tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13242744819387821802024-02-20T20:48:33.509-08:00My Big Year of WildlifeDorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-457519331878522192015-07-05T12:24:00.001-07:002015-07-05T12:24:05.142-07:00its over ...I've been unable to give this site the attention it deservces, and I feel this flirtation is just that - not a basis for a serious relationship. So I've returned to an <a href="http://dorsetdipper.blogspot.co.uk/">old flam</a>e. <br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading. If you still have the appetite for more. I'm at http://dorsetdipper.blogspot.co.uk/<br />
<br />
<br />DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-36223419060226855952014-09-14T01:47:00.002-07:002014-09-14T01:47:41.146-07:00Nottingham in the fogHow to spend 6 hours in Nottingham? D#2 was at the University open day, so a click on birdguides and <a href="http://www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk/">Attenborough Nature Reserve</a> it was. A network of gravel pits, some with some hides and conservation effort, and a cracking centre with cakes, coffee, books etc.<br />
<br />
My Kowa 883 needs some small repairs, soI took my reserve scope, my trusty Kowa TS-2 (un-coated) with the 32x wide angle lens that served me well for years. I pitched up at the first likely looking site, quick scan with the bins, popped up the scope, and Jesus where has l that fog come from? And why do my eyes hurt so much? And how on earth did I seen anything at all through this?<br />
<br />
Some excellent conversation with locals, and a star bird too! Not the <b>kingfisher </b>or <b>Sparrowhawk </b>that sat out in the open, or the <b>Garganey </b>close in, or the <b>Hobby </b>way up high, or even the <b>Snow Geese</b> that cruised around with the local tame Geese, or the <b>Wigeon </b>just turning up for the winter. No the clear stand out star-bird was not even mentioned by anyone anywhere, it was the flock of <b>Tree Sparrows</b> on the reserve centre feeders. Some people don't know how lucky they are.<br />
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<br />DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-51657177890705571582014-08-04T13:24:00.001-07:002014-08-04T13:24:15.993-07:00MBYOW Equipment... so when I finally do this big year ... I'll need some technology if I'm going to do the full wildlife thing. Here's a set of kit.<br />
<ol>
<li>binoculars, obviously</li>
<li>telescope, ditto, plus tripod</li>
<li>camera. but which one? there's a few items here ... digiscoping, a long lens, video capability, and some close-up stuff for the kind of things that are small, or rooted to the spot, or preferably both. There's a post or two worrying just about this.</li>
<li>Sound, in (song bird recording) and out (ability to hear bird song or calls for those frequent "what on earth is that?" moments). but not out when it upsets birds on territory, because that would be bad.</li>
<li>bat recording stuff.</li>
<li>bleeper, so I can see the stuff others find. Could be a thin year otherwise.</li>
<li>If I'm sea watching, then a comfortable yet portable seat.</li>
<li>Do I need a separate tripod for camera?</li>
</ol>
I think that's it. do I need to collect stuff? owl pellets?some small sample bags?<br />
<br />
<br />
So should anyone stumble across this, please leave suggestions or fill in any gaps.DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-855082987996097792014-06-01T11:28:00.000-07:002014-06-01T11:28:44.945-07:00Ball of Confusion<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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A few short local walks provided the entertainment this
weekend. As we entered <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pishiobury Park with
the dogs we were advised to avoid the “Swarm of Hornets” that were loudly
buzzing nearby. From a safe distance I observed about a 100 or so insects
buzzing in a furious swarm. Now in my recent walks the only insect I’ve seen
that could be doing this in this number is bumble bees, but do they swarm like
this? The best I can do is <a href="http://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees/faqs/swarming-bumblebees/">this </a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bumblebees don't form
swarms like honeybees do. But you might see a few bees flying outside a nest,
especially if it's in a bird box or somewhere else above ground. These are male
bees hovering outside the nest, waiting for queens to emerge so that they can
mate. Male bumblebees cannot sting, and they pose no risk to you at all.
Therefore, no action is needed to be taken for them.</i></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the return leg a stop to scan the skies. <b>Common Buzzard</b>, <b>Kestrel</b>,
a few <b>Common Swifts</b> high up, and then what’s this? Something swift-like but not
a swift. Larger, fluid deep wing beets, rather falcon like, or possible tern
like, or wader like. When it turns I should get a better idea, but it doesn’t
turn instead keeps on going where it is joined by two more, similar, possibly
the same species. And high and distant these falcony/terny/wadery things keep
going leaving me in a complete quandry, and quite exhilarated with the thought of what they could be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later on another walk a <b>cuckoo </b>silently jumped up from some
long grass with an irate <b>Whitethroat </b>in attendance, and then flew off. Shortly afterwards
cuckooing started from the top of an adjacent tree. Presumably this is a pair –I'm assuming
the male calling from the tree top is not the bird rooting around in the grass, as this would be the female?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bumble bees were still there, now identified as <b>Common Carder
Bee</b> and on a large patch of <b>Comfrey</b> (thanks to <a href="http://bsnhs.webplus.net/sawbridgeworth_marsh.html">Andy Sapsford</a>). There were also
buff-tailed bumble bee workers – like the queen but half the size. I reckoned
about 7-10 per square metre, with about 30 sq m of Comfrey gives around 200-300
bees in this area for two species, so about two nests – one per species. </div>
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Then this morning a trip with camera to snap <b>Sedge Warbler</b>
and <b>Reed Warbler</b>. They both performed as well as these species can.
