www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Mike said:

During the roughly 365 days in a year, the earth rotates on its axis only 364 times.

I'm not sure you are correct Mike.

In a year of 365 days the earth rotates 365 times relative to the sun. But as each sidereal day (rotation relative to the stars) is 23 hrs 56 mins the earth rotates 366 times with respect to the stars (space reference) but only 365 times with respect to sun.

So I think you should have said:

During the roughly 365 days in a year, the earth rotates on its axis 366times.

But I might be wrong.

Guy. Referee this one please.

Jack

you're quite right Jack - i didn't stop to think which way the sums worked - just knew one day per year was 'orbital' - I corrected the original post - it still makes the sunrise/sunset asymmetrical!

mike

Since my name has been mentioned I will happily confirm Jack is right, even though everyone agrees anyway! The way I explain the orbital day to my pupils is by imagining first that the Earth always showed the same face to the sun, circling around it like an adoring dancer, gazing at the sun ... Then there would be no days, because the sun would stay in the same place in the sky, but the Earth would rotate once with respect to the stars. If the Earth stuck in one extra spin (in the same direction as its orbit) there would be one day a year but two rotations with respect to the stars &c. So, 365 days, 366 rotations with respect to the stars.

In winter, when the Earth is closer to the sun, it sweeps more degrees of orbit in the same time (Kepler II), so has to rotate further to bring the same meridian into line with the sun. Thus, solar days are longer in the winter and shorter in the summer.

Guy

It is obvious that Mike, Guy and I have little better to do with our time than discuss matters that are of absolutely no interest whatsoever to anyone else.

I THINK this was a shower this afternoon but I stand corrected

The peninsula in the distance is Ardnamuchan, the most westerly place in mainland UK.
(Even pretender-to-the throne Alex didn't manage to change that one!)

Jack

Interesting pic - to me, anyway

I am often surprised by how little interest many people take in what is happening around them. I have written before about the white starling that has visited my garden for many years. One day, earlier this year, she was grubbing around in the grass verge along the edge of a pavement near my home, just as Mums and kids were returning home from school. So far as I could see, no-one noticed this striking and unusual bird!!!

Mike

MikeOxon wrote:Interesting pic - to me, anyway

I am often surprised by how little interest many people take in what is happening around them. I have written before about the white starling that has visited my garden for many years. One day, earlier this year, she was grubbing around in the grass verge along the edge of a pavement near my home, just as Mums and kids were returning home from school. So far as I could see, no-one noticed this striking and unusual bird!!!

Mike

Oddly enough i was reading something last night where characters failed to notice an unusual bird nesting in a tree. They were supposed to be Naturalists which made the main character ( a policeman ) become suspicious. It was in a Viz annual

Charles Nicol wrote:

MikeOxon wrote:Interesting pic - to me, anyway

I am often surprised by how little interest many people take in what is happening around them. I have written before about the white starling that has visited my garden for many years. One day, earlier this year, she was grubbing around in the grass verge along the edge of a pavement near my home, just as Mums and kids were returning home from school. So far as I could see, no-one noticed this striking and unusual bird!!!

Mike

Oddly enough i was reading something last night where characters failed to notice an unusual bird nesting in a tree. They were supposed to be Naturalists which made the main character ( a policeman ) become suspicious. It was in a Viz annual

I was at the Barnes Wetland Center in south London in the summer for a spot of birdwatching. Settling down in one of the hides to see what was about I overheard two twitchers talking about a Mediterranean Gull which was apparently lurking somewhere, they both seemed quite excited at the prospect of catching a glimpse. Anyway as they sat there nattering away a Black Headed Gull zoomed across the front of the hide in hot persuit of a Peregrine. It grounded the Peregrine on a gravel bank in front of the hide and proceeded to mob it for about 5 minutes. The Peregrine was partly out of sight on the far side of the bank. It took the twitchers a couple of minutes to take notice of what was going on and one said something along the lines of "don't know whats going on out there but somethings upset that gull", to which I couldn't help pointing out that there was a Peregrine about 30 feet in front of us. Queue two flusted twitchers.

