The Time of Year….. Gorseness, April…… Geophysics Surveys…..
by Bernie Bell - 09:16 on 13 April 2023
The Time of Year
Mike was in the garden, where he saw a Queen White-tailed Bumble-bee prospecting – looking for somewhere to live. She disappeared down a vole hole in the rough grass – then re-appeared a few feet along. Probably a good thing she didn’t choose to stay - I’m not sure how well voles and bees would co-habit.
By the pond there’s a mound made from the soil removed when digging the pond. Mike edged it with stone-work, and we planted sedges on it.
First, I planted it with pretty flowers – but the sparrers used it as a dust-bath – the flowers didn’t last long – sedges are more resilient.
Monday evening I saw a little face appear under the overhanging sedge by the walling at the far end of the mound – a vole – a big one.
S/he went back and forth and back and forth, scurrying into the hole with bits of dry grass and bits of old sedge leaf - nest building.
I looked up which builds the nest, male or female, and apparently they both do – but for some reason, the ones built by males are found to be better insulated than those built by females…...
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffpages/uploads/nhy468/J%20Comp%20Physiol%20B%201999.pdf
S/he is large, and has interesting colouring. The lower part of he/r body is dark brown, but there a ‘saddle’ of nearly black across the top of he/r head and back.
We’ll keep away from that end of the mound, but we’ll keep watching. Seeing baby voles would make me squeeeeeel with delight!
I am a vole and I live in a hole…
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Gorseness, April
Said Day’s Eye to Lion’s Tooth
It’s a fine spring day forsooth
And in reply
Sun faced the sky
Acknowledged it the truth
The marsh raised up a kingly cup
All wrought of Mary’s Gold
Dear Butterbur
It’s time to stir
If I may be so bold
By Celandine and Foot of Colt
The days are coming bright
By wind-scud clouds
Larks chant aloud
That summer’s soon in sight
McB – April ‘23
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Geophysics Surveys…
And I quote from the UHI Archaeology Institute blog…
“A geophysics team from ORCA are heading out to Orkney’s North Isles to investigate three potential Neolithic chambered tombs……
Any one interested in helping with any of the surveys, for all or part of the time, should email… dan.lee@uhi.ac.uk ”
https://archaeologyorkney.com/2023/04/12/tomb-geophysics/
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Here’s one I made earlier…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/12/28/girls-just-wanna-have-fun/
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