Good/Bad Luck

The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease - Voltaire

There have been a couple of examples of bad luck this month (May 2026). One is an inconvenience and the other more serious. Firstly the inconvenience. We had arranged to meet our daughter and family at Chedworth Roman Villa during the half-term school holidays. The location was chosen because it is approximately halfway between our respective homes. We had almost made it to the villa (about a mile short) when the front nearside wheel fell off (Photo 1).

Photo 1: Our Three-wheeler Campervan

We were fortunate in that we were travelling at a low speed down this single track minor road (the white mark on the road was the skid mark produced when the wheel hub hit the road). As luck (good this time) would have it, there was a dirt track in the adjacent field that other motorists could use to go around us. Some did do just that but those of a more slightly nervous disposition decided to turn round and find an alternative route.

The incident occurred at around 11:30 in the morning and it was a warm sunny day. We rang the RAC, who provide our breakdown cover, and they promised assistance sometime between 1:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon. Mobile reception in this rural area was intermittent which was another bit of bad luck as we shall see. We managed to contact our daughter, who had arrived at the Roman Villa, to let her know the situation. Someone had to stay with the car (the RAC will not provide assistance if the car is unattended) so we agreed that our son-in-law would come and collect Mary and return to the villa to spend some time with the two grandchildren, etc.

I spent a couple of hours explaining the situation to motorists, telling them the RAC were on their way and redirecting traffic through the field (optional). Fortunately, we had brought some lunch and plenty of water to drink. It was still a warm sunny day. A few hours later ...

... Mary, daughter and family turned up and we spent a few hours all together. The two grandchildren joined me in the 'game' of walking up to oncoming motorists to explain the situation and offer options. The people inconvenienced by our breakdown were wonderfully understanding. Most asked if we were OK, some offered water, some offered to visit a local shop and bring back supplies, while a few got out to inspect the damage and try to see if they could help.

Meanwhile, it was approaching 4:30 pm and there was still no sign of the RAC. My daughter then picked up their patrolman's location on their RAC phone app and he was just minutes away though on a parallel road. Then, out of the blue, we received a message saying he couldn't find us and we were shunted up to the next slot (4:30 to 7:30 pm). Presumably, the patrol(wo)man's shift had finished and they were off home. We will never know why they couldn't find us since they had our Google Maps and What3Words locations.

We said goodbye to our daughter and family around 5 pm as they had an hour and a half's journey back home. I think it was around 7 pm that we had another text from the RAC that our time slot was now 7:30 to 10:30 pm. Time to ring them again. We explained our situation to another operator; in particular that we needed a recovery vehicle as the campervan was not fixable at the roadside. This is, apparently, not standard protocol as a patrol(wo)man has to first assess the situation before ordering a recovery vehicle. The lady at the other end did say she would try to avoid the unnecessary assessment step but couldn't promise anything. It seems she was successful, as we shall find out, but, in the meantime, we were shunted up to the 10:30 pm to 1:30 am slot. We settled down for a long wait. Even the radio packed up as the battery had drained!

Around 8 pm we received a call from Mark who was coming from Oxford with his recovery vehicle. He said he would be with us in about 90 minutes. We breathed a sigh of relief. Things were finally looking up. Even more so when the local gamekeeper (we were travelling through a large pheasant & partridge shooting estate owned by Lord Vestey) and his family returned with food (pizza, crisps, chocolate bars) and drink. They had seen us earlier and had come back to check we were still OK. Wonderful people.

It was probably around 9:30 pm that we had a call from Mark saying he was at the Roman Villa where the RAC had directed him they hadn't passed on our What3Words location!!!). We told him we were close by and Mary (who knew the route) gave him directions. As it was only a mile or so away, we started to get a bit worried when nothing happened for 20 minutes. Another call to Mark and he was clearly having difficulty getting his 12-ton recovery vehicle along the narrow roads. So much so that he had to pre-walk some of the route to make sure he wouldn't get stuck. A few minutes later, we saw the flashing orange lights of his truck which seemed to have stopped.

