The tremendous scientific achievements of the long-running UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme were celebrated at a special symposium at CEH in November 2016. Marc Botham recaps proceedings:
Source: 40 years of butterfly monitoring: a celebration | Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)
Chris Ward suggests Florida probably offers some of the best and easiest opportunities for bird photography anywhere in the world … and there is plenty of other wildlife too – as his superb photographs will show!Time: Doors open 7.15 pm for a prompt 7.45 pm start
Price: Group members £2.50, Non-Group members £3.50, Children £1
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Find out how Natural England’s recent scientific work contributes to a better understanding of the natural world and ways to protect it.
Source: Natural England Chief Scientist’s report 2015 to 2016 – Publications – GOV.UK
Discover fascinating facts about this amazing plant.
Source: 7 eelgrass facts you need to know | Discover Wildlife
Velvet Scoter by Jim Rose, Willen Lake 7 November 2016
The British Trust for Ornithology have produced a series of bird identification workshops which you can watch on YouTube.
Join volunteers across the country who are taking part in the 6th annual BSBI New Year Plant.
Source: New Year Plant Hunt: which plants are flowering in midwinter?
The latest issue of our society newsletter ‘The Magpie’ can be viewed in the Publications section of the website or by clicking here.
Grey Heron by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 7 November 2016
The Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be hosting a talk “The Science & Beauty of Birds” on 5 January 2017 19:30 to 22:00 at Wendover Memorial Hall,Wendover.
Ever wondered why a raptor has an orbital ridge or what the purpose is of a tubenose on a petrel? Well, in this talk, Oliver guides you through some fascinating insights to the science of birds, their adaptations, evolution and physiology. Oliver’s talk is split into the four sections covering the science of birds, the photography, the aesthetics of bird photography and the rewards.
Click here for more information.
Ministers claim soaring number is a success in effort to cut bovine TB in England but charities question cull’s effectiveness
Source: Badger cull kills more than 10,000 animals in three months | Environment | The Guardian
One caterpillar is thought to be the first recorded self-medicating insect.
Source: A caterpillar’s medicine cabinet | Natural History Museum
Leiobunum.rotundum.female” by James Lindsey at Ecology of Commanster.
This post is the fourth in an ongoing series on arachnids.
Previously, this series addressed whipspiders, hooded tickspiders, and pseudoscorpions.
Additional posts on other weird, often overlooked or neglected groups of these creepy crawlies to follow…
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Arachnids: Harvestmen | Shit You Didn’t Know About Biology
The BTO has been providing advice about the potential ornithological impacts of renewable energy schemes since the 1980s, with BTO scientists working to improve our understanding of the impacts of wind farms on birds in order to help minimise any negative effects. This short BTO Research Note highlights key projects that BTO scientists have been involved in which have helped to improve our knowledge of the interactions between birds and wind farms.
Source: Understanding the Impacts of Wind Farms on Birds | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
Redshank by Peter Garner, Floodplain Forest NR, 25 March 2016
The Buckinghamshire Bird Club will be visiting College Lake on Sunday 2nd January 2017 from 09:30 to 13:00.
Brimstone by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 1 September 2016
Surveying large areas of habitat just got a whole lot easier, as a team of scientists ditch traditional on-foot fieldwork and take to the skies.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The drone and the butterfly – conservation takes to the skies
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip:
Location: Map ref SP 883 404. Car park off V11 Tongwell Street, just north of Pineham roundabout.
Our traditional New Year’s Day walk to blow away the cobwebs and see the usual excellent collection of birds on and around the lake. Leader Pete How.Time: 10.00 am
Price: Free
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Longhorn beetle (Stranglia maculata) by Peter Hassett Silverdale 18 July 2009
The Longhorn Beetle Recording Scheme collates records for beetles in family Cerambycidae. The scheme (under the name Cerambycidae Recording Scheme) has been running since 1982, and published an atlas in 1999.
The Longhorn Beetle Recording Scheme have produced a new draft Atlas which can be downloaded using this link: Draft Longhorn Beetle Atlas.pdf
Another citizen science project.
You are being asked to help monitor the health of British garden wildlife.
Click on the link for more information: Garden Wildlife Health | Monitoring the health of Garden Wildlife
The World Health Organisation have published a review of the evidence about the impact of Urban green spaces on health.
You can download the report by clicking this link. (92 page PDF)
First Place. Bee by Paul Lund. Taken in Paul’s garden using two flash guns to freeze motion.
