Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Richard Proctor's LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Thursday, January 15th, 2009
8:34 am	My Involvemnt in Galaxy Zoo I have for the last year and a bit been heavily involved in Galaxy Zoo. In today's Guardian there is an excellent article about the project, where I get mentioned quite a lot... I was interviewed for about an hour by the journalist. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
8:36 pm	Discworld Ok I will get round to posting something. Two weeks ago watervole gave me a Bat detector for my Birthday. It had been out twice at home and I took it with me - you never know and its a new toy. Looking around the hotel it looked a good site for bats - mature trees and open water and setting out to appear an explorer I had my binoculars and bat detector with me. I still don't know how but somehow we found out that between 25 people in a room two of us had bat detectors and we decide to go and see if there where bats - yes and just outside the hotel. Lots of bats. So a bat walk was decided upon. At 10:30 on Saturday we held our first bat walk - 15 happy souls who heard several bats (at least three species) and saw some as well. Really popular. Afterwards a number of people came up and said they had missed it - would we run it again, so we did. On Sunday the bat walk was a little later so people from the Gala dinner could take part. I went out half an hour before the walk and found a new really good spot behind the hotel. When the amazing group of 28 people went out (2 came back from Saturday), only two bats where heard in about 20 minutes, so we went back by the side used on Saturday - and bats again - phew - my reputation is intact. After a fun 15 minutes we walked back to the hotel to detect a pipestrelle flying round and round a tree right in front of the main entrance - a fitting climax - Wow. So over two days 41 people where introduced to bat walks. I am no expert but knew just enough to appear as one. (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 24th, 2008
3:24 pm	Great Tits watervole has mentioned the Great Tits, in their nest box at the front of the house several times. Yesterday several times one appeared at the hole for a few minutes and it was obvious they were going to fledge in the next day or so. This morning I was looking at the box when one appeared at the hole, looked around, squeaked a bit then took off - I actually saw it fledge! Calling watervole over she saw another fledge. I grabbed my camera and looking out of the upstairs window caught this little fella just holding onto the edge, 2 seconds later it also fledged, at least two siblings followed. I don't know how many there where, but at least 5. Shortly afterwards, the back garden was also full of fledglings: For the last few days we have been seeing Goldfinches at the seed feeders. Today they brought their fledglings - one is visible in the middle of the picture next to a parent. The tree was also full of at least two families of young sparrows: There are at least 7 in this picture (and a Goldfinch), the garden had 10-12 at the time. Can you spot them? (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
8:04 pm	Avians #103 to #106 Just to temeres on his toes, I went for a meeting this morning on Brownsea. The meeting was about 10:30, so I caught the 9:20 boat, giving me the best part of an hour in the hides. From the hide I saw a couple of Common Terns (#103) and a Snipe (#104) afterwards walking to the Villa for the meeting a Reed Warbler (#105). After the meeting, driving back around the harbour I added some Whimbrel (#106). That makes us level... (Comment on this)
Monday, April 14th, 2008
9:43 pm	Birds A couple of bird reports, Yesterday on Brownsea there was a Common Sandpiper (#101) and today over the allotments 3 House Martins (#102) - I think this is early... I think this puts me ahead of temeres again. (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 12th, 2008
7:51 pm	Spinach and Carrot Nut Loaf I have been asked to post another of my recipes (I have cooked this several times in the last year): Short version Make a nut loaf mixture, grate carrots into it. Briefly cook some spinach. Layer a tin with half the nut loaf mixture, spinach and then the rest of the nut loaf mixture. Bake for 30 minutes serve with roast potatoes. Longer version Ingredients - for 2 Onion - chopped Grated carrots (3) Ground nuts - cashews and hazelnuts are best. (A good handful - don't ask me what that weighs) 3 inches of loaf made into bread crumbs Bag of spinach Cook Onion in oil, then add nuts and breadcrumbs, add enough water to keep it moist and sticky without being runny. Add grated carrots, salt & pepper and a little parsley. Heat 2-3 mm of water, chop the spinach and add it to the water in stages stirring and getting it to shrink to a green wad. Greese a baking tin, put half the nut loaf mixture in the bottom. Add the spinach as a layer, and finish with the rest of the nut loaf mixture. Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes. Serve with roast potatoes. Variations: Add some garlic Change parsley for basil or some other herbs Mix in a little Marmite into the nut roast mixture (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 6th, 2008
