Starlings - the last juveniles of summer

Its mid-August and there are just two young starlings in the local flock that have not yet got full adult plumage. You can see one above in the hawthorn, where the berries are just starting to ripen. 

Adult plumage

One of the juveniles on the bird feeder - pretty new speckled feathers but the head still to moult!.

When the light hits them just right - the contrast in plumage from head to body is really stunning. 

Return of the killer pollutants - the PCBs.

It's a bit personal this!

I thought we had killed off those wretched nasty pollutants known as PCBs but seemingly we have not done enough and they are still out there hurting wildlife in the oceans.

Read more HERE in my Huffington Post Blog

And thanks to Rob Lott for the use of his wonderful photograph.

New World meets Old World: The Grounds of the American Museum in Bath

The American Museum in Bath is one of the hidden gems of the city. The fine Georgian mansion that houses the collection sits a little way out of town to the south and looks down into the Limpley Valley. It is surrounded by gardens and on a fine Sunday afternoon in July this is what it looks like. 

The formal garden.

Bear's Breeches

Sweet Peas

View to the mansion

Steps to the lower garden

View to the west - looking into the Limpley Valley

a yew berry

Tepee on lower lawn

A carrion  crow on the lookout for tidbits.

Crows have great faces.

Where Winston once spoke.

a garden admirer

View across the lawn to the east.

More about the American Museum in Bath at its website - HERE.

Badger Trouble in Midsummer

I have been a little curious as to why one of my bird feeders is always empty when I look at it in the mornings. I had thought that hungry little birds were just getting up before me but you will guess from the title who the real culprit is and a carefully positioned camera trap provides the proof.

Badger at the bird feeder

It takes him about 25 minutes to siphon almost out all the bird food and then.....

When there are just a few seeds left (by the way this is 'high energy loss mess bird seed - none of the cheap stuff) the feeder falls apart.

Joined by a few friends the enterprising badger finishes off the last few grains. 

Midsummer badgers 2016 REV

Up to nine badgers are passing through the garden at night at the moment. Half of these are youngsters, this year's cubs. They are the smaller and swift moving ones in the three short film clips below.

Ignore the time stamp above (its wrong) the date is July 7th and the time about 10pm.

Take me off to Exmoor now that Summer's here!

A stroll along the East Lyn River from Lynmouth to Watersmeet at high summer.

Grey wagtails in the torrents.

And a juvenile dipper.

Watersmeet - a teahouse in the wild

 

foxgloves

silver-streaked fritiliary

chaffinch

Lynmouth

Then on to the Valley of the Rocks

And thence to ancient Tarr Steps

Song Thrush

And again

Juvenile (European) Robin