Shorties show up Sunday 26th November 2017

I have been reading reports on the Carmarthenshire Bird Club sightings pages of a Short-eared Owl being seen on the reserve at Pembrey.

This evening I took myself off to see if I could get to grips with this magical owl, sure enough around 15:30 an Owl appeared, my attention being drawn to it by a couple of birders who were out on the marsh!

When I wandered over to have a chat I could see that there were TWO Short-eared Owls hunting over the lower marsh I love "shorties".

Short-eared Owl,

(I wish it was my photograph)

There was some interaction between one of the owls and the local male Kestrel, but I don't think they need to fight over food as my feelings are that there is a good supply of Voles.

Last year the owls only paid fleeting visits to the reserve, presumably wandering over from "Glamorgan", lets hope they stay longer this year.

Probably the best place to see them from is the information hut in the middle of the reserve, or along the path which runs along the edge of the Sea Buckthorn and the edge of the marsh, late afternoon is likely to be the best time.

The bird list for the reserve is a bit light this year at only 126 species V 141 last year, please remember to submit any bird records for the reserve to the CBC sightings page or send a list in the comments box on the blog.

Things that hang in trees, Thursday 23rd November 2017

Many "things" hang in trees, some scarce and unusual, some just disgusting, here are examples of both from our Morfa Berwig LNR,

The Lichen, Usnea articulate, the Sausage Beard-lichen declined sharply as a result of airbourne pollution, but is now making a bit of a comeback generally.

There is a very small example of it to be found in just one location (so far) at Morfa Berwig.

So called because of because of its straggly appearance and the "pinch points" along its "stem" which look like a string of sausages.

Sausage Beard-lichen

It can occur in three main habitats, Hawthorns in windy location, the leeward side of windy Larch plantations or in the tops of Willows at wetland sites (Morfa Berwig), the degree of windiness is a key factor in its choice of habitat.

Other things hang or are put to hang in trees, I can never understand why though, there must be some sort of evolutionary process in place where plastic bags full of dog poo take off out of the hand of humans and fly to the nearest, usually inaccessible bush or tree.

A bag of dog faeces,

in a bush over a ditch which means it will stay there

until it falls into the water!

I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation .....NOT!

Blowing a bit so indoors today Wednesday 22nd November 2017

With the perfect weather to stay indoors today it gave an opportunity to "sort and tidy" our workshop.

So with Veronica and Neil we set about making some basic racks and sharpening the "edged" tools

So satisfying to sort everything out, hopefully ...............

"a place for everything and everything on it's place"

It looks a bit sparse but lots of the tools are out on the pickup.

Some shelves will need to be added, and perhaps a different solution for the bush/bow saws but for now its a safe and tidy work space, and despite the photo's the racks are perfectly level!!!

Another one of those jobs that has needed doing for a while, but who wants to be inside unless the weather is really bad, like today.

Icelandic visitor? Friday 17th November 2017

I've said the following so often, "in what looked like perfect conditions..." well this morning was no exception, but no one told the birds! Which is typical when you have a visitor, sorry Julie.

Still Morfa Berwig looked great at 06:00 this morning as I sloshed my way through flooded ringing rides carrying all the kit laden like a donkey... no comments or thoughts please.

A very modest session but always worth it especially when one of the two Redwings was a monster of a bird, well it was certainly different, I knew that because my helper originally identified it as a Blackbird - sorry couldn't resist.

Based on the comments from Mr Svensson the Redwing with its much buffier face, and breast/ sides and darker mantle and wing of 124mm placed it as a likely candidate for the Icelandic race corbuni, it only weighed in at 61.6gms and no fat.

The second Redwing was much more the "norm"  iliacus, a paler bird with whiter, face, breast and sides with a wing of 119mm but a weight of 72.2 and a fat score of 2.

The photographs below, despite the light, hopefully show the obvious plumage differences.

Redwing, corbuni ?

Redwing, iliacus ?

A Cettis Warbler was "controlled", the ring was not easily read, took ten minutes plus some "macro" photos to read it properly, I'm guessing its one of Heathers birds from WWT Llanelli.
The ringing data will be duly submitted to the BTO,
[however local enquiries have established the bird was ringed on 16th October 2017 at OXWICH MARSH, as a bird hatched in 2017 (age code 3)]
A movement 12.3km NNE

 One of the Blackbirds, a female was on the chubby side with a wing of 129mm and a weight of 117gms and a very heavily scalloped breast of grey feathers, - continental type? - no I didn't take a photo!

The oddest things happen, Morfa Berwig Wednesday 15th November 2017

Wednesday, volunteer day, Morfa Berwig.

As usual a few odd jobs, including a Japanese Knotweed survey, we recorded carefully the known patches of this troublesome plant, its not a huge problem but needs nipping in the bud.

A litter pick, as usual it was the A484 roundabout that needed attention, at least the fly tipping I reported last week has gone.

Linseed oil on some of the on-site "furniture" and the last of the nest-boxes were put up plus one donated by Veronica

It was during the Knotweed survey that whilst wandering around F3 that I was startled, by a small mouse jumping across my path, on size alone it was a Harvest Mouse but then I noticed a ball of woven grasses in the rushes, a Harvest Mouse nest.

Harvest Mouse nest

Harvest Mouse (Wikipedia library)

A great record, which has been submitted to WWBIC.

Returning to the same area later I was surprised to see a Wood Mouse jump out of the back of the nest which had now been "ragged" about, was that why the Harvest Mouse had jumped across my path earlier?

What a load of rubbish Monday 13th November 2017

Monday morning, the first sub zero morning of the autumn with ice on the puddles and the need to really scrape the ice off the van.

Today the Wales Wildlife Walks Litter Pickers made Pembrey the focus of their attention, and badly needed it is.

After the stormy weather in October, followed by calm spring tides a huge amount of marine bourn litter has been dropped on Cefn Sidan.

With 12 eager volunteers, plus the regular MENCAP gang and assistance from KWT and CCC, it was a case of divide and conquer, three hours later and a great deal had been picked but really barely scratching the surface of what is a huge problem, not only on Cefn Sidan but any beach in any part of the UK.

only a small pile of the total amount picked today

Still smiling!!!!

A huge thank you to everyone who gave their time and effort today.

Morfa Berwig surprise

I visited Morfa Berwig LNR, this afternoon, wow we must have had a fair drop of rain last night so much water about today.

I noticed Redwings were flying in from the east in small flocks, with about 35 seen plus a couple of Mistle Thrushes but no Fieldfares.

Quite often luck plays a big role in finding wildlife, today was no exception, above the noise of a passing HGV I heard a bird calling, the call was the sort that made me think "I know that" but "what is it", looking up I saw three brutish looking birds fly towards, then over and past me heading SE, immediately they could only be one species, the broad white bar on the underwing, heavy front end and short squarish tail, and that call! all said HAWFINCH.

Hawfinch

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Although there is a decent breeding population in the UK there has been an influx of Hawfinch into the country from the continent, tied in I think with the stormy weather experience in October, which also affected Europe.

I've seen them "properly", that's to say feeding on the ground in the Forest of Dean they are brutes, and according to those working on the several ringing projects they hurt a lot when they bite with that cherry stone cracking bill.

I have never had the opportunity to photograph the species myself so I've used two shots from Wikipedia under their "free to share and use" license 

Hawfinch, the bill has an applied force of c50kgs

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)