Spurn Day 3

 So begins another working day. Today I decided to give myself a lie in, second morning on the job, by half an hour, so I got to the hide at half 5. I set up all the gear, saw what was around and then must have fallen asleep on my shoulder. The kip probably lasted around 10 mins, but it set me for the day. Prior to that I had been struggling to keep my eyes open.

The weather was a bit of an issue with thick fog making it difficult to motivate myself or find any birds. It was also bitterly cold so got 6 layers on, and still was struggling to keep warm. By late morning thought the fog had cleared and it came out in glorious sunshine. The 6 layers suddenly went from hero to villain as it became quite uncomfortable, so when I returned for lunch I dropped many of them off. As it would happen, but 4.00 the sea fret had returned.

So what birds were around at that time? The Dunlin were on mass, as were Redshank and Grey Plover. There was also a couple of Knot in and the usual Sandwich Terns, and of course the Little Terns. As the morning progressed and the Dunlin started to move out a pair of godwits came in. After a bit of inspection I decided there was one Black-Tailed and one Bar Tailed. After much deliberation with myself I announced proudly down the radio about the Bar-Tailed Godwit, though it had since flown off south. I even got a reply, asking to confirm my sighting! How exciting is that.

The rest of the morning passed without incident. I had to speak to my first civilians, asking them to keep away from the perimeter fence. As you can expect I was quite apprehensive about this, but after the first time it became easier and by the end of my shift had told about 5 people that they needed to move away.

In order to break up the 12 hour monotony I decided to leave lunch at home and go back for it at around 12. On the way back I decided to call in at the pools I had found the night before to see if the darters had come out. The weather had picked up considerably and as such there were plenty of Odonata including Emperor Dragonflies, Black-Tailed Skimmers in abundance and Emerald Damselflies, which the warden had mentioned with some pride. Alas though there were no darters to be found at this point.

I returned to the hide to complete my shift. Because of the nice weather there were lots of insects around in the dunes, and on my lunch trip I had picked up my macro lens to capture some on camera. Besides the beetles and moths there were also good numbers of butterflies: Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, Small Heath, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral. The insect species I photographed included 22 Spot Ladybird and Brown Tail Moth, as species I have never seen before

-Brown Tailed Moth

-22 Spot Ladybird

As the afternoon wore on the sun continued to beat down until the fret came in again and the cool returned. Initially it was a struggle to see the birds due to heat haze, but then the fog came in. The afternoon was not a good time to be watching the birds. I did see both Oystercatcher chicks along the lagoon edge which were truly lovely, as well as good numbers of Little Tern Juveniles (8 at max I counted), including an juvenile being fed by an adult. I tried some more photos today, but the best I got was one having a wash on the beach on the way back from lunch

-Little Tern

As my shift drew to a close the days waders returned from their days outing. There were good numbers, including a good 30 Bar Tailed Godwits, so much for radio worthy. There also came 10 Black-Tailed Godwits, numerous Grey Plovers, including some in summer plumage, and the obvious Dunlin in excess. Among the Dunlin was yet another individual that look suspiciously like curlew sand. Bigger, bill longer and curved, no black belly, brighter facial markings. The only thing against it was the fact that it was grey rather than buff. Once more, despite the overwhelming evidence, I am reluctant to tick it due to the fact that I was unable to see the white rump. However, since I am here for the next few weeks it would seem likely that one day I will get a decent of one where I can see the white rump…

-Bar Tailed Godwits with obscure bird (6th from right)

I left at around half 5, with the ‘curlew sand’ still fast asleep. The fret had become really bad at this point and the number of things in sight was greatly reduced. I checked the ponds again but they were dead, only a Sedge Warbler to cheer things up.

And that is where we shall end it for today. Tomorrow I get a lie in, as I am not on the day shift. It does mean though that I will be out until 5 am doing the night shift. Right now the prospect of a lie in is all that’s keeping me going regarding that prospect!!

