tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61872059887857612024-03-13T03:03:55.680-07:00Views of the OckWildlife and other things of interest on and around the river Ock in south OxfordshireRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-71004074330760375072020-11-05T12:42:00.003-08:002020-11-05T12:42:36.309-08:00149 Days Later<p> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Back in June, the trees were green, the grass in the meadows was long and there were</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> a multitude of pyramidal orchids and lots of butterflies to lift the spirits:</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6lBEmx2GYc4DBf2bewW1UkddkBAYRgOXNPszULKkdsePZ6lTgGta06F5_8nUYcPu3bh_MmGLSkaOAjsIaDz73FHj_getXZbuCsQCNeU4E-ysC6AkDFNZXwqaJp7O9xoXNExpqVx0GHQ/s2048/Meadow1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6lBEmx2GYc4DBf2bewW1UkddkBAYRgOXNPszULKkdsePZ6lTgGta06F5_8nUYcPu3bh_MmGLSkaOAjsIaDz73FHj_getXZbuCsQCNeU4E-ysC6AkDFNZXwqaJp7O9xoXNExpqVx0GHQ/w400-h300/Meadow1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLnNJzbt7tma-uNbdSHD06N8E-rXZ91IGp3xqJj8Yi9ZBJU79JscTj2YiRFt5dqRPYBsOFx4yC36Ou4qlACDTpNw0lsaO5e658_w5PUmMSu7KteAzvVnyxR1GlNUUsYVneYz1oWR3WxI/s2048/Orchid1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLnNJzbt7tma-uNbdSHD06N8E-rXZ91IGp3xqJj8Yi9ZBJU79JscTj2YiRFt5dqRPYBsOFx4yC36Ou4qlACDTpNw0lsaO5e658_w5PUmMSu7KteAzvVnyxR1GlNUUsYVneYz1oWR3WxI/w300-h400/Orchid1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRZG6xJWEX_m75Oo9Cc0BF4GQL7GKGnDMBgrGHHn9xJ3ywskm4loXNKzj33QucrgOrzFtfT5LcAXr7gH7UqDxC7vE9GoM3GPHkP_v9nZsRKP3L461CrS342Uw6fPPFXnYuosUksYKdps/s2048/Butterfly1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRZG6xJWEX_m75Oo9Cc0BF4GQL7GKGnDMBgrGHHn9xJ3ywskm4loXNKzj33QucrgOrzFtfT5LcAXr7gH7UqDxC7vE9GoM3GPHkP_v9nZsRKP3L461CrS342Uw6fPPFXnYuosUksYKdps/w400-h300/Butterfly1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the river, it was possible to spot the occassional water vole:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx_oemE5JU9jmM-Yrq2qdP-JyN5LvZoWMBsPHi5OJQkl8SHWdDVX1tt5Uvj6esQJ4NUjbEXnCNueWkpN5dT0JQeSNWtECyavlPspftRq1aQtnpSsQW41Qgf0H-dAOfXnG7jum8gcai8Q/s2048/WV1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqx_oemE5JU9jmM-Yrq2qdP-JyN5LvZoWMBsPHi5OJQkl8SHWdDVX1tt5Uvj6esQJ4NUjbEXnCNueWkpN5dT0JQeSNWtECyavlPspftRq1aQtnpSsQW41Qgf0H-dAOfXnG7jum8gcai8Q/w400-h300/WV1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now the seasons have changed, the trees are loosing their leaves, the grass has been cut and the orchids have been replaced by fungal fruiting bodies.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukaMaU4baEyCt3wm8n2p9CQwh51S3FRi38niBJVgKq-EELEC9Z4-x0k9jY78kJPpzsz3MILJFQFt5E8REvsrUKBHeUICOOECPye63RTXveVwdNsd9BNGxtGjY0A-xtoDgIg7NOJb8dzg/s2048/Meadow2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukaMaU4baEyCt3wm8n2p9CQwh51S3FRi38niBJVgKq-EELEC9Z4-x0k9jY78kJPpzsz3MILJFQFt5E8REvsrUKBHeUICOOECPye63RTXveVwdNsd9BNGxtGjY0A-xtoDgIg7NOJb8dzg/w400-h266/Meadow2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWvRXFYBwBMEF1xYlBOsiV2-CYiNxFqcnpw_cRB-83o2PXp9vV-yoNUM0SIz-kHwOCPxZUwWmyJxlWP4IGt8qHtVQKRjQLrf8Ko90Uw3R4ogMqNR0vKcLqQ9Xrw-IM8HVfQYQjE8Uw5U/s2048/Fungus1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWvRXFYBwBMEF1xYlBOsiV2-CYiNxFqcnpw_cRB-83o2PXp9vV-yoNUM0SIz-kHwOCPxZUwWmyJxlWP4IGt8qHtVQKRjQLrf8Ko90Uw3R4ogMqNR0vKcLqQ9Xrw-IM8HVfQYQjE8Uw5U/w225-h400/Fungus1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And there are very few signs of water vole activity.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4FinDSJgh1NO2Tf66OstMXNXFqVzqcFGY8bDELRWLuPrKjN6-HwdTcI2obM1fJxr8CJG8Zz9MDW3MiN5phZhFJt4E6d-YHoh1-gNb5HIomNsE5zKENqBl5pF70Bs2laUeAWAGYHX7P4/s2048/WV2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4FinDSJgh1NO2Tf66OstMXNXFqVzqcFGY8bDELRWLuPrKjN6-HwdTcI2obM1fJxr8CJG8Zz9MDW3MiN5phZhFJt4E6d-YHoh1-gNb5HIomNsE5zKENqBl5pF70Bs2laUeAWAGYHX7P4/w400-h300/WV2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet somethings don't seem to change, the Prime Minister has announced that there will be another national lockdown from the 5th November to 2nd December.</span></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-15114904550105018612020-10-29T13:50:00.002-07:002020-10-29T13:50:48.988-07:00Return to the Bloggersphere<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">On
the 23</span><sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">rd</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
March 2020, in order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2, the British Prime Minster announced to the
House of Commons that the UK government would be informing people
that they must stay at home and that certain businesses should close.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Throughout spring there were many things to distract from the on-going crisis:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Great Tit's nesting in the garden</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Sparrow's nesting in next door's cavity</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Multitude of low flying red kites</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">A rewilded garden, with cinnabar moth caterpillars on the garden.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Solitary bees - leaf cutter, mason & sweat bees</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Swifts and house martins flying overhead</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">And of course water voles in the nearby river.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But those days are gone, winter is coming, a second virus wave is occuring and future lockdowns seem invitable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So this blog is being resurrected, in order to give me a project through the dark winter nights, I intend to do one update per week - maybe searching for signs of otters, reviewing photos of the past summer and maybe even my favourite you-tube channels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Even if no-one else reads this, it will help to keep me sane in a very strange world.</span></p>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-6316723378365804642018-04-30T13:59:00.002-07:002018-04-30T13:59:45.548-07:00Water Voles 2018<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recent studies have shown that water voles in the UK are in even more trouble than previously thought, with a decline of 30% in recent years (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/26/water-vole-areas-england-wales-fall-30-percent-decade">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/26/water-vole-areas-england-wales-fall-30-percent-decade</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is on top of the 90% decline in the proceeding decades: <a href="http://www.bbowt.org.uk/what-we-do/protecting-wildlife/water-vole-recovery-project-0">http://www.bbowt.org.uk/what-we-do/protecting-wildlife/water-vole-recovery-project-0</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a result, the water vole hotspots in and around Abingdon are more important than ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />And fortunately after the very wet spring, there are signs of water vole activity, including what burrows in the river banks:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And cut stems, the distinctive sign of water vole feeding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the best sign of all, water vole swimming across the river:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-25851511884329331382018-03-02T09:51:00.004-08:002018-03-02T09:51:48.430-08:00Resident Fieldfare<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been very cold and also heavy snow here in Oxfordshire (although not as heavy as some parts of the country <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43251824">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43251824</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this is a difficult time for wildlife and some birds and animals are driven into our gardens looking for warmth, shelter and food. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we now have a single resident fieldfare in ours, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">probably attracted by the supply of apples we have put out for the birds and is now </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chasing off the resident blackbirds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like most thrushes they are in decline and is globally threatened <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/fieldfare">https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/fieldfare</a> </span><span style="color: inherit; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit;">.</span><br />
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-31338766115579486882018-02-16T11:09:00.002-08:002018-02-16T11:09:19.357-08:002017 - A whale of a time?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Living in Oxfordshire, it is somewhat difficult to have a regular encounter whale or a dolphin. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (<a href="http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/">http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk</a>) </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> there is a very impressive display of five cetacean skeletons (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Minke whale, Orca, Northern Bottlenose dolphin, Beluga whale, Bottlenose dolphin) </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hung from equally impressive the neo-gothic roof.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These were restored in 2013 and more details of the restoration of the skeletons can in this fascinating blog <a href="https://onceinawhale.com/">https://onceinawhale.com/</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The roof is not only the place to experience these animals, at the entrance to the museum are the jaws of the sperm and humpback whales and illustrate how large and diverse these animals can are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oxford is not the only museum to hang a whale skeleton from the ceiling. The Natural History Museum in London (<a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/">http://www.nhm.ac.uk/</a>) has taken the art of hanging articulated cetacean skeletons to another level by replacing the famous Dippy the Diplodocus with the skeleton of a Blue Whale:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Given the name Hope, the poor animal was stranded on a beach in Ireland in 1891 and when it died its skeleton was sold to the Museum and was hung at the back of the mammal hall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has now been restored and moved to make it a breathtaking display as it appears to dive through the Hintze Hall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As impressive as these museum displays are, there are few things that compare to seeing animals in the wild and a visit to Iceland in May 2017 gave the opportunity for some whale spotting with Elding adventures (<a href="https://www.elding.is/">https://www.elding.is</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Outside of Reykjavik harbour, there was a pod of White-Beaked dolphins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And further out to sea was an even more impressive sight - a young male humpback whale, which was fin slapping, tail slapping an even breaching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even if 2018 doesn't provide similar experiences, our local and national museums will always provide fascinating and thought-provoking days out.