A trip out, a forty year wait over and a hot day

The Safari took the opportunity to venture further afield now that Lockdown is just about over. We arranged a socially distanced meet up with good friend JG at the always brilliant Lunt Meadows Lancashire Wildlife Trust reserve from where we'd recently seen some awesome pics of Water Voles. Now Water Voles are a species of our youth and the ditches between the fields where we grew up are only a stone's throw from Lunt Meadows. We wandered these fields regularly and often heard the unmistakable 'plop' of Water Voles diving in to the water when they heard us coming on our bikes or collecting Blackberries with our Nan, we'd often see them swimming in the ditches too, great creatures but when we thought back to the last time we'd actually seen a live one it must have been over 40 years ago despite having undertaken surveys for them in more recent years. Yes we'd found feeding lawns, latrines, the tell-tail 45 degree nibbled stems, burrows but not an actual animal!

By the time we arrived it was already getting hot and we worried that it might be too hot for the Water Voles to come out but J had a cunning plan.

We set off full of anticipation stopping at the first screen for a quick shuffy. The bench there was of interest J pointed out a Leaf-cutter Bee's nest in a hole in the wood and another in a larger crack - great stuff. To the right there's a small island in the pool where we saw both Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, the latter becoming #159 on our Photo Year List Challenge.

Little Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Over the water there were dragonflies in profusion getting our hopes up of a visiting Hobby.

A cracking start to the safari.

It was getting hotter by the minute so off we went in search of the voles. A Grasshopper Warbler sang from the rushy 'field' to our right. No chance of seeing it but it sang continuously all the time we were at that part of the reserve.

We had a short wait but J's plan was put in to action, she lobbed her half eaten pear over the ditch landing it square on the voles feeding lawn - a perfect shot! Within a few minutes the sweet scent of oozing pear juices wafting over the water was too much for one of the juvenile Water Voles and out from its burrow it came, swimming across the ditch to the feast.

Like a certain TV naturalist, CP, we can't abide the word 'cute' but is there a better one to describe these furry beauties.

It chomped away from several minutes being enjoyed by several watchers stood with us, while to keep them as undisturbed as possible general passers-by and dog-walkers were deliberately kept uninformed and left to wonder why there were a gang of people stood there looking at a dirty ditch. 

Once the little chap had eaten it's fill off it went back to it's underground world.

Somehow we missed the swimming shot...dohhh...

Moving on we came across this small Toad just sitting looking rather nonplussed at the side of the track. Not the best of days for an amphibian to be out in the open, it was already well over 25C.

Continuing the circuit we watched butterflies and looked fro other insects among the profusion of riverside vegetation.  A small brood of two young Tufted Ducks with their mother were on the river.

Great to see as this river in our youth was little more than a chemistry set and open sewer and is now teeming with life. Unfortunately none of the Banded Demoiselles would sit still for a photo opportunity - we'd never have dreamed of seeing anything like these along the river all those years ago.

Nesting Avocets are on site too, another 'wouldn't even have dreamed of' back in the day. It was a long long trek across country to the fabulous East Anglian marshes to see them in those days.

At the third screen dragonflies were very active, mostly Broad-bodied Chasers, some of which were good enough to perch up.

Also there were couple of young Lapwings already fledged and another Little Ringed Plover.

What a fabulous morning's wildlifing but now it was time for some lunch and boy were we glad we hadn't packed any chocolate, the inside of the car was like an over when we opened to doors.

After quickly demolishing a bag of cheese and pickle butties and having a good slug of fizzy orange juice it was back out on the circuit again. This time our wait for the Water Voles to show themselves was unsuccessful but while we waited we had some interesting butterfly action. Small Tortoiseshells mooched by as did a couple of Commas. But sharp eyed J soon realised that one of the Commas wasn't a Comma at all but a fritillary, a Dark Green Fritillary. Now these are present on the coastal dunes a couple of miles away and have been seen on the dune nature reserve on our side of the river in recent days but we never expected to bump into one at an open wetland site like this.

It could well be the first record for the site, to today our limited investigations haven't revealed any earlier records not even from the days prior to our visit. It seemed settled patrolling a territory bounded by the Bramble bushes either side of the ditch regularly stopping on both flowers and leaves but always just that little bit too far away. With the day being so hot, toughing 30C now, there was no way it was going to bask with its wings open but at least with its wings furled up you can make put the green sheen from which it gets its name.

Also on territory in the Brambles was a showy Whitethroat that flitted from fence to bush and back and occasionally towered into full song-flight mode.

Further round we again looked for butterflies along the path to the little hide. The pat sides are festooned with the gorgeous blue flower spikes of Viper's Bugloss but the hunt for skipper buttetflies wasn't as successful as hoped, a couple of brief sightings of Large Skippers were all we had.