Unfortunately I didn’t. Here’s some shots that demonstrate that despite
technology advances, some skill is required to get decent shots, and I don’t
have that yet.</div>
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<br /></div>
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DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-9169708873394633392014-05-27T06:48:00.002-07:002014-05-27T06:48:11.744-07:00Local Maytime - bee ID quandry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few trips round the park and down by the river has
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<b>Gadwall </b>– resident on SLRS</div>
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<b>Teal </b>– 2 on 3<sup>rd</sup> May on SLRS</div>
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<b>Cuckoo </b>– one calling incessantly, seen occasionally in the
top of tall trees.</div>
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<b>Hobby </b>– 1 over the W edge of the park on 3<sup>rd</sup></div>
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<b>Yellow Wagtail</b> – 1 in the usual field by the train track</div>
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<b>Common Tern</b> – 1 through up river.</div>
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<b>Reed Bunting</b> 1m</div>
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<b>Linnet </b>a few</div>
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<b>Willow Warbler</b>,</div>
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<b>Lesser
Whitethroat</b>,</div>
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<b>Whitethroat</b> – plentiful.</div>
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Yesterday the insect army was out in force. Lots of bumble bees in one area, al round the same species of plant. You would have thought that with photos and guide books I would be able to identify the bee, but no. I think its the <b>Common Carder Bee</b> (<i>Bombus Pascuorum</i>), but it looks too dark and smooth compared to photos on the web. Apologies for the
shots but the bees were either in flight or head first up a flower. These are
the best ones for ID.Also, I have no idea about the plant (comments welcome!) </div>
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No such problems with the mass of <b>Banded Demoiselle</b> that
sprang up wherever I walked in the damp stream-side pasture. I’ve never seen
such a deep vivid blue. Two photos (M, then f) that would be great if they were better.<br />
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Further into the village, a <b>Sedge Warbler</b> and a <b>Reed Warbler</b> are battling it out for song every morning (and giving good close up photo opportunities too ...) and the local colonies of <b>Swallows</b>, <b>House Martins</b> and <b>Swifts </b>are back. I don't count the birds so have no idea what the population trends are.Slightly further afield two cracking summer plumage <b>Black-Necked Grebes</b> at Rye House RSPB yesterday. DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-72344923189759722112014-04-26T14:41:00.003-07:002014-04-26T14:41:37.266-07:00Opportunity knocksA window of opportunity. D#2 at a course in Cambridge from 10:30-3:30. Mine to do what I like between whiles.<br />
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First stop somewhere in the Fens. I have no idea where I just plugged in
a postcode and a road and off I went, trusting that a group of
birdwatchers in the middle of perfectly flat plain would be easily
located, and so it turned out. Equally fortunately 3 <b>Dotterel </b>were
also easily located in a pea field (where else?) but unfortunately at
distance and against the sun. Nevertheless a cracking 20+year reunion
with this species and a chance to brush up on the finer points. Everyone else had their lenses and digiscoping equipment so I thought I'd try my hand at digiscoping. Slap the berry over the scope lense, click the shutter, how hard can it be? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mwQrOUkHZSR7IgGj_JJOQgmra4F1C6VfVq6A-4qDLFhan16J2-XfPalkfBZxe1NVNwWgrSPY2T97W4A0gfDVFxdU7UhdG0GJHVdEzLYqkipQ0EkJWwOJ7JGLZ4X9k6VVVKq8KJcPj5w/s1600/latest+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mwQrOUkHZSR7IgGj_JJOQgmra4F1C6VfVq6A-4qDLFhan16J2-XfPalkfBZxe1NVNwWgrSPY2T97W4A0gfDVFxdU7UhdG0GJHVdEzLYqkipQ0EkJWwOJ7JGLZ4X9k6VVVKq8KJcPj5w/s1600/latest+077.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dotterel are just to the left. Or possibly just to the right.</td></tr>
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Well fortunately for you the experts got <a href="http://weedworld.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/dotterel-blackbush-whittlesey.html">here </a><a href="http://thenaturalstone.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/dotterel-blackbush.html">first</a>.I'd thought the male seemd to have first winter-style feathers on the back so was pleased to see this described as "a wintery or first-wintery, male-ish bird".<br />
