MAALIE

Rosy Starling - a jewel for Cumbria

2009-11-22T15:17:00.013Z

With Cumbria suffering in the last few days from the heaviest English rainfall in recorded history, and with thousands made homeless by flooding, it came as a spark of brightness when my Natural England colleague Rob phoned me to say that a Rosy (Rose-coloured) Starling had turned up in his garden near Kendal.

Rob emailed this picture he captured of a juvenile Rosy Starling in his garden to tempt me,
and kindly invited me to his home to see it

The normal range of this species is far eastern Europe and across southern Asia. The species is a strong migrant and normally heads towards India to spend the winter. So what was one doing in England in November?

After a very good breeding season by certain species, when food is abundant, there may be a population explosion when birds may "erupt" and colonise new places. Biologists also have evidence that a small proportion of individuals in a migratory population are genetically predisposed to migrate in the "wrong direction". These become pioneers that may extend the range of the species into new areas.

The individual in Rob's garden did not show striking pink and black plumage of the adult, but was a much more drab juvenile that may have lost its way in a storm.

An adult male in full breeding plumage.

This is not my picture, please click on the
image for the internet source.

On a very dull morning I was not able to match the quality of the pictures that Rob had taken, but here are a couple of my images taken as the bird pecked its way around the chicken run

Juvenile Rosy Starling, Kendal, 22 November 2009

Five-minute chocolate cake

2009-11-20T12:22:00.009Z

I have never made a cake of any sort in my life (though I am said to be adept at making apple pies, mince pies, Welshcakes and snickerdoodles). When a friend forwarded to me recipe for a chocolate cake to be made in a coffee mug, in just five minutes, I was intrigued enough to try it out!

The ingredients: 4 tablespoons of flour; 4 tablespoons of sugar; 2 tablespoons of cocoa; 1 egg; 3 tablespoons of milk; 3 tablespoons of oil; 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips (optional); a splash of vanilla essence; a coffee mug and a microwave oven.

Add the dry ingredients to your largest coffee mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly; pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips, vanilla essence and mix again.

Don't you think that looks a bit full? But I don't have a tablespoon in my kitchen,
so I used an ice-cream scoop which was probably a bit big.

Microwave at the highest setting for three minutes.

Ooops! It's gone over the top! I thought it looked a bit full!

Trim off the rough bits (you don't need to throw them away!),
turn out onto a plate and serve with squirty cream.

Who would ever know?

I was very happy with my chocolate cake and it will be added to my list of "regulars".

Request: If any reader can think of variations based on this theme, so I could make other cakes (as a change from chocolate) in this way, please let me know in the comments!

Weekend Reflections

2009-11-17T20:38:00.012Z

This weekend it was my pleasure to welcome my younger son Carwyn (a.k.a. Tortoiseshell) to Maalie Court. Here are a few random images from the weekend.

The beach at Askam-in-Furness at the bottom of my street

A train ride along the coastal route took us to Ravenglass
and the remains of a Roman bath site

Carwyn captures the estuary at Ravenglass...

...before a stroll through the autumn leaves.

Participation in Maalie's research project, colour-ringing a Marsh Tit

A visit to the market town of Ulverston, the home of Laurel and Hardey
to see the memorial statue...

...before I was dragged into a tea room for tea and cake.

A weekend of unsettled weather, but some fine memories

Brekky Fruit

2009-11-12T21:13:00.009Z

The three jars on the left are the originals from Australia;
the two on the right are from Tesco in England

I first encountered Brekky Fruit in Australia when I went to visit my mate Simon. It is simply fruit preserved in juice or syrup stored in plastic wide-necked screw-capped jars. You can eat it for breakfast either on its own or (my preference) with your breakfast cereal. It is ideal for camping, as we discovered.

What attracted me to the product was not only the contents, but the jars themselves, which make ideal storage units. And, being wide-necked, they offer other useful functions when camping. I brought one back with me, and Simon brought another one on each of his subsequent visits to England, making three (they are the three on the left in the picture).