9:21 am	Snow! Even here it snowed! About half an inch settled on roofs and plants, though none on the road. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
4:10 pm	Birds #91 to #100 I haven't reported recently, but recent additions have been: Treecreeper (#91), Nuthatch (#92) - both on Brownsea about 5 weeks ago Mediterranean Gull (#93), Turnstone (#94), Chiff Chaff (#95), Sandwich Tern (#96), Yellow Legged Gull (#97) - On Brownsea about 3 weeks ago I spent very little time in the hides last week, but had a good opportunity today and added: Wheatear (#98), Willow Warbler (#99), and Water Rail (#100) The Wheatears (two of them) were the first this year for Brownsea, I expect they are passage migrants. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
10:50 am	Floppies? When did you last use a floppy disc? When was the last time you used a 5.25" floppy? Did you ever use an 8" floppy? Today I packed up all my 3.25" floppies and put them in a box in the loft. Yesterday I threw out a box of 5.25" floppies. (I did use 8" floppies in the distant past but never at home) (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
8:57 pm	Bye Bye Parasite When I originally setup my wifi modem at home, I used channel 13 at the top end of the UK range. A couple of times visiting Americans had wanted to use our access, but could not change their Wifi settings to see channel 13 - so I decided to swap to a lower channel. Unfortunately this screwed up the security settings I was using and I could not get the laptop and the modem to agree on what the key was, and I left the system without any security as I needed to use it. The last couple of weeks the performance has been poor, and this evening I just decided to look at the modem to see what it was doing. I found 2 parasitic computers on the network (with a total of 44 tcp sessions in use between them), research also told me that a third computer had also used it. (The house next door changed hands 2 weeks ago...) Security is now re-enabled and the PC and modem have agreed on a security code, so bye bye parasites. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 29th, 2008
6:37 pm	Birds #83 to #88 Unable to do what I went to Dorchester today for, I drove a little further and spent several hours at RSPB's Radipole reserve. This is a large body of open water and marsh in the middle of Weymouth and is good for a lot of birds. I failed to see the Caspian Gull or the Pallas Warbler but I did see another Bittern. I also saw: Cetti's Warbler (#83), Bearded Tit, Marsh harrier, Cattle Egret (a first), Sand Martin (must be spring but didn't feel like it) and Ruddy Duck (#88). Total bird species count - 58. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
5:34 pm	Birds (#73 to #84) I have been a bit quiet on the Birds front. Today watervole is away at Picocon, I didn't have any work and went Birding at Arne (via a couple of smaller locations) and have had a reasonable day (62 species today) including: Spoonbill (#73 - missed then every day on Brownsea so far this year), Green Woodpecker, Turnstone, Pin Tail Duck, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bittern, Purple Sandpipers, Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Barn Owl (#84 - a nice end to the day!). Behind temeres but not by as much as I was... (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 17th, 2008
7:48 pm	Brownsea Today was Brownsea day, and it was a good one. 12 hardy Rhody cutters, 4 fires (more than usual as were spread out on a hill and it made sense to have a number of small fire on the hill rather than drag all the stuff up or down. We have been working in the current area since November, and although we have cut lots, it has remained a wall of Rhody without much dramatic change from week to week. Today after the removal of a clump half way up the hill it suddenly looks different. On the wildlife front: plenty of Red squirrels, lots of deer (too many), but the lagoon was very quiet when we finished as the tide was a long way out, and most of the waders go elsewhere when the tide is out. But an enjoyable day. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 24th, 2008
6:48 pm	When did Google Earth Photograph your house? Earlier this week I was talking to our eldest son about the recent update to the local Google Earth Photo of our house. We have since been refining our estimate as to when it was taken. In our case we think it was taken at about 13:42 on either Saturday 7th of April 2007 or Saturday 14th April 2007. Rationale - There was lots of cars in public carparks, but none for offices, there is lots of parking in Broadstone - very few shops open there on Sunday - so its a Saturday. Our allotment was after we used the cloches for the first lettuces and before the bean poles - which puts it between 1st and 17th of April - the 7th and 14th are the only Saturdays. The shadows tell us it is after noon (which means 1pm as it was summer time) but not a lot after. There are two trains visible one in Poole that leaves at xx:44 and one at Hamworthy that left Poole at xx:40 so 13:42 is best guess. When did Google Earth Photograph your house? (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 20th, 2008
