Wednesday 28 August 2019

Autumn Term Starts in mid-September

My Autumn classes resume in a fortnight's time.  We will be making a special effort to try and see Bearded Tits, which are doing well on the Humber.  I suspect they've had a good breeding season, and I even saw some in the afternoon last week, which bodes well. 
Bearded Tit
Last Autumn was rather poor for Short-eared Owls, but this year the early indications are we are going to be falling over them this Autumn!  Fingers-crossed!  We are certainly going to a few locations, where we should see them if they do arrive in numbers this year.
Short-eared Owl
 Ditto
Last Autumn we endured a similar situation with Hen Harriers.  I hope we see a beautiful male this Autumn...
Female Hen Harrier
 Ditto
 Male Hen Harrier
Numbers of Rough-legged Buzzards seem to fluctuate from year-to-year, but if they are around, we will do our best to connect with them. 
Rough-legged Buzzard
Barn Owl numbers have never recovered from the winter of 2010, and the Beast from the East won't have done them any favours.  However, we are going to good Barn Owl venues, so we should see them.
Barn Owl (c) 2018 Chris Cox
Autumn is usually a good time to see waders, and we are visiting wader venues at high tide to observe them.  We are blessed with several good sites on the estuary, so we will try and see Black-tailed Godwits, Golden Plovers, Ruff, Dunlin and Knot.  if we see pectoral sandpipers or other transatlantic vagrants then they will be a bonus.
Greenshank

A summary of what to expect on the Autumn course is given below:
At the time of writing there are a couple of vacancies on Wednesday afternoons followed by Thursday afternoons and Friday afternoons.  I'm afraid I cannot take any more bookings on the Tuesday morning or Friday morning sessions. If you are interested in another session, please ask. For at least 2 hours a week encounter the natural world as a completely new sensual experience. You'll be amazed what you'll find just by listening, and not only by looking! In the Autumn we'll be paying special attention to migrating birds and waders. If you want help sorting out your Dunlin from your Knot, and pointing out the differences between singing Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwits then this is the place to be. We are going to locations where you will hopefully see and not just hear Bearded Tits and Water Rails. Towards Christmas we will also make a special trip on the wolds to encounter large birds of prey. So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for less than £10 a week, then this is the course for you! We visit a different local hotspot each week and identify all the birds and as much other wildlife as we can. This also includes mammals, and fungi with butterflies, and dragonflies in the warmer months. The course runs twice daily Tuesday to Friday. If you are interested in more details of the course, or wish to be placed on a waiting list, please contact me on either the email or mobile details at the head of the page.

Monday 26 August 2019

Streaks in the Heat

The forecast was very good for today, so I thought I'd try out our butterfly special location after a month away from it.  There were Red Admirals, Painted Ladies, Peacocks, and Small Tortoiseshells. However, the walk along the main path was very quiet, then it was clear that all the bramble flower had disappeared.  Would we see anything out-of-the-ordinary at all?  As we neared the major junction I spotted what looked like a very faded Ringlet fluttering on the ground.  I nearly carried on, but something made me give it a second look.  On closer inspection it proved to be a rather tattered male Brown Hairstreak.  This was very dull when it opened its wings, and most of the time when only its profile was visible.  However, once the light was right, it was possible to see the very handsome outer wings.
Male Brown Hairstreak
ditto
 Record shot in flight
 On greenery 
 ditto
 ditto
Later, we discovered that everyone else wanted to see Brown Hairstreaks, and that was why they were there, but we seemed to be the only ones who had actually seen and photographed one!
 Underside
 ditto
 The damaged profile
 Almost a dark blue tinge to the body here
 ditto
After some time at the major junction we tried towards the glade we had photographed the Purple Hairstreaks, White Admirals and Silver-Washed Fritillaries on our last visit.  It was lovely and cool in the shade here, but butterflies were completely absent.  We were informed about a smaller junction were there were a lot of common butterflies, so we tried that out.
Painted Lady
 Red Admiral
 ditto
 Brimstone
 ditto
On the return journey a small insect was moving on the ground in almost the same place as the Brown Hairstreak on the outward bound trip.  It was noticeably smaller than what may be the largest of the Hairstreaks.  It didn't stay on the ground as long as the earlier butterfly and refused to open it wings, but it was easily identifiable as a Purple Hairstreak.  
First glance of the Purple Hairstreak - not much detail visible
 A Clearer View
 slightly damaged wing
 Spotted Flycatcher at Crowle Moor (c) 2019 Jane Robinson
ditto
Young buzzard calling at home
 ditto
Buzzard (c) 2019 Hugh Wood
 ditto




