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A bee in slow motion on a practically perfect poppy
Filmed by Lucy King.
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A note from “SE4 Sally”
“Bee-watching in garden – never noticed “bee preferences” before. In the case of Kniphofia (red hot poker plant) – always thought it was snails eating the flowering pokers – its bees, starting as yellow at bottom and working up. Common bumble bees and honey bees seem to prefer this plant. Buff-tailed bumble bees love the…
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Podcast episode 5 – “Where have all the flowers gone”
Simon, John and Margaret’s theme for today’s podcast is “Wildlife – Interactions and Relationships.” The FFON (www.ffon.co.uk) team discuss John and Margaret’s recent blog post about their delightful village lane and how things took a turn for the worst (as far as nature was concerned) when they were confronted with a “Grass Cutting” sign. Also,…
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“Where have all the flowers gone?”
By John and Margaret Cooper. On Monday 23rd March 2020, nine weeks ago, we started to “self-isolate” as over 70s in our tiny cottage in Norfolk. During our lockdown we have taken most of our government-sanctioned daily exercise by strolling down a nearby narrow country lane. We have used these walks to observe plants and…
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Can anyone identify this beetle?
Our London correspondent, Helen Jeffries has a question for FFON readers. Helen has an inordinate fondness for beetles – ‘I like the specimens one can get in see-through blocks,’ she says. ‘I bought the one pictured below as a lucky dip from ebay for a few pounds. I don’t suppose anyone can identify it?’ Helen…
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The joys of an early morning walk to work
A note to John and Margaret Cooper from Sarah Pellett, BSc (Hons) MA VetMB Cert AVP (ZooMed) DZooMed (Reptilian) MRCVS. RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. Sarah is a practising veterinary surgeon who specialises in the care of “exotic” animals and wildlife. Reference was made to her work with wildlife casualties, such as…
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Podcast episode 4 – ‘Don’t keep your natural history to yourself’
Simon, John and Margaret’s theme for today’s podcast is “Records and Rapport”. But first, they share messages from a variety of places including India, the Caribbean, Scotland and a safari company based in East Africa. Recorded Wednesday 6th May at 19.00. Podcast edited by Edward King. Episode show notes: Since recording the podcast, The Map’s…
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Marvellous Moths
By David McHattie. Colourful visitors photographed during Essex garden lock-down from the Dengie Peninsula. I have been lucky this spring – lots of moths and butterflies to see in the garden. I have enticed the “visitors” with a pheromone lure (Emperor Moth), the Cinnabar Moth with the UV light from a moth trap, but the…
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Man-Made Nature
By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Since people have been allowed out for as much exercise as they want, and have been gradually returning to work, London feels more like itself. When I go out to work I see a lot more people about and there is also more noise of traffic. I’m sure…
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Growing close to nature during the lockdown
Written by Sean Wensley. Northern Ireland is in an extended period of lockdown as I write, 3 weeks beyond the rest of the UK. For a further three weeks, I toggle between my work desk, garden and 8-month-old baby, buying shopping to last as long as possible and clapping for NHS staff and other key…
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The Back Garden Naturalist
Written by Graham Wellstead. As a lifelong enthusiasm for almost all things natural virtually controls my life – not quite every living thing, I admit to failure when it comes to enthusing my wife of 60 years. She does, however, enjoy watching the birds on our feeders, placed where she can see them, confined to…
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A Lincolnshire sunset
Photo taken by Edward King.
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An explosion of starlings
Written by Graham Wellstead. Not everyone is keen on these brash argumentative birds but I have a soft spot for them. For several years starlings have been missing from my garden. I would see them elsewhere, and a number of times their glorious vast flock displays on winter evenings as they assembled prior to roosting,…
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A Robin raiding the sunflower hearts
Filmed by Harry King. Watch how fast this cheeky Robin raids the sunflower hearts. Blink and you’ll miss it.
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Low Tide at Vauxhall
By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Since the lock down I’ve started taking an interest in the tides of the River Thames. It’s possible to look up the tide tables for Tower Bridge and those are pretty much right for the surrounding parts of the river too. On my most recent day off I…
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A more optimistic long view of our place in nature
By Dr Valerie Jeffries. Walking along briskly for my lockdown exercise I was watching the starlings congregate for their evening swarm on the TV aerials, and listening to quarrelling sparrows and the raucous yells of the seagulls way inland. Many birds have adapted to live alongside humans in our urban landscapes, some like the house…
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“Habitat is King”; look after the habitat and all will be well
By Mike Gadd. As a great lover of wildlife art and sculpture, I fell into the fascinating world of taxidermy and have tried to recreate the beauty of nature ever since. My morning walks always bring ideas and inspiration, as I see the seasons change and the amazing wildlife along the River Wharfe and woods…
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“April … hath put a spirit of youth in everything”
John and Margaret Cooper submitted the piece below, with photos, for the FFON Armchair Naturalist, from their friend Dr Jennifer Whybrow BVSc MSc MRCVS. Jennifer’s notes reflect changes during April, during the first few weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown. She enjoys her garden but, like all of us, has to strike a balance between maintaining…
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Nature notes from “our Care Home Correspondent”
“Our Care Home Correspondent”, who is no longer confined to her room in quarantine is now able to explore the Care Home grounds. Here are some notes and photos she sent to us: The sunny courtyard has a raised bed at one end and two linked pond tanks. A few weeds observed in courtyard. Shepherd’s…
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‘Over 1 in 10 UK species faces a real risk of extinction’
Written by Oliver Cottis. Spring is the best time of year and we are stuck at home. With such a depressing grind of negativity, I don’t think it’s ever been as important to connect with nature in any way that we can. For most of us, this means in our gardens. More people than ever…
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From Paul Budgen, FLS
Further to your earlier posting on the FFON blog, I offer you a photograph of a dark-edged beefly (Bombylius major), as requested. This was taken on 8th April this year, on a footpath near the local nature reserve, where you and I have walked, John (Cooper), on one of your visits to Broadstone. I have also attached…
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“Our feeders are a magnet for the sparrows and the hawk.”
Written by Graham Wellstead (Surrey, UK). With this splendid weather, long may it last, albeit quite chilly first thing, I have been up and about since first light. Our bird feeders are currently hosting our usual gang of 60 plus house sparrows, who alternate their position from feeding, to cover in the pyracantha hedge underneath…
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From a friend in Kinross-shire, Scotland
A friend in Kinross-shire, Scotland, kindly forwarded to us some photos for the Armchair Naturalist FFON website. We encouraged him to do so when he told us that he has red (not grey) squirrels in his garden. On hearing that, John (Cooper) wryly remarked: “We Sassenachs envy you your red squirrels!” Our correspondent was not able…
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Here in Germany, we do watch a lot from our windows
Written by John F. Burton in Germany, who knew and worked with Maxwell Knight: Thank you very much for your kind email and your inspiring internet (FFON) piece, which we enjoyed reading. Here in Germany, we do watch a lot from our windows (passing White Storks, Grey Herons, Cormorants, Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Goshawks, Jays, etc.) and…
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Wooing the birds
Written by Beatrice Bray. The French twentieth century composer Olivier Messeain took avian observations to a new level. Not just content with listening to birds, he sought to recreate it in his music: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3gJFSH6W6wXVgybrqqNtFGq/the-composer-who-took-a-cue-from-birdsong I wouldn’t attempt to emulate either his musicianship or his record as an ornithologist, not least because my own expertise is…
