Naturestimeline is back, I hear you gasp. Cue rapturous applause…………………………..
Where has our venerable host been and why were there no updates! Well, sometimes life’s chores tend to overwhelm but hell; I am not to be defeated by what seems a never-ending list of tasks. Besides, I have a responsibility, as a blogger to inform and educate (at least to my knowledge) so here is a brief rundown of what I meant by my “Sort your life out” comment.
As a relative newbie to the Conservation/Ecology sector, like most of us, I must devote time to career expansion. Much reading, studying and attending courses, webinars and the like has taken place during this time. For example, I attended a Dragonfly workshop back in early August. Additionally, I have met up with or have been networking with important work colleagues. As a requirement to add skills to my CV, I am also currently undertaking a Project Management course and have other ventures in planning. Aside from this however, there were occasions when nature did acquire my full attention. To this end, I will now enlighten you with a select few natural events.
Today has seen most of the additional Phenological events logged onto My Natural Events Calendar. As usual, you can best access this via the Agenda option and from there you can view past dates for any action missed, since my last post.
Ten weeks can be a long time for the natural world and since my hiatus; many phenological events have taken place locally and non-locally. For example, many young birds have been flocking to my busy feeders and for the first time, I have added an immature Carrion Crow to the records, not bad for a semi-suburban locality. Alongside this, during this time, various finches, tits, a Great-Spotted Woodpecker, daws and corvids had been raiding the feeders and fat balls with a summering Blackcap on the latter mentioned. Only in recent weeks, has this feeding frenzy decreased and I suspect the reason for this is simply moulting activity. Who says we shouldn’t feed the birds all year round? In fact, many of the youngsters were finding the bird table and its feeders, useful sheltering positions during the wetter periods.
Looking back
On the 10th June, it was most pleasing to witness a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden during a sunnier interlude. By the 30th June, the Buddleia was noted in bloom, which it still is to this day.
July continued the overall weather pattern (often cool and wet) of the previous few but briefly relented, come the final week. It was during this period, in which I most probably saw my final Common Swift of the season. The 27th July date for this event being significantly earlier than the normal date of 14th August, albeit based on a limited sample size. The first harvesting locally and predictably a couple of Thunder days during July were to be expected. Also on a local level, I witnessed the first Ringlet on the 13th July, Marbled White and Meadow Brown on the 19th July and a first Gatekeeper butterfly on the 24th July. Only the Meadow Brown butterfly showed up as being well behind schedule with the rest within a week or so of their usual emergence dates. Birds of Prey were well to the fore over my neighbourhood with a gathering of seven thermalling Common Buzzards on one special day.
August has so far proved to be a very busy period for personal reasons, whilst it has been a quiet month phenology wise. Only the Thunder days of 15th August and 25th August being especially noteworthy. Both dates occurring pretty close to their usual positions in the calendar year.
*It seems that tomorrow also marks a happy anniversary for a certain blogging adventure
Cheers, I’ll drink to that.
naturestimeline 
Happy birthday to that certain blogging adventure.
Many Thanks and I hope to send you many more updates in the future.
Hello Tony, has this been the most phenological bizarre year? The mad weather in 2012 seems to have thrown a spanner in the works of numerous natural events.
Yes time moves on here in Poitou-Charentes and we are now certainly changing from summer to autumn. I posted on Swallowtail butterflies a few days ago and included a photo I took only about a week ago but I doubt if I will see any more this year. We also have a Fat doormouse which turns up every so often and he has been in the house for the last two nights…. first time since April and so it goes on.
Time is indeed moving on and I am slowly sorting out my life. Whilst, I haven’t posted too often here, I have posted the odd snippet over on my other blog. As a birder, the months of September and October are especially enthralling. Quite rightly, as you say, in spite of the seasonal changes, you do have to admire Mother Nature. There is always a surprise or two around the corner and the changing climate will continue to keep us on our toes.
Best Wishes
Tony