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Then done and on to Fen Drayton RSPB for a Black Tern. this was my first visit and wow, what a place. Its big. Like several Amwells joined together. I drove down miles of path, across the <a href="http://www.thebusway.info/">strangest tram-line</a> I've ever seen, and then parked up. Just a few minutes in and I was comfortable picking out Arctic Tern when an realised that the annoying person next to me wasn't asking me what I was looking at but telling me that the reason all the birds were in the air was a <b>White Stork</b> gracefully gliding over the far side of the pit. Holy Cow! Not as good as having one on a lamppost just round the corner from you but neverthelss a cracking sight. <br />
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The rest of the list is <b>Avocet</b>, c30 <b>Black Tailed Godwit</b>, <b>Hobby</b>, then a few more standard birds such as <b>Goldeneye</b>, <b>Oyk</b>, <b>Redshank</b>, warblers galore, and I missed a few more.<br />
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Being largely by myself my comparative inexperience and caution gets in the way. Two brown waders went up with a Whimbrel-like call. If I had to guess I'd say 1 Whimbrel plus 1 Curlew given the size disparity, and checking on xeno-canto, but that's a pretty unsatisfactory conclusion. And then there was a tern settled amongst the Commons. Lighter, with a bill more black than red, could it be? But then it moved and the differences seemed to disappear.<br />
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<br />DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-29944968403256439362014-04-21T11:28:00.001-07:002014-04-21T11:28:03.524-07:00Easter highlights A slow walk with camera round south Sawbo today. <b>Willow Warbler</b>, <b>Lesser Whitethroat</b>, <b>Garden Warbler</b>, plenty of <b>Blackcap</b>, a snatch of <b>Whitethroat </b>all adding to the local summer population. Otherwise poor reward for some slow going and patience. And poor photos too.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh740aiKg1OQ_nlgcQM8kf0GuIFr92kFdz0_76WOaXFsE450wh-M-LpRsMRU_AoT5-vd5Tccv9COWh3UTsf_e_lgFyXX12CmNLtsdq2zecUVypXgJr-pMs5OiQpeTFEjIh88hYfll7Wu24/s1600/Gadwall+SLRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">x</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a view from the top of the patch looking west. If you look carefully there's a couple of Common Buzzards.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8Ije8dHh411JhKq4e4yCiFLADVQXIn-oS4uqmeKbI_GA2g2bYbhEtRlP0HvkxIZfgmdyR-8Hgbsfj1qV0Op4eblrsh8VI6VWEobQJBFw89IE8xvVq14ImS1ke9pZMgSLD5jmsxyvS4o/s1600/South+Sawbo+21+April+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu8Ije8dHh411JhKq4e4yCiFLADVQXIn-oS4uqmeKbI_GA2g2bYbhEtRlP0HvkxIZfgmdyR-8Hgbsfj1qV0Op4eblrsh8VI6VWEobQJBFw89IE8xvVq14ImS1ke9pZMgSLD5jmsxyvS4o/s1600/South+Sawbo+21+April+010.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And slightly more NW ... </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZApNpjOhE5u_q2Qk2vlTwM8E31buj0JOLsTyTbi7vW7J_Q6LkoncCTfzaxdOZkXKMV4AGTKRbUljTlJH2RdUFjjm9lXXYPU_J10XwHYwKT1fEiKhxS6sPx4ohnZOrvWin7E3MTKwlQM/s1600/South+Sawbo+21+April+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZApNpjOhE5u_q2Qk2vlTwM8E31buj0JOLsTyTbi7vW7J_Q6LkoncCTfzaxdOZkXKMV4AGTKRbUljTlJH2RdUFjjm9lXXYPU_J10XwHYwKT1fEiKhxS6sPx4ohnZOrvWin7E3MTKwlQM/s1600/South+Sawbo+21+April+018.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many Small Tortoiseshells out today.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhyphenhyphengRVtAkFJCFR6YpeQtGpNmZt1K33YkFPhOMNSfBC6QfvtGRardCdvNkaYXpjoS5fqz4mq-JhfNtF2QR-7tMss56nMauwrILJcu-dIL4egtIp74h8B-1V4maHlxXEKErUYOqqyO79_k/s1600/Gadwall+SLRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhyphenhyphengRVtAkFJCFR6YpeQtGpNmZt1K33YkFPhOMNSfBC6QfvtGRardCdvNkaYXpjoS5fqz4mq-JhfNtF2QR-7tMss56nMauwrILJcu-dIL4egtIp74h8B-1V4maHlxXEKErUYOqqyO79_k/s1600/Gadwall+SLRS.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">heavily cropped pair of Gadwall on SLRS</td></tr>
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Earlier there was an excellent hour or two in the company of Steve and Kevin at a local spot where we caught up with <b>Raven</b>, <b>Red Kite</b>, and a <b>Shelduck </b>belting across a farmer's field, and then a fleeting glimpse of the lates local celebrity - a male <b>Lesser Spooted Woodpecker</b> sticking its head out of a hole in a dead tree by the Stort.<br />
<br />DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-56361601497687130852014-04-15T12:30:00.002-07:002014-04-15T12:30:16.990-07:00Broadly SpeakingA family holiday on the broads. Just 4 days at Wroxham before the children have to get back for exams revision. We had a small boat and pottered around on the river Bure. The wooded banks restricted viewing and I saw less wildlife than I had anticipated. Apart from some close encounters with very keen <b>Mute Swans</b>, <b>Greylag Geese</b> and <b>Egyptian Geese</b> the main birds of note were <b>Kingfisher </b>zipping across the river, a pair of <b>Oystercatcher</b>s and a singing <b>Cetti's Warbler</b>.<br />
