September at Spurn

September started slowly, with very few grounded migrants, a product of the persistent westerly winds. A few Willow Warblers, plus a couple of Garden Warblers were the best that the nets had to offer. A few Ortolan Buntings were around the area, but I failed to connect with them and the tapes I produced were insufficient for bringing them into a net. A Kingfisher on the fourth was a bonus, still only the second I have ever ringed.

On the 2^nd September I had the surprise of my life when, on the way back from work, I had a Badger feeding on the lawn at Cliff Farm. I was so startled I nearly fell off my bike, but managed to compose myself to watch it scuttle under the hedge and into the bushes at Kew.

Sadly over the Migfest weekend I was extremely busy so had very little time for any birding or bird related activities. However, the day after I began trying to target waders around the Humber shore. Turnstone was my first target as they are bold, predictable and lovely birds. It took some work but I managed to catch two different birds, an adult and juvenile, both stunning. After those I really wanted to catch Sanderling, but found it difficult to find any individuals behaving in a way such that we could move them into a trap. However, at Beacon Ponds we found a very reluctant to fly Bar-tailed Godwit, which after some amount of work, we were finally able to manoeuvre into the trip trap, only the 34^th ever to be ringed at Spurn.

-Turnstone

-Bar-tailed Godwit

The following days produced very high numbers of birds in the nets. Most of the birds were Tree Sparrow, and we did over 150 in two days. Meadow Pipit numbers also increased dramatically, although they were initially more reluctant to drop near any traps. Two Redstarts were nice, and after many individuals bounced, it was nice to finally catch a Sparrowhawk.

On the 20^th I was treated to a great flyby Great White Egret that passed nearly overhead whilst I was ringing Meadow Pipits in Churchfield. Had I my camera I would have been able to get some great photos, but sadly not on this occasion.

Species List:

Spurn Bird Observatory: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Gannet, Cormorant, Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Water Rail, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Lapwing, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Short-eared Owl, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting,

derbyshire holiday ;day 4 (wednesday)

can you beleive it, its still raining!!!!
the campsite was deserted (all wildlife found the rain too much)
hoever some carful watching produced:
a nuthatch
dabchick
robin
heron
and good old limpy, the green phesant
we decided to go for a miserable and wet woodland walk, a walk which has, in the past, had beauties like slow worm and really tame dippers. however all we saw today:
dipper (whizz past me)
fish
woodpigeon
magpie
great tit
my mum lost here temper, i got lost. it was all a huge fail. however my dad took us out for tea at thew local pub becuase we had been so brave.
before that me and my dad went for a wlak in chatsworth grounds.
a good view of a song thrush
a buzzard
a long tailed tit
three races of pheasnt-ring-necked, non-ringed and a caucasian/green pheasnt (not limpy!!) plus a coal tit
after that splendid meal at the pub we went back to the campsite. we put out plenty of peanuts and then me and my dad went to go and see if we could see a water vole, (my dad has never seen one) we watched from the bridge but then i went to the place where i had originally seen it. sure enough i spotted it and watched as it entered some branches. i called my dad over to have a look. as we watched though i noticed a small brown mass on the bank, the cheeky monkey had got out of the water and on the bank without me noticing!!!!. we texted my mum and brother and so we watched it. as we headed back we spotted another on the bank. further up. they are as common as rats once you know what to look for.

after that me and my dad went to go and wait for the badger. it started toi rain. it got colder and colder until after an hour my dad said, "i have had enough, i'm going in" thus i sat and waited alone in the cold and wet. my dad should not have gone. another fifteen minuets and out he came, munching on penuts. i texted my mum and family and they came. itried some pictures but the light was too low. so my dad went for a torch. however when he came back the badger had already gone. my parents left me and my brother (i still wnated a photo) and went back. i told my brother how the badger only ever comes out when your just giving in. after another half an hour i said tomy brother "i have had enough, i can not be bothered" right on que the striped face re-appeared and started rummaging in the flower bed. my brother held the torch whilst i took loads of pictures. the best ones are displayed below but for the overall experience-i was about 20cm away from a wild badger!!!!!

derbyshire holiday ;day 2 (monday)

it rained!!
it rained all Day!!
i was hoping to go for a walk early this morning but
a.) it rained
b.) it diddnt stop raining
nevertheless the birdfeeder we bought in bakewell yesterday seemed to be attracting lots of attention, especially from the two local nuthatches. it was swell to see them so close.
on thw way to the toilet to brush my teeth a spotted this caucasian or green pheasant behind a caravan. i instantly dashed for the camera (a camera is not normally what i take to the toilet) and snapped these pictures. as it waddled off i noticed it had a limp, thus i christened him "limpy"

due to the weather issue we went to a tram museaum today. i cant say that looking at trams was exciting but the tram rides up and down the hill were fun

the evening!!

the evening was the best bit of the day. at around 6.30 after dinner the weather abated. my family were being boring and reading in the caravan so i decided to go for a walk. i went to the caravan site entrance to look for the water vole, just to confirm my sighting. just as arrived i looked up the little tributary that joins the river derwent. i spotted a large mass swimming across the river but it dissapeared quickly. i was then convinced that it was just a rat that liked swimming. i walked around and waited for around an hour whilst it grew steadily darker. it failed to come back out. then, just as i was leaving, a small brown mass came swimming towards me. at such close quaters i could easily see that it was a water vole. it swam under the bridge i was on and then went under a ledge just on the other side of the bridge. i waited for a while for its return but it soon got too dark. cold, wet, fed up yet enjoye and exhilarated i turned around to go home. i turned to facethe courtyard. i could not beleive what i was watching, as a scruffy male badge trotted eagerly towards the flowerbed a meter away from me. it began foraging, completely obliviouse to my presance. eventually it came too close and so it smelt me out. it trotted about 2 yards before it stopped and began forragingi tried to sneak past it to get the camera but i got tooclose and it bolted. i got a torcha dn my family and camera to retuen and search for it. sadly we could not find it again. we found where it had come from and so tommorow i will put out some peanuts. we will get him!!!