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-839266255977294022018-01-28T09:30:00.001-08:002018-01-28T09:30:19.812-08:002017 - The year of the deer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are six species of deer resident in the UK and throughout last year there several opportunities to encounter five of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Muntjac:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Probably now the most common deer found in the UK and certainly the most likely to be encountered during a walk in the English countryside, the Muntjac (also known as the Reeves-Muntjac) is a non-native species from China which escaped from captivity early in the 20th century. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The size of a large dog it is often found skulking in the undergrowth or in the open when it is darker, as in this photograph taken at dusk during an evening walk along the river Ock earlier this year.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uUZ4wxCneKvwvMqDUHQBJn2l2wuPqnA9bRlENwK87-qjtiqGZb5JOIzyNYXNV-Ni_FWWVIQW7JONvi9CnBuNJ2aQzfDpzVXSaCLYHBCQuNT2o8rcItUDPMvfEaAHKBeKqKwwvolStS0/s1600/muntjac2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uUZ4wxCneKvwvMqDUHQBJn2l2wuPqnA9bRlENwK87-qjtiqGZb5JOIzyNYXNV-Ni_FWWVIQW7JONvi9CnBuNJ2aQzfDpzVXSaCLYHBCQuNT2o8rcItUDPMvfEaAHKBeKqKwwvolStS0/s400/muntjac2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Roe Deer:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the only two of the native deer in the UK and like the muntjac is usually a solitary, yet in autumn and winter, they can form small herds. Such as this pair, glimpsed through a hedgerow near Marcham.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fallow Deer</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Originally introduced by the Romans, Fallow Deer were re-introduced during the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">medieval</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> era and kept in deer parks and this is still the place to see them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In central Oxford, they can be seen at Magdalen College (local residents, including those from Abingdon, can get in for free with proof of address).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Smaller than a Roe deer they are one of the most recognisable of theBritishh deer due to the large herds of does and the stag's impressive and distinctive antlers </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The deer parks in London also have fallow deer, Richmond is the most famous, but the nearby Bushy Park (https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/bushy-park) is somewhat smaller and great place for deer spotting as they are accustomed to being close to people:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Including this magnificent white hart:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lot of the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">medieval deer parks eventually fell into the disrepair and the deer escaped and now several hundred years later it is possible to have an unexpected encounter with a herd of fallow deer, so as Bernwood Forest in Oxfordshire:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AqW0ae-P2EmJn1Z6m1UKKCY6RiExxhRBIzyYyVf5cjhtw7jNQCs099paEZbIs1dMjnlnuS32DVJpSBtxkvep0WND5y7uzg0uKcjRNYoPNtBHE_3KJl1Etzt1vRb_UkBI1YoY1wK1pOg/s1600/DSC08467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AqW0ae-P2EmJn1Z6m1UKKCY6RiExxhRBIzyYyVf5cjhtw7jNQCs099paEZbIs1dMjnlnuS32DVJpSBtxkvep0WND5y7uzg0uKcjRNYoPNtBHE_3KJl1Etzt1vRb_UkBI1YoY1wK1pOg/s400/DSC08467.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Japanese Sika Deer:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking somewhat similar to Fallow deer, although the males have antlers that more resembles a red deer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They are mostly found in private deer parks, but these 2017 sightings were at the RSPB nature reserve at Arne (<a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/arne?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItPPI_Mns2AIVjrftCh387whJEAAYASAAEgJyIfD_BwE">https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/arne?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItPPI_Mns2AIVjrftCh387whJEAAYASAAEgJyIfD_BwE</a>) in Dorset.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBIaWoDZEMWhcdykTtxPpn8xNkQyrh6Ggu1fZ8xfMONich13EJjFkpp2zq19ieEqIaQ8OV_ZU7qwINVxuhHqxDxJeeQLu2CSBRx5lsjY0XoS9XJqqH05GlsIA2nL34dCSYXr4kmuNcPE/s1600/IMG_7560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBIaWoDZEMWhcdykTtxPpn8xNkQyrh6Ggu1fZ8xfMONich13EJjFkpp2zq19ieEqIaQ8OV_ZU7qwINVxuhHqxDxJeeQLu2CSBRx5lsjY0XoS9XJqqH05GlsIA2nL34dCSYXr4kmuNcPE/s400/IMG_7560.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like most deer, the Sika deer rut takes place in Autumn and so in February (when these pictures were taken) the stags have calmed down, are sociable with each other and starting to lose their antlers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Red Deer</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Red Deer is the other native UK deer, it is also the largest British land mammal and like the Fallow Deer there are wild populations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the best place to see them is in managed deer parks which are open to the public, such as Wollaton Hall in Nottingham </span><a href="http://www.wollatonhall.org.uk/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.wollatonhall.org.uk</a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(also home to Nottingham Natural History Museum and will feature in a future blog post): </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6J5UHhIxq_Ii35Zs8rR_Z4gLi3MJcXBkDu-CAftZyiVH1bRuL2T3Z4yExIUpzL5jrv0SVZn3cTazcq3m4G9K_Vyg3Suo2__Ba-A6m_N38jRHrhHiiG1J1Ts9BRASnntiiybtZQbLYCVQ/s1600/DSC09105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6J5UHhIxq_Ii35Zs8rR_Z4gLi3MJcXBkDu-CAftZyiVH1bRuL2T3Z4yExIUpzL5jrv0SVZn3cTazcq3m4G9K_Vyg3Suo2__Ba-A6m_N38jRHrhHiiG1J1Ts9BRASnntiiybtZQbLYCVQ/s400/DSC09105.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As well as Fallow Deer, Bushy Park has a population of red deer<b>, </b>in late Autumn the rut has finished and the stags have calmed down and the stags are mostly resting and recovering their strength.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M0H_g_szQP3xOn3gNLt_jbSKKuOJ0ccZCvfsVHyW5VROSdWRCyEBFaqLEhHEJhUonViPEnIAVFK0gsgb9nZGjOyOAC65-MhIEpRtXmtsFxRS66-9FbwqnE-eCwVGUALisrMPP3Zia88/s1600/IMG_8846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M0H_g_szQP3xOn3gNLt_jbSKKuOJ0ccZCvfsVHyW5VROSdWRCyEBFaqLEhHEJhUonViPEnIAVFK0gsgb9nZGjOyOAC65-MhIEpRtXmtsFxRS66-9FbwqnE-eCwVGUALisrMPP3Zia88/s400/IMG_8846.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The younger stags and the herd of doe are also amiable.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju808KWYvCYP4RBh9FjJS54PqWQJRphok-1iWiKS-qgv9Bg-yP1cn6TKj92fH7fkLKJf81IEShNVoZwMSq_ZFNgKLK236wN9XxlPBOYmXRUqkRk4KTGrBfeHYqyKt0s4oI5WyS43RQeBk/s1600/DSC01565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju808KWYvCYP4RBh9FjJS54PqWQJRphok-1iWiKS-qgv9Bg-yP1cn6TKj92fH7fkLKJf81IEShNVoZwMSq_ZFNgKLK236wN9XxlPBOYmXRUqkRk4KTGrBfeHYqyKt0s4oI5WyS43RQeBk/s400/DSC01565.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But often cause problems for any drivers taking a shortcut through the park. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvFc_wTPGMWzkBqPROjtM7F91YLRh1bBe0UZYyUkyreIqb8xC79gRRoNrysK45FHfXxUQMXDjqgLw5VyRB8HO0WWKintNZvFyZcRWsU9_KW0CWowJjP1SFKlHHLvNwIB7-8rD8LAo3XY/s1600/DSC01499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvFc_wTPGMWzkBqPROjtM7F91YLRh1bBe0UZYyUkyreIqb8xC79gRRoNrysK45FHfXxUQMXDjqgLw5VyRB8HO0WWKintNZvFyZcRWsU9_KW0CWowJjP1SFKlHHLvNwIB7-8rD8LAo3XY/s400/DSC01499.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe 2018 will provide more deer spotting opportunities and maybe a chance to see the other species of deer resident in the UK - the very elusive Chinese Water Deer.</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-45261415921564285512017-12-24T08:54:00.000-08:002017-12-24T09:22:50.429-08:00A Christmas Eve stroll along the River Ock<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has been a long time since I have walked along the river Ock with a camera to record wildlife, events, and thoughts and even longer since they have been posted on this blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">t is very unlikely that anyone is still reading it and if they are they are probably spammers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still, Christmas Eve presented an opportunity for a stroll to see what has and hasn't changed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The river itself has taken on its usual winter drabness.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMX8cu-6vhEkq6v2uKbn2U89VWGv1o_Wwr1K6z5oVrQGpdI0XVYqUkLNtxzyQwoEBz0JSXWICOYt64flJWQboBvmvgXgjwE4_8hltZDN0Ra93ziXJyE05L5MbmAPPfSPKe1pr8a6ASGc/s1600/DSC02001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMX8cu-6vhEkq6v2uKbn2U89VWGv1o_Wwr1K6z5oVrQGpdI0XVYqUkLNtxzyQwoEBz0JSXWICOYt64flJWQboBvmvgXgjwE4_8hltZDN0Ra93ziXJyE05L5MbmAPPfSPKe1pr8a6ASGc/s400/DSC02001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although the willow trees make impressive sculptures as they hang over the river, perhaps waiting for the exotic looking kingfishers to return to liven things up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9SnXJkZHRZw0e-GKXbqS_-AaTa6A4UV4wqyZim-hYRPC_vNCLb1QOLtgEmUn7BiwiZscJvC34RRNSEoaCEXVko2TN8W7rCjdAhEztU6dNfJJH0j0_MezamCMep-H6JErSzInqsFACEU/s1600/DSC02010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9SnXJkZHRZw0e-GKXbqS_-AaTa6A4UV4wqyZim-hYRPC_vNCLb1QOLtgEmUn7BiwiZscJvC34RRNSEoaCEXVko2TN8W7rCjdAhEztU6dNfJJH0j0_MezamCMep-H6JErSzInqsFACEU/s400/DSC02010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, in the flood meadows, a pair of roe deer can be glimpsed in the winter gloom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDC2epzLdxMWCwWe672g9Pj8D4hD8fsONiOUsweon9xYxTbErvoMBIf55WtRZnAxt_LmuHkVubojXu6SGniBC1_AAqC9HXy9MQIlMyJEYpHvqJalSIjy5PAWccxMDr1gw1xwFgMnullU/s1600/DSC02003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDC2epzLdxMWCwWe672g9Pj8D4hD8fsONiOUsweon9xYxTbErvoMBIf55WtRZnAxt_LmuHkVubojXu6SGniBC1_AAqC9HXy9MQIlMyJEYpHvqJalSIjy5PAWccxMDr1gw1xwFgMnullU/s400/DSC02003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And whilst I may not have been present on the river for some time, it is good to see the occasional well-positioned spraint showing the otters have not forsaken the river:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMV8uUC-cs6OpIQNPOkg5zmaQysRY7mPrMvHkW_NJDTwYRIVzEnB283jONT7XMEFSde3gkqKgVsWV8nmvFVPk4XnVAoi5AmOX6qxnWkQpUTSZPYXdny_URVR3FfmlssHUcvlQpVzM3CM/s1600/DSC02014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMV8uUC-cs6OpIQNPOkg5zmaQysRY7mPrMvHkW_NJDTwYRIVzEnB283jONT7XMEFSde3gkqKgVsWV8nmvFVPk4XnVAoi5AmOX6qxnWkQpUTSZPYXdny_URVR3FfmlssHUcvlQpVzM3CM/s400/DSC02014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although one thing seems to be more common and that is the depressing amount of litter, it is just about everywhere:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As is the bizarre tradition of putting dog feces in a plastic bag and adorning a tree with it, like some depressing Christmas decoration</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully, more posts will follow and even if they aren't as frequent as they used to be, some of the festive period will be spent trying to reduce the amount of litter that resides along what is now looking a rather sad and pathetic little river.