Jack Harrison

[m_galathea]

Hi Jack,
the flowers you saw on the 8th May are Early Forget-me-not by my reckoning - Guy wasn't far off. They have tiny flowers, are very hairy and live in dry places as you describe.

Alex

[Jack Harrison]

...well so it seemed. Living next to a wood has some disadvantages. Gardening is a nightmare with so many midges; I have had to devise anti-insect protection. I have suffered badly enough but poor Stella looks like she has caught measles.

Corks? Who suggested corks?

--------------------------------------------

Orange Tip photography poses some challenges as they are so restless. The best way I have found is to wait until the sun goes in whereupon they settle almost immediately with wings closed. The moment the sun comes out again, they start to open up and you have a few seconds to snap your picture. This one was taken just too late as the nearest wing shows signs of movement: a millisecond later it was off.


Jack

[Jack Harrison]

I'm still sorting through hundreds of photos (few are of butterflies) from my superb holiday on Mull and in the Oban area.

Any ideas about this? Nothing unusual of course. This was a perfectly healthy individual (Glen Loy) but exactly what do antennae do and why was one antenna held at such an angle?


Jack

[Padfield]

Since I filmed the poplar admiral last year, testing poo with his antennae, I have paid attention to these organs in other species. They are frequently deployed as what appear to be tasters - touching surfaces like excrement, mud or leaves before feeding or, in the case of females, choosing egg-laying sites. The two antennae are operated independently. What your green hairstreak is doing I don't know, though it's possible it's cleaning the antenna on its hairy body.

The poplar admiral video, showing lots of antenna activity, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OfHAGvP4_c

Guy

[Jack Harrison]

DavidM wrote in another thread:

You missed it, Neil. 24-28 May - a once in a decade weather event where NW Scotland was the warmest part of the UK. Sadly, I missed it too.

I had planned my holiday in NW Scotland as long ago as last September being aware that the period 20-28 May would be fine and warm.
It's a little early at the moment in June 2012 to plan next year's holiday, but by September this year it will have become clear which will be the best week for a holiday in NW Scotland in 2013

Piccie from 20 May (Inverary)


Pic from 28 May (Aberfoyle)


And apart from thin high cloud on 22 May, it was hot and sunny throughout.

Being serious for a moment, from mid May to early June, NW Scotland is statistically one of the warmest and sunniest part of the British Isles, that period of the year being when easterly winds are quite frequent (giving shelter and Fohn effect to lee of the mountains).

That statistically fine spell could offer a clue as to the distribution of the Chequered Skipper - the flight season coincides with the best weather of the year.

Jack

[Cotswold Cockney]

Antennae deployment in flight.

In one of those million to one chance observations, I was in a Gloucestershire Wood many moons ago when a White Admiral flew directly over my head in a slow flat winged glide less than 50cm above my eyes. I distinctly saw it drop its left antenna and immediately peel off to its left in an accelarated flight.

Possibly Steering and Balancing mechanism plays a part in flight too.

I had exceptional eyesight when much younger. Doubt I would see such things today.

[David M]

Being serious for a moment, from mid May to early June, NW Scotland is statistically one of the warmest and sunniest part of the British Isles, that period of the year being when easterly winds are quite frequent (giving shelter and Fohn effect to lee of the mountains).

That statistically fine spell could offer a clue as to the distribution of the Chequered Skipper - the flight season coincides with the best weather of the year.

You may have something there, Jack. It's bizarre how this butterfly is totally west-centric when the bulk of the warmer Scottish weather occurs in the east. However, as you say, that period which statistically offers the best chance of easterly winds coincides with Chequered Skipper emergence.

[Jack Harrison]

David M:

...the bulk of the warmer Scottish weather occurs in the east...

The warmest and sunniest area of Scotland is probably the Moray Coast from Forres (Kinloss) along to Buckie this area being downwind of the Cairngorms in the prevailing southwesterly winds. Northwesterly winds are also quite frequent in Scotland and then places like Stonehaven, Montrose benefit (Northern Brown Argus country - for similar reason as outlined before perhaps?)

