Category Archives: natural history

natural history, photography

Weekly Photograph

In this week’s photograph you get four for the price of one.
Four shots of the same tiny insect. It was probably a member of the Braconidae, possibly Apanteles glomeratus or as the body looks “waisted” one of the Ichneumonidae. Head and body about the size of a British black ant (so around 4-5mm?). Antennae and ovipositor are each roughly the same length as the body. Legs definitely reddish. It liked walking about (it was quick too) making it quite a challenge to photograph.

Click the image for larhger views on Flickr
Ichneumon Fly?
Ichneumon Fly?
Greenford; July 2009

natural history, photography

Weekly Photograph

This week a photograph from the archives; it was taken in October 2011.
I see a Green Woodpecker going through the garden a couple of time most years. But this guy (yes, probably male) was on our next door neighbour’s lawn and back then this was the third or fourth time I’d seen him visiting over a period of 2-3 weeks. One day I watched him for 45 minutes, quartering the same area repeatedly, so it must be very rich in ants. Taken at a range of 20-25 yards from the study window with my biggest lens and still this is a small crop from the middle of a frame.

Click the image for larger views on Flickr
Green Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker
Greenford, October 2011

natural history, science, words

Words: Xylem and Phloem

At last a pair of botanical words!
Xylem and Phloem are the two types of tissue in plants which transport food and water around the plant.
Xylem [z-eye-lem]
The supporting and water-conducting tissue of vascular plants; woody tissue.
This is the network of tubes through which the plants move water from bottom to top. It also forms a large part of the woody (supportive) structure of the plant. It is concentrated in the centre of the stem.
As might be expected the derivation is from the Greek ξύλον, wood.


Phloem [flo-em]
The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants.
The network which transports food (mostly sugars) from the leaves where they are produced by photosynthesis to the growing tissue.
The phloem is softer tissue that the xylem and occurs mostly in the layer just under the bark where the latest “tree ring” is growing.
Again derived from the Greek: ϕλόος = ϕλοιός, bark + -ηµα (passive suffix).
All (vascular) plants, ie. the vast majority we meet in daily life, conform to this basic model even if they appear to be soft rather than woody. However as you would expect the reality is a lot more complex than the above explanation!

natural history, photography

Weekly Photograph

OK, for this week’s photograph we have something slightly different. A tiny little beast which although scary looking is harmless to us, but scary indeed if you’re a caterpillar as it is a predator and parasite.
This is an Ichneumon Fly. They parasitise caterpillars and other creepy-crawlies by laying their eggs in them for their larvae to eat from the inside.
These are the four best shots of a tiny ichneumon which wandered into the house. I suspect it if being a member of the Braconidae, possibly Apanteles glomeratus; almost certainly one of the Ichneumonidae. Its head and body about the size of a British black ant (so around 4-5mm) with the antennae and ovipositor each roughly the same length as the body. Its legs were definitely reddish. It liked walking about (it was quick too) and then suddenly flew off into oblivion.

Click the image for larger views on Flickr
Ichneumon Fly?
Ichneumon Fly?
Greenford; July 2009

links, medical, natural history, science

Most Likely You Missed …

Another round-up of links to items you may well have missed …
As a chemist there are some compounds which you really do not want to work with. Meet the Mercury Azides. Non-scientists ignore the technical bits and just enjoy the spectacle!


On the occurrence of snarks and boojums in research.
Here’s a quick summary of the 20 big questions in science. So what happened to “How does photosynthesis actually work?”; I don’t think we properly understand this yet either.
It seems that becoming a boy, in utero, is far more haphazard and tenuous than we thought. A great explanation by Ed Yong.
An here’s another look at the weird world of our lost bones: the os penis and os clitoridis.
Not for the easily frightened … a look at the oceans’ most frightening and disturbing predator: the ferocious 10-Foot Bobbit Worm. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Botanical anthropology … the Bee Orchid as seen by XKCD.

It’s late summer. Which means everyone gets panicky about wasps. But is Britain really being threatened by plagues of wasps? Basically, no!
Oh FFS … Now the health Nazis have their claws into smoothies and fruit juices as being a health risk. Well I don’t like smoothies anyway.
Next up here’s a piece on five diseases we have consigned to the past, thankfully! Well maybe, not!
Life as we know it would not exist if it were not for one simple fungus: yeast. And it isn’t so simple, either.
At last we leave science and medicine behind …
Here are nine questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask. Sorry but they are rather US-centric.
So in a deal with Nestlé Google is to call Android 4.4 KitKat. So if they stick to the “treat” theme for their codenames, anyone want to suggest answers for Q, X and Z?
And finally, omnishambles is among the new words added to the OED. What is the world coming to? Oh, of course, an omnishambles!

natural history

National Marine Week

National Marine Week isn’t so much a week as a fortnight as it runs from Saturday 27 July right through to Sunday 11 August.

