Sunday, 31 December 2017
Feeding the birds. The Mantra of all the Buddhas
In the snow earlier in December, I wrote this mantra and filled it with windfall apples stored as food for the winter thrushes. A peak of 28 blackbirds and a fieldfare visited. In the milder weather since then, the birds have gone elsewhere, hopefully sustained by all that apple pulp.
Sunday, 17 December 2017
Have you seen these missing birds?
I am making a somewhat feeble attempt to see 200 uk bird species in 2017. Just half a month to go and I have made it to 192. I keep a record of this on birdtrack.
My good friend Stuart Ball, also based in Peterborough has seen at least 220 species so I am lagging far behind.
My excuses are that I do most of my birding locally by bike and don't tend to pursue birds found by others. I also live 40 miles or so from the sea and this year have missed out on many seabirds. I did have a trip to Scotland though to see some of the specialities up there.
So will I make it to 200 before the end of December?
If I do, these are 15 of the overwintering species that I might possibly see. Many of these are unlikely but you never know. I am not greedy, half of these would be good. How many of these can you identify?
Images screenshot from the Collins bird guide.
Of course I could start being a twitcher but it's a bit late in the year for that sort of malarkey. Maybe next year or maybe not.
My good friend Stuart Ball, also based in Peterborough has seen at least 220 species so I am lagging far behind.
My excuses are that I do most of my birding locally by bike and don't tend to pursue birds found by others. I also live 40 miles or so from the sea and this year have missed out on many seabirds. I did have a trip to Scotland though to see some of the specialities up there.
So will I make it to 200 before the end of December?
If I do, these are 15 of the overwintering species that I might possibly see. Many of these are unlikely but you never know. I am not greedy, half of these would be good. How many of these can you identify?
Images screenshot from the Collins bird guide.
Of course I could start being a twitcher but it's a bit late in the year for that sort of malarkey. Maybe next year or maybe not.
Thursday, 7 December 2017
Revisiting a question and answer feature from three years back
in 2014, whilst I was working for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, I was nominated by the chief exec to feature in Defras in house magazine "60 seconds with" feature.
I have just been looking back at my answers.
So what has changed? Not much really. From England's performance in the last football world cup it is obvious that I never managed to crack that whole invisibility thing. Two more DEFRA Secretary of States have come and gone in addition to Owen Patterson. "Flange" is no longer my favourite word after someone pointed out it has a rude alternative meaning. Oh I have moved onto retirement though.
Here is the piece - its quite amusing in parts:
Moth recording – they are such incredible creatures. The thrill of opening up a moth trap not knowing what lies inside is akin to Christmas – except without the prospect of sprouts.
I have just been looking back at my answers.
So what has changed? Not much really. From England's performance in the last football world cup it is obvious that I never managed to crack that whole invisibility thing. Two more DEFRA Secretary of States have come and gone in addition to Owen Patterson. "Flange" is no longer my favourite word after someone pointed out it has a rude alternative meaning. Oh I have moved onto retirement though.
Here is the piece - its quite amusing in parts:
Dave Chambers is a Biodiversity Data Specialist at Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).
What’s the best thing about the town/region your office is located in?
Peterborough doesn’t have a good reputation, but it has great wildlife habitat very close to it, and a marvellous cathedral. It has a big cluster of people working for Environmental Organisations. I like living here.
Are you interested in sports and get to go to any of the events at the Olympics/Paralympics and/or volunteer?
I could say no, but my wife would laugh and highlight the numerous football matches I follow on TV and Radio.
Do you have any hobbies, interests or do any work for charity or do any volunteering work? if so, tell us a little bit about your hobbies.
I am passionate about wildlife especially birds and moths, and make sure I submit all of my records into Recording Schemes. In addition, I spend a quite a bit of time supporting our Local Buddhist Meditation Centre, and lead meditation classes.
Mental Health Day: 12 October Do you know anyone who suffers from dementia or mental health issues and have you had to help out?
Our Buddhist Centre has helped many people with mental health issues to improve their peace of mind.