</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-65101765485610425682016-10-24T11:56:00.002-07:002016-10-24T12:02:55.486-07:00Views of the Kennall Vale<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whilst it is great to live somewhere where there are endangered and charismatic animals like water voles (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/water%20voles)">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/water%20voles)</a> and otters (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/otters">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/otters</a>); near where stunning displays of starlings can be seen (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/murmurations.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/murmurations.html</a>) and where the nearby city has a world class Natural History Museum (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/microsculpture.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/microsculpture.html</a>), it is great to explore new areas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the past few years, we have ventured down to Cornwall, especially Porthleven (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/views-of-atlantic.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/views-of-atlantic.html</a>) - nothing can compare to watch seals fishing for crabs and dolphins swim past as you sit outside drinking a morning coffee or an evening glass of wine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But a chance encounter led us to explore the Kennall Vale at Ponsonooth, near Falmouth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Powered by the river Kennel, it was once the site of twenty water mills used to produce the gunpowder that was used in the local tin mines. But once the much safer TNT became established the mills were abandoned, leaving nature to take over and the vale has become an eerie and atmospheric reminder of a bygone era.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The site was not just used for gunpowder production, a flooded quarry shows the site was also used for granite extraction and processing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The shallow and fast flowing river was not just an excellent source of power for the mills, it is an ideal habitat for an animal which does not occur in Oxfordshire - the dipper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These small birds dip under the waterfalls as they search for insect larvae which make up their diet. Their size and colour can make them hard to spot and even harder to photograph, but when seen they are as endearing as anything found on a river in Oxfordshire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Kennall Vale is now a nature reserve and managed by the Cornish Wildlife Trust and is really worth a visit if anyone is visiting south Cornwall: <a href="http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/kennall-vale">http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/kennall-vale</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-19044117190969973442016-09-29T13:39:00.001-07:002016-09-29T13:39:34.288-07:00Horniman Museum<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's probably not surprising that London is spoilt for museums - the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the science museum are all world class and famous institutions. And even places that a less popular with tourists, like the Grant Museum of Zoology are worth a visit (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/grant-museum-of-zoology.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/grant-museum-of-zoology.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But for those who are willing to travel a bit further out of their way, there is another which is well worth visiting - the Horniman Museum in south London</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Founded by Frederick Horniman who used the money from the family business to house his collection of Natural History, Musical Instruments, and Anthropology, it opened to the public in 1901, eventually donating the building and its contents to the people of London, with the London County Council as </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> it's trustees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unlike most Natural History museums, the collection is not structured taxonomically, but in accordance with Horniman's wishes in the form of evolution and adaption in order to educate young people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hence, weaver bird nests can be found next to a trap door spider</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And a fossilised tetrabelodon skull is next to one its modern relatives in a fascinating display demonstrating the evolution of elephants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And human evolution and migration is explained via a collection of casts of modern and early human skulls:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As well as the permanent displays, there are also temporary exhibitions. The current one on how dinosaurs may have raised their young runs until the end of October 2016.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The museum not only consists of dead stuffed animals, in the basement, there is a recently renovated </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">aquarium, featuring small fish from around the world:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It not only features exotic species but also a chance to see what is probably Britain's rarest animal - the pool frog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once found in a few locations in East Anglia it was thought to be an introduced species and by the time it was discovered to be native it was too late to save it from extinction in the wild. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the Horniman museum, along with institutions, are attempting to reintroduce it into the wild.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKMEUDyswvZ826iqB0cYsyplUHGugJOEijGz6UeBi7yJb1Lkvig7dOz7Ls1Gqngq6P3Q9fZGiW-V4QCsjLkvbZG5j9x9f_xB9TWzbLiGNgr6802OSLH47-BLmNus5JlGlHpRgOCW1UvQ/s1600/AQ4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKMEUDyswvZ826iqB0cYsyplUHGugJOEijGz6UeBi7yJb1Lkvig7dOz7Ls1Gqngq6P3Q9fZGiW-V4QCsjLkvbZG5j9x9f_xB9TWzbLiGNgr6802OSLH47-BLmNus5JlGlHpRgOCW1UvQ/s400/AQ4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And even when the museum closes, the gardens are still open where it is possible to enjoy some fantastic views of the City of London.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before making the two and half hour journey back to Oxfordshire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More information on this fascinating place can be found at http://www.horniman.ac.uk/ and on twitter </span><a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/HornimanMuseum" style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); font-size: 14px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); color: #8899a6; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); font-size: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial;">@</span></span><span class="u-linkComplex-target" style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); font-size: 14px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: underline !important;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HornimanMuseum</span></span></a></div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-89239667156434107412016-07-19T11:09:00.001-07:002016-07-19T11:09:30.458-07:00No water voles on Radley Brook?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several water vole colonies feature in this blog, obviously the River Ock in Abingdon - where this blog gets its name (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/along-lower-ock.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/along-lower-ock.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), Abbey Fishponds in North East Abingdon (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/abbey-fishponds.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/abbey-fishponds.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and Radley Brook </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/water-voles-of-radley-brook.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/water-voles-of-radley-brook.html</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, a stagnant ditch between the river Thames and Barton Fields Nature Reserve</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most years - on Radley Brook - water voles can be heard munching on the reeds, or glimpsed amongst the foliage or even enticed out with an apple core.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this year, there is nothing to be glimpsed along the brook</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uCdIbj03srpHNC9mPQKStO0S5erye0V9bgPIGHs0r5gAlOMP4rdtKyCctRqSHZU6qKkoic6fbYLEckWclT9Zo2IDbsv7gmLoxnjYbdOKOHzuqVNyGXOE7feU7_EG6_phr8jLgFcctdg/s1600/Blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uCdIbj03srpHNC9mPQKStO0S5erye0V9bgPIGHs0r5gAlOMP4rdtKyCctRqSHZU6qKkoic6fbYLEckWclT9Zo2IDbsv7gmLoxnjYbdOKOHzuqVNyGXOE7feU7_EG6_phr8jLgFcctdg/s400/Blog3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reeds remain silent:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzmd2VNoCryXZnnkR5PhW-Ravu-Pb8lD7W6rfn3XDte_GfORC1PEPeJJnq4RSDVX5iwxOc_elBLpoO7TeU9EZMvvI1vQEEIExLXZPgI3As0dN_p1ut-_SRMPk3kcqybwPZDiKPPHP_VE/s1600/Blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzmd2VNoCryXZnnkR5PhW-Ravu-Pb8lD7W6rfn3XDte_GfORC1PEPeJJnq4RSDVX5iwxOc_elBLpoO7TeU9EZMvvI1vQEEIExLXZPgI3As0dN_p1ut-_SRMPk3kcqybwPZDiKPPHP_VE/s400/Blog2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the apple cores remain uneaten.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems to be a bad year for water voles in Abingdon...