NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

I was pleased to see that naturalists from all over the UK gathered at St.Helier on the Channel Island of Jersey to protest against Mark Telfer's cruel discrimination against the islands as not being considered a part of the pan-listing kingdom. John Nettles, old Bergerac himself, gave an impassioned speach to the crowd of several thousand Frenchman in which he pointed out the absurdities of allowing entry for the Isle of Man "their cat's haven't even got tails!" and the Republic of Ireland "it's only allowed in because he's seen White Prominent there!" Monique Le Seur, of Monmartre Chateau on the Rue de la Tete commented that Jersey "is as English as I am". Among those signing the petition being gathered were Bill Oddie, Kate Humble, Terry Nutkins and that bald bloke from the One Show . It was left to John Nettles to some up the mood of the demonstration - "If Telfer thinks that he can get away with this, he's got anoth...

Mark Telfer, he who holds the keys to all that is 'pan-species listing', has just posted a set of rules on his website, to guide those of us crazy enough to take part and keep us on the straight and narrow. I was happily taking it all in until I came to the section marked 'Geography' which says: 'The biogeographical unit of ‘the British Isles’, i.e. Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man, including the seas around the isles (defined for the UK as the UK Economic Exclusion Zone of 200 nautical miles (370 kms) or midpoint between the UK and any neighbouring country). The Channel Islands don’t count.' I read that last line again: THE CHANNEL ISLANDS DON'T COUNT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I've got a nice little package of plants that I've seen on Jersey, and nowhere else, all happily sitting on my pan-species list. You see, if you are a member of the Botanical Society of the British Isles,they allow you to count the Channel Islands. So do the Wild Flowe...

... a bit harsh really, but that is what it feels like. A day out in the field thwarted by wind, headache and homosexuals. Beddington Sewage Farm I put in a three hour shift conducting my grandly advertised 'plant survey'. I've divided the farm up into unscientific chunks and am recording every species within 'said' chunk. OK, when I say every species I am bending the truth a little. I do the grasses when I'm in the mood, I'm not checking every one of the ubiquitos yellow-flowered Melilots down to species, and I am getting fed up with the yellow crucifers. The ground was dry, the vegetation looks like it has been through a hot summer and I started to get a headache. At the end of the year I should have a tidy list that will be available to the LNHS survey, BFBG members and anybody else who is interested. Howell Hill, Ewell A lovely little chalk grassland reserve, good for orchids, Knapweed Broomrape and several exotic cotoneasters and firethorns. Heada...

This seems to be the spring of the Ox-eye Daisy. In spite of (or maybe because of) the dry weather, great rafts of this underated flower have been obvious wherever I have travelled in the south of England. The picture above was taken this morning at Nork Park, Banstead. Apart from good numbers of Goats-beard (a few now gone to seed) and a little Meadow Vetchling, the meadows in the park were not overly productive, although I was tempted to get the camera out for this Bird's-foot Trefoil, exhibiting why one of its popular names is Bacon and Eggs. With the bank holiday before us, the weather has turned cool, breezy and damp, even down here in the parched south. I think another plant foray at Beddington is called for tomorrow. Maybe I will bring you an update on how the 'survey' is going - you lucky people...

Steve Gale (to young birder) : Are my birding methods unsound? Young birder (to Steve Gale): I don't see any method at all ...

In the grand scheme of things, (when considering world peace and a cure for all illness), our prowess as natural history hunter-gatherers is of little consequence. However, we all carry an ego, even if there is but the faintest smidgin of one... Whilst at work this morning I received a text from David Campbell, who was, as usual, birding at Canons Farm. Attached to the text was a photograph that he had just taken of a butterfly. It was of a 'blue', and he was uncertain as to its identity, wondering whether it might be a Chalkhill Blue. To be fair he knew that it wasn't quite right for that species, as it exhibited some anomalies, but the ground colour of the upper wing was of a milky blue, with a thick black shading to the edge of the forewing - so much so that I texted him back saying that it probably was one. But within a minute or two I knew that was wrong... Today is May 24th. Chalkhill's shouldn't be on the wing until early July. Apart from the milky blue...

This is the field at Canons Farm in which a Quail decided to set up home today. Found by David Campbell late morning, it was still singing into the late afternoon, but you needed to be patient as it took frequent breaks from doing so. I was very lucky, as myself and another birder actually saw it as it sang, albeit just a head and upper breast view for maybe 45 seconds. Headley Heath was also visited, with the long dry spell burning off most of the grass and moss. I do apologise to my northern friends who seem to be suffering from constant weather fronts dumping water on top of them in Noah-like deluges, but down here in the pampered south its becoming like the Namib desert! One species that could still muster a flower was this Sand Spurrey.