tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909739213921896162024-03-13T04:07:26.671+00:00Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust - Louth Area Groupbiffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-32298408990010045802023-04-19T09:10:00.003+01:002023-04-19T09:10:22.071+01:00March 2023 meeting report<br />This month Helen Gamble from Lincolnshire Countryside Service spoke to us about God’s Acre; a conservation scheme that supports the wildlife within our churchyards, graveyards and cemeteries. Set up in 2006 within the Wolds, 30% of Churches responded to the initial email and since then it has become a national scheme; not only protecting a diverse range of habitats, but proving a wealth of historic, geological and social information. <br /><br />Churchyards provide a sanctuary for the living as well as the departed. For our ancestors, churchyards were an extension of the church. It was a meeting place where outdoor festivities would be held, such as ale festivals, archery practice and cock fights! As for the living, we are rarely alone during a visit; our churchyards are home to a wonderfully wide range of flora and fauna, including a rich variety of lichens, moss, grasses, flowers, insects, reptiles, bats and owls. <br /><br />Many older churches contain grassland that are the remains of ancient meadows which contain our declining flora. Mareham on the Hill has been allowed to grow as a meadow for the last 10 years and is now producing orchids in the area (as a huge orchid lover, I was very excited to hear this news and will be certainly be making a visit!) We were also informed that St Andrews in Utterby has also been designed as a Spring meadow using wildflowers harvested from Red Hill to include cowslips and ox-eye daisies; it looks best between April and May. Wildflower fans… you know where to go! <br /><br />And for those of us who follow nature’s seasons and the more ancient ways of thinking, we were informed that there is also a Green Man symbol at Mareham (and also Pardney St. Nicholas). And, rarer than the Green Man himself, you can find Sheela-na-gig, the Earth Goddess at Wold Newton All Saints! Raithby also has a green man inside the Victorian stylings as a nod to pre-christian beliefs. Amazing really to when you think about the history, that the early Christians would have adapted local beliefs and deities as a way of incorporating the old with the new!<br /><br />Churchyards contain some of the oldest trees. Yews, both the common and Irish are commonplace. We were showed an example of a coppiced Ash tree at St Michel’s in Burwell and reminded of the sensitivity needed when dealing with old trees that may be found in these areas. The trees and deadwood provide a habitat for insects to overwinter, which in turn, with the tombs and roof tiles, provide a habitat for bats. We learned that the Lincolnshire Bat Group help conservation by providing free surveys, and raise awareness of due diligence. We were shown photos of bat events which looked really super! <br /><br />Diverse habitats with a range of grass lengths and nectar sources provide a home for the bees, butterflies, moths, snails, beetles and grasshoppers. Snails are particularly found of graveyards as they use the stone to build their shells! We were shown a photo of a very happy little boy called Nathaniel, who particularly loved the snails on his Scambelsby school visit! God’s Acre do great work by making educational packs for school visits which I personally think is wonderful, we need to be educating our youngsters to secure and look after these diverse habits don’t we? I know that personally, that my days spent in nature were always happiest and stored in my memory. <br /><br />And it isn’t just children that get their thrills! Apparently, many a scream has been heard from a visitor having a sit down near a compost heap and meeting grass snake basking in the sun! But not just snakes, depending on the underlying soils these areas can also be home to worms, newts, frogs and toads, especially when they are set close by to water. What a wonderfully interesting first half of the talk! <br /><br />After a lovely cup of tea we went on to look at the geology and history of graveyards. We were told that sheep can help to graze the sandstone bedding planes (Lowton by Spilsby); but to avoid goats, as they may mow the grass but also dance on the tomb stones and can create significant damage! (photos were shown).<br /><br />Lichen lovers may well find themselves visiting graveyards as headstones are a vital habitat for lichen, especially on the older exposed stone; sadly over zealous cleaning can damage the rare lichens. We were given a great tip however, and rather the cleaning the stones if you photograph them and change the contrast you can still read the inscriptions and support lichen life too! We were reminded that many lichens suffer when headstones are moved, as of course, their environment changes and again, something to be aware of. Lichens are incredibly interesting and a great indicator of pollution. Castor to Tealby have very different lichens due to the pollution coming in from the Trent valley. If you like lichens there are apparently some interesting ones at Hagworthingam growing on the Spilsby sandstone and bivalve fossils at Tealby and Nettleton. Talks have been held by Professor Mark Seawood who runs lichen courses.<br /><br />In Claxby, West Lindsey you can find leaded lettering, which apparently the lichen love too. Most commonly the metal work found in graveyards is made of cast iron and fairly resistant to weathering, but again, Western pollution coming in from the Trent Valley can erode the metal at a faster rate which was very interesting to know. <br /><br />Graveyards are a great place to learn more about the geology of a landscape from local stones and bedding planes, as well as the fossils and minerals found there. We live in a non-rocky county, an area of chalk, which interestingly is the youngest stone in the world. Chalk is a soft stone and therefore not suitable for lintels and gales as they are weight bearing; Churches were instead made with local materials such as sandstone (Spilsby), limestone (Tealby) and brick (Ulceby). The materials used can help to chart the development of railways, road networks and canals as a means of transport which would have allowed for more exotic materials to be brought in, such as marble and slate. <br /><br /><br />The stone work also provides information about open and closed villages (closed being those only that worked on the estate, open being those that would travel or work elsewhere). Lanton by Spilsby and South Elkington used local materials of a closed parish, owned by a large extended family. Tealby and Nettleton were examples of open parishes. <br /><br />The Rambler’s church, Walesby, would have also been a closed parish. They now have a lovely stained glass window depicting a corn field with ramblers and cyclists which was donated by ramblers who passed through the area. The inscription reads ‘It came to pass that he went through the corn field on the sabbath day’. You can read more about Ramblers Church here: <a href="https://www.walesbychurches.org/all-saints-walesby.html">https://www.walesbychurches.org/all-saints-walesby.html</a><br /><br />We learned that Broggling events take place in Lincolnshire (I have never heard of this, but I hope I am right in saying that it means to poke with a stick?) Our local volunteer brogglers found slate headstones that were grassed over at Hemmingby. And at Sutterby, they found human remains proving there was an extension built over the skeletons! For those interested we were told that the archives of Lincoln are an excellent starting point for maps of all Churchyards.