sciencebase

sciencebase, 15 days ago to random

First Privet Hawk-moth of the year, Sphinx ligustri, in our garden last night. The largest of the British moths, can be up to 120mm wingspan.

Some years I've seen several on the same evening along with a variety of the other Hawk-moths. But, 2024 is not proving a very good year for any of the moths here, so far :-(

Privet Hawk-moth
Privet Hawk-moth

sciencebase, 24 days ago (edited 20 days ago) to random

The Buff-tip moth has evolved to resemble a snapped off Silver Birch twig and so the moth, on finding a stick, will embrace it and stay very still in the hope that nobody notices it... #teamMoth #mothsMatter

sciencebase, 1 month ago to random

You're a bird, flying in looking for tasty morsels in the shrubbery. Ooh, what's that, something fluttered by and landed? You investigate...sheeeyit there's a sharp-eyed mammal staring back at you!

Yesterday's Emperor

#teamMoth #mothsMatter

sciencebase, 1 month ago to random

The Hobbies are back from the African wintering grounds. This one was way up high so a very cropped photo.

The Hobby is a falcon that sits between the Peregrine and the Kestrel in size and is very similar to each in some ways. I've photographed them taking and eating dragonflies on the wing, but have also witnessed them taking Swift.

Falco subbuteo, which means a falcon "less than", so smaller, than a buzzard (Common Buzzard is Buteo buteo).

sciencebase, 1 month ago to random

Meet Holly, Holly Blue

sciencebase, 1 month ago to random

Not nearly as unusual a sight around here as a Sandwich Tern, a Reed Bunting in a field of rape

sciencebase, 1 month ago to random

One good tern

sciencebase, 2 months ago to random

It's not all moths...here's a Hairy/Sloe Shieldbug

sciencebase, 2 months ago to random

I've now tagged my various nature videos on Youtube going back many years, so they're now all here:

https://sciencebase.com/naturevids

Including my Attenborough spoofs ;-)

sciencebase, 2 months ago to random

First Brimstone moth of the year in our garden last night. 2-3 weeks earlier than previous years. Another new for the year was Nut-tree Tussock, which was just a day earlier than last year. Also, an early Eudonia angustea

Yellow Brimstone moth on a piece of bark, showing its hind wings and the brown blotches on its forewings that give it the appearance of a tired leaf, especially when it settles and flutters its wings as if a leaf in the breeze to deter predators.

Nut-tree Tussock moth camouflaged on a piece of bark
Micro moth - Eudonia angustea. If seen later in the year, harder to determine if another Eudonia/Scoparia species. But, it overwinters here and might be seen even earlier in the year, although normal flight period is summer months.

sciencebase, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

That time a blue bird rolled into town

European Roller, Suffolk, July 2021

sciencebase, 2 months ago to random

This is the first Emperor moth of the year in our garden. He didn't get the memo about being dull and grey/brown did he?

Another 5 or so turned up soon after.

He flew in from the west, so somewhere between here (Cottenham) and Swavesey (where our local bird reserve is) there must be some heathland-type terrain with the larval foodplant, heather, perhaps in bloom, and the females awaiting their suitors.

sciencebase, 2 months ago to random

In the words of Neil Peart (RIP) One little victory! I got my Dad's ridiculously overpriced BT package cancelled and setup an old digibox for him. Much better picture and doesn't cost him 50 quid a month. Yay!

It would have been fine if they let you have TV without broadband. He doesn't have a phone or computer, just wants to watch a bit of telly

sciencebase, 2 months ago to random

I saw my first Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines) of 2024 on 17th March in Cottenham patrolling a roadside verge (Broad Lane).

This was the first report for Cambridgeshire and Essex butterflies this year, apparently. I have to admit I’ve not kept a personal record of first sightings of this species, but the Cambs & Essex page does and this is a week earlier than any Orange Tip sighting reported on there going back to 2007

https://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/orange-tip-anthocharis-cardamines.html

sciencebase, 3 months ago to random

Apparently, it's @BandCamp Friday, so if you generously buy any of my music today, I get all the dosh as BC waives its cut. Yaaaay! #QuidsIn

https://davebradley.bandcamp.com/album/genre-fluid

sciencebase, 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to random

It was impossible to count the number of Starlings murmurating at our local nature reserve (RSPB Ouse Fen, Earith). But, I watched a mile-long stretch of birds flying and based on actual photo counts of smaller flocks, reckon there were several hundred thousand in total.

Went back a few days later, there weren't quite as many birds, 200k perhaps, but I got better video

https://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/planet-earith-starling-murmurations.html

sciencebase, 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to random

@luddchem We spent a lot of time in Aldeburgh between 1998 and 2017, took endless photos of Scallop

sciencebase, 3 months ago to random

What are the chances of anyone listening to a dozen eclectic electric and acrostic acoustic songs from yours truly on a Monday morning (it's 10h20 here)
Everything from singer-songwriter stuff by way of funk to rock and almost everything in between. Three of the tracks are remasters of songs I recorded a decade ago that never made it on to my BandCamp for some reason.

https://davebradley.bandcamp.com/album/genre-fluid

sciencebase, 3 months ago to random

My new song is out now:

History Written on the Water.

It features Dave Oliffe on drums and yours truly on guitar and vocals, both of us analog musicians making real music without resorting to AI. Do have a listen, with Dave's drums it's a proper banger!

https://davebradley.bandcamp.com/track/history-written-on-the-water

sciencebase, 4 months ago (edited 4 months ago) to random

An unringed White Stork has been hanging around our patch for several weeks, previously seen in 2023 and earlier. Probably an escapee from a collection, but who knows?

It was very mobile today went from a fairly remote flooded field to a roadside flood and then close to a wildlife pond, and then on to a muddy mound in another flooded field.

https://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/local-white-stork-ciconia-ciconia.html

sciencebase, 4 months ago to random

Mrs Sciencebase (Tricia) taught yoga for years, but couldn't face the online approach after covid and turned to running. She did the whole couch to 5K thing and then ran the 10K Race for Life. Ironically, that evening she came down with covid.

She's fine now and while still a run leader for the local women's running group, she's also refocusing on her yoga as part of the @CRUKresearch charity yoga challenge

If you fancy digging deep here's her giving page, thanks

https://bit.ly/triciagiving

sciencebase, 4 months ago (edited 4 months ago) to random

It's never a bad day when you see high-speed Sanderlings striding about a beach avoiding the waves. This is one of half a dozen we saw at Titchwell last week and perhaps a flock further along the coast of 30+

The Sanderling might have been called the White Sandpiper or White Wader.

Calidris alba, the genus from Greek kalidris or skalidris, an Arisotlean term for grey waders (shorebirds).

Alba means white, as in Albion, referring to the white chalk cliffs of southern England.

#BirdPhotography

sciencebase, 4 months ago to random

A cheeky Shore Lark overwintering at the Holkham Gap, one of fourteen that were spooked by a springy spaniel half a mile away from us and flew towards us for a spontaneous photoshoot

#BirdWatching #BirdPhotography #ShoreLark

sciencebase, 4 months ago to random

Turns out the James Bond chord is at the 007th fret on guitar...it's an E-minor/Major-9

Just added it to my Classic Chords series, item number 30.

https://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/the-james-bond-or-007-chord-e-minor-major-9.html

sciencebase, 4 months ago to random

I know, I know, I know...I've posted RKs before, lots...but they are one of our celebrity birds in this neck of the (not actual) woods...so here's another, a closeup as one flew overhead at an altitude of no more than 25 metres or so...