What was your first ever job?
In the early 80s I spent three months counting trees and mapping open land in Croydon, although I must confess I have never set foot in this Borough. We used black and white aerial photos in pairs to create a 3D image when viewed through a stereoscopic microscope. The team covered the whole of Greater London and worked out land use change from 1971 to 1981.
Who inspires you?
In addition to being inspired by members of my Buddhist Community, I have to say that working with JNCC staff is a constant source of inspiration. There are some amazingly dedicated and talented people working for us.
What do you like most about your job?
The sheer variety of the different types of fascinating data I have to deal with. For example on one day recently I worked on bird trends, threatened lichens and Marine Protected Areas. I even enjoy working with Corporate Planning information – some people regard my enthusiasm for the latter as a bit odd.
What is your favourite place in the world?
The North East Peterborough Gravel Pits. Admittedly somewhat less attractive than say the Great Barrier Reef or a Tuscan hill village, but this is where I do most of my bird watching and exploration by bicycle. Getting to know an area really well gives you a real appreciation of wildlife and how it constantly changes.
Which real people (living or dead) would you most like to invite to dinner?
Owen Patterson and George Monbiot.
What TV show do you never miss?
I am enjoying the new comedy W1A. It lampoons not just the BBC but contemporary workplaces in general, and helps me to see the lighter side of office life.
What motto gets you through life?
“On every new thing there lies already the shadow of annihilation.” – W G Sebald. This may sound a bit bleak but it is a reminder of impermanence.
Who do you follow on Twitter?
JNCC of course (JNCC@JNCC_UK) plus lots of Nature Conservation organisations and amateur naturalists. In particular, staff working for the British Trust for Ornithology are excellent tweeters.
What is your favourite word?
Flange
What is your most embarrassing moment?
When I was a post grad student in London, I went chasing after a Waxwing (a scarce bird at the time) reported to be outside a girls’ school in Wimbledon. Having spent an hour there hanging around the entrance with my binoculars, I subsequently discovered that I had gone to the wrong school.
Tell us a joke
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.
If you were invisible for a day what would you do?
Fly without a ticket to Brazil and help England win the World Cup.
What is your pet hate?
Speaking of pets, I have to single out irresponsible dog owners who let their pooches run amok on Nature Reserves and other bird rich areas. One lady told me that the shore birds enjoyed teasing her dog every day by flying away just in time before the dog could catch them. Unbelievable.
How would you spend a fantasy 24 hours?
Become an enlightened being for a day and help to relieve the suffering of all living beings.
What is the unlikely interest that engages your curiosity?
Friday, 1 December 2017
What's this photo got to do with hen harrier persecution?
This is a photo centred on the handle of our wood burner. What on earth has this to do with the killing of rare birds?
Well, we had a chimney sweep in the other day. We got talking about all sorts of things including birds and the protection of wildlife.
When he opened our stove with the handle, he noticed it had a pronounced squeak. This stopped him in his tracks. "You see, I am a mechanic, and that noise upsets me as much, as the killing of rare birds upsets you."
Without hesitating, he took the handle apart, put some special lubricant on it and now it's totally silent. If only we could solve the hen harrier problem as speedily.
I jokingly complained to him that he should have just left it as it was because "when I heard that handle squeak I knew that the missus had put another log on the fire and that I would not have to interrupt my football viewing". A pathetic attempt on my part to bond with an old school cockney geezer.
Tuesday, 28 November 2017
Onion peelings
Then the "Onion song" popped into my head. Great lyrics.
