bobchapman.bsky.social
Retired after 40 odd years of conservation land management. Birds, Inverts (mainly moths, Diptera, Odonata, Orthoptera) but anything really. S.Hants patchlisting, New Forest area.
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Impressive, my trap in SW Hants got 1 Double-striped Pug and nothing else, unless you count a slug and 2 woodlice.
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Seems to have unusually extensive black ear-coverts.
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I think they have been seen as causing problems in Flanders, where the breeding birds now seem to include some birds of wild origin as well as feral. Is there any evidence of wild birds joining feral in the UK? A problem if wild origin birds have protected status when control of feral is considered.
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I found that the other day and wondered what it was, really good to find out!
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We also had noticably less production in 2024, 11 out of 12 months with less sunlight. Still enough to run the house and car for all the summer months. If we built as well as we know we can, households energy bills could be massively reduced.
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I don't think we get seawatches in the Solent, we just get the occasional seabird. A bit like Grafham Water.
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After many years working in countryside management and having all kinds of signs supplied, I have no doubt a routed wooden sign is best for all simple signage. Cheap, easy to produce and in keeping with pretty much any setting.
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I had a walk in a wooded bit of the Forest today, almost completely birdless, but as you say pretty typical for the New Forest in winter.
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There was a big shoot on at Cadland today, Red-legs hurtling about all over the place.
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I doubt Pheasant or Red-legged Partridge are self-sustaining either. They don't seem to persist for long if releases cease.
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We have gone all electric with heat pump, solar, battery, ev charger etc in a late 1960s house, without a really good company to handle all the practical and paperwork I am not sure it would have happened. As things stand the switch is just not going to happen, even if people can afford to do it.
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Long before I had a light trap and used to hunt larvae to rear this was one of the common species I used to find around Leicester. Now in Hants where I very rarely find them at any stage.
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Certainly can! If I take a camera it is usually for macro. If you find a really good bird they seem to want pictures, but people who go "birding" with only a camera I just don't get, for me it is looking at the wildlife that is the point.
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Knot shure watt yew meen.
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A bit harsh on Wigan maybe?
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I have seen just one this winter here on the Hampshire coast, by contrast last winter I saw more than usual, so the difference is very obvious.
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I got my first today as well, they don't seem to have made it to the south coast in the numbers they did last winter.
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I don't think many birds willingly swim across the shipping lane and I don't blame them. Rarely see grebes fly across either.
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I suspected as much, if it is calm it should be visible from the Marina I would think, but never has been when I have looked. It seems the grebes tend to largely stick to their regular shore in So'ton Water.
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Despite it often being posted as "off Hythe pier" I have not managed to see it from the Hythe side.
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A good haul, just 13 December Moths for me, I confess I had hoped for a bit more with temperatures close to double figures.