Species List:

Beacon Ponds: Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Black-Tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Cormorant, Dunlin, Knot, Redshank, Little Gull, Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Swallow, Linnet, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Sand Martin, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Whitethroat, House Martin, Dunnock, Blackbird, Shaded Broad Bar, Brown Tail Moth, 6 Spot Burnet Moth, 22 Spot Ladybird, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Emperor Dragonfly, Blue-Tailed Damselfly,

Warren Ponds: Meadow Pipit, Sedge Warbler, Magpie, Rabbit, Ringlet, Meadow Brown ,Black-Tailed Skimmer, Emperor Dragonfly, Common Emerald Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly,

Uni Week 7

Once more it has been a very quiet week, either that or I have been expecting too much. If that's true then its probably been quite a busy week, in that the numbers of ladybirds is still on the up and one is now asleep on my window. There has also been quite a few squirrels around, one of which was very bold and I managed to get within 1 meter of it, it was a huge squirrel too. Having said that, the real drama happened on Tuesday...

Tuesday
I came home from lectures today and crossing the courtyard where I live I found, under a bush, a feral pigeon that seemed injured, and was very stunned since I if I had wanted to I could simply tread on it. I figured it would be unwise to leave it there where so many students come past so went to get my gloves. I picked it up from the path and the thing did not move a muscle. There were some remnants of blood on its beak but apart from that and a bald patch on its neck there was no sign of injury. I placed in over the wall next to the stairs where I would be able to monitor it but nobody would know. I gave it some digestive and then left. Over the day I checked it regularly but it did not move at all. Before bed I came back and gave it some more digestive but it seemed pretty hopeless.

Wednesday
I headed down the following morning expecting to find that it had been predated during the night, or that it had died in its sleep. It was not where I left it so decided it must have died and been carried off, however when I turned around it was sat in the bike stands. I was pleased since it had obviously moved there itself. However, once more I was not keen to leave it there, in a place where it was very vulnerable so I moved to try and get it. I was pleased to see it running away and it even tried, though failed, to fly. Eventually I caught it and moved it on the field under some trees. I gave it some digestive and left it. When I checked later that day it had gone and there was no trace, suggesting it had flown off rather than being predated. I would like to think then that my rescue had been a success but sadly I guess I will never know...

Uni Week 5

Its been a slow week with not a lot happening, and not been out much and the weather has not been up to much either. Its been a bumper week for squirrels, numerous have been seen as well as a couple fighting. Apart from that the only noticeable thing is that collections of hibernating ladybirds have started to develop in the corners of the stairs. That's about it though in all honesty, its been a quiet week.

Shropshire Day 2

Another sunny day greeted us as we woke up for the first time in shropshire. Today was train day-that being the day we would go for a train ride on the severn valley railway. Last time we were inundated with harlequin ladybirds, so I was hopeing that there would be again, now that I fully knew how to take photos of bugs and things. The train journey goes from bridgenorth, where we were staying, to kidderminster.
The journey to kidderminster passed without anything really exciting happening. Although there is an interesting bit where the train goes past a safari park-so we saw elephants, buffalo, blackbuck and rhinos.
At the train station however there were some far more interestin owls to look at and admire. The people there had brought owls to station for some reason, to highlight publicity I imagine, but it allowed me a close view of these stunning birds. It might actually have been something to do with the halloween week, as though owls signify evil spirits and stuff!!
They had about Nine owls-2 barn owls, 2 eagle owls, a boobook owl, a tawny owl, plus a little owl and a burrowing owl, Though I think the burrowing owl was actually a little owl desert form-its legs were no where near long enough for burrowing. there was also a white-faced scops owl.

-Barn Owl

-Little Owl

-Stunning white faced scops owl

-Was quite pleased with these two, Little owl face
After that we decided to get the train to "country park holt" station where would have lunch. As it happens we had lunch on the train so we got off at the station and had a coffee. This station is request only and goes into a country park, which we have used before. That also means that there are not many people here.

On the country park sign I found my first and only harlequin ladybird of the day, and managed a few shots of some standard, though they're not great.

-Harlequin ladybird

Another feature of this country park is kingfishers, which it had at least 3 last time we were here. My family were going to walk along the river straight to the next station, about 1mile away. I, on the other hand, was going to go up to the visitor center and the hides at the top of the park.

