Totals included 35 Greenshank: 8 Dunlin: 31 Little Egret: 15 Lapwing: 1 Whimbrel: 1 Ruff (a juvenile).
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| Juvenile Ruff in front of two Redshank |
Thursday, 20 August 2015
Thursday 20th August 2015
With high tide of 6.9m due around 10am, I visited WWT Llanelli.
Totals included 35 Greenshank: 8 Dunlin: 31 Little Egret: 15 Lapwing: 1 Whimbrel: 1 Ruff (a juvenile).
Totals included 35 Greenshank: 8 Dunlin: 31 Little Egret: 15 Lapwing: 1 Whimbrel: 1 Ruff (a juvenile).
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Wednesday 19th August 2015
YESTERDAY evening I joined a bat survey at Carmarthen on the River Towy, it was mild and quite windless.
Using "bat detectors" or more correctly I used a Heterodyne, and the Bat Conservation Trust guy used a very fancy Frequency division detector and Time expansion recorder.
We detected three species of bat, Noctule, Soprano Pipistrelle, and Common Pipistrelle; effectively one of the largest highest flying bats and the joint two smallest bats.
Obviously no photographs....
A really enjoyable couple of hours
Using "bat detectors" or more correctly I used a Heterodyne, and the Bat Conservation Trust guy used a very fancy Frequency division detector and Time expansion recorder.
We detected three species of bat, Noctule, Soprano Pipistrelle, and Common Pipistrelle; effectively one of the largest highest flying bats and the joint two smallest bats.
Obviously no photographs....
A really enjoyable couple of hours
Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Tuesday 18th August 2015
Another ringing session at Oxwich Marsh this morning, although due to other commitments I had to leave at 08:30am, however in the short time there was a nice selection of birds caught including Stonechat, Whinchat, Tree Pipit, Siskin and Kingfisher.
Only a few dodgy photos today.
Only a few dodgy photos today.
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| Whinchat |
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| Tree Pipit |
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| Siskin in moult |
Monday, 17 August 2015
Monday 17th August 2015
Today was CES 11, in other words, the eleventh of twelve ringing sessions using nets that have been in the exact same location for every session since a constant effort site was started at WWT Llanelli
Only 23 birds processed today but it was good to be able to look in detail at the moult stage of some of the birds.
This Chiffchaff sat and looked at us after being newly ringed and released.
There were a few dragonflies and damsel flies around including this female A type Blue Tailed Damsel notice the purple stripes on the thorax.
Only 23 birds processed today but it was good to be able to look in detail at the moult stage of some of the birds.
This Chiffchaff sat and looked at us after being newly ringed and released.
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| Chiffchaff |
There were a few dragonflies and damsel flies around including this female A type Blue Tailed Damsel notice the purple stripes on the thorax.
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| Female Blue tailed damsel, Ischnura elegans "A" type |
Sunday, 16 August 2015
Saturday 15th August 2015
With my friend Nick visiting from Gloucestershire we had a packed day, firstly visiting WWT Llanelli, in the morning where we picked up a selection of waders including Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Greenshank, Redshank and Ruff
After a cup of tea and a freshly baked raspberry and white chocolate muffin in the café we tried for dragonflies and maybe butterflies in the millennium wetlands section of WWT.
We had a little success with Black Tailed Skimmer, Common Blue, Common Darter and a probable Southern Hawker,(it wouldn't settle to be certain).
The afternoon was siesta time before setting off for Pembrey Harbour, again, with a later and higher tide.
Oystercatchers stole the show with over 600 present, with a following cast of 42 Sanderling, 67 Sandwich Tern, one Little Tern, 12 Knot and a Gannet fishing just 200m off shore.
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| a cropped image of a Juvenile Ruff with Black - tailed Godwits |
After a cup of tea and a freshly baked raspberry and white chocolate muffin in the café we tried for dragonflies and maybe butterflies in the millennium wetlands section of WWT.
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| Greater Spearwort, one of the buttercup family |
We had a little success with Black Tailed Skimmer, Common Blue, Common Darter and a probable Southern Hawker,(it wouldn't settle to be certain).
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| male Common Darter, Sympetrum striolata |
The afternoon was siesta time before setting off for Pembrey Harbour, again, with a later and higher tide.
Oystercatchers stole the show with over 600 present, with a following cast of 42 Sanderling, 67 Sandwich Tern, one Little Tern, 12 Knot and a Gannet fishing just 200m off shore.
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| cropped photo of Gannet |
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| one of the many small flocks flying in at high tide to join the main flock |
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| Oystercatchers, feel free to count them (Nick reckons over 600) |
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| Gannet very cropped shot |
Friday, 14 August 2015
Friday 14th August 2015
Today I popped into WWT Llanelli whilst waiting fro Nick to arrive from deepest Gloucestershire.
Apart from a Peregrine sat on the marsh it was pretty hopeless at WWT.
When Nick arrived we had a walk around SWP, and a drive down to Kidwelly Quay.
At Kidwelly Quay there were a few waders, with over 100 Redshank, 20 or so Dunlin, a Whimbrel and quite a few Curlew, the highlight was a juvenile Spotted Redshank, pictures are a bit dodgy so we'll skip over them.
This evening the Carmarthenshire Bird Club had a TERN watch organised along near Burry Port, with high tide at 19:15hrs we arrived to meet everyone at 17:30hrs and had a great couple of hours.
60+ Sandwich Tern, 3 Little Tern, 6+ Gannet, 4 Common Sandpiper, 41 Ringed Plover, 9 Med' Gull including three juveniles, three Sanderling, three Rock Pipits, one Northern Wheater and over 600 Oystercatchers.
Apart from a Peregrine sat on the marsh it was pretty hopeless at WWT.
When Nick arrived we had a walk around SWP, and a drive down to Kidwelly Quay.
At Kidwelly Quay there were a few waders, with over 100 Redshank, 20 or so Dunlin, a Whimbrel and quite a few Curlew, the highlight was a juvenile Spotted Redshank, pictures are a bit dodgy so we'll skip over them.
This evening the Carmarthenshire Bird Club had a TERN watch organised along near Burry Port, with high tide at 19:15hrs we arrived to meet everyone at 17:30hrs and had a great couple of hours.
60+ Sandwich Tern, 3 Little Tern, 6+ Gannet, 4 Common Sandpiper, 41 Ringed Plover, 9 Med' Gull including three juveniles, three Sanderling, three Rock Pipits, one Northern Wheater and over 600 Oystercatchers.
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| Oystercatchers |
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| Juvenile Little Tern and mix aged Sandwich terns |
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| Adult and Juvenile Sandwich Tern ( sorry for poor images) |
Thursday, 13 August 2015
Thursday 13th August 2015
Yesterday evening I did a quick ringing session in the garden and caught two Collared Doves, including this beauty.
A common Darter dragonfly was egg laying in the pond
Today a trip out to Rhosilli band Worms Head found me looking at a, distant, pod of Bottlenose Dolphins? and a slightly closer group of Common Seals
A group of Chough were a good find on the walk out towards the National Coastwatch Institution building but the photographs are shocking.
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| Collared Dove |
A common Darter dragonfly was egg laying in the pond
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| Common Darter |
Today a trip out to Rhosilli band Worms Head found me looking at a, distant, pod of Bottlenose Dolphins? and a slightly closer group of Common Seals
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| Common Seals |
A group of Chough were a good find on the walk out towards the National Coastwatch Institution building but the photographs are shocking.
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| Red-billed Chough |
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