MikeOxon wrote: I am often surprised by how little interest many people take in what is happening around them..

That's probably because the REAL world has been largely replaced by an artificial one where Z-list 'celebs' attract far more column inches than anything of tangible concern to the environment upon which we are all ultimately dependent.

I suspect, sadly, that this will get much worse before it gets any better.

I dread to think what will happen when one of the Icelandic volcanoes finally erupts in earnest.....I guess most folk will still be happy if they can continue to vegetate in front of vacuous TV shows 24/7.

As you know I live Tobermory, Isle of Mull. Out house is unnecessarily large with two rooms that are never used except by the cats.
So we are putting the house on the market and planning to downsize. Maybe going to the mainland. Who knows?

If anyone is interested in moving to Mull, send me a PM. Asking price available next week after estate agent has done his sums.
(Significantly under a million. Sadly, significantly!)

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:Out house is unnecessarily large with two rooms that are never used except by the cats.

That's one heck of an outside loo. The kitties are clearly well looked-after

Cheers,

- Pete

Here is the cat door in "night mode".



As you can see, our cats are literate but they NEVER wipe their feet.

Jack

Well as you've all been rushing to buy our house on Mull, this one in Bailieborough (pop just under 4,000) co Cavan Republic of Ireland (owned by wife) is also for sale:



€50,000 (approx £37,000). Pretty much fully furnished.

Approx 60 miles to Dublin, just 1/4 mile to large Tesco (but they don’t sell corned beef in Ireland!!!) 10 minutes leisurely walk to town centre.

To use the jargon:
The property benefits from three toilets (yes three!), two large bedrooms (one en-suite), one lounge, one kitchen and one large bathroom with shower

Note: it rains a lot in Ireland but Ringlet Butterflies love the climate

PM to Jack

Eclipse for the record. Cloudy.

I took a calibration photo before the eclipse started and then another at peak 0932 hrs.
Before the eclipse, exposure = 1/200 sec. At peak with seemingly identical cloud cover, 1/25 sec. It was certainly gloomy - just like a typical Mull winter's day.

After eclipse was nearly over, the clouds miraculously thinned. I recall a partial eclipse on 9th July 1945 when I was six years old. I was of course just a little lad at the time and when the eclipse was over, I was in tears!!!

Jack

Reassuring headline on BBC page

Being overweight 'reduces dementia risk'

Jack

Still very few butterflies - hardly surprising given the rain and low temperatures.

Instead, Bird Brain kept us amused.This Chaffinch spent most of the day shouting his head off and fighting his rival. But the rival wasn't real.
Picture taken from inside the kitchen as he repeatedly slammed into his reflection.

Here he is resting between rounds.Jack

We had the same in our works car park the other week, Jack.

A male Chaffinch had established a territory but seemed to think his principle rivals were car wing mirrors!

​Home bred. The lady was fuelling before her first flight. My goodness, didn't she then fly strongly.

It was from a local egg but OTs are certainly not common here. Saw one (prior to this release) about 400 metres away a few days ago.

(Been working on the bokeh )

Jack

I'm tempted to say - Great bokeh, pity about the pic. I like it, though

Mike

I am embarrassed to say that this report comes from my native Norfolk:

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/unusual_bug ... _1_4120236

We Norfolk natives aren't all quite that dim. (Vapourer Moth larva - very common).

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:
​Home bred. The lady was fuelling before her first flight. My goodness, didn't she then fly strongly.

It was from a local egg but OTs are certainly not common here. Saw one (prior to this release) about 400 metres away a few days ago.

(Been working on the bokeh )

Jack

You live in a unique part of the world, Jack, and my initial reaction was "that's an Irish Orange-tip, ssp. hibernica", given the yellowish tinge to the hindwings. So please take more photos and post them up - even of captive-bred individuals

Cheers,

- Pete