Tuesday 6th October 2015

With my new ringing site at Pembrey Burrows Local Nature Reserve, approved by Natural Resources Wales, (NRW) and Carmarthenshire County Council (thanks to Dr Simeon Jones conservation officer); I made a good recce of the site this morning.

Essentially a sand dune/reed-bed/saltmarsh system with decent areas of scrub, the site holds a lot of promise but will be very weather/wind dependant.

Entrance sign

Willow and reed bed area

View looking towards the North across the dunes and reed bed

There was a good variety of birds around this morning, the sky being dominated by Skylarks, with at least six singing birds, Meadow Pipits were very evident highlights though would be Whinchat ♂, Sparrowhawk ♀, Raven and Goldcrest.

Very distant Whinchat

There were a few plants still in flower including Wild Pansy, Viola tricolour, Burnet Rose, Rosa pimpinellifolia Red Campion, Silene dioica and White Campion, Silene latifolia with a few Sea Thrift flowers, Armeria maritime; just hanging on in the slacks.

Red Campion

Wild Pansy

White campion

The ringing potential can be seen in the photographs below with good areas of scrub, including Sea Buckthorn and Gorse

This linear feature actually has a decent depth of scrub on the left the puddles in the track attract birds to drink and bathe

This perfectly placed hide/watch-point will make a great base during ringing/monitoring sessions

I am really looking forward to exploring this site further.

Monday 5th October 2015

A dramatic change in the weather today as the rain tapped on the bedroom window!, and the wind was blowing from the South West.

A day to venture to WWT Llanelli, I haven't been able to visit due to other commitments for a few weeks, and I've missed a Cattle Egret.

This morning was autumnal with the wind blowing and rain falling as I walked to the British Steel hide, the sight was again great with 100's of birds on the scrapes.

Knot (several hundreds), Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank (24), Redshank, Dunlin (several hundreds), CURLEW SANDPIPER (2), Little Egret, Curlew, Teal, Gadwall, Pochard, Wigeon, Mallard, LBB Gull, Herring Gull, BH Gull, Swallow (1) Sparrowhawk and then GREAT WHITE EGRET (1), too far away to photograph though.

Little Egret, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit

Out on the estuary Great Crested Grebe (c12), and thousands of Oystercatchers.

I don't usually pay attention to Magpies but there was quite a smart one (I know I'm being kind) near the hide.




Magpie, Pica pica, the colours of this "black and white" bird are so varied

Saturday 3rd October 2015

I spent the weekend back in Swindon, and on Saturday joined my old group the North Wiltshire Ringing Group for a full on ringing session at Hens Wood in the Savernake Forest nr Marlborough.
The usual team were joined by Malcolm from South Africa and Charlotte from Canada.

Autumn colour is really starting to show through with the reds and golds in the leaves of the trees and shrubs.

 

A typically early start being on site for 06:15hrs with around 800ft of net put up around the wood at feeding stations and a few carefully selected sites.

As expected the morning filled with Coal Tits, Great Tits, with a few Blue Tits as well as the more interesting Marsh tits, the highlight of the tit family though was to catch two WILLOW TITS, a new bird hatched this year and a retrap of a bird hatched and ringed in 2014.

With Willow Tits on the brink of local extinction and suffering across most of their range in the UK it was heartening to see that there is still breeding in the area.

Marsh Tit (left) Willow Tit (right)



Willow Tit

However for me the absolute highlight was to walk to a net and see, trapped, for the first time a stunning male FIRECREST....., then to ring it was the icing on the cake, the Firecrest is the joint smallest British bird with its congener the Goldcrest, this little chap weighed a mere 5.4grams. This scarce breeder and passage migrant is a real jewel!

Male Firecrest  Regulus ignicapilla



simply a jewel of the forest

Tuesday 29th September

Another glorious day a spot of ringing yielded Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Collared Dove.

I ventured to Kidwelly Quay after  high tide and found Greenshank (31), Redshank (120+), Curlew Sandpiper (2), Dunlin, plus the usual supporting cast.

