So Long Solunar

Well, not really so long............. It just sounds like a nice play on words.  Of late I've been checking out solunar (Sol for sun and Lunar for moon), based phone apps.  On the face of it they tell, mostly fishermen and hunters when wildlife activity is likely to be high during any 24 hour cycle. Crudely, if you know the exact time of sunrise and sunset, and moonrise and moonset in a 24 hour period, you have a good indicator of the 4 periods of heightened activity, the solunar periods; 2 minor periods  and 2 major activity periods.

Actually, not necessarily.  Other factors come into play such as weather, latitude and longitude and moon phases.  The sun and moon exert great gravitational force on the earth and I can imagine that wildlife is sensitive to the greater forces found during the full moon, when the sun and moon are opposite each other and the new moon, when the sun and moon combined pull in one direction.  I imagine the deer, the squirrel, the pine marten, the otter feel this stronger gravity exert its inner pull, the starter cord for their instinctive 'engine', a guttural, Id thing.

Now it's quite late and I've started this, oh dear.  Should I wrap up and conclude at another time or carry on half baked?  Oven gloves ready.

• Weather - abnormal weather conditions affect animal and fish behaviour, cold fronts for example drive fish deeper under water and render them inactive.  Maybe warm blooded animals aren't too fussed though, given their fur.  Mind you, it's not a great idea to go looking for red squirrels during strong wind and / or rain.
• Sun and Moon - rise and set tend to exert minor periods of activity.  The major periods of activity tend to occur when the sun and moon are 'in transit' basically overhead (due south of where you are) and underfoot (due north  of where you are) and exercising greater gravitational force.  I think this brings extra considerations into view, those being phenomena such as perihelion and apogee and perigee of the moon. Thoughts and things are starting to get complex now, so just a word for the next one.
• Photoperiodism - the ratio of daylight to darkness on a given day.  The biggest changes in these ratios occurs around the spring and autumn equinoxes, when day length can change by 4 and a half minutes per day.

Words underdone?  Oh well, there are some more resources here:
Solunar Theory
The Real Scoop
How to Calculate Solunar Times

I wonder if Craig makes note of solunar activity when he's fishing.  Must find out.  One thing I do know though is that I'm out at 05:30 am next Tuesday conducting a black grouse lek search - walking the hills above Callander trying to find previously unknown congregations of birds: needles in haystacks.  The good thing is that they'll be quite vocal, so as long as the wind is in the right direction, it's not raining (apparently it won't be), we should see / hear them.  However, the solunar tables indicate that one of the the major solunar periods for the day ends at the same time as our search begins!  And, as the moon will be approximately 90 degrees behind the sun, gravity will be no great shakes.  My Solunar app shows a one out of six for activity on this day.  If by chance it is raining, then I'll bake a little longer in bed.

Intrepid Photography

Now offering intrepid:photography. We can take groups of photographers out on photography safaris, to explore some of the little known eye candy hidden away in the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.  We can provide expert how-to guidance, but Mr Guidance will have to be booked well in advance.  Just let us know when you'll be coming and what you'll be needing.

Cardross Moss

Moss on Oak Facing North

I spent the last weekend dog sitting at Cardross Estate.  While walking them around the parkland with the kids I came across this oak with what I think is a pretty definitive indicator to all points north.  I did cheat and use a compass to check - perfect and the first branch up on the left is facing east north east.  Being in an area of parkland, our specimen has lots of 'personal' space and is not sheltered from the prevailing south west winds.  A good example of moss growing on the north side of a tree.

Yesterday, Craig and I went up Ben Aan - the small pointed peak, or little mountain - with an entire school (of four pupils).  We were invited to come along (but not lead) on their sponsored walk and were delighted to attend / help out / share some knowledge with this fantastic little Trossachs School.  We took an age to climb its 461 metre ascent - I think it stands at 533m above sea level, having plenty of rest stops, playtimes and 'Craig wants to teach stuff' sessions.  Two hours later and assorted teacher, parents and toddling siblings were at the top surveying a moody vista:

View West Along Loch Katrine

Of course, because I'm not class favourite Ranger, my attempts to talk of the sun being due south at solar midday drove them to navel gaze.  Oh well, the eldest was 8. The parents were interested though!

