Author: Alan Cole

Extreme Bird Watching – Gannets and Manx Shearwaters 0

Extreme Bird Watching – Gannets and Manx Shearwaters

I had a great windsurf session yesterday when the wind picked up without warning. I’d just been for a bike ride and when I got back the wind filled in beautifully so I headed across to the beach with my kit. It was windy enough for a 5m sail and my wave board so I...

Grants for Beehives 3

Grants for Beehives

As I mentioned in an earlier post on the plight of the bees, the loss of bees could be a blow to UK economy, that would cost up to £440m per year. I also eluded to the fact that myabe the government should provide grants to help people get started in Beekeeping. Well, a few...

Silky Wainscot Moth 0

Silky Wainscot

We had a couple of fairly standard nights in the Moth trap over the weekend. Saturday had the most moths in the trap and included a new on to me, the Silky Wainscot – Not rare in the county, but not common either just just a smattering of records. The full list from Saturday night...

A Very Serious Beekeeper! 2

Beekeeping in the Sunshine with the Aberystwyth Beekeeping Association

I haven’t given up on the idea of bee-keeping yet. In fact I’ve been reading more, listening to podcasts and keeping in touch with the Aberystwyth Bee Keeping Association (ABKA). We have decided that the best plan of attack as far as bee-keeping in the back garden is concerned is to learn as much as...

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Butterflies Flutterby

We seem to be spending quite a bit of time at Ynyshir RSPB Nature reserve at the moment. Yesterday was ‘Butterflies Flutter By’ walk, once again led by Caroline who was standing in for the butterfly expert. It was a hot sunny day and we did see a few butterflies but not as many as...

Common Carpet Moth 0

Last Nights Moths

It was a busy night for the moth trap last night. The temperature still dropped to 8ºC though which was lower than I was expecting so it wasn’t a record night as far as number were concerned. There were a few new species for the garden list though and the Dark Arches are on the...

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Plight of the Bees

Scientists have warned that the loss of bees could be a blow to UK economy, that would cost up to £440m per year. If that’s the case, then why can’t the government offer grants to people like me who want to set up a beehive (or two) in the garden. The £500 or so that...

Yellow Tail Caterpillar 0

Yellow Tail Caterpillar

I don’t know if its just the fact that I’m looking more this year or if there really is more wildlife in the garden, but here’s a caterpillar of a Yellow Tail moth that I’ve just spotted.

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Garden Insects

Amazon.co.uk Widgets Seeing it is National Insect Week I thought I’d best write something about the insects in the garden. Especially seeing as Morgan and I seem to be getting more and more interested in them. I’m certainly no entomologist but I’m amazed by the diversity of insects you can find in the garden if...

Lunchtime Cycle – No holding back 0

Lunchtime Cycle – No holding back

Before heading off on todays lunchtime ride I had told myself that the plan was for a nice easy ‘recovery’ ride. I had done a hard 25 mile ride yesterday, I have circuits and Swimfit to go to this evening and a long MTB ride planned for tomorrow, so and easy ride was on the...