We started to walk towards the truck (about 500 yards) so we could speak with him. He then walked with us back to the stranded campervan to assess the situation before returning to his vehicle and reversing down the narrow lane so he would be in the correct position to winch the stricken van onto the back of his lorry. I still can't believe how he managed to do it.

It took about 45 minutes or so for Mark to fully assess the situation and winch the campervan slowly and carefully onto the back of his lorry. Meanwhile, the gamekeeper and his family stopped for a quick chat on their return journey from the local social club. We were able to update them on the situation and, once again, thank them profusely.

We arrived home at about 30 minutes after midnight (13 hours after our breakdown). Standard procedure is for the RAC to deliver the vehicle to home or a garage. Neither of these was possible in this instance as it was not possible to contact a garage at such short notice (and during a bank holiday) and our residential road is too narrow for Mark's recovery vehicle. In the end, Mark suggested he take our van back to his depot in Wolverhampton so that the insurance people could assess it there. Mary was especially worried she wouldn't see her beloved campervan again so we emptied the van of all its equipment (pots, pans, folding chairs, etc) and Mark helped us carry them the 100 yards back to our house. We said goodbye to Mark for all his help and for not abandoning us. He told us during our trip back home that his contact at base had told him he could abort the recovery if he couldn't get to us (much like the RAC patrol(wo)man had!). Fortunately for us, that was unacceptable - how could he leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere? I did slip him a tip to thank him.

We were exhausted but glad to be back home. Mary (the only insured driver) contacted the insurance company asap but they told us we weren't covered as it was a mechanical failure and not an accident. We explored a number of options about how we could assess the damage and get an approximate repair cost. I tried to find out the value of the vehicle (£7-8000 if sold to a company, perhaps £11-12,000 if sold privately) to place an upper limit on repair costs. In the end, the campervan was taken down to Devon at no cost (covered by our RAC breakdown policy) to a trusted garage Mary's sister knows. Initial inspection suggested the damage is not as bad as we feared.

The second bit of bad luck is that I've been unwell for a few weeks and this has meant fewer blog posts. It started a few weeks ago when I noticed blood in the urine. After seeing a GP doctor, I was placed on the suspected cancer referral list which should guarantee fast-track testing and diagnosis. It does seem to work and I went into hospital on the 28th May for the removal of a bladder tumour. It will be a month or so until I know whether the tumour is cancerous or benign. In the meantime, I have a catheter fitter which I find very restrictive. I was supposed to have the catheter removed today but due to staff shortages that is not going to happen. The National Health Service is wonderful (especially the people who work for it) but it is seriously underfunded.

Newest Warmest Day in Hereford (2026)

 The two biggest sellers in any bookshop are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it - Andy Rooney

Photo 1: Water Scorpion (Newton Brook, 22/5/26)

The previous record for warmest Hereford day in 2026 was in 26 ℃ on April 8th. It has taken nearly a month for that record to be broken because May has been cooler than normal this year. Sufficiently cool, in fact, that it has delayed sowing and planting out in the kitchen garden. However, the 2026 heat record was finally broken on the 22nd May when the temperature climbed to 28 ℃.

Table 1: May 2026 Temperatures in Hereford

As this excerpt from my Weatherlink.com page shows, May 22nd was 10 ℃ warmer than the average maximum temperature during May 2026. It certainly felt much warmer with just a single layer of clothing (T-shirt) needed well into the evening. Some of that evening was spent doing a Riverfly Survey on our local Newton Brook where we test the water quality as citizen scientists. It has taken a while to get our site approved for the Riverfly Monitoring Scheme as there is quite a bit of training involved.

The good news: we found a water scorpion (Photo 1). The bad news: a predominance of water shrimp (Gammarus pulex) over all other species and no mayfly or caddis fly larvae. This is indicative of a watercourse that is not in the best of health.

We will be doing monthly surveys from now on to establish a baseline population of aquatic animal life over the next year. Then looking at ways to improve the river habitat and water quality.

Feed the Birds? But When and How Often?