</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-90552297093127908382016-07-02T01:12:00.000-07:002016-07-02T01:12:20.707-07:00Microsculpture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The University of Oxford Natural History Museum (<a href="http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/">http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/</a>) is often featured in this blog and it has recently opened a temporary exhibition called Microsculpture, c</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">onsisting of a series of exquisite photographs of 22 of the museums 5 million specimens from its Hope Entomological collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photographer Levon Biss has used a microscope lens to painstakingly take 8000 photographs of different parts of each subject, each with its own lighting arrangements and then combined them to produce these remarkable images, such as this orchid cuckoo bee:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The exhibition also includes the actual insects, which demonstrates Bliss's remarkable talent in showing the exquisite beauty of these insects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Such as the Jewel longhorn beetle:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And he has shown the Mantis Fly can look like something from a science fiction nightmare:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even the most mundane of British insects, like the blow fly, is shown to be just as magnificent as any of the exotic ones featured in the exhibition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The exhibition runs until the 30th October and is highly recommended to anyone in the locality or anyone visiting Oxford.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those not fortunate enough to be able to visit, the exhibition has it's own website: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://microsculpture.net/">http://microsculpture.net</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-2005885306712794072016-06-18T00:04:00.002-07:002016-06-18T00:04:37.388-07:00The orchids of Radley Lakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is somewhat surprising that Radley Lakes does not feature more often in this blog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A collection of lakes formed by quarrying has produced a wildlife oasis in North East Abingdon: where otters can occasionally be seen swimming in the lakes; hobbies feeding on the abundant dragonflies; barn owls quartering over the nearby meadows and even the occasional migratory osprey stopping off as it heads to Africa for the winter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not only are the lakes are a magnet for wildlife, but the poor quality soil means it is ideal habitat for some of our most impressive flowers - orchids.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The most obvious are the clumps of common spotted orchids.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk3od1nQhcpttNSF15RaN7cfLmGVsmDL83RJpt3ZKD_QXfqgtRsd4Q7wzZNHCeGlzh9LEyK20TsBC1acC3KkjjjLPMFRlQKBGTTSKQ8_Q_rj41OkHS30WId4LmX_0Jq1ilwXYiU18s4I/s1600/Blog3_DSC00570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk3od1nQhcpttNSF15RaN7cfLmGVsmDL83RJpt3ZKD_QXfqgtRsd4Q7wzZNHCeGlzh9LEyK20TsBC1acC3KkjjjLPMFRlQKBGTTSKQ8_Q_rj41OkHS30WId4LmX_0Jq1ilwXYiU18s4I/s400/Blog3_DSC00570.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elsewhere, the pyramidal orchids are starting to flower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Probably the most impressive of the local orchids is also the most difficult to find. The flowers of a bee orchid are less than 1 cm wide and occur in small groups.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The distinctive flower has evolved for pseudocopulation - achieving pollination through emulating a female insect which attracts a male, which tries to copulate with the flower, resulting in a frustrated male and a pollinated flower.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately for the bee orchids at Radley Lakes, the bee it attempts to mimic is extinct in the UK and hence it relies on self-pollination to reproduce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The resultant seeds are microscopic and can be blown for hundreds of miles to try and find suitable habitat, w</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here not only will it try to find an insect to help spread it genes, but also a symbiotic fungus; its seeds are so small they do not have any food for the early stages of growth, and so extract it from the fungus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst the orchids are impressive, they can be as elusive as the otters, owls and osprey, it</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a more common plant which is probably the most attractive. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The low nutrient soil restricts the growth of dominant grasses, with the result of thousands of ox-eye daisies turning a disused quarry into a fantastic vista.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNkk4mnNCqOB376nQB2igWSgYoFe16-h7S-WYzYt9xAkpFytG51yTBn_9fk9Nsru4txTD1uM1tebFj2ToCLJLCum2uX3uYcR-qVtW6xg3x23-lS2_OjsxL8PPwkG8TXqi8vQ6d8SKr_0/s1600/2016-06-15+13.38.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNkk4mnNCqOB376nQB2igWSgYoFe16-h7S-WYzYt9xAkpFytG51yTBn_9fk9Nsru4txTD1uM1tebFj2ToCLJLCum2uX3uYcR-qVtW6xg3x23-lS2_OjsxL8PPwkG8TXqi8vQ6d8SKr_0/s400/2016-06-15+13.38.56.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-91184193276681447452016-05-27T09:56:00.000-07:002016-05-27T10:05:35.312-07:00Otters 2016<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There have been many highlights in the 7 years of writing this blog, but no doubt one of them has been seeing and recording the activities of otters on the Ock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First seen in May 2011 were at a female otter and her two cubs:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN3-QdKdpdoc9VU4XPjGRqZG-hnAqyvSIKMkOIensdlV8oKO30QNFyNlDcJWWL3AAYjUGLrtwHIAtb7r7bF-NNhNC0_N4j-4vPWnvpEn5aTH0vhp9QbSfnUmxG3_ZdjtWVZxHTE1Fhx8/s1600/Otter2011526_4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN3-QdKdpdoc9VU4XPjGRqZG-hnAqyvSIKMkOIensdlV8oKO30QNFyNlDcJWWL3AAYjUGLrtwHIAtb7r7bF-NNhNC0_N4j-4vPWnvpEn5aTH0vhp9QbSfnUmxG3_ZdjtWVZxHTE1Fhx8/s400/Otter2011526_4a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There then followed nine other sightings, including this one in June 2011 - in broad daylight. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRgiEs-btzcBW88a86ZXDQ2ONpLmTrKA6MsoAS6WqFkSoP_MRdFmgi5ti2VoxIlo56CvB0IyPRfZCYdCSRgqMCQVBhxUpGTmIPWxPF-slRxd-2rXbCE2OIp5JcfJ2sUcpBVwe0GSyhq4/s1600/Otter2011_6_9ab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRgiEs-btzcBW88a86ZXDQ2ONpLmTrKA6MsoAS6WqFkSoP_MRdFmgi5ti2VoxIlo56CvB0IyPRfZCYdCSRgqMCQVBhxUpGTmIPWxPF-slRxd-2rXbCE2OIp5JcfJ2sUcpBVwe0GSyhq4/s400/Otter2011_6_9ab.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">Whilst the Eurasian otter can live up to 20 years in captivity, in the wild, they are lucky to make it to 4 years old, with sexual maturity occurring at 18 months for females.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hence, the otter in the photographs above have almost certainly died, maybe this otter, seen in 2013 is one of the cubs having reached maturity or maybe even it's a grand-cub.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGknlkrPMCulUhvdfiEo457kdxBaTbDRNrt3bKXzgg0VeJzvuzF1ErNMkeC3Na1r3tDq27s2TlRYWNsPxXA36cewGWnGiwRNJVLIyjnq3q8dFa6Fo9w8s0lVi1_ewYg6pHTxjbJUd5yw/s1600/otter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGknlkrPMCulUhvdfiEo457kdxBaTbDRNrt3bKXzgg0VeJzvuzF1ErNMkeC3Na1r3tDq27s2TlRYWNsPxXA36cewGWnGiwRNJVLIyjnq3q8dFa6Fo9w8s0lVi1_ewYg6pHTxjbJUd5yw/s400/otter2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was the last sighting for three years, yet</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> it's apparent that otters were still resident in the Ock as their droppings (known as spraints) could occasionally be found, the most recent in March 2016:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbKmqvAt31r3Vt_rONdSZQVbXnSt8kPSvcby_Upv7kGRiFSpyAuSQ-cnP-idGvwLzLoasjVKQsIVckxSiPOjrHY6jRTkri94-qQb_MJit4_yH1yl445zhmopobL-mkiorfZ-Q6o9hAMU/s1600/spraint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbKmqvAt31r3Vt_rONdSZQVbXnSt8kPSvcby_Upv7kGRiFSpyAuSQ-cnP-idGvwLzLoasjVKQsIVckxSiPOjrHY6jRTkri94-qQb_MJit4_yH1yl445zhmopobL-mkiorfZ-Q6o9hAMU/s400/spraint.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, whilst looking for water voles in April this year, there was a very unexpected encounter with another otter - on the same stretch where the first otters were recorded. So unexpected it had dived out of sight before a decent photograph could be taken.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLYvg9538GlQNq-6r5nOBz-3vui78E5ftgh9lWWxjd4II7w9Tru2YU0lX5OUXmKdWgbO8XmvT8dhSf9dKdXM19rGqNGfpbvKBn7IZBGGhuS5rKGhxPDzhLvCV2sWtO6a4OirySZmlVHU/s1600/otter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLYvg9538GlQNq-6r5nOBz-3vui78E5ftgh9lWWxjd4II7w9Tru2YU0lX5OUXmKdWgbO8XmvT8dhSf9dKdXM19rGqNGfpbvKBn7IZBGGhuS5rKGhxPDzhLvCV2sWtO6a4OirySZmlVHU/s400/otter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So perhaps this otter could then be the great grand-cub of the otter first seen back in 2011....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But perhaps not, one of the reasons Eurasian otters have short life spans in that they are fiercely territorial and inflict horrendous </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">injuries</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> - often fatal - on each other. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So maybe this otter is not even related to those seen 5 years ago, perhaps it is a descendant of a different otter which moved into the Ock and displaced or killed the resident female? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it may not even be a female, it could be a male with territories in the Abingdon area seeking a female?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As with otters, they often raise more questions than answers, but w</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hatever its lineage or gender, it's just great to know these wonderful and seldom seen animals are still present on our small and somewhat insignificant river</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-75095293163366384792016-05-21T06:46:00.002-07:002016-05-21T06:46:41.502-07:00Peregrines of Aylesbury<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like many market towns, there is no specific reason the largest town in Buckinghamshire, unless like me you are visiting your mother in law.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is the hometown of 80's neo-prog rock group Marillion, a splendid new theatre and an attractive market square:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But Aylesbury's most easily identifiable land mark is the 12 story edifice known locally as Pooley's Folly (after it's architect, Fred Pooley).