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Below are sightings, and general commentary, from a recent trip to Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
TRIP GOALS
The main goals were to survey the plants on Midway, as we had previously done in 1999 and 2008; look for native Hyposmocoma moths, which we've observed on Laysan, but have not been recorded from Midway; and get as much birding in as we could, since we happened to be living and working in one of the greatest concentrations of birds in the world.
AREA COVERED
During surveys we got to virtually every part of Sand, Eastern, and Spit Islands. We didn't go on beaches closed for Monk Seals and Green Sea Turtles, and there were some areas where Bonin Petrel burrow density was so high in pure sand substrates that we just scanned the area with binoculars.
TIME
We were on-island from March 24 - April 7, 2015. Birds were active all day and all night.
WEATHER
Mostly comfortable, Midway was transitioning from Winter to Summer. Lows were in the 50's, highs in the 70's. Winds shifted around quite a bit as numerous small fronts pushed through. The sky was milky and cloudy much of the time, though the sun occasionally popped out and the classic Midway lagoon blue could be observed below small puffy clouds drifting by. Rain was frequent, though usually moved through quickly.
NUMBERS
The numbers, which may at times be grossly inaccurate, include what we personally saw or heard and insights from on-island folks.
LAYSAN ALBATROSS
How does one explain what 1,000,000 albatrosses looks like? Imagine a goose-sized bird every square meter as far as the eye can see, and a sky abuzz with thousands more. The birds are sitting on nests, preening, dancing, looking for mischief, and otherwise going about their day. The sound is cacophonous, an indescribable chatter of shrills, claps, sighs, and myriad other sounds, going all day and all night. We have no idea how many Laysan Albatross we saw, but the winter nest count this year was 666,044, the highest on record, which results in over 1.5 million currently known to utilize Midway. During the time of our survey the chicks were still mostly all down and had just begun to wander from nests.
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS
The Black-foots are the bigger, blacker, much less abundant, and meaner looking, albatrosses on Midway. They generally prefer to nest near the coast. Despite the grouchy appearance, the dance of the Black-foots almost seems more precise and involved than that of the Laysan Albatross. Their chicks were on nests in full down. 10's of thousands on Midway. Count this past winter was 28,610 nesting pairs.
LAYSAN X BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS (HYBRID)
We didn't have much spare time for chasing down oddities while on Midway, but in the limited time we did have after finishing our plant survey, we tallied the birds we saw and noticed we hadn't seen any albatross hybrids. We asked folks who had seen them where they were observed, and after searching in vain to find hybrids in a half dozen locations (Cargo Pier, Sunset Seep, Midway House, Eastern Island,...), we finally persevered and despite the rain came across one at Rusty Bucket, on the NW corner of Sand Island. It was a good looking bird, and seemed to be associating most with the Laysan Albatrosses. Not surprisingly, all the locations folks reported hybrids from were at the intersections of Black-footed and Laysan nesting areas. At least a half dozen albatross hybrids on Midway. No idea if any were F2 hybrids.
SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS
Apparently none of the birds successfully nested this year and had all left Midway by the time we showed up. "They were just here last week". The only glimpses we got were of the social attraction decoys on the southeast tip of Eastern Island.
BONIN PETREL
When does a bird become too abundant? The population explosion of this petrel on Midway from 32,000 in 1995 to 1,000,000+ 20 years later, after removal of rats, is the single greatest species recovery we have ever witnessed. The night sky at Midway is currently swarming with a haze of these birds and their calls. It is wondrous, and at the same time a burden. Many aspects of life on Midway are now affected by these petrels, that burrow into anything that isn't concrete. Whereas we could easily walk through most areas back in 1999, today it is nearly impossible to walk off main trails and roads without encountering a minefield of burrows. Even the albatrosses are having a harder time nesting and walking around with the unstable ground the petrel digging creates. No one has yet been able to figure out how to accurately count a colony this massive of nocturnal, burrow-nesting birds, so we'll go with the official count from one of the island folks, "way too many". As a side note, the Bonin Petrel chicks are perhaps one of the cutest creatures on Earth, an innocent little puff ball of gray and white. So dig out those burrows that you fall in. Birds were on eggs and with young chicks during our survey. They were practically everywhere on Midway, but were most abundant on Sand Island. We only saw limited burrows on Eastern Island, perhaps because it is mostly hard-packed runway and was more affected by the 2011 Japan tsunami. We don't recall seeing any burrows on Spit Island, it is mostly hard coral rubble and is regularly washed over.
