Somehow we missed all the Black Terns

The Safari could practically smell the Black Terns the other day. We had family matters to attend to on the South-side so wasn't able to get out early. News came in from far and wide of prodigious numbers of the wafty little waifs including not more than a mile from our destination. What better than to pop in to one of the sites before our visit to give Monty a run and fire off a few shots. But when we arrived the water was devoid of life bar a handful of gulls. We had a good walk round and still came across nothing of note apart from hundreds of people enjoying a lovely spring Sunday afternoon in the fresh air. We had to leave to go visiting and once home discovered that had we stayed another 30 seconds or so we'd have been in luck. Not only that one of our Twitter chums  @arborist2222 was watching several all the while we were there not 200 yards away but on the nature reserve the other side of the fence...Dohhh cruellll!!!

Not to worry there'd be some at 'our' nature reserve in the morning. There wasn't and somehow it must have been the only wetland nature reserve in England not to have any although a good number were close but passing along the coast.

Monday morning wasn't half bad though we added a couple of old friends to our Year List and while chatting to one of them a Whimbrel ((MMLNR #71) flew over. Talking of Whimbrel here's another coupl of shots from our visit to the dog toilet.

It wasn't a bad morning out on the reserve just not as spectacular as we'd hoped with the run of easterly winds. We did, however, add a new mammal to our list for the year, a Brown Rat stuffing its face in one of the feeders.

We don't mind Rats too much, we think they are often unfairly maligned but realise they can be a nightmare in some circumstances like on originally mammal-free islands - wouldn't really want one in the house though

Back at Base Camp after breakfast we took Monty round PAtch 1 and this was definitely more exciting. As soon as we hit the scrub we heard the 'tic'ing of a Silvia warbler and soon located the tic-er, a Garden Warbler (145, P1 #34) among the half open buds of a large White Poplar tree. Monty had a good run round the bottom fields where we heard a Lesser Whitethroat and up at the top near the road while he wqs sniffing with his new friends we heard a Sedge Warbler (P1 #35) fire up from one of the clumps of ornamental bushes - what a weird place for one of those!

On the way back we saw that the Nomad Bees were out enjoying the sun on the bank of our neighbours garden. With dog in one hand and camera in the other we took a few snaps. one had settled by the entrance to another species of bee's burrow, well they are a brood parasite of solitary bees.

Occasionally they would settle to bask on a sunny stone.

But when we dowmloaded the pics and had a proper look it seems we have two species here - who'd have thunk it!

The top one we think is Gooden's Nomad Bee and has a smooth black back with yellow spots, the lower one we think is Broad Banded Nomad Bee and has red dots and red stripes on its back. It could well be a job for those clever iSpotters to give a conclusive answer, if a conclusive answer can be given to this tricky group of species.

Later news broke of a Whinchat at the nature reserve so back we went. We walked across the side of the wetland to the hedge and ditch to scan and came across a couple of House Sparrows (MMLNR #72). Having a scan across the inaccessible area we soon found it but it was very distant across the far side of the wetland. Always good to see a Whinchat (146, MMLNR #74,, YBC #121)

Hopefully there would be a better view from the top path. On the way there was a Sedge Warbler pretending to be a Reed Warbler. And we disturbed a Meadow Pipit (MMLNR #75) from the damp grass.

The Whinchat was no nearer though.

At least it was now facing the front!

We had  a look at the nature reserve down as far as the scrape where we missed another three Whinchats because we didn't look hard enough at the bank behind the scrape - silly us...note to self - be more thorough in future.

There were Sedge Warblers aplenty, this one pretending to be a Willow Warbler.

 At long last we got a pic of a Whitethroat (YBC #122)

We like Whitethroats but went right off them a little later. We were back on the wetlands where the Whinchat was now much nearer, it was in the hedge the House Sparrows were in earlier. But the local Whitethroats weren't happy with it's presence in their territiory.