Redshank

I then drove down to Pembrey Burrows local nature reserve,  my first time to visit, looks like a potential ringing site.

Plenty of Evening Primrose, Oenothera glazioviana, in flower, the Sea Buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides, was heavy with berries potentially good news for Redwings and Fieldfares.

Evening Primrose

Evening Primrose

Sea Buckthorn, loaded with berries

Monday 28th September 2015 LESBOS TRIP SUMMARY PART 2

Just a few more photos, its not all about birds!

Small Skimmer, Orthetrum taeniolatum

Swallowtail,  Papilio machaon gorganus

Red-veined darter, Sympetrum fonscolombii ♀

Red-veined Darter ♀ "head on"

Balkan Terrapin Mauremys rivulata

Common Blue pair, Polyommatus Icarus

 



Sunday 27th September 2015 LESBOS TRIP SUMMARY

Do I start with the fact that this has been one of the most successful trips I have made to the "magical isle" of Lesbos, YES I will, with two memorable days in the week, perfect weather, a mix of dry and sunny and wet and overcast, great wildlife and enjoyable company.

Red-footed Falcons passed through in huge numbers with probably 1000+ birds over two days, White Pelican,and my first  Osprey and Ferrunginous Duck on the island

The avifauna stole the show as expected for a mainly birding trip with a total of 120 species seen and one (Long -eared Owl heard),

Common Shelduck, Mallard, Garganey, Teal, FERRUNGINOUS DUCK, Scopolis Shearwater, Yelkouan Shearwater, Little Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Black Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Little Egret, GREAT WHITE PELICAN, Dalamtian Pelican,Great Cormorant, WESTERN OSPREY, European Honey-buzzard, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagus harrier, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Kestrel, RED FOOTED FALCON, Eleonora's Falcon, and Peregrine.

Osprey, my first sighting in 10 years of visits

Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Common Snipe, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Sanderling, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin,and Ruff.

Greater Flamingos

 



Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Black Tern, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Western Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl (heard), European Roller, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, RED BACKED SHRIKE, Lesser Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Jay, Hooded Crow,  and Northern Raven

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Sombre Tit, Great tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Crested Lark, Woodlark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Eurasian Crag martin, Common House Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Cetti's Warbler, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Wood Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Zittng Cistiola, Eurasian Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Krupers Nuthatch, Western Rock Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Common Blackbird, Common Redstart, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Northern Wheater, Eastern Black-eared Wheater, Blue Rock Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, House Sparrow, Rock Sparrow.

Whinchat

Western Yellow Wagtail, (flava, thunbergi,) White Wagtail, Tawny Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Common Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, Corn Bunting, and Cirl Bunting,

Domestic Goats, one of the mainstay farm animals on the island

As well as the birds we picked up a couple of reptiles, dragonflies and butterflies,

Starred Agama

European Glass Lizard

Snake- eyed Lacertid

Snake-eyed Lacertid??

AN AMAZING WEEK ON A MAGICAL ISLAND WITH GREAT WILDLIFE, WILD SCENERY AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE.





Friday 25th September 2015 LESBOS TRIP last field day

Today we set off West to visit the Meladia Valley area and the Ipsilou Monastery,

On route we found the four European Rollers I read about on Facebook this morning, it pays to check!!

believe me its a Roller

European Roller in flight, look at the colours!

Whilst the photos are rubbish it was thanks to Nick (again, he's been on form this week spotting odd birds, I just wish he would identify them!!) that the first one was spotted so followed by the others.

Short-toed Snake Eagles, Marsh Harrier, Eleonoras Falcon, Common Buzard and Common Kestrel made up the raptor list today.

Red Backed Shrike, cropped to hell

Common Buzzard



The Meladia valley has a few hotspots, and by checking them we found Wood Warbler, and an un identified flycatcher.....

Bird, Butterfly, Reptile, and Dragonfly  wise it was quiet by great quality in Wood Warbler made up for it.

Pithariou reservoir and monastery