LYRICS
The world is just a great big onion
And pain and fear are the spices that make you cry
Oh, baby, and the only way to get rid of this great big onion
Is to plant love seeds until it dies, uh-huh
And pain and fear are the spices that make you cry
Oh, baby, and the only way to get rid of this great big onion
Is to plant love seeds until it dies, uh-huh
Hey world, we got a great big job to do
Yeah, we need you
And everybody who loves truth
Don't you know we've got to clean up this place
And reach for a higher goal, yeah, yes we do, now
We gotta be headstrong about rightin' the wrong
And make a lot more happy songs, oh, oh, baby
Yeah, we need you
And everybody who loves truth
Don't you know we've got to clean up this place
And reach for a higher goal, yeah, yes we do, now
We gotta be headstrong about rightin' the wrong
And make a lot more happy songs, oh, oh, baby
The world is just a great big onion
And I don't care, is the face people like to wear
Yes it is now, oh, baby
And the only way to get rid of this great big onion
Every one single soul's got to do their share
Tell about it, baby, whoo
And I don't care, is the face people like to wear
Yes it is now, oh, baby
And the only way to get rid of this great big onion
Every one single soul's got to do their share
Tell about it, baby, whoo
Monday, 27 November 2017
My adventures with moths part 1.
I am a back-garden moth botherer, but until six years ago I was happy to be labelled as
just a Birder. My family generously gave me a starter moth kit for my birthday. Big mistake on their part.
Since then whenever my nearest and dearest complain about my “obsession”, I pass the
blame back to them for starting it. In the early days, the many hours spent trawling
through field guides resulted in me seeing moth shapes everywhere even where no moth
was present. These mothy mirages, exacerbated by sleep deprivation, resulted in many a
summer evening passing in a semi-hallucinogenic haze.
There have been many moth induced mishaps. In the act of hurriedly rescuing my trap from a nocturnal thunderstorm I once tripped over the electric cable and ended up sprawled across a wet and spiny shrub in my dressing gown. On another occasion, as I was hunched over the trap at five am, my wife appeared unexpectedly in the doorway to complain about my clattering. Startled, I stood up abruptly and put my back out rather painfully. One day I will probably fall off a chair or table whilst trying to re-catch an escapee that has flown up to the ceiling. Maybe one of these future mishaps will be caught on video and posted here.
My darling wife steadfastly refuses to let me upgrade from an actinic light to a super bright and
productive mercury vapour lamp because it might upset the neighbours, and cause problems with passing aircraft. She is also rightly concerned that it might fuel my obsession.
Despite my relatively puny lamp, I have still recorded over two hundred species most years – not too shabby for a suburban garden in Peterborough. I can only dream of what it would be like to trap somewhere like say, coastal rural Dorset, equipped with a Mercury Vapour light, and all of the spare time of a Victorian Country Parson/Naturalist.
My species total includes all of the types of moth (big ones and little ones) that I can identify without dissection. Following a bit of holiday home mothing in Cumbria I received an email from the Vice-County (VC) recorder querying whether I had performed a genital examination on one specimen I had recorded online. The answer was categorically no. The record was subsequently and correctly assigned to the "aggregate" as opposed to species level. I hope that any police “spybots” on the search for internet perverts did not flag up the references to genitalia in these communications.
It has been said that mothing is to birding, what crack cocaine is to cannabis. I cannot
comment on this other than to say that there is something highly addictive about opening
up the moth box. In late summer one can wake up to the sight of 150 Large Yellow Under-
pants (Large Yellow Under-Wing is the more typical moniker, but I prefer Stuart Ball's
choice of name). They thud into the box like a moth hailstorm, but after a bit of pinballing inside the trap they snuggle peacefully into the egg boxes. Some people call them flying cockroaches but that is unfair.
Occasionally something new might turn up among the bulky yellow undergarments. Something like a rusty dot pearl perhaps, one of which graced my trap in September last year.
Although this is not much of a looker (its a little brown job to use birding parlance), and not especially rare, how often does a bird you have never clapped eyes on before, aka a "lifer", turn up on your home patch? Apart from its novelty, there were two things that fired my interest.
1. The process of trying to nail the ID – using books, websites, twitter and lateral thinking. In the case of the rusty dot pearl, having cracked the ID conundrum, I felt like one of those bleary-eyed junior detectives in a crime drama, experiencing the “eureka!” matching pattern moment just at the point of total despair.
