Quiz results and garden birds

Quiz Results :
For those who had a go at "the" Quiz last week , here are the results - did anyone get 12 out of 12? 1 Pheasant, 2 Curlew, 3 Corn Bunting, 4 Nightingale, 5 Spoonbill, 6 Kittiwake, 7 Toucan, 8 Kingfisher, 9 Nightjar, 10 Waxwing, 11 Nuthatch, 12 Magpie.

Wildlife Watching :

Here's a thing. Wildlife watching is a funny old business. Never predictable. On Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I went to Sand Bay close to high tide. The Oystercatcher numbers were 16, 0 and 6 respectively, Curlew 0, 52, 67 and Shelduck about 45 each day. So why did one day show zero count for both Curlew and Oystercatcher? Well it's because they move about obviously, but this goes some of the way to explain why single visit surveys of wildlife can sometimes not show the true picture, and why surveys need to be repeated over time under similar conditions. I remember at University spending 3 months trapping small mammals in a wood and I could never predict what would happen. The survey was May to July, so as the tree canopy increased, it proved that shade does affect movement, and interspecific (between species) activity. Happy days being bitten by voles.... have you seen the size of their teeth??

Local Patch :
I've never had a true local patch before as always driving about the West Country, so nice to now have Sand Bay (above; sunset over Cardiff from Sand Bay yesterday). For 6 months I've submitted weekly bird counts onto the BTO Birdtrack database. My plan is to stand once a week, for 1 hour, rooted to the same spot and record everything within eyeline. It is now making fascinating reading as the data can be viewed in graph and data form. A picture of peaks and troughs is beginning to emerge. Such as the Stonechats which have become elusive, but only a few weeks ago had 9 males in one area. Sadly no Short Eared Owls this year, and the Merlin has gone too, but summer migrants are arriving, nice Willow Warbler yesterday flitting through the trees.

Bizarrely on Saturday these Mallards came right up to me as they hunted for a suitable nest spot, in the middle of all this rubbish. I think these may be the pair I spotted nesting on the marsh before we had those storms in early March. Considering this area is used by dog walkers it's not really suitable. Maybe they'll move back to the marsh. Lets hope so.

On Sunday the weather was unpredictable, so spent it mainly ondoors. After lunch messed about in the conservatory with the digiscope, trying to get to grips with clarity. Common species, but I like them. Also noticed a Blackbird is nesting in next door's conifer hedge. I also had 2 Herring Gull and a Lesser Black Backed Gull come into the garden after some Sunday Lunch scraps. These birds are huge when in a small sub-urban garden... gave the starlings a shock I can tell you.

Slightly away from the area, 10 Swallows flew over us as we were in Homebase car park in Worle, and nearby a Peregrine flew over. I'd guess this isn't a co-incidence, as raptors will follow migrants as the migrants become exhausted, picking off the stragglers.

And this 10 second video I liked. This male house sparrow in my hornbeam hedge is looking up as if to say " what's this funny white stuff". We don't get much snow down here, most of the birds wear shorts all year, like the postmen. For photo's of proper snow, have a look at BB's posting from the weekend http://boulmerbirder.blogspot.com/2008/04/spring.html

And that's all folks...... except as a write this at 1.30 on monday, blizzard in Bristol.

Tewkesbury Teaser

Yesterday wasn't much of a day for wildlife watching, waiting in for the gas man to change my meter (long running rant by me, as my 9 year old gas meter was being upgraded only because British Gas have outsourced the metering service, and no one will tell me if the old one is being recycled or just landfilled) Anyway it was misty and drizzly so stayed close to home.

But in the evening, headed up the M5 to Tewkesbury in glorious sunshine, typical!! The reason for this was to go and see Feast of Fiddles http://www.feastoffiddles.com/ - fab night, if you're into Folk music with a hint of madness.

But between Dursley and Cheltenham a big raptor floated over the M5. Same size of a Buzzard, but had the profile of....... a Goshawk, nice flap flap glide flight, barred and thick body, flicked back fingers, protruding head and long straight tail. Trouble was at 69.9mph if was hard to have a good look without careering into other traffic. Was it, wasn't it? Bit of a strange place for one in the breeding season, but huge woodland area on the Cotswold Escarpment where it was flying from. I'll never know, I do know however it wasn't a Buzzard; but while listening the lads on the fiddles playing Captain Pugwash theme, followed by Black Night by Deep Purple, I relaxed, took in the music and mused.