<br /><br />And finally, and poignantly, the stone work provides a wealth of social history - depicting the rise and fall of families, the bonds of marriages, and sadly, the sweep of illnesses through a population. We learned that Horncastle was home to seven stone masons; who made their mark on the stone (3/4 below grass level) so their movements and work can be traced. Large landed families would have specially cut patterns for their gravestones. St Michaels in Burwell was given as an example. All the gravestones were cut from the same quarry with the same initial pattern carved, and the inscriptions to follow over the years. The later inscriptions usually fair worse to weathering, lacking the protection of ‘quarry juice’ - a slight damp varnish which protects the initial carving - how very interesting! Ramblers Church and Viking’s Way have likenesses in the headstones and were given as further examples. Finally, to protect the stones we were told to avoid strimming close to the base of headstones. The metal can damage the stone which allows water to seep in, and in Winter when the water freezes it can pull away the layers of inscriptions.<br /><br />What a fabulous and educational talk. I know I never really considered the wealth and knowledge, flora and fauna contained in them. I might have myself a new hobby! I hope our readers are inspired to make a visit to some of our lovely churches and graveyards too! Thank you to Helen for an inspiring talk and all our members that come to support the group. For those that couldn’t make it, I hope you enjoyed the synopsis. <br /><br />We also mentioned the wonderful world of moss, a lovely little programme on the BBC, well worth a watch: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hqth">https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hqth</a><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: right;">Margaret Barnes</div><br /></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-81553944724970586932022-10-30T11:21:00.000+00:002022-10-30T11:21:02.751+00:00Meeting Report 28th October 2022Vicki Bush, the Lincs Wildlife Trust's Gibraltar Point Education and Community Officer, and Marine Specialist, gave a talk about plastics pollution of the seas and what we might do mitigate the damage.<div><br /></div><div>Many of us are, of course, aware of the scale of the problem, though we may sometimes feel helpless, the enormity of the issue seeming to be beyond our grasp. And yet Vicki's essential message is that we can all make our contribution in the choices we make every time we go shopping.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a bit of background take a look at the <a href="https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/blog/jade-oliver/qa-vicki-bush" target="_blank">Lincolnshire Wildlife Blog</a> in which Jade Oliver interviews Vicki Bush.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Wildlife Trust's President, <a href="http://www.lizbonnin.com/" target="_blank">Liz Bonnen</a>, did much to bring the world's attention to the issue of marine pollution with her film making, in particular the BBC documentary <a href="https://youtu.be/q2-UQxbF-QI" target="_blank">Drowning in Plastic</a> from 2018.</div><div><br /></div><div>Vicki gave us plenty of ideas for making small changes in our lives that could be parts of the solution rather than contributing further to the problem. Amongst the ideas presented were buying toilet paper from<a href="https://uk.whogivesacrap.org/" target="_blank"> Who Gives A Crap</a>, Beeswax wraps are a great alternative to clingfilm and are available from lots of places, but if you feel really creative you can make your own! The <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-to-make-beeswax-wraps.html" target="_blank">Natural History Museum</a> explains how.</div><div><br /></div><div>The evening concluded with a lively discussion on what practical steps we could take including taking to task the Local Authority's success or otherwise in reuse and recycling policies.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you very much, Vicky, for an inspirational evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Further reading:</div><div><br /></div><div>Fauna and Flora International, <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/news/how-does-plastic-pollution-affect-marine-life/" target="_blank">How does plastic pollution affect marine life</a>? </div><div>UNESCO, <a href="https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/" target="_blank">Ocean plastic pollution an overview: data and statistics</a>.</div><div>IUCN, <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/marine-plastic-pollution" target="_blank">Marine Plastic Pollution</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTauI_M-uGBo9kGWb80n2B4XAKV25cjiw94f_IkNkv4O0GgGWYtFHEQB2zCpPS2FQ-w09lGWrXpeJ8Ki7w7-IitDhWi6jkQbe99-VZk9AhBIJL50PUNCxdx9HRupdYdRiNqcgN4TXTdhQ46K_I39MQyIs8_wH9LoxB00E-avJeUe9wzhV9YL3Jd7Xrg/s753/planet-actions-shopping-two-column.jpg.thumb.1160.1160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="753" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTauI_M-uGBo9kGWb80n2B4XAKV25cjiw94f_IkNkv4O0GgGWYtFHEQB2zCpPS2FQ-w09lGWrXpeJ8Ki7w7-IitDhWi6jkQbe99-VZk9AhBIJL50PUNCxdx9HRupdYdRiNqcgN4TXTdhQ46K_I39MQyIs8_wH9LoxB00E-avJeUe9wzhV9YL3Jd7Xrg/w365-h219/planet-actions-shopping-two-column.jpg.thumb.1160.1160.jpg" width="365" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="What you can do to help the planet: an illustrated guide" target="_blank">What you can do to help the planet: an illustrated guide</a></h3><div><br /><br /><br /></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-59728346469294430352022-10-23T11:05:00.005+01:002022-10-23T17:53:38.095+01:00Friday 28th October Meeting<p>Reminder: our next meeting is this Friday, 28th October at 7.30 in the Methodist Church as usual.</p><div>We have Vicki Bush of the Lincs Wildlife Trust, coming to give a talk about her work at Gibraltar Point and her interests in marine life and pollution of the seas. It should be a fascinating evening. Everyone is welcome, please tell your friends and relations. There's tea, coffee and biscuits provided!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zxdVC9oGuOfJi1ipJeA2izszQQEuxS5J3i2KUgXL6z_Mfjn8T-XSqJrsj1kfGH0_fP1pSWv3D47a_NQr95cyDaeczbkD1Zk2u22et2GsYJmlctu-YlR3krbLkDk5PvEP_q7RqSHvJXEwcF_SXQephGwJRKHr3MFpumUZa0ok26ihjhm0hZ7EzITdEw/s804/VuckiBush.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="548" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zxdVC9oGuOfJi1ipJeA2izszQQEuxS5J3i2KUgXL6z_Mfjn8T-XSqJrsj1kfGH0_fP1pSWv3D47a_NQr95cyDaeczbkD1Zk2u22et2GsYJmlctu-YlR3krbLkDk5PvEP_q7RqSHvJXEwcF_SXQephGwJRKHr3MFpumUZa0ok26ihjhm0hZ7EzITdEw/w335-h492/VuckiBush.jpg" width="335" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And some advanced notice, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">William Bartle will give a talk</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> on the Lincolnshire Chalk Streams on Friday 25th November. 2022</span><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-72712110301437100242022-10-09T11:27:00.009+01:002022-10-09T11:27:59.668+01:00Watch Group Sunday 16th October 2pmHello Wildlife Watch Members<br /><br />It's almost impossible not to notice the dramatic changes to the weather recently - colder mornings and gloomy evenings, blustery winds and wild rain, leaves changing colour. Autumn has certainly arrived! <br /><br />And there's no better way to experience at first hand these dramatic changes than by taking a stroll through one of our ancient woodlands. So why not join the Louth Watch Group next Sunday when we take a stroll through Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's own Legbourne Woods for a walk on the wild side!<br /><br />Our team of nature experts will be there to guide you through the autumn woodland with its magestic oak and ash trees, leaves of every shade from green through orange to gold, undergrowth laden with bright fruits and acorns carpeting the ground. You will see and hear a wide range of birds, butterflies and late flying dragonflies. You may even be lucky enough to spot a deer or two hidden amongst the tall trees! <br /><br />Children will have opportunities to collect the treasures they find on a journey stick, and to make their own artworks using 'found' art from nature!<br /><br />Our next meeting is: ‘A Walk on the Wild Side.'<br /><br />Date: Sunday 16th October<br />Time: 2pm to 4pm<br />Place: Legbourne Woods Nature Reserve. Full directions and parking instructions will be sent with your booking confirmation<br /><br />Please bring suitable clothing with strong footwear and be prepared to spend time outdoors.<br /><br />This is a free event.<br /><br />Please book in advance by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a> so we have a good indication of how many are likely to attend.<br /><br />Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing you there!<br /><br />Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Team biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-38165901820654731902022-10-01T14:59:00.005+01:002022-10-01T15:12:15.170+01:00Meeting Report 30th September 2022<p> On Friday 30<sup>th</sup> September 22 we held our AGM (the