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This building is home to the county reference library, the register office and a pair of the most impressive animals in world - peregrine falcons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG588940x09hKCUeOs0-Vit-d5cqFQOnGvPa9xqfHANEHrDZsUVDNG6WzIDbMRI3cEThVDVwOlrp_bIwbQgfWms4GuOjAhbk17bULcn1q7FT_0uq9HkrUfczgCGkE7cqTfLnH_o1haxqs/s1600/WP_20160430_18_04_24_Rich+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG588940x09hKCUeOs0-Vit-d5cqFQOnGvPa9xqfHANEHrDZsUVDNG6WzIDbMRI3cEThVDVwOlrp_bIwbQgfWms4GuOjAhbk17bULcn1q7FT_0uq9HkrUfczgCGkE7cqTfLnH_o1haxqs/s400/WP_20160430_18_04_24_Rich+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This magnificent animal can can be seen from various view points in the town, but probably the best view is from the top floor of the Friars Square car park</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_PomYpPyR0G6zgPqPHfYa3fEQG1aO-CXr9xenRE40EU4IUX3dVuXir3jXklBy09ox-9lZEjtVIPpj-EQUb9dHMYMwUDyJasYFBxRTo9L1Ui-u6POu94NxyON8g7a8lPg0gmysUvkniA/s1600/Peregrine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_PomYpPyR0G6zgPqPHfYa3fEQG1aO-CXr9xenRE40EU4IUX3dVuXir3jXklBy09ox-9lZEjtVIPpj-EQUb9dHMYMwUDyJasYFBxRTo9L1Ui-u6POu94NxyON8g7a8lPg0gmysUvkniA/s400/Peregrine1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This year the pair have had four eggs, three of which hatched - one of which died prematurely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The two remaining chicks are doing well and can be watched on a fantastic web cam: <a href="http://aylesburyperegrine.org.uk/overhead%20cam.htm">http://aylesburyperegrine.org.uk/overhead%20cam.htm</a></span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-33173656831612859602016-04-23T00:41:00.002-07:002016-04-23T01:37:33.372-07:00The fritillaries of Magdalen College<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are many reasons to be grateful for living near the university city of Oxford:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Ashmolean and University of Oxford Natural History Museum (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/return-to-oxford-natural-history-museum.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/return-to-oxford-natural-history-museum.html</a>)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> are world class museums.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Botanic Gardens are always fascinating with its glass houses and flower borders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To the east, hours can be spent wondering around Wytham Woods (<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/way-through-woods.html">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/way-through-woods.html</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then there are the 38 colleges which make up the University, whilst Christchurch is possibly the most famous, Madgalen College is probably the best one to visit in spring</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As famous for its alumini (Oscar Wilde, T.E. Lawrence, Thomas Wolsey and C.S. Lewis was a Fellow) as for its impressive buildings</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, it</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is the grounds which make the college worth visiting at this time of year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Situated on an island in the river Cherwell, the water meadow, with its the snake's head fritillaries in their thousands that catch the eye. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This stunning plant has previously been mentioned in this blog </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/fritillary">http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/fritillary</a>) as the water meadows of Oxfordshire are one of its last strong holds and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the display at Magdalen College must be one of the most impressive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And from Addison's walk (the name of the patch around the water meadow) the fallow deer can be seen in the deer park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it is Fellow's garden, across a bridge over the Cherwell, which is the most impressive sight. Where the fritillaries mix with a variety of daisies and daffodils to produce a most splendid vista.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the nearby woods provide opportunities for some of most arresting wildlife, such as this Jay:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtKu1sLWlbGCTzTjKm5mDDptevfQEKOMLJvbPhKnbfOCxyAuCuz8lvuo52SzSpWqJgqqXDxF2GI-gvMVWE7RMJqyXKf-OzRCcP1weJwEd6pCAO6FNw_sR0WxY8FZNCEv-D9tZkLVO8UI/s1600/MC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDtKu1sLWlbGCTzTjKm5mDDptevfQEKOMLJvbPhKnbfOCxyAuCuz8lvuo52SzSpWqJgqqXDxF2GI-gvMVWE7RMJqyXKf-OzRCcP1weJwEd6pCAO6FNw_sR0WxY8FZNCEv-D9tZkLVO8UI/s400/MC5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And as a bonus, those who live near Oxford (with an OX1.. postcode) can get in for free with suitable ID.</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-73717946601267283282016-03-25T01:15:00.003-07:002016-03-25T01:15:42.310-07:00Standing in the footsteps of Dinosaurs<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most wildlife enthusiasts visit the Isle of Wight to see Red Squirrels (as this blog did back in 2011:<a href="http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/tale-of-two-squirrels.html"> http://viewsoftheock.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/tale-of-two-squirrels.htm</a>l) an animal that is almost extinct in most parts of the UK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But in autumn last year we visited with the intention of finding signs of an animal that became extinct 120 million years ago - dinosaurs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back then the Isle of Wight was part of a large river complex of rivers, swamps and ponds that stretched from the south of England through northern Europe, where over 20 species of dinosaur lived, mated and died and over time the swamps turned to rocks and the rocks became cliffs and the dinosaur bones turned to stone. Like this iguanodon foot sited in the Dinosaur Isle museum:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s5QdnBoxXOXYz8zhRAJdlqEnj3bicetzDmQWviT3ieSP9hXXbL48q0x2fY691S45_6eqk-dpqhWfPlr-gqhSDa4pmJJCkH8RePOMfw6Ks3N5cKlNiuPnbXvY5tcXWXPR8JmsjdW8mCc/s1600/Dino1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s5QdnBoxXOXYz8zhRAJdlqEnj3bicetzDmQWviT3ieSP9hXXbL48q0x2fY691S45_6eqk-dpqhWfPlr-gqhSDa4pmJJCkH8RePOMfw6Ks3N5cKlNiuPnbXvY5tcXWXPR8JmsjdW8mCc/s400/Dino1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it's not only bones that become fossilised, buy on occasion the dinosaur's footprints do as well, like these at Hanover Point on the island's south coast.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlRT72j6dhRHAjzRoVDrzJLrwZzLKjqcAKt05Z5aNo79nE9qXUiiMW_3Euwm8dMGgw0ATifcmF0QtH2oeukcwQ658GDtHHoBPP4drJHaUyVawbw5WGQu_-MZVmo4nGygrRoq8mXrxAX0/s1600/Dino5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlRT72j6dhRHAjzRoVDrzJLrwZzLKjqcAKt05Z5aNo79nE9qXUiiMW_3Euwm8dMGgw0ATifcmF0QtH2oeukcwQ658GDtHHoBPP4drJHaUyVawbw5WGQu_-MZVmo4nGygrRoq8mXrxAX0/s400/Dino5.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The three toed footprint matching the remains of the iguanodon which was found nearby.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiconzk6Pn3waxPm01DAaeGFfUGRTKAJBbfsrvHcBe7CsxRfIq7D6Tof8Cg-ntSbEd3oVmxjVDIhQ4-vcd3BluGCzHBWZWTIEGoe3GRIHLBeG1H-efRfdyvmv3t9KrwwNryAbOIMaXcrAE/s1600/Dino6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiconzk6Pn3waxPm01DAaeGFfUGRTKAJBbfsrvHcBe7CsxRfIq7D6Tof8Cg-ntSbEd3oVmxjVDIhQ4-vcd3BluGCzHBWZWTIEGoe3GRIHLBeG1H-efRfdyvmv3t9KrwwNryAbOIMaXcrAE/s400/Dino6.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The footprints fossils were formed by the imprint of the dinosaur foot being filled with mud and sediment, this gradually tuned to white rock sandstone and formed the distinctive cast while the rest of the stone was eroded.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although some aren't as obvious as others:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTfyXB44lB-jA_qKymykIPtZF23D5oFYCrNdiOPhVy8zcu73YPP4sm5FJ0o6FgqInOcHNEW2Q5hCeqmWgnwVZdVgy1RsgPrAZLT1IlgFCKxKNcInwnseVFRF6vTE5kW7BZD4D6-aVcVM/s1600/Dino4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZTfyXB44lB-jA_qKymykIPtZF23D5oFYCrNdiOPhVy8zcu73YPP4sm5FJ0o6FgqInOcHNEW2Q5hCeqmWgnwVZdVgy1RsgPrAZLT1IlgFCKxKNcInwnseVFRF6vTE5kW7BZD4D6-aVcVM/s400/Dino4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's not just dinosaurs that have left their mark on the beeches of the Isle of Wight, there are countless fossilised shells:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ogmnOlTfEn1GZqvxUmumyYHWtRpy4-wmnyY4-df3WJYEdBqGi_ir3PJ9zpeTZrQ44cSZQ23D8jeeCtbNEYXXM7nkjcvGxtI_n99NkOlxu95eOL4OIMzYnXCm43wiNFT-2onHQTPeRus/s1600/Dino2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ogmnOlTfEn1GZqvxUmumyYHWtRpy4-wmnyY4-df3WJYEdBqGi_ir3PJ9zpeTZrQ44cSZQ23D8jeeCtbNEYXXM7nkjcvGxtI_n99NkOlxu95eOL4OIMzYnXCm43wiNFT-2onHQTPeRus/s400/Dino2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And even fossilised wood, from the time when the area was covered in forests - perhaps </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">even browsed upon by the same animals which left these footprints.</span><br />
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Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-57314647310429794472016-03-17T13:35:00.000-07:002016-03-17T13:35:49.747-07:00After the rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the midweek rain, the river levels have once again risen, yet it does not look like it will burst it's banks this time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A weekend walk reveals more partially eaten muscle shells.