This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Saturday 27 April 2013
Friday 26 April 2013
Seeing the Changes 558
It is still cold but brighter. In Bynea, Red campion (Silene dioica), Red clover (Trifolium pratense), Greater celadine (Chelidonium majus), Corn gromwell (Buglossoides arvensis), Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) and Thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). Yellow meadow ants (Lasius flavus) were also active in this area. In Loughor, Tawny mining bees (Andrena fulva) were busy digging, a Plume moth (Emmelina monodactyla) visited the light outside and a Large white (Pieris brassicae) patrolled the garden.
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Seeing the Changes 557
Not exactly a typical Spring but, in Bynea, things were getting underway with Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis), Round leaved cranesbill (Geranium rotundifolium), Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), Spanish bluebell (Endymion hispanicus), Flowering ash (Fraxinus ornus) and a white umbellifer coming into flower. In Loughor, there was the first appearance of Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum), Lords and ladies (Arum maculata) and the first reasonable sized moth.
Saturday 13 April 2013
Friday 12 April 2013
Thursday 11 April 2013
Sunday 7 April 2013
Thursday 4 April 2013
Fishing for Complaints?
Its seems that what I predicted after the 'horse meat in burgers' fuss has come to be. A recent investigation has revealed that a proportion of fish sold in supermarkets and restaurants are not the species described 'on the tin' (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/02/fish-chips-cod-food-standards?INTCMP=SRCH). What is described as 'cod' (the only white fish known by many of the UK population?) is actually Pollack or Whiting. Of course, some of these species are actually more sustainable than the species they are replacing but one can argue that people ought to be told what they are actually buying.
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