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because somebody has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top - Steven Clark

Until recently, we were advised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to feed birds all year round. This advice was changed recently. The reason? A disease called trichomoniasis first noted (2005) in the UK in finches but also now found in pigeons and doves and, to a lesser extent, other garden birds that are seed feeders.

RSPB now recommends a pause in seed & peanut feeding between May 1st and October 31st. During this period, the disease risk is highest and there should be sufficient seeds available naturally for the bird population. Suet-based pellets and fat balls, along with meal worms (live or dried), can still be offered all year round.

Video 1: RSPB Safe Feeding Advice

In addition to this new feeding advice, it is essential that you regularly clean (i.e. at least once a week) your bird feeders. The traditional bird table (e.g. Photo 1) is now out of favour - as are all flat surface feeders - because the mix of food, droppings and saliva can pass on the disease to other birds. In addition, they are more difficult to keep hygienic.

Photo 1: Traditional Bird Table

Now it may be of little to no surprise that my local bird feed supplier (The Wild Bird Store) has a few issues with this new advice from the RSPB. While they strongly recommend regular cleaning of all bird feeding equipment, they also point out that changes in farming practices, use of pesticides, urban growth  and global warming have changed the landscape in terms of the availability and abundance of natural food sources during the summer. Their recommendations include:

• Use good-quality food and keep it dry
• Only put out what birds can eat in a day
• Use smaller feeders and spread them out
• Offer a variety of food
• Clean feeders regularly and make sure they are fully dry before refilling
• Clean water baths daily and refill with fresh tap water
• Store food properly so it stays fresh and dry
• Never feed mouldy, old food, or human leftovers
• Keep an eye out for signs of disease
• Make sure birds can spot any approaching cats

I also had a message from Finches Friend who supply my garden bird feeders (Photo 2) ...

Photo 2: Finches Friend Feeders for Suet Pellets, Bird Seed and Peanuts

These feeders are specially designed to keep the bird food dry, reduce disease-transfer from affected birds and enable easy cleaning. Finches Friend pointed out that removing seed feeders would lead the birds to find other bird feeders that were less hygienic. The RSPB advice to stop feeding between May 1st and October 31st only works in a practical sense if everybody does it. And, of course, that is just not going to happen.

My takeaway from all these fonts of knowledge is as follows:

• do not use flat surface feeders : e.g. traditional bird tables
• only use hanging bird feeders that keep the stored food separate and dry (e.g. Finches Friend)
• clean all bird feeding equipment at least once a week in hot soapy water and allow it to dry thoroughly
• do not offer peanuts during the close season (May 1st and October 31st)
• buy bird seed/pellets in smaller quantities to maintain freshness and store correctly (dry, cool)
• limit, but do not stop, feeding during summer to encourage foraging by the birds

My Finches Friend bird feeders are ideally suited to this new regime. They are easy to clean and keep the stored food separate and dry. The feeding tray can be shut off to reduce and control food availability with a minimum of inconvenience. I now limit feeding times to twice a day, rather than continuous, which also saves a bit of money!

Patience is a Virtue

 Astrology proves one scientific fact, and one only; there's one born every minute - Patrick Moore

Mary & I are proud to be citizen scientists: in addition to carrying out water testing on two local brooks in the Wye Catchment, we also do a breeding birds survey for the BTO, the Big Garden Birdwatch for the RSPB, and the Big Butterfly Count for Butterfly Conservation, and the Hereford City Nature Challenge. We have recently installed iNaturalist app on our phones so that we can identify and map the location of insects, plants, animals and birds; these data will be used by researchers for various nature-based projects.

I was cleaning/sterilizing my Greenhouse Sensation Veg/Salad Planter today and came across this beauty on the underside of the reservoir. I added it to my iNaturalist 'finds' and within an hour someone came back with an ID: False Black Widow Spider. Is this correct? I don't know!!

Photo 1: False Black Widow Spider? (Hereford, 11/5/26)

This rather long intro has nothing to do with spiders but everything to do with our work as Citizen Scientists trying to save the River Wye.

