Location: North Cornwall Coast
Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

The sunset was 9:36pm. Spectacular! Happy summer solstice.

SUMMER SOLSTICE is here, meaning people in the Northern Hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year today, Friday, 21 June 2019 - UK will enjoy 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight. The sun will rise at 4:43am and will set at 9:21pm. The solstice officially marks the beginning of astronomical summer, which ends when the autumn equinox falls on September 23.

The summer solstice (or estival solstice), also known as midsummer, occurs when a planet's rotational axis, or geographic pole on either its northern or its southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the star that it orbits. On the summer solstice, Earth's maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44°. (Likewise, the Sun's declination from the celestial equator is +23.44° in the Northern Sky and −23.44° in the Southern Sky.) This happens twice each year (once in each hemisphere), when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky as seen from the north or south pole.

The summer solstice occurs during the hemisphere's summer. This is the northern solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the southern solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs sometime between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and between December 20 and December 23 each year in the Southern Hemisphere. The same dates in the opposite hemisphere are referred to as the winter solstice.

As seen from a geographic pole, the Sun reaches its highest altitude of the year on the summer solstice. It can be solar noon only along that longitude, which at that moment lies in the direction of the Sun from the pole. For other longitudes, it is not noon. Noon has either passed or has yet to come. Hence the notion of a solstice day is useful. The term is colloquially used like "midsummer" to refer to the day on which solstice occurs. The summer solstice day has the longest period of daylight, except in the polar regions, where daytime remains continuous for 24 hours every day during a period ranging from a few days to six months around the summer solstice.

2016 was the first time in nearly 70 years that a full moon and the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice concur on the same day. The 2016 summer solstice's full moon rose just as the Sun set.
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals around that time with themes of religion or fertility. In some regions, the summer solstice is seen as the beginning of summer and the end of spring. In other cultural conventions, the solstice is closer to the middle of summer.
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Solstice is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still

Location: Breney Common Nature Reserve
Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

Been raining the whole morning. It was already midday when it stop. So we went immediately to Breney Common to check for the Marsh Fritillary. Fondly enough, we saw 10++ fresh and pristine Marsh Fritillary, 6x Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, 3x Speckled Wood, 2x Small Copper, 2x Common Blue, 1x Small White, 1x Orange Tip and 1 x Small Heath. We even saw Dave Conway. It has been a great day in Breney Common.

Breney Common Nature Reserve

Location: Breney Common Nature Reserve
Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

Cornwall is known for its diverse nature and wildlife. Every year, hundreds and even thousands of nature and wildlife enthusiasts come down to Cornwall to have a glimpse of some rare birds, butterflies and other notable species.
 
I have been sooo lucky to be the "FIRST" one to have seen and photographed the Bearded Vulture, also known as the LAMMERGEIER or OSSIFRAGE in Cornwall in 23rd May 2016. Me and my husband Rob Nicholls cannot believe our luck. 

We were actually in Breney Common in Bodmin doing a butterfly survey in preparation for our fieldtrip on Monday, 30th May for the Cornwall Butterfly and Moth Society Fieldtrip to see the rare Marsh Fritillary.

It was a sunny afternoon, about 2:30pm. We were looking up towards Helman Tor when a large bird, soaring high, came into sight over the ridgeline, heading in a south westerly direction. It’s just gliding gracefully in the sky. The wingspan was probably 9 feet or more, 3 metres.

It was very high, maybe up to 2,000 feet and had a small bird in tow - which was not getting too close. The small bird turned out to be a buzzard!

The Lammageier did not flap its wings. It was just gliding gracefully across the sky. It was huge and unlike anything usually seen in the skies over Cornwall.

Luckily, I was already prepared with my camera and was able to take a few shots.

We were able to watch it for about 12 minutes, before it went out of sight.

Perhaps, a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.

It's nice to sometimes be in the right place, at the right time!

Another rare species we’ve seen on that day in Breney Common is the Marsh Fritillary butterfly which is on the “UK BAP: Priority Species”, section 41 species of principal importance under the NERC Act in England” and “fully protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act”.
 
Other species were Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Small Copper, Common Blue, Small Heath, Read Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Brimstone, Speckled Wood and a lot more.
 
It’s really great to see all this amazing wildlife. But with the increasing habitat loss cause by development, we are in danger of losing all these species. 
 
We need wildlife for pollination. Insects such as bees, butterflies and moths and other animals such as birds, rodents and monkeys are all examples of pollinators. The wildlife causes plants to make fruit or seeds. They do this by moving pollen from one part of the flower of a plant to another part. This pollen then fertilizes the plant. Only fertilized plants can make fruit and/or seeds, and without them, the plants cannot reproduce.
 
There are quite a few rare species in Cornwall. So, always keep your eyes open. 

Location: Lanhydrock House and Gardens
Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

Had a lovely "BLUEBELL WALK" at Lanhydrock Garden after my "Education and Training Course". Very refreshing. Just a little drizzle and soft wind. 

Location: The Lost Gardens of Heligan​
Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

​After a long day of working infront of my computer updating websites, writing blogs, editing a photoshoot, it's great to have some fresh Cornish air and a walk around the beautiful The Lost Gardens of Heligan​. It's also a great chance to renew my annual membership. Too bad, my favourite Magnolia flowers are gone now. But there's still plenty of Daffodils and Camellias.

