Wednesday, 16 February 2011
A Jewel in the Sand - April 2010
In April 2010 I visited Berrow Dunes to look for various beetles that live along the tideline under rocks and pieces of driftwood. One of the specialities of the area that had not been seen for several years was Dune Tiger Beetle - Cicindella maritima. I was, therefore, very happy when I saw one of these amazingly colourful beetles scuttling across the bare sand. Unfortunately, the dunes area is rapidly becoming overgrown with the invasive shrub Sea Buckthorn so how long this beetle will hang on without the large areas of open dunes that it prefers is a matter for concern.
Surprise Visitor - March 2010
While driving home from Shapwick National Nature Reserve one evening we came across an amazing sight in a field near High Ham village. one of the Bustards from the Salisbury Plain reintroduction project had taken up residence with a flock of local Mute Swans and fed unconcerned just a few metres from the road.
Mad March Hares - March 2010
In late March 2010, Chris and I took a trip up to the north east to see my parents. On the way back we called in to see Lincoln Cathedral and then stayed for a few days with friends in Norfolk. One of the highlights of the Norfolk visit was photographing hares as they did their amazing chases and boxing matches in the fields near Strumpshaw RSPB reserve.
The mornings started early to get the car/hide into position before the hares started to perform.
Soon the chase was on.
The action was quite confusing at times.
At other times it was really spectacular. All in all a fantastic few hours of nature in action, all for free.
The mornings started early to get the car/hide into position before the hares started to perform.
Soon the chase was on.
The action was quite confusing at times.
At other times it was really spectacular. All in all a fantastic few hours of nature in action, all for free.
How time flies.
Just realised that it has been over a year since I posted anything on here. That's not to say I've had nothing to write about, just that it has been so full of things to get engrossed in that actually writing them up has been the last thing on my mind. Chris and I started a veg plot in April 2010 and it has been very successful. It is on the one acre plot of some people in the next village who wanted to do something with their grassy plot and responded to a message I put in the Parish News asking for people interested in allotments to get in touch.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
A quiet autumn
October and November were relatively quiet in terms of amazing rarities. I did manage a visit back to the north east to see a new bird for Britain. This major find was so close to being missed, as someone had taken a photograph of it and another bird thinking they were two of the same species. Fortunately he posted his photographs on a local bird forum and someone who was familiar with the species suddenly had a heart stopping moment as he realised that the bird was not a Yellow-browed Warbler as stated but an Eastern Crowned Warbler, new for Britain. The resultant rush to South Shields next day made the national news.
I couldn't help thinking as I stood watching the bird that the last new birds I'd seen in South Shields were Ross's and Ivory Gull both together at the site in 1970. In those days, both gulls were the stuff of legend for most birders and they had provoked a somewhat similar mass pilgrimage.
The other amazing bird of the autumn was a Brown Shrike that turned up a stone's throw from Heathrow airport and is still there in December, though its prospects in this recent cold spell look bleak.
October mothing was quite eventful, Durlston in Dorset provided much interest in the form of both Oak Rustic and Sombre Brocade. These two species have recently colonised the Holm Oak trees that abound along the cliffs there. The former has successfully spread to several neighbouring sites and it is supposed that Sombre Brocade will show similar dispersive behaviour over the next few years.
December has been quiet on most fronts, apart from the journey to London a friend and I made last week to help rescue a beetle :-) The beetle in question is only known from one brownfield site in the docklands area of London. The area is soon to be redeveloped so a last trawl of the habitat was made to see if any more beetles could be found and translocated to a nearby suitable habitat that was safe for them. We found four beetles and they joined the sixty plus that had already been successfully moved. I managed to get some nice photographs of the beetle in question and one of these made it onto the Guardian website. In typical fashion, the "Grauniad" spelled my name incorrectly but hey ho :-)
I couldn't help thinking as I stood watching the bird that the last new birds I'd seen in South Shields were Ross's and Ivory Gull both together at the site in 1970. In those days, both gulls were the stuff of legend for most birders and they had provoked a somewhat similar mass pilgrimage.
The other amazing bird of the autumn was a Brown Shrike that turned up a stone's throw from Heathrow airport and is still there in December, though its prospects in this recent cold spell look bleak.
October mothing was quite eventful, Durlston in Dorset provided much interest in the form of both Oak Rustic and Sombre Brocade. These two species have recently colonised the Holm Oak trees that abound along the cliffs there. The former has successfully spread to several neighbouring sites and it is supposed that Sombre Brocade will show similar dispersive behaviour over the next few years.
December has been quiet on most fronts, apart from the journey to London a friend and I made last week to help rescue a beetle :-) The beetle in question is only known from one brownfield site in the docklands area of London. The area is soon to be redeveloped so a last trawl of the habitat was made to see if any more beetles could be found and translocated to a nearby suitable habitat that was safe for them. We found four beetles and they joined the sixty plus that had already been successfully moved. I managed to get some nice photographs of the beetle in question and one of these made it onto the Guardian website. In typical fashion, the "Grauniad" spelled my name incorrectly but hey ho :-)
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