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Bertwhistle
01 August 2024 11:50:07

Amen to that, Bertie:
When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay,
And the May month flaps its glad green leaves like wings,
Delicate-filmed as new-spun silk, will the neighbours say,
"He was a man who used to notice such things?"
https://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=729 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 


Great. Had to be him or Edward!
Bertie, Itchen Valley.
Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.
Roger Parsons
01 August 2024 12:36:51

Great. Had to be him or Edward!

Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 


Thomas?

My favourite Dorset-dialect poem about loss is Barnes' : The Geate A-Vallen To/
https://allpoetry.com/The-Geate-A-Vallen-To 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
+2
bledur
01 August 2024 18:08:38

Nice trailcam clip last night - a badger drinking from a birdbath on the ground. 😁

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 


A few years ago they would nearly trip you up at night when i was out checking in calf cows and heifers .They bumble along sometimes without looking where they are going . Not quite so many about round here now and that is probably a good thing and surprise , surprise the hedgehogs are returning.
Roger Parsons
01 August 2024 20:13:04

A few years ago they would nearly trip you up at night when i was out checking in calf cows and heifers .They bumble along sometimes without looking where they are going . Not quite so many about round here now and that is probably a good thing and surprise , surprise the hedgehogs are returning.

Originally Posted by: bledur 


There is a huge badger population here but most people are unaware of it. We live in the middle of a fair sized village but know the signs and have a trail cam in the garden. "Oh no - it's squirrels" I am told! Then I show them the clips. They will hoover up hedgehogs. The rescue people will not re-home HHs to known badger locations.
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
+1
Retron
02 August 2024 04:29:48

A few years ago they would nearly trip you up at night when i was out checking in calf cows and heifers .They bumble along sometimes without looking where they are going . Not quite so many about round here now and that is probably a good thing and surprise , surprise the hedgehogs are returning.

Originally Posted by: bledur 


Badgers always seem mildly exotic (and dangerous) to me, but that's because on Sheppey we have none - no moles, either, but we do have a colony of scorpions living in the wall of the docks. Up until the late 80s we had no foxes, either, but (to the annoyance of farmers/chicken owners and the delight of the Tickham hunt back in the day) we now have them... there are two schools of thought as to how they got here.

One, multiple foxes walked over the quarter mile bridge, some 25 years after it was built, or two, some foxes were released one night by animal rights folks. The farmers reckon it's the second option, and bearing in mind the bridge was the main A249, with a railway, and traffic day and night careening over it at 60mph+ - they could be right.

Leysdown, north Kent
+1
NMA
  • NMA
  • Advanced Member
02 August 2024 06:28:17

A few years ago they would nearly trip you up at night when i was out checking in calf cows and heifers .They bumble along sometimes without looking where they are going . Not quite so many about round here now and that is probably a good thing and surprise , surprise the hedgehogs are returning.

Originally Posted by: bledur 


I've tripped over one in the dark and they bark like little terriers.
As you say they are partial to hedgehogs.
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
+1
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
02 August 2024 13:02:25
Report in The Week that the Railway Land Wildlife Trust in Lewes has fitted a number of pet dogs with satchels pricked with holes and containing 23 species of wildflower seeds. The idea is that the dogs ferreting around in the undergrowth will distribute wildflower seed into hard-to-access areas, mimicking the effect of (Retron, are you reading this?) wolves which in ages past helped distribute seeds which had lodged in their fur.
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
02 August 2024 13:13:33

Report in The Week that the Railway Land Wildlife Trust in Lewes has fitted a number of pet dogs with satchels pricked with holes and containing 23 species of wildflower seeds. The idea is that the dogs ferreting around in the undergrowth will distribute wildflower seed into hard-to-access areas, mimicking the effect of (Retron, are you reading this?) wolves which in ages past helped distribute seeds which had lodged in their fur.

