Osprey and Beetles

While I have been down to the river since the flooding, today was the first time that I was able to pass through Blackhall Mill since Saturday. I had to go to Consett to get some shopping, and the effects of the flood are still very visible. I wanted to return to film the scene as it is now but I did not have the time. However, what is worthy of comment was during the bus journey along the Derwent valley was that at East Law, the fields were still shedding significant volumes of water. So much that the drains at that point are struggling to cope and there is still a few inches of water pooling on the road at East Law.

While the remnant of Hurricane Hanna is coming here on Thursday, the forecast is at least that it is not likely to dumping the volume of rain that happened on Saturday, but I will keep a watch out on that, as forecasts have been wrong before.

Now I do have a plea to all my American friends, while we in Britain are grateful for all the gifts you keep on sending us, we don't really want your old hurricanes when you have finished with them.

To go off at a tangent, one of the things that I love about where I live and Britain generally, is the names of the villages and hamlets around here. While I often have to obscure the exact location when I am posting observations of wildlife to protect the wildlife, where I can it delights me to mention some of these wonderful places when I can. I am trying to discover the origins of some of these names as they are rather fascinating.

As my regular reader may remember, last year I spoke about helping carry out a survey of the bat roosting sites in the local woods. When I did that, along with other work of a similar nature, my binoculars suffered from the heavy rain that day and has occurred rather regularly. So I decided to buy a new pair. I decided to get a pre loved instrument as I can not afford a new pair that is of the quality I need. So I bought a pair from a well known auction site. However, I was out when they when the parcel was first delivered. Therefore I had to get a redelivery booked. Well they arrived and this morning I took them out to test them out in the field. I love them, and while testing them out I spotted something hidden in the trees. I moved in closer and to a better position, and saw an Osprey that had been roosting over night in the trees. My guess is that it is on its migration south. What a thrill, as while they are seen from time to time, to see one roosting is rare.

Another thing that I have recent obtained is some specimen tubes for collecting insects. Part of the reason why I needed to get these is as it can be difficult to identify insects I needed to retain individuals for identification when carrying out a survey. Often when trying to work on improving a habitat it is vital to know what is there in the first place. Anyway, I also realised that I could use these to collect individual insects with the aim of photographing them. So I have been carrying a few of the collecting tubes in my pocket. This morning I spotted two beetles and collected them safely. I was then able to film them at home. One I got some film off but it did a rapid escape. The second was far more cooperative and I got some great film of it. The one that got away was just a common ground beetle, Amara aulica, but the other a weevil, Crytorhynchidius lapathi, I was able to return to the location of its collection so I am not harming the ecology in any way.

While I was doing the filming, the water engineer who is also an amateur archaeologist turned up. He was fascinated to see the beetles especially in close up, and he said that all this could be useful as he wants me to help with some environmental survey work. So it looks like my building up contacts is paying off. However, while we were talking, he did stop and ask “What did I want to do when I grow up” I told him that I don't want to grow up if it means loosing my childlike wonder at the world.