Beautiful Butterflies

Last summer I couldn't help but notice the lack of butterflies fluttering around the garden, which was probably due to some pretty miserable weather. luckily, this year could not be any more different. The sun has been shining (ok, it rained today but shh), and there are butterflies everywhere! The flowers in my garden and the surrounding marsh are absolutely covered in them, and I decided to take my camera on a walk with me and take some photos. Butterflies make the prettiest pictures!

walking onto the marsh on a beautiful day. All the nettles at the side of the track definitely helped the surge in numbers, providing food for the caterpillars. 

The flowers on the marsh were completely covered in butterflies. 

Peacock butterflies seem to be everywhere at the moment!

Nettles are still covered in caterpillars, so hopefully there are even more butterflies to come this year.

Below are some pictures of the different butterfly species that I managed to find (all in one afternoon).

Peacock butterfly (Inachis io)

Small blue (Cupido minimus)

A pair of cabbage whites (Pieris rapae) on budliea.

The butterflies go crazy for budliea flowers. If you want to encourage them in your garden this is definitely the thing to plant.

Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina)

Small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) 

I was impressed at the number of species I found just on one walk around the marsh and the garden. I was really pleased to find a small skipper, I have never seen a butterfly like it before. It was tiny and it was only with the help of google that I realised it wasn't a moth.

I hope that you are all enjoying the large number of beautiful butterflies this year (unless you are like my friend who is absolutely terrified of them. In which case you probably shouldn't have read this. Sorry). If you want to encourage more butterflies into your garden, then this website gives some really good tips, including which plants butterflies love best and how to plant them. Enjoy!

Introducing Monty

I mentioned in my previous blog that I have a pet axolotl, called Monty. He is so adorable and axolotls are literally the coolest animals ever, so I thought I would tell you a bit about their awesomeness and explain to you how I look after Monty (and share some cute axolotl photos of course).

Axolotls are a type of salamander, which are amphibians. The unusual thing about them is that they never actually turn from a newt into a salamander. They breed and reproduce as newts, something no other type of salamander can manage. The only time they ever turn into salamanders is when they are exposed to high levels of iodine. Apparently it’s really painful (well, I doubt anyone has ever asked an axolotl but that seems to be what humans think), so I will not be subjecting Monty to that, even in the name of science.

They can also regenerate. Sadly not in the Doctor Who way, but if an axolotl looses a limb, it grows back! This means that they have been involved in a lot of research into limb regeneration (a lot of which is sponsored by the military which is a little scary). See, I told you they were awesome!

So now you know a bit more about axolotls, let me introduce Monty:

The feathery projections on either side of his head are gills which mean he can breathe underwater.

Monty is speckled with gold, he almost glitters in some lights. This colour is called the wild type.

He lives in a large tank in the dining room in my house, out of direct sunlight. I chose to keep him in this room because there is no TV or radio and axolotls are very sensitive to noise, so he can watch people walking by without being deafened (also I couldn’t carry the tank up the stairs).

Monty’s tank. plants provide shelter and a plant pot adds interest.

Monty in his tank

The tank has lots of big stones in the bottom and a couple of plants and a plant pot for him to hide in. I did use gravel for the bottom when I first started keeping axolotls but this is bad for them when they get larger because they start swallowing the stones, so I switched to larger rocks (I would recommend this from the beginning).

I (well, my Dad most of the time because he can’t come to uni with me. I really doubt he would enjoy the train journey), feed Monty worms from a wormery we have outside. If you don’t have one of these you should totally get one, it’s a great eco-friendly way of disposing vegetable waste and if you have axolotls you can harvest the worms! Monty also loves water daphnia and even sea monkeys (although these really don’t last long out of sea water), because he has to hunt for them which he seems to really enjoy. I love to watch him with his nose touching the stones, waiting for an unsuspecting water daphnia to swim across his vision.

The wormery which converts kitchen waste to compost, and gives Monty a tasty dinner!

Me feeding Monty a live a worm. Yummy.

You may have realised by now that Monty lives on his own. This is really not ideal for axolotls; they do best with a companion. Sadly Monty’s companion Zuma died quite a while ago, leaving him on his own. I would love to get Monty another friend, but unless I can find another axolotl of the same size then the larger one will nibble on the smaller one which would be horrific (I don’t think they do it on purpose, they are just greedy). Hopefully one day I will find his perfect companion, but until then he seems happy enough.

