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This is the first published
Electronic Newspaper for
Shoreham-by-Sea and the
Adur Valley & District, West Sussex, England
Local NewsJanuary 2003
Archaeology South-East have been awarded the contract for the archaeological dig on Ropetackle, Shoreham.There is a plan to introduce cows grazing on Mill Hill during the winter months. This appears to be without consultation with the public. the reason purported is to control the spread of the scrub. There is not mention of erosion of the chalk sward, the process known as "soil creep" where the soil moves down the steep slope, extenuated by overgrazing and can form terraces, bare patches which are more likely to be colonised by annual plants, whereas the chalkhill turf contains 90% perennials.
There is extended discussions on UK-Leps, UK-Botany and UK-Wildlife. Search Messages under various subject headings including:
27 January - 28 February 2003
The South Downs National Park Designation Order with maps will be put on deposit. During this time representations can be made to the Secretary of State, Margaret Becket.
Clubs and societies are invited to hold an evening Adur World Oceans Day event.
See below for the AWOD events pencilled in for the Adur Festival 2003.
Please send any comments to: Andy Horton
Glaucus@hotmail.com
Wildlife Notes
7 March 2003
Adur World Oceans Day 2003
The next meeting of the Adur World Oceans Day group. All the major participants should confirm their attendance before this day so that the organisation for publicity, planning logistics and other arrangements can be progressed.
Acrobat Information File on Adur World Oceans Day 200327 January - 28 February 2003
The South Downs National Park Designation Order with maps will be put on deposit. During this time representations can be made to the Secretary of State, Margaret Becket.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------WILDLIFE REPORTS
January 2003
There is a plan to introduce cows grazing on Mill Hill during the winter months. This appears to be without consultation with the public. The reason purported is to control the spread of the scrub. There is not mention of erosion of the chalk sward, the process known as "soil creep" where the soil moves down the steep slope, extenuated by overgrazing and can form terraces, bare patches which are more likely to be colonised by annual plants, whereas the chalkhill turf contains 90% perennials.7 February 2003
A couple of Purple Sandpipers were on the Inner East Pier (by the Old Fort) of Shoreham Harbour, a couple of hours before high water.Report by Chris Barfield via the Sussex Birds Yahoo Group
6 February 2003
A pair of Long-tailed Tits descended from the eight metre Hawthorn Tree at the bottom of my south Lancing garden (TQ 186 044) to feed on peanuts at the feeder.
2 February 2003
A Great Tit with a posse of Blue Tits was another first for the back garden 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), Shoreham-by-Sea, (TQ 219 063). Three Common Frogs were in the pond, but no spawn had been laid.
A flock of 20+ Jackdaws rose from the tall Linden (Small-leaved Lime) trees in same road.30 January 2003
In the town there was a flurry of snow. On the downs there was a light covering which disappeared by the following day.
The Dewpond at Lancing Clump
Photograph by Ray Hamblett (Lancing Nature)29 January 2003
A Bullfinch visited my Shermanbury garden this morning.Report by Allen Pollard via the Adur Valley EForumUpper Adur East (Shermanbury area) Nature Pages27 January 2003
The sun came out today and there was a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly in my my Shermanbury garden.Report by Allen Pollard via the Adur Valley EForumShermanbury FootpathsMidday: It was a low neap tide at 1.6 metres on the Adur between the Toll Bridge and the Railway Viaduct with over a thousand Black-headed Gulls, nearly a thousand Lapwings, over a hundred Dunlins, an uncounted number of Ringed Plovers, a handful of Great Black-backed Gulls, at least three Cormorants fanning their wings on the mud banks, the inevitable Mute Swans, an occasional feeding Redshank, and just a solitary actively feeding Bar-tailed Godwit, in the shallow water, dipping its long beak repeatedly in the mud, the raised slightly upcurved beak slightly agape. This bird selection is usual perhaps even slightly disappointing for the first two months of the year. Crows were amongst the mud and rocks and even House Sparrows were feeding amongst the Sea Purslane.
