Just a phase! Venus at dusk

Venus is still a brilliant object above the western horizon: its phase is visible even with binoculars.

About time for 'anti-agism' to be a thing!

Over the past couple of decades there's been a huge increase in legislation aimed at protecting the rights of almost every minority group in the country: isn't it time that the same consideration was given to older drivers?

The graphs below (both from online Government sources) demonstrate exactly who are the most dangerous driver age groups on UK roads (Both in terms of traffic accidents and fatalities)  Yet our (unelected) PM and his cronies seem intent on driving motorists over 70 years old off the roads with increasingly draconian new regulations...

Near-total Solar Eclipse!

I've just been having my monthly Astronomy chat with the lovely Jules Button on 'SUFFOLK SOUND' radio. I spoke at length about the 92% Solar eclipse that will occur late afternoon on August 12th, and stressed (as always) that it is very dangerous to look at or near the Sun with the naked eye. As promised, here's a simple set-up for projecting the Sun with a small telescope. You can buy eclipse filters quite cheaply online HERE Well worth the money!

Hummingbird Hawkmoths

This long, hot spell seems to have been favourable for butterflies and moths, particularly Painted Ladies and Hummingbird Hawkmoths. We've had numerous individuals of both species in the garden throughout July: as I type this there are two Hummers visiting the Buddleia. What I'd like now is a Clouded Yellow!

Butterflying!

Great mate Paul drove across from Swadlincote again to join Linda and me for another tour around the butterfly hotspots of Norfolk. First stop was Warham Camp, where literally hundreds of Chalk Hill Blues  fluttered around the ramparts. Other species included Wall, Common Blue and numerous Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

Moving on to Holkham Pines: following lunch in the cafe, a walk through the woods and back along the dunes failed to produce the hoped-for Hairstreaks or Fritillaries, so we headed back to Norwich to try for Purple Hairstreaks at Zak's and Swallowtails at Strumpshaw: no luck.. Still: a terrific day out in great company!

Buck Moon

It was worth an 03.00 rise to see this morning's 'Buck Moon': despite a slight haze, the surface features were particularly clear..

Sunspots

Quite a few this evening, but all fairly small.

Would your group like to book a talk?

As an experienced teacher, presenter, broadcaster, author and lecturer I've given well over 1000 talks on a range of subjects to groups ranging from several thousand to a dozen! Clients include The British Astronomical Association, The International Astronomy Show, the Lions. Rotary Club, Women's Institute, Woodbridge RFI Conferences, the RSPB and many local natural history groups: all at a modest fee (plus actual expenses)
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Some enjoyable birding around Cley

Brian, Norman and I started the day with a walk along the East Bank in (as it turned out) a futile search for a Jack Snipe. It had been seen ten miuntes before we arrived, but failed to reappear. Back to Bishop's Hide, where we bumped into Jacquie Bridges and her delightful crew, sharing with them a couple of Green Sandpipers, several groups of Bearded Tits and Reed Warblers, a fine summer-plumaged Knot and a little family of Spoonbills.

After coffee we walked out to the Centre Hides, where three juvenile Yellow Wagtails were good to see: little else, though.. After an ice cream (and a Hummer at the VC) the pager sent us westwards to Stiffkey Fen, where the distant Pectoral Sandpiper was a year tick: the 30-odd Spoonbills were not!

Bill Oddie: RIP

If I was asked what influences transformed me from a birdwatcher to a birder / lister, I'd have to pick out two books: 

A Twitcher's Diary, by Richard Millington:

....and Bill Oddie's The Big Bird Race:

I've met both authors on many occasions: I first bumped into RGM at the famous (notorious?) Nancy's Cafe in Cley back in the early eighties. Although he spends a lot of his time antique dealing these day's, he can still be seen around the Cley square. If you've never read his twitcher's diary, you really should! It's a memoire of the golden days when a life list of 300 still put you in the top couple of hundred UK birders!

The first time I met Bill Oddie was by the roadside at Stiffkey, in the 'Flint Barn Layby'. I was pleased to show him a Red Kite in the distant conifer belt - still a rare bird in those days. He was a member of a team that took part in a televised 24 hour Bird Race in 1982, being beaten by another group including Bill Urwin, the Head of Key Stage 2 at Acle Primary that I replaced in 1986. This book inspired me to take part in several subsequent bird races, a couple of which my team - The Cley Casuals - won. We received our prize from Bill at the Rutland Bird fair! I met Mr Oddie on numerous other occasions, and - I'm pleased to say - never once mentioned the Goodies!

What to look out for in the August night sky: eclipses and the ISS

A month with major solar and lunar eclipses, as well as the best meteor shower of the year!

Is there any sport that isn't rigged these days?

With the shenanigans that denied Lewis Hamilton his eighth drivers' championship in 2021 (and including other slightly sketchy previous results) yesterday's three place grid penalty is beginning to raise eyebrows and cause many F1 fans to wonder whether the FIA and / or stewards are desperate to prevent the GOAT from challenging for this year's title and breaking Schumacher's record. We are very lucky to have an athelete like Lewis who is patriotic, modest and dedicated to his sport: his international fan-base shows how much he is admired by the rest of the world...

The Moon and Venus

Yes, I know: 'Again?' but both are such dramatic objects just after sunset - Venus actually is much brighter in reality.