With no luck looking for ladybirds the previous week I was eating my luch at work in the last of the good weather for the year (probably) a pine ladybird landed on my table finishing September very nicely.
26th September
I left Wiltshire via Surrey for a quick errand and on to Norfolk, I stopped at Barton Mills to use the facilities and for a break and a 20 min nap and as I was about to leave a very well known twitcher arrived and proceded to throw litter onto the verge!! while the other occupant of the car used a litter bin. I weary could not face a confrontation so left for Blakney Point. I found somewhere to park and headed off for the trudge to the point. It was hard going on the shingle but the weather was OK and the sea spectacular. I made good progress to the point stopping only briefly for a richard's pipit. On arrival the probable Alder Flycathcer was showing quite well and I got some photos. It became elusive for a shrot while and when it returned I tried some video but the rain arrived with the bird and I had to give up. The sky looked black and rain filled so I started the long walk back in torrential rain along with loads of others. I twisted a knee stumbling in the shingle and hobbled most of the way back. I barely looked when another birder shouted bonxie so heavy was the rain at that point.
We looked like a group of refugees strung out along the beach, all the while we passed people heading out in the terrible weather. I had dry clothes in the car so changed damp trousers, shoes and socks, I decided not to try for the other birds around and headed home for some sleep, an epic twitch that I will remember for a long time.
25th September
Another day out with the Savernack Bat Group, and once again another great day with some particularly informative bats including soprano and common pipistrelle's together. Good numbers of brown long eared bats and a few natterer's bats in the box checks. After some chips we were ready for the evening session of mist netting and despite the cold (frost on the car when we finished) a few bats were still about we caught 13 in total a whiskered bat the highlight and a daubentons to make the species total to 6 for the day. A great day and many thanks to the bat group.
22nd September
A gentle wander round the Lodge looking for Ladybirds was not sucessfull but plenty of fly agaric around and some close encounters with a family of nuthatches.
21st September
I was heading down to Bucks anyway so the slight detour to Wendover was no great effort. I easily found the site and was quickly on top of the tussock watching the wryneck at very close range. It showed very well for the duration of my visit and was easily approached for photographs, a top bird.
18th September
I awoke to a beautiful sunrise at St Mary's Lighthouse, Whitley Bay, a large passage of Terns was underway offshore. A single roseate tern was perched on the rocks and joined the passage. I drove to North Shields to join a pelagic trip run by Northern experience wildlifetours. I was a little aprehensive as the weather was not looking good and my track record on boats is not good. And as we left the harbour I was very concerned as the sea was state 5, but I was fine the whole trip two unfortunate souls were not and had a terrible trip. We had some amazing encounters with sooty shearwaters watching the swim underwater was sensational. We had some good bonxies but artic and Pomarine skuas were only flyby's. The sea was not condusive to cetacean watching but I picked two dolphins at distance and was we approached the spot the captain and one other saw two white beaked dolphins but the did not stay around. With nothing else about the area I headed home.
17th September
After some trips dissapointed with the opening hours of chip shops, I did some internet research and located a fish and chip shop in Yorkshire that does not close at 5pm! After some chips I headed to Malton picnic site near Durham, the bats were already active and daubenton's were easily seen over the stream and picked up on the detector. Harder to see but detected easily were Brant's bats and after I located their flight path they were seen well. My photos were rubbish and after a couple of hours I gave up.
12th September
After some small mammal trapping in Cambridge which we caught a common shrew and three wood mice I headed off to Bempton RSPB where the Western Bonelli's Warbler was waiting for me. After about an hour I headed to Flamborough for some chips and a look round but nothing was doing so I headed for home.
31st August
After work I was following up on a tip off from Farnboro John, I headed south to a private site. I stopped off for a celebratory bag of chips before the event was that tempting fate! I arrived on site where I was warmly greeted by the owners who turned out to be fantastic hosts. After a welcome cup of tea and changing into some warmer clothes I was staking out the bird feeder. A couple of pipestrelle sp bats flew around and a couple of mice were scurrying round the leaf litter keeping a local tawny owl interested but my quarry did not show. After about 45 mins the branches moved and I was in business, a hazel dormouse came down to the feeder had a bit to eat then sat on the branch for me to photograph. A few mins later it was joined by another one and eventually I got a photo of both. It was almost time for prearranged tea when a polecat came up the drive, I quickly moved to follow it and had a good view before it disappeared. The landowner had seen two recently it subsequently transpired. Fully refreshed I headed back out for more dormouse action and they both performed quite well off and on for another couple of hours, then as I was packing up they were joined by a third individual far less confiding as it kept running away, but I could not get a pic with all three so I headed for home. A fox crossed the road a few miles into my long diet coke / ubershot (other equally effective drinks are available) fuelled journey home.