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We visited Cromer. D#2 was very impressed - "wow - it can't be! it is! Alpha Pappa finished just <i>here </i>!!!". Others were less impressed, and were not impressed at all with the Turnstones that were resting on the wall unruffled by passing humans (photo below taken with a standard camera).<br />
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And we also visited Winterton Dunes. What a place! We went in the evening with low sunlight producing a quite spectacular vista. Birdwise quiet apart from a Ringed Plover, and a flock of c20 <b>Black-Headed Gulls</b> battling their way up the coast against the stiff north wind. Superbly lit pristine white against the sand-churned brown of the waves they were quite a sight. One looked a bit small - hello - yes no black on the wing, dark underwing, adult <b>Little Gull </b>thanks very much.<br />
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In MBYOW I'd be back. Lots more to see and find. I'd be slightly more
careful about the parking in the evening at winterton, and depending on
what does or doesn't turn up in the post I reserve the right to bang on
about local councils. But yes, I'd definitely do some more of this.DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-87434933216465798192014-04-06T10:29:00.003-07:002014-04-06T10:29:57.481-07:00AmwellAmwell in the morning murk. I'd hoped that something might be brought in by the drizzle, but not to be.<br />
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3 <b>Redshank</b>, 2 <b>Oystercatcher</b>, <b>Wigeon </b>m, a <b>Swallow </b>at the N end, and a <b>Cetti's Warbler</b> singing. But at Amwell there's always something to watch. Some <b>Cormorants </b>were sitting, and at the top a <b>Grey Heron</b> flew in and regurgitated some food to three strapping younsters. Very David Attenborough.<br />
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A few <b>Red-Tailed Bumblebees</b> out now ...DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-12155862831990468252014-03-29T13:34:00.002-07:002014-03-29T13:34:53.689-07:00South Sawbo again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Much the same as the previous visit, except a few more bees. Some bits of buff and red seen whizzing past, and a few Bee-flies as well. These are the small fluffy flies with long proboscis that hover round flowers, and parasitise solitary bee nests!<br />
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10 <b>Gadwall </b>and similar number of <b>Teal </b>on the pond, 4 <b>Common Buzzard</b> seen disinctly from the hill on the Essex side, <b>Brimstone</b>, <b>Peacock </b>(one fighting with a Bee!) <b>Small Tortoishell</b> all in good numbers and a white butterfly too. <b>Linnets </b>in the overgrown field. <b>Chiffchaffs</b>, and a singing <b>Blackcap</b>, which may be an overwintering one singing prior to departure?DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-7923979924757966512014-03-23T14:47:00.000-07:002014-03-23T14:47:59.671-07:00Hatfield Forest between the hail showersA walk round Hatfield Forest Lake with youngest daughter. An early <b>Swallow </b>over the lake, a few <b>Gadwall </b>and a pair of <b>Great-Crested Grebes </b>nest building on it. Some <b>Chiffchaffs </b>calling, then round the east side a flurry of woodland/coppice activity; a <b>Treecreeper</b>, a <b>Marsh Tit</b>, and a <b>Nuthatch</b>.<br />
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D had the camera and produced some nice snaps (see below). A pleasure to
go for a walk with her today, and to be able to point out the
Treecreeper doing its thing at close quarters. In MBYOW I'd definitely
do more of this. I should hurry up and get on with it before she grows
out of going for walks with her dad. <br />
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<br />DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-13031916539004627772014-03-16T14:34:00.000-07:002014-03-16T14:35:55.854-07:00Local Spring timeBright weather and a couple of opportunities to get out with some wildlife action. If some of MBYOW will be spent chasing rare and notable birds at distance then some of it will be spent locally, and finding out the full range of wildlife present in this area would seem to be a good thing to do. So, inspired by an article on Bees in the excellent <b><a href="http://www.britishwildlife.com/">British Wildlife</a></b>, I bought a <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Field-Guide-Bumblebees-Britain-Ireland/dp/0954971310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395004971&sr=1-1&keywords=bumble+bee+identification">book on Bumble Bee identification</a> (thanks for the recommendation Dave), and prepared for action. <br />
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Once you start looking, you see bees everywhere. I saw 10 + today, but I think these were all the same species, <i>Bombus Terrestris</i> or <b>Buff-tailed Bumble Bee</b>. They were all large queens mainly flying low looking for nest sites on the ground but I did see a few flying through trees which I assume were this species.