first for a couple of years!) at the Methodist Church, Louth.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Chair’s and Treasurer’s reports were mercifully brief as
we have done little and spent less over the pandemic years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The existing committee (Rod Baddon, Jan Boyd, Judith John,
Louise Scott and Biff Vernon) were re-elected for another year and Maggie
Barnes and Dan James have agreed to join.<br />
<br />
The main part of the evening was given over to a talk by Stu West. He gave an
update on his previous accounts of the local otters. They are doing well in all
the rivers in our neighbourhood and the population is probably close to the
maximum potential, otters occupying large territories and pretty intolerant of
other otters apart from females with their own offspring. An otter frequently
passes up the Lud through Louth town centre, probably feeding on the American
signal crayfish. This is to the benefit of the fish as the crayfish eat a lot
of fish eggs. It’s one of the ironies of nature that a healthy otter population
is good for a healthy fish population.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The rest of Stu’s talk was about ‘rewilding’. Stu emphasised
the lack of the truly wild in Britain, one of the most nature-depleted countries
on the planet. So he took us to India with an account of his visit to the Sariska
Tiger Reserve, where he didn’t actually see a tiger but he did hear one and got
a photo of a paw print! It was fascinating to learn about the Indian’s attitude
to conservation and re-introduction of an apex predator, one might even, very occasionally,
eat a person. Start here for more about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sariska_Tiger_Reserve" target="_blank">Sariska</a>.<br />
<br />
From India Stu next took us to Italy and the <a href="https://www.italia.it/en/italy/things-to-do/stelvio-national-park" target="_blank">Stelvio National Park</a> in search of wolves. Again this apex predator was elusive but we were
introduced to a bearded vulture, Gypaetus barbatus, Europe’s largest bird.
Bearded vultures were persecuted to extinction in the Alps by the early 20<sup>th</sup>
century but a successful captive breeding and re-introduction programme over
the last forty years has established a growing population, with several
breeding pairs in Stelvio. They occupy a unique niche, living almost
exclusively on the bones of dead mammals, often the remains of wolf or golden
eagle kills. With a pH of 1 their stomachs can digest substantial chunks of
bone in hours. Read more at <a href="https://4vultures.org/vultures/bearded-vulture/" target="_blank">Vulture Conservation Organisation</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We then went to Britain’s most intact wilderness, but it
involved a bit of canoeing and snorkelling. The kelp forests off the coast of
western Scotland, around Ardnamurchan and the Sound of Arisaig, host the
richest biodiversity from the rock-pools crowded with invertebrates to cetaceans
that come close to the shores. Stu showed us dramatic film of porpoises close
to his canoe. We learnt of the habits of orcas; a once thriving pod based around
the Westers Isles has been reduced to just two males, most likely because of a
build up of PCBs in their bodies. A happier story comes from the waters around
Orkney and Shetland where a pod of thirty or more seem to be thriving. There
are occasional orca sightings in the North Sea but it is thought these belong
to an Icelandic population that sometimes roams far.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the Q & A session, Stu was asked which species would
be his priority for reintroduction to Britain. Lynx, was his quick reply,
adding that wolf would be good (every mainland European country now has wolves,
even Belgium and the Netherlands) but unlikely to be acceptable to British
public opinion just now. Lynx offer little threat to farm animals, are
secretive and avoid humans. Their hunting of deer would not only control deer
population, which the farming community have failed to do, but alter the
behaviour of deer, changing their grazing patterns in ways that have wider
ecological benefits. Read more at <a href="https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/explore-rewilding/reintroductions-key-species/rewilding-superstars/eurasian-lynx" target="_blank">Rewilding Britain</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here's a question posed by Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tTNn99bQ6or4aw_ofxeQuXwzew4hFjYI8v-srSj1mWTnAazVN0s5U7dyKIlJ2k9oHgTERdI6vLDOaAWSEgfzPWPO3pGCi2cYzkC4wzii5gafiIzb0uABIHKTL0ZgV7bVzBBYwBBDBxiKhQQ1chCfDsA6yK7Oh-ST1t0wRoJMvzGmLqwn06vczfzb6Q/s789/Lynx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="789" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tTNn99bQ6or4aw_ofxeQuXwzew4hFjYI8v-srSj1mWTnAazVN0s5U7dyKIlJ2k9oHgTERdI6vLDOaAWSEgfzPWPO3pGCi2cYzkC4wzii5gafiIzb0uABIHKTL0ZgV7bVzBBYwBBDBxiKhQQ1chCfDsA6yK7Oh-ST1t0wRoJMvzGmLqwn06vczfzb6Q/s320/Lynx.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Further reading:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Isabella Tree, Wilding<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">George Monbiot, Feral<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">George Monbiot, Regenesis<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">James Rebanks, Shepherd’s Life<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">James Rebanks, English Pastoral<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Lee Schofield, Wild Fell<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Others are <a href="https://www.discoverwildlife.com/reviews/books-about-rewilding/" target="_blank">available</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-46941068160787444462022-09-29T09:43:00.002+01:002022-09-29T09:43:53.202+01:00Friday 30th September Meeting<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reminder, Louth Area Group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust meeting Friday 30th September. All welcome, you don't need to be a member.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/events/2022-09-30-talk-otters-and-rewilding-stu-west" target="_blank">Details here.</a></span></p><span class="ezidihy3" style="background-color: white; color: var(--blue-link); font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="ejhto-1-0" style="font-family: inherit;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/node_hero_desk_wide/public/2022-06/OTTER.webp?h=6f8e2d4a&itok=mlgqcq_u" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="800" height="232" src="https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/node_hero_desk_wide/public/2022-06/OTTER.webp?h=6f8e2d4a&itok=mlgqcq_u" width="800" /></a></div><br />
