Bits from Base Camp and lots from Pembrokeshire

The Safari has been plagued by heavy thundery rain showers for a couple of days, so much so that it's been too dull to get many pics.

And we've had slight interruptions to wildlife watching due to the footy.

We did get one dry night and were able to put the moth trap out although could only use the 'little' lamp. Only 14 moths of 12 species were in the trap in the morning.

Barred Fruit Tree Tortrix

Diamondback moth

Marbled Beauty

Marbled Orchard Tortrix

A couple of Caddis Flies and a small 'Front Swimming' Water Boatman were also in the trap.

The birds have been fairly quiet, the male House Sparrow being noticeably absent in the back garden now but we;re continuing to hear the cheery cheeps from the street, the ringed male Greenfinch and juvenile Starling keep appearing from time to time but refuse to show their rings to the camera (can you say that!).

Yesterday we had a not so well grown fledgling Great Tit with an adult and later a couple of very young fledgling Blue Tits came into the garden but not onto the feeders. A new juvenile Greenfinch was being fed from the feeder though.

ISO stupid through dirty kitchen window

Luckily for you our Extreme Photographer has been able to get out n about around some of his local sites looking for rare and exotic invertebrates and he's come across some beauts. Don't ask us where he's been as we can neither pronounce nor spell any of the places he visits, apart from St Davids.

Banded Demoiselle

Fly killed by fungus

Ruby Tailed Wasp

Scarce Blue Tailed Damselfly

Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary

Small Red Damselfly

Hypera sp Weevil larva in its case

Zebra Spider with prey

Where to next? We're into our last week off work so will be continuing to keep an eye on the garden and maybe try some driving a little further a field...weather permitting .
In the meantime let us know who's extreme in your outback.

The beach doth beckon

The Safari managed a couple of pics at the river yesterday afternoon. Three Mute Swans drifted serenely past while a Moorhen skulked furtively in the vegetation across on the far side.

More interesting were the demoiselles which fluttered up and down the far bank. With no bins with us we’d never be able to tell. Then m’laddo spotted one settle on some reeds just beyond midstream and probably out of range, it wasn’t a large river, more of a decent sized stream but still the best part of 20 yards or more wide. The Moorhen bobbed past it and it flushed but returned to settle on the same reed...promising! We wound the lens up to full volume but just as we were trying to find the right reed in the viewfinder another demoiselle fluttered past with our in hot pursuit. Fortunately he returned to his favoured look-out perch and we were ready...click click click...got him. Not the best photo of a Banded Demoiselle  you’ll ever see (it's actually on the reeds you can see beyond the swan's tail) but at least a confirmation as to which of the two species it was. 

Today we had a look over the wall at a very gloomy Patch 2, so gloomy we could barely see the sea across the wide expanse of beach. We did manage a Grey Seal and a flock of Dunlin flew past him and landed on the beach for a count – 24. Three Turnstones were first heard then seen flying from the wall to the outfall pipe. However, easily the best sighting of the short session was of a flock of 12 Black Tailed Godwits (179, P2 #76) (didn't realise it was a year bird!!! - What? Not seen before so far this year - how odd, or how not written down - which???) flying south towards the estuary. Not a species often seen passing this stretch of beach.

After a quick cuppa it was back on to the beach with another group of children eager to explore what the tide might have brought in. A dead Dab and broken piece of Sea Potato were at our feet as we did the obligatory safety demonstration. Once that was over the nets were handed out, trays filled with clean water and off they went to see what they could find.

Quality finds included:-

A very nicely marked Striped Venus Shell which we really should have got a pic of.

Another juvenile Blenny of the same size as Monday’s.

Seven Elegant Anemones including a rather impressive large specimen – really need that underwater camera! And a large Beadlet Anemone waiting for the tide to come back in

Hoards of Brown Shrimps, but try as we might we couldn’t find a Common Prawn today.

Several pairs of Green Shore Crabs and plenty of tiny juveniles.

A couple of Necklace Shells covered with Hedgehog Hydroids.

Many Common Periwinkles, don’t know if Rough Periwinkles are present here but we haven’t come across one yet.

With almost the last sweep of the net we flukily swiped out this tiny sea slug, is it Onchidoris bilamellata again or some other species?

Our marine biologist friend DB appeared with her dog and stayed with us for a while before meandering further down the beach. Later she returned with this rather dapper Hermit Crab tucked in to his/her Necklace Shell.

She also told us of a Smooth Hound her dog had sniffed out and she’d stashed for us to go and find – find we did and believe us when we say it didn’t take much sniffing!!! 

Nearby was a small cluster of Squid eggs, about the size of a tennis ball; don’t know how we’d missed these early not seeing them and not standing on them as there were plenty of children netting in this area, probably couldn’t see them due to all the fine silt they had stirred up.

Yet another great day exploring the beach – every day is different as you just never know what the tide is going to bring up.

Where to next? More of the same tomorrow but on a different stretch of beach and one we’re not so familiar with so who knows what the nets will encounter.

In the meantime let us know what’s being trawled for in your outback.