Pelagic Publishing will be releasing a new guide to Solitary bees by Ted Benton (Naturalists’ Handbooks 33)
The book covers
- Identification key to solitary bee genera
- The biology and ecology of solitary bees
- Practical guidance to watching and studying solitary bees
In Britain and Ireland there are about ten times more species of solitary bee than bumblebee and honeybee combined, yet the solitary bees tend to be ignored and we know much less about them. They are a fascinating, attractive and diverse group that can be found easily in a wide range of habitats, both urban and rural, and they are important as pollinators.
Solitary bees provides an introduction to the natural history, ecology and conservation of solitary bees, together with an easy-to-use key to genera.
Contents:
1 Introduction
2 Diversity and recognition
3 Bee lives
4 Cuckoos in the nest
5 Bees and flowers
6 The conservation of solitary bees
7 Approaches to practical work
8 Keys to the genera of bees of the British Isles
9 References and further reading
Index
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Solitary bees (Naturalists’ Handbooks 33)
Common Frogs by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 01Mar16
Salting roads and pavements during winter damages frog populations by turning would-be females into males, a major new study warns.
Source: Salting roads harms frog numbers by changing their sex
Daubenton’s bat by Chris Damant
While artificial lighting is a major component of global change, its biological impacts have only recently been recognised.
Artificial lighting attracts and repels animals in taxon-specific ways and affects physiological processes.
Being nocturnal, bats are likely to be strongly affected by artificial lighting. Moreover, many species of bats are insectivorous, and insects are also strongly influenced by lighting. Lighting technologies are changing rapidly, with the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps increasing. Impacts on bats and their prey depend on the light spectra produced by street lights ; ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths attract more insects and consequently insectivorous bats. Bat responses to lighting are species-specific and reflect differences in flight morphology and performance ; fast-flying aerial hawking species frequently feed around street lights, whereas relatively slow-flying bats that forage in more confined spaces are often light-averse
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Dark Matters: The Effects of Artificial Lighting on Bats – Springer
Herald moth by Martin Kincaid, Manor Farm cellar
Buff tailed bumblebee queen feeding at Mahonia in garden, Oldbrook (17th)
Small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies and Herald moths hibernating in cellar, Manor Farm, Old Wolverton (18th)
Otter at North Willen Lake (16-17 – Mark Strutton)
Great White Egret – one at Floodplain Forest (18th)
Bittern – one roosting high up in willow tree at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (18th) Also Barn Owl and 3 Red Crested Pochard present.
Goosander – various numbers at Emberton Country Park, Tongwell Lake, South Willen, Stony Stratford Nature Reserve and Floodplain Forest.
Woodcock – one flushed in Linford Wood (16th)
(All sightings not otherwise attributed by Martin Kincaid)
Every day until Sunday, December 25, we’ll present one new image of our universe from NASA’s ‘scope.
Source: 2016 Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calendar – The Atlantic
The British Government says it has no plans to give the much-loved robin ‘offcial status’ despite public support.
Source: The British robin will not receive official status | Discover Wildlife
Wood Warbler by Peter Garner, Linford Lakes NR, 2 May 2016
Birds prefer to fly between the gardens of leafy suburban neighbourhoods to visit bird feeders than city terraces or new-build estates, a ground-breaking study tracking the behaviour of hundreds of garden birds has found.
A year-long study into the behaviour of over 450 blue tits and great tits found that a suburban neighbourhood with trees, shrubs and hedges between properties attract far more birds to their feeders than a Victorian urban terrace or manicured, modern housing estate.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Electronic tracking of song birds shows roads and urban features influence their choice of gardens
CITES has received much media attention, particularly in the past few months in the wake of the 17th Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Johannesburg. But how much do you know about the CITES agreement? Mark Cawardine demystifies all.
Source: 7 things you didn’t know about CITES | Discover Wildlife
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to Bucknell Wood, Silverstone on 3 May 2017:
Location: Map ref SP 660 450, a small Forestry Commission car park on left hand side, 1km NW of Silverstone village on the minor road to Blakesley.
Yet another new location – a large ancient woodland, known for butterflies including Wood White. Leader Chris Coppock.
Time: 10.00 am
Price: Free
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to Wilstone Reservoir, Bucks on 1 February 2017:
Location: Map ref SP 904 135. The car park is on the B489 Marsworth – Aston Clinton road.