While shopping today in Tesco, I discovered Brekky Fruit in England! Well, Brekky Fruit in all but name, the containers seem identical. I bought two, peaches and pears (they are the two at the right in the picture).

So now I can supply my own Brekky Fruit jars.

Message for Simon: Mate, no need to use up your weight allowance on Brekky Fruit jars when you come next April; please use it on Cherry Ripes instead!

Mauerfall Berlin - The fall of the wall

2009-11-09T12:56:00.011Z

Twenty years ago today, the function of Berlin Wall ended. I post this modest commemoration using pictures that I took in Berlin when I visited the city in February 2005. You can see more about this event on the blog of Entartete Musik.

A remnant of the Berlin Wall as it stands today, now a national monument

Graffiti artists risked their lives painting the wall.
The graffiti are now preserved as a cultural heritage.

Check-point Charlie. The border post hut is a replica, the original was destroyed

The Tiergarten in the snow, February 2005

Reichstag (German Government building)

Brandenburger Tor from the Reichstag

Brandenburger Tor looking resplendent, floodlit after restoration in 2005

Endstation to the Vienna Woods

2009-11-03T16:56:00.017Z

In a previous post I described the system of City Hiking Trails (Stadtwanderweg) that begin at some of the tram Endstations (terminus) located around the edge of Vienna. So, on a dank, rather dismal misty November morning I hauled myself aboard Tram D*, bound for the northern edge of the city to the village of Nussdorf, on the western shore of the Danube, where starts Stadtwanderweg 1.

The Tram "D" winds it way down from Beethovengang into Nussdorf

The district is steeped in Beethoven history, and just nearby is the house in which he worked on his mighty ninth (choral) symphony. Indeed, the endstation itself is called Beethovengang, and to begin the trail you have to cross Eroicagasse.

Stadtwanderweg 1 begins at Beethovengang and follows the
course of the Schreiberbach brook...

...alongside which is the monument to Ludwig van Beethoven

The trail passes through the zone of vinyards, some of which seem scarcely larger
than pocket handkerchiefs clinging to the side of the hill

Beyond the vinyards, up into the Vienna Woods in their misty autumnal garb

There appears a clearing in the woods at Kahlenberg where mackerel are grilled. Who could resist one on a cold November day? I certainly couldn't!

Decending through the Vienna Woods in their autumnal glory...

...until a view of the Danube is captured

The end of the trail on the bank of the Danube. How do you take a picture of a broad, grey, featureless river (that is eponymously blue) on a grey day? Well, I tried my best!

*Before leaving the city centre, the Tram "D" route follows part of the Vienna "Ring" and you have good views of many of the famous buildings like the Parliament, City Hall (Rathaus), Natural History Museum and University.

Samhain in Seewinkel

2009-10-29T09:19:00.029Z

Samhain is the Pagan festival that falls midway between the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) and the Winter Solstice (Yule) and is traditionally celebrated on 31st October. It comes deep into Autumn; only a few stragglers of the summer migrant birds linger on, whilst the geese and thrushes from the Arctic tundra are already pushing southwards. Nipped by the first frosts, the golden leaves of the deciduous trees have mostly fallen to the ground, dislodged by the autumnal gales.

Certainly one can still relish mild, mellow days, but the sun is low in the sky, its radiation weak, and to imagine that there is any remnant of summer is simply to kid oneself. Summer is gone.

This year I am passing the Samhain period around the Seewinkel National Park, close the borders with Slovakia and Hungary, on the eastern shore of the inland steppe lake of Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl).

A Hungarian White Donkey greets the Samhain dawn
(see here for more information on these unique donkeys)

The birch trees start to look bare as they lose their leaves
against a backdrop of fine-weather cumulus clouds

The golden beds of Phragmites reeds echo the poplar trees

The hay is baled up...

