www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Nice array of birdlife, Jack, especially the Marsh Tit. Haven't seen Marshies round my way but the other two are common enough.

Apparently in the Ramsbury (Wilts) area (where I have been) House Sparrows are scarce. I didn't see any there nor any Chaffinches. But now back home in Scotland, House Sparrows in their dozens on the feeders this afternoon.

Decent sunrise over the Wiltshire downs on Tuesday morning.Lots of aircraft trails. They will not have left or arrived at one of the London airports - couldn't be high enough in such a short distance after take off or before landing to trail - but are overflying at height in many cases between mainland Europe and North America.

You can follow the action at:

http://www.flightradar24.com/

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote: http://www.flightradar24.com/

That's a cracking online resource, Jack. I was transfixed by all the activity and have saved it to my favourites.

David M wrote:

Jack Harrison wrote: http://www.flightradar24.com/

That's a cracking online resource, Jack. I was transfixed by all the activity and have saved it to my favourites.

Looks like carnage over heathrow unless you zoom right in!

As I stressed before, the trails have nothing to do with Heathrow: they wouldn't be high enough to leave trails that close to the airport.

However, this [headl]light against cloud (it was moving) shows a probable climb out from Heathrow. Zoom in to see more clearly.

Pictures taken from near Lambourn, West Berkshire.

Jack (most will know but some might not that I am a retired airline pilot so do have some inside knowledge).

THANKS JACK !!!

That bloody website you posted a link to is addictive. I'm talking about the ' Flight tracker 24 ' site.
I've been watching aircraft approaching Eastbourne from the English channel, and when it looks as though
they are going to pass close to my house, nipping out in the garden to see them pass over. It works everytime.
Worse still is the fascination in finding out where the flight originated.
No Butterflying this year I think as i'll be glued to the computer !.

Trevor.

With all that tracking going on, how do flights 'disappear'?

I was interested to see that my Singapore Airlines flight home from Singapore followed a route well north of the Caspian Sea and all the current trouble spots, whereas I spotted a BA flight on a much more southerly route. It was also interesting to see that the traffic density over Europe is similar to the Eastern US and far greater than anywhere else in the world.

Mike

Mike asked:

With all that tracking going on, how do flights 'disappear'?

Tracking is only possible in areas of radar coverage. Look at the middle of Africa for example - apparently no aircraft so although there are very few, there will be some. There will be little radar cover in places like Niger or Democratic Republic of the Congo to show what is in the air in those regions.

I'm not really sure how Flight Radar 24 works but I believe it relies on some sort of "crowd sourcing" so it needs technically competent amateurs on the ground. I guess there are not many of those in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Jack

Still waiting for a butterfly....
....although Peacock reported last Sunday not far away.

This though makes up for the lack:

4 cms of the white stuff overnight.

Jack

Thats a gorgeous picture Jack!

Unusual sightings N.Scotland Nairn 6th Feb

Unidentifed species


and a vagrant from Loch Ness

Jack

HI Jack,

I don't know what's likely to hatch from that boat, but if had added some eyes and fangs to
that piece of driftwood, you could have made a fortune.

Best wishes,
Trevor.

Moth Trapping

I gave mothing a go in 2009 (Cambridgeshire) and have just got a new actinic Sknner trap - similar to the type used successfully before.

Around what date should I start using it? It's certainly far too cold here at the moment. Beginning of March perhaps?

Previous results: http://www.weatherjackwx.co.uk/snapper/ ... l&May.html

Jack

I love your Blue Tit shot higher up, Jack, although I have not experienced frosts like that for a few years now.
Chris

Chris:

...frosts like that...

I have certainly seen frost that looks like like that but if fact picture was taken was after a light (but settling) snowfall.

Jack

Chrysalis - surprise hatching of Redshanks

Reference my previous post:


And another - benign this time - beastie on Nairn beach.


PS. Nairn Dunes is listed on ukb as a Dingy Skipper spot. Anyone seen them there?

Jack

N.Scotland 15th February. Still no butterflies and the ten day forecastgives warmest (warmest? strange terminology) of +7C.

But the fighting on the bird feeders has been fun (photo technical - struggling with getting short enough exposure to freeze frenetic action unless I bump ISO really high and then other issues)


"I was here first so push off you little whippersnapper."


"Just you wait!"



Action totally invisible to the naked eye. Pictures from 12 frames/second burst mode.

Jack

That's a beautiful array of colouring on the Greenfinch in the middle image, Jack. Like you say, we don't generally see these poses as the birds only adopt them very briefly.

Banning the hungry caterpillar

This link has probably been posted elsewhere on ukb

http://southendnewsnetwork.com/news/nur ... terpillar/

and now this:

http://southendnewsnetwork.com/news/sou ... cal-house/

It isn't 1st April but these would be good ones.

Jack

Jack Harrison wrote:Banning the hungry caterpillar

Jack

With the massive error in the book it should be corrected or banned.

for those who dont know it.

who ever heard of a beautiful butterfly hatching from a moth cocoon the caterpillar had spun. The Book should end that a drab brown moth with very few markings hatched from the beautiful caterpillar.