Otherwise signs of spring everywhere - the annual <b>Gadwall </b>migration has c10 on SLRS with a couple of <b>Teal </b>and last week two <b>Little Grebes</b>. <b>Chiffchaffs </b>of course, and some local birds getting busy claiming territories and fighting with their neighbours.<br />
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Some photos of spring. All, you will notice, of things that don't move. I tried some of bees but they wouldn't sit still. Another thing I'd do in MBYOW is learn to take photos properly. Or else Mike will be on my case. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lots of switches going from the roots straight up - why? Is this to do with prior coppicing?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-22652677212025892852013-12-31T11:32:00.000-08:002013-12-31T11:32:52.895-08:00Guillemots!<p>It would have been rude not to, seeing as it has come all this way and I was just round the corner. But in all honesty its a dull bird. Slightly darker head than a standard issue Guillemot, slightly thicker bill, a white line down the bill, otherwise your basic winter plumage auk. If instead of <b>Brunnich's Guillemot</b> being given full species staus it had been designated a sub-species I think about three people would have gone to see it.</p>
<p>But it wasn't all dull. There was a <b>Black Guillemot</b>, a very dainty bird easily picked out by virtue of being mainly white. Bizarrely, it is called Black Guillemot in the country where it is mainly white, and in the country where it is mainly Black it is called a Tystie. Should the scots vote for independence then we should rename this bird the White Guillemot.</p>
<p>And then a couple of <b>Black Throated Divers</b>. There is lots more in the harbour at the moment, but time was pressing ...</p>
<p>would I do this in MBYOW? Well yes if its round the corner, but I don't think I'd be going 200 miles for it. I'd prefer to see these in their natural habitat somewhere in the arctic.</p>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-78925569646859888842013-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:002013-12-01T10:18:51.772-08:00Easiest Tick ever ... or was it?<p>For various reasons I found myself in Cambridge with 5 hours to spare which was 2 hours more than I had expected. I had planned on going to Wicken Fen but 5 hours is a long time to spend there so a quick look on birdguides and 50 minutes later I was pulling in to the car park at <i>Lynford Arboretum</i> and narrowly avoiding the scrum of birders. 51 minutes later I was being directed toward a stand of trees where a small flock of <b>Common Crossbills</b> was flitting around as apparently the target bird was popping in and out, and at 52 minutes bang! There it was, an irridescent raspberry coloured male with a pair of striking white wing bars on black coverts. A <b>Two-barred Crossbill</b>, just one of the 50+ birds to have invaded the UK in this year of Crossbill irruptions. It was a veritable piece of vivid tropical fruit in a bowl of apples. If only every tick was that simple. For the person next to me it was his 5th trip to see it. After that I wondered down the paddocks where some Hawfinches had been seen earlier. My luck had run out with just some more Crossbills and a <b>Marsh Tit</b>.</p>
<p>There was some speculation on whether this is genuinely a two-barred crossbill or is a variant of Common Crossbill, mainly due to the widths of the bars not being text book. And there was also some speculation that this is just the current trend to query absolutely everything. I tend to the latter. After all, this was not just a common crossbill with some white on the wings, it was a completely different colour; easily picked out from the others head on with no bars visible. And the wing bars weren't pale edges of coverts, they were strong and visible white patches.</p>
<p>But if it is a common Crossbill then its an even better tick than a two-barred crossbill, because in a year when there are 50+ 2bXbills in the country, we were looking at the one bird which is the rare double wing-barred raspberry coloured variant of Common Crossbill.</p>
<p>And thence to <i>Wicken Fen</i>. My first visit and I was quite impressed at the scale of the place, although if you want Short-Eared Owls then Burwell Fen out the back of Wicken is apparently the place to go. Bird-wise it was less impressive being a largely barren reed bed. A pair of <b>Marsh Harriers</b>, some <b>Fieldfares</b>, some <b>Shovellers</b>, and a distant small deer (Muntjac?) being the list. I left the Tower Hide before the Hen Harriers appeared and headed back to Cambridge.</p>
DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-78701008095379911612013-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:002013-10-27T12:13:38.974-07:00Firecrests & MBYOW<p>don't go getting all excited. I haven't just seen one.</p>
<p>I did see one a few years ago in Hatfield Forest, and of course I've seen them at various costal watchpoints in the usual season,but its still a noteable bird for me. I feel I undersee them because I'm not familiar enough with the call to pick them up when they are around.</p>
