Lanzarote, a round up Friday 25th May 2018

Just returned from a "family" holiday on the Spanish Island of Lanzarote.

A really interesting location and some good birds and volcanoes

The weather was mixed with a constant NE wind (the trade winds) and heavy cloud cover for most if not all of every day - the weather at home was much better as I kept hearing...

A respectable bird list of 22 birds with the specialities discovered on a tour with a local Eco guiding company.
New birds for me included, HOUBARA BUSTARD, CREAM COLOURED COURSER, LESSER SHORT TOED LARK AND SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE.   I also had good views  of  BARBARY FALCON, ( an adult and a well grown chick) A selection of "record shots" below.

Houbara Bustard

Cream Coloured Courser

Southern Grey Shrike

Barbary Falcon chick

The scenery is amazing with over 200 inactive volcano cones, [the whole of the Canary Islands complex is still considered volcanically active] and extensive lava fields as well as an interesting "desert type" landscape consisting of what appear to be very flat dunes. (all explored with the same company)

Looking into a crater, notice the magma lake cap

Inside a crater

I was fortunate to have the same guide on both trips, a professional geologist by profession but also a sharp eyed birder, his passion for the island was infectious especially when he was discussing the many environmental problems Lanzarote faces....

There was very little litter anywhere but there appeared to be quite a few drinks cans scattered about showing signs of having been used for target practise by the locals ... but that was not the case at all, hunting is reasonably well controlled with only two target species, Rabbits and Barbary Partridge, both introduced for hunting, and local conservationists have a good relationship with the hunting community.

Anyway back to the can, amazingly the cause of the damage was RAVENS who have learned to target the cans as quite often a lizard or small mammal gets trapped in the can!!!!! there's even some research being undertaken by university students into this behaviour.

Corvids are clever...

All in all a pleasant week away but now its back to reality with me commencing work (paid) with the Outdoor Recreation Service from tomorrow.

Morfa Berwig Nest Box project update Wednesday 16th May 2018

I have been monitoring the 44 nest boxes at Morfa Berwig since the beginning of April, there have been signs of activity in 49% of the boxes, however todays update perhaps presents a better idea of the breeding season so far.

The cold nights in the past week have taken their toll on one box where all seven well grown Great Tit chicks have perished.

It seems that a predator, probably a Weasel, has finished off two clutches of eggs.

On the brighter side I did manage to ring three great tit chicks, albeit there were originally eight eggs in the clutch.

NEST BOX NUMBER	ACTIVITY RECORDED	Species
3	Female incubating NB not counted	Blue Tit
4	Female incubating NB not counted	Great Tit
6	Nest deserted, all seven chicks dead	Great Tit
9	Nine eggs warm	Great Tit
11	Female incubating NB not counted	Blue Tit
16	Predated	Not known
20	Three well grown chicks from eight eggs these have been ringed with ring numbers TZ…909, 910,911	Great Tit
21	Female incubating not counted	Blue Tit
33	Female incubating not counted	Blue Tit
35	Predated, two eggs discarded	Great Tit
40	Female incubating not counted	Great Tit
41	Female incubating not counted	Blue Tit
42	Six NB, there were 6 eggs on the last visit	Blue Tit

 So, to explain a bit further NB means the eggs have hatched, the chicks have no down (Naked) and their eyes are shut (Blind)

I am away for a week in the sun, internet permitting I may write a few blogs, if not I'll catch up on my return.

And relax... Thursday 10th May 2018

Due to commitments I couldn't make the Wednesday volunteers yesterday, and only managed a few hours out of the house today.

In bright sunshine but with a stiff westerly I attempted a short butterfly survey alas the butterflies had other ideas so I consoled myself by looking at some of the spring flowers making a decent show on the dunes at the moment.

With Thrift, Wild Pansy, and Horseshoe Vetch, Birds-foot Trefoil,  Meadow Buttercup and of course Green-winged Orchids; there was plenty to look at. 

Wild Pansy, Viola tricolor, spp curtisii

Thrift

May bank holiday weekend roundup, Monday 7th May 2018

The sun came out as promised by the weather forecasters, and with it so came the crowds.

The Pembrey reserve was not too busy, with most people just using the parking areas to head to the beach without paying the entrance fee into the country park.

