Straight from Buglife Sepotember Bug Bites

Oilseed rape flourishes without bee-killing chemicals

As you know, Buglife have been campaigning extensively on neonicotinoids after finding out that they’re harmful to pollinating insects such as bumblebees and other types of wildlife. Our UK Government, Pesticide companies and National Farmer’s Union have long argued against us, saying that neonicotinoids are essential for farmers as they protect the growing crop against pests, especially for oilseed rape.


Now, the first harvest results of oilseed rape planted without neonicotinoid seed treatments have come in, and farmers are experiencing a better than usual crop – yields are higher than the 10 year average. 90% of the harvest has come in and yields are between 3.6 and 3.8 tonnes per hectare, higher than the normal farm average of 3.5. This suggests that the increase in pollinating insects after not using the chemicals, has helped the oilseed rape achieve fantastic yields and has outweighed any losses from pests.

This means the Government’s recent controversial decision to allow these banned bee-killing chemicals to be used in four eastern counties as an ‘emergency’ measure is nonsense.

Buglife is now calling on the UK Government to reconsider its decision to allow the use of banned bee toxins now that it is clear that there is no ‘emergency’ and indeed that bees have helped farmers bring in a bumper crop.

where are the flies this year?????????????

So a serious question based on my observations this year.

Are there as many flies of all shapes and sizes about this year, I dont think so. Why well usually while gardening I get bothered by lots of them and need to knock the biting ones off now and then but this year, no.

Then theres the surveys I do for a particular species of bat every August, four walks alongside a river at night using a torch to find my way, that usually sees me keeping me mouth shut and wafting flies away from my eyes while lots of them are visible in the beam of the torch, this year well theres some but nowhere near as many nor as many of the bat I am looking for.

Does it mean anything? What do I know is its not a scientific number of flies survey but my own view based on observation on four evenings in the Cambridge area. Whatever its worrying if this is replicated across the country as a whole. You might say good no flies. But think on, no flies equals no bats and no birds, not sure I like the sound of that at all.

interesting times for the environment with the greenest government

I dont know if I am being cynical but what the permission for certain eastern counties to use neonicotinoids on oilseed rape seed despite a bumper harvest this year on seed planted without it, and todays announcement of the badger cull being extended, I get this feeling that the shade of green the government was wanting to be known by is fading all the time.

ashes thoughts

So all over the media they are saying we thrashed them, we took revenge.

Hang on we lost a match out of the four and there is still a game to go where I dont doubt the Aussies will try and regain some pride.

But well done England.

Interesting this morning on Radio 4 I heard a joke doing the rounds in Australian started by a journalist.

Q; What do you call an Australian who can handle a bat.

A; A Vet.

Now thats got Basil Brush written all over it.........Boom Boom.

mobile phones and loose dogs

So we are all allowed to have opinions and the occasional rant is allowed right.

Had a nice walk around a piece of land this morning, the last of my walks for this site in Essex as part of a breeding birds survey. Its private with a couple of footpaths on it but I know the locals think they can walk all over despite the fact I always ask permission to access it. Why because someone else owns it. So this morning I have had a good walk and seen/heard four new bird species for the site, Reed Bunting, Common Tern, Redshank and the cream of them for me a pair of Yellow Wagtail.

All's well with the world, when I see this woman appear with two greyhounds, she is looking around and through me, I get closer and say morning, she acknowledges me then starts to enquire what I am doing there, I fob her off with a tale after she notices my binoculars and telescope and says to me are you birdwatching. Then I get told I am looking for my other dog I expect he's off chasing something. What breed I say having seen loose dogs all over this site some hundreds of yards from any visible person, oh he is a lurcher she says. Is he chasing Hares I ask, I expect so she says hes young but its nice to see the dogs chasing the hares she says, before saying the farmer doesn't control them.

So she has no right to be there and thinks its fine to let her three hunting dogs go loose in the countryside knowing there are animals around as well as ground nesting birds, just as long as her dogs are happy.

Moving on I was driving back on the old route and got as far as the road that bypasses Linton travelling from Essex, there is a large John Deere tractor coming towards me pulling a large trailer, yes harvest is in full flow now. I can see that the tractor is veering all over the lane and look at the driver. It was nine thirty this morning in case anyone knows him and the driver had one hand on the steering wheel trying to control the veering while with the other he was looking at his mobile phone. Well that's okay then eh shame he had to go to work and drive the tractor really instead of being able to concentrate on playing with his phone. Works a bummer eh.



 

Burwell fete at the mill and musicians and privies

Been to Stevens Mill and the museum itself in Burwell this afternoon, free entry today for the fete that was on including entry to the mill itself. Nice little rural museum with enthusiastic volunteers. Cup of tea and some cake and listening to some of the local folk musicians playing on despite the rain, Paul, Terri, Martin and Pat.

Lots of interesting pictures and artefacts and recordings of folk from Burwell as you go round. Its changed a bit since I went just last year.

A few words caught my eye and made me smile they were next to an old Privy.

I still have memories of the Privy that was at Owls End where Mums parents lived for more years than a few and it also recalled a story I was told not that long ago a real cracker about a privy where the door was left open but the seat wasn't down.

More memories that must be passed on and a story that needs telling.

: Why some Badgers age faster than others

: Why some Badgers age faster than others Wonder if this works in humans as well??????