BULWER'S PETREL
Not observed. Visited the Ave Maria site we saw and heard them in 2008, when speakers would blare social attraction colony calls at night. Some of the equipment was still there, but it didn't appear to have been functional for a while. The nest boxes made out of washed up fishing floats were still there, but this time instead of Bulwer's Petrels, every one had a Bonin Petrel in it. It is possible the birds had not yet returned to breed for the season, but folks on island seemed to not know of any active Bulwer locations in recent years. Didn't see or hear any Tristram Storm-Petrels or Bryan's Shearwaters either.
WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER
This is the main seabird we see in the Main Hawaiian Islands, yet they are relatively rare on Midway. Not sure why Bonin Petrels have exploded in abundance yet wedgies have not, but such is the case. The colony behind the Midway Mall is still active and quite vocal at night. Saw birds utilizing many of the old bunkers and pill-boxes on both Sand and Eastern Islands. Not sure how many birds we heard, perhaps hundreds. Only saw a couple dozen. There are perhaps a few thousand wedgies on Midway. They appeared to just be starting the breeding season, with birds often sitting in pairs, with no eggs or chicks observed.
CHRISTMAS SHEARWATER
One observed along the northwest coast of Eastern Island, sitting in front of a naupaka thicket. As any good rare bird would do, it flushed just as we pulled up our camera to get a shot. Apparently numbering in the hundreds at Midway.
GREAT FRIGATEBIRD
A few hundred perhaps. Breeding season was just starting and the males had their gular sacs inflated and on display. It was funny to watch them fly with the deflated sacs flapping around, they seemed off balance, but the ladies must like it. A few dozen Frigates were observed near Frigate Point on Sand Island, where they roost in ironwood trees but do not nest. A couple more observed skimming the water at the Catchment Pond. The bulk of the frigates are on Eastern Island, where they roost and nest in naupaka and Tournefortia shrubs, mostly on the northeast corner of the island.
MASKED BOOBY
Two lone birds were observed on Eastern Island on woven nests made of vegetation on the ground. Both were on young chicks. One of the Masked Boobies had an orange-ish bill, reminiscent of Nazca Booby, but it could have just been the lighting.
BROWN BOOBY
One observed on a nest made of woven vegetation, especially Tribulus, near the base of a naupaka thicket on the northwest coast of Eastern Island. Two observed on buoy in main channel entrance to the Harbor, and two observed on abandoned pier pilings on West Beach, Sand Island.
RED-FOOTED BOOBY
Most abundant on Eastern Island, where hundreds were observed nesting in the naupaka, Tournefortia, and sea grape. Found along the coast, with the frigates, but also inland. A few dozen also nesting on Spit Island. A few more dozen on Sand Island, especially near Bulky Dump, probably just roosting. These birds build nests of vegetation in shrubs and small trees, often using native nohu (Tribulus), but many of the birds on Spit Island were also utilizing the rare native popolo (Solanum nelsonii) as nesting material.
RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD
If you're feeling at ease, this bird can change that in an instant. Raucous and often hidden, these birds love to lurch out at and scold anything that walks within its zone, including humans. On Midway they prefer to nest at the bases of trees or shrubs, most often naupaka and ironwood. Saw and heard perhaps hundreds, likely many more.
WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD
More common in the Main Hawaiian Islands. During our brief time to follow up on rarities, we got location information for one and were able to find its nest in the crotch of a large ironwood tree near the Midway Gym. Single bird in a very nice vegetation lined nest where a natural crevice exists in an ironwood tree. Didn't notice an egg or chick, but only got glances from a distance.
WHITE TERN
There aren't too many things cuter or more angelic than White Terns. Chronically nappy, and occasionally showing attitude group mob style, these birds remain abundant on Midway, especially on Sand Island, where they attempt to nest on almost anything they can, especially ironwood trees. We encountered thousands, many of which flew right up to us and flapped in our faces, to show us who is boss, and pose for pictures.
SOOTY TERN
Large flocks of Sooties were starting to fill the sky, flying about, yipping, and just starting to set down on Eastern Island. Only saw a few thousand, later in the season there should be a lot more. Heard a few on Sand Island.
GRAY-BACKED TERN
On ground, paired up, and close to laying eggs. Most abundant on Spit and Eastern Islands. We saw perhaps dozens on Spit Island, mostly on coral rubble near the vegetation line, and a similar amount on Eastern Island, usually hunkered near vegetation on the runway.
LEAST/LITTLE TERN
Not observed. In 2008 we saw six in the Catchment Pond.
BLACK NODDY
Saw a few hundred, mostly on Sand Island in ironwood and naupaka. Frigate Point and West Beach seemed hot spots, as did the trees by the Clipper House. We watched one going back and forth from the ground to a tree, gathering material to build a nest.
BROWN NODDY
Only saw a few dozen, roosting on the naupaka at Frigate Point on Sand Island. They were hanging out with Black Noddies. Didn't see any in their regular breeding spot next to the runway when we did sand bur (Cenchrus) sweeps in that area, guess it is a little early in the year still.