...and the grapes have been harvested for the 2009 vintage.
One small bunch has escaped and will become food for the birds

Winter visiting birds like this Great Grey Shrike are starting to arrive...

...and Clouded Yellow butterflies take advantage of the weakening sunshine to sip the last nectar before looking for a crevice to hibernate.

The village of Illmitz, in the heart of the Seewinkal National Park, catches the rays of the setting sun in the gathering gloom of an evening storm

I wish a Happy Samhain to all my readers

Black-necked Grebe round-up

2009-10-23T17:44:00.020+01:00

Every year, thousands of Black-necked Grebes migrate south from their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra to moult and spend the winter in the south of Europe. There is a particular concentration that favours the salt pans (salins) near Huelva in Andalusia. They feed mainly on the larvae of aquatic insects.

Here, there is a long-term research study in which samples of the grebes are captured during the moulting period (when flying is weakest) for ringing and measurement. I was fortunate to be invited to participate in one of the capture events.

The salt pans are also the home of thousands of Greater Flamingos (this individual is flying from right to left)

The Black-necked Grebes swim off looking suspicious... they have seen this all before!

The Expedition of about 50 participants assembles

The nets are prepared...

...and the Director, Luís García, explains the strategy with a stick in the sand.

Then it is into the water where the team pushes the net forward through the brine...

...corralling the grebes int a smaller and smaller area...

..until they are so concentrated they can be plucked from the water like fish.

The grebes are not web-footed (like ducks) but have these lobed feet as an adaptation for swimming and diving

Groups of grebes are transported to the processing station where...

...they are kept in holding pens until...

...it is time for each to be ringed and measured in turn.

The Director photographs the extended wing of every bird to keep a record of moult progress.

A final look at these delightful water birds before...

...release when they scamper of towards the middle of the lake.

A total of 242 Black-necked Grebes was processed that day. The Director joins the group for a few beers after a hot, and very salty, day's work.

More birds of Andalusia

2009-10-20T21:38:00.009+01:00

Birds that are caught in the mist nets are secured in clean linen bags and returned to the ringing station. The Director José Luis takes a bag for processing. What could it be?

Iberian Chiffchaff - the target species for study. This species is very closely related to the Common Chiffchaff (in fact, taxonomists have only recently "split" them) but appears brighter and greener, and the measurements are a little different

Iberian Chiffchaff (front) and Common Chiffchaff. The Iberian has a greener tail, but you need good light to see it properly!

Male Blackcap (compare with the female in the post below)

Cetti's Warbler which has only 10 feathers in the tail (most species have 12)

Female Subalpine Warbler

A handsome male Sardinian Warbler with his red iris

Excitement as a beautiful Azure-winged Magpie is caught going to roost. It's quite a handful!

The eponymous Azure-winged Magpie showing the azure wings and tail

There are still more pictures to come!

Migration through Doñana

2009-10-12T11:36:00.027+01:00

Although we already know a great deal about the migration strategies of trans-Saharan migrant birds, there is still much to learn about the details of the timing and location of stopover areas between species and within population categories (age and sex classes) of individual species. There is considerable evidence that climate change is affecting migration patterns and this needs to be understood.

Accordingly, the European-African Songbird Migration Network was established to study the migration of birds in key sites throughout Europe and Africa. Birds are caught and ringed, and details measurements, including weight and fat load, are observed and recorded.

The European-African Songbird Migration Network uses standardised methodology in the study of migrating birds in key sites through Europe and Africa.

One of these sites is in the Coto Doñana and I was privileged to participate in the programme with a team of Spanish ornithologists for a couple of weeks this Autumn. The Coto Doñana is an area of marshes ("marismas") in the delta of the River Gualdalquivir in Andalusia, Spain. Now a National Park, it is recognised as one of the most important wetland habitats in Europe and where countless waterfowl and wading birds, and other wildlife breed.