I lived in the Dee valley for some five years. As a glider pilot (as well as a professional flying from Aberdeen) I came to understand the weather quite well. Fohn effects, producing sun and high temperatures, are significant in the lee of the largest mountain massifs in Britain. Fohn (more popularly in geography text books called rain shadow) controls much of the climate up upland Scotland.

Link rain shadow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_shadow

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Rain

Ref Sussex Kipper’s excessive rainfall problems, we have had something like 100 mms of rain the past fortnight in NW Norfolk but luckily never more than 20 mms in one go.
But there is one problem that defies solution. The rain gauge over-flows and that causes flooding.

[PhiliB]

Jack, I take it that this is an accurate summary of what it takes to be a pilot!

[Jack Harrison]

Pretty good essay expect for two glaring errors.
Unless he was referring to the brightening of the sky after a storm, the word he should have used is LIGHTNING not LIGHT.E.NING.

Sadly he is wrong about salaries.
Unfortunately my wife (ex? still don't know status five days on) seems to have perpetuated that myth and might have briefed her solicitor that pilots are extremely wealthy and
enjoy HUGE GREAT PENSIONS .

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Summer solstice is at precisely 2308 GMT today, 20th June. But that is 0008 BST tomorrow. So which is the longest day?

Not to worry which is the correct interpretation, I was up before dawn to see the sunrise over the sea at Thornham, North Norfolk. No butterflies at that time of course, but plenty of birds. Cuckoos were calling from opposite side of the marsh, Oystercatchers were noisy as always. On the return home, nearly ran over a Sparrowhawk enjoying his breakfast of pigeon.

Not the finest of pictures (unavoidably heavily underexposed shadows), but they do give a flavour.



Jack

[Padfield]

At the latitude of London, June 21st is a little under one second shorter than June 20th this year, measuring from sunrise to sunset.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/a ... html?n=136

Guy

[Hugh Middleton]

Oh I so love Thornham. Spend hours there when in Norfolk especially in the winter scanning the gulls as they come into roost.

[Jack Harrison]

Castle Acre ancient castle - long established lush grassland with plenty of flowers. Bright but not sunny, 16 degrees.
Not a single butterfly see, not even a Meadow Brown. What a dreadful summer.

But what is this beastie? About 8 mms long.


Just look at those antennae, especially the shot of it about to take off (flash used of course). Nature in miniature at its most amazing.

Jack

[ChrisC]

Garden Chafer would be a place to start.

Chris

[Gothic_dreams]

Hey Jack, cracking photos, love the shape of the antennae on the last pic

Chris

[Jack Harrison]

Ah, caterpillar today in the post for grand-nephew (great-nephew)
Someone sais

I checked the OED, and grand-nephew is there, with the definition The son of a nephew or niece.
I then found great-nephew (in the entry for "great"): the definition given is a son's or daughter's nephew
I'm now exceedingly confused!

Hungry-cat.jpg (18.77 KiB) Viewed 1463 times

Young lad is my nephew's son, so according to that "grand-nephew" is correct.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

I read regular complaints about weather forecasts, words such as unexpected, or not anticipated, or wrong.

Forecasts today are quite brilliant but do need some interpretation. You cannot expect to hear a forecast that is necessarily correct for a specific location. When for example, widespread slow-moving showers are forecast, Denbies Hillside might escape and have prolonged sun shine. Yet not 50 kilometres away at Chiddingfold, a heavy shower may hang around for hours. But the forecast was not wrong. There is still a tendency among the British public to say “the forecast was wrong again”. Accuracy has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years but it is unrealistic to expect too much.

I give an example. I’ve been trying to have a boat trip to see the Seal Colonies in The Wash. I made a booking for last Sunday in the middle of the previous week. However, I was concerned then that it might be too windy but not being a sailor, I had little idea what would be acceptable to the boat company. It indeed turned out to be too windy. The forecast was not wrong: I had merely been ignorant of the requirements for what I wanted to do.