WANDERING TATTLER
Observed a few lone birds on Sand Island, at the Catchment Pond foraging in shallow water and loafing on the shoreline, at Rusty bucket on the large rocks near the coast, and at the Cargo Pier foraging along the surf line.
PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER
Choke. High count of 1,300 on Mar. 31, in two large groups on the taxiway near the NAF Hangar on Sand Island. A few dozen regularly present at the Catchment Pond, as were lone birds in many of the lawn type areas on Sand Island.
RUDDY TURNSTONE
High count of 500 on Apr. 2, when four flocks of 100-150 birds were observed anxiously zigging and zagging around Eastern Island. It looked like they didn't know who was following who, and would circle around seemingly aimlessly until they somehow decided to settle down in a new spot for a while. A few dozen were also regularly present at the Catchment Pond on Sand Island.
BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW
Observed dozens on Sand Island, singly and in small groups. They were especially abundant near the Midway Mall, Cargo Pier, and West Beach. They would occasionally circle us, especially if we mimicked its whistle call. Checked our images for Whimbrels, but they all had cinnamon coloration and bristly thighs. Didn't see any with bands.
CATTLE EGRET
Saw 40 in the naupaka/Tournefortia shrubs on the northeast corner of Eastern Island. Also observed one in the Water Catchment Pond on Sand Island. They were much more flighty than the seabirds. FWS is working to reduce their numbers.
COMMON MYNA
Speaking of flighty, even on Midway the Mynas are conspicuously flighty, especially compared to the bulk of the seabirds on Midway that have virtually no fear of man. High count was a dozen at the smoldering dump, with about as many at the Water Catchment Pond. Many pairs foraging in the lawns of Sand Island. The large Ficus tree they used to communally roost in had been removed since our last visit, not sure where they are currently roosting at night.
COMMON/ISLAND CANARY
Conspicuous in many parts of Sand Island, saw perhaps a few hundred total, no more than a couple dozen at once. There was a banded canary that would regularly stand and sing on the railing at the Clipper House. The song is melodious, contrasting sharply with the seabird sounds. Came across a canary nest about a meter off the ground in a grass clump. The nest was constructed of wiry plant roots woven into a cup, that was lined with downy feathers, in which three small eggs were laid. Many flowers and plants are damaged on Midway by the canaries, we watched the flowers of a coral tree (Erythrina) trying in vain to emerge as the canaries chomped down on them, similar to what the Laysan Finches do on Laysan.
LAYSAN DUCK
A few hundred, the numbers wavering in relation to botulism outbreaks. Locally common near wetlands and in lawns, on Sand and Eastern Islands. When we were on Midway back in 2008, the ducks had recently been translocated from Laysan and many new duck seeps had been dug for them. Most of these seeps turned out to create botulism conditions, and have since been filled in. Botulism still occurs in the remaining wetlands, taking up considerable resources to look for dead and dying birds and rehab sick ones. The ducks were just pairing up in preparation for the breeding season.
NORTHERN PINTAIL
Male and female at the Catchment Pond and Enlisted Housing Seep by Radar Hill. Usually in the deeper water, often sticking pointy tails in the air while foraging head down in the water. Lone females also observed at West Beach on Sand Island and Sunset Seep on Eastern Island.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
3 males and 4 females regularly at Catchment Pond on Sand Island. Mostly hanging out in water, foraging and preening. The males appeared to be one each of the Eurasian subspecies, the American subspecies, and an intergrade / hybrid between the two subspecies.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
Lone bird, resting on the coral rubble near the shore on the eastern tip of Spit Island on Apr. 2. Got good enough images for the first confirmable record of the species on Midway Atoll.
DUNLIN
One hanging out with the koleas and ruddies in the shallow water at the Catchment Pond on Apr. 6.
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
One lone Dowitcher foraging in the shallow water in Brackish/Dump Pond on Mar. 31. Word on the island was that it was a long-billed.
MONK SEALS
Saw lots of seals along the coasts of all the islands. Apparently the population is around 35-40.
GREEN SEA TURTLES
A dozen or so taking turns basking on Turtle Beach. Lone individuals observed around the Piers and Harbor. Midway population estimated at around 75.
SPINNER DOLPHINS
Only had one encounter with the dolphins this trip, they briefly checked us out as we were drifting in the main channel trying to restart an engine. 200 or so at Midway.
MICE
Apparently still present on Sand Island, but not on Eastern or Spit Islands. Didn't see any this time, though folks were mentioning they were still around.
HYPOSMOCOMA MOTHS
Looked in the same sort of habitats we found these cryptic native moths on Laysan and elsewhere, but didn't find any.
