Making our Meadow Blog

Meadowcam up and running again

After lots of fiddling about I have finally got the Meadowcam working again. I have reprogrammed the controller although I don't think that was the main problem. I think the main problem was that the small cocktail stick being used as a strut to keep the camera turned on was affecting the dial. I have used a beefed up version made from a wooden skewer. Tests using a clock have been successful so far. I will continue to run it for a few more days. Before I take it back to install on the meadow I will make a set of replacement sticks to the same spec as the new one. I will also refrain from using the play function of the camera. I will use the Netbook to check images and avoid moving the strut at all.

Meadowcam update

I went to restart the Meadowcam yesterday, assisted by wife, child and steen. Unfortunately while I got it working it would not turn off again so would only take a single shot. I seem to recall this happening before but did not have my notes so could not reset it. Brought it back home for tinkering and picked a load of sloes.

Spring

The meadow beneath the cherry looked fantastic this morning with the lush greenery interspersed with forget me nots, tulips, fritillaries, the rampant wild stachys, and a self sown cowslip. In the dry meadow the cowslips seem to be doing less well, with numbers down on last year, but there are lots of other wild flowers in the bud. The pyramidal orchid is looking good (as are Dactylorhiza fuchsii in the pot) and in the wet meadow, the cuckoo flower is out and there is a single White Fritillary.

A solution

Might be to give up on the D70 and just use the d200 with a simple Intervalometer for £20 (the built in one isn't versatile or long lasting). It would have been nicer to use the D70 but the lack of a shutter release port is such a problem with it finding a way round is more expensive than just accepting defeat and moving on.

Next issue: power!

Time lapse camera update

My attempt to make a time lapse system has foundered again it seems. I had bought a custom made intervalometer and had planned to use it with my D70 to make a system I could run off a 12 v battery. However it has proven to be a very flaky set up. Unless the LED is in exactly the right position it tends to not fire and after a relatively short amount of time the camera switches back to it's default setting rather than the IR remote setting. It would be so much easier if this could be set as the default but Nikon never thought of this as usual. I'm beginning to suspect that the intervalometer is simply not adaptable enough anyway. I might have another go using the option in the Capture software running off my main PC rather than the dodgy netbook I was using which just crashes all the time. Buying a new laptop for this is not really justifiable at the moment. But I can eliminate all the other issues it might still be a viable option: a time lapse system which isn't 100% reliable is next to useless.

Allotment worm farm version 1

I finally got a chance to set up the mega worm farm on the allotment. I ordered 5kg of dendrobaena worms last week - I wasn't expecting them to be delivered so soon. I had already got a plasterers bath online, to which I fitted a hozelock tap. I made a manger type base for it from recycled plastic material from Filcris. I then filled it with a 5cm layer of clay pellets for drainage topped it up with a sheet of perforated plastic. Finally I filled it up with a couple of kilos of worms, some shredded cardboard and a load of decomposing scraps, before covering it with a lid. I'll be interested to see how well it works. I have another one to make and the rest of the batch of worms to house.

Tree planting

I planted a damson tree in the dry meadow today. I know, I know a tree in the meadow means it isn't a meadow. True but I need my garden to be productive and the meadow just isn't earning it's keep! Of course it does provide a refuge for predators (and pests, probably) and it certainly gladdens my heart, but I can't use the hay, apart for composting (and it is full of weed seeds of course). I could feed it to rabbits and eat them, but I doubt I would be able to kill them.
So, I planted a damson tree, it is a native plant (ish), which will bear nectar giving flowers, it is a small tree (on a dwarfing Pyxie rootstock). I have commuted the tree planting sin of leaving grass up to the tree. Normally this competition would be eliminated but I want a natural appearance and holding back the fruit is a price I'm prepared to accept. I also planted a Cambridge Gage near the cherry tree, just to show that I can do it properly.

Sick frog.

One of the frogs in the pond showing a blue throat. It didn't flee like the others and was quite listless. I'll check tomorrow and might remove it if necessary.

Pond

Popped out to check the pond last night. 37 frogs 2 newts.

First pond survey of 2011

I spotted some activity on the pond while working on the new worm farms the other night (more of that later when I have time) so we went down tonight and did a quick survey: 21 frogs including seven pairs and or threesomes mating, and seven newts. About this time last year I only saw about 10 frogs and a single newt and they didn't start breeding until mid march. I must check the temperature. I feel the urge to remake pondcam again...