Dolly, Mk.11

Linda and I are still keeping an eye on the pair of young hedgehogs that were released 'on the patch'. Today our feeding visit revealed that no food had been eaten, while a review of the SD card confirmed that neither 'hog had visited the release point.

Given that another rat (or two!) triggered the trailcam, I think we have to consider the possibility that the hedgehogs have moved on. And why not? It's nearly Summer, there's lots for them to eat in the form of worms, snails and so on, so why should they remain where Sally released them?

Lots to see on our brief excursion: we even came across another replica sheep like ours. This one is in a different pose, but is equally appealing!

Starlink!

Last night - for the second night in a row - a procession of Elon Musk's Starlink communications satellites passed overhead. It was too chilly to spend long outside, but from 10.00 pm until 10.15 I counted at least a dozen. There were often three visible at the same time, rising in the west, passing overhead through the Plough (Ursa Major) and setting in the east.

Tonight there will be even more, peaking at 9.00 pm, with 25 bright satellites over the next fifteen minutes: well worth a look! Below are a few photos from last night - since these are all around magnitude 2 or 3, I've had to increase brightness and contrast, but you get the idea!

Still no Meadow Pipit!

As Linda and I walked up to the top of the Heath and back this morning, we scanned every wire, field margin and hedge for a Mipit: still the species eludes us on the  patch! We know the call, we know the silhouette: trust me - there weren't any!

We did hear a distant Cuckoo and some invisible bugling Cranes, but the only birds that posed for the camera were Greenfinch, Linnet, Lesser Black-backed Gull and house Sparrow. There were still Cowslips in the churchyard, as well as Alkanet (thanks Joyce!) Bluebells and Primroses...

Hedgehogs: revert to plan B!

Linda and I walked the shortish distance to carry out our hedgehog duties this morning. A pair of young hogs was introduced in a secure region of the Heath by the Hedgehog rescue group: Linda and I are part of a small team who are feeding them daily and monitoring their environment. A couple of days ago we left a webcam at the feeding post: today we brought home the SD card for a review of what's been happening.

To our dismay (although the food has disappeared every day) we discovered that the 'contented diners' have not been the 'hogs, but instead a great fat Brown Rat! No sign of Erin and Sonic at all!

We've taken this 'under advisement' as our American friends say, and have moved the feeding bowl away from the hog shelter: we've also changed the food from dry hedgehog pellets to sloppy cat food, which rats apparently don't like!

An astonishing meteorite! Does it contain an alien artifact?

The object I'm holding in these photos is a smallish example of NWA 869, a popular and well-researched meteorite from the Sahara. Like all common chondrites, it's around 4.5 billion years old. I received this specimen in a batch of 20 I bought for stock. Look closely: it has a small metal object embedded in it! What's more, as proof of having spent some time in space, the object has a
micro-meteorite impact crater on its side...

Anyone like to make a sensible suggestion about this? Are we looking at a genuine alien artifact?

Hedgehog duty! But where are the Mipits?

For the next few days Linda and I are 'Hedgehog Wranglers' up on the Heath, feeding, watering and monitoring some recently released 'Hogs'. Since their release point is on our daily route, we can carry out our duties without breaking (or even bending) lockdown rules. On the way today we came across a few interesting odds and ends, but - amazingly - still no Meadow Pipit! Local birder Keith has seen the species around Hemblington Hall, but despite spending hundreds of hours around the Hall and Church, I've never even heard one!

Raining at last: but the birds don't mind!

I know it's a bind during 'lockdown', but our garden does need some rain, especially after all the planting that Linda has been doing (Who knew you could order plants online!?)

The birds seem to be enjoying the rain, too: Dunnocks, Blackbirds and Blue Tits are all nesting in the garden and, like the Partridges and Stock Doves, are finding it easier to locate food from the damp bushes and lawn. Oh! The Little Owls were showing well yesterday.

Kites and Buzzards!

While I was working at my computer this afternoon, I glanced up to see a Red Kite passing by! I called Linda and we went into the garden to watch this magnificent bird spiral up to join a second Kite. These were quickly joined by five Common Buzzards in a loose kettle (too loose to photograph them all in one frame!)