Axolotls come in several colours, including this really pretty white colour. This was the colour Zuma was.

I hope this blog post opened your eyes to the adorable and incredible axolotl.  Maybe it even inspired you to look into owning one. (If so I hope this also provides some information on how to care for them. Remember to do lots of research before you decide to buy any pet). If you have any questions then please feel free to ask in the comments.

(Not) Coping With the Heat

I am currently melting. This is a state in which I have been trapped for the past few weeks, as the UK is gripped with a crazy heatwave which means that we are actually finally having a summer. Now don’t get me wrong, I love hot summers. I love the ability to wear summer clothes every day and actually venture outside without an umbrella constantly on standby. But at the moment it is so hot that my lovely summer clothes are sticky with sweat (mmm sexy), and I am really reluctant to move from my shady spot under the oak tree in my garden.

Luckily I have yet to overheat and pass out, and this is probably due to my complaints. Awful as sweat is, it is evaporating water which carries heat away from my body (not that I am going to give up the antiperspirant any time soon, don’t worry). Loose clothing allows air to get close to the skin and carry the water vapour away, so I have been wearing a lot of floaty skirts recently!   I also have a lovely tan coming on, which is protecting my skin cells from the damaging effects of sunlight (wear suncream too though!!).

I like wearing loose skirts in hot weather to help keep cool

Relaxing outside with a good book is one of my favourite things to do when its hot

So we have established that I am actually coping fine with the heat, I just love to complain. After all, come winter I will be grateful for all the sunny memories and my dose of vitamin D. However, I always look at my pets in weather like this and feel really sorry for them. How do they cope with the heat with all their feathers and fur?

My rabbit Sirius was obviously not designed for hot weather. His thick black fur and lopped ears really hindered any heat loss and he could often be found stretched out to expose any thinner patches of fur. He especially liked lying on cool surfaces and a tile soaked in water really relieved his discomfort.

My chickens on the other hand, do not seem bothered by the heat. They continue to wander round the garden, foraging for insects and  (in fact, its when it snows that you have to force them outside to eat. They hate snow). Their bare feet give them a good surface to cool down from, they can stay in the shade, have a good dust bath, and as long as there is a source of water for them they are fine.  In fact, they probably prefer the hot weather because it means that there will be more insects around for them to eat and they can forage for longer as it gets dark later. Also, it means we eat dinner outside and feed them scraps from the table, making them into very spoilt chickens!

My cockerel Cyrus is as proud as ever in the sunshine

My last pet doesn't even notice the changes in weather. Monty is content in his tank of water away from direct sunlight, and as long as there is a regular supply of worms he floats around happily, checking out everyone who wanders past him.

My axolotl Monty doesn't really notice the change in temperature

So in actual fact, all this hot weather is suiting me and my pets just fine. If you are out enjoying the sun remember to wear suncream and drink plenty of water. And embrace the sweat, its just trying to help you out.

The Case of the Missing House Martins

I love summer in Norfolk. My childhood memories are full of lazy summer days playing in the garden with my little brother. There is one animal which to me just seems synonymous with blue skies and perfect summer days, and that is the house martin. These little birds traveled thousands of miles each summer all the way from Africa to nest outside my bedroom window, bringing with them the promise of some of the sun that they left behind. 
This year I finished my university year and set off on my journey home, feeling much akin to the house martins. I was excited, knowing that they would have beaten me to it, would already be chirping outside my window every morning.

Flying in the sky with their playful flight

But they had not arrived.

They still haven’t. In fact, I have not seen a single house martin this summer. I miss their swooping flight and their chattering outside my window that greeted me every morning. It actually feels like part of summer is missing.

So where are they?

It could be that the birds just decided our house was rubbish and went elsewhere. But having not seen a single bird even flying past, I think this is unlikely.

It is not known where exactly in Africa these little birds overwinter. It is therefore possible that a factor at their overwintering grounds, or even a stopover on the migration route, drastically decreased their numbers. This could be a lack of food, probably linked to climate or some direct human intervention. Either way it looks like we are probably responsible for preventing their return. 

Lastly, there is a possibility that they are just late. If the insect food in the habitat in Africa lasted longer than normal due to a change in climate, then the cues for migrating might come later. I dearly hope that this is the case.

