties doing 25mph when they should have been doing at least 50!!! Jeezzzzz we hate them and why the old ba* in the sports car needed her brakes we'll never know - we've seen slugs corner faster than she did!!!!!!

A great surprise greeted the Safari at the Cuckoo site...not wildlife but a real old beaut none the less

Old grey tractor fetish sated we went to the other end of the site away from the main road so that we could listen better without the traffic noise. No Cuckoo but a very distant Grasshopper Warbler.

We did see this rather snazzy little red fly

 Easier to identify, or at least far more familiar was this very confiding Large Red Damselfly.

Wonder if they'll turn up again at Base Camp, they didn't last year.
A morning visit to Patch 1 gave us a Lesser Whitethroat (P1 35). The Golden Triangle has breeding Wren, Robin, Dunnock, Song Thush, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and maybe Woodpigeon and Goldfinch; we really hope no-one decides it needs 'tidying up'.

Where to next? Everyone keeps telling us tomorrows weather is going to be dreadful but hopefully we'll be able to get out early before the deluge starts.

In the meantime let us know if anything was attracted to light in your outback.

Exploring Bispham beach and cliffs

The safari had an very pleasant morning at the seaside. A walk along the cliff top found us studying a patch of 'new' vegetation. The grasslands are registered as a County Biological Heritage Site for their soft cliff grassland vegetation. This patch must have been used a depot for the recent tram track works. The original perennial grassland had been destroyed and in its place was a marvelous patch of wildflowers whose seeds have been waiting in the soil for just such an opportunity to germinate and bloom.

Above is Greater Knapweed, a very scarce plant in the Fylde area. There were a few specimens.
Common Toadflax was quite numerous.

The bee visiting the Borage flowers is Buff Tailed Bumble Bee.

This bee is (I think) a male Red Tailed Bumble Bee - I will check in the field guide and confirm later. It is on Black Knapweed, the much more common of the two Knapweeds in this area. An alternative name for it is Hardheads. They are related to Thistles but do not have spines on the leaves. Both species are visited by bees, butterflies and other nectar seeking insects - as are Thistles which are much more important than their generally held status as 'weeds' suggests.

Below is Birds Foot Trefoil, a common plant of dryish soils and a member of the Pea family. This plant is also known as Eggs and Bacon on account of the red flashes of colour (not shown on this late summer photo) on the yellow flowers. Maybe it should be renamed 'Eggs and Tomato Ketchup'! The 'proper' name comes from the shape of the seed pod - which is like a birds foot - and the clover like leaves which have three leaflets - or foils (Latin/French for leaf). This plant is the foodplant of the beautiful Common Blue butterfly's caterpillars and without it there would be no Common Blues. To tell a Common Blue from a Holly Blue have a look at the underside - patterned - Common Blue; silvery blue with a few spots - Holly Blue. Where did you see it? Low over open grassland with wildflowers including Birds Foot Trefoil - Common Blue; High around the trees and shrubs in parks and gardens - Holly Blue - - usually these rules will hold true.

Coming down off the cliff top and on to the beach we started to look in the pools left behind by the tide. Bispham is unusual along Blackpool's beach as it has large area of pebbles mid beach. We soon found this Common (Edible) Whelk and Common Winkle. The hole in the Whelk is probably where an Oystercatcher or Gull has stabbed through it.

A close up look at the 'mouth' of the Whelk reveals there are no teeth - grooves on the upper (thicker) side of the aperture so it is not Dog Whelk. Things with the name 'Dog' were deemed as useless, e.g Dog Whelk is inedible, Dog Rose has no smell, Dog Wood is not a usable wood - Dogfish is an exception.

These two are Baltic Tellins, a very numerous shell on the beach. One is 'right handed' the other 'left handed'.

Above is a Striped Venus shell. Some shells can be aged, like trees, from annual growth rings. I'm not sure if this is one of those species but it looks like it could be. Anyone fancy counting for us?

An Iceland Cyprina shell was counted to be over 400 years old and thus the world oldest known animal when it was dredged from the seabed.

Amongst the gulls was a lovely adult Mediterranean Gull. Not this one, it had started to moult and lost its black head. It did have a large white ring on its right leg which unfortunately we were unable to read. We could quite get close but not close enough, once we were nearly in range it would, infuriatingly, fly another 20 yards or so down the beach.

You've got to admit they are one of the best looking birds in the book!

We also saw 8 Ringed Plovers scampering about on the beach and three Turnstones picking Barnacles off the rocks. The previous day there had been a Grey Seal reported close in shore but today the wind was stronger making the sea much choppier and we couldn't find him.

Turning back to Base Camp the weather looked like it was going to take a turn for the worse but it did give the opportunity for this rather arty shot of the sun catching the fisherman's lines, glinting green, red and silver.

Where to next?....Could be anywhere!

In the meantime let us know what's in your 'outback'.