Thursday 29th September 2016

Guided Walk...

Today was the last of the scheduled guided walks, a strandline safari, the weather was vastly improved on the past two days when we've had near constant rain.

A group of seven turned up, (thanks to Veronica for some advertising) and we walked the beach between CE53 and CE52 so that we had the wind at our backs.

Although the sand had covered most of the strandline there was still enough to explore, having a couple of people who hadn't been on one of the previous walks mean't that I could really get into showing and explaining what we discovered.

I never seem to be able to co-ordinate talking and taking photographs so you'll have to believe me when I say we found, Tellin spp, Banded Wdge Shell, Otter Shell, Thong Weed, Prickly |cockle Edible Cockle  host of Sand Hoppers and an incredible looking Sea Slater,

Common Sea Slater (photo from Wikipedia)

There were lots of groups of Goose Barnacles, and if anyone can answer the question "what are they doing" please leave a comment< sensible ones only!. UPDATE

Dosima fascicularis, the buoy barnacle, is "the most specialised pleustonic goose barnacle" species.^[ It hangs downwards from the water surface, held up by a float of its own construction, and is carried along by sea currents  (thanks to Veronica and Wikipedia)

We walked back through the foredunes then into F1 and looked at the pond where Common Darter and Common/Moorland Hawker were playing on the wind, this pond has been great this summer for dragonflies.

We also discovered a new site for Common Broomrape, and found Haresfoot Clover.

We will hold a couple of events through the late autumn and winter so look out for information.....

Tuesday 20th September 2016

Nip in the air.....

There was a bit of a nip in the air this morning, although if I had woken earlier as planned it would have been even nippier!

Anyway a late start saw me on the reserve at 08:45, it was calm and there were quite a few birds flitting across the track where puddles still lay from the last rain.

I set two 40ft nets, about 100ft apart, and whilst I was not flooded with birds catching a small flock of Goldfinches did make for a busy start.

As the morning wore on I decided to see if the Meadow pipits would react to the tape lure, they did and whilst it wasn't a classic Meadow Pipit set up I caught four birds before packing up and getting on with some work.

Meadow Pipits are every predators favourite food, and we have lots on the reserve, they bred well and now the winter visitors are arriving, I'll be targeting them over the next weeks.

Meadow Pipit, notice the tick just behind the eye!

Meadow Pipit

Monday 19th September 2016

High tide delights...winter on the way?

This morning was one of the highest spring tides at 9.1m, and it was at a sensible time around 08:30, so a lie in!.

The high tide almost up to the fore dunes, in the distance , (over the white water)

there were Gannets, Arctic Skua, GBB Gulls, herring Gulls, and Black-headed Gulls feeding

I was on site by 07:45hrs and spent a pleasant 2 hours birding, without seeing a soul.

middle marsh, just after the top of the tide

I did manage 42 species of birds, with the highlights being, Whinchat, Arctic Skua, Wigeon, Teal, and the first returning Brent Geese, although they don't usually use  the marsh they do fly by, today they were resting and preening on the top of the marsh

With the marsh flooding I went to the beach at the eastern end of the reserve, but not quite to the boundary so a lot of roosting waders and gulls etc were out of sight, until they got moved by the incoming tide.

A flock of around 130 Sandwich Terns, was a surprise, but more surprising was that when they split up 51 of them went onto the flooded marsh and began feeding as there were eight Little Egrets and four Grey Herons also feeding I guess that a lot of fish fry had been swept in.

The reserve never fails to amaze with the variety, if I'd tried harder the list could have been higher.

I don't think I've posted a map, so courtesy of Google Maps, here's one, the yellow line is the boundary of the reserve, the SSSI is much more extensive

Sunday 18th September 2016

In deepest Swindon town...

Well on the fringes at least... I was back with the North Wilts Ringing Group for my annual meeting with my mentor, old Prior.. it was good to see he's still the same as ever!
He had prepared for this morning session last night. and while doing so caught a JACK SNIPE, the site is known for these diminutive wintering waders, and the 17th September was the earliest capture date.