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfbuTZ2ODyWSSWyo7taMFndoDwG1aTWn_BptfX4gjkKpD9ser-KST9yxYLJCD5pfr42qfch5dy4qucnT9RZjA24FULs3EIUumF2l-Rmb92VsrWqLbbLitl34cGcqLQFtqXqO88i60xE0/s1600/pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfbuTZ2ODyWSSWyo7taMFndoDwG1aTWn_BptfX4gjkKpD9ser-KST9yxYLJCD5pfr42qfch5dy4qucnT9RZjA24FULs3EIUumF2l-Rmb92VsrWqLbbLitl34cGcqLQFtqXqO88i60xE0/s400/pic2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just further along is evidence of what may be the culprit, a fresh otter spraint (possibly less than 12 hours old) on a part of the river I haven't previously found signs of otter activity. Maybe the higher water level has made this part of the river more attractive to the otter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H0E3ZH2NN9izd0pn4-yU6AzWW_9TBQpr_umlv-Q6PRJhEEXrZYYloLqv4kGcjKeQSDn69gRxEvLajuG4gyW_bEggkzX4mMuvi17Dm239urRQNZ7npMfrl7PzFlMVh3gXRI85Z7qc2Lo/s1600/OtterPoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H0E3ZH2NN9izd0pn4-yU6AzWW_9TBQpr_umlv-Q6PRJhEEXrZYYloLqv4kGcjKeQSDn69gRxEvLajuG4gyW_bEggkzX4mMuvi17Dm239urRQNZ7npMfrl7PzFlMVh3gXRI85Z7qc2Lo/s400/OtterPoo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whilst the high water level may be good for otters, it maybe not such good news for the water voles, causing them</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> to drown as their form territory at what should be the start of their breeding season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But there are at least signs that some may have survived the winter, what looks like a burrow, filled with their distinctive feeding signs</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHawMYO3hAz7qJd1OvZ6d_QSPjYqZo_uIlAbIOdYeRId4_RUvbGMdAb_NA5OHG_-ttx1p32MOA5BoCK7B0JsgyXV1OpoafUDrxNw9fDKDDIgycagx6jqcEBZYJ4XtWbQ8kx4782JbamYY/s1600/pic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHawMYO3hAz7qJd1OvZ6d_QSPjYqZo_uIlAbIOdYeRId4_RUvbGMdAb_NA5OHG_-ttx1p32MOA5BoCK7B0JsgyXV1OpoafUDrxNw9fDKDDIgycagx6jqcEBZYJ4XtWbQ8kx4782JbamYY/s400/pic3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-60636689425357487462016-03-05T12:21:00.002-08:002016-03-05T12:46:10.386-08:00Return to the River<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When we think of ground breaking wildlife documentaries we probably think of exotic locations and animals, like snow leopards hunting in the mountains of Pakistan, or killer whales hunting seals in Patagonia or even giant centipedes catching bats in caves in the Amazon - so it is somewhat of surprise to that wildlife behaviour possibly never recorded before has been filmed on the river Ock here in Abingdon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Filmmaker Stephen De Vere – who has filmed sequences for the BBC’s Life of Birds, Life in the Freezer, Africa and most recently the sparrowhawk sequence in The Hunt - has spent the past few years filming and documenting the wildlife in English rivers for his film ‘Return to the River’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(c) Stephen De Vere</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It might not have the cinematic scale of the recent BBC wildlife documentaries, but it does provide a more personal insight into our rivers and by returning to the same spot several times he documents the changes in the river and the behaviours of the animals - it seems he is revisiting old friends as he reveals their secret worlds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whilst the kingfisher and otter footage is sublime, it was not filmed in the area, it is another charismatic animal – the water vole - that was filmed on the Ock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Charting their behaviour, from their first emergence in spring and the establishment of their breeding territories, to seeking out new food sources and avoiding predators – by climbing trees and it is this seldom seen behaviour that has possibly never filmed before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was originally recorded in this blog (even if the camera work is somewhat shoddy and there is the everpresent incessant drone of the A34) and even inspired Stephen to seek out the water voles on the Ock (I even get a credit at the end of the film).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI_qj5cLAFETgaD3x-V5X77waaI3oHNv4ng3xjkUR_ysASNgiywqiFSA5OKoRAXf90nazOQgl___kRSV6XouMi4f7aQ_h2LzN9TcIrMZ3M2mrmH_VUW7I3uXo0wim0oz5R9VEQ5Sns4s/s1600/P1230917.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaI_qj5cLAFETgaD3x-V5X77waaI3oHNv4ng3xjkUR_ysASNgiywqiFSA5OKoRAXf90nazOQgl___kRSV6XouMi4f7aQ_h2LzN9TcIrMZ3M2mrmH_VUW7I3uXo0wim0oz5R9VEQ5Sns4s/s400/P1230917.MOV" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1Nkcop5H3YaSCbwz3YvfdsDTLblKfpTCmY30YLykHYFahrZc9iodqowYZFm7RKpV28GcsBepRQoRIhBfmSmH5SqYrCeGk8O2JmV2WbwlqDW20BgoQ66Iheyf4l5R_d4vjZuFe092LPA/s1600/P1230918.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1Nkcop5H3YaSCbwz3YvfdsDTLblKfpTCmY30YLykHYFahrZc9iodqowYZFm7RKpV28GcsBepRQoRIhBfmSmH5SqYrCeGk8O2JmV2WbwlqDW20BgoQ66Iheyf4l5R_d4vjZuFe092LPA/s400/P1230918.MOV" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is Stephen's determination, creativity and professionalism that has exceeded anything recorded in this blog and the way he has captured their behaviour which makes these shy, endearing and now unfortunately very rare creatures the stars of the film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For anyone with an interest in river wildlife, this film is highly recommended and not just because a leading wildlife cameraman has chosen to film on our local river.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More information on this and Stephen’s other film ‘Through the Garden Gate’ can be found at: <span class="s1"><a href="http://britishnaturefilms.com/films/">http://britishnaturefilms.com/films/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And Stephen is also on Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Stephen_deVere" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/Stephen_deVere</a></div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-51366712437295135592016-02-15T10:53:00.000-08:002016-02-16T04:59:29.437-08:00River Levels<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For some time the Environment Agency has been posting the river levels from their measuring stations on-line. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But it can be some what difficult to navigate through its web site to find the desired river level (for example - the river Ock is found at </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/7081">https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/7081</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Environment Agency has now made this data publicly available and data mining and mapping company Shoothill (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.shoothill.com/">http://www.shoothill.com/</a>)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> has taken it and produced an interactive map of live data of the river levels in England & Wales: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map">http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not only is this data available on their web site, but river level updates are available via twitter and can have widgets which can be embedded into web sites (such as the Ock widget, now in the panel on the right hand side).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The river levels can also be followed on Twitter and Facebook - which not only give the river levels, but any flood alerts too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The widgets for three rivers in Abingdon are embedded below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>River Ock (Tesco Weir) </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/riverlevel_2453">https://twitter.com/riverlevel_2453</a></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="446" src="http://cdn.gaugemap.co.uk/gaugemapwidgets/1040-1089-3-300x446.html" width="500"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thames (Abingdon Lock):</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/riverlevel_0962">https://twitter.com/riverlevel_0962</a></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="446" src="http://cdn.gaugemap.co.uk/gaugemapwidgets/1029-1077-27-300x446.html" width="300"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>River Stert:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/riverlevel_2452">https://twitter.com/riverlevel_2452</a></span><br />
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="446" src="http://cdn.gaugemap.co.uk/gaugemapwidgets/1033-1082-3-300x446.html" width="300"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-63572414834432110082016-02-08T05:34:00.000-08:002016-02-08T05:34:35.234-08:00Life and Death on a Sunday Afternoon.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a blog about the River Ock, it has hardly featured as a subject since May last year. So a gap in rain and gales on Sunday afternoon provided the opportunity for a walk along the river to see if anything had changed in the previous few months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As it's winter, it's perhaps not surprising to see that the river is high, although it will take a lot more rain before it bursts it's banks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijNepG-OA-DHuitxmH6PriOjg_b2ig5eiT-eU0GYQK8i52iXEmG5kYd1cW-tfBCCX25j01xD1zHuDbdrdmgmJDGmFDIpc1SX5lKX43zQqcUkoe3YMmVUh72u7fOSRQ_qa6VutnX5mdoE/s1600/Blog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijNepG-OA-DHuitxmH6PriOjg_b2ig5eiT-eU0GYQK8i52iXEmG5kYd1cW-tfBCCX25j01xD1zHuDbdrdmgmJDGmFDIpc1SX5lKX43zQqcUkoe3YMmVUh72u7fOSRQ_qa6VutnX5mdoE/s400/Blog4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As per normal for a dark cold day this there of year, there isn't much to see. But along the side of the river, there are signs of an animal which is very seldom seen - fresh water muscles.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-wBAJQOicN4b9XZEKL9HY0l1YY-GXulKUKyrfVOGrp-JlG99AxEiBD7lH7h8fCCzObVVvKbtobtMVyFkoWE-lv-80kUtzbz_kxF-_Y7i-tllnmklbAWSftcwAMmTLjgG7I7vOXR3EZA/s1600/Blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-wBAJQOicN4b9XZEKL9HY0l1YY-GXulKUKyrfVOGrp-JlG99AxEiBD7lH7h8fCCzObVVvKbtobtMVyFkoWE-lv-80kUtzbz_kxF-_Y7i-tllnmklbAWSftcwAMmTLjgG7I7vOXR3EZA/s400/Blog2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe the muscles died a natural death and then were washed up the last time the river burst it's banks. Although muscles are a favourite food of otters, so maybe this is circumstantial evidence that they are still active on the Ock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps the most likely explanation is they were washed up and an opportunist corvid took advantage of their unfortunate situation.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0N7XfsElLUGJQEflM6jIWkazyCqe3uwA2mhKaisq9a-i75-0pzlN_BRZmrs8NnSRS3pKNK6ilzc-qsbLaZOQaEvEdPJIL2WFIK70SQ7xPH-MKxnZmkFxXQhTGTyC51f34GAPuMCEBvY/s1600/Blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0N7XfsElLUGJQEflM6jIWkazyCqe3uwA2mhKaisq9a-i75-0pzlN_BRZmrs8NnSRS3pKNK6ilzc-qsbLaZOQaEvEdPJIL2WFIK70SQ7xPH-MKxnZmkFxXQhTGTyC51f34GAPuMCEBvY/s400/Blog3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Another animal which met an unfortunate demise is this rabbit, quite what set of circumstances caused it be squashed on a footpath will probably be never be known.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWFWNEGmTcAnNNPB-EbFMcwtlGgUTwZZrGN2RuTZw1TNaQ1Z1-8_a8vwD9bOawdn0VzopCBLg6zFl5bB_Fl_fF3P9t6SLCb_IBwxbzG0pbEVEfoLbOMdSMBa_jXiKsCxKZwc0VhgJ2Fw/s1600/Blog7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWFWNEGmTcAnNNPB-EbFMcwtlGgUTwZZrGN2RuTZw1TNaQ1Z1-8_a8vwD9bOawdn0VzopCBLg6zFl5bB_Fl_fF3P9t6SLCb_IBwxbzG0pbEVEfoLbOMdSMBa_jXiKsCxKZwc0VhgJ2Fw/s400/Blog7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet it's not just signs of death along the river, a buttercup is starting to flower in the flood meadow, even though Meadow Buttercup doesn't normally flower till April.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps another symptom of our mixed up winter?