DIAMONDBACK MOTHS
At night were hundreds of little moths on the windows of the Barracks. Looking closely it became apparent they were practically all Diamondback Moths (Plutella xylostella). A bit more sleuthing and we realized they were eating the numerous Brassicaceous plants on Midway, such as sweet alyssum (Lobularia) and mustard (Brassica), that were riddled with moth damage.
EMERALD BEETLES
The large emerald green Scarabid beetles (Protaetia pryeri) had not yet emerged for the year, though we did uncover some giant larvae in the soil while looking for Hyposmocoma moths, and old iridescent green carapaces were occasionally observed.
ANTS
A number of ant species were observed, the most dominant ant currently on Midway appears to be the Big-headed Ant (Pheidole megacephala), though for some reason they never achieved the massive densities as they did on nearby Kure Atoll, where they were apparently recently eradicated.
PAU
In summary, Midway is still an incredible place. We hope this has given you an enjoyable glimpse into the current status of life on the Gooney Isle.
Good Birding...
More sights and sounds from Midway.
Editor's note: great story we posted today about how a NASA light technology, originally developed for plant growth experiments in space, is being used to reduce the side effects of various medical treatments, including those for cancer, wounds, etc. You can read more about the technology here: www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/heals.html. I love success stories like this!
Mitzi Macke, RN, a nurse in the Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Unit at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, demonstrates use of a WARP 75 device. The device uses High Emissivity Aluminiferous Luminescent Substrate, or HEALS, which is a type of LED technology that provides intense light energy. The innovation of the NASA HEALS technology provides the equivalent light energy of 12 suns from each of the 288 LED chips -- each the size of a grain of salt. The WARP 75 device is one of many devices using HEALS technology, developed in collaboration with NASA. The WARP 75 device was used for light therapy treatment on cancer patients during a two-year clinical trial funded by NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The NASA program works with industry and medical partners to spinoff space technology and adapt it for new, innovative medical applications. The clinical trial found that 670 nanometers of light technology, used for plant growth experiments on the International Space Station, improved the painful side effects of chemotherapy and radiation in cancer patients undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplants. The trial included 20 cancer patients from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and 60 cancer patients from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Alabama, also in Birmingham.
Image credit: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham
View more images:
www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/heals_photos.html
Watch a video of HEALS in action:
www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=...
At Broadmeadows Estuary
Swords, Co.Dublin, Ireland
Charadriiformes | [family] Scolopacidae | [latin] Philomachus pugnax | [UK] Ruff | [FR] Combattant varié | [DE] Kampfläufer | [ES] Combatiente | [IT] Combattente | [NL] Kemphaan
spanwidth min.: 54 cm
spanwidth max.: 60 cm
size min.: 29 cm
size max.: 32 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 20 days
incubation max.: 23 days
fledging min.: 25 days
fledging max.: 28 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 2
eggs max.: 4
Philomachus pugnax
Rufachán
Fighting Ruff, Oxen-and-Kine, Reeve (female)
Status: Scarce spring & autumn passage migrant - occurs while moving from Siberia/Central Europe south to winter in Africa.
Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population has been evaluated as Declining, due to a moderate recent decline.
Identification: Though a distinctive wader, with a large body, smallish head, long neck and pointed, slightly decurved bill, individual Ruffs vary enormously in size and colour. Firstly males are approximately one third bigger than females (which are known as Reeves) - males being slightly larger than Redshank, while females are close to Dunlin-sized. Leg colour can be yellow, dull greenish yellow, orange or red. Bill can be all dark or show varying amounts of red or orange - often there is a white area of feathering around the base of the bill. Though males in full summer plumage are rarely seen in Ireland, this too is highly variable - the flamboyant ruff collar of chestnut red or black or even white is purely for display at the breeding ground. Occasionally, spring birds on passage may show a hint of these exotic colours, but the most usual plumage of birds seen here is of darkish brown wing and back feathers, each finely edged pale buff, creating a scaly effect, while the underparts are rather plain whitish, with a warm buff or creamy wash. In flight, a slow, almost floppy wingbeat is characteristic and the dark-centred rump with white ovals either side is a helpful identification feature. Not common, but can occur in small flocks in marshes, fields and mudflats - mainly spring and autumn.
Call: Almost silent.
Diet: Feeds on Invertebrates found in mudflats.
Breeding: Does not breed in Ireland. Passage birds seen in Ireland breed in meadows and bogs in Scandinavia and Russia.
Wintering: Small numbers winter on estuaries along the southern coast of Ireland. The majority of the European population winters around the Mediterranean and western Africa.
Where to see: Tacumshin & Lady's Island Lake (County Wexford), Malahide Estuary (County Dublin), Dundalk Docks (County Louth). Other sites for small numbers include Ballycotton (County Cork) and Kilcoole (County Wicklow) are the most regular sites.