A Day of Rock and Water

Tomorrow is a day of one part for two Rangers.  I will be heading across Loch Lomond from Ardlui with four volunteers to continue with an ongoing maintenance programme on the West Highland Way.  Our usual boat a Pioner is in for repairs and safety checks, so I'll be commandeering the local ferry to take us - well, I'm not sure yet! Somewhere that it can land us, which is not too far away from Doune Bothy.

I'll be looking at/for the sun, while my four charges clear cross drains and water bars and much as I dislike wearing wellies, I'll take mine along so I can get stuck in too.  Last time I just wore steel toe capped boots and so I rather gingerly had to deep from on high - digging out a drainage ditch a foot below ground level, while standing on the level ground.  Last time was wet!  Tomorrow though the forecast looks ok (look quick though or else you'll be into next week).

Gilbert will be on Conic Hill with just 1 other, doing god knows what to the WHW path there - trying to eke out some dregs of life in it I expect, after the, at least, 30,000 pairs of feet that trudged their way up and down it last year alone.

i think we're both looking forward to our time away for the day though.  Will I remember my camera?

Iridescent Lungwort

Iridescent Clouds, Newburgh

As the kids wanted to see St Andrews during the half term break we found ourselves trundling along the A913 through Newburgh.  It was here that we saw these slightly iridescent clouds off to the southeast.  They look like cirrus clouds to me, framed by stratocumulus.  Occurring close to the sun, cloud iridescence is caused by small water droplets or ice crystals scattering light and is normally seen in thin, transparent newly formed clouds.  However, you can see some iridescence in slightly thicker cloud in the lower left hand corner of the picture.  Not the best example, but it's the first time I've seen it, and I was the only person to stop and observe.

I'm glad I did.  Often, when driving, I see interesting 'stuff' happening in the natural world, but I rarely stop and always regret it.  Interesting, as it's basically my job to get others to stop and sense what is around them.

"Stop..............! back a bit, keep going, bit more, ok".  And she was out the door clambering up the lower slopes of Strath Gartney, along the shore of Loch Katrine.  She stopped by what looked to be a small - maybe 17 metre - Oak with Tree Lungwortl (Lobaria Pulmonaria) growing on the west-southwest side, about 1.5 metres above the ground.  This was a pretty good directional indicator as it likes a wet climate, but this sample was dessicated by the prevailing southwest winds and the tree trunk on that side was a beautiful, uniform pale grey, shining in the sunlight.  Yes, there was moss all around the base of the tree, but while there were just a few centimetres on the southwest side, the northeast trunk had much more coverage.  Promise I'll go back and take a photo soon.

Counting Ducks 2

Looks a bit puny!

One true rangery morning counting wetland birds on Lochs Achray and Venachar - 85 Widgeon - was, not really ruined, by the litter left behind by those desperate to camp out in February.  I had to get on with the job at hand knowing that tonight the foxes and the crows would have a right old time of it, spreading the devastation further afield. 

All this was temporarily forgotten as I noticed the mackrel sky from the window.  Pictures later............

Counting Ducks in the Mizzle & Chill

Craig is out counting ducks today, a day of mizzle and chill.  I have no sympathy for him as I would be happy to do it myself today if circumstances allowed.  Anyway, he's out on Lochs Ard, Dhu, Chon, Arklet and Katrine (ah, no, he's saving the last one for me mostly due to the fact that there is so little wetland bird activity there and Loch Katrine is so big, that he falls asleep), doing a Wetland Bird Survey - WeBS for the BTO.  He should be dropping by for a cuppa later with Gareth (Gathers as I prefer to call him).