3:30 pm: The river still looked very low although the tide measurement at the harbour entrance was now 3 metres. A Grey Heron had arrived and stood like a stature at the end of the sand spit with 30 newly arrived Great Black-backed Gulls, plus some Herring Gulls. The Godwit and most of the Lapwings had departed, but amongst the hundred plus Dunlins, exactly a dozen Grey Plovers stood out looking like dumpy oversized Dunlins with short beaks and black legs.26 January 2003
A lovely male Red Breasted Merganser was on the small island at the eastern end of the Widewater Lagoon from 2.45 pm until 3.15 pm when I left.Report by Bob Kent (Lancing) via the Lancing Nature Smart GroupA Bar-tailed Godwit was spotted just south of the Old Shoreham Toll Bridge, the first time I have seen this wader here. This confirmed my earlier report. Also a very lonely-looking Brent Goose was around!
24 January 2003
Birds have been discovered washed up oiled but still alive on the beaches between Southwick and Worthing, mostly Guillemots, but at least one Razorbill was discovered in a distressed condition. The source of the oil is not known, but these oiled birds are reported every year and some are treated by the Worthing & District Animal Rescue Service (WADARS).Report from local beach walkers and in the Shoreham Herald
23 January 2003
At high tide, there was just a small patch of mud covered in greenery (Glasswort and algae) south of the Toll Bridge (TQ 207 058), occupied by about 150 Lapwings and one other mottled grey and white wader with a long almost straight beak and a glimpse of black tail feathers. The Lapwings were disturbed but this bird remained unperturbed. Occasionally, it tucked its beak into his chest so the beak was invisible. I watched it for over ten minutes, long enough for a plump Ringed Plover to arrive. Still the wader remained stationary with just a few struts in shallow water on firm mud on the tideline, but it did not feed. It was definitely a Godwit, and I think (90% sure) it was a Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica, and this was the first time I have noticed (through binoculars) this easily overlooked wading bird on the estuary. Black-tailed Godwits have also been recorded on the Adur.The Peregrine Falcon appeared on the north side of the Shoreham Harbour Power Station chimney (TQ 246 048) at breakfast time (8:00 am) this morning.
Nest Box Link
Earlier (2002) ReportsReport by Peter Talbot-Elsden
21 January 2003With due southerly winds up the Gale Force 7 at times pushing a high spring tide (6.2 metres) against the shingle beach, there was very little foreshore by Brooklands Boating Lake and the Ringed Plovers (at least 4 probably more) occupied the crest of the shingle bank and even ventured on to the coastal path.
The strandline showed nothing exceptional. A dozen egg purses of the Thornback Ray (Mermaid's Purses) were washed up in the space of 25 metres on the Old Fort beach. By Ferry Road beach, Shoreham, over a dozen Cuttlefish bones lay scattered about with the flotsam in the space of 25 metres. These are Sepia officinalis as only this one, the commonest of the large cuttlefish, are found in Sussex seas.
BMLSS Cuttlefish and Cuttlebones
Coastal Fringe (Shoreham Beach)20 January 2003
At first I thought it was two Wrens in my my back garden, in south Lancing (TQ 186 044): the bird was similar in size to a wren but moved in a more restless erratic
manner, the yellow flash on the head showed it as a Goldcrest.
19 January 2003
In the tiny front garden of 123 Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham (west side, midway between the Swiss Cottage going north to the Amsterdam, with back gardens that back on to the old railway track waste land adjacent to the River Adur) a large healthy looking Red Fox almost filled the garden with its presence at 3:00 pm on a bright cloudless afternoon. It remained in-situ long enough for me to get the camera out of its bag, but bounded off over the low walls separating the gardens and disappeared from view before I could focus and press the shutter.18 January 2003
Looking for Willow Tits near the Withy Patch (TQ 192 057), Lancing, alas, there was only a couple of Blue Tits.
