by Andy Johnson

Buzzard

Nature Notes – March 2024

27th February 2024

Walking up Fence Dyke Lane recently, I noticed a huge flock of fieldfares feeding when suddenly a large female sparrow hawk made an attack and killed one.

Snowdrops

Nature Notes – February 2024

31st January 2024

At the end of the last Ice Age much of England was covered by an ice sheet between two and three kilometres thick.

polar stratospheric clouds

Nature Notes – January 2024

2nd January 2024

The early winter weather has been dominated by gales bringing warm weather from the west due to a strong El Nino.

Otter

Nature Notes – December 2023

29th November 2023

by Andy Johnston The autumn weather can be best summed up as wet, windy and warm, which has enabled many flowers to be still in bloom due to a lack of hard frosts. The first week in October saw the last of our local swallows, house martins and hobby leave for Africa and the arrival…

Robin

Nature Notes – November 2023

31st October 2023

Recent storms brought us the largest fall of North American migrants for 30 years.

A mink

Nature Notes – October 2023

30th September 2023

In early September, I woke to find my car covered in Sahara dust, thanks to a huge plume of hot air from the south. Sahara dust is responsible for delivering an estimated 22 kilotons of phosphorous and other nutrients to the rain forests of South America. Local farmers will be only too happy to receive…

Tawny Owl

Nature Notes – September 2023

30th August 2023

It has been a strange summer weather wise; June was very dry and sunny but with cold evenings.

Sparrow Hawk

Nature Notes – August 2023

30th July 2023

We have at least one pair of sparrow hawks which operate in the village. Those of you with bird feeders will be aware of the sudden attacks on garden birds, or more usually the tell-tale sign of a patch of feathers on the lawn.

Northern Wheatear

Nature Notes – July 2023

3rd July 2023

Recently I walked up Meeth Gill just west of Reeth to the Old Gang Smelt Mills to see how many species of upland birds I could find, especially summer migrants.

Noble false widow & asian hornet

Nature Notes – June 2023

1st June 2023

by Andy Johnston Rewilding is all the rage at the moment. However it may come as a surprise that there are over 2,000 non-native species of plants & animals already established in the UK. Many have been deliberately introduced, but a significant number have arrived accidentally. Examples in our neighbourhood include Himalayan balsam, Japanese knot-weed,…