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRF6QIXMovxE9Jhx40wm4m1EjhyK-fzpLFl4BKAbUHM6MKURbWoQf9SRecuXzcVhHRc4efliVWxajY0L0COInsryir7Oz_iEhDV4TjvHj2TME6cas0yEnf112hKnMgupHBKvaXaV6o_g/s1600/Blog6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRF6QIXMovxE9Jhx40wm4m1EjhyK-fzpLFl4BKAbUHM6MKURbWoQf9SRecuXzcVhHRc4efliVWxajY0L0COInsryir7Oz_iEhDV4TjvHj2TME6cas0yEnf112hKnMgupHBKvaXaV6o_g/s400/Blog6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-76795849867471013562016-02-04T12:10:00.003-08:002016-03-05T12:49:39.717-08:00Candlemas<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some perennial plants such as daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses survive the hardships of winter by accumulating food in their bulbs and then when spring approaches, the warmer and lighter days result in the plant putting it's efforts into producing flowers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the traditional day of the first snowdrop flowers being Candlemas Day (2nd February).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But this year it has been different... </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yebxDi1u12fCwFn7bAespnMB0s2ePS44EnYd29t4AdN90kKnVEJ2ZIXpapTIoyxw4wnQHxQoITe4ibClO6a-l1pq6n9Se15QMsakQnWPpnn6L2icsSfh7ojUZLcYJkG1S0EpdIGvVwE/s1600/Blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yebxDi1u12fCwFn7bAespnMB0s2ePS44EnYd29t4AdN90kKnVEJ2ZIXpapTIoyxw4wnQHxQoITe4ibClO6a-l1pq6n9Se15QMsakQnWPpnn6L2icsSfh7ojUZLcYJkG1S0EpdIGvVwE/s400/Blog1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like a lot of places, the snowdrops in our garden have been in flower before Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rather than flowering on Candlemas, quite of a few are loosing their flowers and once again returning to storing food in their bulbs:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's not only the snowdrops aren't the only ones, the daffodils, which normally flower in March, have also started to flower prematurely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so have the crocuses, which usually flower towards the end of February.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u_Xz-1qSrTBifUhlkT9Mu6yXYGu5q2MAohTi_vHNSqAyz5Guk1FS-n74t33F5gl-7V11b7rFuqaLZoUaQY3TMfqzzBmvkSVh_POwd-fzsee-r6aRA9RnN4lkszozlV9Zrs2S5kT0VXo/s1600/Blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u_Xz-1qSrTBifUhlkT9Mu6yXYGu5q2MAohTi_vHNSqAyz5Guk1FS-n74t33F5gl-7V11b7rFuqaLZoUaQY3TMfqzzBmvkSVh_POwd-fzsee-r6aRA9RnN4lkszozlV9Zrs2S5kT0VXo/s400/Blog2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cause of this early flowering is the unseasonable warm weather the South of England has had in the past few months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2013 the average UK temperature was 5.7 Celsius, in 2014 it was 4.4 and in 2015 it was </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7.9 (reaching a maximum temperature of 16.6 in Sunderland) [1].</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whilst it is always good to see flowers on a winters day, it may have an adverse affect on on hibernating animals like insects, bats and hedgehogs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet for animals which don't hibernate - like water voles, this may actually be good news as they won't have to seek food in harsh conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether this mild winter is temporary or a more permanent change, time will tell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sources:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">[1] Met Office: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #006621; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;">www.metoffice.gov.</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #006621; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;">uk</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #006621; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;">/</span>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-87516715832400967342016-01-31T05:31:00.001-08:002016-03-05T12:47:07.251-08:00Return to the Blogosphere?<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year the blog become mostly dormant, with the exception of the occasional post about visiting London, not much has happened on it since the summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet even when it was quite, the blog was experiencing the natural and un-natural world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It applauded loudly as a professor of particle physics played keyboards with reformed electronic rock band New Order</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It gasped in amazement at the sight of leopard in the African savannah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It then felt saddened and disheartened that mankind's inhumanity, greed and outdated beliefs has meant that it is almost impossible to see a rhinoceros in the wild:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It got wet and cold looking for signs of dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was frustrated at just glimpsing a Purple Emperor butterfly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF62AjAzIsaGhS1g5iM7nxpX9_4gL5BzNQ7NaXbE_MtFMLGjwfgXuiBkANBGHlbQcIPy5rysOpq0Jexe4pZwI0uc7vvv64oS3MkaN3pBY1AD_Kt0K5wzZDuKE8AzQOSF0wssRvZvV0HR4/s1600/Blog7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF62AjAzIsaGhS1g5iM7nxpX9_4gL5BzNQ7NaXbE_MtFMLGjwfgXuiBkANBGHlbQcIPy5rysOpq0Jexe4pZwI0uc7vvv64oS3MkaN3pBY1AD_Kt0K5wzZDuKE8AzQOSF0wssRvZvV0HR4/s400/Blog7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it enjoyed experiencing the bleakness of the Cambridgeshire Fens in Autumn.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc2DErAjIdk6QeD-zVmhL-SJRw6Sk0D3bkba5UeEibeO1_FZfNdBwOAKhQnijRnPkGaUBk53aJvCm-X4UszeDOts_ym-jRbVydQ68dJJHO_EGfo43aGmsk3dMNrJwGgQYZpNCiK6wFXQ/s1600/Blog6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc2DErAjIdk6QeD-zVmhL-SJRw6Sk0D3bkba5UeEibeO1_FZfNdBwOAKhQnijRnPkGaUBk53aJvCm-X4UszeDOts_ym-jRbVydQ68dJJHO_EGfo43aGmsk3dMNrJwGgQYZpNCiK6wFXQ/s400/Blog6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So maybe it's time for the blog to wake up from it's hibernation, hope the muse returns and to see if it still has any friends out there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe some of 2015's activities will feature in future posts, but if not</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 2016 has plenty of opportunities:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To see how the water voles have coped with the mild winter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To investigate if otters are still present on the Ock.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To further explore the Radley Lakes area of Abingdon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To venture into other parts of Abingdon and Oxfordshire countryside</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To try and get better views of the illusive purple emperor.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To further explore downstream of the Ock and it's tributaries.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To enjoy other Natural History Museums in this country.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having had a rest, perhaps 2016 will be a good year for the blog? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if anyone is still reading, it would be pleased to hear from them, especially if they have any suggestions for subjects of posts or places to visit.</span><br />
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Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-53222109745955377942015-09-15T11:12:00.002-07:002015-09-15T11:12:27.010-07:00Life Story<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in May, I received a very thoughtful birthday present - a pair of tickets to a concert at the Proms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So three months later we went down to the Royal Albert Hall. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLxlqFuLsGBdiiqbYQ2mcFecwkOJH7cecLvwfJJRS6ue0yY3Kd87sfF7ipCkG12nfNbG5CRIOCqvsXVKy1HItK89Ndm-emiJoCcTToiPtTnqw_rdYrMEIzH63oKRAzOHgQLusFuyrWn4/s1600/Proms1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLxlqFuLsGBdiiqbYQ2mcFecwkOJH7cecLvwfJJRS6ue0yY3Kd87sfF7ipCkG12nfNbG5CRIOCqvsXVKy1HItK89Ndm-emiJoCcTToiPtTnqw_rdYrMEIzH63oKRAzOHgQLusFuyrWn4/s400/Proms1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a particular fan of classic music, but this was a rather special concert, the music from the BBC wildlife series Life Story, played by the BBC concert orchestra and presented by Sir David Attenborough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to the concert we attended a BBC Proms Extra - a 45 minute discussion at the nearby Royal College of Music - with the composer Murray Gold (best know for his work on Doctor Who) and series producer Michael Gunton.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS_fhn6oMlaeBbVmcUMcC5AU6BbQw4cfn63rQrqC0NnSw6Ob-KnWsTJfCxj5IrKDfsroO_MehCbfPzkspwW4OdxrYHWa7gzEfwy2YeU4RxWMFUrumRMr2WnyrfPK7ehib0BeU8TxvCgg/s1600/Proms2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS_fhn6oMlaeBbVmcUMcC5AU6BbQw4cfn63rQrqC0NnSw6Ob-KnWsTJfCxj5IrKDfsroO_MehCbfPzkspwW4OdxrYHWa7gzEfwy2YeU4RxWMFUrumRMr2WnyrfPK7ehib0BeU8TxvCgg/s400/Proms2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who discussed the problems of producing a program that was constructed from 2000 hours of film footage and composing a complex score from very rough edits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One hour later was the proms itself, whilst the orchestra received a warm applause the greeting which Sir David received was almost rapturous.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNuqmrQu_O-vjbJuAV7Sht5UUqNd1IajkUf13JCQIvH7YCAEeQX-Nbbm5r0pqb-fdlpvK5_2B_Au8keDI1AEZ4GfIU61nLNf_twVxviFYkaJEFZR0QTRjsuBUjrPgJmdP1Bv3-gGZlss/s1600/Proms6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNuqmrQu_O-vjbJuAV7Sht5UUqNd1IajkUf13JCQIvH7YCAEeQX-Nbbm5r0pqb-fdlpvK5_2B_Au8keDI1AEZ4GfIU61nLNf_twVxviFYkaJEFZR0QTRjsuBUjrPgJmdP1Bv3-gGZlss/s400/Proms6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The concert took the form of Sir David introducing (basically the Life Story narration) the corresponding clips which were projected onto several large screens around the hall, whilst the orchestra played the corresponding score.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuWcg4twkbjjK3ewHdszIGvQTNRJAtsfmv4RynnQ0k1m-dmKtvuC_3rDtKlmllQSgehsCfOxhOBfQytj_HIMXX9Cwvm7woI7nyfrzTlZHZlqeKkF_xq9J69ZUMdkxNPbqwp4WA7prQyA/s1600/Proms3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuWcg4twkbjjK3ewHdszIGvQTNRJAtsfmv4RynnQ0k1m-dmKtvuC_3rDtKlmllQSgehsCfOxhOBfQytj_HIMXX9Cwvm7woI7nyfrzTlZHZlqeKkF_xq9J69ZUMdkxNPbqwp4WA7prQyA/s400/Proms3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never been a particular fan of music in natural history programmes - preferring the sounds of the natural world or finding it a distraction from the narration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet in this instance I have become to appreciate how important it can be to help the narrative, especially when the scene itself features very little natural sound.