Willow Tits at Withy Patch 200216 January 2003
A pair of Shelducks were on the Adur between the Railway Viaduct and the Toll Bridge.Report by Jan Hamblett (Lancing Nature)
A small wren-sized bird flew just like a wren and it looked a bit like a miniature chaffinch but with a much more colourful head. It was in the palms and greenery at the sea end of a large garden at the eastern end (TQ 186 037) of Lancing Beach Green. Alas, the sighting was very brief, but this was my first ever observation of a Goldcrest, the smallest British bird. The Goldcrest is reported as being common enough in Sussex. (The bird looked to me more like a Firecrest, but this latter bird is 25 times less likely than the former.) This bird was accompanied by an ordinary Wren.14 January 2003
As the low tide rolled in over the sandy flats immediately to the west of the Brooklands outfall pipe, there was commotion in the shallow sea as at least one hundred Cormorants and a similar number of mixed gulls all collected in a very small patch of very shallow (less than a metre deep) rolling sea. 30+ Sanderlings pattered across the exposed mud, this small bird regularly probing for food. The Cormorant count for this area is usually about 30.12 January 2003
A Waxwing is spotted in St Mary's churchyard, Shoreham, SW of railway station at 4.10 pm (TQ 216 051). It was perched in one of the trees (not feeding) before making two short flights to the western edge of the churchyard and then lost to my view.
This colourful bird is a truly extraordinary and newsworthy sight. Small irruptions rarely occur from their northern European wintering grounds. This bird is a very rare sight in Sussex. It has been recorded on a handful of occasions in Shoreham in the last 50 years, but the last time was as long ago as 1965.Report by Chris Corrigan via Sussex Ornithological Society NewsWaxwing Web Page
SOS Waxwing Records
Waxwing Photographs (not this bird)A fairly heavy hoar frost greeted us this morning. "Hoar frost occurs when water vapour touches a very cold surface and freezes on it instantly. This can happen to the leaves and branches of plants, and will cover them with ice crystals that look like spiky fingers."
An Oystercatcher perched on a wooden groyne on Kingston beach. It was at neap low tide so the mussel beds and sandy and weed shore below the shingle would not be uncovered today.
Clouds R US Frost Page
The fish pond at Ewhurst Manor, near Shermanbury was completely frozen over except for one small area.
Report by Allen Pollard via the Adur Valley EForumUpper Adur East (Shermanbury area) Nature Pages11 January 2003
A dog Fox was seen crossing the Mile Oak Road close to the 6th Form College, High Street, Portslade Village, at 12.30 pm. As I drove slowly toward the narrow part of the road before the blind corner close to the school. I had no other cars behind me and out of the corner of my eye I saw an animal walk onto the road. I slowed and stopped. To my astonishment I watched a fully grown Red Fox leisurely cross the road in front of me, it climbed a small bank briefly cocking a leg to scent mark the gap in the hedge of the garden it entered. All this in bright sunshine!
9 January 2003
Black-headed Gulls were standing on the thin layer of ice that covered nearly the whole expanse of Widewater Lagoon, the Mute Swans were restricted to a small area of clear water near the houses. The Little Egret was predictably missing as it would have had few opportunities to feed in the frozen margins.
The small pipits on the shingle above high tide mark looked like Meadow Pipits. The air temperature only crept above freezing at midday, where 30 Mallards on the mud flats near the Footbridge, buried their heads into their feathers.
On the small area of exposed mudflats (TQ 210 053) just north of the Railway Viaduct spanning the Adur at Shoreham, a couple of Oystercatchers were probing continually in the soft mud for food. The usual Lapwings were present, and I heard the squawky alarm call of the Redshank twice within 30 metres of riverbank, but it was the hundreds of Dunlins all over the mud, not just at the water's edge, that were most noticeable. They were more numerous near the Toll Bridge.8 January 2003
Widewater Page (by Ray Hamblett)
A thin layer of ice formed over the shallow fringes of Widewater Lagoon.
Engineers have begun the first stage of the seawater pipe installation at Widewater Lagoon.New Pipeline Installation Notes
Widewater Page (by Ray Hamblett
Engineers have begun the first stage of the seawater pipe installation at Widewater Lagoon. The sections black plastic pipe are being joined by a heat welding machine. The process takes about one and a half hours for each section. Two joins have been made, there will be about twenty more joins to complete the pipe which is designed to allow topping up of the lagoon should it suffer lack of water in summer as a result of the sea defence works currently in progress. The site of the installation is being plotted on the ground towards the west end of the lagoon. The work is expected to be completed in March 2003.