<p>Firecrests are getting commoner, and by joining the dots I'd say they are getting commoner at quite a pace. Consider these three observations: Firecrests are widespread breeders in the west and north of Herts according to various local watchers. Firecrests are regular in winter at <a href="http://www.thecowboybirder.com/2013/10/no-fire-crest-but-super-cilium.html">some local woods in NE London</a>. In Dorset, Abbotsbury Tropical Gardens regularly has double figures of these birds.</p>
<p>They must be around here. So come MBYOW, I'm going to go looking for them. That's one more activity for the list.</p>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-52550109969447087182013-10-27T06:08:00.005-07:002013-10-27T06:08:59.684-07:00Feeling smug<p>I've never knowingly seen a Pallid Swift. I thought I did several years ago on Rhodes, but then couldn't relocate it amongst the many common swifts
with any certainty so it stayed off my <a href="http://dorsetdipper.blogspot.co.uk/2007/04/rhodes-summary.html">Rhodes List</a>, and I went away cursing my poor identification skills compared to those superior birders who effortlessly identify such birds.</p>
<p>Recently there's been lots of fuss on Birdforum about swifts appearing on the east coast. Are they Pallid or Common? Photos have been taken, measurements made, feathers counted, much zooming and rebalancing has gone on, and now we know that they are probably, but not definitely, Pallid Swifts. Suddenly I'm feeling inwardly superior about my earlier caution and generally quite smug.</p>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-92138795551215695732013-10-13T05:17:00.001-07:002013-10-27T12:14:00.038-07:00Cleaning up on Portland<p>Regular readers of a previous blog will be aware of a standard type of post. The one where I go to Portland, have a great time, see some really nice Chiffchaffs, oh by the way others saw Albatross, Eagle, Hummingbird, but hey, it was great etc etc. Well not today!</p>
<p>I pitched up around noon after some local business and headed up the hill opposite the obs to where a small crowd was stood inspecting the very spot on the path where a <b>Short-Toed Lark</b> had been seen not very long ago. My general policy is not to hang around so I headed up to the top fields, and was admiring a party of 5 <b>Stonechat </b>when a lark flew over and landed further up. I got onto it and was soon taking in the general blandness and featurelessness that characterise Larks as a family. Its easy to agree with the sourrounding crowd on an id, but when you are faced with the bird itself its a different story. What are the particular features, or in this case lack of features, that characterise the Short Toed Lark? I remembered something about a neck or shoulder mark but there was nothing particularly obvious. Nevertheless I felt sure this was it - no streaking on the breast, no crest, slight russet cap, and most importantly it was feeding on the path. It was disturbed by holidaymakers and flew off, so I headed off to Southwell for a <b>Yellow-Browed Warbler</b>, noting a couple of <b>Wheatears </b>on the way.</p>
<p>Courtesy of helpful local birders I arrived at the line of sycamores hosting this particular siberian stray, and was soon pointed at a silhouette which promptly disappeared. We spend the next hour waiting for it to reappear but to no avail. The two birders there headed off, and I was about to do likewise when the YBW shot up from a bush and preceeded to give a specatcular performance out in the open at short range; hovering, flicking, constantly picking around leaves. Absolutely fantastic. It was over 25 years ago I last saw one of these, so probably not the same bird.</p>
<p>Back toward the Bill the Short Toed Lark had returned to the same point I last saw it. The id was now clinched by seeing the key identifying feature; an entourage of photographers who surely would not be wasting their time on a Skylark. We got ridiculously close, presumably not because the lark is by nature confiding, but presumably because this one, used to a life of being completely ignored due to its total featurelessness and overwhelming dullness, was now enjoying being the centre of attention.</p>
<p>Just time to get to Radipole for the <b>Glossy Ibis</b>, but would I get there before the North Hide shut to visitors? It closes at 4:30. Yes, that's right, its hosting a signficant rarity, its a Saturday, lots of RSPB members are keen to go and see it, but in the RSPB rules is rules and 4:30 sharp it closes. So I belted past 2 <b>Clouded Yellow</b> Butterflies and went off to Radipole, dashed to the North Hide and got into the hide at 4pm. The Ibis had dived into some reeds an hour before and had not been seen. Oh well, too much to ask to see all the birds on my list, so we stayed and chatted about this and that. A <b>Water Rail</b> walked casually along the muddy fringe of a reed bed, a couple of <b>Wigeon </b>dropped in, and as the man came to lock up we prepared to leave when suddenly serenely gliding past the open slots came the Ibis! Fortunately the chap contracted by the RSPB to perform the locking up had a passing interest in birds and we stopped to admire. I had been listening to a "clack-clack-clack" somewhere out left and had passed this off as a demented Stonechat, but the contractor then announced a <b>Ring Ouzel</b> on a bramble bush, so we duly admired this arrival - rarer than Glossy Ibis at Radipole, until we absolutely had to go. Note for future reference, remember that call! Ring Ouzels are apparently very chatty and love Brambles. Then just time for some more chat at the bandstand where in pristine low sunlight a hundred or so <b>Mediterranean Gulls</b> came through for a brief bathe before heading to the bay.</p>