But by now the Avocets on the adjacent pool had moved into a better position for viewing and we found another small juvenile that hadn't been hatched more than a few days. The first brood to hatch were well grown now but of the two youngsters only one remained after a hefty thunderstorm a few days earlier.

The great views of the Avocets nicely wrapped up our day out as time was pressing now and we needed to get homeward bound before too long.

So it's a huge thank you to JG for the company and up-to-the-minute info and the perfectly lobbed pear of course, and to Lunt Meadows for being as utterly brilliant as ever.

We've had some great wildlife encounters around and about Base Camp too during June and we'll be bringing you up to date with the best of those shortly - watch this space.

Where to next? We expect to get out on safari further afield again soon but aren't sure where yet...oh decisions decisions, there's so much good stuff to go and look at/for.

In the meantime let us know who's turned up brand spanking new in your outback.

And remember whatever you do, stay safe,maintain that social distance.

Lock your doors and windows!

The Safari watched a skein of about 75 Pink Footed Geese flying north early doors this morning while out with Frank, bon-voyage our friends see you in September hope you have a good season.

Patch 2 wasn't up to much, no sign of anything summery at all, we checked the wall for Meadow Pipits and Wheatears without success. Out at sea only the regular fare of scoters, grebes and divers on were on offer. Migration was evidenced by a single Curlew going north.

Lunchtime was no better although a horrendously distant gull could have been a Glaucous Gull milling around with a few much darker slightly smaller immature Herring Gulls but really it was far too far away to call. Eventually it dropped on the sea amongst the scoters at the horizon and was lost from view.

After lunch we were out on the front at work taking some publicity pics when we saw two of our colleagues come out for a bit of a smoko - they stood in the wrong place but we couldn't really see what they were upto on the pics when they suddenly looked down from their papers. A Fox was walking inches past their knees! Mid-afternoon! And there we were stood motionless gawping at it incredulously camera in hand!

The Fox is either just out of shot to the left or hidden behind the wooden groyne left of the yellow salt bin!

On the way back to Base Camp we called in at our potential Grass Snake site but it's still way too cold. nothing was under any of our refugia although a couple of small Frogs were found under a small slab at the water's edge and close by 12 slumps of spawn were counted. Devoid of birds and Water Voles too.

Where to next? A weekend full of safari-ing adventure to who knows where...stay tuned for more news from the wild outback.

in the meantime let us know if there's anything summery in your outback.

Unforced labour

The Safari had a day off from wildlife safari-ing and met up with three other members of the BEAT NatureWatch group to do some practical conservation work...with real spades n stuff!

We braved very pleasant early spring sunshine and excessive Brambles to remove a huge clump of non-native bamboo and about 50 tree saplings that had been planted in the nature area for reptiles and amphibians by well meaning but unfortunately ill-advised members of the public.

The bamboo was taken to the zoo where it will be enjoyed by a selection of animals including their gorgeous Red Pandas. The trees will be trans-located to new homes in various locations along the North Blackpool Pond Trail.

Also at this site is our tiny population of Water Voles. we had a bit of a quick survey along the bank rather than getting in to the water. We found a few burrows and this latrine which we think the droppings are as indicated in the pic - any help anyone? The Rat(?) droppings were a little longer, thicker and more pointy. They were drier and well out of the water so they could have been the same colour in the beginning.

We found a lovely patch of moss on an old log.

Nearby another log was full of Jelly Ear Fungus - formerly known as the (now unPC) Jew's Ear Fungus.

Lovely purple hue to them today but as hard as iron to the touch, not the normal wibbly-wobbly jelly texture

While we were photographing this the others were rummaging around near the water's edge lifting up all manner of litter/fly tipping/ logs etc and found this little chap.

Smooth Newt - not stalking a worm as it appears to be

Turning a slab we also found five Frogs lurking beneath...not long now buntil the first spawn appears.

After we'd left the zoo we had to take the kit back to the nature reserve so we had a quick look in the Feeding Station while we were there.

Some fun with the Pheasants in the feeders that have sadly been trashed by drunken teenage ar*ewipes - what on earth do they get out of numptyness like that?

Mind you don't get yer head stuck down there!

 A Woodpigeon only gave one photo opportunity, it flew when it heard the camera shutter.

Time to get back to Base Camp but outside the hide we spotted more signs of spring in the form of some nice Hazel catkins.

Back at Base Camp Frank was looking cute with one of Wifey's shoes but his bad leg is still giving him gyp after his puppy-like leaping around the other day. he's had a couple of quiet days so hopefully it'll be better soon.

Where to next? There's a Surf Scoter to be re-found on Patch 2 - apparently no sign of it today...

In the meantime let us know who's been well meaning but got it all horribly wrong in your outback.