Moreover, the area is of crucial importance as a final stopover and "fattening-up" location for migrant birds as they refuel to make their make their way across the sea and the Sahara desert on their way to their wintering grounds in southern Africa.

Sunrise over the marismas, when our day's work began

The sun burns off the early morning mist...

...to reveal our village of El Rocio across the marismas (Can you spot the Cattle Egret among the feet of the horses?)

The field station, set among the umbrella-pines,
is constructed according to traditional methods

Birds are captured in mist nets like this set among the tamarisks...

...and are processed at the field station. Here, Maalie measures the wing...

...of a female Blackcap (yes, the female Blackcap's "cap" is brown!

Neus meticulously records every detail

A curious Hoopoe looks on

This is the first post of several about my visit to Spain. I will show pictures of individual birds species the we caught in due course.

Maalie in Spain

2009-09-27T17:32:00.004+01:00

Maalie is about to set of for a ten-day bird-ringing expedition in the forests and swamps of the Coto Doñana, Andalucia, in Southern Spain. Here are some pictures taken during his last visits to the region.

The small town of El Rocio is the centre of activity

Dry areas are dominated by "umbrella pines", from which "pine nuts" are gathered

The "Marismas" - the wetlands of the Guadalquivir River Delta,
south of Seville, where most of the research will be undertaken.

Luton: Britain's most boring town?

2009-09-24T19:05:00.019+01:00

In a recent "phone-in" radio programme, the subject was raised as to which was "Britain's most boring town?". The name of "Luton" was raised more than once. As I recently had cause to stay a night in Luton, I thought I would give you an opportunity to make a judgement for yourselves.

The first thing you see after leaving the railway station. I dont know what this building is.

The multi-story car park

The public library and theatre

The cinema and leisure centre (I went there to watch a movie to pass the evening)

Luton's den of vice - the Casino

The town centre

My hotel, the "Easy Hotel", adorned in the same colours as the "Easyjet" airline

Historically, Luton was Britain's centre of the millinary trade (indeed, the local football team is known affectionately as "The Hatters"). This old hydraulic hat-press serves as a monument to the former industrial glory of Luton.

Mabon 2009

2009-09-20T07:41:00.003+01:00

A Happy Festival of Mabon to you all!

Mabon is the Festival of the Autumn Equinox. It is also known as Harvest Home and celebrates the gathering in of the harvest. An equinox in astronomy is the time when the centre of the Sun can be observed to be directly above the equator. The date of the Autumn Equinox can be between September 21st and 23rd, but celebrations traditionally commence on 21st.

I think of the Autumn Equinox as the "tipping point" of summer: after that, the nights are longer than the days (in the north). There may still be some lingering warm days, but winter is not far off.

Harvest (almost) home. The modern methods of harvesting are...

The cut hay lies in windrows to dry before...

...harvest is home

The trees are changing colour...

...and deciduous leaf fall is underway

Crab apples are in season...

...and Hawthorn bushes are laden with red berries

The heaths look tired and brown...

...but a late flowering bell-heather Erica tetralix give a pin-point of colour

'Tis the season to be pie-ful

Equinoctial sunset over my village (you can see my house if you know where to look)
The island in the distance behind which the sun is setting is the Isle of Man)

Ulverston Beer Festival

2009-09-05T17:38:00.017+01:00

Ulverston is a small market town in the Furness Peninsular of South Cumbria (Lake District). Once it was a centre of commerce with a busy canal transporting limestone and iron ore to world markets. Today, Ulverston is regarded as the cultural centre of Cumbria, and is noted for its regular festivals and performing arts events in the Coronation Hall.

This weekend was the Furness Beer Festival in which I decided to participate, travelling by train from my home in Askam-in-Furness. This was an opportunity to sample a range of Real Ales under the auspices of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Ulverston on a Saturday morning
in 4D
Dank. Dismal. Dreary. Drizzle.