29th August
I managed to slip out during the morning and ended up at Coalhouse Fort where the kentish Plover that eluded me yesterday was present.
28th August
I joined some friends for mammal trapping but it only produced three wood mice but a slow worm was an unexpected bonus under a tin. After I headed to a site for water voles and after a short while one performed nicely. A quick visit to Cliffe but just missed the Kentish plover, a pectoral and wood sandpiper were worth the visit. I headed for home via Vange Marshes, the red necked phalarope showed quite well but a little distant. Also present was a spoonbill. The Kentish plover reappeared at Coalhouse fort but I was already heading away from it and I was late as it was so I continued for home.
22nd August
A quick visit to see the wasp Spider colony the Stortford Crew discovered last year. 20+ were easily found within a few minutes.
21st August
I met up with Farnboro John and Roy Hargreaves in Tring for the long drive to Northumberland, a few miles down the road we had a black rabbit with the common ones an omen? The trip was uneventful and we made good time arriving at Druidge Bay CP but news was not good the sykes warbler had not being seen. We had a good search but no sign, a few common warblers a wall brown and a few moths the best we could do, and by lunchtime we had given up. A quick visit to Salthome was more fruitful with the whiskered tern eventually showing itself and there were plenty of wall brown here as well. A look at Greatham creek was worth the detour as 47 common seals and a lone grey seal were present hauled out on the mud, and after a while a few swam down the channel allowing some good views. The journey back to Tring went well apart from some monster rain showers. I headed home through torrential rain but the nearer home the better and they were harvesting locally, at the edge of the village a mouse appeared in the road from a field being harvested, a double take confirmed it as a harvest mouse.
17th August
I popped into Grafham on the way home, but it was quiet, a couple of common terns were about and a few Garganey from the Plummer car park of note.
15th August
A bit of overdue gardening allowed me to add little egret to the garden list. Later in the evening I headed to Wendover woods to meet up with Farnboro John and Clare Dell for a spot of edible dormice spotting. They were very active, infact to so as we struggled to get any decent photos of them, I got a little bit of video but not much.
14th August
Following up on a tip off from Farnboro John about Mink sightings I headed off to the Basingstoke Canal despite the poor weather. I spent several hours walking a long section of the canal without a sighting, but fresh mink scat was present. It was not all bad as a kingfisher showed well and during some sunny periods the insects came out, highlights were beautiful demoiselle and white legged damselflies. I bumped into Farnboro John before a monster rain storm got us and we gave up for a cup of tea in the dry. I was down that way for another reason, I had been invited to see a serotine roost, we were going to catch some and ring them - hopefully. It started off with the first one eluding the nets but eventually sucess came and 8 were caught, measured ringed and released after a photo session, a few shooting stars added to the evening.
7th August
Another field vole from the cat succesfully returned to the wild, and a common pipistrelle bat flying round the garden in the evening.
6th August
After work I headed to Wardown Park in Luton to see the array of dodgy wildfowl present, not a native in sight. Several brown rats were easily seen and were quite photogenic despite the gloom. I carried on to Wendover woods where I was joined by Simon West, Paul Lambourne and James Hunter. Our quest was to find edible dormice and as dusk approached they started to alert us of their presence with their noisy calls. After a short while the sightings started to come with some nice views of them and of tawny owls it was a nice evening and I can recommend the local chippy as well. With a busy couple of weeks coming up that was it for the weekend.
5th August
A young field vole (my 50th mammal of the year) was brought in alive by the cat and was sucessfully released later in the day with a few photos. A common shrew was not so lucky.
1st August
With worse than predicted weather we (Simon West and I) headed to Buckinghamshire where in a rather nice small village we stopped and visited some friendly people who have some interesting Newts in their gardens. A small colony has been present here for 30 years and we found several alpine newts and plenty of tadpoles and nymphs. We had our fill and headed to find some butterflies despite the sub optimal conditions. Whitecross Green Wood was our next stop and with plenty of common butterflies on the approach road we were optimistic. After a quick lunch stop we quickly had a brown hairstreak briefly then one sat up nicely. With conditions still not perfect but our luck was good we tried Aston Rowant for silver spotted skipper and they were easier than we thought and we saw at least 10 and had a few that posed for photos but most were lightning fast, chalkhill blues and Marbled whites were also present in reasonable numbers. A last stop in Hounslow where a quick look round a nature reserve added adder and common lizard to my herp year list.