</span></span>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-37666265478921172552022-09-09T17:32:00.004+01:002022-09-09T17:32:54.746+01:00Watch Meeting Sunday 18th September<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: var(--secondary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;">HELLO</span><span data-offset-key="57b77-1-0" style="background-color: white; color: var(--secondary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: pre-wrap;"> WILDLIFE WATCH MEMBERS</span></p><div class="mfn553m3" data-block="true" data-editor="9vajv" data-offset-key="5p82d-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5p82d-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="5p82d-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to the first in our Autumn programme of wildlife events!</span></div></div><div class="mfn553m3" data-block="true" data-editor="9vajv" data-offset-key="6skdo-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6skdo-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="6skdo-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We begin with a visit to the very popular Louth canal, a beautiful part of the town which many of you will already be familiar with. But our journey along the banks this time will be anything but familiar! We intend to explore the entire Solar System as we go, discovering each of the planets in turn and uncovering amazing facts about them. Starting from the Navigation Warehouse we will encounter Mars, Jupiter, Neptune and more, finding out water and wildlife related facts about them and comparing their weather to that of our own planet. But don't worry, unlike Voyager 2 which has now travelled out far beyond the Solar System, we intend to return to Earth in good time for some Earthly nature related activities on the boards of the navigation warehouse! Phew!
Our next meeting is: ‘Weather, Water and Wildlife.'
Date: Sunday 18th September
Time: 2pm
Place: Louth Navigation Canal
Please bring suitable clothing with strong footwear and be prepared to spend time outdoors.
Access to toilets and seating is available.
This is a free event suitable for accompanied youngsters aged from 4 to 14.
Please book in advance by email to </span><span class="ezidihy3" style="color: var(--blue-link); font-family: inherit;">keithjpalmer@mail.com</span><span data-offset-key="6skdo-2-0" style="font-family: inherit;"> so we have a good indication of how many are going to attend.</span></div></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-24454734752909913822022-09-01T11:38:00.000+01:002022-09-01T11:38:39.148+01:00AGM and Talk Friday 30th September 2022<p>We've not met indoors for a long time time but this autumn we are resuming our regular talks through the winter, as before at the Methodist Church, Nichol Hill, Louth LN11 9NQ starting at 7:30pm.</p><p>For our first meeting of the season we are very pleased to welcome back Stu West, who will give a talk about 'Rewilding' along with an update about our local otter population.</p><p>Before Stu's talk we will be holding our long delayed Annual General Meeting. There won't be very much to report as we haven't done much through the pandemic, so this will be a brief affair, but we do have to re-elect our committee and would be delighted to hear from anybody who would like to join the committee. We can always do with more help, ideas and inspiration. If you think you might like to take a more active part in running the Louth Area Branch of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust please don't be shy.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-26422182647061485432022-07-16T09:20:00.000+01:002022-07-16T09:20:09.020+01:00Watch Meeting Sunday July 24th 2pmHello Wildlife Watch Members<br /><br />The fascinating thing about Wildlife Watch meetings is that you get to visit places you wouldn't normally consider, and there's nearly always something totally unexpected happens at some point while you're there! For example, at our last meeting we discovered the truly beautiful South Elkington Church and its immense Victorian trees. And just as we opened the door to go inside, a bat unexpected flew out of the rafters above our heads and dashed for cover into a dark corner of the nave. Wow, what a shock!<br /><br />Our July meeting takes us to yet another interesting place which many of you will not have had an opportunity to explore yet - Red Hill Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) owned by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and not far from Louth. You will be able to investigate Coronation Meadow with its abundance of colourful wild flowers, insects and butterflies. Then on the other side of the valley, the disused quarry with its distinctive red chalk and chalk plants, including pyramidal and bee orchids. You might even see a common lizard or a grass snake if you look carefully!<br /><br />Our next meeting is: ‘Magnificent Meadows.'<br /><br />Date: Sunday 24th JulTime: 2pm<br /><br />Place: Red Hill SSSI Nature Reserve. Full directions and parking instructions will be sent with your booking confirmation<br /><br />Please bring suitable clothing with strong footwear and be prepared to spend time outdoors. As the weather is likely to be hot, bring a hat and a good supply of drinking water.<br />Access to toilets and seating is available.<br /><br />This is a free event.<br /><br />Please book in advance by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a> so we have a good indication of how many people are likely to attend.<br /><br />Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing you there!<br />Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Team<p></p>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-1950240159833851312022-06-10T21:13:00.002+01:002022-06-10T21:17:51.161+01:00Watch Meeting Sunday June 19th<p></p><div class="gE iv gt" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: auto; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; padding: 20px 0px 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gJ" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-collapse: collapse; display: block; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: 0.2px; margin-top: 0px; width: auto;"><tbody style="display: block;"></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Hello Wildlife Watch Members</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="ii gt" id=":45h" jslog="20277; u014N:xr6bB; 4:W251bGwsbnVsbCxbXV0." style="direction: ltr; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="a3s aiL" id=":45w" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><div id="m_-78834195583271462448787634986986720895ty" style="overflow: hidden;"><div><br />Wow, what an amazing afternoon our meeting at Brackenborough Hall Farm turned out to be! I hope you all found it as fascinating and informative as I did!</div><div> </div><div>But it doesn’t end there as our next meeting is going to be equally or even more enjoyable! This time we will be exploring the unspoilt grounds of South Elkington Church, guided by local expert Jill Day.</div><div>A wide range of mature trees are to be found here, some of them quite rare or unusual and we will be finding out more about them. Then, although not nearly so large or as imposing but probably just as mysterious and intriguing are the many different types of Lichen that are to be found in the grounds, thriving in every corner, and we will be finding out lots of facts about these interesting life forms too. <br /><br />Our next meeting is: ‘Churchyard explorers.'<br />Date: Sunday 19th June<br />Time: 2pm<br />Place: South Elkington Church. Full directions and parking instructions will be sent with booking confirmation<br /><br />Please bring warm waterproof clothing and strong footwear and be prepared to spend time outdoors.<br />Access to toilets and a seating area is available.<br /><br />This is a free event.<br /><br />Please book in advance by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a> so we have a good indication of how many people will be attending.<br /><br />Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing you there!<br />Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Team</div></div></div></div></div></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-43350241675872253352022-05-13T22:08:00.000+01:002022-05-13T22:08:15.951+01:00Watch Meeting 'Farming and Nature Connections' Sunday 22nd May 2022<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Hello Wildlife Watch Members</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br />We are back with what promises to be a fascinating afternoon of nature and farming after the disappointment of our April meeting which was cancelled due to covid.