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This is the first published
Electronic Newspaper for
Shoreham-by-Sea and the
Adur Valley & District, West Sussex, England
Local News
The new Harbour Club is completed opening up on to the main area for the rare plant known as the Childing Pink.
If this plant is to survive in one of only two locations in Sussex, careful management will be necessary. West Sussex County Council have constructed a wooden surround, but the main area that the plant colonises is actually on the silver sands near the club and shown in the picture and outside of the wooden barrier.
There are plans by the South Downs Conservation Board to graze cows on the public land known as Mill Hill.At the last juncture they do not seem to be concerned about erosion of the steep slopes and arrogantly maintain that they know what they are doing.
These downs are an important short sward chalkhill grassland habitat which the Government is obliged to protect from scrub incursions under the EC Habitats Plan.
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 2003
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WILDLIFE REPORTS
2 March 2003
A Great Tit was calling loudly and persistently from a tree in the south-western corner of Buckingham Park, Shoreham. The first Frog spawn is laid amongst the few sticks of weeds in the back garden of 40 The Drive (near Buckingham Park), Shoreham-by-Sea, (TQ 219 063) some 16 days later than the spawn was laid in Lancing, and 26 days after the first frogs were seen in the pond.
A Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, was discovered under the forcing cover of the rhubarb plants on our Lancing Manor allotment.
Shrew Page1 March 2003
Five Purple Sandpipers as well as about five Turnstones were on the central wooden pier near the Old Fort, Shoreham Beach. (TQ 234 045)Report by Richard Fairbank
26 February 2003
In the fading light a couple of Shelducks waddled in the mud just south of the Toll Bridge.
It was a surprise to see a black Brent Goose (Black Brant) wading around the edges and swimming on the surface of Widewater Lagoon.
25 February 2003
A Dunnock (Hedge Sparrow) was spotted foraging on fallen sunflower seeds underneath the bird table in my south Lancing garden (TQ 186 044).
21 February 2003
On a half spring tide there was one actively feeding Bar-tailed Godwit, on the edge and shallow water, dipping its long beak repeatedly in the mud, with a small flock of Dunlins and a handful of stationary Grey Plovers.19 February 2003
Withy Patch stroud (TQ 193 057)
Nothing until I started pushing, then two Blue Tits, two Great Tits, four Long-tailed Tits, a Goldcrest and a couple of Robins hopped out. Also a distant Great Spotted Woodpecker calling calling but unfortunately no Willow Tit, and no Barn Owl which I had seen there before.Report by Richard FairbankPrevious Report from Withy Patch
18 February 2003
At least 30 Pochards swam on Brooklands Boating lake in the middle of the afternoon.17 February 2003
Two Shelducks with bright red beaks followed by a Ruddy Shelduck ventured close in to the shore on a high spring tide just south of the Old Shoreham Toll Bridge and swam around poking their heads under water, presumably to tug at the vegetation to eat.
Adur Estuary
In the drainage ditches surrounding the sheep fields on the Adur levels by the Waterworks (north of Old Shoreham) the water was covered by ice at a thickness of 20 mm at midday. It was not clear if the frogs had laid their spawn yet. The deeper slow running stream was clear of ice.
At 2:30 pm the dew point was minus 7.4°C, the humidity down to 40% but the temperature which had been above freezing for most of the day had risen to 5.4°C in a light breeze (Force 2) that chilled at 3.2°C.
Beaufort Scale12 February 2003
On a misty drizzly day the Ruddy Shelduck sheltered in the lee of the island on Brookland's Boating Lake, with over fifty Coots, a couple of Moorhens and a small flock of about a dozen Pochards which could be seen reasonably close up (with 10 x 25 binoculars) with their attractive maroon head (male only).
In the stroud by the weighbridge just to the west of Withy Patch, Lancing, (TQ 193 057) I heard the call of the Willow Tit, the call repeated four times in one burst, distinctly, despite the hum of the traffic as dusk approached, before all the other hidden birds burst into song.