25th July
After Otter surveying in the fens which was quite productive (plenty of signs) I headed to Hadleigh Country park and was quickly put onto a southern migrant hawker the weather was not ideal and I only saw that one however many more were present earlier in the day when the weather was better.
24th July
With a errand to do in Kent it was ideal to combine it with a trip to Cliff RSPB to see the southern emerald damselflies that were found the previous weekend. On arrival two other intrepid bug watchers (from Cornwall) were present and they had already found our quarry and despite a quick loss it was refound and showed for a little while. (Many thanks for their help and understanding when I flushed it at one point)
20th July
We travelled back from Scotland doing touristy things in the pouring rain, one stop for Tyne helleborine was made.
Although not a proper wildlife trip we did see some 84 species of birds and 12 mammals.
18th and 19th July
We spent both days with friends doing mainly touristy things with our friends, but we did see a few bits of wildlife between the showers, a pair of golden eagles, adult and juv white tailed eagle, manx shearwater, common redpoll, bank vole, pygmy shrew.
17th July
We drove around Morven and Ardnamurchan in poor weather, no seals at Lochaline, but we did get a day time pine marten (my first daytime one). The weather did not help us but we did see a couple of red deer on a hillside but little else. We stumbled upon a group of gannets feeding close inshore and took the opportunity to watch then from the dryness of the car. We eventually left to meet up with our friends on Skye bumping into some feral goats on the way.
16th July
We got the first ferry to Mull after an overnight drive, weather was rubbish and we spent the crossing inside having breakfast. We were soon at Grasspoint and when a break in the rain allowed we explored, I spotted an Irish hare as the wife was watching white tailed eagles. We swopped vantage points but missed each others quarry. I went into the area where the hare was last seen for photos, it was rather too wet for my footwear and the hare had gone as well. We drove round searching for otters but the poor weather did not help us, some lunch in Tobermory followed by a male hen harrier perked us up but it was hard work in the weather. It was getting on to our ferry departure time when I pulled in at the railway in Craignure, an otter was swimming just off shore and then another. I got wife and camera from the car and we headed down to the shore, getting quite close. On otter had gone round the headland out of sight but one was close in. When it caught a crab and headed inland I quickly found a good vantage point and was waiting when it came ashore to eat. When it finished it also went round the headland out of sight, I did not follow it but headed for the ferry and the drive to Ardnamurchan. We made stops for wood sandpiper and black guillemots but little else. -Edit - How could I forget on Mull the roadside corncrake which was very wet but showed quite well but briefy.
12th July
The continuing presence of the white tailed plover tempted me to an after work jaunt to the ARC pit, traffic was very light and I made good time and was quickly watching it with a small group of others. It kept to a couple of small vegitated islands and was feeding quite happily. I went to the main reserve to use the facilties, a fox was on the track on the drive down. In the car park I bumped into a some of the Stortford Crew who had been down for the day for the plover and had just seen the purple herons. Time was getting on so I headed for chips then on to the wild boar woods, but despite some considerable searching not a sniff and all I could find were badgers. There were good numbers of them foraging away in and out of cover but I was ill prepared for night photography and only managed one poor ass picture. The young tawny owls were more helpful by staying still but much were further away which caused a different challenge, but the prize find was a glow worm my first and I was very happy with the find, I went back to the car for some tripods and different camera gear to record the event.
11th July
Time for Bird Atlas work, I was up quite early to get it done in the cool morning, first off was to check the kestrel nest box which had three youngsters nearly fledging. Next I saw a weasel dart past and latterly a brown Hare was the only other mammal interest (rabbits don't really count on that score). Other highlights were hobby and buzzard.
10th July
A trip out with the Stortford Crew to Norfolk, the focus was on birds as I have been neglecting them a bit recently but we did get a few mammals. We met at Lakenheath for a general wander, it was scorching even as we set off but the warblers did not seem to mind, they were everywhere. Marsh harriers were also in abundance and we watched them in the shade for a while before heading to the furthest point, the golden orioles let us down with only a quick blast of call to let us know he was there. The star were the bearded tits which showed very well, which was going to be the case when I decided to leave the camera in the car! A baby barn owl was nearing fledging from the barn. Hobbies were conspicuous by their absence which was strange and I mentioned mammals we had a roe deer and a weasel on the reserve. Heading off to Titchwell we quickly found a nice selection of sandpipers green, pectoral and buff breasted in amongst the ruffavocets and both godwits. Summer plumaged knot were present and they were matched in splendour by summer plumaged spotted redshank. Next stop (passing a road kill stoat) was Swanton Novers where I was quickly onto a honey buzzard before heading off to Thorpe (passing another roadkill stoat) and via a chip shop for nourishment. The wait for the river warbler was made easier with kingfisher and barn owls entertaining, finally a hobby came past just as we had given up on one for the day. As darkness was falling and concern growing the river warbler burst into song and showed itself for the masses, and just to keep me happy a noctule did a few flybys. I celebrated with a petrol station ice cream on the way home.
