Neil Hulme

[Mark Colvin]

Nice work Neil,

Particularly the first shot ...

[David M]

The winter solstice and come and gone and we're still here despite the doomsayers. So the days are getting longer now. However, the latest sunrise isn't for another ten days or so - earliest sunset was about a week ago so evening already pulling out. (This is slightly dependent on latitude). I do understand the reasons for this but Guy being the professional teacher will no doubt explain more succinctly than I can. (Equation of Time and all that).

I wish I understood the reasons too! Latest sunset here in Swansea was on 12th December but the latest sunrise isn't till 4th January. So, at the moment the evenings are getting ever so slightly lighter and the mornings ever so slightly darker.

Interesting that the Waxwings are still here. No significant frost likely prior to 2013 so why are they all still hanging about?

[Susie]

so why are they all still hanging about?

Because they ate all the food in the north on their journey southwards

[MikeOxon]

I wish I understood the reasons too!

During the year, the earth spins 364 times on its axis; the additional day is due to the orbit around the sun, thus giving 365 days a year (in round numbers - the spin and rotation aren't quite in an exact ratio). What this means is that by sunset each day, the earth has moved some distance along its orbit around the sun compared with its location at dawn. This movement contributes a small part of the annual orbital day. It is this movement which causes sunrise and sunset times to be slightly out of sync.

Mike

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Jack and Mark. They certainly made my day.

David: Susie is correct. Waxwings are driven west and south in the search for food (which can be a function of the weather). This year the crop of rowan (and other) berries has been very poor, pushing them from place to place as they clear the meagre harvest along the way.

BWs, Neil

[Susie]

Waxwings are driven west and south in the search for food

BWs, Neil

Which is why they've gone to Tesco!

[Jack Harrison]

Waxwing apparently often turn up in shrubberies at Tesco Stores. Perhaps a Waxwing could be used in Tesco advertising.

No Tesco on Mull. However, an Otter is occasionally seen swimming in the bay outside the Tobermory Co-Op. New Co-Op logo?

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

Top Ten Waxwing Service Providers

On New Year's Eve 2008 Julian Hughes (RSPB Conwy) published an amusing article ('Mum's gone to Finland') on the excellent BirdGuides website, providing a top ten breakdown of the retailer store car parks which had hosted waxwings. The full article can be found here http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1527 At that time his extensive market research revealed that "Asda lies in third place, with Waxwings seen in 26 of their 356 car parks ..." However, the consumer can be fickle, and Asda may since have either gained or lost ground on the then-market-leader, Morrisons.

[essexbuzzard]

Those waxwing pics were great,Neil,im jealous. A great find,too-or did someone tell you they were there?
I would like to see some too,and they have been reported in Essex,but i am yet to track any down.

[Neil Hulme]

Back To Heyshott

After a few weeks off for the festive season, it was back to work on Heyshott Escarpment today (9th January). The steep face to the pit in the image below was too dangerous for the chainsaw operators, so Colin Knight and I set to work on the heavy scrub with hand-saws. Meanwhile Mark Colvin and a group of Murray Downland Trust volunteers cleared the ridge to the left of the image, with a little help from the contractors. By the time we left, the pit and adjacent ridge had been transformed, ready for next year's Dukes and Skippers.

[Neil Hulme]

Wildland Egg Hunt

Today I started a systematic survey of the Brown Hairstreak on the Knepp Castle Estate, home to Sir Charlie Burrell's exciting re-wilding project. The 'Wildland' is already home to the Purple Emperor, which has colonised the large areas of sallow scrub that have developed over the last ten years. There are also many miles of Prunus-rich hedgerow here and the habitat appears to be ideal for Brown Hairstreak, at least superficially. We know they're here ... but how many?

My initial visit was slightly disappointing, with timed counts over different areas varying from between three and four eggs per hour. There is still much work to be done, but it's possible that the re-wilding process may prove to be a 'double-edged sword'. The widespread and advancing blackthorn scrub looks to be perfect, at first sight, but the grazing pressure is very high, courtesy of the free-roaming longhorn cattle, fallow deer and Tamworth pigs. Over the next few years I will be comparing 'Wildland' counts with those made outside the perimeter fence.