Call of the Willow Tit (second call heard)
Great Tit call (can sound a bit like that of the Willow Tit)
Previous Report
Just north of the Old Shoreham Toll Bridge, every 30 metres or so there was a Chaffinch, in the hedgerow next to the horse field, a frequently seen bird, but not as readibly noticeable when there is greenery on the bushes.After the mist cleared there were a pair of Peregrine Falcons circling over the Shoreham Harbour Power Station chimney, one falcon going into the large nest box on the southern side and the other bird right on top of the chimney.
Report by Peter Talbot-ElsdenBreeding ReportThere was a ripple of activity on the pond in my back garden, in south Lancing (TQ 186 044) as I checked on it this morning. A pair of mating Frogs are resting on the surface among the weed near the edge of pond. They are tending a freshly produced clump of spawn.
The pond and spawn froze over night.
10 February 2003
As the tide rolled in covering up the sand on the beach by Widewater Lagoon a small flock of Sanderlings flew around and settled on the fine shingle nearer the water's edge and a Turnstone wandered over the rock sea defences, its red legs and white under tail feathers particularly clear. Over the grass adjacent to the lagoon itself, a large brown Kestrel hovered.Report by June Brown
9 February 2003
A Mayfly larva from my garden pond at x 60 magnification
Discovered by Katherine Hamblett
Image by Ray Hamblett (Lancing Nature)
- British
Web Sites
Dragonflies
of the Hampshire & Surrey Borders
Flight
Times (First Seen)
- Historical
Snippets
The
Marlipins
Museum excavation has revealed (but not revealed to the public yet)
some interesting discoveries and volunteers are still needed for the dig
that finishes on 14 March 2003.
Adur Valley Book ListSussex Archaeological Society
http://www.sussexpast.co.uk
- Words
of the Week.
transpire | transpL, trn- | v. LME. [Fr. transpirer or med.L transpirare, f. L TRANS- + spirare breathe.] 1 v.t. a Emit or cause (a gas or liquid) to pass as vapour through the walls or surface of a body; esp. (of an animal) give off or discharge (waste matter etc.) through the skin; (of a plant) give off (watery vapour) through the leaf stomata etc. Also, exhale (an odour); breathe forth (vapour or fire). LME. b Physics. Cause (a gas or liquid) to pass through the pores or walls of a vessel. Now rare. M19. 2 v.i. a Of a body: emit vapour or perfume; give out an exhalation. Of an animal body: give off moisture through the skin; perspire. Now rare or obs. M17. b Of a plant: give off watery vapour through the stomata of the leaves etc. L19. 3 v.i. Of a volatile substance, water, etc.: pass out as vapour through pores; evaporate. M17. 4 v.i. fig. Become known indirectly or unintentionally; leak out. Also, prove to be the case, turn out. M18. b Occur, happen. L18.
fasciated | faetd | a. E18. [f. FASCIA + -ATE2 + -ED1. Cf. Fr. fascie.] 1 Archit. Of a ceiling: coved on two opposite sides only. Only in E18. 2 Marked with bands or stripes. M18. 3 Bot. Exhibiting abnormal fusion of parts or organs normally separate, resulting in a flattened ribbon-like structure. Cf. FASCIATION 1. M19.
a priori, a term from epistemology meaning knowledge or concepts which can be gained independently of all experience. It is contrasted with a posteriori knowledge, in which experience plays an essential role. Statements such as 'all bachelors are unmarried' are known as analytic truths: the concept 'bachelor' and the concept 'unmarried' are inter-definable. Analytic truths, then, provide one form of a priori knowledge. For example, simply because of the meaning of the concept 'bachelor', we know a priori that if John is a bachelor, then John has no wife. On the other hand, knowledge of whether John is a bachelor or not would be a posteriori because its discovery requires some form of empirical investigation. The extent of a priori knowledge is much debated. Rationalists and others, including Kant, argue that we can have substantial a priori knowledge. Empiricist philosophies, though, generally limit a priori knowledge to that derivable from analytic truths. (See also nativism.)
a posteriori | e psterrL, pst-; p- | adv. & a. phr. E17. [L = from what comes after.] 1 Of reasoning: (by) proceeding from effects to causes; inductive(ly), empirical(ly). Opp. A PRIORI. E17. 2 From behind; on the buttocks. joc. M18.
