Monday 10th August 2015

Monday dawned overcast windy and wet, well that's a change!!!!

I don't do cute and cuddly but well this baby Rabbit......

I popped down to WWT Llanelli as I haven't visited for over a week, it looked pretty bleak but soon things improved.

One of the highlights was 469 Black tailed Godwits dropping in, with at least six juveniles in stunning plumage, these are the sub species "islandica" and as the name suggests these birds probably bred in Iceland.

469 Black-tailed Godwit plus, Redshank, Lapwing and a Knot

Yesterday a 1st summer Yellow Legged Gull had been reported and I picked it up preening on a grassy island, a bit far for a decent photo, but the very light head and heavy dark bill are good diagnostic features.

1st Summer Yellow Legged Gull sat on the grass bank  in the middle of the picture

A Grey Heron struggled with an Eel.


A tricky moment?

 

Saturday yes Saturday 8th August 2015

The first day I have ventured out since Monday, this man-flu thing just got the better of me.

Today felt like a perfect Autumn morning, cool windless and sunny.

There wasn't a great deal happening on the lake, about 20 Tufted and seven Pochard and one Gadwall. However the light was great and the autumn fruits are starting to shine through, there's quite a lot of mature Rosa rugosa around the area a stuuningly pretty and prickly variety of the native Dog rose, Rosa canina.

looking south east across the lake

Rosa rugosa fruit (hip)

There was a very confiding Grey Heron at the Pwll end of the lake, the light was a bit too harsh for my camera to cope with this morning but you get the idea.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Monday 3rd August 2015

I'm limited to what I can do at the moment due to dose of "man flu", but I'm solidering on,

In our garden in Cirencester a bird feeder of sunflower seeds would last maybe two days, here in windy SW Wales the same feeder has lasted 27 days.

After catching a herring Gull by accident I've decided to make a more specific trap, this time a "drop trap" it will need some refining but well, I'll let you know if I have any success.

2m x 2m square of netting

Needs to have some weight at the dropping end, rear base hinged with "U" pegs

Friday 31st July 2015

This morning was spectacular, not only was the temperature down to 5'C the moon was full and blue.

I joined the team at Oxwich National Nature Reserve,  a wonderful place for nature and people and somewhere I spent may days as a child.

The ringing site, a mixture of reed bed and scrub produced 160 birds, with over 20 Greenfinches - mostly juveniles a Kingfisher and a breeding couple of  Redpoll sp

All in all a brilliant morning, and when I managed to take off my woolly hat the sun was wonderful, if a little to bright for continued catching.

juvenile Kingfisher

Highland cattle, being used for conservation grazing of the marsh

 


Male and Female  Redpoll sp

Ringing team in action, being supervised by "Ellie" the West Highland Terrier

The ringing area (foreground not the hill)

Thursday 30th July 2015

This morning was forecast to be a lot calmer and dryer than of late and so it was.

It was CES session 9 at WWT Llanelli so I joined the Gower Ringing Group there at 05:30hrs, to set the nets on what was quite a chilly morning for July.

A total of 33 birds including retraps was respectable for the site, other wildlife on show included ,  the dragonflies Southern Hawker and Common Darter and also the Hornet Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria.


Chiffchaff

Hornet Hoverfly



Wednesday 29th July (2)

Started ringing in the garden yesterday afternoon, using just one 40' net.

Yesterdays tally was 2 Jackdaws and a House Sparrow, so feeling inspired I set the same net again this morning at 6am and caught two Jackdaws and a HERRING GULL!!, she was not happy and I have the scars to prove it.....

Herring Gull female

Wednesday 29th July

No internet for the past two days, but its all fixed, keep checking back for updates!!!!!!!!!