<br />This time we are meeting at Brackenborough Hall Farm and exploring connections between farming and nature. We will be guided around the fascinating working farm by owner Paul and have opportunities to explore different aspects of farming and nature during the session. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Can you identify some of the many bird calls you will hear? Will you be the first person this year to hear a cuckoo, or see a swallow on the farm?<br /><br />Our next meeting is: 'Farming and Nature Connections.'<br />Date: Sunday 22 May<br />Time: 2pm<br />Place: Brackenborough Hall Farm, full directions will be sent with booking confirmation<br /><br />Please bring warm waterproof clothing and strong footwear or wellington boot and be prepared to spend time outdoors.<br />Access to toilets and a seating area is available.<br /><br />This is a free event.<br /><br />Please book in advance by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a> so we have a good indication of how many people will be attending.<br /><br />Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing everyone there!<br />Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Team</div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-89137852987198628092022-04-15T08:04:00.001+01:002022-04-15T08:04:12.017+01:00What Makes Chalk streams Special? Watch Meeting 24th April<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Hello Wildlife Watch Members</span></p><div class="adn ads" data-legacy-message-id="180291f67412d005" data-message-id="#msg-f:1730105694559064069" style="background-color: white; border-left: none; color: #222222; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; padding: 0px;"><div class="gs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; width: 1120px;"><div class=""><div class="ii gt" id=":qm" jslog="20277; u014N:xr6bB; 4:W251bGwsbnVsbCxbXV0." style="direction: ltr; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="a3s aiL " id=":ql" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div><div style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><div>For our April meeting we return to Louth's local area of outstanding natural beauty, Hubbard's Hills!</div><div>Spring and new life is bursting out everywhere, all around us, but this time we intend to delve below the surface to find out more about chalk streams and what it is that makes them such a special place for life and living things. Chalk stream expert William Bartle will be leading us and sharing hisn knowledge with us and there will be opportunities to engage in pond dipping and other nature related activities.</div><div><br />Our next meeting is: 'Exploring Chalk Streams: What makes them special?'<br />Date: Sunday 24th April<br />Time: 2pm<br />Place: Hubbard's Hills, meeting in front of the wooden cafe building<br /><br />Please bring warm waterproof clothing and strong footwear or wellington boots for paddling and be prepared to spend time outdoors.</div><div>Access to toilets and seating areas is available.<br /><br />This is a free event, but there may be a charge for the car park. </div><div><br />Please book in advance by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a> so we have a good indication of how many people will be attending.<br /><br />Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing everyone there!<br />Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Team</div></div></div><div class="yj6qo"></div><div class="adL"></div></div></div><div class="hi" style="background: rgb(242, 242, 242); border-bottom-left-radius: 1px; border-bottom-right-radius: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"></div></div></div><div class="ajx" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="gA gt acV" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top: none; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><div class="gB xu" style="border-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="ip iq" style="border-top: none; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px;"></div></div></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-70492032265693461962022-03-27T10:09:00.001+01:002022-03-27T10:09:22.291+01:00Wildlife Explorer Day at Far Ings Saturday 2nd April 2022<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hello Wildlife Watch Members</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;">Below are details of a special event which is taking place at the Far Ings Nature Reserve and visitor Centre on Saturday 2nd April and which may be of interest to our members. It sounds like an enjoyable and fun packed event and if you've never had a chance to visit this very special reserve you'll be amazed by the nature and Humber views!</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;">It's a bit of a drive but thoroughly worthwhile.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;">Best Regards</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;">Keith, for the Wildlife Watch Team</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Adelle;"><span style="color: black;">Wildlife Explorer Day at Far Ings</span></span></span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 6px;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Adelle;"><span style="color: black;">Saturday 2<sup>nd</sup> April 11am-3pm</span></span></span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 21px;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Our Wildlife Explorer Day is a special day with the promise of wild discoveries! Join us at the Visitor Centre for free family activities and a trail to follow. We are also launching our new and very exciting Wildlife Explorer Backpacks!</span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The Wildlife Explorer Backpacks are filled with activity ideas to help families explore the Tadpole Trail at Far Ings. Be one of the first families to hire a backpacks! They are available for families to hire for £5.</span></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">No need to book but for more information contact Leanne at <a href="mailto:faringscentre@lincstrust.co.uk" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">faringscentre@lincstrust.co.uk</a></span></span></span></p>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-76785114313935739042022-03-12T20:32:00.002+00:002022-03-12T20:32:35.506+00:00Watch Meeting Sunday 20th March 2pm Snipe Dales<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hello Wildlife Watch Members</span></p><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our next meeting is: ‘Signs of Spring!’</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Date: Sunday 20th March</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Time: 2pm</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Place: Snipe Dales Nature Reserve PE23 4JB</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Reserve Warden James Forrester will lead us on an exploration of this fascinating reserve. We will be keeping a special lookout for signs of Spring, new life and in the natural world around us. There will be opportunities to engage with nature related activities along the way.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please bring warm waterproof clothing and strong footwear on the day. There is access to toilets and seating areas, but we will be mostly exploring outside areas of the natural environment.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please note that we will be meeting at the nature reserve car park and not the nearby country park entrance.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is a free event, but there is a £1.00 charge for the carpark.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please book in advance by email to </span><a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> by Friday 18th March so we have a good indication of how many are likely to attend.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Note to children: If you have results from ‘The Big Garden Birdwatch’ please bring them along with you so we can share your viewings (we had hoped to do this at our February meeting which was cancelled)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing everyone there!