A late winter visit to the biggest and best of the Tring reservoirs, for farmland and water birds. Leader Chris Copock. Other reservoirs and a café are a just a few minutes’ drive away.Time: 10.00 am
Price: Free
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Painted Lady, Tattenhoe Park (5th June)
Long-distance migration is a strategy some animals use to survive a seasonally changing environment. To reach favorable grounds, migratory animals have evolved sophisticated navigational mechanisms that rely on a map and compasses. In migratory insects, the existence of a map sense (sense of position) remains poorly understood, but recent work has provided new insights into the mechanisms some compasses use for maintaining a constant bearing during long-distance navigation. The best-studied directional stra
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Unraveling navigational strategies in migratory insects
Latest update to the red list of threatened species shows world’s tallest animal is on the brink, but some good news for Madagascan freshwater fish
Source: Giraffes facing extinction after devastating decline, experts warn | Environment | The Guardian
A controversial new paper reassessed species at risk of extinction using technology such as satellite and aerial imaging, and their conclusions lead them to question not only the IUCN’s method, but also the validity of where certain species fall on the Red List.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: New study claims that the IUCN Red List is inaccurate | Discover Wildlife
Pyramidal Orchids, Howe Park Wood (19th June)
The Natural History museum has produced “A beginner’s vegetative guide to the orchids of the British Isles”
The British Trust for Ornithology have published the results of their garden bird survey for 2014/15
The Garden Bird Feeding Survey (GBFS) has charted the use of food supplements by birds in gardens for over 40 years. The network of householders that participate in the survey extends across the UK.
The latest results for GBFS are now out, charting the use of feeders by birds during the winter of 2014/15. After relatively few birds were seen in winter 2013/14, we were all hoping for a surge in numbers last winter but, with mild temperatures and an abundance of natural foods, our garden feeding stations were quiet once again. The insight provided by GBFS participants is particularly helpful as bird foods and feeders continue to develop apace. We are delighted to share with you the fruits of their endeavours.
Click on the link for more information : The Garden Bird Feeding Survey (GBFS) | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology
Despite the enormous interest in edible wild fungi, the decline in expert mycologists has hit an all time low in the UK with a 70% decline in the last 20 years.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Mycologists become rarer than the species they study | News and press | About us
Canada’s health regulator is planning to ban a controversial neonicotinoid pesticide, which it says has contaminated waterways and killed important aquatic insects.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Health Canada proposes ban on pesticide linked to bee deaths – BBC News
MAMMALS
Pygmy Shrew recorded by Linford Lakes Mammal Group on 11th – plus field sign of 10 other species including badger, mink, otter and Muntjac deer.
Noctule bat over Tattenhoe – 8th (Harry Appleyard)
BIRDS
Female Scaup and Woodcock at Linford Lakes N.R. (11th)
Red Kite over Shenley Church End – 11th (Peter Hassett)
Red Crested Pochard – pair still at South Willen Lake (9th)
3 Stonechats on fence posts – Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (7th)
FUNGI
Oyster mushrooms Pleurotus spp. on willow stump at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (7th)
Tremella mesenterica (Yellow Brain Fungus) – plentiful at Linford Lakes NR (11th)
(All sightings not otherwise attributed by Martin Kincaid)
Today, the health of the world’s 10,000+ bird species was revealed with the publication of the 2016 Red List. There are reasons to cheer, but also reasons for concern.
Click on the links below to read more:
Bird Life International
Discover Wildlife
(All sightings by Martin Kincaid unless otherwise stated)
Bedfordshire Natural History SOciety have produced details of Silphidae (Carrion Beetles) in found in Bedfordshire.
Click this link for more information: Bedfordshire Silphidae / Carrion Beetles
Around 500 years after they were hunted to extinction, Eurasian beavers are to be given formal protection and allowed to remain in the Scottish countryside.
Source: Eurasian beavers to be given formal protection and allowed to remain in Scottish countryside
The Friends of Linford Lakes Nature Reserve are looking
for extra help with activities and events.
We need many hands to help with the extra work on Work Sundays
at this time of year. We also need helpers on our Open Sundays.
We are getting large numbers of visitors on these days who need information
and directions. With more help we could have
more activities, especially for families.
If you would like more information please
speak to one of the committee at any of our events or
write to gjgevents@gmail.com
In a recent talk to the Society “Nest-boxes – the case against!”, Martin Kincaid mentioned the longest running bird survey conducted by Oxford University at Wytham Woods. Read on if you would like to learn more about the project:
The Wytham Tit Project is a long-term population study of two woodland bird species – great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) – based at Wytham Woods near Oxford, UK, and is run by the Edward Grey Institute in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford. Although the majority of the work focusses on great and blue tits, there are smaller populations of coal tits (Periparus ater) and marsh tits (Poecile palustris) which are of particular interest for their role in interspecific flocking and information spread. Sadly, as with much of the UK, the willow tit (Poecile montana) no longer breeds in Wytham.
