OK so it's supposed to be wet and windy but it's the August bank holiday so let's get out and have some fun... Low tides morning and evening.
28th August Bat event in truro area this Friday - 7.30pm start. Contact Kirstie Francis 01872 273939 ext 203 or email kirstie@cornwt.demon.co.uk to book a place, find out directions and further details.
Going Batty BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Learn from our bat expert and make some batty things indoors, then listen for bats hunting in the woods. Contact Kirstie Francis below to book your place, places are limited. Starts on 28/08/2009
Start time 19:30 End time 21:00
Type Fox Club
Location Carrick
August Saturday 29th, 10am -12 Marazion, Cornwall
COASTAL/ NATURE RESERVE WILD FOOD WALK
http://www.wildwalks-southwest.co.uk/calendar.php
Adults/£10 Under 16s free
A walk along the coast and through the RSPB Nature Reserve.
Plants include; mallow, common scurvy, sea beet, sea kale, chickweed, alexanders, sea radish, common sorrel, nettle and rosehips *(please note, this may vary due to seasonal availability)
Level of walk: Flat, some walking on the beach, short distances
Meeting Point: Meet in Marazion, West Cornwall, by the outdoor children’s play area facing the beach. Grid Ref: SW515305
Transport: Bus No:2
29th of August Te Respect Festival www.cornwallrespect.org.uk
This year's festival will be held in Truro on the 29th will start at 10am in Victoria Park, followed by a carnival procession through the streets to Lemon Quay where there will be entertainment. In Victoria Gardens there will be music, stalls, theatre, information, face & henna painting, artwork, and much more at Victoria Park. This part of the event will be alcohol free, and family focused. There will also various workshops including;
. Drum workshop
. Belly dancing workshop
. World dance workshop
. Children's marquee
. BME health marquee
. T'ai chi workshop
There will be a reggae sound-system, food stalls, film show, circus performers, live entertainment, DJ's, Dance, pleasant surprises, and much more.
30th August Stithians County Fair is on Sunday at the Stithians Showground. 10am - 5pm. Lots to see, cattle, dog show, food and craft marquee.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Death on the beach
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=20503
Beachcombing wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped so many dead shells, local fisherman was digging for lugworms and he said they'd all been wiped out as well. Par beach, right in the centre of St Austell Bay was totally littered with dead crabs and molluscs, hope there's going to be enough for for the birds locally. It all knocks on. The deaths were caused by a red algal bloom, read the link for more info.
On a good news note I found some oysters and one was still alive. God knows how the oyster catchers open them because I didn't manage to shift it an inch. Lots of oystercatchers around they are some colourful, noisy odd looking birds. RSPB have a lovely link here which also has an audio clip if you're not sure if you know their call. I bet as soon as you hear it you'll recognize it.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/o/oystercatcher/index.asp
Beachcombing wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped so many dead shells, local fisherman was digging for lugworms and he said they'd all been wiped out as well. Par beach, right in the centre of St Austell Bay was totally littered with dead crabs and molluscs, hope there's going to be enough for for the birds locally. It all knocks on. The deaths were caused by a red algal bloom, read the link for more info.
On a good news note I found some oysters and one was still alive. God knows how the oyster catchers open them because I didn't manage to shift it an inch. Lots of oystercatchers around they are some colourful, noisy odd looking birds. RSPB have a lovely link here which also has an audio clip if you're not sure if you know their call. I bet as soon as you hear it you'll recognize it.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/o/oystercatcher/index.asp
Oh August!
Went blackberry picking last night and managed to pick a kilo so it's jam making today which is just as well because today it awful isn't it? I had a rotten night's sleep with the wind and rain banging on the window and it still hasn't blown through now. Beachcoming should be fun later on if I don't get swept away first.
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8075/beautiful-blackberry-jam.aspx
To be honest if you can't find pectin just put some lemon juice in instead or a cooking apple or both! It's not an exact science but blackberries like strawberries are rubbish at setting and unless you really love blackberry syrup as opposed to jam them you'll need to do something to get some pectin in the mix. (Pectin makes the jam set and most berries are pretty low in it)
Incidently, did you know that blackberies from the bottom of the cane are the sweetest, the ones at the top best only used for jam? A bit of a problem really because as we all know you're supposed to avoid all low lying blackberries as they are most likely to have been peed on by dogs!
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8075/beautiful-blackberry-jam.aspx
To be honest if you can't find pectin just put some lemon juice in instead or a cooking apple or both! It's not an exact science but blackberries like strawberries are rubbish at setting and unless you really love blackberry syrup as opposed to jam them you'll need to do something to get some pectin in the mix. (Pectin makes the jam set and most berries are pretty low in it)
Incidently, did you know that blackberies from the bottom of the cane are the sweetest, the ones at the top best only used for jam? A bit of a problem really because as we all know you're supposed to avoid all low lying blackberries as they are most likely to have been peed on by dogs!
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
and just some pretty scenery shots...
As if we actually need reminding of what a beautiful county we live in, still it's nice to look at the pretty pictures! If you click on any of the pictures they will open in a larger screen.Weather photos
No sunshine shots, I wonder why?
If you click on any of the pictures they will open in a larger screen.
1.The first picture shows what happens to the sea when we have a lot of rain. The harbour is full of run off silt and soil from the fields and you can clearly see the point when the sea gets deeper, after some rain storms this deviding line can be really dramtic.