Originally Posted by: DEW 


Could this be the origin of the term "doggy bag"? I'm joking of course. The East Anglian dialect term term "Docky" or "Docky Bag" was the packed lunch you took to work so your wages would not be "docked" for taking a lunch break. I discover that Google AI can discover that in a search - but my information is entirely of human origin! I've heard it used "for real" in Cambridgeshire. The term "Doggy Bag" is a later invention of obvious pedigree. 🐕

DOCKY BAG - 2019
https://www.rupertmallin.co.uk/2019/01/docky-bag-2019.html 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Retron
02 August 2024 13:32:10

Report in The Week that the Railway Land Wildlife Trust in Lewes has fitted a number of pet dogs with satchels pricked with holes and containing 23 species of wildflower seeds. The idea is that the dogs ferreting around in the undergrowth will distribute wildflower seed into hard-to-access areas, mimicking the effect of (Retron, are you reading this?) wolves which in ages past helped distribute seeds which had lodged in their fur.

Originally Posted by: DEW 


Yes, I saw it on the BBC site last week!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3g0y8l9zvyo 

I can't say that wolves are very good at distributing seeds very far, mind you, as their fur is such that seeds just fall off... and especially if they shake! They're not like the neighbour's spaniel, which disappears into a hedge and comes out with all sorts of seeds and bits of grass / weeds lodged in the fur, which have to be painstakingly removed.

I've seen ticks on the wolves before, though (a tick tool is handy to have), and I've seen - and smelt - fox poo on them multiple times as well. They adore rolling in smelly things, the pongier the better. Some dogs do that too, so I've heard!
Leysdown, north Kent
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
04 August 2024 07:40:12

Wot? No Wopses?
"A Lincolnshire pest controller has said they are being called to fewer incidents involving wasps as numbers of the insects are down.
According to Trevor Brighton, who has dealt with wasp call-outs for 25 years, the species are “vulnerable” because of bad weather.
“A long miserable spring has not allowed wasps to flourish,” he said.
Wasp numbers decline 'really sad' - wildlife trust
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c903dd5y557o 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 


Follow-up article 


Where have all the wasps gone?


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c134621devzo 


I've also seen a report that bats are suffering due to diminished numbers of insects following the wet spring. I wonder if this has affected swallows too - or did they return from migration late enough to take advantage of an uptick in insect numbers?
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
04 August 2024 08:28:51
I suspect all insectivores will have been impacted in some way. Fewer insects/inverts = more hunting time. Don't forget that wasps are insectivores in the early part of their life cycle!

"There are over 7,000 species of wasp living in the UK, comprising a huge variety of solitary and social species. The majority are parasitoids, which have young that eat insects or spiders alive. But you may be more familiar with the black and yellow social species."
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-do-wasps-do.html 

Observation
3/8/2024
Tit flock across garden and into some lime trees early afternoon, 40+ with
30+ being long tailed tits. The rest Blue Tits. An unusual sight.
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Windy Willow
04 August 2024 12:49:08
I've seen plenty of Sand Martins, here, where I now live, daily, and there's at least 2 bats that swoop around the garden of an evening. There's plenty of insects here but i have to say I've not seen so many wasps, yet, but plenty of moths and spiders!
South Holland, Lincs 5m/16ft ASL

Don't feed the Trolls!! When starved of attention they return to their dark caves or the dark recesses of bridges and will turn back to stone, silent again!
+1
Retron
04 August 2024 13:59:07


I've also seen a report that bats are suffering due to diminished numbers of insects following the wet spring. I wonder if this has affected swallows too - or did they return from migration late enough to take advantage of an uptick in insect numbers?

Originally Posted by: DEW 


"My" bat seems to be doing okay, but there's no shortage of insects in my garden! There'll be even more soon thanks to the windfall apples I've left on the ground in the "wild" bit...

As for swallows, my neighbour reports plenty of them at her stables a few miles away, and says they seem to be gathering in greater numbers than usual. She thinks that means a bad winter on the way, but aside from a "bad" winter being all but impossible these days, I reckon it's just that they've found a good source of flies!