2. This 1cm micro-moth is a migrant. That word is magic to me in the context of
mothing – mainly because I still cannot get my head around the fact that moths
undertake migration. And then they might even go back again.
My first ever scarcity was the Small Ranunculus. It has the subtle beauty of a lichen and is
a local speciality. I found this in the Wikipedia entry for this species.
“Notably, during the first three months after they hatch, due to a genetic defect they can
only turn to the left while flying. If they want to go to the right, they must land and turn on
the ground.” Unlikely to be true but hilarious nonetheless.
Another personal favourite is the small but attractive Toadflax Brocade of which there are
only a handful of records in my area. It is spreading northward and westward across
England. I always look up what food plant(s) each species favours in its life cycle though
perhaps one day I will discover what a Toadflax actually looks like (thereby expanding my
knowledge further). It would be great to build a profile of the habitats and foodplants used
by the moths found in my garden and compare this to others (Natural England are
developing a tool for this type of association analysis, I believe). I would also like to correlate
my moth records with nearby amateur weather station data. These analyses are made
possible because I systematically record all of the moths I am able to identify and enter
these onto the excellent iRecord online system. The records are then harvested by the VC
recorders, verified and incorporated onto the national moth recording scheme.
I was a bit surprised to discover my home VC was Northamptonshire but do feel a bit
special being a North-Eastern frontiersman watching the borderlands - yes I know this is delusional. I
live close to the Great Fen Project and there are indications that I am starting to record species from this area. As the habitat develops it will be interesting to see what happens.
My home 10km square has nothing like the species list of the adjacent square to the West, ie Werrington. This was where one of our best known “mothmen” – namely Paul Waring (co-author of the best UK field guide) has done the majority of his recording. Prior to this year, I had only ever met Paul once since I started mothing. This was an unusual encounter to say the least. Whilst competing in my first ever half-marathon, I recognised a spectator sitting in his Werrington garden cheering on the runners, inexplicably wearing a tiger-skin onesie! I approached him, introduced myself, shook his hand and carried on with my run. According to iRecord, a lot of my records are new for my 10km square – even some relatively common species. This shows how under-recorded moths are in certain areas, though this level of under recording is nothing compared with other invertebrate groups.
As a recent retiree I hope there will be many more nights of “moth bothering”, and I can
build my experience in Citizen Science, and maybe other taxonomic groups too. I intend to
share my adventures, musings and mishaps through this blog. This might encourage others to give it a try or perhaps put them off the idea for good.
just a Birder. My family generously gave me a starter moth kit for my birthday. Big mistake on their part.
 |
| one of my favourites. An elephant hawk moth.(6 records so far) |
Since then whenever my nearest and dearest complain about my “obsession”, I pass the
blame back to them for starting it. In the early days, the many hours spent trawling
through field guides resulted in me seeing moth shapes everywhere even where no moth
was present. These mothy mirages, exacerbated by sleep deprivation, resulted in many a
summer evening passing in a semi-hallucinogenic haze.
There have been many moth induced mishaps. In the act of hurriedly rescuing my trap from a nocturnal thunderstorm I once tripped over the electric cable and ended up sprawled across a wet and spiny shrub in my dressing gown. On another occasion, as I was hunched over the trap at five am, my wife appeared unexpectedly in the doorway to complain about my clattering. Startled, I stood up abruptly and put my back out rather painfully. One day I will probably fall off a chair or table whilst trying to re-catch an escapee that has flown up to the ceiling. Maybe one of these future mishaps will be caught on video and posted here.
My darling wife steadfastly refuses to let me upgrade from an actinic light to a super bright and
productive mercury vapour lamp because it might upset the neighbours, and cause problems with passing aircraft. She is also rightly concerned that it might fuel my obsession.
Despite my relatively puny lamp, I have still recorded over two hundred species most years – not too shabby for a suburban garden in Peterborough. I can only dream of what it would be like to trap somewhere like say, coastal rural Dorset, equipped with a Mercury Vapour light, and all of the spare time of a Victorian Country Parson/Naturalist.