However the only excitiment was really to be found on the bridge. As I watched a hornet fly past, but I couldnt see where it went, much to my dissapointment. Then I watched a kingfisher fly past, upstream where I couldn't follow it. Then a dragonfly of some kind flew under the bridge, but I lost that as well, so I saw lots of interesting things, just not for very long.

Up at the visitor center I had a look at the info board and saw a picture of a club-tailed dragonfly. It reminded me that this river would be teeming with this rare dragonfly in the spring, only in autumn there was only room for dragonflies that chose not to land.

From the hides I saw a sum total of nothing, the only thing of interest being the mallards on the pond outside.

Walking back I had an awful experience. I casually looked over the back of a bench, as you do generally, and flushed a darter dragonfly that had rested there, which then flew away. I was quite annoyed then and re-discovery missions failed to find him. I imagine that it was a common darter based on the time of year.

At the bottom of the park, near the river, I spotted a common buzzard flying quite low. It was going to fly right over me, but its circling pattern was rudely interrupted by a mobbing crow which caused it to divert away from me, never-the-less I got good views of it.

Walking along the river was also a dissapointment. There were no birds-but maybe because of some morons on the other side of the river letting their dog run a riot all over the riverside-people like that do my head in!

cotswolds holiday-day 4 weather and wildlife

today we decided to go to an arboretum for the day. to be honest, it was a rather small plot of land, probably about 1 acre but the area actually used for keeping trees was about, 100m square. there were lots of ponds, fenced off and heavily surrounded by weeds plus a woodland. Over the woodland I spotted a sparrowhawk being mobbed by magpies (magpies not featured below-how ironic!!)

This went on for quite a while but I also saw a jay flying between the trees. The rest of the walk passed uneventful until I reached the spot directly below where the sparrowhawk saga had occurred where I found a flock of long-tailed tits with some goldfinches. The tits stayed around for a photo but they are rather rubbish.

Then I found some ladybirds hibernating in a thistle which I though was rather cute

I managed to get lost on a farmers Field. I eventually made my way back to car via the out of bounds greenhouses. However all was not in vain as I saw a jay fly past, pretty close too, carrying an acorn, which was nice.

After that rubbish morning, we decided to go to a national trust house which had a bigish garden. and hooray we saw some wildlife. first things first we went into the grounds to look for some conkers for my dad, but I got distracted by ladybirds that were hibernating between the fence-posts. some of them had loads of ladybirds but some only had three. Shock, gasp, horror! all were seven spotted

But on the nearby stonework... (que dramatic music)

After our little foray we decided to go back to car to have lunch. whilst eating I swore I saw a very large (as in very very large) bee fly past.

As I got out of the car after lunch I noticed on the ground that there was a fossil. it was actually a gryphea dilatata which is a type of prehistoric seashell, nicknamed devils toenail. I already had several of these but it was surprising to find them in gravel for a car park. And it was not alone. I found loads of gryphea plus a belemnites and some tubeworms which was very nice. I spent about 1 hour sifting through the car park gravel and finding stuff. overall I found

38-gryphea

15-belemnites

2-tube worms (I collected two because I was unsure if they were not concrete, but there were quite a few)

back inside the gardens my brother said that he had found one of the large bees rested on some garden canes and said he would take me to them. It was quite a monster. I am very sure that this is a hornet but it is hard to describe. The garden canes were about the thickness of a 10 pence piece and so if you are looking at the pictures and thinking "my garden canes are only about the size of a 5 pence, the hornet isn't that big" the garden canes are scaled up! I got some pretty decent record shots but wherever I moved it would follow me. Its eyesight was magnificent. I would creep below the pile of canes and pop up at the other side and it would be there, looking at me still. eventually I must have gone too far and it flew off. But what a beast!!

look at the photos below. First look at its monstrous jaws. If I was on the receiving end of that I would be very afraid. What a beast!!

The my brother and I went down to the lake to catch up with my mum and dad. My dad said that he Had seen a dragonfly (hawker) flying about and he was right. Speaking of the devil and it appeared from over the reeds. Whats funny was that it was obviously a very healthy animal, in its prime. Its colors were vivid, it was flying around, just like summer, except in autumn. sadly it decided not to stay still for a photo and drifted off into some trees after about half and hour of chasing.