Shocking weather produced THE bird of Patch 2...ever

The Safari's drive to work was interesting with an 'alba' Wagtail in the puddle where the alleged R'ouzel was, for once in a blue moon we were in Wifey's car and sat too low down to be able to see it  properly...but another one goes on the R'ouzel puddle list. After a few minutes in the office we braved the soon to land with a vengeance weather and was out on site with the Rangers and super local naturalist MS. We were looking for recent signs of the Water Voles and invited him to come along to search for Common Meadow Rue a plant that is so common round here that any site that has it automatically qualifies for County Biological Heritage Site status.

We donned the waders but the prospect of getting in the rather full and uninviting looking ditch didn’t appeal...and that water was cold!...so we checked for feeding signs from the top of the bank occasionally slithering into the slimy shallows for a closer look and/or to retrieve a specimen of chewed grass. We are pleased to report that the Water Voles are still in situ and we found signs right into the depths of the adjacent area too.

While we bumbled around the ditch and had a shuffy across the field MS checked out out the rough area for Common Meadow Rue – yes he found it...he found in spades not just hanging on in this part of town but obviously finding it to its liking and doing very well thank you!

Next time we go alooking in this area they should be in flower and a full six feet (2m) tall and not so easy to step on/over

Our turning over of things gave us a few Frogs, one Toad and one Short Tailed Field Vole, with evidence of recent activity by several more voles but no snakes, lizards or newts.

One thing we did find that we weren’t so chuffed about were these tiny fry in the amphibian/snake pond. We hope they’ll only grow into 3-Spined Sticklebacks and not anything larger with a bigger mouth and appetite – the Sticklebacks are bad enough as we know only too well from the pond at work (Still at least seven remaining uncaptured in there!).

Only inches from where the fry were hanging out the Ranger found this...

Bingo double bingo – a Great Crested Newt egg. Further searching didn’t give us any more but they must be there somewhere! Not a bad morning’s work and our 'candidate' CBHS must surely now be declared as the full monty!

Not content with all that joy we pulled up a wet work, the promised rain had now started in earnest, and heard a hweet call from the bushes in the garden. Luckily we had our bins with us as a Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff would be a good bird here. But it was seriously better than that, our ‘hweet’er was a cracking male Redstart tucked away under the Tamarisk bushes hopping around on the floor poking about through the woodchip. What a great bird for Patch 2, (#65). Unfortunately we got the camera too slowly and it did a flit and wasn’t seen again despite some searching in between the showers/downpours. Wasn't expecting to see two grounded migrants of this species within a few days  of each other that's for sure!

At lunchtime – yes  all that happen before lunch! – we met up with our friend from the sanddunes for a bit of sea watching. Not a great lot going on with a strong easterly wind and ropey weather although a few Sandwich Terns were diving not too far out and a single Guillemot was a little further away. Much better was the Grey Seal only 50 yards off the wall. We dashed back to the office for the camera but it must have got wind of our intentions and by the time we’d got back – 2 minutes – he’d done a bunk and wasn’t seen again. It’s not often we get close encounters like that, usually a seal is just a dot in the distance.

Where to next? Just checked the weather and more overnight showers and easterly winds are forecast so what might be in the Patch 2 garden tomorrow

In the meantime let us know what vivid coloured thing brightened up your outback.

Up to our neck in it

The Safari looked up at a clear sky on Patch 1 to see Mars, shining bright red, well brightish orangey-red at least, over the western horizon...seems funny to think it’s just a big ball of rust, made of the same stuff as most of the Australian outback hence the two being the same colour. Nothing wildlify to report from the patch; we didn’t get far as Frank was terribly stiff and slow this morning so no footy for him tonight ... strange how he recovers so quickly when we turn round and head back down the hill towards his breakfast???

Patch 2 early doors wasn’t much cop either. Lots of gulls on the beach and a fair few uncounted Oystercatchers but no other waders at all. Just a few Common Scoters out at sea in the not so good visibility.

Mid morning was time for the jaunt with a difference we mentioned yesterday. The Safari is exaggerating a bit as we were actually only well past our knees in it, thankfully we had full length chest waders on. The ‘it’ in question was the short stretch of ditch that supports a small colony of Water Voles. Today was the first survey of the site of the year. We weren’t expecting to see any actual animals and true to form we didn’t. But we did find a few burrows – the water level in the ditch was quite a bit higher than when KM and her team of volunteers from Lancs Wildlife Trust surveyed it last summer - several latrines were seen and lots of feeding signs. All of which are good news as the survey could have been a lot trickier given the recent very cold weather.

Still awaiting for verification of these signs but we're pretty confident they are from the Water Voles. The droppings aren't as green as the ones seen last summer, but neither is the grass at this time of year!

