by Andy Johnson

Nature

Nature Notes – July 2024

1st July 2024

There are few bees, butterflies, moths and hover flies at present. This is due to the inclement weather, especially in May, which was the sixth wettest on record. T

Yellow wagtail and Yellowhammer

Nature Notes – June 2024

26th May 2024

Birds of Conservation Concern is a list of birds that are perceived as endangered. Of the 70 UK birds on the list, there have been 20 spotted in and around Scruton, depending on the season.

Nature

Nature Notes – May 2024

29th April 2024

At this time of year, you may be surprised to find a queen wasp in your house, especially if it appears on something you are about to handle.

Harlequin Ladybird

Nature Notes – April 2024

27th March 2024

Finally, on the afternoon of the 12 March, the wind moved into the west to herald the end of winter.

Buzzard

Nature Notes – March 2024

27th February 2024

Walking up Fence Dyke Lane recently, I noticed a huge flock of fieldfares feeding when suddenly a large female sparrow hawk made an attack and killed one.

Snowdrops

Nature Notes – February 2024

31st January 2024

At the end of the last Ice Age much of England was covered by an ice sheet between two and three kilometres thick.

polar stratospheric clouds

Nature Notes – January 2024

2nd January 2024

The early winter weather has been dominated by gales bringing warm weather from the west due to a strong El Nino.

Otter

Nature Notes – December 2023

29th November 2023

by Andy Johnston The autumn weather can be best summed up as wet, windy and warm, which has enabled many flowers to be still in bloom due to a lack of hard frosts. The first week in October saw the last of our local swallows, house martins and hobby leave for Africa and the arrival…

Robin

Nature Notes – November 2023

31st October 2023

Recent storms brought us the largest fall of North American migrants for 30 years.

A mink

Nature Notes – October 2023

30th September 2023

In early September, I woke to find my car covered in Sahara dust, thanks to a huge plume of hot air from the south. Sahara dust is responsible for delivering an estimated 22 kilotons of phosphorous and other nutrients to the rain forests of South America. Local farmers will be only too happy to receive…