And this weeks quiz. Probably breaking some copyright laws here, but one of the birthday cards, was this. So to you birders out there (and non birders), have a go. Can you get 12 out of 12? I got 8, Mate who sent it got 10. Answers next week.

Click on image to enlarge. Don't try and be too celebral. GOOD LUCK

44 candles produce a lot of smoke

Well it had to happen. There was me having a quiet snooze at the desk trying to ignore being another year older, when the girls of the office emerged with this bonfire. Actually what it was was a birthday cake and 44 candles ablaze. Talk about global warming, the heat seems to have singed all my hair off. Mind you blowing out 44 candles produced sizeable amounts of smoke, and my desk is below a smoke detector. Minutes of wafting activity followed to prevent the fire alarms being set off. Great fun so a thank you to the team for a cake (and a pressie) on the blog.

Happy birthday to fellow "all fools" blogger Shirl too today (link left)

Spring has sprung...

...the grass is riz,

and our Border Reiver

was about his blogging biz

Warmth in the air

Out with the lark

Summer time is hear

Nearly 8 before dark

Spring has definitely sprung down here in the warm south west. Saturday morning had an hour down at Sand Bay. Winter birds are dwindling, but a couple of Wheatears were a nice find. The one on the right is a juvenile (I think). It crept about in the rubbish on the beach so hard to spot. But it has a mottled buff/white head which made me think juvenile rather than female. But any suggestions welcome. Later in the garden had a singing Chiffchaff in the tree, and then this buff tailed bumble bee which kept coming into the consrevatory to talk to my bi-coloured muscari.

Sunday : I'll let the pictures below of Priddy Mineries up on the Mendips do the talking with this posting. What a glorious, glorious time of the year to be up there. Because I went to bed an hour before I got up due to the arrival of BST, I found myself on the Mendips at 7am, 6am old money!! Glorious.

Reflections in Blue

As it was so early explored this pool, which usually is a waste of time. However today, 2 Chiffchaffs, my first Willow Warbler (126), a Reed Bunting, and a number of Skylarks on the hill display/courtship flying. The air was so still birdsong everywhere, but cutting through it all, a Raven, Cronk-Cronking from a tree perch about half a mile away, letting all and sundry know he was there... can there be anything as atmospheric as being on the hills and hearing a Raven's call, drifting over the valley.

Eventually though the populous of Somerset started to arrive, and the atmosphere was lost. I then headed to Chew Valley Lake to look for the Gargany, not found. But a duetting Little Grebe pair were wonderful (completely ingnored by a sleeping Tufted duck)

Other signs of Spring. In the garden at Dorset yestrday, 3 butterflies; a Brimstone, Small White and Painted Lady, 2 seven spot ladybirds, a red tailed bumble bee and bizarrely a common wasp. And a Swallow over Wick St Lawrence as I drove home yesterday afternoon.

March Wasp......

Postscript : After writing my blog, thought I'd add this link to Shirl's blog http://blog.shirlsgardenwatch.co.uk/2008/03/spot-birdie.html as those of you interested in birds, can view a presumed leucistic Siskin. I have checked with a colleague and he's confident this is what it is.

March 26th just got better and better and better!

What a day, what a day!! Because of the weather forecast (driving rain) my planned digi-scoping day with mate was cancelled on Tuesday night. To console myself, for lunch I had a tin of Heinz Alphabetti Spaghetti (typical man, impulse purchase from Morrisons's in the morning) and managed to write the blog's name in pasta. Very worrying.

But while doing this the rain departed, I rang my mate to see if we could re-schedule. Didn't quite work as he is 50 miles away, so I left him to Oldbury Power Station and I planned to go to Cheddar Resevoir to see the 1st Winter Bonapart's Gull - but something said to me, go to the Somerset Levels instead. So I did.

Positioning myself in Catcott Hide, I had a bit of a play about with the digi-scope. Still need to practice, but getting there. Wigeon, Teal, Shovler.

Then this Carrion Crow perched itself on a post. So thought I'd post these as a selection of preening photo's, plus the one botom right shows how birds like Crows position themselves, into the wind, crouch down slightly to take off. Notice how it's almost ready to "spring into action" compared to the preening position.