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Group</span>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-16473123538748738402022-02-13T21:37:00.001+00:002022-02-13T21:37:12.186+00:00Watch Meeting Saturday 19th February 2022<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Hello Wildlife Watch members</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br />Our next meeting is Tracks and Traces!<br />Date: Saturday19th February<br />Time: 2pm<br />Place: Kenwick LRAC Centre<br /><br />Note that this meeting is on Saturday 19th February and not our usual Sunday!<br />Please bring warm waterproof clothing as we will be outdoors for the whole meeting.<br /><br />We will be exploring the woods and wild areas of the centre looking out for tracks and traces of wildlife and engaging with nature activities along the way.<br /><br />This is a free event. Please book in advance by email to <span style="color: firebrick;"><a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a></span> by Friday 18th so we have a good indication of how many are likely to attend.<br /><br />Note to children: If you have results from ‘The Big Garden Birdwatch’ please bring them with you so we can share your viewings.<br /><br />Also of interest to children and adults: The Natural History Museum is holding a slug and snail survey over the half term break for wildlife watchers to take part in! Find the link to the survey together with several pages of fascinating information on the many types of slug and snail you are likely to discover at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/citizen-science/slime-search&source=gmail&ust=1644772843895000&usg=AOvVaw3stXwvfOTCzYhN5ZOyx2TD" href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/citizen-science/slime-search" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-<wbr></wbr>part/citizen-science/slime-<wbr></wbr>search</a><br /><br />Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing everyone there!<br />Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Group</div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-53797304232279909512022-01-12T14:47:00.001+00:002022-01-12T14:47:20.766+00:00Watch Meeting, Sunday 23rd January 2022<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hello and a Happy New Year to all our Wildlife Watch members</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our first meeting of 2022 will be held in the attractive outside grounds of Louth’s Spout Yard on Sunday 23rd January. We are hoping for good weather, but bring warm clothing and footwear just in case as we will not be working indoors!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The meeting begins at 2pm and concludes by 4pm. It is a free event. Please book in advance by email to </span><a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> so we know how many are likely to attend.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The theme for the meeting is ‘Feed the Birds’ and everyone will have an opportunity to make and find out about different foods and why they are important to various types of bird. Learning to identify common garden birds is an easy and interesting way to engage children with nature, and you can usually rely on at least a few to put in an appearance, especially when you know which seeds and grains they like most!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our Watch Leaders are looking forward to seeing everyone again after the long break!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Keith, for the Louth Wildlife Watch Group</span>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-28900861467739728472021-11-11T21:41:00.000+00:002021-11-11T21:41:01.527+00:00Louth Wildlife Watch Group Sunday 21 November<p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The next meeting of the Louth Wildlife Watch Group will be on Sunday 21 November starting at 2 pm. We will all meet at the café.</span></span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">This time we have a fun family treasure hunt planned! As you follow the clues you will be able to marvel at the beautiful valley scenery and the vibrant autumn colours.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">There will be prizes for everyone!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Warm waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes or boots are advised!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">We hope you will be able to join us!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Please book by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdUT9eJdrXaWQ1EKq7BOf0jYzzLNetoC0Qz7PTvvsgByid2G8z4B0e9AQiL8UMP3MIv7DurLY-JdWZfoSK_kgq0UlZ5JAS8Wq6kP2XkDfB1Sjm7PYDVotQf6PKw1_yxz5w1bhmgAbhp6M/s861/21Nov21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="623" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdUT9eJdrXaWQ1EKq7BOf0jYzzLNetoC0Qz7PTvvsgByid2G8z4B0e9AQiL8UMP3MIv7DurLY-JdWZfoSK_kgq0UlZ5JAS8Wq6kP2XkDfB1Sjm7PYDVotQf6PKw1_yxz5w1bhmgAbhp6M/w343-h473/21Nov21.jpg" width="343" /></a></div><br />biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-50428623262499311962021-11-11T21:35:00.000+00:002021-11-11T21:35:04.305+00:00Watch Group Meet at Louth Canal 24th October 2021<p class="Body" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Louth’s Wildlife Watch Group joined forces with
members of the Louth Navigation Trust at the historic Navigation Warehouse for
their latest meeting on Sunday 24 October.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Twelve children aged between 3 and 11 years, and
their parents enjoyed an afternoon learning about the canal’s rich industrial
past and the fascinating nature to be found along its banks today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Alison began the session with an overview of the
canal’s history, its development and change over time. Then Roger led the group
on a circular walk along the bank pointing out places of interest along the
way, which children were able to mark off on their own maps.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Returning to the warehouse children formed into
family groups to test out the popularity of different types of food on the
large duck population there. Sweetcorn and oats seemed to go down very well,
but peas were less well received. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Returning inside children engaged in a range of
nature related art activities including pairing waterside animals with their
habitats, drawing animals of the canal and designing their own poster to
publicise various aspects of the canal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Before departing we all thanked the Navigation
and Wildlife organisers for the session, and parents took home a guide to canal
walks so that they could explore further on another occasion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">A thoroughly enjoyable experience for all!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US">Keith Palmer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p> </p>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-29590553358754603482021-10-15T13:41:00.005+01:002021-10-15T17:43:00.298+01:00Louth Wildlife Watch Group Sunday 24 Oct 2021<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Our next meeting for the Louth Wildlife Watch Group will be on Sunday 24 October at 2 pm at the Louth Navigation Warehouse (Riverhead road LN110DA). </span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">We are excited about this meeting as we will be teaming up with members of the Louth Navigation Trust to discover more about the fascinating history of Louth's canal and its amazing wildlife!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><p>We will -</p><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Look for examples of change in the canal since our visit in the summer</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Take a guided walk along the banks of the canal looking for wildlife and signs of its industrial past</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Design a poster to advertise the canal, water safety or litter etc</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Make a food web mobile</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Compare different types of duck food</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Enjoy nature related art and craft activities</li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">We hope you will be able to join us!