epistemology | pstmldi, e- | n. M19. [f. Gk epistemo- comb. form of episteme knowledge, f. epistasthai know (how to do) + -OLOGY.] The branch of philosophy that deals with the varieties, grounds, and validity of knowledge.epistemological a. L19. epistemologically adv. in an epistemological manner; with reference to epistemology: L19. epistemologist n. L19.
empirical
| emprk()l, m- | a. M16. [f. prec. + -AL1.] 1 Based on, guided by,
or employing observation and experiment rather than theory; (of a remedy,
rule, etc.) used because it works, or is believed to. M16. b That
practises medicine without scientific knowledge. L17-M19. 2 Derived from
or verifiable by experience, esp. sense-experience. M17.
1 J. BARNES A co-operative
farming venture left him with some empirical knowledge, but little understanding
of horticultural principle. M. H. ABRAMS By setting out from and terminating
in an appeal to the facts, any good aesthetic theory is, indeed, empirical
in method. 2 J. S. MILL An empirical lawis an observed uniformityresolvable
into simpler laws, but not yet resolved into them.
Special collocations: empirical
formula Chem.: giving the proportions of the various elements present in
a molecule, not the actual number of atoms or their arrangement. empirical
psychologist an exponent or adherent of empirical psychology.
empirically adv. M17.
empiricalness n.: only in M17.
ruderal | rud()r()l | a. & n. M19. [f. as prec. + -AL1.] Bot. A adj. Growing on waste ground or among rubbish. M19. B n. A ruderal plant. E20.
myopic
| mLpk | a. & n. E19. [f. prec. + -IC.] A adj. Of, pertaining
to, or affected with myopia; short-sighted, near-sighted. E19.
A.
PRYCE-JONES She was very fair, with huge myopic blue eyes. M. WEST Eyes
scarcely visible behind thick myopic lenses. fig.: G. DURRELL They had
been very myopic about the whole thing.
B
n. = MYOPE n. L19.myopical a. (rare) = MYOPIC a. M18. myopically adv. in
the manner of a short-sighted person E20.
ontogeny
| ntdni | n. L19. [f. ONTO- + -GENY.] 1 Biol. The origin and development
of the individual organism; ontogenesis. L19. 2 The branch of science
that deals with ontogenesis. L19.
1 J. B. WATSON The recapitulation
theory holds that ontogeny repeats phylogeny.
ontogenic a. = ONTOGENETIC
L19. ontogenically adv. L19. ontogenist n. L19.
---------------------------------------------------------
Excerpted
from The Oxford Interactive Encyclopedia
Developed
by The Learning Company, Inc. Copyright (c) 1997 TLC Properties Inc.
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LiteratureGREAT FISH FINGER DISASTER
Come all you gallant sailors
Who sail across the sea
And listen to this story
I'm about to tell to thee
Concerning those bold fishermen
Who sail the seas so wet
A hunting for fish-fingers
With a harpoon and a netTwas in the year of 64
or was it 63?
That we set sail from Brighton Pier
Bound for Americee
The storms they was a-raging
And the waves a dreadful sight
It took us forty days, me boys
To reach the Isle Of WightOur captain's name was Gladys
And he wore a dress of red
Which might have been the reason
He was not married
He was the gay old sea dog
And it was his favourite joy
To take a stroll around the deck
With the handsome cabin boyTwo hundred miles from Iceland
A mighty shoal we spied
MacFisheries Fish-fingers
Came a-floating against the tide
We set off in our longboats
But then our luck we cursed
Alas we were too late
The chinese take-away got there firstThose slant-eyed heathens came at us
They was a dreadful crew
All brandishing computers
And giving it the old Kung-Fu
We sang to them a sea shanty
But they did not want to know
Their skipper felled our mizzen mast
With one Karate blowWe came back to old England
A twelve months and a day
It would have been much quicker, but
We took the pretty way
No more I'll go fish-fingering
On the frozen arctic shore
Next year I'll hunt beef-burgers
On the plains of Ilkey Moor
Image Gallery
River Adur from the south-east end of the Footbridge
Photograph by Andy Horton
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 March 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.
INDEX
OF PREVIOUS ISSUES (Link)