<p>So, would I day like today fit into My Big Year of Wildlife? Undoubtedly yes. And quite a lot of them too. Right now, I think I could do a whole year of days like today."</p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCHSr6-lv00yU5b8kts3be-4bZnYeaJefwcM5-dCmV4uU70bAR3REPUVPItdzUs5BkpWBL03QO0LVtKh7o1BsnSyGz_Tlv70pu_gexfegnOow5cJL62N7Eb01lLNJD9WmaBd9-TTFAtI/s1600/Short+Toed+Lark+Portland.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCHSr6-lv00yU5b8kts3be-4bZnYeaJefwcM5-dCmV4uU70bAR3REPUVPItdzUs5BkpWBL03QO0LVtKh7o1BsnSyGz_Tlv70pu_gexfegnOow5cJL62N7Eb01lLNJD9WmaBd9-TTFAtI/s640/Short+Toed+Lark+Portland.jpg" /></a>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-76507109239668762582013-09-22T13:39:00.002-07:002013-10-27T12:14:17.440-07:00South Sawbo<p>My standard walk with D#2 - House .> Pishiobury Park -> Beckingham Palace (back of) -> Old Harlow -> Stort path -> cut through the boardwalk back to house. Highlights were <b>Grey Wagtail</b> on Southbrook just outside the house, <b>Kingfisher </b>making a welcome return dashing up the river, a <b>Tawny Owl</b> hooting, and then at 7:05 pm precisely something rather special.</p>
<p><b>Swallows </b>had been present in good numbers along the river and over Pishiobury House, but over the field east of the Park they all seemed to congregate at once and swarmed all over the field and neighbouring area like a flock of huge flies. I tried counting - first 10, then in tens, then in hundreds, and the best I can do was between 500-1000. Just low, around and above, everywhere you looked.</p>
<p>It felt like I was watching something commonplace from decades ago, something that hardly ever happens now because numbers of all birds are much lower than they were.</p>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-28391105608010278852013-09-15T09:35:00.000-07:002013-10-27T12:14:38.764-07:00Local - mid Aug to mid Sept<p>Following a summer lull I've been getting out a bit more. A quite impressive list too, if I'd actually seen the birds I'd been going for, but it turned out just a marginally interesting list.
<p>18th August - <i>Amwell </i>(<b>Hobby</b>, <b>Common Sandpiper</b>, <b>Red Kite</b> x2) then <i>King's Mead</i> (<b>Green Sandpiper</b>).</p>
<p>24th there was much rain and a major fall on the E coast. I visited <i>Amwell </i>after all the action. There was a <b>Garganey </b>which was a very washed out buff, and a <b>Wigeon</b>. The next day I took a walk rund <i>South Sawbo</i> and had <b>Lesser Whitethroat</b>, <b>Bullfinch</b>, <b>Blackcap</b>, then over the Lower Sheering Road up towards Sheering itself there was C<b>ommon Buzzard</b> (a family party of 4), <b>Spotted Fly</b> and juv <b>Whinchat</b>. </p>
<p>26th August <i>Hanningfield Res</i> - 1 juv <b>Black Tern</b>, 1 juv <b>Arctic Tern</b>, 1 <b>Greenshank</b>, 1 <b>Green Sandpiper</b>, 0 WWBT!</p>
<p>1st September the new reserve at <i>Thorley Wash</i> held a <b>Lesser Whitethroat</b> + various commoner warblers, and a few <b>Roach </b>and a <b>Pike </b>in the river. Then a dog-walk in the afternoon in <i>Pishiobury Park</i> had a S<b>potted Flycatcher</b>.</p>
<p>7th September repeat of the <i>South Sawbo</i> walk had uch the same plus 8 <b>Skylark </b>and 15 <b>Linnets </b>but no spot fly or whinchat.</p>
<p>7th pm at <i>Rye Meads RSPB</i> had 3 <b>Green Sandpiper</b>, 1 <b>Snipe</b>, 2 <b>Wigeon</b>, 2 <b>Ruddy Shelduck</b>, 2 <b>Little Egret</b> and a <b>hobby</b>.</p>
<p>14th September <i>Pishiobury Park</i> had another <b>Spotted Flycatcher</b>, then on ther 15th a visit to <i>Pincey Brook</i> (a flooded field near Hatfield Broad Oak) produced 30 <b>Greylag Goose</b>, some <b>Teal</b> and <b>Snip</b>e, but failed to produce the hoped for Ruff.</p>
<p>So, would any of this feature in MBYOW, given that these visits are often squeezed into an odd half hour when in MBYOW I'll have all day to go where I please? Well yes. Firstly, I expect there will still be a lot of squeezing in short trips. Then there's the context of the sightings. Local birds fit into a history of birds in that area, so sightings of, say, Meadow Pipit have a meaning in the local park they don't have on a day trip to Minsmere.</p>
<p>Finallyand for me most imprtant there's the views you get. Birds in the park, or for that matter at Rye Meads, are often close-too so you get good views. Watching terns at Hanningfield is a bit like watching bands at the O2, whereas local birds are like seeing bands down your local pub. Yes I was there, yes I can tick them, but did I really see them? The terns were dots in the distance. Perhaps the EWT should put big screens up and have remotely controlled cameras on a boat so we can all get good views. Although the Hanningfield list is the best, that's the one that probably won't make it into MBYOW.</p>
DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-27443721448662258642013-09-12T13:18:00.000-07:002013-09-12T13:18:43.456-07:00MBYOW??<p>If you had a year to do whatever you liked, no constraints, no places you had to be, how would you spend it? If you had complete freedom to go where you wanted, when you wanted, would you really take that opportunity? And if you'd spent your life thinking I'd really like to be doing X, and you got the chance, would you do it? And then the next question no-one can really answer; would it have been just what you wanted? Or would it turn out that really, it didn't hit the spot. That it was okay for a while, but it turns out you'd have been happier doing something else?</p>
<p>I've always been a birdwatcher, from getting an Observer's Book of Birds almost as soon as I could read, and looking up Oystercatchers and finding that yes they did occur in the Yorkshire Dales and I had just seen one, and then finding Waxwings on the way to school and just being blown away that such an amazing bird from such a distant part of the world could be here, now, on my street, outside my house. Then holidays in Northumberland with screeching terns, skuas, gannets plunging into the sea and a Bar-Tailed Godwit with surely the deepest brick red colour in all nature. School trips to Minsmere, Leighton Moss, with Bitterns creeping out of reeds, Marsh Harriers quartering reed beds and passing food in mid-air, then camping at Spurn Head in a freezing October and seeing a flock of Snow Buntings swirling and tumbling down a windswept beach like huge snow flakes. So I've always thought if I got the opportunity then I'd head off and do some proper birdwatching, maybe twitch a rarity or too.</p>
<p>But now I'm at an age when that opportunity might come, I'm not so sure. I've been increasingly aware that the best moments in wildlife watching aren't the moments you think will be the best, not the things on your list you are heading out to see, they are the ones you don't expect. That moment when boom! something drops into view, or a moment when a common bird stops right next to you. Seeing wildlife there and then, enjoying the spectacle, the colours, the sounds, the drama and then trying to understand what I'm watching, understanding what piece of the jigsaw puzzle of nature is in front of me. This, increasingly is what makes stepping out the front door, binoculars round my neck, something to look forward to.</p>
<p>So if that opportunity comes, how will I spend it? Would I want to spend hours on the road going to distant places to see rare birds, and then a few hours more waiting for it to pop out of a bush? Would I want to learn bird ringing or get involved in some other such activity to be part of expanding our knowledge? Would I want to spend it mainly in the company of others enjoying being in nature, or by myself? Or would it be easier and hence more realistic to just focus on all the wildlife that's around me here in East Herts with its valley, its Forests, and its gravel pits? And just birds,or butterflies, bats, dragonflies, plants, fish, ants, the lot?</p>
<p>I don't know the answers to these questions, so I'm going to send some time finding out. And when that opportunity comes I'll be ready for My Big Year of Wildlife!</p>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-75520754244410040352013-08-31T14:34:00.001-07:002013-08-31T14:34:05.876-07:00Knopper Gall... so I should really know something about trees. I went off round the park and found <b>Oak tree</b> with acorns - no problem here - but one tree had these huge growths
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGUPHMWwV4n9niFvzwYSTEiNe3ZDkKfxYDOPGluTqD691YaMTa9iby5zXChb_Z_VldfmQoB8HIwjbGp72mf-MmILuyeWN999DprXiFteq5YFNGqSgeb4YuR2tG9bV-NtKgfHZYizLGD4/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGUPHMWwV4n9niFvzwYSTEiNe3ZDkKfxYDOPGluTqD691YaMTa9iby5zXChb_Z_VldfmQoB8HIwjbGp72mf-MmILuyeWN999DprXiFteq5YFNGqSgeb4YuR2tG9bV-NtKgfHZYizLGD4/s400/012.JPG" /></a></div>
some googling later and its the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andricus_quercuscalicis"></a><b>Knopper Gall</b>, created by, and home of, the Knopper Wasp. And like much of our wilfdlife a recent arrival, first found in Devon in the 1950's. One tree had quite a lot, and the next one none at all.DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324274481938782180.post-60922256778795146202013-08-18T10:16:00.000-07:002013-08-22T03:24:18.054-07:00Buddleia feast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh465CgvF172CveJkMG3sl1yPTd8dF1_oqtIuvx1kXADlVdXJpM1qv8DTvAJoz6Anir8ZTEKL6zrb6qxy2EGtIRBep-bb7X5yzOBHStDYa_M_BJMTeN1S0h7LZSfOdRjilEcAKEnclbaA8/s1600/18+Aug++Butterflies+and+bees+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh465CgvF172CveJkMG3sl1yPTd8dF1_oqtIuvx1kXADlVdXJpM1qv8DTvAJoz6Anir8ZTEKL6zrb6qxy2EGtIRBep-bb7X5yzOBHStDYa_M_BJMTeN1S0h7LZSfOdRjilEcAKEnclbaA8/s320/18+Aug++Butterflies+and+bees+012.JPG" /></a></div>DorsetDipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.com0