Flags in the street market put some life and colour into the town

The Town Crier struts his way to the town square...

...to ring his bell...

...to cry out the announcement... let the drinking commence!

The Beer Queen is celebrated (though I trust she is drinking lemonade)

The band invites the throng to follow...

...to the Coronation Hall.

Did you ever see so many types of beer on offer?

A Power Point computer projection scrolls through the 70 or so different ales to choose from
This was assisted by a specialist program Windows for Drinkers
which can be downloaded free as a plug-in from the Microsoft Website.

The Coronation Hall fills up with Real Ale fans.
The last time I was here was for a performance of Verdi's La Traviata!

After the festival, Ulverston Railway Station waiting for the train home.
There's a lot of wrong directions on that lonely way back home

Please click on the image for your entertainment!

Portsmouth Wedding

2009-08-30T09:54:00.029+01:00

On 28 August I attended the wedding in Portsmouth of my elder son Alun to his financée Trudy, with their son Jimmy in attendance. Here are some moments I captured.

"Wedding? What wedding?"

Guests start to arrive - younger son Carwyn with wife Kathryn and daughter Heledd
(not to mention the harp)

The groom attends the arrival of the bride

Jimmy witnesses the taking of the vows...

...and signing of the register...

...while Carwyn plays the harp.

"You realise this is the point of no return... are we sure we want to do this?"

"Best Man" Billybob gives moral support whilst Alun shows Trudy where to sign... he's not going to let her get away...

"How am I supposed to sign with a moulted swan's feather?"

All the kids. Jimmy is the only boy among six.

Girlie gossip in the reception, Stef and Trudy discuss their latest knitting patterns...

...and the joys of motherhood

Jimmy seems preoccupied with the trimmings...

...whilst Kathryn watches over...

...Heledd tucking into her "Eton Mess" (a concoction of raspberry, cream and meringue)

The final ritual, Alun and Trudy cut the wedding cake

The Tree Sparrow Recovery Project

2009-08-20T21:11:00.013+01:00

Tree Sparrows Passer montanus are found throughout Europe and Asia and differ from the more familiar House Sparrows by having a chocolate brown cap and a conspicuous black cheek spot.

I photographed this Tree Sparrow in the Seewinkel National Park in Burgenland

Tree Sparrows declined in the U.K. by a staggering 95% between 1970 and 1998 and are now "red-listed" as a species of high conservation concern. Accordingly, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is cooperating closely with other professional and voluntary organisations and the farming community in order to promote practices that will encourage the recovery of this species.

Among the most important are modifications to agricultural practices (for example, the retention of stubbles through winter rather than ploughing in) and the provision of suitable nesting places. Fortunately Tree Sparrow readily take to nest boxes, and there have been considerable success stories in areas where nest boxes have been provided.

Part of this project involves RSPB Project Officer Catriona Glendinning (in collaboration with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the Tree Sparrow Recovery Project and the Cumbria Waste Management Environmental Trust) who visited my research site at Roudsea Woods and Mosses National Nature Reserv e to install a batch of nest boxes of suitable dimensions favoured by Tree Sparrows.

Catriona arrives at Roudsea Woods and Mosses NNR with her
van loaded with nest boxes for Tree Sparrows

Having established a suitable location to place the nest boxes,
Catriona quickly gets to work nailing them up.

Unlike many territorial species (e.g. the tit family) that are attracted to nest boxes, Tree Sparrows are colonial and so nest boxes are set up in clusters.

Now, it is a waiting game. I shall be responsible for monitoring the boxes over the coming years. The earliest possible occupation could be the spring of 2010 and we shall be waiting eagerly to discover if nestlings like the Tree Sparrows in the picture below are reared in the boxes.

A brood you young Tree Sparrows in a next box.
Please click on the picture for image source.

