The Weather Outlook

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Roger Parsons
17 October 2025 14:49:36
Couple of Snow Buntings reported on the coast here this week. No doubt more will be on their way.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/snow-bunting 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

NMA
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18 October 2025 09:42:57
Another predictable man made disaster but fish are fish so what's the problem?

Almost 75,000 farmed salmon in Scotland escaped into the wild after Storm Amy. 

https://theconversation.com/almost-75-000-farmed-salmon-in-scotland-escaped-into-the-wild-after-storm-amy-why-this-may-cause-lasting-damage-267354?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-gb 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c201r94v3kwo 

Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

+2
Roger Parsons
19 October 2025 10:17:26
Pager record 10.230hrs today. I'd like to have seen that!

Goxhill Haven, Northern Bottlenose Whale east along Humber.

https://uk.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/northern-bottlenose-whale/ 

BTW - the Grey Seals should start coming ashore for pupping at Donna Nook at the end of October.

Advice as ever is AVOID WEEKENDS if your can. Too many humans and their cars.

Donna Nook - Weekly seal 'pupdate'

https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/top-reserves/donna-nook/weekly-update 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

NMA
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31 October 2025 08:47:38
A story that uses the correct terms for coppicing and pollarding for a change. 

Coppicing doesn’t simply benefit the plant in question. Much like dry stone walling, it produces a wide, rich ecosystem. The clearing process draws sunlight into the forest’s penumbral depths, triggering an explosion of plant life in the spring and summer, which in turn provides valuable habitats (often more diverse than those found in “natural” woodlands) for small mammals, birds, and pollinating insects. One of them, the heath fritillary butterfly, is so wedded to these outdoor workshops that it’s nicknamed the “woodsman’s follower.”

It also has a gentle dig at the current trend for re-wilding. 

https://lithub.com/rediscovering-the-lost-arts-of-the-english-woodlands/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-gb 

Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

+2
DEW
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31 October 2025 09:14:34
The UK forest where red squirrels are on the rise (refers to Whinfell near Penrith)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/czxnyx0v9d6o 

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

+3
Roger Parsons
05 November 2025 13:40:49
Walking through the village this morning I spotted several honeybees [8+] feeding on a flowering Mahonia bush. Must have been 15°C. Honeybees will forage at temperatures above 10°C. Especially on a bright day. They also appreciate an opportunity for what beekeepers coyly call "cleansing flights". You may notice little waxy blobs on your cars. 😉

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mahonia 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+1
Bertwhistle
05 November 2025 14:01:20

Walking through the village this morning I spotted several honeybees [8+] feeding on a flowering Mahonia bush. Must have been 15°C. Honeybees will forage at temperatures above 10°C. Especially on a bright day. They also appreciate an opportunity for what beekeepers coyly call "cleansing flights". You may notice little waxy blobs on your cars. 😉

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/mahonia 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

I'll keep a look out over the next couple of days Roger as our attracters are still flowering well. Some bumbles flying about but I think that's not unusual in November.

Almost-slightly linked is that hawthorn, sloe (blackthorn), crab apple and cherry are coming into bloom. This looks very out of place against the dazzling coloured leaves- especially pink cherry pompoms against scarlet leaves.

Bertie, Itchen Valley.

Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.

Roger Parsons
05 November 2025 14:11:35

I'll keep a look out over the next couple of days Roger as our attracters are still flowering well. Some bumbles flying about but I think that's not unusual in November.

Almost-slightly linked is that hawthorn, sloe (blackthorn), crab apple and cherry are coming into bloom. This looks very out of place against the dazzling coloured leaves- especially pink cherry pompoms against scarlet leaves.

Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 

Yes - some spp of queen bumblebee keep feeding until the temperature prompts hibernation. Honeybee colonies kick their drones out as unnecessary mouths to feed. The queens unfertilised eggs will replace them next year.

https://beekeepinglikeagirl.com/6-things-you-didnt-know-about-queen-bees/ 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

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13 November 2025 10:45:18
An upbeat story about salmon. Apart from the fact that salmon parr can’t spawn because they are not sexually mature, though the story says they have, it’s great to read about an environmental success report. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y9z19xxnno 

Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

NMA
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13 November 2025 11:05:10
That was a quick edit by the writer Ben Carr to add the word 'been'. Biologically correct.
Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

Bertwhistle
13 November 2025 17:09:23
A bat- a pipistrelle I would guess by its size- dancing over the garden this evening with a temperature of 15°C still and a blackbird singing. 

Can't remember seeing them in November but I wonder if it's casually roosting in the box I put in the walnut tree early in the year.

Bertie, Itchen Valley.

Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.

+1
Roger Parsons
13 November 2025 17:21:43

A bat- a pipistrelle I would guess by its size- dancing over the garden this evening with a temperature of 15°C still and a blackbird singing. 

Can't remember seeing them in November but I wonder if it's casually roosting in the box I put in the walnut tree early in the year.

Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 

This is a charming and clear way of presenting the story, Bertie.

A year in the life of a bat

https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/a-year-in-the-life-of-a-bat 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Roger Parsons
22 November 2025 10:11:46
Cracking short clip of wildlife in Lincoln. Catch the final clip with the otter in the River Witham.🦦 😁👍

CCTV cameras in Lincoln have captured a fox and an otter running around the city's streets.

The two animals were seen wandering around Brayford Pool and the High Street areas in the early hours.

CCTV captures fox and otter’s tour of Lincoln

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cwylwpqw5ngo 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Windy Willow
22 November 2025 10:49:38

Cracking short clip of wildlife in Lincoln. Catch the final clip with the otter in the River Witham.🦦 😁👍

CCTV cameras in Lincoln have captured a fox and an otter running around the city's streets.

The two animals were seen wandering around Brayford Pool and the High Street areas in the early hours.

CCTV captures fox and otter’s tour of Lincoln

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cwylwpqw5ngo 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

If Otters and Foxes can get along...

That's some special and lovely footage.

South Holland, Lincs 5m/16ft ASL

When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn't swallow the hypocrisy.

Barry White

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) - R.E.M.

+1
Roger Parsons
22 November 2025 12:17:26

If Otters and Foxes can get along...

That's some special and lovely footage.

Originally Posted by: Windy Willow 

It's great, isn't it WW? They look as if they are enjoying the interaction. 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Windy Willow
22 November 2025 13:01:03

It's great, isn't it WW? They look as if they are enjoying the interaction. 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

They certainly do, it could have been an actual story made into a film! If you weren't any the wiser 😊

South Holland, Lincs 5m/16ft ASL

When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn't swallow the hypocrisy.

Barry White

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) - R.E.M.

+1
Roger Parsons
23 November 2025 08:00:04
Our trailcam has shown both foxes and badgers visit the garden. We've noticed local cats following a fox, interested to see what they get up to. In our previous home we had a resident stoat one year and its antics were astounding. It got everywhere, climbing every tree,  inspecting all the bird nest boxes. It even used to get up onto our roof! Other highlights there were tawny owls raising a chick and house swallows and swifts breeding.
RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+2
Retron
02 December 2025 16:52:18
It's December, and these days it means it's like an early April day - aside from the weak sun, of course. It was 11C in the garden, no wind to speak of and clear blue skies. There was even a bumblebee flying around earlier, buzzing between flowers, and a woodpecker tapping away at my Scots pine tree. Some of the deciduous trees still have their leaves too and it really doesn't feel like winter... more like perhaps late October used to be. 

I guess the recent couple of frosts zapped the butterflies, but I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see one today!

Leysdown, north Kent
Roger Parsons
02 December 2025 16:54:00

It's December, and these days it means it's like an early April day - aside from the weak sun, of course. It was 11C in the garden, no wind to speak of and clear blue skies. There was even a bumblebee flying around earlier, buzzing between flowers, and a woodpecker tapping away at my Scots pine tree. Some of the deciduous trees still have their leaves too and it really doesn't feel like winter... more like perhaps late October used to be. 

I guess the recent couple of frosts zapped the butterflies, but I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see one today!

Originally Posted by: Retron 

I saw a small tortoiseshell on the wing last weekend!

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+1
speckledjim
02 December 2025 17:17:56

I saw a small tortoiseshell on the wing last weekend!

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

not wildlife but I saw my first flowering snowdrop today

Thorner, West Yorkshire



Journalism is organised gossip

Roger Parsons
03 December 2025 08:05:56
Bird Flu story. 

I lived quite near this extraordinary chap for some years - a great character with a better beard than mine! 😁😁

Sanctuary owner 'devastated' after 29 swan deaths

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mp9g7p11do 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

Roger Parsons
05 December 2025 17:19:02
CCTV captures foxes frolicking in Lincoln - enjoy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ckgd3301zlmo 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+1
DEW
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19 December 2025 09:27:04
Drones detect deadly virus in Arctic whales' breath. Deadly to cetaceans, that is; thought to be involved in whale strandings

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjdrpkj8111o 

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

Roger Parsons
22 December 2025 06:20:35
Someone asked me about buff-tailed bumblebees they had seen foraging this winter. Here's Bumblebee Conservation on the subject.

Winter active bumblebees

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/winter-active-bumblebees/ 

RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

+1
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
22 December 2025 08:20:24

Someone asked me about buff-tailed bumblebees they had seen foraging this winter. Here's Bumblebee Conservation on the subject.

Winter active bumblebees

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/winter-active-bumblebees/ 

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 

I have a winter-flowering honeysuckle (FWIW it's a bush, not a climber) and this has regularly been visited by bumblebees on mild February days over the years. It produces a powerful scent, which can be picked up across the garden on calm days, even by human noses. This year it has a lot of flowers already (the effect of a warm summer and/or mild autumn?)

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

+1

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