8th July
At work during my lunch a large bee was coming to the lavender, which I am fairly sure is a violet carpenter bee very unusual indeed and brightened up my lunch.
A little jaunt to Rainham but the white tailed plover had departed, a couple of green sandpipers, ring necked parakeets and a marsh frog were seen but the highlight was a couple of water voles.
7th July
A family of foxes were being quite vocal just outside the house, I entered the field next door and spotlighted a vixen and three cubs who were not bothered by my presence and I watched them for a few minutes before leaving them to their own devices.
4th July
I ambled my way to East Prawle stopping a mile or so out for a pee, a cirl bunting was on the hedge but when I went for the camera it was off, I arrived in East Prawle and parked opposite the toilet block! I joined a couple of birders on the green and before long we had the house finch flying around the house tops eventually landing on a aerial and dropping in near the cider house, a quick walk round there produced noting but just as everyone else had left I spotted it in a gutter, everyone was quickly back and we had some nice views although a little brief as a house sparrow moved it on. There were no sightings for a little while so I moved on arriving at Bowling green marsh, where before long and a long way out I had the gull billed tern sitting out on the mud, it was very distant it took a little flight before I had enough and headed to the New forest to meet up with James Hunter who had a car full (Andy Lawson, Paul Lambourne, Simon West) looking for Dragonflies at Croxton Bridge. I joined them and we quickly had some southern dams amongst the commoner species. We then headed north stopping for Bog orchids and scarce blue tailed damselflies both duly ticked off. The weather had turned and was now not great so we decided to head for home with one last orchid stop up the M3 a bit. Traffic was terrible but we eventually got to the site, a compost heap was present with a few bags on it under one was a small grass snake which we all gathered round to photograph. Those wearing shorts were treated to nettle stings and avoiding them James stepped into a wasp nest and they all started stinging, I react to wasps and luckily was the furthest away from the nest and managed to stay sting free, but all the others were treated to the wasp's anger and were stung. The site was home to hundreds of orchids southern marsh, common twayblade and a few early marsh orchids going over, but our visit was for the large numbers of marsh helleborines all coming into their best. I headed for home, but the M25 traffic made me miss the chipshop which I was not pleased about, but I made it home for some well earned sleep.
3rd July
A ridiculously early start saw me arrive at Noar Hill, picking up Fox, rabbit and grey squirrel on the way. A roe deer was awaiting me as I parked up so the mammals were up and running early. I quickly found my target musk orchid mostly in poor nick. I headed to Farnborough to pick up John Dixon and Clare Dell my companions for the day and we headed to sunny Bournemouth. Visibility was very good but despite our checking no dolphins were seen. Our main targets were lizards and wall lizards were quickly found and were indeed everywhere. The green lizards were a little harder but we did eventually find a few but they were less showy and were always slightly obscured from our cameras. I missed a common lizard during a clifftop search but a hooked up golden ringed dragonfly was a real bonus allowing for some great views. The next stop was in the New forest at Blashford lakes where we had a quick walk to some herp tins where under one was a small grass snake which moved off quickly. The short drive to Ogdens where we took a wander down the stream which was alive with beautiful demoiselles and a redstart was feeding in the bushes. We entered a marshy bit where we quickly found scarce blue tailed damselfly a species I had missed several times in the past, we quickly had several and found an aurantiaca female which was very striking indeed. Keeled skimmers battled with broad bodied chases for the best spots as we searched the area, small red damselflies showed themselves and Clare found a single southern damselfly. A heard of fallow deer were on the hills including several fawns of varying sizes. A male redstart was seen on the walk back as well as several golden ringed dragonflies patrolling the stream and a few damselflies found were azure's. We had a short drive to do some raptor watching but the heat haze and distance of all the raptors made things difficult. A close flyby hobby was the best, we were now flagging in the heat so decided to call it a day, I dropped John and Clare back and headed to my parents for tea. Suitably refreshed I headed to North Devon where I visited a site near a bat roost which is on their flight path from the roost. I had to wait almost an hour before I saw my first bat, the detector confirmed it as a lesser horseshoe bat I had about 10 or so before giving up and heading on to south Devon.