One of the parameters we measure with our water-testing kit is Total Oxidised Nitrogen (TON, i.e. the amount of nitrate and nitrite in the water measured as ppmN). We use HACH test strips for a simple semi-quantitative measurement of both TON and Nitrite (as ppm nitrogen). Unfortunately, the HACH product is no longer available in the UK because one of the reagents used on the test strips is banned in the European Union (EU). When the UK left the EU in 2020, it kept many of the product regulations of the EU in order to allow continued trading with the EU who are the UK's biggest trading bloc. Brexit was a complete and utter disaster for the UK where we achieved none of the supposed benefits but lost lots of advantages. Those who voted for Brexit turned out, despite the very credible warnings, to be turkeys voting for Christmas!!

Got sidetracked again there! So until HACH reformulates its product for the European market, an alternative TON test strip product was needed. There were a couple of readily available options on the market from Simplex Health and Waterworks (see Photo 2). The products look remarkably similar; so much so that Simplex Health also sell the Waterworks product!

Photo 2: Alternative TON Test Strips

Several of the citizen scientists within our Wye Alliance group have carried out checks to ensure all three makes of test strips (HACH, Simplex Health and Waterworks) give comparable results for nitrate; which they do. Nobody has yet confirmed the same equivalency for nitrite.

I spent ages trying to find a low cost source of a reasonably pure (>95%) soluble nitrite salt (i.e. any of the sodium, potassium, calcium or ammonium nitrites) so I could make up standard solutions in de-ionised water. Despite the fact that nitrates and nitrites are used in food products (cured meats such as bacon, ham, sausages) as preservatives, sodium nitrite is extremely difficult to get hold of because of its toxicity. I contacted a number of well-known chemical suppliers but none would sell to a private individual.

Finally, I located a German website (biogo.de) that would sell me a small quantity (50 g) of 95% minimum potassium nitrite. I'd have been happy with 10 g but beggars can't be choosers. 

Photo 3: Potassium Nitrite from Poland

I heard nothing for months and had given up on ever receiving the product when, out of the blue, it turned up in my postbox on the 5th May 2026: approximately six months later!

While patience is certainly a virtue, it is not one I necessarily possess. I had given up on ever receiving the potassium nitrate from Poland so searched again for a suitable nitrite standard. I managed to find a company (EDT DirectION) that would sell me a 1000 ppm total nitrite standard solution and this arrived within a few days.

Photo 4: My 1000 ppm Total Nitrite Standard

The 1000 ppm total nitrite (NO2) solution is equivalent to a 304.5 ppm nitrite as nitrogen (NO2-N); the units measured by all the test strips. As soon as I have completed my comparison of all three TON test strips, I will post the results in a future blog post. You'll just have to be patient!

Finally, Fritillaries!

 How can I tell when I've run out of invisible ink? - Steven Wright

Over a month ago (23rd March 2026) we visited Lugg Meadow on our way back home from daffodil site-seeing. Mary was thinking it might be the start of the Snakeshead fritillary season for which the Lugg Meadow is well-known. This floodplain meadow of the River Lugg (the clue's in the name!) seems to be under constant threat from road and house building developments. When we visited in late March, the blackthorn was in full flower and bird song ...

Photo 1: Blackthorn Hedge, Lugg Meadow (23rd March 2026)

But, of fritillaries, there was no sign.

We returned a month later (26th April 2026) thinking we might have missed the flowering peak. Certainly, some of the fritillary blooms were past their best ...

Photo 2: Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26th April 2026)

... and they were certainly less abundant than in previous years. It was, however, possible to find areas where the blooms, especially the white variety, were visible from a distance ...

Photo 3: White Snakeshead Fritillaries in Foreground and Background (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

The white version of Snakeshead Fritillary is dominant on the Lugg Meadow ...

Photo 4: White Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

... perhaps by a factor of 100:1 over the more familiar 'purple' variety ...

Photo 5: Purple Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

Some hybrids of the white & purple were also in evidence ...

Photo 6: Hybrid White/Purple Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

These delicate bell-shaped flowers are a delight to see, nodding their heads in the gentle Spring breeze. It was disappointing to see so few blooms but hopefully this was just a bad year.