Physical characteristics
Male Ruffs are highly distinctive in breeding plumage, although that is not generally the plumage that we see when this Eurasian shorebird visits Washington. The adult male varies in color from dark rufous to light brown with considerable white. It has a thick mane of long feathers around its neck and thick head-feathers that can be puffed out. The female, called a Reeve, is mottled brown-and-buff with orange legs (sometimes olive or green). Females and males in non-breeding plumage appear similar, and both have orange bills with white feathers at the bases. The female is about the size of a dowitcher, and the male is similar in size to a Greater Yellowlegs. The juvenile, the form most likely to be seen in Washington, has lighter, more yellow legs than adults. Its breast is clear buff, and its belly grades from buff to white. The head is buff and mostly unstreaked, and the back is black edged with buff. In flight, the Ruff shows a white 'U' on its tail, separating a dark rump and dark tail-tip.
In fresh water, Ruffs are often seen wading up to their bellies, but in salt water they usually stay above the shoreline, in habitat similar to that used by Pectoral Sandpipers. They walk or run at a steady pace, with their heads up, picking food from the substrate. They also sometimes probe in the mud and walk slowly through vegetation with their heads down.
Habitat
Ruffs breed in sub-Arctic and Arctic tundra meadows in northern Europe and Siberia. They winter primarily in similar open, wetland habitats in southern Europe and Africa, and to a lesser degree in southern Asia and Australia. During migration, they can be found in these habitats as well as coastal ponds, lagoons, estuaries, and mudflats. These coastal wetlands are the Washington habitats where Ruffs are most likely to be spotted.
Other details
This wader is breeding nearly throughout Eurasia, from the British Isles to Kamchatka, reaching 60°N. Northern birds inhabit tundra and swampy clearings of forested regions. Birds of the south-west, e.g. the Netherlands, inhabit wet grasslands. Most of the populations winter in sub-Saharan Africa. This species doesn't live in pairs, and during the breeding period the males gather in arenas. A census of these males doesn't necessarily indicate the number of breeding females. Males and females also migrate separately, at different times and following different routes as well. Populations of this species are consequently difficult to estimate. The term "breeding pairs" is used only for convenience and uniformity. The population of the European Union (12 Member States) is estimated at 2000-3000 pairs, which represents only a very small fraction of the global European population estimated at 3.28 millions of pairs. However large, this population is declining following wetland reclamation and intensification of agriculture
Feeding
Ruffs eat a typical shorebird diet of insects and other invertebrates. During migration and winter, they may also eat seeds.
Conservation
This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km2. It has a large global population estimated to be 2,000,000 individuals1. There is evidence to suggest that the European population (200,000-510,000 pairs, occupying 50-74% of the global breeding range) has declined by up to 30% over ten years (three generations)2, but this may reflect shifts in breeding populations3, populations in Asia are not thought to be declining4,5 and wintering populations in Africa appear to be increasing6. The species is therefore not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern. [conservation status from birdlife.org]
Breeding
Male Ruffs gather into groups in concentrated areas called leks, to display and attract females. The female comes to a lek and chooses a male. The female mates with a male and then leaves the lek. As is typical in this type of mating, the male provides no parental care. The female builds her nest on the ground, hidden in grass or marsh vegetation. The nest is a shallow depression lined with grass. She lays four eggs and incubates them for 20 to 23 days. The female feeds the newly hatched young, which is unusual for this group. The young first begin to fly at 25 to 28 days.
Migration
Migratory. Though total winter range extends from western Europe and West Africa eastwards to India (and rarely further east), by far the largest numbers winter in Africa and these include even birds from north-east Siberia (those reaching South Africa having travelled 15 000 km). Having no share in nest or chick care, males disperse late June to early July; females and juveniles begin migrating in July. Main movements across temperate Europe from end July to mid-September, though exodus on reduced scale continues to mid-November. First males reach Sénégal mid-July; trans-Saharan passage noted central Chad from 20 August, with peak in 2nd week September. In Africa and southern Europe, return movement begins mid-February, with main exodus March and first half April; obscured, however, by large numbers of non-breeders which summer in winter quarters (even south of Equator). Breeding areas reoccupied from mid-April around North Sea, but progressively later to north and east-mid-June (even later in cold springs) in Siberia.
One of the many fascinating projects I was involved in, as London Underground's Design & Heritage Manager, was conservation and restoration of many of the historic structures that the Tube owns and still operates. Out of over 275 stations over 80 are statutorially Listed, including this one, many more are Locally Listed and nearly all have some Heritage Features as assessed by London Underground itself.
