Observations Of Nature Through The Seasons.

[ciel]

These two, and a few of their mates, had me flummoxed until i viewed the pics.

Juvenile Goldfinches(I think)

  

[ciel]

I thought the swallow pair had abandoned hope of rearing a brood this year – but I discovered a new nest the other day, complete with chicks.

 

Autumn migration is now well underway.  As well as the young Willow Warbler, below, white throats and spotted fly-catchers are also on the move.

[knocker]

Nice photo of the Willow Warbler ciel

Many Robins around down at the lake this morning and young Chaffinches - Mr Fluff

[knocker]

Symmetry

[knocker]

Poor quality photo I'm afraid, taken this morning, but should this tiny Moorhen chick look like this? I'm thinking in particular of the patch on it's head.

 

[ciel]

1 hour ago, knocker said:

Poor quality photo I'm afraid, taken this morning, but should this tiny Moorhen chick look like this? I'm thinking in particular of the patch on it's head.

 

The red patch on its head is normal in young Moorhen chicks.

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/common-moorhen-with-chicks-wakodahatchee-high-res-stock-photography/123535731

[knocker]

27 minutes ago, ciel said:

The red patch on its head is normal in young Moorhen chicks.

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/common-moorhen-with-chicks-wakodahatchee-high-res-stock-photography/123535731

Ah thanks for that ciel. It's funny there are quite a few Moorhens on the lake and surrounding ponds but this is the first time I've actually seen a chick at this stage of development.

[knocker]

Snatching 40 winks

[knocker]

Rare birds breed for first time at Dunwich Heath

A pair of stone curlews, which were once a common sight in the UK have successfully nested, laid eggs and protected one of their young after Dunwich Heath’s lead ranger, Richard Gilbert, worked to create and prepare the ideal conditions for them.

Stone curlews have seen a huge decline in their numbers since the 1950s, with the Suffolk coast becoming one of their few remaining breeding spots in the UK.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunwich-heath-and-beach/news/rare-birds-breed-for-first-time-at-dunwich-heath

[ciel]

Note: This is an EU funded project.

Good news about the number of Hen Harrier chicks around. However, I hope we don't start to hear a trickle of sad reports about these tagged birds going missing over the coming months/years..

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/record-number-of-hen-harriers-fitted-with-satellite-tags-in-scotland/?utm_source=ScotAug17&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ScotAug17

Edited August 15, 2017 by ciel

[knocker]

Pesticide reduces bumblebee colony initiation and increases probability of population extinction

Quote

Pollinators are in global decline and agricultural pesticides are a potential driver of this. Recent studies have suggested that pesticides may significantly impact bumblebee colonies—an important and declining group of pollinators. Here, we show that colony-founding queens, a critical yet vulnerable stage of the bumblebee lifecycle, are less likely to initiate a colony after exposure to thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid insecticide. Bombus terrestris queens were exposed to field-relevant levels of thiamethoxam and two natural stressors: the parasite Crithidia bombi and varying hibernation durations. Exposure to thiamethoxam caused a 26% reduction in the proportion of queens that laid eggs, and advanced the timing of colony initiation, although we did not detect impacts of any experimental treatment on the ability of queens to produce adult offspring during the 14-week experimental period. As expected from previous studies, the hibernation duration also had an impact on egg laying, but there was no significant interaction with insecticide treatment. Modelling the impacts of a 26% reduction in colony founding on population dynamics dramatically increased the likelihood of population extinction. This shows that neonicotinoids can affect this critical stage in the bumblebee lifecycle and may have significant impacts on population dynamics.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0260-1

[4wd]

45 minutes ago, knocker said:

we did not detect impacts of any experimental treatment on the ability of queens to produce adult offspring during the 14-week experimental period

 

45 minutes ago, knocker said:

hibernation duration also had an impact on egg laying, but there was no significant interaction with insecticide treatment

It seems decidedly biased that the experiment showed this but concluded:

 

45 minutes ago, knocker said:

This shows that neonicotinoids can affect this critical stage in the bumblebee lifecycle

The actual results of studies I've seen showed no consistent effect at various locations, which suggests other factors were more influential in any changes where they were detected.
Unfortunately this has become another green "cause celebre" which must somehow be analysed and adjusted until the correct result can be announced.
It would be nice if it was possible to interpret expensive studies without predetermined bias driving the research.

Pesticides are rather important in that without their careful use most crops would be severely affected with a large percentage of what is harvested unsaleable due to pest damage.
In other words if neonicotine seed treatment (the current Bete Noire) is not used there will be a number of pases with more conventional spray treatment at flowering time in the case of rapeseed. 

I'm sure it would be remarkably easy to do alternative studies that three passes with insecticide sprays weren't very good for bees either.
 

Edited August 15, 2017 by 4wd

[Methuselah]

2 minutes ago, 4wd said:

 

It seems decidedly biased that the experiment showed this but concluded:

 

The actual results of studies I've seen showed no consistent effect at various locations, which suggests other factors were more influential in any changes where they were detected.
Unfortunately this has become another green "cause celebre" which must somehow be analysed and adjusted until the correct result can be announced.
It would be nice if it was possible to interpret expensive studies without predetermined bias driving the research.
 