The best bit of Ringed Plover nesting habitat and the most attractive bit of the flora (Sea Thrift and Stonecrops) of the lagoon fringes has been churned to pieces. The location of the pipeline was changed at the last minute. The top soil/gravel is meant to be returned in the place from where it was removed.
Photograph (by Steve Barker) before the Pipeline
- British
Web Sites
Dragonflies
of the Hampshire & Surrey Borders
Flight
Times (First Seen)
- Historical
Snippets
1323 A person called Lamb was a prominent wool merchant in Shoreham.
1791 Southdown Sheep
(improvement of the breed 1788) introduced to Erringham Farm, north of
Shoreham . By 1829, his flock attracted international attention because
of improved fleece and superior mutton. (ref: Peter Brandon, the
South Downs, 1998 pic).
Southdown
Sheep (External site)
Adur Valley Book ListSussex Archaeological Society
http://www.sussexpast.co.uk
- Words
of the Week.
Schadenfreude | d()nfrd | n. Also s-. L19. [G, f. Schaden harm + Freude joy.] Malicious enjoyment of another's misfortune
delimit | dlmt | v.t. M19. [Fr. delimiter f. L delimitare, f. de- DE- 1 + limitare: see LIMIT v.] Mark or determine the limits of; define the territorial boundary of. delimitate v.t. = DELIMIT L19. delimitative a. having the function of delimiting L19. delimiter n. (Computing) a character etc. used to indicate the beginning or end of a group of characters or a field M20
pedigree
| pedri | n. & a. LME. [AN pe de grue (lit. 'foot of a
crane'), f. pe (OFr. pie, mod. pied) foot + grue crane (from a mark used
to denote succession in a genealogical tree).] A n. 1 A genealogical table
or tree; a genealogy presented in tabular form. LME. 2 The ancestry
or descent of a person, family, or domestic animal. LME. b transf. Origin
and succession, derivation. M16. c The history of an individual person
or thing; a list of achievements; a criminal record. colloq. E20. 3 Descent
in the abstract, esp. distinguished or ancient descent. LME. 4 A
family, a line of succession; a long series of people. Now rare. M16.
2 C. DARWIN The pedigree
of a race-horse is of more value than its appearance. E. WAUGH Few Englishmencould
not assume a mediaeval name if they chose to pick about in their pedigree.
b A. N. WILSON Manning's view of 'Catholic society' had an equally hybrid
pedigree. c Daily Telegraph Candidates should have a good product management
pedigree. 3 S. HASTINGS Countess Costa de Beauregard, an old lady of distinguished
pedigree.
B attrib. or as adj.
Esp. of an animal: having a recorded line of descent from known progenitors;
of pure stock. M19.pedigreed a. (a)= PEDIGREE a.; (b)slang having a criminal
record: E19.
metathesis | metathss, m- | n. Pl. -theses | -thsiz | . L16. [Late L f. Gk, f. metatithenai transpose, change, f. as META- + tithenai put, place.] 1 Ling. The transposition of sounds or letters in a word; the result of such a transposition. Formerly also, the transposition of words. L16. 2 Med. Spread of a disease within the body, metastasis; movement of diseased matter to another part of the body. L17-M19. 3 gen. Change or reversal of condition. E18. 4 Chem. (An) interchange of an atom or atoms between two different molecules; esp. double decomposition. L19.metathesize v.i. & t. (Ling.) undergo or subject to metathesis E20. metathetic | metthetk | , metathetical | -thetk()l | adjs. characterized by or involving metathesis M19.
e.g. OE brid = bird; AH
epitaph
| eptf, -taf | n. & v. LME. [(O)Fr. epitaphe f. L epitaphium
funeral oration f. Gk epitaphion use as n. of neut. of epitaphios over
or at a tomb or burial, f. as EPI- + taphos obsequies, tomb.] A n. An inscription
upon a tomb; a brief composition characterizing a dead person. LME.