Then I spotted a pair of darters flying over the lake mating. The quick shot I got showed them very dark, black but I imagine that that was because of the back light and that they were common darters really.

Away from the lake we did find a black darter, or rather a darter that was black for in fact this is a very old common darter. you could tell it was very old by its none response to my getting close to it to take photos. It did fly off once, but only about 1m up into a topiary tree. Its sad to see the creature in this way but still, it allows you appreciate the change in the animal as it ages.

More walking round the place and I came to an orchard at the top of the park. As I arrived I spooked large numbers of thrushes out of a yew tree. I waited hidden for the rest of the day, expecting their return, but no matter what i did, either the birds used the opposite side of the tree to me, no matter which side I was at, or somebody spooked them. It was a lost battle and I only managed two remotely acceptable shots of a redwing. It is very sad.

by far the most wildlife filled day of the holiday and a thoroughly enjoyable one

day 2-norfolk holiday, hickling broad (part 2)

The last chance at a swallowtail. Having failed this morning and the weather being poor the odds were against it. I was already pleading to my dad to bring us down to the broads again. When we arrived we were in a bright spell. The lady in the shop said that the swallowtails were most seen round the bottom of the reserve on hawthorn trees due to the lack of flag irises. I also wanted to see lots of dragonfly's today which was also unlikely due to the weather. luckily no sooner were we into the reserve then my brother spotted a four spot chaser resting in a bush. I tried to get close but accidentally scared it off. luckily I still managed to get a record shot.

The first hide was just round the corner from where we saw the dragonfly. The hide was empty. A pied wagatil was feeding from a stick in the middle of the pond and reed warblers sung from the reeds but there was no life. I walked on ahead slightly from my family and as I looked over the reeds for reed warblers I spotted a large dragonfly moving towards us. I called to my dad "hey dad, heres a big dragonfly". As it came over the path however it appeared that it was not a dragonfly but a swallowtail butterfly. What a tick and in such style. It flew around for a bit before landing in a hawthorn tree where I managed to get some shots of it.

It really is a very impressive butterfly. It fed here for about 5 mins before flying round the back of the tree and we lost it but still what a sighting. We carried on walking, stopping occasionally to look at reed and sedge warblers which were showing much better. The second hide proved no better but my family had spotted this catterpillar which I think is a lacky moth catterpillar.

Eventually I got way ahead of my family because They were busy looking at flowers. I spotted a whitethroat and a willow warbler in the forested area but no dragonflys. Then I found another catterpillar and this time it was a garden tiger moth catterpillar.

As I carried on round we came to the area where the swallowtails had been seen through the week. fittingly we saw non but thats the way it goes. Luckily I found my first ladybird of the year, a seven spotted.

Eventually we came to the end of the hawthorn bushes. a common tern flew over us as we approched the last hide and I shot this picture which I am quite proud off becuase of the fish dangling from its mouth.

The last hide was the best of the hides becuase off the reed birds which were showing well. We also spotted two little egrets in the distance which for a moment we though might be spoonbills. One marsh harrier came really close and was then joined by a second. There were also some reed and sedge warblers plus some breif views of bearded tits.

overall it was a cracking day, if only there had been some more swallowtails. We were invited back to the boat my uncle was renting for the evening to talk. They were moored in barton broat mooring park. nothing much really happened there xcept for a blue sillueht which fle up the river in the low light. It had pointed wings and was moving quite fast; potentially a hobby?

also we heard a cuckoo which is nice becuase I havent heard a cuckoo for a very long time (years) plus a bat. What a cracking day.

after church today

I went outside after church to play ball tig with some friends. Plenty of ladybirds around when I noticed this oversized monster on one of the graves. At first, I just assumed it was a harlequin but judging by its size I considered that it might have been an eyed-ladybird, the largest ladybird in Britain. I managed to borrow my mum and dad's seriously naf camera and take some record shots. I have just looked it up now on the internet and my bug does match those on the internet. hooray, my second eyed ladybird ever.

  

just a size comparison. on the right is a blurred 2-spot ladybird

what a beautiful animal