Many stations still have faience facades of a type of construction that the Central London Railway (1900) and the Underground Electric Railways of London (1905/6 and later) utilised. The Metropolitan Railway also used faience on many of its early 20th Century reconstructions.
The basic construction methodology is sound - the use of load bearing steel framework and a cloak of effectively mass produced faience blocks - in this case made in Leeds by the Burmantofts Works of the Leeds Fireclay Company. However, some defects can occur if the facade is not waterproof, when moisture meets the steelwork, corrodes and spalls, or if the fireskin of the faience blocks themselves is damaged (such as through hole drilling or physical damage). The latter tends to invite frost freeze and thaw, further destroying the material.
At South Kensington the issues were compounded by the removal, several decades earlier, of any internal wall finishes when the ticket hall and lift landings. along with the lify shaft, were stripped out for use as a passive ventilation shaft. Some earlier spot repairs, using 'plastic' fillers over wire mesh and coloured resin fillers had also started to fail badly - these tend to be prone to UV failure. All in all the structure and facade was a mess - and first we had to gain Listed Building Consent to undertake intrusive surveys and condition surveys to see what was actually going on.
To cut a long story short we realised we needed to physically reconstruct almost 85 - 90% of the facade, such was the deterioration of the sub-strate and the facade. We had undertaken similar work on other stations and so were able to call on expert manufacturers (Darwen Faience & Terracotta) and construction contractors. The manufacturing of new blocks is not simple as you have to allow for shrinkage in firing, colour matching older and now illegal glazes along with firing temperature variations in colour. To ensure a lack of uniformity - as you don't actually want a 'blank' colour the manufacturer has to also consider glaze weight. The setting out has to be precise - no 'cutting' like tiles, and the new blocks were correctly back-filled with inert packing and tied structurally back to new substrate. All in all - a helluva job and I'm still pleased as punch with it. It was and to some building conservators still is contentious as traditonal restoration aims to reatin as much original material as possible. However on highly used buildings such as these I am of the view that when such structures are life-expired options such as careful recreation, with a full understanding of the materials, architectural detail, integrity and context are weighed against retention (some 15% of the original is still here) then this is a valid approach.
This large female katydid (Eumacroxiphus brachyurus) carries a spermatophore pack near the tip of her abdomen from a recent mating. The formidable-appearing ovipositor will allow her to place her eggs deep in the substrate of her choice. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
When I first started adapting silhouette dieforming for polymer clay almost 20 years ago, I explored some of its bigger possibilities by making organic-inspired tiles.
Focusing on the process rather than what they might become, these 3” x 3” tiles gave me a chance to combine textures and shapes at a larger scale than what I was used to in my jewelry designs.
To feature their surfaces and highlight their dimensional qualities, I decided to turn some these sort-of-flat squares into 3D cubes. Built on a rigid cardboard substrate and framed with grout, these bioformed blocks are light and tactile, fun to look at and really nice to handle and hold.
This is actually the first time I’ve published this picture anywhere. It’s from an archive of experiments and prototypes that never really get outside the walls of my studio, but are an important part of my work as an explorer in this medium.
If you like the textured forms featured in these tiles, you might want to learn more about the online workshop I’m debuting this November. We won’t be making cubes, but we will be exploring a full range of simple, yet surprisingly slick methods for creating richly textured surfaces that can be applied to your polymer projects at any scale, from the smallest jewelry items to larger art pieces.
This online workshop will run for 4 weeks in November.
‘Subscribers Only’ Registration opens later this week.
Visit my website to get on the list.
archnetwork.org/lime-burning-in-romania-with-satul-verde/
Lime Burning in Romania with Satul Verde
By Jessica Hunnisett Snow and William Napier
In August 2015, we were given the opportunity to travel to Meziad, a lime-burning village in Romania, and participate in the process of loading and firing a traditional kiln or ‘cuptor’ (Fig. 1 and 2), slaking the quicklime produced, and experimenting with the lime products for harling, limewashing and decorative painting (Fig. 3). The exchange visit was organised by ARCH in Scotland and hosted by Satul Verdi, the partner organisation in Romania. The trip was an Erasmus + funded Staff Education Project. As building surveyors with The National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland, organisations which collectively care for a large number of historic and traditionally constructed buildings, the main aim of the visit, apart from taking in the beautiful scenery and enjoying the local culture, was to see first-hand the production of lime, within a system that utilises local skills, labour and materials to produce a high quality and sustainable material, perfectly suited for the repair and maintenance of local vernacular buildings.