[Neil Hulme]

Half Marathon For Butterflies

Jo Clarke is running the Brighton Half Marathon on 17th February to raise money for BC Sussex - hats off to her. Please consider supporting her by donating at http://www.justgiving.com/Jo-Clarke-Sus ... nservation

Many thanks, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Working In The Woods

This morning (25th January) I joined South Downs National Park ranger Simon Mockford, SDNPA 'Friday Club' volunteers Brian and Alan, and Mark Colvin of BC Sussex, for a wintery work party at Rewell Wood. There were only two options available given the icy conditions; work hard or freeze to death. As always it was very satisfying to leave the site in an improved condition, ready for the coming season.

[Jack Harrison]

I have to say Neil that I never cease to be impressed with the dedication shown by you and your team.

Sadly I won't be able to visit Rewell Wood this year but might make Southwater/etc at the end of June.

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

Thanks Jack. I look forward to catching up with you again at the end of June, although it might be better to wait until the first week of July, unless we get a much warmer spring and early summer this year.
BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Holiday Monarch

On December 6th 2012 I posted "I've just returned from a couple of hot and sunny weeks on our favourite Canary Island, Fuerteventura. As always we headed to the far south of the island, to the quiet resort of Morro Jable. Butterfly interest was quite limited, but we did see at least one Monarch most days, and Hannah managed to get a fantastic photograph of one while out on her own (to be published once the pain has subsided and she takes the camera back to her parent's house for downloading)."

Now that I've managed to retrieve the files from the outlaws, here's Hannah's 'record shot' of a Canarian Monarch.

[Jack Harrison]

Neil suggested:

it might be better to wait until the first week of July

Nothing yet set in stone and I'll be able to leave decisions until say early June by which time I will have seen how the spring has gone.

I like Hannah's picture of the Monarch. Is the Canarian Monarch any different from the American ones? I wouldn't have thought so.

And when can we expect a picture taken by young Mia? She could well be able to handle a point-and-shoot camera by the time she is three in 2014.

Incidentally, I have just bought a point-and-shoot to keep in the pocket, a Panasonic SZ1. That's perhaps a little too sophisticated for a three-year old. But a simpler camera for a mere £40 would be ideal.

Jack

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Jack,

No difference between the Monarchs of the Americas or Playa de las Américas (see what I did there? ). The Canarian butterflies migrate too, and are almost certainly the source of the Monarchs seen (but not always reported) coming in off the sea along the South Coast by birders, at times when there have been no sightings in the West Country.

I've saved my old Lumix FZ7 for Mia Iris. Won't be long now, Sussex Nipper is in her second instar.

BWs, Neil

[Neil Hulme]

Watch The Birdie

While butterflies remain little more than a dream (both night and day), I have increasingly rekindled my childhood interest in birds. This afternoon (5th February) I headed out with my parents, to track down a few local attractions. First stop was the group of eighteen Waxwings currently hanging out in north Worthing. The afternoon sun lit them beautifully as they sat on some telephone wires in Salvington Road. Then we headed for Swanbourne Lake at Arundel where, despite the lack of Firecrests, we enjoyed prolonged views of a Sparrowhawk. Lastly, we stopped at Coldwaltham, where three Barn Owls were hunting over the same meadow. Not bad for three hours work.

[Neil Hulme]

More Waxwings, More Heyshott

This morning (6th February) I headed for the regular Wednesday work party at Heyshott Escarpment, but couldn't resist stopping off for another look at the Waxwings we saw yesterday. Once again they sat on the telephone wires, set nicely against a clear blue sky. One had gone AWOL, so their number had been reduced to seventeen.

By the time I reached Heyshott the Murray Downland Trust volunteers had a good head start on me, so I stayed on for a while with John Murray and a couple of contractors. Having missed a couple of sessions I was, as always, amazed at the speed of progress. Another couple of pits on the eastern flank have now been cleared.