Jack Snipe, (photograph taken at Oxwich NNR 2015)

With almost the full, Matt Prior, team out just Simon was missing it was great to see how much the lads Biff and Noah have continued to improve, as always the craic was up to its usual standards.

With Anna and Paul W also out as well as Noah's mum who was scribing the team was set for what turned out to be a classic autumn ringing session.

As usual Matt had some billy bonus net set and typically there were some interesting non-passerines to process.

Common Snipe, a bird of the year (3) based on median covert pattern,

flushed into the net during a net round

The bulk of the catch was Blackcap, with Chiffchaff in very good numbers, a smattering of more usual fare, plus the waders and an immature Teal, brought the numbers in at 312 new birds, 21 re=encountered and a control Blackcap (this is a bird ringed by another ringer at a different site).

Blackcap, bird of the year BTO code 3,

♂moulting from a brown head into a black cap!

I really love ringing at the Swindon Lagoons reserve, hard to believe its an old sewage works. It really shows the effort that Matt puts into this reserve and the  team when only one person in the group hadn't ringed either Teal or Common Snipe!!!

Green Sandpiper, an adult bird,(4), based on the shape of the 2nd primary, (broad and blunter than a younger bird),  the pattern of the tertials and median coverts. Green Sandpipers show great site fidelity,

so this bird  will probably spend the winter around the reserve and the working water treatment works.

Friday 16th September

Autumn fruit and nuts......

A trip to the Elan Valley in mid-Wales showed once again that autumn is well and truly under way in the natural world.

After several days of above average temperatures it was pleasant enough in the hills.

The area is truly a marvellous place for both scenery and wildlife, vast man made reservoirs seem to just "fit in" to the landscape and the surrounding mix of deciduous and conifer plantations as well as some outstanding moorland blend so well.

Caban Goch

It was the variety of berries on show as well as a few nuts and fungi that highlighted the beauty of this time of year.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.......

Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris

Rowan, (Mountain Ash) Sorbus aucuparia

Birch Betula spp

Sessile Oak, Quercus petraea

Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa

Boletus spp??

Tuesday 13th September 2016

A surprise in the net....

Having recovered from the trauma of the return trip from Majorca, this morning looked perfect for a ringing session, so to wake at 05:15 to the sound of rain drops did not bide well.

I set off anyway and the rain held off, despite near perfect conditions, no wind and overcast, there were few birds on the ground..

There looked to have been a decent sized Swallow roost last night as at first light there were 10's of Swallows low over the reeds, but as the morning wore on the flock grew to the high hundreds, or low thousand.

Reed Warbler

The first round contained Sedge and Reed Warblers and a Garden Warbler, later a few Robins put in an appearance and a lone Blackcap.

Blackcap juvenille ♂

Then the Swallows were tempted by the tape lure and fourteen were extracted before the heavens opened and I closed the nets for the morning.

The last bird processed turned out to be a "control" Swallow, one that had been ringed at anonther site, a look at the ring made me think it may have been ringed by the Gower Ringing Group.

Juvenile Swallow

A quick e-mail to the group and I found out that it had in fact been ringed by a candidate on the Wales Ringing Course held at Oxwich NNR over the previous weekend, of course the information still has to be submitted to the BTO for their records.

Friday 9th September 2016 Majorca

On the beach....

This holiday was a last minute decision before some upcoming hospitalisation, so was never going to be one of my "wildlife" holidays.

Still even from the luxury of a sun lounger the wildlife came to me.

The "lounger list" includes flybys of Osprey, Marsh harrier, Hoopoe, Grey Heron, and of course Audouins Gull.

Hotel wildlife has consisted of a Gecko sp, to be identified later.

Gecko sp

The weather has been consistently in the low thirties during the day and mid twenties in the evenings and nights, too warm for me...

Having not visited Majorca for over 20 years I had forgotten what a nice place it is, something I noticed, and to be honest anyone from the UK should notice, there is no litter and very little dog poo lying around, just compare this to my home patch, which frankly is disgusting.

Flight home is on Sunday morning, usual Blog will resume next week.