ChrisC

[ChrisC]

my apologies. this isn't mine, nor is it UK, nor is it butterflies but i just think it's bl**dy amazing! nature is such a gift. i dare anyone not to smile or look on in wonder. i just had to share it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-nmeYir ... el&list=UL[/video]

[Wurzel]

Apart from the funky music that was sublime, mental and at times hilarious I can't wait to show it to the girls tomorrow, cheers for sharing Chris!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Gibster]

Reminds me of that time I danced all the way home with a traffic cone on my head! Never did go back to that pub again...

[Susie]

That's one hell of a shimmy he's got going on there to impress his girlfriend Great stuff!

[David M]

LOL!

[NickMorgan]

That's amazing. I always wonder how behaviour like that evolved, although if I was a female spider, I think he would do it for me!

[Susie]

A bit like a male belly dancer really, but they're mostly gay.

[David M]

A bit like a male belly dancer really, but they're mostly gay.

How do you know that?

[Susie]

Don't take it as fact. Just most of the ones I am aware of are gay . They're far too good looking, well presented and amazing dancers to be straight. do you know to the contrary?
Apologies. This is wildly off topic in your diary. Feel free to delete!

[David M]

Don't take it as fact. Just most of the ones I am aware of are gay . They're far too good looking, well presented and amazing dancers to be straight.

[ChrisC]

Nothing to report wildlife wise. so an update on the front garden. From about July last year i extended my wildlife friendly gardening to the front lawn. i say gardening but in fact it's more an absence of gardening that i have introduced. i have created a few patches of longer uncut grass. Since then the autumn produced far more grass moths and cranelflies (and quite a few hedgehog deposits) than i have seen out there before. I have bought some wild flowers to plant out there but today decided to leave it as is and see what comes up naturally. I know meadows are supposed to be mown but i think i'm going to go for unimproved grassland rather than a meadow. so now have to find homes for 70 plants in the back garden. should be interesting with a bit of luck i'll be able to work out which grass species i have out there this year and keep/amend accordingly.

i've had good responses from a few passers-by too which was actually quite a surprise.

[ChrisC]

i don't know how many people have seen this but i started the evening in a good mood til i saw this, very very depressing and I hasten to add upsetting
http://vimeo.com/25563376[/video]

[David M]

That IS concerning, Chris. I've read about a region in the Pacific (similar to the Doldrums) where human detritus collects and floats on the surface but if Albatross chicks truly are dying in large numbers due to consuming vast quantities of plastic then it is a vivid example of how one person's laziness/irresponsibility can filter down the line and end up having fatal consequences elsewhere.

Living in Wales as I do, I'm affected by the government's decision to levy a statutory charge of 5p on every plastic bag taken away from a retailer. People grumbled, but within a fortnight practically everyone was taking their own bags to the shops and it is now considered the norm.

The only way to reduce consumption is to tax it. Sadly, I doubt any of the taxes go towards conservation but at least a sizeable proportion of toxic material is taken out of the food chain.

About time England followed suit, I feel.

[Mark Colvin]

Thanks for sharing Chris.

I agree, this is not pleasant viewing but it certainly put an important message across ...

[ChrisC]

thought i would get out for a couple of hours this morning as the weather was ok. I went up to my local wood to see how the weather was affecting things. i'm glad i did as it lifted my spirits quite considerably. as well as a calling and flyover tawny owl i also came across a roost of approx 150 redwing and feildfare roost. the noise was amazing. i don't know if they were resting birds heading north but i thought 11am was a bit early to be roosting. The wood itself is a working wood and over the winter they seem to been quite busy. so it will be interesting to see how the butterflies and ground flora flourish

coppicing hazel

I noticed they had uncovered what i assume are charcoal burners which were buried last year

some birch clearance

i missed the daffs last year but there were quite a few up this year.

and it's looking good for the bluebells too, i didn't notice much overlap between the daffs and the bells so whether the ground requirements differ i don't know.

despite the footprints in the mud i still didn't see anyone. 3 deer but no people. my kind of place.

[ChrisC]

Has Spring Sprung
After some good news on a personal front first thing, today just got better. My only real chore of the day was to move the log delivery from the front lawn and top up the log pile.

with that done the sun decided to come out and with it, at long last, some butterflies. first was a Red Admiral, my 1st identified butterfly of the year, followed by 3 Brimstones, a comma was next and then more Brimstone. The only butterfly shot I got was this Brimmy disappearing over the fence.

I was sat in the garden pretty much all day after that. buzzards overhead, a singing Blackcap, the resident Dunnock pretty much non-stop, and we seem to have acquired a very friendly blackbird that would come to within a couple of feet. 2 pairs of Robins visiting and squabbling over territory with the swaying display adding to the spring like conditions. allegedly it's supposed to be warmer tomorrow, here's hoping.

[Wurzel]

Here's hoping it is warmer tomorrow as well Chris! Mind you if it is I better remember to wear a hat so as to not get sunstroke - I'm just not used to the heat anymore

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Susie]

Good luck with the woodpile, Chris. Do you get much in there? Mine rarely has much apart from the occasional frog or snail.

I do love listening to the call of buzzards.

[ChrisC]

I've had 2 male stag beetles visit but yet to see a female but you never know. various holes in the original pile and fungi but to be honest where it's situated in the garden isn't conducive to observation. I just let it get on with it.

CHris

[ChrisC]

a great weekend of wildlife. first cuckoo and willow warblers over Ringwood Forest, A walk over Martin Down produced a Red Kite, first whitethroats, lizard and slowworms, a single white, commas, Peacocks, small Tort and Brimstones.

the buzzards were getting plenty of grief