Monday 12 August 2019

A 2020 Visit to Tolkien's Hemlock Glade


Have you always wanted to see where Edith danced for Tolkien - almost 103 years to the day?  I'm taking advantage of the momentum from Tolkien2019 and will be leading a guided tour around Roos and all the East Yorkshire locations with a known Tolkien connection on Saturday 30th May 2020. I will be helped by fellow members of the Eastfarthing smial. We will be stopping off at Brooklands Officers' Hospital in Hull, Hornsea, Roos, Halsham, Thirtle Bridge, Withernsea, Easington & Kilnsea. All my latest findings will be imparted, and I intend to pepper my talk with readings from JRRT's works either inspired by the actual venues, or written whilst he was hospitalised in the area. 
The Former Brooklands Officers' Hospital
We will stop off at the Withernsea Lighthouse Museum where you will be able to visit the small Tolkien-related exhibition. The £2.50 entrance fee also permits a visit to the top of the 170 ft Lighthouse from where you may view Edith's lodgings. An exhibition to the 50's film star Kay Kendall is also at the lighthouse. A cafe and toilets is also available there, as well as several other venues on the route. 
Withernsea Lighthouse - very close to where Edith lodged

Uniquely, we will travel in convoy (sharing cars) and keep in touch using the modern equivalent of Tolkien as the Signalling Officer - walkie talkies! No longer than 30 minutes will be spent in cars between each venue.  However, if enough people book in advance we may be able to consider booking a minibus.
Kilnsea Acoustic Dish (1916/1917) - which would have been understood and possibly utilised by the Regimental Signalling Officer!

More specific information will become available nearer the time. If you are interested, please reply to this post, to give me an idea of the numbers. I'm thinking of 30 as a maximum, but at least 5 people must be interested in the event for it to be worth going ahead.  You may also send me an email to the address at the top of this page, please mention Hemlock Tour 30th May.

If you would prefer the following day, please let me know.

At the moment this event is only open to Tolkien Society members. I'm thinking of a nominal charge of £5, and then once my modest costs are covered anything over that will be donated to the Tolkien Society.

Tuesday 6 August 2019

High Tide Waders

Early August is a good time to catch up with waders at high-tide.  Knot, Black-tailed Godwits, Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Golden Plovers and Ruff are especially colourful at the moment.    A lot more colourful than they will be in the Autumn anyway.  Meanwhile, some waders like Wood Sandpipers, Whimbrel and Little Stints may have even gone when classes resume in September.  There is even the chance of an extremely rare bird turning up, like a White-Rumped Sandpiper at Kilnsea Wetlands.  It is best to turn up before the high tide, and make yourself comfortable, and wait for more waders to arrive.  If the high tide is relatively early in the morning, you may get the places to yourself, but the later in the day the high tide occurs, the more likely that the venues will be busy.
Greenshank

 Wood Sandpiper 
 Little Stint
 Little Stints
 Immature Yellow Wagtail
 House Martin
House Martin 
 Sparrowhawk
 Sparrowhawk
 Painted Lady
 Common Blue
 Wall
 Wall
 Ruff
 ditto
 ditto
 Ruff
 Little Stint
 immature LRP?
 Common Sandpiper
 Common Sandpiper
 Common Sandpiper
 Wood Sandpiper
 Knot
 Black-tailed Godwit [2nd from right]
 Wood Sandpiper
 Wood Sandpiper
 Knot
[Red] Knot 
 Gatekeeper
 Wall
 Wall
 Golden Plover
 ditto

 Dunlin
 Dunlin & immature LRP?
 Golden Plover [Dunlin & Ringed Plover]
 Golden Plover [Dunlin & Ringed Plover]
 Spoonbill (and Redshank)
White-Rumped Sandpiper [left] and Dunlin  

White-Rumped Sandpiper [left] and Dunlin 
 Whimbrel
 Ringed Plover
 Knot & Redshank
 ditto
 ditto
 ditto
 Wall
Back at home one of the local Buzzards now seems a little easier to approach.
Buzzard