Click on the link for more information
: Wytham Tits
White Admiral by Harry Appleyard, North Bucks Way, 8 July 2016
As part of a broader study into the life cycle of the White Admiral butterfly, the author has examined the habits of the overwintering larva. In this article he presents four different types of hibernacula that he has encountered so that it may help those looking to monitor them over the winter months.
It’s been a roller-coaster of a year and so, as 2016 draws to a close, I am delighted to be able to report good news about European wildlife – news which also has huge significance for the future of nature conservation in the UK.
Following a comprehensive 2-year evaluation process, the European Commission announced yesterday that the EU Birds and Habitats & Species Directives (the ‘Nature’ Directives) would not be ‘opened up’ for revision. Instead – and in line with the evidence as to what is urgently required – the Commission will draw up plans for better implementation and increased investment.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The EU Nature Directives are safe – so what next for protection of UK wildlife? – Martin Harper’s blog – Our work – The RSPB Community
Further decline in bee populations could cost British farmers hundreds of millions of pounds and completely wipe out the apple industry, according to scientists.
Source: Decline in bees could wipe out British apple industry, say scientists
A UK-wide citizen science charity generating usable data on pollinators, pollination and much more!
First place – Starling Murmuration at Willen Lake by Ann Strutton
Want to save the starling? Keep your lawn
Source: Want to save the starling? Keep your lawn | Kate Bradbury | Life and style | The Guardian
Amy-Jayne Dutton, from Stoke-on-Trent, has recently uprooted from her home comforts to move to the remote island of St Helena, a UK Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic… to take a rather unusual step in her career! She has taken up the role as Spiky Yellow Woodlouse Project Manager with the St Helena National Trust. Here Amy enlightens us with her adventures so far, and informs us of the challenges facing the future of the unique spiky yellow woodlouse, locally known as ‘Spiky’, on the magical island of St Helena:
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Have you ever wondered what it is like to work on one of the rarest Woodlice | Buglife
A conservationist who has been following migrating Bewick’s swans from Russia to the UK crosses the English Channel on her powered paraglider.
Source: ‘Human swan’ Sacha Dench crosses the English Channel – BBC News
Research sheds new light on the structure of mole rat society.
Source: New study reveals that mole rats can multitask | Discover Wildlife
Once extinct in the UK, the bittern is experiencing a comeback.
Work Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 4 December 2016 10:00-13:00hrs.
Willing hands will be made welcome today.
There are lots of jobs around the reserve in the winter.
Cutting back overgrowth, trimming hedges, clearing paths.
Refreshments available.
There will be an Open Sunday and Christmas Crafts Event at Linford Lakes NR on 11 December 2016 10:00- 16:00hrs.
Christmas Crafts Event.
Suitable for people of all ages,
Full tuition and all materials included in cost.
Traditional Christmas Decorations,
Using natural materials.
Morning session starts at 11:00am
and the afternoon session at 13:30hrs.
Christmas Craft Sessions cost £5.00.
Book your place by emailing
gjgevents@gmail.com
On Open Sunday’s there is access to hides and centre.
Hot and cold drinks, home-made cakes.
Second hand book sales, Christmas gifts and bird food on sale.
Come and see our winter visitors.
There will be a walk around the new path leaving the centre at 13:00hrs.
Please bring your friends and family, all welcome.
Range shifts have been documented in many organisms, and climate change has been implicated as a contributing driver of latitudinal and altitudinal range modifications.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Faster poleward range shifts in moths with more variable colour patterns : Scientific Reports
The website Fungi of Great Britain and Ireland has produced an identification guide of Fungi which you may be able to see in December.
Click on the link for more information: The Lost & Found Fungi project: Species potentially fruiting this month | Fungi of Great Britain and Ireland
A selection of images which document a family common weasels throughout the seasons scoops the top prize this year
Source: The British Wildlife Photography awards 2016 winners – in pictures | Environment | The Guardian
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)
Unknown to Western Science until C15th, penguins were first labelled “strange gooses”. There are 18 species of this popular bird – from the metre tall Emperor to the tiny Fairy. They are all superbly adapted for marine life and Mike has worked with them in habitats from the Galapagos to the Antarctic mainland.Time: Doors open 7.15 pm for a prompt 7.45 pm start
Price: Group members £2.50, Non-Group members £3.50, Children £1
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Dr Daniel Cox. a Research Fellow at the Environment and Sustainability Institute of the University of Exeter, has produces a scientific paper entitled “Movement of feeder-using songbirds – the influence of urban features”
The research for the paper was carried out in Great Linford with the assistance of Martin Kincaid and Parks Trust volunteers.