The eaves of the house are covered in nests like this one, empty of any birds.

Whether the birds appear later in the summer, when their breeding success will be reduced, or do not come back at all, this is a timely reminder of our influence on our environment and its far reaching consequences. How many children will have to be denied the wonderful wildlife that I experienced before something is done about it?

The case of the house martin also highlights the need for more research into the complex mechanisms behind migration, and how these are likely to be affected by changes in temperature, food availability and food timing.  The need to discover where the birds go in the winter using tracking devices such as geolocators is also really important, because it is then much easier to conserve the winter habitat. The birds do not just disappear when they leave us in the autumn, and knowing exactly where they go is vital for ensuring that they are back the next summer. I hope we are not too late.

Have you seen any house martins this summer? I would love to know, especially if you have! There is also a link to a survey here if you fancy helping to keep a record of these wonderful birds. If you have never really noticed them before then next time you go outside, look up and see if you can spot them in graceful, swooping flight. I really hope you can.

My Summer Migration

I am currently travelling through the rolling green fields on my journey south for the summer. This is the opposite direction to most summer migrations, and the only preparation I had to make was packing my stuff up. Migrating birds, on the other hand, have to go through a lot more preparation, including building up flight muscles and fat reserves. 

Birds migrate to avoid harsh weather and move to areas with plenty of food (this is also one of my motivations, thanks mum!) Migration is dangerous, exhaustion and predators ready to take advantage of the large numbers of animals all in one place mean that surviving can be a challenge. There is also the possibility that the place the birds are migrating to may not be able to support them. This is an increasing problem with climate change, as insects emerge earlier than they used to and so are not at their peak when the birds arrive. The benefits of migration must be huge for the birds to take all of these risks. My train journey on the other hand, contained no such risks. Aside from the extortionate ticket price and the chance of sitting next to someone a bit weird, of course.

My migration was triggered by the end of my third year at university, and so I have three months to relax before I get back to work. I guess the benefits will be seeing my lovely family and friends. And the free food. Definitely worth the cost of a ticket and nine hours of boredom! 

My navigation home was pretty simple (which is just as well because geography was never my strong subject). I just bought the right tickets, got on a train and hoped for the best. Navigation for migrating birds is much more challenging. They use the sun as a compass alongside an internal clock, which guides them towards their destination. Some birds also use magnetic fields to guide them (it is useful to have more than one method of navigation in case the sun goes in and that method cannot be used). The magnetic field of the earth is stronger towards the north and south poles, and by sensing it using specialised molecules the birds can navigate.

Obviously, all of these methods only work if you know where you are going. So birds need maps, compasses and clocks to find their way to their destination. Much more impressive than me trying to catch a train!!

So now that I am in Norfolk for the summer this blog will hopefully become more frequent. I have swapped the rugged cliffs and mountains of Scotland for the pretty river and marshes of Norfolk, so let the summer commence!

Navigating Revision Hell

My method of revision involves a lot of spider diagrams stuck up all over my walls. How do you get the information to stick?

This is normally the time of year where I decide that this science business is far too much trouble for what its worth,and I don’t even like animals anyway. Running away to join the circus starts looking like a plausible alternative to gaining a degree. Then I remember that I have no talents a circus would want, and face up to the fact that I have to start revising for exams.
That’s right, it is exam season. And I have reached the point of no return, the point where I give up pretending its not happening and actually start trying to learn things taught to me in the foggy past that was February.
The thing I really hate about exams (other than the obvious stress and requirement to become a hermit), is that they are designed to see how much you can remember, rather than feed your passion for a subject. I love my degree, but after spending the entire day writing about pollination and seed dispersal it is hard to keep positive.

How do you maintain your passion for a subject while it’s slowly destroying your soul?

Remember to enjoy the parts of revision that you found interesting in lectures. While seed dispersal is quite a dull subject, I did learn that chili is a plant defence against mammals that birds are immune to. This means that birds can eat the chilies and disperse the seeds without them being lost to mammal herbivory. Which is pretty cool!