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, the use of exotic percussion to enhance the situation comedy that is hermit crabs forming their own housing chain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rLUAoTjdmZ8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLUAoTjdmZ8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or using a violin and accordion to construct a tango to reflect the final fatal dance of a male Peacock Spider.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iVgsbpUDZ-8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iVgsbpUDZ-8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The subtle use of the string section (and clever editing) to reflect the emotion and pathos of a herd of elephants examining the remains of a long dead relative:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H8-7mqa7yZU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H8-7mqa7yZU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And constructing a dramatic sense of tension as young praying mantis start to make their way in the world - which matches anything out of Hollywood (or in the case of Alien, Pinewood) and a twist at the end which surpasses most films:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7wKu13wmHog/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7wKu13wmHog?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Certainly the music adds a huge amount to each scene and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">considerably </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enhances the dramatic effect, it also reflects emotions that may or may not exist in the natural world - comedy, fear, grief and suspense - but without it, the series would be significantly less impressive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for me, not only seeing a true icon, but to hear such excellent music played by some of the finest musicians has been one of the highlights of the year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time of writing, the concert is still available on BBC iPlayer and is well worth listening to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/edxwhn#b0684vct">http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/edxwhn#b0684vct</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As is the BBC Proms Extra:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ezfgwh#b0680hp8">http://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ezfgwh#b0680hp8</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All films are copyright BBC.</span><br />
<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-63681580686225534052015-06-13T02:09:00.000-07:002015-06-13T02:09:19.796-07:00Grant Museum of Zoology<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most visitors to London, who are interested in the natural world, flock to the Natural History Museum, yet on the corner of Gower Street and University Street is the Grant Museum of Zoology, the last university zoological museum in London</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbyoVLQiiNzuv0morKDFx4aTtCVzSa_Ba_C9UsRR1xphAeFN3WhAyPJ58SyWlx_VH13nWJSl57KTgmxdfJlSb7JanWDpsXNLpOvBpMzj4Xp3XXx37BTpGIyxWizsCPB8U8IZazPysxUw/s1600/grantMuseum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbyoVLQiiNzuv0morKDFx4aTtCVzSa_Ba_C9UsRR1xphAeFN3WhAyPJ58SyWlx_VH13nWJSl57KTgmxdfJlSb7JanWDpsXNLpOvBpMzj4Xp3XXx37BTpGIyxWizsCPB8U8IZazPysxUw/s1600/grantMuseum.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't have a plaster cast of a Pennsylvanian diplodocus or a near complete stegosaurs, and is </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">considerably smaller than it's more famous counterpart on Cromwell Road.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it does have many interesting and fascinating items on display, including a hippo skull:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvZpGviyl3Hw-kFp2DKiA1Y9haEFgJgg5fvTmgnj79wGTlYr8rPa_iupMTo5GMrdx-z2c1vy8YOX6MHIf0SYQxnnSEdc_Sv3UJxXH4fJWkX1MQWKYgEeekgVoZhjVsEIzxaGj7VgGIK0/s1600/hippo+Skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvZpGviyl3Hw-kFp2DKiA1Y9haEFgJgg5fvTmgnj79wGTlYr8rPa_iupMTo5GMrdx-z2c1vy8YOX6MHIf0SYQxnnSEdc_Sv3UJxXH4fJWkX1MQWKYgEeekgVoZhjVsEIzxaGj7VgGIK0/s1600/hippo+Skull.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fascinating boa constrictor skeleton:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYyL4EAO_s-lXxcwjAD52MasmCwL73-Tb86Hy0tCX0FFgFad5Q4QBLWYekAF6H7fxKPxvsnIYLwMskmi4Ia1_bNsTXPSJYips41HSGfRSFTORIiJ7BTEiizL98DeKm3wWRPLS5K03FC8/s1600/Boa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYyL4EAO_s-lXxcwjAD52MasmCwL73-Tb86Hy0tCX0FFgFad5Q4QBLWYekAF6H7fxKPxvsnIYLwMskmi4Ia1_bNsTXPSJYips41HSGfRSFTORIiJ7BTEiizL98DeKm3wWRPLS5K03FC8/s1600/Boa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A cast of an archaeopteryx fossil:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzuwexU1qOxzB8Ff4DPL3iJa-ajktEY_LLEnWXBxe-4CWu-oSbCTTbZ4-whzh-KYI8bVAfGoXEQuhv4pdDAzUXmfOyNF3dq7uRm4HO2YE17K-P3_D2U0mfhrVe8aZ0w_DZp0XSkhmcE4/s1600/archeopteryx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzuwexU1qOxzB8Ff4DPL3iJa-ajktEY_LLEnWXBxe-4CWu-oSbCTTbZ4-whzh-KYI8bVAfGoXEQuhv4pdDAzUXmfOyNF3dq7uRm4HO2YE17K-P3_D2U0mfhrVe8aZ0w_DZp0XSkhmcE4/s1600/archeopteryx.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a skeleton of a Thylacines (Tasmanian Tiger), which become extinct in 1936:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tTX_xZfKyddiAOZTuKT8wggVdP87Li9EDw3cvMkro_yw5szIx9oVb241jODSiZPIVwtT1WhLtZtO174JLFldNQjyGO9xFpg6c0US1p3HzBJmXV_GGLQGHWB_wQtD6d_cB5Y8OhlFSFE/s1600/Thylacines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tTX_xZfKyddiAOZTuKT8wggVdP87Li9EDw3cvMkro_yw5szIx9oVb241jODSiZPIVwtT1WhLtZtO174JLFldNQjyGO9xFpg6c0US1p3HzBJmXV_GGLQGHWB_wQtD6d_cB5Y8OhlFSFE/s1600/Thylacines.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although some of the displays are just bizarre, including a jar of pickled moles:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2lU0bt2jQkWOUE8vABCEkE3o-S6YfhfN0zcHuwth_VULQo7FPSd-Xj-ncMJibm3ipMRaNd3vnD8aXCGyC_0upQ1eUwSz-zL0mbpB52vvbdrW7HeiUdvYPfPVs9qcEtmMJ-y6bXnrXGU/s1600/moleJar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2lU0bt2jQkWOUE8vABCEkE3o-S6YfhfN0zcHuwth_VULQo7FPSd-Xj-ncMJibm3ipMRaNd3vnD8aXCGyC_0upQ1eUwSz-zL0mbpB52vvbdrW7HeiUdvYPfPVs9qcEtmMJ-y6bXnrXGU/s1600/moleJar1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet the most interesting and fascinating thing is the Micraium, a collection of over 2000 of the universities slides, backlit by light boxes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQkeLc-A9MAmj2ZYlRL3vUmK-qAyNbNtfrEgyiUwPQBkrz2tW4Nd8ukNgCWhnJyFuw1RvQaTBrhbvY6n6hpN0EwCBAqmPyll7lFyhLDS3xohBkr2JBByCsyJbXH8-C1kR_JHUa9bIa2k/s1600/Micrarium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQkeLc-A9MAmj2ZYlRL3vUmK-qAyNbNtfrEgyiUwPQBkrz2tW4Nd8ukNgCWhnJyFuw1RvQaTBrhbvY6n6hpN0EwCBAqmPyll7lFyhLDS3xohBkr2JBByCsyJbXH8-C1kR_JHUa9bIa2k/s1600/Micrarium2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR1ZmD2d_NIoGZm7pgtYU_mGrxDn-PfA_2ACnYbuJGCvc3z4wG8zaMP4Ulx2ra_FWcdt8f5Za24kJzyBWQZd4lMhD2RO9xUQknxdCP7cgW8bIF9lUhdYJ5a3HGQ_s3pglga_OUlnaryU/s1600/Micrarium3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR1ZmD2d_NIoGZm7pgtYU_mGrxDn-PfA_2ACnYbuJGCvc3z4wG8zaMP4Ulx2ra_FWcdt8f5Za24kJzyBWQZd4lMhD2RO9xUQknxdCP7cgW8bIF9lUhdYJ5a3HGQ_s3pglga_OUlnaryU/s1600/Micrarium3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8_dus4QYOkclK4sIyZmUNkinqZhzSKyVSaSJUBhsSdEKGNFiVb7IpMRnFTeBPXhaJ_XDbGswvP7onFG33_yQS8EJu7EF0QfRr03VyUSPYF4pMJqCgZtLqMfNv6I7CDDSYuJwQh0DFa4/s1600/Micrarium4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8_dus4QYOkclK4sIyZmUNkinqZhzSKyVSaSJUBhsSdEKGNFiVb7IpMRnFTeBPXhaJ_XDbGswvP7onFG33_yQS8EJu7EF0QfRr03VyUSPYF4pMJqCgZtLqMfNv6I7CDDSYuJwQh0DFa4/s1600/Micrarium4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uiEJXty4nuU8HenIcokztz-V-6ck8z9u13ghL_z9xPrfSAloKg7ASb3K6_Ud2Sb_XoPhWuWbz9uS94jJs28IAB2u8jzwyFxKOpfAzdMjyiQwXY3Kj7AKy2BcjxvUByWFkqIWxfvQjds/s1600/Micrarium1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uiEJXty4nuU8HenIcokztz-V-6ck8z9u13ghL_z9xPrfSAloKg7ASb3K6_Ud2Sb_XoPhWuWbz9uS94jJs28IAB2u8jzwyFxKOpfAzdMjyiQwXY3Kj7AKy2BcjxvUByWFkqIWxfvQjds/s1600/Micrarium1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
.<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fascinating and clever feature which hopefully other Natural History Museums might emulate.</span><br />
<br /></div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6187205988785761.post-17355370287874028692015-05-21T12:22:00.002-07:002015-05-21T12:22:50.175-07:00Cygnets & Ducklings<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is very challenging for an aquatic bird to raise young on the Ock. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the water they face threats from otters, mink and pike, i</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f they stray onto land they face predation from stoats, foxes and uncontrolled pet dogs and from the air there is the permanent threat of kestrels and buzzards</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet despite these risks, a pair of swans have managed to raise three young cygnets.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRuoXuXGkulCZjmgPWy-HzZKG5YvZE53DuqCncd-7jN1A1rFgFRejmLro6d8UfSbwjkEAyLvR06JfL5ZwiVD_1J0VF62R6gDUQvBRCxwxEo3RxvW6KcQarfz_qV6oPqRz2yvuFwM_ZVg/s1600/Swans1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRuoXuXGkulCZjmgPWy-HzZKG5YvZE53DuqCncd-7jN1A1rFgFRejmLro6d8UfSbwjkEAyLvR06JfL5ZwiVD_1J0VF62R6gDUQvBRCxwxEo3RxvW6KcQarfz_qV6oPqRz2yvuFwM_ZVg/s400/Swans1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Swans normally have large broods of 8 to 10 cygnets, so this pair may have already lost a large a large proportion of theirs.</span></div>
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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6_S3skMUJdxra1K_FqKWkY5ulaN9Y1f2hXOYn9x2U6VI135YZZMsUB_0t2UBfES3WQ72MA2OlzLnLzByh_vkWJLngmY7qVZKWa11veut4UYt4mzsdYAtJXHOVHt8SP9sCWa9mXZ9Zzs/s1600/Swans2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6_S3skMUJdxra1K_FqKWkY5ulaN9Y1f2hXOYn9x2U6VI135YZZMsUB_0t2UBfES3WQ72MA2OlzLnLzByh_vkWJLngmY7qVZKWa11veut4UYt4mzsdYAtJXHOVHt8SP9sCWa9mXZ9Zzs/s400/Swans2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi2djWPfIcZVF2bAUQhMakYpKn32j99uAkyCPxO4HzFQxW8wjyRxoaIlhbHg6LY-QOYr8uemkMyEbSt-OiIoRKY3VxrEY0cG-JF6RTyFhz_aANqCJMpGr8-kTnYNyLeGnR8fRpLvqQGM/s1600/Cygnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi2djWPfIcZVF2bAUQhMakYpKn32j99uAkyCPxO4HzFQxW8wjyRxoaIlhbHg6LY-QOYr8uemkMyEbSt-OiIoRKY3VxrEY0cG-JF6RTyFhz_aANqCJMpGr8-kTnYNyLeGnR8fRpLvqQGM/s400/Cygnet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
.<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst it is unlikely that all three will survive, at least they have two attentive parents who will do their utmost to care and protect them, unlike this lonesome duckling.</span><br />
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With no parents or siblings it has either been abandoned or it's relatives have been predated leaving it will very little chance of it surviving the night, yet alone to adulthood.</span></div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049987106163260521noreply@blogger.com0