The Spring 2017 indoor programme of the Milton Keynes Natural History Society has been published.
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip:
Location: Map ref SP 776 596, on S edge of Northampton. The car park is next to the Holiday Inn, on N side of A428 Bedford Rd, 0.3km E of the big roundabout junction with the A45.
Another new venue for the group and part of the Nene Valley Special Protection Area. Dress warmly for this exposed site.Time: 10.00 am
Price: Free
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
BIRDS
Chiffchaff calling at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (27th)
Small group of Siskins near St.Giles Church, Tattenhoe (28th)
MAMMALS
Muntjac buck and doe in Howe Park Wood (28th)
INSECTS
Lepidoptera
Comma butterfly basking by Howe Park Wood (25th)
Red Admiral basking in Tattenhoe Linear Park (28th)
(All sightings by Harry Appleyard)
Conservation programme sees numbers of the endangered cirl bunting reach 1,078 pairs – up from just 118 in 1989
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: British farmland bird bounces back from brink of extinction | Environment | The Guardian
Unexpected move reverses a trend that has seen increasing numbers of large carnivores shot by hunters each year since Romania’s accession to the European Union
Source: Romania bans trophy hunting of brown bears, wolves, lynx and wild cats | Environment | The Guardian
Scientists reveal how a particular species of Amazonian frog is able to hide in plain sight through a very unusual form of camouflage.
Source: Amazonian frog produces its own ant repellent | Discover Wildlife
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have produced a video to help you identify diving ducks:
Dabbling ducks are so familiar, but there is also a group of common ducks that actively dive on freshwater for food. One or other is likely to be encountered on still or moving freshwater or even at sea so let this workshop help you to decide which diving duck you are seeing.
Click on the play button to watch the video
Discover fascinating facts about the often overlooked land caddis.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: 7 land caddis facts you need to know | Discover Wildlife
A handful of the vibrant, diverse species whose continued survival is threatened by the loss of forest habitats [PHOTO FEATURE].
Source: 7 stunning forest birds we could soon lose forever | BirdLife
Tree Bumblebee at Howe Park Wood by Harry Appleyard 3Feb16
The South Beds branch of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire are hosting a talk on Bumblebees on 30 November 2016.
Humans and chimpanzees are not the only primates to use tools. South American capuchin monkeys have developed a sophisticated system for cracking nuts, and new research shows that they’ve been at it for hundreds, if not thousands of years – and suggests they might even have taught humans a trick or two.
Source: Early humans may have learnt something from capuchin monkeys | Discover Wildlife
BIRDS
2 Scaup, 1 Great White Egret and 1 Woodcock – Linford Lakes N.R. (20th)
Red Crested Pochard – pair still present at South Willen (19th)
15 Common Snipe outside bird hide – North Willen (19th)
7 Goosander reported from Emberton Country Park (Bucks Bird Club – 17th)
1 Goosander at Caldecotte Lake (18th)
Red Kites circling over Tattenhoe, Emerson Valley and West Bletchley (HA)
Common Snipe, Tattenhoe Park (20th) (HA)
MAMMALS
Daubenton’s bats still present at Pineham roost (18th)
Brown Long-eared Bats roosting at Manor Farm, Old Wolverton (18th)
Dog Otter seen from near hide at Linford Lakes N.R. (Keith Gander – 20th)
Fox & Scat of Mink LLNR (20th) (Peter Hassett)
LISSAMPHIBIA
20+ Great Crested Newts and 6 Smooth Newts found hibernating at Elfield Park (17th)
INSECTS
Odonata
Female Common Darter near St.Giles Church, Tattenhoe (16th) (HA)
FUNGI
Purple Jelly Disc Ascocoryne scarcoides found on dead wood in Howe Park Wood (18th Nov, )
(All sightings by Martin Kincaid except as otherwiuse noted. HA = Harry Appleyard)
Red Admiral by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 22nd September 2016
dispar was started in October 2014 as a spin-off from the UK Butterflies website. With an ever-growing membership contributing a large number of posts on the UK Butterflies forums, the time came for a new vehicle to be put in place that would allow significant contributions to be shared more widely. This includes formal cataloging of articles so that they may be located by anyone looking to research a particular aspect of Lepidoptera.
