Leeds is planning to eat the contents of its flower beds… http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/nov/27/food-food-and-drink-leeds-horticulture-gardening-cities-urban-life
Nov 272012
Nov 272012
A mixed picture of state of Danish ash trees, resistant trees… http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countryside/9653136/Ash-dieback-in-Denmark-shows-what-is-in-store-for-British-forests.html #ashdieback
Nov 272012
Fungicide as a management option for the spread of ash dieback… http://www.hortweek.com/Arboriculture/article/1160908/Race-register-potential-ash-dieback-cure/
Nov 272012
Morgan sports cars use ash wood in their construction… http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/local/10018918.Deadly_tree_fungus_will_not_affect_the_traditional_Morgan/
#ashdieback
Nov 272012
Maybe 2% of Danish ash trees are immune to disease… http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/News/2-of-danish-ash-trees-immune-to-dieback-fungus #ashdieback
Nov 272012
Ash tree dieback fungal paranoia propogates far faster than the disease… http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/11/20/vancouvers-7000-ash-trees-facing-threat/
Nov 192012
Two Jays (Garrulus glandarius) arrived within five minutes of putting some loose peanuts on the bird table.
Do they watch or can they smell them or does one send messages to another? They don’t seem to travel in flocks and I am sure that they do not message each other as that would be reducing the amount of food each bird gets but it is uncanny how quickly they arrive.
Having said that the squirrel,absent from the garden whilst the peanuts have been scarce, arrived quickly too and there was a bit of a stand off. We have had Jays in the garden for all the time we have lived there but because of the news that the acorn and beech mast crop had failed I was expecting to see more. But up to know we have just had two. I do not think I could keep up with peanuts for lots of Jays anyway! They are splendid looking birds with fantastic plumage and over developed personalities! If I were a bird I think being a Jay would be a good choice, bouncy, colourful and over the top!! Oh and a bit feisty!
Nov 182012
Close to the entrance to the Ham Wall RSPB reserve on the Somerset Levels, I found this gatekeeper butterfly feeding, happily minding its own business. Then a hover fly (single pair of wings note) landed and started to feed. The gatekeeper started to twitch its wings, seemingly in response to the fly. Then a second fly landed and the wing movement of the butterfly increased. All three flies continued to feed with the gatekeeper moving as though it was “angry” or “agitated”. I know “happily”, “angry” and “agitated” are anthropomorphic and probably not applicable to these animals but seemed to apply…
Nov 172012
National Trust update… http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/big-issues/nature-and-outdoors/ash-dieback/
Nov 172012
Forestry Commission facts with scientific papers referenced and everything… http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8ZSS7U