My species total includes all of the types of moth (big ones and little ones) that I can identify without dissection. Following a bit of holiday home mothing in Cumbria I received an email from the Vice-County (VC) recorder querying whether I had performed a genital examination on one specimen I had recorded online. The answer was categorically no. The record was subsequently and correctly assigned to the "aggregate" as opposed to species level. I hope that any police “spybots” on the search for internet perverts did not flag up the references to genitalia in these communications.
 |
| A weirdo in the dead of night out in the garden looking for moths |
It has been said that mothing is to birding, what crack cocaine is to cannabis. I cannot
comment on this other than to say that there is something highly addictive about opening
up the moth box. In late summer one can wake up to the sight of 150 Large Yellow Under-
pants (Large Yellow Under-Wing is the more typical moniker, but I prefer Stuart Ball's
choice of name). They thud into the box like a moth hailstorm, but after a bit of pinballing inside the trap they snuggle peacefully into the egg boxes. Some people call them flying cockroaches but that is unfair.
Occasionally something new might turn up among the bulky yellow undergarments. Something like a rusty dot pearl perhaps, one of which graced my trap in September last year.
Although this is not much of a looker (its a little brown job to use birding parlance), and not especially rare, how often does a bird you have never clapped eyes on before, aka a "lifer", turn up on your home patch? Apart from its novelty, there were two things that fired my interest.
1. The process of trying to nail the ID – using books, websites, twitter and lateral thinking. In the case of the rusty dot pearl, having cracked the ID conundrum, I felt like one of those bleary-eyed junior detectives in a crime drama, experiencing the “eureka!” matching pattern moment just at the point of total despair.
2. This 1cm micro-moth is a migrant. That word is magic to me in the context of
mothing – mainly because I still cannot get my head around the fact that moths
undertake migration. And then they might even go back again.
My first ever scarcity was the Small Ranunculus. It has the subtle beauty of a lichen and is
a local speciality. I found this in the Wikipedia entry for this species.
“Notably, during the first three months after they hatch, due to a genetic defect they can
only turn to the left while flying. If they want to go to the right, they must land and turn on
the ground.” Unlikely to be true but hilarious nonetheless.
Another personal favourite is the small but attractive Toadflax Brocade of which there are
only a handful of records in my area. It is spreading northward and westward across
England. I always look up what food plant(s) each species favours in its life cycle though
perhaps one day I will discover what a Toadflax actually looks like (thereby expanding my
knowledge further). It would be great to build a profile of the habitats and foodplants used
by the moths found in my garden and compare this to others (Natural England are
developing a tool for this type of association analysis, I believe). I would also like to correlate
my moth records with nearby amateur weather station data. These analyses are made
possible because I systematically record all of the moths I am able to identify and enter
these onto the excellent iRecord online system. The records are then harvested by the VC
recorders, verified and incorporated onto the national moth recording scheme.
I was a bit surprised to discover my home VC was Northamptonshire but do feel a bit
special being a North-Eastern frontiersman watching the borderlands - yes I know this is delusional. I
live close to the Great Fen Project and there are indications that I am starting to record species from this area. As the habitat develops it will be interesting to see what happens.
My home 10km square has nothing like the species list of the adjacent square to the West, ie Werrington. This was where one of our best known “mothmen” – namely Paul Waring (co-author of the best UK field guide) has done the majority of his recording. Prior to this year, I had only ever met Paul once since I started mothing. This was an unusual encounter to say the least. Whilst competing in my first ever half-marathon, I recognised a spectator sitting in his Werrington garden cheering on the runners, inexplicably wearing a tiger-skin onesie! I approached him, introduced myself, shook his hand and carried on with my run. According to iRecord, a lot of my records are new for my 10km square – even some relatively common species. This shows how under-recorded moths are in certain areas, though this level of under recording is nothing compared with other invertebrate groups.