You can read the latest version of their magazine, Notes and Views Issue 7, by clicking this link.
New research at Lund University in Sweden shows that the flight speed of birds is determined by a variety of factors. Among the most sensational is that the size of the flock has a significant impact on how fast the birds can fly. The larger the flock, the higher the speed.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Birds fly faster in large flocks. #ornithology
A new species of dragonfly with a bluish waxy body coating has been described by Brazilian researchers, that are investigating whether the wax serves as a kind of sunscreen to protect the male’s body from solar radiation since the insect is exposed to sunlight for many hours every day.
Click on this link to read the article: Researchers identify new species of dragonfly in Brazil | EurekAlert! Science News
dispar, the Online Journal of Lepidoptera have produced a report A Study of the Life Cycle of the Chequered Skipper Butterfly Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas)
Of all of the butterflies found in the British Isles, the complete life cycle of the Chequered Skipper is one of the most rarely observed, for several reasons. The first is that the distribution of the butterfly is restricted to north west Scotland where the level of recording is relatively low. The second is that, while many enthusiasts have made pilgrimages to see the adult butterfly, very few have put the same effort into locating the immature stages. Finally, the ecology of the butterfly requires the observer to put in a significant amount of time before they are rewarded with views of all stages. In this article, the author summarises his observations over a three year period, from 2014 to 2016.
The value of floodplain meadows was well understood in mediaeval times, when the Domesday Book recorded them as 10 times more valuable than arable land because without them people could not keep their
Source: Floodplain Meadows: combining beauty with utility | Creating a better place
They also live in herds and perform feats of engineering that have baffled scientists for decades
Source: BBC – Earth – Earthworms have epic sex and grow to huge sizes
Red-Tailed Bumblebee by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe 11 April 2016
Species that feed most on the bright yellow flowers of the crop treated with controversial neonicotinoids have fallen by as much as 30%
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: High pesticide levels on oilseed rape crops harm wild bees, scientists prove | Environment | The Guardian
Bee by Paul Lund. Taken in Paul’s garden using two flash guns to freeze motion.
Honey bee colonies in the United States have been dying at high rates for over a decade, and agricultural pesticides — including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides — are often implicated as major culprits. Until now, most scientific studies have looked at pesticides one at a time, rather than investigating the effects of multiple real-world pesticide exposures within a colony.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: High number of pesticides within colonies linked to honey bee deaths: Some compounds commonly regarded as ‘bee-safe’ could be a major contributor to honey bee colony losses in North America — ScienceDaily
Barn Owl Ecology and Conservation – A Presentation by Paddy Jackson at Linford Lakes NR on Wednesday 23rd November 2016 at 19:30.
Paddy has monitored the owls at Linford Lakes for some years.
He will tell us more about these beautiful birds.
There will be an opportunity to ask Paddy questions about owls.
£2:00 for adults.
Refreshments and home-made cakes available.
BIRDS
11 Lapwings over Tattenhoe Park (11th)
3 Ravens over Tattenhoe Park (13th)
Ravens Corvus corax by Harry Appleyard Tattenhoe Park 13th November 2016
Blackbird singing near Howe Park Wood (13th)
Tawny Owl hooting in Howe Park Wood (14th)
3 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 5 Common Snipe and 1 Water Rail at North Willen Lake (11th – MK)
2 juvenile VELVET SCOTERS still present at South Willen Lake (13th) and Common Scoter female on 12th.
2 Stonechat at Floodplain Forest NR (12th – MK)
1 Ring-necked Parakeet over Walton Lake (11th – MK)
MAMMALS
Brown Hares, Chinese Water Deer and 1 Muntjac at Magna Park (13th – MK/Harry Appleyard)
Weasel at Linford Lakes NR (10th – MK)
Roe Deer at Elfield Park (9th – MK)
LISSAMPHIBIA
Common Toad, Tattenhoe Park (14th)
INSECTS
Odonata
Common Darters active around Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park (11th and 13th)
Lepidoptera
Red Admiral basking in Kingsmead Wood (11th)
Hemiptera Heteroptera Pentatomidae
1 Common Green Shield Bug Palomena prasina and 1 Spiked Shield Bug Picromerus bidens , Tattenhoe (11th)
Common Green Shield Bug Palomena prasina by Harry Appleyard Tattenhoe 11th November 2016
(MK= Martin Kincaid, all other sightings by Harry Appleyard)
Have you noticed whitish patches on the leaves of horse chestnut trees? By the middle of summer, the whitish patches die and turn brown. Sometimes whole trees turn brown, and it looks like autumn has come early.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Home | Conker Tree Science
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip:
Location: Map ref SP 385 759. The car park is off Brandon Lane, between Brandon village and the A45, just south of Coventry.
