Saturday 26 May 2018

The Next Generation

On Tuesday we went to the venue in which more people get lost than any other = Skipwith Common.  That day matters were complicated by "Road Closed" signs near Bubwith, when the road wasn't even closed.  This meant that 2 attendees ended up arriving after we'd started.  On the approach road there was a yellow Wagtail, which seemed to have a beak full of food, but it quickly flew over a hedge and was lost to sight.  As soon as I opened the car door I heard a hoarse Cuckoo.  It could be heard clearly emitting its two syllable cry: "Cuck-hah" each time.  I'm not sure this would impress any female.
Immature Long-tailed Tit  
As we continued we heard a few warblers, and saw several members of the Tit family, but many songsters remained out of sight.  We reached a heath where we encountered a Tree Pipit launching itself from a pine to perform its attractive song flight.  At the completion many of us were surprised when two class members burst into spontaneous applause for its efforts.  David spotted a Lizard on one of the bomb bay walls, but its dropped into the Piri-Piri Burr.  However, everyone waited patiently and 10 minutes later it emerged into full view before scuttling up the wall and scurrying into its hideaway under the mortared top.
Common Lizard
 Ditto
 Ditto
From the Nightjar platform we watched a red Kite being mobbed by a crow before a Buzzard also moved into view.  On the journey back Judy spotted Rose's Jay, which eventually flew almost the full length of a heath.   Later, we observed a Pied Wagtail gathering insects for its recently-hatched chicks.   Although we didn't see an enormous number of species, it was a pleasant morning, as long as we got out of the gusty and rather cold wind.
Jay
 Ditto
 Ditto
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 Pied Wagtail
 Ditto
In the afternoon I had a look round Ness End Farm, formerly known as Far Ings. The birding highlight were a busy pair of Bearded Tits from Reedy Hide.  Other species included Swifts, Sand Martins, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler etc. One of the highlights was a Brown Argus butterfly, and there were several Hairy Dragonflies on the wing.  
Brown Argus
 Cornflower
On Wednesday we went to Millington again, and refound the male Broad-Bodied Chaser.  There was still no sign of the Redstart, but the Ash trees were just starting coming into leaf.  The first Wall Brown there in more than 30 years was a pleasant surprise.  
Male Broad-Bodied Chaser
 Ditto
 Cardinal Beetle
 Red-legged Partridge
 Record shot of Wall [Brown]
 Northern Marsh Orchid 
On Thursday we went to the location where we accidentally found a male Montagu's Harrier 4 years ago.  It was no surprise that we didn't see it again.  The location was very disappointing.  There was no Great Crested Grebe, no Common Terns, no Jay, no Green Woodpecker, and relatively little else.  We won't be going back there unless there is a large population explosion of birds, which I cannot see happening any time soon.  In my lunch-time I remembered Saltmarshe Delph, so I had a quick look around, and the wildlife was much more prolific, so the afternoon group decamped there instead.  We had Swifts, Reed Warblers, a Great Crested Grebe, but there was no doubt that the bird of the day was a Nuthatch, which blew one class member away!
Great Crested Grebe
 Ditto
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 Heron
 Pochard - just after rogering
Immature Robin
Not even a record shot of a Nuthatch!
Swift 
 Ditto
 Ditto
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 Chicken of the Woods?
On Friday am we braved the weather and went to MSQ as planned. Luckily, the rain stopped just as we arrived, and didn't start again until we were in Wader Hide.  We waited in there until the worst of it was over.  We observed 45 species, and a similar amount after lunch.  A Cuckoo serenaded us most of the morning, and was still in fine voice for the one person who turned up.  He isn't officially part of the class, so without him the class wouldn't even have taken place. We saw an intriguing wader being chased off by a Redshank.  On returning home it was possible to see that this unusual wader was actually 2 separate species - a Wood Sandpiper and then a Green Sandpiper.
 Swallow (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Sand Martins (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
 Red-Crested Pochards
 Ditto 
 Leucistic Female Red-Crested Pochard
 Red-Crested Pochards (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Oystercatcher with chicks
 Oystercatcher & Avocet
 Oystercatchers (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Pochard Ducklings (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Female Pochard & Ducklings (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Shoveler (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Female Shoveler (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
Immature Long-tailed Tit
 Ditto
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 Blue-tailed Damselfly 
 Blue-tailed Damselfly (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Hoverfly? (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Dragonfly Exuvia (c) 2018 Dave Hill
 Dragonfly Exuvia (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
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 Common White Wave [Moth]
 Variable Damselfly (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Ditto
 Wood Sandpiper 
Ditto
 Wood Sandpiper
 Ditto
 Toad
Treecreeper (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Oxlip (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Red Campion Hybrid (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Meadow Saxifrage (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Ground Ivy (c) 2018 Jane Robinson
 Silverweed (c) 2018 Jane Robinson

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