Hold pieces of an asteroid!

It's an astonishing fact that quite a few meteorites have conclusively been shown to originate on one or other of the thousands of asteroids that (mostly) inhabit the region of the Solar System between Jupiter and Mars.

Of these, a large percentage came here from Vesta, the second largest asteroid and the fourth to be discovered. The three members of the HED achondrite meteorite group are:

Howardites: composed of material from the surface and subsurface rocks of the parent body

Eucrites:  from the surface regolith of the parent body

Diogenites: fragments of subsurface minerals of the parent body

These were gouged out and projected into space by a huge impact billions of years ago: Vesta still bears a large crater formed during this event.

Synergy 'lite' at Burgh Hall

Next Sunday (August 27th) Synergy will be playing the usual mixture of Rock & Blues at the terrific Burgh Hall, near Yarmouth. Mike, our amazing bassist, is away, so we have 'Flash' depping for us!

Look who came to call!

While Linda and I were chatting in my office, a sudden tap tap tap made us glance towards the door out to the patio: a Red-legged Partridge was looking back at us! After a while he flew up to the kitchen window sill and began tapping again. We could only assume he was trying to 'release' his reflection!

Norwich Astronomical Society

It's been a few years since I gave a talk at the NAS  observatory at Seething, so it was good to be invited back last night. Not quite a full house, but a great turnout of around 40 seemed to enjoy the evening and bought a few books and meteorites. 

The clubhouse has been spruced up considerably and had excellent presentation facilities: nice to bump into a few old friends, especially Glyn, who often turns up at Synergy gigs too!

Comets and Extnction Events: come and hear me talk!

Tomorrow night (August 18th) I'm giving a fully-illustrated talk to the Norwich Astronomical Society. I'm pretty sure it's an open evening, so if you're in the area you might enjoy hearing how comets have had a profound effect on life on Earth: I'll bring along a few hundred meteorites to look at - or even buy - and some copies of my book.

Details on the NAS website HERE

Prehistoric 'pine' cones

You may recall that Linda and I collect prehistoric plants: living survivors from the time when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth! We have lots of Cycads, a Wollemi Pine, a large Tree Fern, an Araucaria, several Horsetails, Metasequoias and so on. The species that many people are surprised to find is a representative of an equally ancient group is the Magnolia. Believe it or not these are among the oldest flowering plants, and a hundred million years ago they grew across much of North America and Europe!

One tell-tale feature that betrays their primitive origin is the fact that their beautiful flowers - like most ancient plants - produce a seed-bearing cone: compare it to the other examples from our garden in the photo below.

A pleasant day out in North Norfolk

While we didn't see anything particularly rare (apart from the Dowitcher!) a walk around Cley and along the shingle to Arnold's was enjoyable and not unproductive. Biggest surprise was an eclipse Pintail from Bishop's, while the wader list included LRP, Ruff, Snipe, Dunlin and Wood and Green Sandpipers. A shoal of baitfish offshore attracted a huge mixed flock of Terns and Gulls: the Terns later flew into roost on Arnold's. (Nice to bump into a friendly couple from Edinburgh and exchange birdy news!)

After coffee we decided on a woodland walk at Felbrigg, parking at the back gate and walking through to the lake. The only woodland bird of note was a Nuthatch, but the lake held lots of dragons and damsels, including vast numbers of Small Red-eyed Damselflies. Among the numerous Emperor Dragonflies (which we photographed) we eventually picked out two or more Lesser Emperors (which we didn't!)

No photos! Honey Buzzard over the garden

Just back from enjoying the odd glass of fizz and a rather nice Claret with chums Sue & Peter in their lovely cottage garden. While we were chatting we were aware of a Common Buzzard calling from trees near Bond's Farm: looking up we noticed a second bird low overhead: instead of the expected species we saw a pale phase Honey Buzzard drifting southwards towards the Yare: our first garden record for several years!

Additional!
As Linda and I were walking to the post office along Mill Road on Monday afternoon (14th) another Honey Buzzard flew south, low overhead.

Perseids: a bit of a wash out!

I had two goes at catching some Perseid meteors last night: midnight and 3.00am. In the event I only saw two: one faint, one brighter with an enduring trail. (This was around three thirty, after the crescent Moon had risen.)

The Moon displayed the lovely effect of the 'New Moon in the Old Moon's arms', the dark portion of the lunar surface being illuminated by reflected sunlight from the Earth.

'Bird in Hand' open garden

The annual open garden at the old 'Bird in Hand' pub at the end of Mill Road is keenly anticipated, not just by locals but hundreds of others from all over Norfolk. Claire and her husband somehow manage to conjure up an amazing display of annuals and perennials every year: despite the early fierce heat and later cool, wet weather they exceeded expectations yet again! Without doubt the event will raise a good lump of money for All Saints Hemblington.

Sue, Peter, Linda and I enjoyed the traditional glass of Pimms and met lots of friends, both old and new. (Linda will be there tomorrow, selling Honey and wax wraps)

A Hummer comes to visit!

Been a fraught sort of day - blocked drain / marine tank cabinet about to collapse and a wasps' nest in the flowerbed: still, to cheer us up a lovely little Hummingbird Hawkmoth came to visit the Buddleia!

Red sky in the morning.... Perseid meteors tonight?

Despite this stunning sunrise, it's been a pleasant morning in East Norfolk. Just a reminder that the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower is due on the night of the 12th August (Saturday!) This can sometimes be an incredible event, with meteors falling like a snowstorm! Worth a look: just find somewhere darkish with a clear sky to the north east, any time after 10.00pm any day between now and the fifteenth.

Honey Buzzard at Strumpshaw

Linda sent me out at 4.30 to buy some salad to go with our Italian meal: I had to visit four supermarkets to find a couple of Little Gems and some tomatoes!

Knowing there'd been a Honey Buzzard hanging around the Mid-Yare Valley, I took the loop past the Fen: glancing from the car window I picked up a large raptor circling high to the west of the reserve: it was probably nearly overhead at Brundall. I pulled over into a passing place just before the cottages: through binoculars I could plainly see it was a Honey Buzzard, albeit just a dark silhouette.

I didn't have a camera, but I did have my mobile: I took a couple of 'snaps', before a car came along. The image below is hugely processed, but the shape is unmistakeable.

Spoonbills at Cley: the movie!

Just a short video of three of yesterday's four Spoonbills, taken from Bishop's Hide.

Some nice stuff at Cley & Hickling!

Early August is not generally too productive a month for birds, but Brian, Norman and I thought we'd meet early and have a run around our two favourite reserves.

First stop was Cley, where a walk out to the Centre Hides produced (I think!) a Sanderling feeding with a Dunlin, two Great White Egrets and distant views of the Long-billed Dowitcher. We walked back to Bishop's, enjoying close views of four Spoonbills - two adults and two juveniles - as well as plenty of the usual waders. After coffee and scones, a walk along the East Bank seemed like a good idea. Despite the strong breeze, we added Bearded Tit to the daylist, while a brief seawatch revealed scores of Sandwich Terns streaming west, as well as several Gannets and a possible Arctic Skua. We returned to Bishop's  (picking up a distant Hobby over the woods) from where, after a bit of a wait, the Dowitcher waddled out from among the Godwits, giving decent views before it flew behind an island.

We stopped at Hickling on the way home, adding several more Great White Egrets and another Hobby to the tally: a recent relocation of the cattle had caused the waders to scatter, but there were a couple of large groups of Ruff and Curlew.