6:16 pm	Brownsea Today was Brownsea Day - 6 hardy volunteers, one fire lots of Rhody cut and burnt. Red Squirrels where conspicuous by their absence, but it was a good day for birds: Canada Goose (I am sure I have seen before but not recorded), Shag, Kingfisher, Storm Petrel (A first for me), Bar Tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Knot, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Common Gull, Razorbill (#59) - which means I might be level with temeres ... There where 6 Spoonbill on the lagoon this morning, but none this afternoon when I was looking for them... (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
8:42 pm	Bookshelf space!!! This morning I was trying to squeeze another book on to the shelves, when it and a few other tottered and fell off. I thought its about time the shelves get sorted... Having removed 5 feet of Star Trek Videos (not touched in 10 years?), 2 shelves of Encyclopedia Britannia (Super ceded by Wikipedia et al), 4 feet of duplicate/ way out of date/ unused / unusable computer manuals (for some very very old long dead systems), a few dozen other unwanted books. And start moving things around. Now all fiction is together, most shelves have enough space for a few knew books. (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 6th, 2008
6:07 pm	Brownsea - First one of the year Today, was Brownsea day, in spite of a bad attack of lurgy yesterday I was determined to go. We had a lovely day, cleared lots of Rhody, had a really good fire, and saw a few birds. It was actually very poor for birds (by Brownsea standards) Birds: Tuffted Duck, Brent Geese, Red breasted Meganser, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Little Grebe, Widgeon, Moorhen, Greater Black backed Gull, Raven, Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit, Heron, Egret, Cormarant, Shovellor, Shelduck, Wren (#38). (Quite a lot of catching up needed to match temeres...) Many regulars were conspicuous by their absence: No spoonbill, No Redshank, No Greenshank, No Knot, no Grey Plovers, No Spotted Redshank, No Snipe, No Woodpeckers (You get the picture). Several Red Squirrels, Several Deer. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
4:26 pm	Birds Year 3, Day 1 Last year I didn't do as much birding as the previous year. I didn't go out birding today, though I did stop for 15 minutes at Hatchpond, on route to B&Q this morning. So to start the year off with: Black Headed Gull (#1 for year), Blackbird, House Sparrow, Wood pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blue Tit, Magpie, Mute Swan, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Pied Wagtail, Rook, Crow, Starling, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Buzzard and Herring Gull (#22). Unfortunately I couldn't see any Bittern at Hatchpond - they where there last week (and have been for the last 3 winters), but invisible today. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, December 9th, 2007
8:15 pm	Brownsea Today was Brownsea day. However the weather forecast was awful, and the harbour was a trifle rough, so I didn't expect the boat to run. But I turned up just in case anybody else did. And that anybody was Andrew (the most likely volunteer to turn up when the weather is bad). When the weather is awful, the boats from the island can't moor at their usual jetty, and in extreme conditions, when they need to get people back from the island, they have a deal with the nearest Yacht Club to use their jetty, which is within their breakwaters, but ONLY as a set down point. It just happened that one of the people who live on the island wanted to get back, so the no picking up rule was waved, allowing us to get to the island. Should we go or not, we almost didn't but at the last moment the sun shone, and we decided to risk it. It was rough, but the main jetty on Brownsea was on the lee of the island so getting off was easy. We walked down to the cutting front through a small shower, and started work. In spite of the damp conditions I got a lovely fire going, and we started cutting, and burning the cursed Rhody. We made a large dent (for only two people), though we didn't cut right up to the shore - it was a little bleak. It was a lovely day, we have had far far worse conditions. Wildlife was largely inconspicuous, I didn't see any Red Squirrels, but we did see a few deer (which are usually harder to see). The lagoon didn't have its usual spread of birds everywhere, they where gathered in a few areas, mainly sheltered ones (apart from the Avocets, which all huddled in one very tight group in the middle). 4 Spoonbill, 800 (ish) Avocets, Godwits, Knot, Grey Plover, Shovellor, Shelduck, Teal, Widgeon, Snipe, Heron, Egret, Mute Swans, Brent Geese, Red and Green Shank. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
5:22 pm	Jerusalem Artichokes When we got our allotment earlier this year one of the first things we planted was Jerusalem Artichokes. They have prospered, grew to a height of 10 feet and had a few small flowers (they are relatives of Sunflowers). One does not crop them until the frost kills the plants, today I cut the tops down and dug up the first plant (there are about 2 dozen plants) it yielded an amazing 15 pounds (7 Kilos) of artichokes - I think we will eating them a lot... (Comment on this)