Jack Harrison

[Jack Harrison]

I am not the world’s best birdwatcher but I am not a complete novice. In a hide on Friday, there was the classic know-all - birders seem to have this species among their number; butterfliers by contrast are invariably polite. I said to the other birders in the hide: “Well I’ll go off now and see what Gannets are like on the coast.” “You won’t find any – maybe the occasional juvenile – at this time of the year. They have moved south.” said Mr. Know-All. Who was I to question an obvious expert?

Today – a small part of a Gannet flock.

(Please click to see larger image)
My birding “friend” is now Mr. Know-F-All.

Jack

[Wurzel]

I've encountered one or two of those over the years Jack it can be quite good sport letting them waffle on nonsense until someone calls them on it The Know-all is also more often or not 'Mr Competitive' too and another good trick is to reel off a load of rare birds that you've allegedly seen and see how many the Know-all comes up with to try and trump you

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...In a hide on Friday, there was the classic know-all - birders seem to have this species among their number; butterfliers by contrast are invariably polite.

I don't know, Jack, I get the occasional one on my tours. By the end of the week though they have largely been shunned and often discredited.

[Jack Harrison]

I don't suppose Mr Know-F-All is likely to read this. My estimate of around 400 Gannets on Wednesday was surpassed by another birder on Thursday with circa 1,400. But we both had similar counts of Razorbills east to west at the rate of around 1,600 per hour.

Butterfly count this week has been precisely two – a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell.

Jack

[David M]

Butterfly count this week has been precisely two – a Peacock and a Small Tortoiseshell.

That's better than mine, Jack - just one Small White.

I guess you haven't had the perperual stormy weather we've seen down south?

[Jack Harrison]

You should visit the Moray Firth David. Today:

Jack

[David M]

That's beautiful, Jack. More like Cornwall than the north of Scotland.

[Jack Harrison]

I sometimes suffer from insomnia. I find that doing word or number puzzles in my head usually sends me to sleep quickly. Last night I tried mixing butterfly names and combining:

eg Wood White + Purple Emperor >>> Wood Emperor or Purple White (?) Some were quite bizarre – The Orange [tip] Blue for example.
But I did invent a real rarity, Essex (skipper) + (Painted) Lady. >>> Essex Lady.

I then fell asleep.

Your ideas please.

Jack

[Wurzel]

I like some 'factually correct' ones Jack like Duke of Burgundy and Red Admiral - Burgundy Red or Painted Lady and Glanville Fritillary - Lady Glanville though the one I'd really like to see is an Emperor Skipper

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

..Your ideas please.

Marbled Argus would be interesting.

[Neil Freeman]

Chequered Skipper and any of the whites for;

Chequered White...and would seem quite appropriate as an alternative for the Marbled White.

Cheers,

Neil.

[Jack Harrison]

I have just checked my overwintering butterlfies in the fridge.
I keep in a box in the fridge as experience has shown that even in a cold shed, they can emerge too early. They will be taken out of the fridge late March/early April. Of early in the case of the Tortoiseshells (which warm up very quickly) if there is a find spring day earlier. I saw my first one in 2019 on 21 February on the Moray Coast.

The two Tortoiseshell adults look healthy as do about two dozen Orange Tip pupae one of which is the green form.

I had about a dozen Large White pupae but one soon when black. The remainder are all of the green form. In this part of north Scotland, Large Whites seem to rely very much on Nasturtium. Many larvae are unable to complete development before autumn frost kills the leaves (However, I did I find some in the garden on Dame’s Violet aka Sweet Rocket). Large White is quite scarce up year and maybe not a permanent resident. This is an arable area and plenty of brassicas are grown but I guess they are heavily sprayed. I have never found a larva in my cauliflower or sprouts (from the farm shop!) Last season emergence of captive adults was not until July – so maybe single brooded here. I found plenty of larvae but saw only two adults. Not a single larvae was parastised so I guess the ichneumons have not got this far north in great numbers.

They are now back in the fridge.

Jack

[David M]

Good luck with the hibernating species, Jack. Given the years you've been doing it, I doubt there are many better placed to guide these creatures successfully through the winter.

Have you been privy to any of these record breaking December temperatures in your neck of the woods?

Happy hogmanay and all the best for 2020!

[Jack Harrison]

My 2020

One of my daughters got Covid but didn't suffer too badly.  I was ill with an acute flare up of Rheumatism that laid me low in December.   Chiropodist (£35 per half hour) warns that I have a potential ingrowing toenail but I may have misheard him as I am now profoundly deaf.

It was a lousy butterfly season.  The most memorable day was when I went to a Northern Brown Argus site and was told off by a resident whose house I had the temerity to park within 50 metres (Covid transmission risk apparently).  She eventually made me move on by telling me the best spot to find the NBA a little further along the track.  The NBA was a minor success as were Small Blue and Dingy Skipper.  But on the downside, I didn't see a single Brown Hairstreak or a Glanville Fritillary.

The family interest.  Older son went skiing but had an accident.  Younger daughter got Covid (sorry, already mentioned that).  Ex-wife had cataract operations.  Current wife is irritatingly fit and routinely walks nine miles a day.  But I felt she has been slacking recently so I got her a Fitbit for Christmas.

My current wife is Stella.  If you want a list of the earlier ones, send me a Private Message.
 
Appointment with the dreaded NHS nurse early in the New Year.  (at least it's not Jenny this time - name changed to avoid embarrassing Julie).  I will ignore the medical advice about my weight and brazenly wear my badge "I've made 82 .... so there!"

Jack

[MikeOxon]

Agree with your comments regarding 2020. We'll have to wait and see what sort of omni-shambles the politicians make of 2021 but, whatever they do, the natural world will continue to be wonderful

Mike

[Wurzel]

Very suitable sentiments for 2020 Jack...it will be one of those years that people will try not to talk about, they may mention it once and hope to get away with it Hopefully 2021 will be MUCH better - Happy New Year

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Tony Moore]

I thought 2020 brilliant - I was still here!

Tony M.

[David M]

Very apt, Jack, and no less than I would expect from you.

Witty, irreverent, sardonic, a touch lugubrious, yet positive and defiant at the same time.

Having a year of one’s life stolen at my age is bad enough, but I guess at 82 it just makes you ‘dig in’ all the more, determined not to be swept away by it all.

No white flags flying in the Harrison abode. All the best to you.

David