I've only seen a handful of wasps this summer, mind you. Something happened around 10 years ago and since then the once-common wasp seems to have almost vanished.
Leysdown, north Kent
+1
Chunky Pea
04 August 2024 14:39:06
I haven't seen a wasp or bee this summer at all. Usually the are flying in the window in droves at this time of year. House flies also seem to be curiously absent, yet we seem to be infested with those small fruit fly things. 
Current Conditions
https://t.ly/MEYqg 

"You don't have to know anything to have an opinion"
--Roger P, 12/Oct/2022
Steve
05 August 2024 09:42:37
The thing I have really noticed this year is the lack of butterflies. 
We have a healthy buddleia bush which is usually well populated by a range of butterflies in the summer, but this year all I have seen is a handful of white butterflies and one tiny blue one which seems to be a permanent resident in one corner of our garden.
Roger Parsons
05 August 2024 14:25:12
Badger rescued from water-filled barrel - watch
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cj3551xvx16o 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Retron
10 August 2024 06:17:26
I had an alert from my Google webcam - "Person - Living Room. Your camera spotted someone."
Turns out it wasn't a person (thankfully), but rather "my" sparrows pecking around on the ancient old patio, joined by a blackbird. I reckon they were hunting for ants, as I think there's a nest under there!
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/notperson.jpg 
UserPostedImage
Leysdown, north Kent
+1
Roger Parsons
10 August 2024 06:25:56
I once knew someone whose toilet kept flushing itself. It turned out a monkey was doing it for entertainment! A little hand coming through the window....
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
+1
StoneCroze
10 August 2024 07:42:21
Our puffins have departed. A sign summer is drawing to a close.
Alderney, Channel Islands. (previously known as Beaufort)
Windy Willow
11 August 2024 15:08:15
Found a Common Darter Dragonfly, taking a break on my Morello cherry this afternoon. I've seen a few Dragonflies in flight since we moved here but not one resting, until now.
South Holland, Lincs 5m/16ft ASL

Don't feed the Trolls!! When starved of attention they return to their dark caves or the dark recesses of bridges and will turn back to stone, silent again!
Roger Parsons
11 August 2024 15:27:27

Found a Common Darter Dragonfly, taking a break on my Morello cherry this afternoon. I've seen a few Dragonflies in flight since we moved here but not one resting, until now.

Originally Posted by: Windy Willow 


We sat in the garden yesterday with 2 naturalist friends, listening to our local music festival in the pub car park opposite, drinking tea and and eating cake. We saw both a common darter and a hawker hunting over the garden. A flash of blue made me think "Migrant Hawker". I always find it disconcerting when an insect makes "eye contact", but odonata do seem to do that. But insects were few. Only a couple of butterfly species. One mate is a fly expert and got excited because there was one horsefly about! 😁

https://www.naturespot.org.uk/family/aeshnidae 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
+1
Windy Willow
12 August 2024 18:38:33
Who'd have thought that moving out to the countryside would bring about many new encounters! Today we had a red underwing Moth pay a visit to the work room, probably wanted some respite from the heat, it stayed in there for a few hours. I spotted it on the wall above the patio doors, you couldn't really miss it as they're pretty big. I only found out later what it was (thank you Google!) as it finally opened its upper wings to show the red underneath, what a beauty! It finally made its way, safely, back to the outside later this afternoon.
South Holland, Lincs 5m/16ft ASL

Don't feed the Trolls!! When starved of attention they return to their dark caves or the dark recesses of bridges and will turn back to stone, silent again!
+1
Roger Parsons
13 August 2024 05:17:12
Skywatching at 3am I noted several bats flying low across the front of the house at the level of my face. They were echolocating around 20kHz which suggests they were a group of Noctules. 😁
https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats/noctule 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
+1
Roger Parsons
16 August 2024 11:56:11
Picked plums at a neighbour's garden this morning - and saw..... 2 wasps! 😲
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Bertwhistle
16 August 2024 13:34:47

Skywatching at 3am I noted several bats flying low across the front of the house at the level of my face. They were echolocating around 20kHz which suggests they were a group of Noctules. 😁
https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats/noctule 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 


What do you use to find that out Roger?
Re: your subsequent post, despite being near-absent for much of summer, the wasps have appeared in force this last week.
You mention plums- our plum gtree has zero fruits for the first time ever, and all of the local damson, mirabelle and cherry plums are fruitless too, in contrast to the apples.
I wonder if wasps somehow manage to subconsciously respond to the conditions that cause this (or just remain latent until they smell plum!)
Bertie, Itchen Valley.
Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.

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