Postcode: CV3 3GW (Google map)
A walk around this picturesque reserve, led by Brian Lloyd. A variety of habitats at these mature gravel pits and wet woodland, good for Kingfisher, waders and winter finches. There is an excellent café for refreshments.Time: 10.00 am
Price: Small entry fee, but wildlife trust members are usually free.
See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information
Open Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 20 November 2016 10:00- 16:00
Come and Join Andy Harding, County Recorder, for his monthly duck count. Andy is always willing to pass on help and advise on bird identification and how to count large numbers of birds at one time.
Later in the day Martin Kincaid, (Parks Trust) will lead a walk around the site including parts not normally accessible.
There is open access to hides and centre. Facilities available. Hot and cold drinks, home-made cakes. Second hand book sales, crafts and bird food on sale.
Come and see our winter visitors. View from the comfort of our hides and viewing gallery.
Please bring your friends and family, all welcome.
Glyphosate could be banned by the end of 2017 according to Merja Kyllonen, one of the MEPs responsible for steering its re-authorisation through the European Parliament.
Source: Glyphosate ‘expected’ to be banned in 2017 – News – FG Insight
The Friends of Linford Lakes Nature Reserve are looking for extra help with activities and events:
We need many hands to help with the extra work on Work Sundays at this time of year. We also need helpers on our Open Sundays.
We are getting large numbers of visitors on these days who need information
and directions. With more help we could have more activities, especially for families.If you would like more information please speak to one of the committee at any of our events or email us at friendsofhesc@gmail.com
Painted Lady by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 9 August 2016
The painted lady, Vanessa cardui , is a migratory butterfly that performs an annual multi-generational migration between Europe and North Africa. Its seasonal appearance south of the Sahara in autumn is well known and has led to the suggestion that it results from extremely long migratory flights by European butterflies to seasonally exploit the Sahel and the tropical savannah. However, this possibility has remained unproven. Here, we analyse the isotopic composition of butterflies from seven European and seven African countries to provide new support for this hypothesis. Each individual was assigned a geographical natal origin, based on its wing stable hydrogen isotope (δ2Hw) value and a predicted δ2Hw basemap for Europe and northern Africa. Natal assignments of autumn migrants collected south of the Sahara confirmed long-distance movements (of 4000 km or more) starting in Europe. Samples from Maghreb revealed a mixed origin of migrants, with most individuals with a European origin, but others having originated in the Sahel. Therefore, autumn movements are not only directed to northwestern Africa, but also include southward and northward flights across the Sahara. Through this remarkable behaviour, the productive but highly seasonal region south of the Sahara is incorporated into the migratory circuit of V. cardui .
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Long-distance autumn migration across the Sahara by painted lady butterflies: exploiting resource pulses in the tropical savannah | Biology Letters
RSPBNBLG Talk –
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a General Knowledge Fun Quiz Night
Location: Wicken Sports Club, Wicken, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK19 6BU (Google map)
The quiz is based on general knowledge – for teams of up to six. Individuals welcome to come and make up a team with others. £4 per person. Fun “Spot Round” and Raffle.
Wicken Sports Club will offer refreshments : tea, coffee and a bar.
Advance bookings by Friday 11 November 2016 please to Ann Davies
e-mail: annrspbnbucks@hotmail.co.ukTime: 7.30pm for 8pm start
Price: £4 per person
See their website for more information
Studies suggest that regenerating soil by turning our backs on industrial farming holds the key to tackling climate change
Velvet Scoter by Jim Rose, Willen Lake 7 November 2016
Two ducks more at home on the high seas have dropped in to South Willen Lake for the past few days.
The two juvenile Velvet Scoters, a rare species of sea duck, have been wowing birders since they were discovered on the morning of 7th November 2016 by former MKNHS member Paul Moon. This is the third time this species has been found at Willen down the years and only the tenth time ever for Buckinghamshire although, amazingly, a third scoter turned up at Dorney Lake, South Bucks on 8th November 2016.
