Links

I've learned and been inspired by some of these blogs

Griffmonsters Great Walks 

Based in East Suffolk, lots of places to explore lovingly detailed

Wild Bristol

 Dylan's photos of the wildlife of Bristol

Cabinet of Curiosities 

Phil Gates from County Durham wildlife blog. Being a fan of everything mustelid, I love his tale of a Stoat's Christmas Dinner and his 5 episode audio series a Guide to Garden Wildife is good

 

 

 

 

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St Mark's fly

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I came across a swarm of insects on a visit to the Oak Tree Community farm  to look for wildlife. I assumed the menacing dangling thing was either an ovipositor or possibly a sting. These were the same sort of thing that had been bugging me walking along north wall of Minsmere a week ago, but I didn't come away with any bites. They followed me around in  a small cloud along that stretch of the reserve.  The appendages were neither sting nor ovipositor, simply long back legs, St Mark's flies otherwise known as Hawthorn flies are a little bit early this year for St Mark's Day 25th April. St Mark's Fly Bibio marci   Mating - the larger female with smoky wings is above Phil Gates has some fascinating detail of the large eyes on his cabinet of curiosities blog , which differ between males and females, the males have a visual system adapted to both hover and locate females, whereas the females have a simpler visual system without the fine hairs between the...
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Insectwatch on the Oak Tree Community farm

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Hollesely, Tunstall, Blaxhall commons

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 This one was a hunt for yellowhammers for Yellowhammers.net Upper Hollesley common Recording potential poor because the road is very noisy   Your browser does not support the audio tag but this recording was good enough to qualify the song type. There seems to eb a general principle that scientific analysis can tolerate recordings that I'd categorise as rough as guts . I came across this electric blue critter on the common and this cryptic moth the heath where I recorded the yellowhammer Tunstall Common this has more recording potential, road is not too bad. though many tractors shifting harvest this time Your browser does not support the audio tag Tunstall common   Blaxhall Common nothing heard this time. Very ferny. Sent in an oldie yellowhammer recording from 2007 from the nightjar walk Your browser does not support the audio tag Blaxhall Common
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