apparently they have voted - got this through this evening: "Dear Friend, Today the European Parliament voted (in a mammoth 150 minute voting session) on the four Common Agricultural Policy reports which will make up Europe's agricultural policy from 2014 to 2020. These reports will form the Eu...

All part of the Alien Nation season

George McGavin about 40 minutes in for ~5 minutes. Some nice video - should appear om iPlayer at some point.

This looks interesting - especially the one on Monarchs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediap ... iennation/

Hi Seth (& Sami),
Slightly belated birthday wishes.
Being the unfit person that I am I too have still to see Mountain Ringlet so if you make it to Ben Lawers would you mind a hanger on?

birthday cheers,
Scott D

At least we didn't get the "I get Image Stabilisation with every lens" line. :roll: well, you wouldn't with a Canon or Nikon. :twisted: A Sony, Pentax or Olympus now ... :lol: I find manual focus through the few-finder difficult. I think this is a problem with most (all?) DSLRs and seems ...

if you are uncommitted to a system Canon & Nikon are not the only game in town. Sony & Pentax also do macro well & the new Olympus 60mm macro looks to be an excellent lens. Canon & Nikon do have the best availability of utra tele prime lenses (for birds etc.) but we are talking about...

Merry Christmas everybody - I hope that Santa brings you all lots of lepidoptera related goodies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p3k5z ~9:30 in

Nice little segment on mothing in a brownfield site featuring assorted hawk moths etc.
No doubt it will be available on iplayer.

programme 5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ntls9

No you don't have IS, only Canon has IS, you have Super steady shoot ( a sensor wiggling about ) Sony/Minola don't even give a panning mode on their wildlife lenses, sorry lens . :lol: no, but the camera is supposed to be able to detect panning & work accordingly ... I've certainly never notice...

you'll get better with practice (if we ever get some sun!).
& the important thing is are you happy with them?

The last one for me is perfectly OK.

iirc it actually sold quite quickly - I think that it went to a collector in the USA.

well, it's food plant is nettle.
Ideally you would leave it in a nettle patch in the garden or if she does bring it indoors then feed it fresh nettle tips.

One thing that I have noticed up here is that it seems that female Countryside Rangers may even be in the majority.
However, they too seem to be largely Caucasian.

I've also just ordered a copy due to your review.
Hope it's as good as it sounds.

Had a curry tonight with Sami & Seth on the outskirts of Glasgow.
They seemed hale & hearty

well, if the rain keeps up you might avoid the Scottish midges too but which is worse - downpour or midges?