Last Sunday, I looked for another possible window for the trip. Friday 6th seemed to be a possibility. However, there was a forecast for heavy rain about 50 kilometres to the north. As it turned out, the centre of the intense rain was some 70 kilometres to the south of that on the long range prediction. Moreover, the rain covered a larger area and was more intense that the earlier prediction. But again, I don’t think that forecast was wrong. By the Thursday, the area for the rain had been fine-tuned and turned out to be stunningly accurate. I measured 54 mms on Friday with the clearance late afternoon spot on cue.

Of course, forecasts go wrong but the errors are in the detail. Only very rarely is the general picture wildly out. Who for example could expect a precise forecast of just where the rain would fall (radar picture this Sunday morning)? (image from Met Office)


But don’t expect too much. Don’t automatically blame the forecasters. Surveys have shown that people listen to/watch weather forecasts but when asked afterwards what might happen, a significant percentage have simply not absorbed the information.

I have numerous website weather pages. This one is basic and simple:
http://www.weatherjackwx.co.uk/pdq.html
(The LOCAL link is for my benefit and in any case, is in aviation code)
Most of the links will work on a smart phone (I think).

I happily plan my activities several days in advance based on forecasts. Yes I do miss butterfly opportunities as I might consider that the weather window is too small for me to think worthwhile.

So give the forecasters a break. They are a good deal more accurate than Horse Racing Tipsters not to mention Economists.

Jack

[selbypaul]

I read regular complaints about weather forecasts, words such as unexpected, or not anticipated, or wrong.

Forecasts today are quite brilliant but do need some interpretation. You cannot expect to hear a forecast that is necessarily correct for a specific location. When for example, widespread slow-moving showers are forecast, Denbies Hillside might escape and have prolonged sun shine. Yet not 50 kilometres away at Chiddingfold, a heavy shower may hang around for hours. But the forecast was not wrong. There is still a tendency among the British public to say “the forecast was wrong again”. Accuracy has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years but it is unrealistic to expect too much.

I give an example. I’ve been trying to have a boat trip to see the Seal Colonies in The Wash. I made a booking for last Sunday in the middle of the previous week. However, I was concerned then that it might be too windy but not being a sailor, I had little idea what would be acceptable to the boat company. It indeed turned out to be too windy. The forecast was not wrong: I had merely been ignorant of the requirements for what I wanted to do.

Last Sunday, I looked for another possible window for the trip. Friday 6th seemed to be a possibility. However, there was a forecast for heavy rain about 50 kilometres to the north. As it turned out, the centre of the intense rain was some 70 kilometres to the south of that on the long range prediction. Moreover, the rain covered a larger area and was more intense that the earlier prediction. But again, I don’t think that forecast was wrong. By the Thursday, the area for the rain had been fine-tuned and turned out to be stunningly accurate. I measured 54 mms on Friday with the clearance late afternoon spot on cue.

Of course, forecasts go wrong but the errors are in the detail. Only very rarely is the general picture wildly out. Who for example could expect a precise forecast of just where the rain would fall (radar picture this Sunday morning)? (image from Met Office)


But don’t expect too much. Don’t automatically blame the forecasters. Surveys have shown that people listen to/watch weather forecasts but when asked afterwards what might happen, a significant percentage have simply not absorbed the information.

I have numerous website weather pages. This one is basic and simple:
http://www.weatherjackwx.co.uk/pdq.html
(The LOCAL link is for my benefit and in any case, is in aviation code)
Most of the links will work on a smart phone (I think).

I happily plan my activities several days in advance based on forecasts. Yes I do miss butterfly opportunities as I might consider that the weather window is too small for me to think worthwhile.

So give the forecasters a break. They are a good deal more accurate than Horse Racing Tipsters not to mention Economists.

Jack

As an economist, I'll ignore your last comment Jack! However, you're spot on about the weather forecasters. Unless the atmosphere is extremely turbulent, their 24 hour forecasts are now usually spot on accurate to a very local level