Take breaks. I have done so much work today, and it feels like my eyes are bulging out of my head. There is no point trying to keep going at that point, so make a cup of tea, eat something and write a blog post. Just try not to make a cup of tea every ten minutes, that tends to end badly. Plus you will run out of milk and deeply regret it when you can’t have any breakfast tomorrow. No-one wants to start a revision day feeling bitter towards all of science because you haven’t had any caffeine.

Look at the bigger picture. While revision is awful, in about 3 weeks all of my exams will be over and I will be free to enjoy the summer and work on my dissertation, which I am really looking forward to. The fact that next term I will be working on an area of biology that I really enjoy means that I can motivate myself to learn about how dolphins feel or whatever else my animal behaviour course covers. I also have dreams of sun, friends and rose which are probably helping even more…

Lastly, if you are still revising hard after more than one day, you will probably be alright. Because there is no way you could spend weeks of your life cramming information into your brain if you didn't actually want to study that subject.

Do you have any different ways of keeping yourself motivated during exams? (I could do with the help…)

The Stress of Decisions

So very soon I have to decide what to study for my dissertation, which is exciting! The problem? I love biology, but it’s quite a broad subject area. And I don’t know what my favorite part is, which makes specialising in difficult. There are two fields which I am completely torn between, which is very frustrating. If someone could just pick for me, that would be great…

Now, I know from experience that decisions seem harder at the time than they actually are, which is why I thought this was important to address. you see, three years ago I spent ages carefully choosing which university to attend. I ordered about 20 prospectuses online and spent hours using them to choose where to apply. In the end it didn’t really matter. I didn’t end up where I thought I would. I missed getting into my first choice university, which I completely had my heart set on, and ended up a long way from home. But I love it! I have become even more enthusiastic about my subject, and the university I am at is brilliant.  

You have to make the most of the path you choose

So whether you are deciding which A levels to take, which university to apply to or what to study for your dissertation, just remember that whatever happens, it is not the end of the world. At the time it feels like the biggest, most important dilemma that could ruin your life forever if you get it wrong. But its not (trust me). Whatever you do, wherever you end up, as long as you throw yourself into it with enthusiasm and determination, it will be alright in the end. And actually, you will probably enjoy it more than if everything had gone exactly to plan!

So now I just have to make a decision.

Never Work With Animals... Ever!

Studying zoology comes with one major issue: the animals. Much as I love them, they never do what you want them to when you want them to. It makes everything about twice as hard, as demonstrated by my experiences over the last couple of weeks.

It all started when me and some friends decided to make a video explaining salmon jumping behaviour for a uni project. Salmon migrate from the Atlantic ocean up freshwater rivers to spawn. Their young are born at these spawning sites and then increase in size, before migrating down the river and back into the sea. This requires a lot of physiological adaptations to cope with the change from fresh to salt water, as well as impressive abilities to trace their steps back to the exact part of the river in which they were born when it is time for them to spawn.

Definitely no salmon here!

However, we were focusing on only a tiny part of this huge journey; overcoming obstacles which block the path to the spawning grounds. There is a waterfall in a nearby town which salmon have to leap up on their way upstream. Eager to impress, we set off at 6.15am one morning (which is dedication considering 10am is generally seen as an early lecture), full of excitement at the prospect of capturing this on video.

We did not see a single fish that day. In fact, we could barely see the waterfall they were meant to jump up, because the bridge was closed.  After feeling utterly dejected at our failure, and consoling ourselves with frozen yoghurt, we regrouped and set off the next day in search of crabs.

Past Aberdeen harbour the shoreline is rugged and the sea rough

After gazing into rock pools for half an hour and occasionally moving rocks with our feet, we admitted maybe searching for crabs in Aberdeen in February was a bad idea. We came home with a film of a sea anemone being prodded and some oyster catchers sitting on a rock not doing much.

Getting desperate, we wandered through the local park one sunny lunchtime. And right in front of us was a crow flicking over leaves with its beak, searching for food. This was perfect, an interesting animal showing a behaviour that was easy to explain,  which we managed to film!

If you don’t know already, crows are awesome. They are extremely intelligent and can use tools to solve problems and exploit new food sources. In fact it has even been suggested that crows and apes are an example of convergent evolution. This means that they have both been put under similar environmental pressures (for example similar food sources) and have separately evolved the same solution; intelligence.

So that was the final subject of our film! If you want to see the end result of all this hard work, then click the link below, and try not to cringe….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ls3_Mah8T0