My natural highlights of 2023
A few natural highlights from another year of trying to get a perfect wildlife snap! You can find the photos I took of these highlights littered around the Sciencebase website, in my Imaging Storm galleries, on my Instagram and Mastodon.
We started the year on the North Norfolk coast as usual, with Pink-footed Geese etc at Wells, and Shorelarks, Snow Buntings, and a White-tailed Eagle at Holkham, and various other sightings of avian life elsewhere on our walks.
White-tailed Eagle
Soon after we got home there was an alert for a relative rarity and so I saw a couple of Smew at Meadowlane Pits, St Ives. Later that month, Mrs...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - December 31, 2023 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Birds Lepidoptera Source Type: blogs
Invasive species in the UK
Invasive species, a term referring to non-native species introduced to new environments, often establish self-sustaining populations with negative impacts on local ecosystems, economies, or human health.
These invaders, encompassing plants, animals, fungi, or microorganisms (refer to the foot of this article for examples), typically arrive due to human activities such as trade, travel, or intentional release. In rare cases, invasive species might reach the UK through natural avenues, such as animal migration or wind dispersal. Climate change exacerbates the situation, creating new ecological niches due to shifts in tempera...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - November 10, 2023 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Biology Environment Science Source Type: blogs
Cambridge Folk Festival 2023
Mrs Sciencebase and myself once again headed for Cherry Hinton Hall for this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival (27-30 July 2023). This time around, I didn’t take any camera equipment other than my phone. Still ended up taking almost 300 photos and videos nevertheless…
Home from home at Cherry Hinton Hall
Grand Entrance to Cambridge Folk Festival 2023
The obligatory festival wristband
Stage 2 audience, first night
Camping kettle courtesy of Liz
Day two essentials
Guitar workshop with Aussie Nigel Wearne
Audience member red boots
Audience member bag
Random hat
Lady Blackbird
Lady Blackbird
Flyte
Julian Taylor
...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - July 31, 2023 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Music Source Type: blogs
One of the tiniest moths I ’ ve ever seen
Yesterday, I was tidying up egg cartons and the moth trap when I noticed a Least Carpet roosting on a window frame, I stepped up with a pot to catch it so I could release it into the back garden but spotted another tiny moth next to it. At this point, I wasn’t even sure it was a moth. It looked orange with what seemed to be white stripes. I grabbed a quick phone macro shot, before potting it. It wasn’t a species I’d noticed or recorded before, but the ObsIdentify app ticked it as the Horse-chestnut Leafminer, Cameraria ohridella. This was confirmed by a quick look at the species page on UK Moths.
I set u...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - July 20, 2023 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Lepidoptera Source Type: blogs
Conkering spiders
I’m not entirely sure why anyone would want to exclude spiders from their home, my preference would be to have a flyeater in each corner of the room to eat the flies. Flies spread disease. Spiders modulate diptera activity.
Anyway, every autumn, the deceived wisdom that putting conkers, the seed of the horse chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, around your home will scare the spiders away comes up. It’s evergreen content for columnists. But, it is a myth, it has been debunked several times over the years.
More about conkers coming soon in my Materials Today column. (Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science)
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - September 21, 2018 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Sciencebase Source Type: blogs
Another Potential Cure And A Stressor
I do not know if I should be elated or frustrated or what. Here is another potential miracle 'cure' for cancer. No, I am not reading the back pages of some magazine but from a very reputable source. I realize these ' breakthroughs ' happen all the time but they do cause stress to us cancer people.I am not sure how much other people realize the amount of stress the constant barrage of potential news telling us about potential cures - with the supposition that it should be positive and provide hope for us. However, there are two problems with this.The first one is that not all potential ' cures ' ever pan out into something ...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - January 5, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: being a patient cancer research frustration medical tests stress Source Type: blogs
Is Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle cream really miraculous? Episode 149
Is Charlotte Tilbury Multi-miracle cream really worth it?
Jo asks…I love Charlotte Tilbury’s Multi-Miracle Glow product but I’m afraid I spent too much and I worry that it really provides any benefits. Can you tell me if it has any special properties and if not is there a more budget conscious version?
Thanks for the question, Jo. It sounds like you’re really torn about using this product so let’s see if we can help.
First of all, don’t be confused if you decide to look for this product because in addition to Mult-miracle glow she also sells a “Magic Cream.” Apparently Charlotte went to the “Harry Po...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - September 6, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Podcast Source Type: blogs
Building Unity Farm - Forestry Management
Unity Farm has over 12 acres of forest, which I manage using my Stihl 290 Farm Boss chainsaw and my Scandinavian Forest AxesI've written previously about managing firewood and logs for mushroom farmingRecently, as we've worked with Tree Specialists on a land management plan that includes an expanded orchard, bees, wildflowers, meadow, and wetland, I've learned more about tree identification.As a mushroom expert doing toxicology consultation on the 2500 species of mushrooms in North America, I've become quite comfortable with identification keys. Recently Barbara Keene of Tree Specialists walked the forests of U...
Source: Life as a Healthcare CIO - March 28, 2013 Category: Technology Consultants Source Type: blogs