Bluebells on the Malverns

There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased that line - Oscar Levant

We were off camping for a few days in the Cotswolds but not before stopping off at the Malvern Hills to see the bluebells. We parked up in the layby where several people were filling containers with Malvern spring water. People come from miles away to avail themselves of this free resource. Oxford is about 70 miles from Malvern and is the furthest distance that we know of; apparently, Oxford's tap water doesn't make a decent cup of tea!

We could see the bluebells in the distance and Mary was off like a shot (Photo 1) ...

Photo 1: In Search of Bluebells (27th April 2026)

We visited this popular bluebell site about the same time last year but this year's display was even better. It was as though someone had laid out a blue carpet for us ...

Photo 2: Bluebell Carpet (27/4/26)

These are, of course, the scented English Bluebells and not the increasingly common Spanish variety (no scent). As you breathed in the sweet scent, it felt good to be alive.

Photo 3: English Bluebells on the Malverns (27/4/26)

After an altogether too brief stop, it was back to the car and onwards to the Cotswolds.

View from the Rear Window - March 2026

 History repeats itself. Historians repeat each other - Philip Guedalla

After a warm, wet and dull February, March continued with the warmth and discarded the wet and dull bits. If this warmth continues, we may have another record-breaking hot year in Herefordshire. In the garden we await the unfurling of the leaves and continue to enjoy the Spring bulb season: daffodils and crocuses at the beginning of the month and tulips at the end. This month's photo (Photo 1) was taken on the 10th March when the daffodils and hyacinths were on show. We used to have a lot more daffodils but they don't seem to proliferate in the garden. Not quite sure why? 

Photo 1: Back Garden on 10th March 2026

Another 'spot the wood pigeon' competition in Photo 2  ...

Photo 2: Where's Woody (March 2026)

... with all the daily garden photos for March collated in Video 1 ...

 

Video 1: Daily Photos of the Rear Garden (March 2026)

Table 1 summarises some key weather stats from our Davis Weather Station in the back garden. Only one frosty night where the temperature dipped just below 0 ℃, so hardly a frost at all. A couple of very warm sunny days on the 18th and 31st were almost summer-like. Apart from one stormy period when nearly an inch of rain fell on the 12th/13th of the month, there were lots of dry days; even when it did rain, it was only mildly inconvenient showers. Sunshine-wise, March was a huge improvement on February. Blustery conditions were experienced on the 24th of the month as stormy weather hit Northern England and we caught the edges. We would happily settle for March conditions like these.

Table 1: Summary Weather Statistics for March 2026
Weather Parameter	Value	Dates
Average Monthly Temperature	9 oC
Maximum Monthly Temperature	21 oC	18th & 31st
Minimum Monthly Temperature	-0 oC	14th
Number of Air Frost Days	1
Number of Hot Days (> 25 oC)	0
Monthly Precipitation	38.8 mm
Greatest 24 h Precipitation	20.2 mm	12th - 13th
Number of Dry Days	17
Monthly Sunshine Hours (estimated)	120
Highest Wind Speed	55 km/h	24th
Heating Degree Days	288.3
Cooling Degree Days	0.7

Daily minimum and maximum temperatures for March are reproduced in Figure 1. Click on the figure to see a larger version. Bearing in mind this is early Spring, daytime temperatures reached 10 ℃ or more on all but two days. Winter coats, gloves and hats could be safely left at home most days. And, because nighttime temperatures were generally mild, plant growth was rapid.

Figure 1: Daily Min/Max Temperatures (March 2026)

Daily rainfall and solar radiation values (a proxy for sunshine hours) are shown in Figure 2. The second half of March was much sunnier than the first and there was very little rain. Clearly, there were some dull days during the earlier part of the month but these were largely forgotten once the sunshine days of the second half arrived on the scene. The second half of March was also much drier and I irrigated the onion crop in the kitchen garden a couple of times. Some local farmers were also irrigating their crops during this dry period.