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Fig. 1 & 2 Loading and firing the cuptor with a local lime-burner
Lime burning in Romania is part of an unbroken rural tradition which is at risk. The tradition of kiln building and lime burning is maintained by an increasingly older generation, with no apparent successors from younger generations appearing willing or trained to take over and secure its future. As a consequence, the production of lime in Meziad, a process which may well have continued almost unchanged since Roman times, is at risk of being lost within a few years. A further consequence may well be that the skills needed to use lime in the maintenance and repair of traditional buildings will also be lost. The loss of this knowledge and the practical skills is likely to have a negative impact, potentially resulting in significant harm being caused to buildings on a technical and cultural level, and possibly the eventual loss of buildings due to the effects of inappropriate repairs and maintenance (Fig. 4 ).
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Fig.3 The cultural exchange group with the completed wall painting
Fig. 4 Timber-framed vernacular building in need of maintenance and repair
This disheartening scenario echoes that which occurred in Scotland in the post-war years, whereby the skills required to maintain many vernacular buildings died out as populations in rural areas decreased or were displaced, and the introduction of modern building materials and techniques made the traditional buildings and skills seem obsolete. With no appreciation or protection, the skills and products which had been used to maintain these ‘ordinary’ buildings for centuries, and often the very buildings themselves, were abandoned or the buildings were ‘restored’ or altered beyond recognition using modern materials. The result was that within a generation or two the techniques required to maintain traditional buildings appropriately were forgotten. Only much later was there a realisation that many once commonplace vernacular buildings, such as barns, thatched cottages and agricultural or small scale industrial buildings, were and are of national significance and worthy of preservation. By the time these modest building types were appreciated, many had been lost and the understanding of the materials and skills required to sustain them was also lost (Fig 5).
This loss of knowledge and skills has resulted in many, many years of research, trial and error and experiments and a great deal of financial investment in an attempt to rediscover traditional skills and processes – skills which were at one point so commonly understood that they were barely even documented. This process of rediscovery of traditional skills is still going on in most part of the UK and Western Europe. Sadly, some building types only survive in open air museums rather than being kept in a sustainable use (Fig 6).
Fig. 5 The remains of a traditional thatched cottage on Tiree, Scotland
Fig. 6 ‘preserved’ thatched buildings on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
Although there was no structured programme of local site visits to properties in the village during the stay in Meziad (due to restrictions on time and other priorities), some visits to local vernacular buildings would have been very beneficial to gain a fuller understanding of lime use in maintaining traditional buildings in Romania. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the use of cement is becoming widespread for maintaining/improving houses in the areas visited. Indeed we witnessed several examples of cement being prepared and used on houses within the village. The risk is that cement (particularly modern varieties) is very poorly suited for use alongside unfired/low fired bricks, clay, timber, wattle and daub and earth plasters/mortars. It is astonishing that cement is being used in Meziad, despite is technical incompatibility with the local materials and despite there being a high quality, locally produced and cheaper alternative readily available. We were informed that for an outlay of around £250 enough quicklime was produced in one ‘burn’ to make around 10 tonnes of high quality lime putty. This can be sold at market for around £2500 – which represents a very healthy profit margin. So long as there is demand, lime burning in this way appears to make good financial sense. It would be very interesting to see a cost comparison between equivalent quantities of locally produced lime and manufactured cement to understand whether the increasing use of cement is based on cost, convenience, or simply a belief that it is a ‘better’ product.
This situation again mirrors that in Scotland, where local lime production and use was replaced by cement for the repair and maintenance of traditional buildings. The use of cement was so poorly understood, and the loss of knowledge of lime mortars so widespread, that cement mortars were even specified and supported by heritage organisations for repair of historic monuments. The National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland have both been complicit in this practice in the past, albeit with good intentions. The use of cement for repair of traditional buildings in many cases led to the accelerated decay and sometimes extensive and irreparable damage to weaker substrates such as stone, brick and earth. The consequences of this are evident throughout Scotland, on large and small, grand and modest buildings, where stone decay and dampness is now common. Only after the ‘lime revival’ of the mid 1980s was there a change of approach amongst building professionals. Once again the skills and understanding needed to use lime successfully had been lost, and has had to be re-learnt. For those not closely involved in building conservation, and even for those who are appropriately trained, the situation caused by this historic abandonment of traditional skills in the UK has led to much confusion, disputes and many expensive mistakes being made, as well as a great deal of damage to our built heritage. Nowadays, specialist ‘Lime Consultants’ enjoy a brisk trade, as its use is considered (by many) to be ‘specialist’ and complicated.
Today, while there is a much greater appreciation of the use and benefits of lime in Scotland, there remains great difficulty in ensuring contractors have the correct levels of skill and understanding. As a result there is a growing movement towards the use of pre-mixed mortars. Whilst these offer consistent results and convenience of use, they remove the need for the individual craftsperson to have a real understanding or feel for the constituent parts of the mix. Buildings, materials, climates and local conditions vary widely even within a relatively small country as Scotland, and the local materials, used with the benefit of generations of local experience, are often the best to use for repair and maintenance. An off-the-shelf and highly processed product is unlikely to offer the best match technically or aesthetically.