But, biased or not, neonicotinoids do kill insects...And, last time I checked, bumblebees were indeed, insects?

Not that composting dog-ends ever did much good regarding carrot-fly!

[4wd]

See edit I was doing.
Insecticides that don't kill insects won't sell very well.
Rapeseed with grubs in it doesn't sell very well either unfortunately.

[Methuselah]

3 minutes ago, 4wd said:

See edit I was doing.
Insecticides that don't kill insects won't sell very well.
Rapeseed with grubs in it doesn't sell very well either unfortunately.

And, just as I was answering that, a sodding housefly has invaded my space...Fly spray followed by feline ingestion ought to do the trick!

[ciel]

49 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

And, just as I was answering that, a sodding housefly has invaded my space...Fly spray followed by feline ingestion ought to do the trick!

 Poor cat.

You should invest in one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sourcing4U-The-Executioner-Pro-Fly-Swat-Wasp-Bug-Mosquito-Swatter-Zapper/112488524265?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Dedcf558905c24af387389ea3127bd418%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D12%26rkt%3D30%26sd%3D132252087857&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

I have had a recent housefly invasion. This implement is effective, and without human (or pet) inhalation or ingestion issues.

[Polar Maritime]

Yes i have one of them ciel it's very effective! This time of year I'm inandated with flys as surrounded by sheep here.. I also have a butcher's style wall mounted Zapper in the kitchen. On another note the moors round here are looking lovely and purple.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Polar Maritime

[knocker]

Frogs that adapt to pesticides are more vulnerable to parasites

Wood frogs that develop pesticide tolerance become more susceptible to dangerous virus

Quote

Troy, N.Y. - Amphibians can evolve increased tolerance to pesticides, but the adaptation can make them more susceptible to parasites, according to a team that includes researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The research, led by Binghamton University, showed that wood frogs that evolved increased tolerance to pesticides showed greater susceptibility to a dangerous virus, although they also demonstrated reduced susceptibility to a parasitic worm.

"We have only recently begun to understand that amphibians can rapidly evolve tolerance to chemicals like pesticides, which on the surface is good news," said Rick Relyea, a professor of biological sciences and director of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute at Rensselaer. "But now comes the bad news: with that tolerance there is a tradeoff, which is that they become more susceptible to parasites that, in the case of ranavirus, can wipe out entire amphibian populations."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170815141709.htm

[knocker]

Morning Ratty

[knocker]

Cornish oysters thrive with traditional fishing

Quote

The survival of an oyster fishery in Cornwall is all down to the use of inefficient traditional methods, research has shown.

The River Fal is home to the only sail-driven commercial fishing fleet in Europe and its oysters are caught using hand-hauled dredges.

Scientists from the University of Exeter and University College London have found that the “inherent inefficiency” of these methods is the crucial feature in preventing overfishing and ensuring the fishery’s long-term survival.

Motorising the fleet would result in at least a nine-fold increase in the amount of fishing, the researchers said.

“The Fal fishery sailing fleet isn’t just pretty for tourists, it maintains a fishery that could be exhausted if it were mechanised with engines and hauling gear,” Richard ffrench-Constant, professor of molecular natural history at the University of Exeter, said.

“This is one of only three oyster fisheries left in England, and the other two, in the Solent and the Thames Estuary, have experienced temporary closures to protect dwindling stocks.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cornish-oysters-thrive-with-traditional-fishing-p2rbr6z97

[knocker]

Streuth he's low

 

[knocker]

Just surfaced

Diving again (hopefully get this right one day )

[knocker]

One of the problems I find taking photos of Great Tits is that it's often difficult to get any definition around the eyes because of the dark head. You can see the problem here only this little fella conveniently turned his head whilst contemplating popping across for a nut.

[ciel]

21 minutes ago, knocker said:

One of the problems I find taking photos of Great Tits is that it's often difficult to get any definition around the eyes because of the dark head. You can see the problem here only this little fella conveniently turned his head whilst contemplating popping across for a nut.

Nice shot, knocker. You've caught a good pose there.

Oddly enough, around 60mins ago, I was pottering in the barn when I noticed a GT flapping against the garage window. With some encouragement from me !  he eventually found the rafters and an escape route under the eaves. I don't know where he appeared from as I have not seen one of these in the garden since late spring.

[knocker]

46 minutes ago, ciel said:

Nice shot, knocker. You've caught a good pose there.

Oddly enough, around 60mins ago, I was pottering in the barn when I noticed a GT flapping against the garage window. With some encouragement from me !  he eventually found the rafters and an escape route under the eaves. I don't know where he appeared from as I have not seen one of these in the garden since late spring.

I haven't seen one in my garden, it's currently Sparrow heaven, but there are plenty down at the country park. Speaking of which I came across this sign from a wildlife area in the States that would be useful down there

Edited August 17, 2017 by knocker