Figure 2: Daily Rainfall & Sunshine (March 2026) 

I have collected seven years of weather data (2020 - 2026) for the month of March and these are presented in Figure 3 & Figure 4. Average temperatures have been remarkably constant with this year (2026) being just a tad bit warmer. Despite this consistency in the average monthly temperature, there is still an unpredictable variability in the minimum and maximum monthly temperature; note that the minimum temperature for 2026 does not show in Figure 1 because of its zero value. Frosts are still a feature on March so gardeners may want to delay planting out until April or be prepared with frost mitigation methods.

Figure 3: Time Series (2020 - 2026) of March Temperature Data (Hereford City)

March rainfall is unpredictable, varying by a factor of 10 or more between the driest and wettest months of March. Not unexpectedly, dry months are associated with sunny months. While the wind still blows in March (Figure 4), interestingly, there have been no named storms during March over the past 7 years.

Figure 4: Time Series (2020 - 2026) of Rain, Sun and Wind Data (Hereford City)

The next three figures are taken from the UK Met Office's Monthly Report for March 2026. UK mean temperatures (anomalies relative to the 1991 - 2020 period) are shown in Figure 5. Apart from the odd cold spot in Scotland, the rest of Britain saw a good deal of warmth. Herefordshire, including Hereford, experienced temperatures about 1 ℃ above the long-term average. The mean March temperature, based on historical weather data from the nearby Credenhill weather station, is 6.8 ℃. The observed mean temperature recorded by our weather station was 9 ℃; i.e. 2.2 ℃ above the long-term average. Taking into account rounding errors and the Urban Heat Island Effect for a city-based weather station, our temperature data are compatible with the Met Office's own data. 

Figure 5: UK Mean Temperature Anomalies (March 2026)

Figure 6 (relative UK rainfall) shows below average rainfall in March for southern England, including Herefordshire. Quite the contrast with the above average rainfall in the previous month (February 2026). Again, based on historical data from Credenhill, we would expect about 50 mm of rain in March. The observed rainfall (39 mm, Table 1) was only 80% of the 'expected' total; in good agreement with the Met Office data (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Relative UK Rainfall (March 2026)

Relative sunshine hours for the UK are presented in Figure 7. Most of the UK, including Herefordshire, had slightly above 'typical' sunshine hours in March. I recorded approximately 120 sunshine hours in our Hereford back garden (Table 1) which is about 5% above the average for the English Midlands. March 2026 was only the third sunniest for our Hereford location (2020 - 2026).

Figure 7: Relative UK Sunshine Hours (March 2026)

Jobs in the Garden

• Pruning back the clematis on the summerhouse. Shredding to produce about 500 L of woody waste. Might need to take this down to the Household Waste & Recycling Centre as home composting this much 'brown' garden waste will be difficult. Remind Mary to cut back in autumn when the wood is greener!
• Seed potatoes and onion sets planted out.
• Mulch asparagus and soft fruit beds with homemade unseived 'soil improver' (aka compost)

Flora & Fauna in the Garden

• Sparrowhawk & one dead sparrow

Photo 3: Sparrowhawk & Prey (3rd March 2026)

• Blackbird (x1)
• Blue Tit (x2)
• Collared Dove (x3)
• Crow (x2)
• Great Tit (x2)
• House Sparrow (x10)
• Jackdaw (x4)
• Long-tailed Tit (x2)
• Robin (x1)

Photo 4: House-hunting Robin? (22nd March 2026)

• Starling (x3)
• Wood Pigeon (x3)
• Wren (x1)
• March Brown Mayfly (x1)

Photo 5: March Brown Mayfly (19th March 2026)

• Comma Butterfly (x1)

Photo 6: Comma Butterfly (21st March 2026)

• Peacock Butterfly (x1)

Photo 7: Peacock Butterfly (21st March 2026)

• Field/Wood Mouse (x1)

Photo 8: Field Mouse near the Bird Feeder (29th March 2026)

And, finally, some photos of the garden ...

Photo 9: The Spring Flower Table (9th March 2026)

Photo 10: Hoverfly on Leopard's Bane (Doronicum) - 27th March 2026

Photo 11: Plum Blossom in the Fruit Garden (23rd March 2026)

Photo 12: Tulip Time (28th March 2026)

Photo 13: Tulip Time II