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;">Please book by email to <a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWaGCR8EEod5-qdnoKIaBUixUSTI_w2tmbqryFLN6bDlLw-_NU_zGk0to1GEJNZ0e6unXSDO1tweuuN7CpYnHuFbYjywc-Pp65SiMqWsbgZriQLgW1GFdHSNarih74G316TG98SipWoH8/s877/Nov.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="633" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWaGCR8EEod5-qdnoKIaBUixUSTI_w2tmbqryFLN6bDlLw-_NU_zGk0to1GEJNZ0e6unXSDO1tweuuN7CpYnHuFbYjywc-Pp65SiMqWsbgZriQLgW1GFdHSNarih74G316TG98SipWoH8/w440-h610/Nov.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px;"><br /></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-85662758419079213102021-09-22T21:22:00.000+01:002021-09-22T21:22:18.732+01:00Louth Watch Meeting Legbourne Wood – 19th September 2021<p><span style="background-color: #feffff; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We were very lucky on Sunday to avoid the showers when we
met at Legbourne Wood to look at Autumn seeds, fruits and berries. Eleven
children and eight adults attended. (Some by bike – well done to them!)</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Whilst waiting to begin our walk the children looked for
hidden fruits and berries on a </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Forest floor</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’ </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">sheet. They began to match some of the fruits and berries
with the appropriate leaves.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Once we were ready the children made some good suggestions
for health and safety issues and Keith filled in those they hadn</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">t
thought of.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">On the first part of the path the children looked for
various seeds and collected them in a tub where appropriate. They were very
thoughtful about only taking what they needed and about taking care in what to
pick. After a while we stopped and talked about seed dispersal. We discussed
why it was necessary and thought of different methods plants used. As each
method was described the children looked through their tubs for examples to
match.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">For the next part of the walk, the children were given a
sheet naming six trees to which they had to match the appropriate leaves and
fruiting bodies. We looked at examples of some of the trees on the way and many
of the children were keen to add to their seed collection. We also noticed that
there were some different plants on this section of the walk as the path was in
more sunlight. When we reached our next point we talked about what we thought
the most common trees in Legbourne Wood were and went through the sheet
together with the children offering their results.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Next the children (and those adults who were allowed by
their offsprings to assist!) eagerly participated in an orienteering activity.
There were four different options that Keith had devised and each spelled a
nature word if completed correctly. This was a very popular activity and
several children completed many if not all of the options.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">In addition, they were also able to make a small rotating </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="PT" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: PT;">helicopter</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times Roman";"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’ </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to reproduce the effect of maple, ash and sycamore keys and
make a seed/berry idial to aid with tree and seed matching.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">As we returned we talked about our session and looked at
the different parts of the wood especially where a large area had been cleared,
presumably due to Ash dieback.</span></p>
<p class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">All in all<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>an ex-seed-ingly enjoyable and productive
meeting.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="right" class="Default" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: #FEFFFF; color: #272c36; font-family: "Times Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Louise Scott</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-27387638905609101702021-09-14T14:10:00.000+01:002021-09-14T14:10:57.589+01:00Louth Wildlife Watch Group Sunday 19th September 2021<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The next meeting of the Louth Wildlife Watch Group will be on Sunday 19 September starting at 2 pm.</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We will be making a circular route through the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's woods at Legbourne, meeting at the small car park at the end of Wood Lane (coming from Louth, turn right onto Mill Lane in Legbourne village, then bear left onto Wood Lane at the fork).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As we walk and explore we hope to collect examples of autumn seeds and berries.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">At the halfway point we will break to enjoy a range of nature type crafts and activities, and a short nature themed orienteering task.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We hope you will be able to join us!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please book by email to </span><a href="mailto:keithjpalmer@mail.com" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">keithjpalmer@mail.com</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Best Regards</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Keith</span>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-38076639438726737022021-08-17T07:46:00.002+01:002021-08-17T07:46:49.799+01:00Bat Watch Friday 27th August 2021 Rimac<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You are invited to join a Moth and Bat evening, organised by the Rimac Watch Group, on Friday 27th August at 7.45pm until late.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div>Full details are on the attached poster.</div><div>You will need to book with Roger at <a href="mailto:rimacwildlifewatch@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">rimacwildlifewatch@gmail.com</a></div><div>Best Wishes</div><span style="color: #888888;">Avril</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5KTouxlDqsh_hBWNeAy8Iomp1U0kcKdXjUNY_YCNVz32UqRTBU-PympAhQYvrAWwJx1qUqniorfiWxpJJEdBD4Mjg6JCTF8LoUby2rKxcXoHlODTAgGjEFdr6AeFQR40y8Y4icpW-i3h/s1049/BatRimac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="737" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5KTouxlDqsh_hBWNeAy8Iomp1U0kcKdXjUNY_YCNVz32UqRTBU-PympAhQYvrAWwJx1qUqniorfiWxpJJEdBD4Mjg6JCTF8LoUby2rKxcXoHlODTAgGjEFdr6AeFQR40y8Y4icpW-i3h/w342-h486/BatRimac.jpg" width="342" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-32430251174806392772021-08-05T09:19:00.005+01:002021-08-05T09:19:45.391+01:00Louth Area Watch Group<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our next Watch meeting will be on Sunday August 22nd, starting at 2pm.</span></p><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="b0fns-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="b0fns-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="b0fns-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We will be walking part of Louth Canal, starting from the Navigation Warehouse.</span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="avvk5-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="avvk5-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="avvk5-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">As part of the walk you can enjoy some fun activities- bark rubbing, I Spy wildlife, Colour matching etc.