The ponds that were dug last year are full and looking good, all that is needed are some reptile/amphibian refugia putting down and the vegetation to grow up. We had a bit of a tramp around but failed to put anything of interest up. A Moorhen gave us a start when flushed from the ditch but that was about it birdwise apart from two Kestrels hunting in the distance. A rather stumpy looking Water Skater was of interest, but unphotographed, nothing at all like the usual ‘summer’ ones, in fact nothing at all like any we’ve ever seen before...perhaps we should have taken more notice of it although it did disappear pretty rapidly under the bankside grasses. As we were packing up ready to leave one of our number flipped over a bit of old polystyrene with her welly and out hopped a rather grumpy small Frog.

Back at Patch 2 after some serious OCD-style hand washing and a very quick lunch little had changed from earlier; the light was still poor, the beach far more disturbed by dogs and consequently far fewer gulls and Oystercatchers and still nothing else. At sea the same few Common Scoters were still about.

Where to next? More of the same but without the Water Voles.

In the meantime let us know what you’ve been up to your neck in in your outback

A nothing much appnin sort of a day

The Safari’s early morning venture forth from the front door still has no hint of daylight in the eastern sky. A Blackbird was first bird heard today with the usual Robins here and there. At Magpie Wood the light (or lack of it) was again poor and we could only see 38 and some uncounted Woodpigeons. As we tried to count the Magpies we heard the Peregrine calling but again it was out of sight ‘round the back’ of the tower.

The only Song Thrush heard this morning was the one at the entrance to the park.

The morning Patch 2 safari was a gloomy mizzly affair, in fact it was so gloomy that we didn’t get out until about a couple of hours after our normal pre-cuppa boot-up-the-puter time. We couldn’t see far through the gloom and only found a few Common Scoters and nine Great Crested Grebes. There was little on the beach either just a few gulls and Oystercatchers with a handful of Redshanks and two Turnstones.

The mist hadn’t lifted by lunchtime and there was only about the same to report from the beach and sea.

By way of something different to regale you with a Great Black Backed Gull and a Carrion Crow were taking it in turns to rip strips of flesh of the remains of a large fish. Looked as though it was either an ex Cod or Salmon. Nothing for it but to grab the wellies and camera and get onto the beach to investigate!

And on the beach there was plenty more to investigate once the fish had been identified as a probably a Salmon by the look of those teeth on the tongue.

Confirmation may well come from our marine biologist friend and/or her fisherman hubby tomorrow.

A bundle of seaweed was wrapped around what looked (and felt) like engineering swarf but also had a Mermaids Purse – the egg case of the Small Spotted Cat Shark – attached. The opening on the left-hand side bears witness to the successful hatching of the baby fish.

Nearby a Carrion Crow investigated likely looking items as it patrolled the sands. 

Further along the beach was another runnel with a few Redshanks and gulls probing about but surrounded by resting Oystercatchers – a fine photo opportunity we thought. As we approached they kept flushing a little further down the beach always just out of range. However we did notice some smaller waders on the far edge of the runnel and in the bad light at first assumed them to be Sanderlings but as we got closer it became evident they were six Dunlin (111) and were so engrossed in feeding that they allowed a quite close approach. Despite our proximity to them and small items were being swallowed at a rate of knots we couldn’t make out what it was they were feeding on....perhaps we should have taken the bins as well as the camera.

On the walk back to the office another Patch 2 tick (#39) was added to the tally when we heard a Curlew calling from out of the grey.

So not a very promising day turned out to be far more interesting than we first imagined...proving if you look long or hard enough you’ll always find something worth looking at.

A quick Big Garden Bird Watch update now :- our hour’s watch was easily eclipsed by former RSPB Conservation Director Mark Avery who had more Goldfinches than we had birds in total. His ‘unusual’ visitor was a female Brambling while ours was the Coal Tit. (Bet he didn’t have real exotica like Herring Gulls either!). All this pales into insignificance when compared to our friend’s youngest daughter’s watch. She’s only eight and sat there diligently watching their tiny back yard in the depths of inner-‘city’ Blackpool for just one single solitary bird...but what was it?...dunno yet her dad had forgotten to fetch her completed sheet in to work.

Finally a reminder that Thursday (we have to present a talk on the coastal wildlife tomorrow night so might not be here) is World WetlandsDay and we hope to be organising a survey  of a small wetland not far away with the aim of recording the presence of Water Voles there – can’t see them disappearing over the winter and it would be nice to actually see one rather than relying on latrines and nibbled vegetation to prove their presence...you never know...just how long is it since we last heard that diagnostic ‘ploppp’ – 25 – 30 years; more???!!!  Talking of coastal wildlife if anyone reading this rubbish is booked on the Shoresearch event with LB this weekend we’ll see you there.

Where to next? More of the chilly gloomy same probably.

In the meantime let us know who's got teeth on their tongue in your outback.