Only three days since my last visit – but it’s a lovely warm sunny day and I feel like a walk. And it’s much better to say ‘I must go and do some Track a tree survey fieldwork (for the good of the country, you know)’ rather than ‘I’m bored, anyone fancy a walk?’. After all, the more data points the more useful the database! Continue reading
After a day spent checking the database we’re using for the Android version of the Naturetale app I was ready to start crawling up walls – which isn’t easy when you’ve turned your brain to scrambled mincemeat. Despite the gloomy and threatening clouds some fresh air was called for. Although it was only five days since my last Track a tree field visit, the way spring is springing at the moment provided a perfect excuse to get out. Who knows – the Nightingales might be early. Continue reading
My second visit to monitor how things are changing. I’m starting to feel a bit more of an ‘old hand’ now – but is this based on confidence, or complacency? It’s slightly murky in the pre-dawn light, but a damn site warmer than my last visit. Continue reading
The whole idea of the Track a Tree project is to build a database of observations sensitive enough to spot how the timing of Spring varies. More specifically, it will monitor the timing of bud break, leaf break and flowering of selected trees and flowers across the country. In practice this means that the recorders have to go back to their trees frequently enough to make accurate recordings of when things happen. This should be done weekly.
And so it was that, six days after my initial visit, I was back there again. Continue reading
And so on to my final target, the Oaks. At least these were still where I remembered them, although large Oaks are difficult to miss. Continue reading