2. Early morning snowfall.
3. A beam of sunlight of the Helford
4. Even earlier mist on the Helford
5. August in Cornwall (thanks god September is always so gorgeous!)
6. Sows Mevagissey during a high tide storm surge with low pressure in the Atlantic.
7. An incoming hailstorm
2. 
And now some pictures of the local wildlife
.JPG)
If you click on any of the pictures they will open in a larger screen.
Photos of local plants
I'm sure that there's a better way to do these photos but this will do for now - some shots of the local flora. Fauna next, then weather and landscapes.
If you click on any of the pictures they will open in a larger screen.
Monday, 24 August 2009
This week outside.
If you know of an event that's coming up or a useful website then please let me know. This blog is very much in its infancy so we look forward to any input.
Weather
http://www.metcheck.com/
http://www.metoffice.com/
Alternatively just cross your fingers and grin and bear it
The Skies Above
http://www.brannelastronomy.com/events.htm Friday 28th August: Sidewalk Astronomy - Charlestown Habour Our chance to get out and show any passers by some of the more accessible sights in the night sky. (The following evening will be backup in case of bad weather.)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6597214.ece Contains a summary of what we can hope to see in the August skies. UK wide - but we all share the same sky :-)
The Seas Below
Tides - Follow the link and just click on your closest beach / port / harbour. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides/southwest.shtml We're moving towards neaps now so high tides will gradually move towards lunchtime, lows in the morning and evening. I do like neap tides for walking Harry as we get so much more room for him. The big sping lows at lunchtime are great for rock-pooling but are lousy times to walk Harry as there are too many happy diversions for him - running children, ice cream, other dogs, people who hate dogs and think they should be banned.
http://www.surfhog.com/forecast Surf report. This is the perfect time of year to start getting into the water the sea is warm and the waves are getting more predictable. Go on, find a taster session and give it a go.
http://www.surfsupsurfschool.com/
http://www.falmouthsurfschool.co.uk/
Valleys to Moors and everything in between.
There are loads of fabulous events running all over Cornwall with the CWT, whale watching, bat spotting, rockpooling, wildlife filming, mushroom spotting. Spaces are always limited and popular so I've put the whole month ahead in.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust: Events calendar
Weather
http://www.metcheck.com/
http://www.metoffice.com/
Alternatively just cross your fingers and grin and bear it
The Skies Above
http://www.brannelastronomy.com/events.htm Friday 28th August: Sidewalk Astronomy - Charlestown Habour Our chance to get out and show any passers by some of the more accessible sights in the night sky. (The following evening will be backup in case of bad weather.)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6597214.ece Contains a summary of what we can hope to see in the August skies. UK wide - but we all share the same sky :-)
The Seas Below
Tides - Follow the link and just click on your closest beach / port / harbour. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides/southwest.shtml We're moving towards neaps now so high tides will gradually move towards lunchtime, lows in the morning and evening. I do like neap tides for walking Harry as we get so much more room for him. The big sping lows at lunchtime are great for rock-pooling but are lousy times to walk Harry as there are too many happy diversions for him - running children, ice cream, other dogs, people who hate dogs and think they should be banned.
http://www.surfhog.com/forecast Surf report. This is the perfect time of year to start getting into the water the sea is warm and the waves are getting more predictable. Go on, find a taster session and give it a go.
http://www.surfsupsurfschool.com/
http://www.falmouthsurfschool.co.uk/
Valleys to Moors and everything in between.
There are loads of fabulous events running all over Cornwall with the CWT, whale watching, bat spotting, rockpooling, wildlife filming, mushroom spotting. Spaces are always limited and popular so I've put the whole month ahead in.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust: Events calendar
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Why have this blog?
I was getting really fed up of always hearing second hand about a fabulous sighting of Mars or of a great guided walk through the woods at night, missing the lowest tide of the year (fab for rock pooling) and so on. Cornwall is a fabulous county and has so much to be explored so I thought it would be handy to tie lots of different sites together here. Let's see how long I can keep it going :-)
Sunday walk on the beach
Sunday 23rd August 08.30 Par Beach.
High Tide at 07.51 7.3m. New moon last Thursday
Damp and drizzly, 17c
A walk full of dead things :-) Harry was thrilled, he kept finding dead seagulls and fish and would pick them up and run along the beach full of joy and pride as wings and legs, tails and scales fell from the rotting corpses. He was stumped though by a massive Eel a good 4 foot long and almost a foot wide at its head - much more that an 8 month old Spaniel can manage. Also saw a rather lovely dead gul lookking like some strange dead angel at the edge of the waves.
Lots of driftwood and rubbish as well today and as the tide was so high we didn't get the best of runs.
High Tide at 07.51 7.3m. New moon last Thursday
Damp and drizzly, 17c
A walk full of dead things :-) Harry was thrilled, he kept finding dead seagulls and fish and would pick them up and run along the beach full of joy and pride as wings and legs, tails and scales fell from the rotting corpses. He was stumped though by a massive Eel a good 4 foot long and almost a foot wide at its head - much more that an 8 month old Spaniel can manage. Also saw a rather lovely dead gul lookking like some strange dead angel at the edge of the waves.
Lots of driftwood and rubbish as well today and as the tide was so high we didn't get the best of runs.
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