My new kitchen

2009-08-16T14:55:00.018+01:00

As my kitchen was starting to fall to pieces, I recently departed for my holiday leaving instructions with my tame builder to rip it all out and put in a new one. He began burbling nonsense about "units" and "tiles" and "cooker" and "taps" to which my reply was "Mate, I'm paying you to make those decisions for me".

Leaving him with with the keys to Maalie Court, I hinted that I would be very pleased if it was finished when I got home.

Maalie Court's new kitchen. I am extremely pleased with it, it is un-fussy, functional and has more work surface and storage space than I had before. I am especially pleased with the eye-level grill facility on the cooker (can't be seen in this picture, the cooker is lower right in the corner).

Click on the picture to get an indication of the state of my old kitchen

Even before I had cleaned and put away all the kitchen crockery and utensils that I had left lying around the house, I could not resist the temptation to bake a couple of wholemeal organic loaves of bread.

Then I roasted a chicken, basted with chicken juice, butter and paprika suspension.
NOW you can see the eye-level grill.
I wonder how long those tiles will remain unstained from bolognese sauce.

I needed to see if my griddle worked properly, so I made a batch of Welsh cakes

Afternoon tea, anyone?

Recipe for Welsh Cakes
8 ounces self-raising flour
4 ounces margarine or butter
3 ounces of sugar
2 ounces of currants
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons of milk

Rub margarine into the flour until it looks like crumbs. Add the sugar and currants and mix. Then add the egg and milk until it makes a smooth dough but not too sticky. Roll out the dough to about 2cm thickness. Cut into circles of about 5cm and place on a hot greased griddle until brown on both sides. Sprinkle with icing sugar for decoration.

x x x x x x x

The only disadvantage with my new kitchen that I have so far discovered is the tiled floor. Before, it was carpeted, so if I dropped an egg or spilled some milk, the carpet soaked it up nicely. Now I have to wipe it all up as otherwise I would be slip-sliding and skidding around all over the kitchen.

Dawn over Burgenland

2009-08-06T16:43:00.015+01:00

The sun lifts itself above the distant horizon somewhere over Slovakia, heralding another hot August day, ripening the already swollen grapes on the Burgenland vines

A Swallow takes an early morning flight to catch insects for a
hungry brood hidden away in some barn

Time to move on... a juvenile Black Tern continues its Autumn migration...

...followed closely by a Whiskered Tern negotiating clouds of insects that
respond to the rising temperatures after dawn.

A Red-backed Shrike has its beady eye on some
unfortunate beetle that moves through the grass...

...whilst a White Stork lifts off with a crop full of frogs to feed a pair of
hungry storklets on a roof top in nearby Illmitz

Pictures taken in the Seewinkel National Park around Illmitz, Burgenland

Sky Watch Friday

Maalie selects images from his albums of travel pictures for Skywatch

Click here for a complete list
of all the participants
of this week's Sky Watch!

Whither shall I wander?

2009-07-29T20:48:00.006+01:00

Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust, Das Wandern!

Click on the picture to enjoy!

My new camera!

2009-07-24T16:20:00.009+01:00

I've got a new camera! I have, I really have! It is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7, the latest model in this popular series, bought at the recommendation of a friend. It boasts ten million pixies and sings and dances more than I shall ever know! I got it new on-line from Amazon UK for about £40 less than the shop price (I know, because I looked in the shop!).

My new camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7

It has a x12 optical zoom (from 25mm wide angle through to 300mm) but with so many pixies at my disposal there is bags of scope for "digital zooming" and cropping. Obviously, I am still getting used to it and can't wait to try it out in my travels. Below are some trial pictures I took, at the end of my street about 10.00pm in the evening, a month after the Summer Solstice.

This little fellow is a Sand Martin, a relative of the Swallow, that nests in burrows it excavates in sand banks and eroded river banks. There is a colony close to my home.

Sky Watch Friday

Maalie selects images from his albums of travel pictures for Skywatch

Click here for a complete list
of all the participants
of this week's Sky Watch!