</span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="7pkh8-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7pkh8-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="7pkh8-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">There will also be some art and craft activities set up next to the Navigation Warehouse.</span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="d40i2-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="d40i2-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="d40i2-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We hope that you will join us.</span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="7p22b-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="7p22b-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="7p22b-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Please Book with Keith at keithjpalmer@mail.com</span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="9a6ko-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9a6ko-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="9a6ko-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br data-text="true" /></span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="5kokb-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5kokb-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="5kokb-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Best Wishes</span></div></div><div class="bi6gxh9e" data-block="true" data-editor="3sr08" data-offset-key="2r292-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 8px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="2r292-0-0" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="2r292-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Avril</span></div></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-58263223375676727182021-06-10T21:55:00.006+01:002021-06-10T21:55:47.197+01:00Louth Area Watch Group<div class="kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our second meeting of the year will be on Saturday June 26th starting at 2pm at :-</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The Lincolnshire Rural Activities Centre (LRAC) at Kenwick LN11 8NR</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our main theme is about Bees.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To begin the meeting a local expert will bring a demonstration hive and bee keeping equipment to tell us about keeping bees.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Then we will have a Bee Trail and Hunt in the garden.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We can also visit the beautiful meadow to look for and identify any insects and flowers that we find.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I hope that you will join us.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">You will need to book with Keith at keithjpalmer@mail.com</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Best Wishes</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Avril</div></div>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-590973921392189616.post-88187358950606335602020-12-10T07:10:00.004+00:002020-12-10T07:45:42.958+00:00Louth’s Breeding Peregrine Falcons 2020<p> For the sixth year, the
peregrines maintained their presence at St. James’ Church. Following the failure
of the 2019 brood when all five chicks failed to fledge – thought to be a
combination of bad weather and poor parenting by an inexperienced female – we
waited with a degree of apprehension for the pair to breed again.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;">A new nest tray with a
protective roof was installed on the walkway on 24th January and by the 2nd
March, pictures from the TV screen showed a depression in the gravel, proof
that at least one of the pair had visited and ‘tried it for size’<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">By the middle of March with COVID-19 sweeping the country, the church was
closed to visitors, so we were relying Verger Dale Walker to provide any news,
and on the 29th March, he revealed the falcon was now installed on the nest. On
11th April, Dale was able to check the TV screen and saw the falcon brooding at
least two, and possibly more eggs. It was a month before we received a further
report, when on the 10th May, 3 chicks were seen to be fed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The chicks were ringed at the end of the month by Alan Ball under strict
health security conditions, and thought to be two males and a female. By the
6th June, The chicks/young juveniles (eyases) were heard to call for the first
time, showing that they are growing and demanding food, and on the 9th, we had
the first glimpse of one of the juveniles peering through one of the
castellations. A couple of days later, all 3 juveniles showed themselves<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Two of the juveniles made their first flights on the morning of 18<sup>th</sup>
June, predictably landing in gardens where they sat, looking quite confused.
One was picked up in the rectory driveway by local vet Andy Cook, a bird of
prey specialist, and carried up the stairway and released on the tower walkway.
The other turned up in our garden, spending three hours on our shelter roof,
before flying into a rose bush where I caught it (I’m not a bird of prey
specialist!). So when Andy reappeared from the tower, it was my turn to climb
the 198 steps with the peregrine struggling in its box.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Unlike previous years, all the juveniles made good progress and by 10<sup>th</sup>
July, a juvenile was seen to bring in its own prey and by August, most of the
juveniles were spending much of the day hunting away from the church, often
returning noisily in the late afternoon. It’s likely that in another few weeks,
views of the juveniles will be few and far between, so as I write this on 21<sup>st</sup>
August, we can look back on a successful year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Noted for the first time in Louth, our resident peregrines showed extreme
territorial aggression towards any common buzzard within sight of the
peregrines’ nest or the juveniles. We knew the peregrines in Exeter had brought
down 21 buzzards in 190 attacks over a 6-month period, but it was the sight
from our garden of the pair working together to attack and kill a buzzard
passing near the church on 13<sup>th</sup> June that prompted us to log such
events. In the following three weeks, 11 incidents were noted and the attacks
only stopped when the juveniles were confidently flying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For more information on Louth’s peregrines, or to purchase the booklet,
visit: <a href="http://www.louthperegrines.org.uk">www.louthperegrines.org.uk</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Geoff Mullett <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnL9eqnMeW_VFer0Ymc78yJxSwu5Luuef9G6K4h1gsMqQDvYeP5x1xrD9WH1BInXoJLgw47uQXcPDCrss3khxllCesMcfQbd0TnPYQvJezbgaQTs9cubpYDbNCPAt7M-BFOL8CQsOKn8y/s640/Juvenile%2527s+first+flight+18+June+2020.+Geoff+Mullett.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnL9eqnMeW_VFer0Ymc78yJxSwu5Luuef9G6K4h1gsMqQDvYeP5x1xrD9WH1BInXoJLgw47uQXcPDCrss3khxllCesMcfQbd0TnPYQvJezbgaQTs9cubpYDbNCPAt7M-BFOL8CQsOKn8y/w367-h489/Juvenile%2527s+first+flight+18+June+2020.+Geoff+Mullett.jpeg" width="367" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGJ2c9qbGZoKB6zA_BdFZAfDMB9rB7lv4iPukMveOOJluP6qThIc7aQZtZ6R2zQNd0HNwtOP0l0y6s0o-yvIpQsBrewC5lWq_gJLEebkLUMnb6IhTXdJ8BACqihTI5PQojfZu4DpxfkJL/s1280/Ringing+day.+28+May+2020+Alan+Ball.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1280" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGJ2c9qbGZoKB6zA_BdFZAfDMB9rB7lv4iPukMveOOJluP6qThIc7aQZtZ6R2zQNd0HNwtOP0l0y6s0o-yvIpQsBrewC5lWq_gJLEebkLUMnb6IhTXdJ8BACqihTI5PQojfZu4DpxfkJL/w483-h323/Ringing+day.+28+May+2020+Alan+Ball.jpeg" width="483" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><p></p>biffvernonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857477270618123815noreply@blogger.com0