fig.: R. W. EMERSON The
rolling rock leaves its scratches on the mountain the fern and leaf their
modest epitaph in the coal.
onomatopoeia | n()matpi | n. L16. [Late L f. Gk onomatopoiia making of words, f. onomatopoios, f. as ONOMATO- + -poios making, f. poiein make, create: see -IA1.] 1 The formation of a word by an imitation of the sound associated with the thing or action designated; the principle or practice of forming words by this process. L16. 2 A word formed by this process. M19. 3 Rhet. The use of naturally suggestive language for rhetorical effect. M19.onomatopoeian a. = ONOMATOPOEIC M19. onomatopoeic a. of, pertaining to, or characterized by onomatopoeia; imitative in sound: M19. onomatopoeically adv. E20. onomatopoeics n.pl. (treated as sing. or pl.) = ONOMATOPOEIA M20.
winnow | wn | n. L16. [f. the vb.] 1 A winnowing-fan or other device for winnowing grain etc. L16. 2 An act of winnowing; a motion resembling this, as the swing of a hanging object, the sweep of wings. Chiefly poet. E19.
winnow
| wn | v. [OE windwian, f. wind WIND n.1] 1 v.t. & i. Expose
(grain etc.) to the wind or to a current of air so that unwanted lighter
particles of chaff etc. are separated or blown away; clear of waste material
in this way. OE. b fig. Subject to a process which separates the various
parts or components, esp. the good from the bad; clear of worthless or
inferior elements. LME. 2 v.t. a Separate or drive off (lighter or unwanted
particles) by exposing to the wind or a current of air; fig. separate (the
worthless part from the valuable); get rid of, clear away, eliminate (something
undesirable). OE. b Separate (the valuable part from the worthless);
extract, select, or obtain (something desirable) by such separation (now
usu. foll. by out). E17. 3 v.t. & i. Move (something) as if in the
process of winnowing; beat, fan, (the air), flap (the wings), wave (the
fins). L16. 4 poet. a v.t. Waft, diffuse; fan with a breeze. M18. b v.i.
Of the air etc.: blow fitfully or in gusts. L18.
1
E. FORBES The tea iswinnowed and sifted, so as to free it from impurities.
b G. MACDONALD Sorrow is not a part of lifebut a wind blowing throughout
it, to winnow and cleanse it. 2b SIR W. SCOTT Winnowing out the few grains
of truthcontained in this mass of empty fiction. 3 R. BURNS Winnowing blythe
her dewy wings In morning's rosy eye.
Comb.:
winnow-cloth, winnow-sheet (long obs. exc. dial.) a large sheet of cloth
used in winnowing grain.
winnower
n. LME.
myrmeco-
| mmk, mmik | comb. form of Gk murmek-, murmex ant
(freq. taken to include termites).myrmecochore n. [Gk khorein spread]
Bot. an oily seed adapted to facilitate dispersal by ants; a plant with
such seeds: E20. myrmecochorous a. (Bot.) that is a myrmecochore; pertaining
to myrmecochores: E20. myrmecological a. of or pertaining to myrmecology
L19. myrmecologist n. an expert in or student of myrmecology E20. myrmecology
n. the scientific study of ants L19. myrmecophagid n. & a. (Zool.)
(a)n. an anteater of the family Myrmecophagidae; (b)adj. pertaining to
or designating this family: L19. myrmecophagous a. that eats ants, characterized
by feeding on ants M19. myrmecophile n. a myrmecophilous insect L19. myrmecophilous
a. (Bot. & Zool.) pertaining to or exhibiting
myrmecophily
M19. myrmecophily n. (Bot. & Zool.) the condition of living in association
with ants, esp. (in an insect) of living in an ant colony or (in a plant)
of being specially adapted to feed or shelter ants L19. myrmecophyte n.
a myrmecophilous plant, an ant-plant L19.
homogeneous
| hm()dins, -den-; hm- | a. M17. [f. med.L homogeneus, f. Gk homogenes
of the same kind, f. as HOMO- + genos kind: see -OUS. See also HOMOGENOUS
a.2] 1 Of the same kind, nature, or character; alike, similar, congruous.