A multitude of Maalies

2009-07-16T13:40:00.021+01:00

The Maalie (Fulmar) belongs to a world-wide order of birds, the Procelariiformes ("tubenoses") that includes also the albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. They are characterised by their oceanic life and anatomically by a tubular structure on top of the bill. The structure is thought to be involved with the excretion of surplus salt in the diet.

Once quite a rare bird in Britain, the last century has seen a population explosion which is thought to be associates with the discarding of offal (fish guts) at sea from fishing boats. With changing fishing practices, there is evidence that the species has reached its peak and may be in decline.
In Shetland, the Fulmar (Maalie is the local Shetland name) is one of the most familiar seabirds and nests almost anywhere around the coast where it can launch into empty space. As a seabird, they are rather clumsy on land, but are masters of flight in the air. Here are some snaps I took of Maalies on the nest and in the air whilst in Shetland. Enjoy.

Sky Watch Friday

Maalie selects images from his albums of travel pictures for Skywatch

Click here for a complete list
of all the participants
of this week's Sky Watch!

More birds of Shetland

2009-07-14T14:36:00.014+01:00

ATTACK! I must have wandered too close to this Great Skua's chicks!

ATTACK! Even the comparatively diminutive Arctic Tern will draw blood on your scalp in defence of its chicks!

ATTACK! And angry Great Black-backed Gull goes into attack mode...

...decides his flight path...

...and comes in for the strike!

An Arctic Skua keeps a wary eye over its territory

The Red-throated Diver's "paddles" are right at the rear...

...perfectly adapted to a life of swimming and diving...

..resulting in the need for a very long watery runway in order to get airborne.

The Dunlin has her black belly only in summer when nesting up on the moors...

...to witness a flypast of a squadron of Oystercatchers

The Wheatear can be thought of as the "Moorland Sparrow"

And last but not least, the tiny Storm Petrel that wanders the world's oceans (birds I have ringed in Shetland have been found in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean) and comes ashore only at night to breed. Although at opposite ends of the size spectrum, this little fellow is related to the albatrosses (and Fulmar) as you can tell from the little tubular structure on the top of the bill.

Points North!

2009-07-09T17:19:00.014+01:00

To the north of Yell lies the Island of Unst, which represents Britain's most northerly inhabited land mass. Please consult the map two posts below if you would like to see exactly where the island lies. The natural history of Unst is staggering and it is home to some of the largest seabird colonies in Europe and some of the rarest breeding birds in Britain. I was able to find a few...

The island of Muckle Flugga, Britain's most northerly outcrop. Strictly, the most northerly place where you can stand is the little rock just beyond the lighthouse. I am one of the privileged few who have actually stood on it! The smudge on the horizon is a cloud-bank, not distant land. The next land is the Arctic!

A closer view of Muckle Flugga lighthouse. When manned by keepers, they were the most northerly persons in Britain. Now the lighthouse is automatic, without keepers, anyone can become the most northerly person by walking out to the headland where this picture was taken. The white "wash" you can see on the rock faces is in fact...

...colonies of Gannets, our largest sea bird (as big as some albatrosses). Their guano gives the rocks the white-washed appearance.

Walking about in the heather you may stumble upon a baby bird like this - a Great Skua. This one is so young it still has the "egg-tooth" on its upper mandible, used for piercing its way out of the egg shell. You might never guess that such a sweet thing could...

...grow into such a vicious and piratical brute as this! They have no hesitation in...

...making an attack from the air on those who wander to close to their chicks. I have had more bangs on the back of my head from these birds when ringing (banding) their chicks than I care to remember!

Shetland is the British stronghold of the Red-throated Diver, an endangered species...

...whilst the Red-necked Phalarope is one of Britain's rarest breeding birds

Everybody's favourite, the Puffin, returns to relieve its mate incubating in a burrow...