And I was also thinking how does one show the "panorama" out of a hide. If one takes a photograph from the hide opening, doesn't give the impression of the panorama, so why not frame the view from inside. All a bit arty, but I'm happy. (1 Catcott hide north, 2 Catcott hide east, Glastonbury Tor in distance, 3 North hide Shapwick/Meare NNR)

1 2

3

After Catcott, popped over to Shapwick/Meare Heath NNR. It was about 5pm, but still time to have a mooch about. Reports of a Great Egret here, not seen but did get my first Swallow (123) of the year and Marsh Harrier (124). There were a good number of Cetti's Warblers singing, poss 7, and another first for me, I had the briefest of glimpses of a Cetti's as it sang, flew then sang again out of view. The whole area was covered in Hirundine's too, must have been 3-4oo. 2 Little Egrets and 3 Chiffchaffs singing....no Otter, but.....

THE BEST TILL LAST - STARLINGS :

I was watching Jackdaws coming into roost, when a flock of about 2000 Starlings flew into the reeds. This area is well known for the massive Starling displays in the winter, but the end of March is usually way past anything worth seeing. Quite nice to see "winter" and "Spring" colliding, Starlings and Martins. 2 or three flocks of similar size came in as I walked back (photos 4 & 5 below). But one flock was trapped by a Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine (125).

I'd seen the female Sparrowhawk earlier flying over the reed beds, but this one seemed to be circling a small copse. Then above me a spied a female (I think, it was getting dark) Peregrine. the effect of these 2 hunters was that a flock of about 5-600 Starlings were trapped in trees by the reeds. The Sparrowhawk then flew at speed into the tree causing pandemonium (photo 6 and video below). As the mass of starlings left the tree, the Peregrine dived into the mellee from above. It was unsuccesful and I lost sight of the Sparrowhawk, until it returned again about 2 minutes later as did the Peregrine, to once again have a go at Peregrine - Sparrowhawk hunting co-operation. Was it co-incidence or opportunistic behaviour or have these two species learnt to co-operate in an area where huge numbers of Starlings overwinter? I'd welcome any suggestions as I don't know. But it was a fabulous end to the day.

4 5

6

Second mass exodus from the trees. Sorry about the quality, it all happened so fast, and this was on my compact camera.... hope no one's watching from the NHU!!

And finally, just before 7pm, stopped briefly at a place where Barn Owls are quite numerous. Nothing tonight, but this colourful picture, reminded me why I absolutely love the Somerset Levels. Nowhere else like it in the UK.

Larmer Tree Gardens - wildlife free (almost)

Is this really the 4th posting this Easter Weekend? (read below if you missed the others - good for insomnia apparently). I really should stay in, or stay out, which ever is correct. Ahh well, at least it meant I didn't have an Easter Egg.

Mind you we did spend an hour in Stalbridge graveyard yesterday afternoon looking for the grave of Reverend Powys. We'd dropped chocolate off at Thelma's offspring and then walked to the Church to have a mooch about. I'm reading Llewellyn Powys's book, Earth Memories and he talks about going to see the grave of his grandfather under a Holly tree, then walking the lanes his grandfather walked. This was back in the 1920's and I love associations with writers and past experiences. This association being on our doorstep was too much to miss. I know how to treat a girl to a good time! We never found the grave, but a sign of the times the church was locked even though it was Easter weekend.

This afternoon though we spent a few hours at the Larmer Tree Gardens near Tollard Royal in Wiltshire. Although I'm writing this in Stalbridge (Dorset), we are at the boundary of Wiltshire and Somerset. All makes it complex to know which County we are in, for example to visit Stourhead, we set off from Dorset, seamlessly move into Somerset, pay our dues and re-enter Dorset again to finally end up in Wiltshire, a journey of only 10 miles or so.

The Larmer Tree Gardens has the Dorset and Wiltshire border running through it and a stone pyramid marks the spot. With the weather as it is, maybe not the best time to go as it is more of a pleasure garden, designed for picnics and lazing about. But gloriously quiet (allowing me to spot 2 Goldcrests) and more importantly the tea room was open, with the benefit of a woodburning stove, a Dorset Cream Tea with both apricot and strawberry jam all of which had to be tried of course to escape the hail storm which ended all other exploration.

Does anyone know what the "Arum" is bottom right?

On the way home as the weather improved stopped at Melbury Down to watch Buzzards. 5 in total circling along the escarpment. Sadly although a fabulous vantage point where many extensive woods can be seen from above, no Goshawks. Not the right time of day, but I live in hope.

Postscript....

While having lunch just now a Seafire flew over the house (the marine cousin of the legendary Spitfire from WW2). It was heading for Henstridge Airfield about 2 miles away, so we watched it from the garden. Photo isn't great as hand held at a distance, but what a gorgeous sound as those Merlin engines waffled and warbled, unlike anything else in the history of Aviation .... Yes I know it's not a bird, or a real Merlin, but one fabulous flying machine.