Scoters are dark, almost jet black in colour but the Velvet Scoter has an attractive white patch around its eye and also a white wing patch, which is very evident when it flies or preens on the water. They are diving ducks, feeding on mussels, snails and other freshwater molluscs and invertebrates. The species does not breed in the UK, being native to Russia and north-east Europe, but each winter up to 30,000 winter around the east and south coasts of Britain. Few ever stray so far inland however.
The two birds, both thought to be young males (although the jury is still out), are frequenting the southern end of Willen Lake and can be seen from in front of the Lakeside Hotel and LA Fitness gym. They are generally to be found some way out from shore between the orange buoys and solar panels. Scan the flock of coots with binoculars and you should be able to pick out these unusual and very smart visitors.
Article kindly provided by Martin Kincaid.
You can see more photos and a video of the Velvet Scoters on Jim Rose’s blog
Grey Heron by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Linear Park 4 September 2016
An online tetrad atlas has been produced of the birds of the Thames and Chiltern area
Click this link to access the Atlas: Thames and Chiltern Bird Atlas – Home
BIRDS
Red Kites over Bletchley and the North Bucks Way
Marsh Tit, Howe Park Wood (8th)
Grey Heron eating common frog, Howe Park Wood (7th)
3 Pintail (2 m, 2 f) and male Red Crested Pochard at North Willen Lake (6th). Also, Short-eared Owl reported from here by several people. (MK)
2 Common Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Red Kite and Sparrow-hawk at Floodplain Forest (7th) (MK)
2 VELVET SCOTERS on Willen South Lake, in front of the Lakeside Hotel (7th November).(MK)
MAMMALS
Bank Vole, Howe Park Wood (7th)
INSECTS
Speckled Wood butterfly, Tattenhoe (3rd)
Male Common Darter, Tattenhoe (3rd)
(MK= Martin Kincaid, all other sightings by Harry Appleyard)
If you only see one astronomical event this year, make it the November supermoon, when the Moon will be the closest to Earth it’s been since January 1948.
During the event, which will happen on the eve of November 14, the Moon will appear up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon. This is the closest the Moon will get to Earth until 25 November 2034, so you really don’t want to miss this one.
So how do you get a supermoon?
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: We’re about to see a record-breaking supermoon – the biggest in nearly 70 years – ScienceAlert
Red Admiral by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 22nd September 2016
A huge drop in the number of butterflies in the UK is causing confusion among wildlife experts.
Source: Butterfly numbers drop a mystery, say experts – BBC News
We’ve always known the universe was a big place, but our estimates keep getting revised upwards, adding more and more zeroes as we go along. The latest jump, based on 3D modeling of images collected over 20 years through the Hubble Space Telescope, reckons there are ten to 20 times more galaxies than previously thought. That’s somewhere between one and two trillion, for those struggling to keep count.
Source: There are even more galaxies in the universe than we thought | Alphr
Red-Tailed Bumblebee by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe 11 April 2016
Natural England have published a report “Investigation of the impact of
changes in pesticide use on invertebrate populations ”
Experienced a ladybird invasion in your home recently? Insect expert Richard Jones reveals why this distinctive beetle can be found indoors at the end of October.
Source: Ladybirds on the landing – why are they coming indoors? | Countryfile.com
House Spider by Peter Hassett, Preston Montford 25 September 2016
Some dress up as ladybirds, others change colour like chameleons, but our sexy spiders also have a dark side
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: BBC – Earth – Dark secrets of Britain’s sexiest spiders
The avian bill is a textbook example of how evolution shapes morphology in response to changing environments. Bills of seed-specialist finches in particular have been the focus of intense study demonstrating how climatic fluctuations acting on food availability drive bill size and shape. The avian bill also plays an important but under-appreciated role in body temperature regulation, and therefore in energetics.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: The evolution of the avian bill as a thermoregulatory organ – Tattersall – 2016 – Biological Reviews – Wiley Online Library
The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are hosting a talk:
Location: Cruck Barn, City Discovery Centre, Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes
Postcode: MK13 9AP (Google map)
Respected wildlife photographer, Richard will show us some of his recent projects, including work on “Wild Orchids of Bedfordshire”, butterflies, wasps and hawk moths and some wonderful action shots of brown hares … and a quick visit to Ascension Island too!Time: Doors open 7.15 pm for a prompt 7.45 pm start
Price: Group members £2.50, Non-Group members £3.50, Children £1
See their website for more information
A technology that has traditionally been used by the emergency services, thermal imaging, is now being employed to help the UK’s ever-plummeting bat population.
Source: Earthquake emergency equipment used to help Britain’s bats | Discover Wildlife