Location:
Roseland Peninsula
​Pendower-Carne Beach
​The Quaterdeck, The Nare Hotel

Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

March Equinox in Truro, England, United Kingdom is today, Tuesday, 20 March 2018, 16:15 GMT. Equal Day and Night, nearly.

The March equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north. This happens on March 19, 20, or 21 every year.

There are two equinoxes every year – in March and September – when the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of night and day are nearly equal.

Location:
​St Mawes
St Mawes Castle
Castle Cove
St Mawes Harbour
The Rising Sun
St Just in Roseland
Pendower-Carne Beach
St Anthony Head
Towan Beach
Portscatho
East and West Portholland

Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

We've seen loads of amazing wildlife... Gorgeous stones... and a lot more...

The Roseland Peninsula (Cornish: Ros, meaning promontory) has been designated part of Cornwall’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for the quality of its landscape and coastal scenery. It is a peninsula, is separated from the remainder of Cornwall by the River Fal (on the east is the English Channel).

The 2009 film documentary "And Did Those Feet" suggests that Jesus Christ may have visited the Roseland Peninsula. The legend of Christ's visit to England is depicted in William Blake's poem "And did those feet in ancient time".

In 1992, Channel 4 televised The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley, located at the National Trust property Broom Parc on the Roseland Peninsula. The series starred Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington, Claire Bloom, Jennifer Ehle & Rebecca Hall and was directed by Sir Peter Hall.

East and West Portholland

Location:
The Lizard Peninsula
Kynance Cove

Photographer: Rowena Castillo Nicholls
​Videographer: Rob Nicholls

To welcome AUTUMN, me and Rob went on a "DAY OUT" in the Lizard Peninsula.

Our first stop is Great Britain's most southerly point, The Lizard Peninsula. We went for a walk on the cliffs and on the beach. We even saw 2 Cornish Choughs showing off their amazing acrobatic flights. We also saw loads of the famous serpentine stone along the footpath, a unique metamorphic rock which is dark green veined with red and white. Our next stop was Kynace Cove, one of the most picturesque cove in Great Britain. Our last stop was in Helston Boating Lake to see the Grey Phalarope, but unfortunately, it was not there today. All in all, we had a fantastic and fabulous day despite the dark clouds and drizzles.

Autumn Equinox 2017 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 21:02 today, Friday, 22 September.

On the two equinoxes every year the Sun shines directly on the Equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal – but not exactly.

The September equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from north to south and vice versa in March.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the fall equinox marks the first day of fall (autumn) in what we call astronomical seasons. There's also another, more common definition of when the seasons start, namely meteorological definitions, which are based on average temperatures rather that astronomical events.

The Lizard (Cornish: An Lysardh) is a peninsula in southern Cornwall. It is the most southerly part of the British mainland, is a place apart. Lizard Point is mainland Britain's most southerly point, infamous as a site of shipwrecks in the past and overlooking what is still one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

A combination of the mild maritime climate and complex and unique geology has produced an area with a distinctive character, well known for its rare and unusual flora and where the famous call of the Cornish Chough is never far away. 

The Lizard peninsula is also renowned as the birthplace of modern communication, where Marconi undertook some of his pioneering radio experiments. These experiments are celebrated at the Marconi Centre at Poldhu and the Lizard Wireless Station at Bass Point, a short walk along the coast path from Lizard Point.

Known as the Lizard complex, the peninsula's geology is the best preserved example of an exposed ophiolite in the United Kingdom.

An ophiolite is a suite of geological formations which represent a slice through a section of ocean crust (including the upper level of the mantle) thrust onto the continental crust.

The Lizard formations comprise three main units; the serpentinites, the "oceanic complex" and the metamorphic basement.

Daphne du Maurier based many novels on this part of Cornwall, including Frenchman's Creek.

The Lizard was featured on the BBC television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the South West, and on the BBC series Coast.

In James Clavell's novel Shogun, ship's pilot Vasco Rodrigues challenges John Blackthorne to recite the latitude of the Lizard to verify that Blackthorne is a fellow seaman.

The Jennifer McQuiston 2015 novel The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior is set primarily in the fictional village Lizard Bay on the Lizard in the mid-nineteenth century.

In the television adaptation of "Horatio Hornblower", an order is given to "Weather the Lizard" in the episode Hornblower:Mutiny.

"Lizard Point" is also a track on the 1982 album Ambient 4: On Land released by Brian Eno.

Kynance Cove (Cornish: Porth Keynans, meaning ravine cove) is a cove on the eastern side of Mount's Bay, Cornwall. The cove became popular in the early Victorian era, with many distinguished visitors including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the poet Alfred Tennyson. The BBC has described Kynance Cove as "one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the South West."

Kynance Cove is part of the West Lizard Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is in the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Kynance Cove was the venue for the first British record of Porter's rustic (Athetis hospes), a rare migrant moth from southern Europe.

Kynance Cove features in the 2015 production of Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Were None, a period drama of three daily episodes first broadcast on 26 December 2015. It is also used as a location for the TV series Poldark (2015 TV series), as Ross Poldark’s beloved Nampara, and in the The Return of Sherlock Holmes episode The Devil's Foot.