As a recent retiree I hope there will be many more nights of “moth bothering”, and I can
build my experience in Citizen Science, and maybe other taxonomic groups too. I intend to
share my adventures, musings and mishaps through this blog. This might encourage others to give it a try or perhaps put them off the idea for good.
 |
| Pale Prominent. One of the grumpiest looking moths you will find. Photographed 20 August 2017 |
Saturday, 25 November 2017
Another murky pool of water
I recently posted on Facebook a photo of a muddy puddle with a lot of autumnal leaves in it. This drew a mixed reaction. Someone suggested I should get myself a proper job. I responded that I already had a job as a full time "puddle inspector". Well today I have been working at home (yes I know it's a Saturday but I am totally dedicated to my job). This photo is a reflection from a murky pool of water in a wok left to soak.
Wednesday, 22 November 2017
Old Sulehay - a brief stroll in an ancient wood
this wood in East Northamptonshire is worth a visit at any time of the year. Not much birdlife visible in November though.
One of the most prominent trees is this big horse chestnut.
I understand that the Wildlife Trust, the managers of the wood, were at one stage considering felling this tree because of its non native status. However it was spared because a friend of mine, an expert on hoverflies discovered that it had good sap runs supporting scarce species.
Another great tree. And some arty shots to finish
One of the most prominent trees is this big horse chestnut.
Another great tree. And some arty shots to finish
Tuesday, 21 November 2017
Trauma induced by fireworks in the dead of night.
last night in Peterborough about 1.30 am, I had a dream that the boiler in my attic had exploded, fallen through the ceiling and I was about to die from a massive gas explosion. When I woke up the sound of the explosion had seemed totally "real" (i.e. As experienced in the waking state rather than dream state). So real that it induced real panic for five minutes. Every little sound from above seemed to usher in the prospect of a fatal secondary explosion. The feeling that I should have had the boiler serviced ages ago just compounded my anxiety.
Then I heard and saw some fireworks - this time like gunfire. 1.30 am! What the hell was going on. I wonder if anyone else heard them. Seemed to come from the fengate area but hard to be sure.
Even with an explanation for the initial noise I remained in a state of stress for at least an hour, unable to sleep. Unexpected sudden noises sometimes upset my equilibrium considerably, e.g. Boy racers in cars with loud exhausts.
I don't care much for fireworks at the best of times, but this was hard to bear. There were probably others, humans and animals who were even more traumatised.
Then I heard and saw some fireworks - this time like gunfire. 1.30 am! What the hell was going on. I wonder if anyone else heard them. Seemed to come from the fengate area but hard to be sure.
Even with an explanation for the initial noise I remained in a state of stress for at least an hour, unable to sleep. Unexpected sudden noises sometimes upset my equilibrium considerably, e.g. Boy racers in cars with loud exhausts.
I don't care much for fireworks at the best of times, but this was hard to bear. There were probably others, humans and animals who were even more traumatised.
Award for Peterborough School. Bravery award for the consultancy sponsoring this award.
with all the bad news about league table positions of Peterborough schools it was great to see some good news in the local paper.
I am not a big fan of motivational acronyms but was impressed by this quote from the head teacher.
“Our motto here is Shine - which stands for successful, happiness, inspirational learning, nurture and excited. “Happiness is part of our ethos - we are driven more by Shine than we are by academic achievement or Ofsted.”
Read more at: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/education/smiles-all-round-at-peterborough-school-named-happiest-in-the-country-1-8254318
This is fantastic, and seems to be backed up with some excellent ideas. Personally I love the idea of a broad curriculum especially one that finds plenty of room for arts, culture and nature.
I was curious to find out who had conferred this award. It turns out to be a consultancy called "Laughology".
Now that's a very brave name for a consultancy in this era of cruel but brilliant satire from the likes of the w1a and David Brent. I don't think even the script writers of w1a would have come up with as ridiculous a name as "laughology".
The website is also brave because it comes close to self parody. The page below is a good example.
I am not a big fan of motivational acronyms but was impressed by this quote from the head teacher.