The UK’s marine areas are home to a number of amazing and unexpected creatures like dolphins and basking sharks as well as corals and all manner of shellfish. Organised by The Wildlife Trusts National Marine Week is intended to celebrate these marvellous animals and encourage us to go out and explore our local seashores.



If you’ve ever wanted to watch puffins, spy on bathing grey seals or see dolphins then this is your opportunity. You can also learn more about sea plants and beaches. There are a range of activities on offer, including remarkable rock pool rambles and marine treasure hunts for every member of the family.

As always there is much more information over on the National Marine week website at www.wildlifetrusts.org/living-seas/get-involved/national-marine-week.

natural history, photography

Weekly Photograph

I found these two feathers from a Rose-Ringed Parakeet (aka. Ring-necked Parakeet, Psittacula krameri) in the garden on Saturday. Considering that we have these birds around the garden almost continually it is surprising that these are the first such feathers I’ve found.

The larger is about 11 cm from tip to tip and given the curvature on it (which the photo doesn’t show) it is almost certainly a primary (probably P4) — you can see the black on the wings feathers (probably P1/P2) of the bird shown below. For a naturally moulted feather it is in remarkable condition, and the green is wonderfully iridescent.

The smaller feather is about 4 cm from tip to tip so is probably a breast feather. It really is that very lemony yellow. There were a couple of parakeets sitting in the top of our silver birch tree while we were sitting outside eating tea and I actually saw this feather floating gently onto the lawn.


Click the images for larger views on Flickr
Parakeet Feather Parakeet Feather
Parakeet Feathers
(the relative sizes are approximately correct)
Greenford, 7 July 2013


And yes, they are from one of these beauties …


Ring-Neck Parakeet
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Greenford, March 2012

natural history

Butterfly Education and Awareness Day

Saturday 1 June is this year’s Butterfly Education and Awareness Day.

I think we all love butterflies for their beauty and the fact that they signal summer. We usually feel lucky to see a butterfly (even if we don’t like the caterpillars eating our cabbages) and they never get any less fascinating. And because of pesticides and changes in land use many are now becoming endangered.


So the Butterfly Association’s idea is to raise our awareness of butterflies and how important they are as pollinators and their place is Nature’s rich pattern. Their website has lots of ideas for things which both children and adults can do.

Find more information over at www.forbutterflies.org/gardening/butterfly-awareness-day-june-4/.

natural history

Be Nice To Nettles Week

15 to 26 May is Be Nice To Nettles Week, which looks nearer two weeks to me, but who’s counting?!

What?! Shouldn’t those nasty stinging nettles be destroyed? Well no, and in fact this is a relatively modern conception. In fact the humble nettle has played, and continues to play, an important role in the natural world: they are favourite place for ladybirds (which eat aphids) to lay their eggs, they are a favourite food plant for some of our more brightly-coloured butterflies and the young shoots can even be used in our kitchen much as you would use spinach — so our forebears actually cherished the nettle as an early Spring green vegetable.


So yes, we should continue to cherish the nettle as a valuable part of our ecology by leaving a patch of rough ground for them to grow in.

AS always there is more on Be Nice To Nettles Week oin their website at www.nettles.org.uk/.

natural history

International Dawn Chorus Day

Sunday 5 May is International Dawn Chorus Day, the worldwide celebration of Nature’s daily miracle of bird song.

The dawn chorus is most noticeable in spring when songbirds start to sing (to advertise for a mate or defend their territory) as daylight begins. So International Dawn Chorus Day is held annually on the first Sunday in May, and people are encouraged to rise early to listen to bird song either at an organised event or just in their backyard.

While those who live in an urban area might hear only a solitary blackbird or robin, they may be surprised at the number of other birds singing as dawn breaks — even the smallest gardens and pieces of overgrown wasteland can provide territory often unnoticed birds. Those lucky enough to live in more rural areas could be in for a real treat.

As usual there’s more information and a register of organised events on the International Dawn Chorus Day at www.idcd.info. Or hunt out your local nature reserve or birdwatching group and see if they’re organising anything.