BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Tuesday 28 July 2015

A Garden Hunt...

....and a piece about the Common Tern and the Red Grouse.

Red-tailed Bumble bee. Pete Woodruff.


A recent hunt in our garden for insects turned up one or two of interest, including this smart Bombus lapidariuscommonly know as the Red-tailed Bumble bee, which I found on our Elecampane Inula helenium. Quite a large bee easily recognised by its long jet-black coat and pollen baskets, and red rear. 


Green Lacewing. Pete Woodruff.


If only for its bright green colour, red eyes, and delicate wings, another good find was the appropriately named Green Lacewing Nothancyla verreauxi. Despite their fragile appearance these insects are carnivorous, with both the adult and larvae devouring large numbers of aphids and other small insects. Rather bizarrely some species of the lacewing larvae camouflage themselves by fixing the drained skins of their victims to the backs....'Clik the pik' to enlarge.


The Conder Common Terns.


Common Tern Martin Jump

Despite having not seen the Conder Common Terns on my last visit five days ago and suggesting we may have seen the last of them having moved on, they were reported seen on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock on Sunday, and also the same day at Cockersands. 

Grouse Shooting.

Grouse shooting for 'sport' is dependant on intensive habitat management which in the main damages protected wildlife sites and is directly to blame for the disappearing Hen Harriers. This land management also includes practices which increases the risk of flooding, water pollution, and also increases greenhouse gas emissions.
Red Grouse Simon Hawtin 
If you have'nt signed the Ban Driven Grouse Shooting petition yet, would you consider signing it Here 


Thanks to Martin and Simon for the excellent images.

3 comments:

  1. Good to a few images from Mr Woodruff :-)

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  2. Peter,
    It might be helpful, as well as asking people to sign the petition, to tell them what is likely to happen to the moors in the unlikely event that driven grouse shooting is banned. Presumably they will still be owned by the same people that you allege is causing this damage, so will they find nastier ways of getting their own back, will they suddenly have a change of heart and turn them into nature reserves, will the RSPB rush out and buy the moors. So far I can't get anybody to suggest what will happen after the petition is successful.

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  3. Warren....Thanks, hope you liked them, I just keep on trying.

    Derek....Not replying to your comments here as I think you know I don't allow Birds2blog to become a chat room/discussion forum, but keep your eye on the blog as the subject about the grouse moors being much better off with land management and shooting is sure to raise it's head once again on here sooner rather than later.

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