...who gladly stretches her wings ready to fly out sea to catch her meal of sandeels.

And my personal favourite, the Maalie (Fulmar) is found nesting all around the cliffs

Sky Watch Friday

Maalie selects images from his albums of travel pictures for Skywatch

Click here for a complete list
of all the participants
of this week's Sky Watch!

Some plants of Shetland

2009-07-06T06:49:00.016+01:00

Although Shetland may give a first impression of somewhat sombre peat-brown vegetation, the observant eye will readily find colourful splashes of flowers. Because the geology and soil types of Shetland is so varied, there is a huge botanical biodiversity throughout the islands. Readers who are interested in the local botany can find further information here.

The Yellow Iris (also Yellow Flag) Iris pseudacorus is found in wet areas and sometimes follows the courses of wet gullies (see picture in the post below)

In May and June the grazed maritime grassland is studded
like stars with Spring Squill Scilla verna

Grassy areas subjected to occasional sea spray during storms are clustered with clumps of Sea Pinks (Thrift) Armeria maritima

Carnivorous plants

In areas where the soil is impoverished and lacks certain nutrients (notably nitrogen) certain plants may thrive by supplementing their nutrient intake by catching insects. Plants that are adapted to trap and digest insects are called carnivorous ("meat-eating") plants. Among the best known of these are the Venus Fly Trap and the Pitcher Plant . (You can see a brief movie of a Venus Fly Trap catching an insect here.) Many species of carnivorous plants actually exude a scent that is attractive to insects.

In Shetland there are two species of carnivorous plant that are commonly encountered in the nutrient-poor acid soils of the peat bogs.

A species of Sundew Drosera sp. Each leave rosette has a "hair" tipped by a globule of sticky liquid to which insects are attracted. They stick to the globule and the rosette then folds inwards to enclose the insect. Hydrolytic enzymes secreted by the plant digest the insect's proteins, thereby releasing nitrogen for absorbtion by the plant.

In this close up you can see that the "hairs" are tipped with a sticky, glistening globule.
Click on the picture to enlarge.

Butterwort Pinguicula sp. has a delicate blue flower, but it is the sticky leaves that attract the insects

When an insect is stuck, the leaves they curl inwards like a tube to trap and enclose it. Then the plant's digestive enzymes get to work to release the insect's nitrogen

This is Yell...

2009-07-02T16:12:00.016+01:00

For twenty-seven consecutive summers I brought students to Island of Yell to undertake ecological monitoring research in the maritime approaches to the Shetland Oil Terminal. The position of Yell in relation to Shetland as a whole can be seen in the map in the post below (it is the island to which the red arrow points).

The island of Yell is reached from the Shetland Mainland by means of small "roll-on roll-off" ferries

The first impression of Yell is a huge peat moor that can look inviting to explore in weather like this. In less favourable conditions, Yell can appear to be the most inhospitable place on earth and many visitors regard Yell as a transition island on the way to more "attractive" islands further north

With a little patience and exploration, however, Yell reveals her colourful secrets like this river of yellow iris flowers

If the landscapes of Yell are not so spectacular, the seascapes are dramatic. The islands in Yell Sound (the stretch of sea separating Yell from the Shetland Mainland) were an important focus for our research work

The rocky cliffs bordering the west coast of Yell are a haven for nesting seabirds...

...like this Fulmar (Maalie)

The glory days of yester-year: this ruined mansion called Windhouse is said to be haunted

Our home for twenty-seven summers (and mine during this stay on Yell) is this community hall, the Royal Maalie Court at the Herra which, although modest...

...offers splendid views of the Whaal Firth fjord

Yell Sound at midnight on the Summer Solstice. Not quite far enough north to see the Midnight Sun, but nevertheless it remains light enough to read a newspaper!

Sky Watch Friday

Maalie selects images from his albums of travel pictures for Skywatch

Click here for a complete list
of all the participants
of this week's Sky Watch!