M17. 2 Consisting of parts or elements of the same kind; of uniform
character throughout. M17. b Physics. Of light or other radiation: monochromatic.
L18. c Physical Chem. Consisting of, or involving a single phase. L19.
d Of a nuclear reactor: having the fuel uniformly mixed with the moderator.
M20. 3 Math. Of the same kind or degree; consisting of terms of the same
dimensions. L17.
3
homogeneous coordinates: replaced by their ratios such that equations in
the system are homogeneous.
homogeneously
adv. M17. homogeneousness n. M17.
sward
| swd | n. & v. [OE sweard (beside swearp: see SWARTH n.1), corresp.
to OFris., MLG, MDu. swarde hairy skin, MHG swarte (G Schwarte bacon rind,
crust), ON svordr skin (of the head), walrus hide: ult. origin unkn.] A
n. 1 The skin of the body; esp. (now dial.) the rind of pork or bacon.
OE. 2 The surface or upper layer of soil usu. covered with grass
or other herbage; a stretch of grassy turf. Orig. chiefly in sward of the
earth, sward of the ground, etc. LME.
Comb.:
sward-cutter an implement for cutting a tough sward in preparation for
ploughing.
B
v. 1 v.i. Form a sward; become covered with grassy turf. E17. 2 v.t. Cover
with a sward. Usu. in pass. E17.swarded a. covered with a sward or grassy
turf; turfed: E16. swardy a. covered with sward, swarded, turfy M17.
---------------------------------------------------------
Excerpted
from The Oxford Interactive Encyclopedia
Developed
by The Learning Company, Inc. Copyright (c) 1997 TLC Properties Inc.
Tucows Software Reviews
|
Web
Monkey :
The Web Developer's Resource
Location:
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/
Digital
Photography Review
http://www.dpreview.com/
Computing Net Support Site (for computing problems) ****
http://computing.net/windows95/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
The upsurge of EFora on
all subjects (a
few have been recommended before in these bulletins) are an important way
in which the Internet
will change the world.
A list of recommended eFora
are shown in the left hand column. Please make any suggestions.
Smart
Groups
At
present almost all groups are receiving sustained attacks by spam mail
(junk mail) which is a serious nuisance.
Fight
Spam on the Internet
http://spam.abuse.net/
Literature
Image Gallery
30 January 2003
In the town there was a flurry of snow. On the downs there was a light covering which disappeared by the following day.
The Dewpond at Lancing Clump
Photograph by Ray Hamblett (Lancing Nature)
Sussex Bird Photographs
Peregrine
on the West Pier (19 June 2002)
More
Dragonfly Photographs
Religion in the Adur District (Churches)
Archaeology in Sussex to AD 1500 ****
WSCC
LIBRARY *****
Excellent
and essential service with a full catalogue of books, CDs, videos, on-line
renewals, book ordering.
- The
Glaucus 2002 CD-ROM includes the complete Shoreham-by-Sea
and Adur Valley web sites.
|
ADUR VALLEY EFORUM PAGE |
Events
Farmer's Market
Second
Saturday every month
Next:
8 February 2003
Fresh
produce
East
Street, Shoreham-by-Sea
|
31
May 2003
- Please send in any details of local events.
- Web
Sites
American
Heritage Dictionary of the English Language:
Fourth
Edition *****
- SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY
For any company or organisation wanting nationwide green publicity, there is an opportunity to sponsor the journal "Glaucus" of the British Marine Life Study Society.
There remains sponsorship opportunities on the BMLSS (England) web site and other publications, including Torpedo.
Sponsorship is also available for the Adur Torpedo Electronic News Bulletin and the Shoreham-by-Sea web pages (which preceded the Adur Resource Centre web site), which would be more suitable for a local firm(s).
Web Site Design Services are available from Hulkesmouth Publishing
Normal
advertisement rules apply.
Submissions
accepted by EMail only.
Adur Torpedo was written, designed and distributed by Andy Horton.
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