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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. James Blake

    RFI - beavers in/around Munich

    hello all I'm going to be in Munich for a day or two later this month. It looks like beavers are at least sometimes seen in or near the city. Does anyone have tips for good spots to look? I won;t have a car. thanks James
  2. James Blake

    Sousliks at Budapest airport?

    Anyone know if there are still sousliks at Budapest airport and, if so, exactly where? I'm in Hungary for a few days later this month and have a couple of other tips for them - including a different airport. But would like to know about this option as well. thanks James
  3. James Blake

    late news - otters on Lindisfarne in the twelfth century

    The British Library has just digitised a twelfth-century manuscript illustrating the life of St Cuthbert . Scroll down to the fourth picture: otters are drying St Cuthbert's feet after he's been paddling in the sea. Has anyone seen otters on the north-eastern English coast recently? I've...
  4. James Blake

    Ghost orchid specimen in the Natural History Museum, London

    Noticed last week that the Natural History Museum's ghost orchid specimen is back on display. It's a little hard to find (but still rather easier than a live one...). It's in the section of the Darwin Centre called the Cocoon, in one of the very last displays, below some cabinets of insects...
  5. James Blake

    largest Wild Pear Tree in Britain identified

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/coventry/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9364000/9364499.stm I really want to see this tree! And think it's definitely worth preserving. James
  6. James Blake

    video of shrew foraging on an English beach

    Came across an interesting video here. Has anyone seen behaviour like this? The person who posted the video thinks it might be a Pygmy - but surely it's a Common? cheers James
  7. James Blake

    Fungi for ID - Surrey, UK

    Hi all Three fungi from Windsor Great Park, from a couple of Februaries ago. From deciduous woodland with a few conifers. Could the first two photos show Southern Bracket (Ganoderma australe)? Was growing low down on a dead broadleaf tree. And am I right in thinking the third pic shows...
  8. James Blake

    remarkable Leopard Seal behaviour

    http://www.asylum.co.uk/2009/11/17/friendly-leopard-seal-feeds-photographer-penguins/ Leopard Seals can be quite dangerous to humans, but here one tries to feed penguins to a photographer.
  9. James Blake

    Pipefish for ID - Greece

    Hi all Saw a pipefish in a saltwater lagoon on the coast of Cephalonia, Greece, in April this year. Was about 20cm long and most striking feature was a broadish orange stripe running down the back. The stripe turned grey on reaching the top of the head. Have browsed through a number of...
  10. James Blake

    Greece April 2009 - mainly Cephalonia

    This was mainly an archaeology/mythology trip, visiting sites associated with the Odyssey, though I managed a fair bit of wildlife watching as well. Visited Cephalonia and Ithaki, and, briefly, the Patras area on the Peoloponnese. Arrived on Cephalonia on 14th, with many Cory's (Scopoli's?)...
  11. James Blake

    caterpillar for ID please

    No pic, but here's the description: About 8 caterpillars, 3 cm long, in a tent on a birch sapling in Windsor Great Park, Surrey. Body colour black, with thin white-yellow longitudinal stripes, and thick orangey-yellow crossways stripes. These crossways stripes had long but relatively sparse...
  12. James Blake

    ID of Brilliant Emerald in flight - advice please

    Hi Would be very grateful for any advice on how to tell Brilliant from Downy Emerald in flight. My copy of Brooks and Lewington suggests that at ponds Brilliant flies mostly in the shade of overhanging trees, while Downy flies in the sun with its abdomen raised. Is this always true? cheers James
  13. James Blake

    Fungi from Windsor Great Park, Surrey

    I've just bought Roger Phillips's book and am trying to start learning fungi - though I'm finding it hard! The first 2 photos are of the same fungus, growing on a dead tree (not sure what kind). Am I right in thinking it's Southern Bracket (Ganoderma australe)? I'm wondering if the fungus in...
  14. James Blake

    Grebes on Virginia Water

    Most of my birding time for the first part of this year is going to be spent watching a pair of Great Crested Grebes on my local lake. I'm managing to spend a couple of hours with them once or twice a week, and am getting to know the rhythm of their day, as they move between feeding, loafing...
  15. James Blake

    Greater Horseshoe Bats at Buckfast, Devon

    Had an excellent time watching of Greater Horseshoe Bats at Buckfast last night. The placeto go is the Abbey Inn (wrongly given as the Abbey Hotel in the new Where to Watch Mammals). The furthest table on the terrace overlooking the Dart is the best vantage point. One of the staff (possibly...
  16. James Blake

    Bats at Wimpole, Cambs

    Went on an excellent bat walk at Wimpole Hall last night. Great views of Serotine, Daubenton's and both the common pipistrelles. Unfortunately the local speciality Barbastelle failed to show. Well worth doing - the guide, who works at the park, is knowledgeable and affable. I think there's...
  17. James Blake

    Singing Blackcap today

    Surprised to see and hear a Blackcap in full and enthusiastic song today. But think I recall someone reporting one a week or so ago. Would be interested to hear of other early Blackap song. Bramblings on frosty branches a bit more traditional... Both at the Beechwoods, outside Cambridge. James
  18. James Blake

    ID of caterpillars inside umbellifer stems

    I'm hoping someone can suggest an ID for two caterpillars I found hibernating inside umbellifer stems today. They were about 2cm long, with black bodies and a coat of soft longish hair of a muted ginger colour. They were curled up and each was on its own in a different plant. The habitat was...
  19. James Blake

    moths drink the tears of sleeping birds

    Fascinating news story here: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10826-moths-drink-the-tears-of-sleeping-birds-.html James
  20. James Blake

    Alternatives to flying

    Hi all I came across this useful-looking website today. There's lots of info about getting round Europe and beyond by train and ferry, with details of the quickest and cheapest routes. http://www.seat61.com I'd be very interested to hear about any similar resources on the net. happy...
  21. James Blake

    good mammal (and reptile) blog

    Hi all I've just come across this blog about mammals and reptiles, including dinosaurs etc. http://darrennaish.blogspot.com/ It's not a record of observations in the field, but has great in-depth discussions of the biology of all sorts of species. For instance there's a very interesting...
  22. James Blake

    Scottish Greylag question

    Hi all How easy is it to distinguish different Greylag populations (feral, wild resident, wild wintering) in Scotland, e.g. going by time and place? These are my guesses for the likely origin of the Greylags I've seen there: Loch Mhor (near Loch Ness), March and April - wintering east coast...
  23. James Blake

    where to see Red Deer in Breckland

    Hi all Does anyone have any recommendations for good spots to watch Red Deer in Breckland? Preferably somewhere that's a reasonably pleasant bike ride or walk from one of the railway stations. Please PM if the info is sensitive. Ta James
  24. James Blake

    article about Rona and its birds

    There's a great article about a trip to Rona, north of the Western Isles, in today's Guardian. It's by Kathleen Jamie and it's online here: http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/scienceandnature/story/0,,1858338,00.html In it she writes a vivid account of a session ringing Leach's Petrels...
  25. James Blake

    Website for Orthoptera songs?

    Hi all Does anyone know of a website where you can listen to the songs of British Orthoptera? Or failing that, is there a CD? (My little field guide, which isn't that old (1980s or 90s), mentions you can get a "gramophone record"!) Any info appreciated James
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