“Our motto here is Shine - which stands for successful, happiness, inspirational learning, nurture and excited. “Happiness is part of our ethos - we are driven more by Shine than we are by academic achievement or Ofsted.”
Read more at: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/education/smiles-all-round-at-peterborough-school-named-happiest-in-the-country-1-8254318
This is fantastic, and seems to be backed up with some excellent ideas. Personally I love the idea of a broad curriculum especially one that finds plenty of room for arts, culture and nature.
I was curious to find out who had conferred this award. It turns out to be a consultancy called "Laughology".
Now that's a very brave name for a consultancy in this era of cruel but brilliant satire from the likes of the w1a and David Brent. I don't think even the script writers of w1a would have come up with as ridiculous a name as "laughology".
The website is also brave because it comes close to self parody. The page below is a good example.
Monday, 20 November 2017
V is for Vitamix: #1 tropical gloop
The Vitamix, for those not in the club of devotees, is a high powered blender. I will explain why this blog is called "V is for Vitamix" in another post. It has something to do with the book "H is for Hawk", and a bizarre lunch time conversation with my friend and muse Helen Baker at my former workplace Jncc.
I will be publishing recipes every now and then. Today's tropical gloop was inspired by a trip to B & M. This discount store has some amazing bargains. The tinned coconut was 50p (it's double that in other stores) and the man from Del Monte said "yes!" to my 75p in exchange for his pineapple rings in juice.
Tin of pineapple rings and juice
Tin of coconut
2 kiwis skinned. (Not over ripe)
Small knob of ginger (peeled or unpeeled it matters not much)
Tahini - heaped desert spoon
Cashews half a cup. (More if you want it richer, and are rich enough to be this extravagant )
Jam - desert spoon heaped. I used sues homemade bramble jam
Sweetener. I used canderel.
Ice if to be eaten straight away.
Juice of half a lemon (optional)
Quantities can be reduced for the smaller and weedier Nutribullet
Texture wise, it comes out gloopy, like a vegan equivalent of yoghurt.
The taste? It's weird, because it tastes like lime. I think it's the pineapple and kiwi having a strange alchemy.
Kicking off
It's taken me nearly eighteen months into retirement to get this far into blogging, despite my stated intention at my leaving do. It's not that I've been too busy, it's just that... Well who gives a stuff anyway.
I am not sure how I am going to use this medium, but I will probably base the blog on my birding/mothing adventures. I also have an expensive kitchen blender aka a Vitamix. There will be mishaps for sure. Epic fails aplenty. Expect some arty photos of the type that have bemused friends on Facebook to the point of unfollowing me. I also go to art events and nature themed conferences. These provide good blog fodder, and I am lucky that I don't need to make a career or any money through these networks. who would want to be a struggling artist/nature writer/professional ecologist/poet in this day and age?
I will try to make as little mischief as possible. I am after all an aspiring Buddhist, who wishes no harm on sentient beings.
The photos below are from earlier this year. A great meal at Prevost in Peterborough to celebrate my retirement, with vouchers from my ex colleagues at Jncc. The food was amazing. That's my darling wife and son in the top photo. The other photos are of the bluethroat twitch in March in Lincolnshire.
I am not sure how I am going to use this medium, but I will probably base the blog on my birding/mothing adventures. I also have an expensive kitchen blender aka a Vitamix. There will be mishaps for sure. Epic fails aplenty. Expect some arty photos of the type that have bemused friends on Facebook to the point of unfollowing me. I also go to art events and nature themed conferences. These provide good blog fodder, and I am lucky that I don't need to make a career or any money through these networks. who would want to be a struggling artist/nature writer/professional ecologist/poet in this day and age?
I will try to make as little mischief as possible. I am after all an aspiring Buddhist, who wishes no harm on sentient beings.
The photos below are from earlier this year. A great meal at Prevost in Peterborough to celebrate my retirement, with vouchers from my ex colleagues at Jncc. The food was amazing. That's my darling wife and son in the top photo. The other photos are of the bluethroat twitch in March in Lincolnshire.
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