Fig. 7 Thatched buildings such as this field barn may soon be at risk.
We feel that there is an opportunity for Romania to avoid the painful lessons from Scotland, where for several generations, until the late 20th century, much of its vernacular architecture and the traditional skills required to maintain it were lost. It seems that in Romania there are large numbers of relatively untouched vernacular buildings, still in their intended use and maintained because they are useful – not out of sentimentality or appreciation of their ‘rarity’. There is enough of a skills base and understanding of the techniques required to maintain them and ensure their long-term future. However, what is not clear is whether these buildings and traditions are valued enough to ensure their preservation either locally or as a national prerogative. Anecdotal evidence suggests that while higher status buildings are protected by law, no statutory protection seems to be in place for ‘ordinary’ vernacular buildings or their settings. These places, which are so characteristic of rural Romania, are at risk, despite their apparent ubiquity (Fig. 7).
Ironically, the fact that we were able to visit Romania on a funded training programme, supported by the European Union, is undeniably linked to the process of free movement of people and products that has contributed to the loss of traditional skills and a traditional way of life. As younger generations take advantage of the benefits being part of the EU, moving within Romania and abroad to take up jobs or further education, and a life of self-sufficiency is replaced by the pervasive consumer culture of Western Europe, so much tangible and intangible heritage that has great value for current and future generations is at risk of being forgotten. This process of ‘improvement’ wiping away tradition was visibly evident in Meziad, where the installation of new sewage and water pipes had partially destroyed the lime kiln which lay in its way. Amongst the building works, plastic pipes and the lorries which occasionally rumbled past nearby, it was poignant to sit with our Romanian companions, one of whom, Delu, was 80 years old and still employed to watch the ancient cuptor as it burnt throughout the night, loading it with wood to maintain the fire (Fig 8). The lime kiln which we loaded and fired is the only one remaining in the village, whilst along the road which takes tourists up to the nearby limestone caves, there are a series of horseshoe shaped grassy mounds – remnants of dozens of ancient kilns, now abandoned to nature and already archaeology (Fig 9).
Fig. 8 Delu, who tended the kin through the night
Fig. 9 Remnants of abandoned lime kilns
It is easy to become wistful and nostalgic in the Romanian countryside, as it is not so dissimilar from our own before political and economic changes and industrialisation re-shaped the landscape. But the retention of these skills and traditions (of which lime burning is just one) is not about nostalgia or romantic notions. It is as essential for the protection of traditional buildings as the programme of statutory protection that is already in place for higher status buildings. Rather than using modern materials and techniques to maintain these places, perhaps encouraging the continued use of locally produced traditional materials could help preserve the architecture and sustain a local industry. This is a lesson we need to develop further in Scotland, particularly as surveyors sourcing and specifying lime mortars. Having rediscovered the benefits of lime for traditional buildings, the use of processed, manufactured lime products is beginning to erode the skills available to prepare lime mortars on site in the traditional way, and we are still a long way off from sourcing locally produced lime, despite having a long tradition of doing so.
Jessica Hunnisett Snow is a Senior Technical Officer at Historic Scotland. William Napier is a Chartered Building Surveyor, accredited in Building Conservation, at the National Trust for Scotland. .
Came across a LOAD of these growing on substrate, various stages, and sizes. Can't trace them in any of the fungi books. Any ideas?
We don't know exactly what happened. We hibernate them yearly in a large tote full of substrate in a cold room at Mat's lab. We are careful about allowing their metabolisms to slow with the seasons and we wait for them to bury themselves in their outside enclosure before we transfer them. Mat even checks on them midwinter. (He was ok at last inspection.) It's impossible to know how old he was, I owned him for over 25 years, and unfortunately there are still tortoises in the pet trade that are wild caught. (That was especially true of larger retailers then.)
He was a tough and curious little pain in the butt who fathered all of our babies. He was the first to greet anyone who walked to their yard and even though I always feared him biting my toes, he never did. Sweetpea is the man of the herd now and though that actually makes for a better group (sometimes males can be aggressive towards each other), I'm heartbroken.
Rest well, little Ivan. 💔
Crowned Earthstar / geastrum coronatum. Norfolk. 29/09/17.
A record shot of some of a group of c9 Crowned Earthstars discovered late afternoon after I'd followed directions kindly given by another fungi enthusiast. Although under a large conifer that obscured most light, I was elated to eventually locate them - a first sighting for me! As I was staying locally, I planned to return in order to make more images in better light.
The fruiting bodies shown were old and way past their best. Most of the peridium 'rays' had decomposed and were starting to curl up at their points. The darkened spore-sacs were largely empty too.