Tuesday 8th September 2015

A two hour drive, then a three and a half hour flight and then another 2 hour drive didn't put me off leaving the house at 5:30am today to go ringing!!!!

I went to my own site at Sandy Water Park, to ring in a piece of mixed woodland/scrub/grassland.

For a first visit, not knowing the best sites for the nets it was a short productive session with only 10 birds caught.

Six male Blackcaps, and two male Goldcrests plus a Wren and a blackbird made up the small catch but valuable lessons learned.

There were also four Mistle Thrushes, four Siskins and a Great Spotted Woodpecker around.

Goldcrest

Juvenile male Blackcap

1st September - 7th September 2015

A family holiday in Halkadiki, Greece, little time for any birding but a few nice species seen:

Icterine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Hoopoe, Marsh Harrier, Sardinian Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pallid Swift, Cirl Bunting, these were the best of the bunch.

Male Cirl Bunting

Bee-eater colony  nest site  ( not in use )

Insects included lots of unidentified butterflies, (from the sunbed) Praying mantis spp, Stick Insect spp., plus Southern Darter.

Praying Mantis

Southern Darter??

Stick insect??

Sunday 30th August 2015

Answers on a post card please??

??

Saturday 29th August 2015

Constant Effort Site session 12, Heather and I met at 05:30 am and had all the nets up by 06:10hrs.

It was a very quiet session with only 17 caught, including Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Robin, Wren!!, Blue Tit Dunnock, Blackbird and the star was a first for the site a Green Woodpecker.

Robin

Juvenile Cetti's Warbler

There were plenty of dragonflies around including darters, and hawkers.

Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta

The six hour session ended at 12:00pm.

Adult Chiffchaff, adults undergo a complete moult after breeding. with a full set of new feathers this bird is ready for that journey across the Mediterranean.

Thursday 27th Augusr 2015

This morning was quality over quantity at Sandy Water Park, with a Lesser Whitethroat, a Rook, and Three Mistle Thrushes.

The adult Little Grebe was busily fishing

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Tuesday 25th August 2014

WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE NOT TO BE MISSED.

Today we were "nephew sitting" and with an iffy forecast decided to visit New Quay in West Wales about an hour and a half away from home. The plan was to go on a dolphin watching boat trip of which there are many to choose from.

Arriving around 11:30am I went into the first booking office I saw, now that could have been a big mistake!, I booked with "SeaMor" for the 12:30pm trip, after booking and enjoying a "mocha" I noticed that we were booked on a "RIB" in other words an inflatable, opps keeping quiet we queued up at the harbour and it was a joy to see the faces on the other half and the nephew when they realised we were getting onto an inflatable...

cow Atlantic Grey Seal

Stupidly I didn't take a photograph of the RIB but there was no need to concern with life jackets issued and fitted we set off at a sedate pace along the coast, this area is a Special Area of Conservation with tight rules on the behaviour of the trip operators.

another cow Atlantic Grey Seal

On board as well as the "driver" there was a marine biologist, a young Spanish lady who REALLY KNEW HER STUFF,

We were very fortunate that within minutes we had Bottlenose Dolphins within metres of the RIB, we eventually saw two females with a calf of about 18months of age, magic!!!

ok so you try photographing Bottlenose Dolphins with a bridge camera!!!

Further along the coast three Atlantic Grey Seals were hauled out, birds included Shag, Great Cormorant, Gannet and Manx Shearwater as well as a variety of gulls.
Brilliant 45mins, Brilliant experience and well worth the £25 for three of us. based on our experience today definitely use  www.seamor.org

Two Shags and a Great Cormorant

Kittiwake nests, from this years breeding season



Sea Cliffs to the east of New Quay.

Tuesday 25th August 2015

07:15hrs a walk around the lake with few dog walkers about, and very little else apart from 54 Mute Swan, 30+ Sand Martins a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Great Crested Grebe trying to eat, of all things, a large ELASTIC BAND!!!, thankfully it looked as though the bird gave up on it



some of the 54 Mute Swans on the lake this morning,
apologies for the picture quality?? a bit bright

I did a bit of botanising, to identify the willows growing around the lake as there is a desire? by the local residents association to have them cut back, I found Crack-willow Salix fragilis, Purple Willow Salix purpurea and Grey Willow Salix cinerea.
The Grey Willow is easily managed by "laying" stems so that they can regrow.

Willow leaves, L-R Crack-willow, Purple Willow and Grey Willow

Next weeks blogs will, hopefully, subject to technology be coming from mainland Greece!! if not normal service will resume on 8th September.