Early morning has been best with Whimbrel on the beach, Wheatear in the dunes, and at last some decent butterflies including the stunning Green Hairstreak.

There are good numbers of Green-winged Orchids to be found along with Wild Pansy. a note of caution Wild Parsnip is now growing fast.

With the crowds so comes the litter, I cleaned the parking area at CE53 twice in just two hours on Sunday morning!, the safety/RVP sign at CE53, which is a favourite dumping point was typically bad as illustrated in the photographs, I helped clear the mess (three black bags worth) with one of the ORS rangers; sadly its already getting messy again.

I helped out in Pembrey Country Park for most of the weekend, as a precursor to starting work there.

There has been a great event over the last two days with Dyfed Archaeology demonstrating WW1 activities, - very well attended.

I don't feel able to go into detail on the blog but let me just say not everyone respects the amazing environment and facilities at the park and the surrounding area......

NATURE, red in tooth and claw, Wednesday 2nd May 2018

I was joined by Wednesday gang members, Veronica and Neil for what turned out to be an interesting day.

We started by cutting reeds for Pembrey Primary forest school, they have a structure they wish to thatch. (There were no signs of any bird activity in the small area we cut) to be honest we've left it a bit late it has not been possible to get into the reedbed to do any cutting due to the high water levels as such the quality of the reed has deteriorated during the winter, I'm sure the pupils won't mind.

Cut reed, ready for thatching!

A wander over the dunes looking at the Green-winged Orchids and finding Moonwort on the way took us to the beach where we then did a recce of the eastern end of the beach around "the nose" prior to a planned litter pick on Monday 14th May, today the beach and "the nose" were very litter free but still enough work to keep a few people occupied on the day.

Moonwort

Unusally litter free (ish)

As we wandered back towards the salt marsh I heard and saw a commotion caused by a carrion crow and a few gulls harassing a Peregrine, the Peregrine was taking no notice and made a dash for a Little Egret, after a thwarted attack the peregrine landed on the sand bar to "gather its thoughts", the Little Egret remained frozen to the spot on the edge of the water.

After a ruffle of it's feathers the Peregrine, probably a sub-adult female, launched another attack on the seemingly doomed Egret, and so it was, despite a gang of LBB and Herring Gulls showing their disdain for the falcon, a few flaps of white wings and the Egret was subdued, the Peregrine started to pluck the feathers from the Little Egret, presumably while it was still alive....

Herring Gull waiting for scraps from the Peregrine

Thanks to veronica for todays photographs

The week just gone, a round up Sunday 29th April 2018

Nothing to report for last week, all very quiet really, the weather has played its part in holding back the slow progress that is Spring 2018.

New bird for the year list were Manx Shearwaters reported by Bernie, (thanks again).

Today saw some interesting activity with a Royal Navy destroyer anchored off shore as part of the military activity taking place over five days, soldiers landing by hovercraft on the reserve section of Cefn Sidan and then a group of them working their way in full battle dress, guns and all, across the reserve!!

No more to be said really

A roundup of last week Sunday 22nd April 2018

My blogging has been rather intermittent of late so a roundup of the past week seems appropriate.

I have had a couple attempts at ringing in the last week, they have been rather dismal to say the least with only two birds, a Reed Bunting and a Dunnock, caught.

Spring can be difficult especially at such an exposed site as Pembrey Burrows. Despite the lack of ringing success there have been  migrant birds arriving and passing through, with Arctic Tern (thanks to Bernie for the record), Sedge, Grasshopper, Willow and  Whitethroat warblers all recorded. A high flying Marsh Harrier heading south towards the Gower was a latecomer to the year list which now stands at 97

Arctic Tern

On the butterfly front there's not a lot to be said, I held a "training session" for three willing butterfly surveyors on Thursday  which turned into a lovely walk but nothing to record, well not anything that was close enough to identify. There's time yet.....

Floristically, there a few plants to see with Green-winged Orchid, Cowslips, Heath Dog Violet, Wild Pansy, Oxford Ragwort, Broom and Moonwort all to find across the reserve.

Green-winged Orchid

Moonwort

I found the first newly emerged Dune Tiger Beetles yesterday which were great to see scuttling around grabbing prey.

Dune Tiger Beetle