Milliseconds before the camera focused we pressed the shutter button and milliseconds after the image was taken the Whitethroats came in and saw it off their patch. Soooooo annoying to be so close to a brilliant shot of an absolutely brilliant bird only to blow it like that. And with them being in such short supply locally the chance of redeeming ourself is slim to remote at best. We really could kick ourselves and/or could cry!

Once the Whitethroats had done the dirty had done the dirty we could not find the Whinchat again and not for lack of trying, it seemed to have vanished up its own a*se.

The Whitethroats on the other hand appeared to gloat in their bullying.

While we were unsuccessfully looking for the Whinchat our perambulations around the wet grassland were stirring up little flies from the vegetation which attracted a posse of Swallows passing through. We had a few blasts at them more in hope than anything else.

Crikey they're quick! Which doesn't bode well for when we try to get some pics of the much quicker Swifts! All the time we were messing around getting these hopeless shots the reserve's most regular birder TS was behind us looking at a female Redstart only a hundred yards away - we really must swap mobile numbers! Not only that we also later learned that had we panned the camera round a bit more to the left the Whinchat was sat atop a Willow on the edge of one of the ponds on the wetland as it was seen well by LR who must have arrived minutes after we left.
Oh and if you're wondering if we can count or not or what happened to MMLNR #73 it was a pair of Stock Doves that we must have seen already on the barn roof where they always hang out but neglected to add to our reserve tally.

Today we had another Sedge Warbler shock when we heard one pretending to be a Garden Warbler - well it was warbling away in the works garden, only the second or maybe third we've heard there since 2004. Being on opening up duty we weren't able to get an early look at the sea but our lunchtime look was productive with four Whimbrels in a muddy hollow well down the beach. They then did something unexpected and a bit bizarre. They walked up the beach over a sandbank and up to the wall to feed in a runnel. how did they know it was there, the sandbanks are quite high certainly higher than a Whimbrel can see over. A very stealthy approach down the seawall steps allowed us to get almost close enough. We fired off a few shots and left them to their walk along the beach. Once back on the prom we heard their distinctive seven note whistle and then they were gone, off on their long journey northbound.

And so ends a good but Black Tern free couple of days wildlifing.
Where to next? More Patch 2 stuff tomorrow
In the meantime let is know who's doing a tern in your outback.

It might not feel like it but spring is springing

The Safari was out fairly early on Sunday morning arriving at the wetland at about 06.30. As ever at this time of year we were hopeful of a slightly more out of the ordinary migrant bird or two but during the night the wind had turned cold with a lot of north in it so we weren't too hopeful. But you never know and if you don't get out you won't see nowt!

Wrens and the regular Cetti's Warbler sang loudly but there was nothing that we'd hoped for sitting up on the old hedge-line. Up the track we passed the place where the Grasshopper Warbler had been singing earlier in the week but it had now gone quiet or moved on. There is an isolated Hawthorn bush a little further on and this had a small bird sat atop it which darted to the next copse as we approached. Once there it sang its scratchy little ditty giving it away as a Whitethroat (143, MMLNR #92). They've been in a couple of days now but this one was the first we'd connected with. They are pretty consistent in their arrival time our earliest in the last 10 years is 16th April and this one was our latest. No chance of a pic as he was far too flighty. 

Nearby Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs all told spring was here even if it didn't feel like it in the freezing wind. Down towards the scrape we came across a Blackcap showing well but very flitty in the outer twigs of a bush but wouldn't stay still for a pic, also in the bush but deeper and as yet unseen a Lesser Whitethroat started to rattle. We got tantalising glimpses but nothing that would get us to lift the camera so on we went to the scrape.

Four Lapwings and four Shelducks were there which was good to see. The Shelducks in particular seem to have taken a liking to the new scrape, maybe next year we/they should think about making a nesting cavity for them on the island. The Lapwings too might nest if the flat top of the island was scraped clear of vegetation but that could be a bit more difficult to achieve unless a decent sized machine could be got over there. along the water's edge the Common Sandpiper was still bobbing away as it had been the previous day. It was then we heard the Grasshopper Warbler and made the decision to try to get a pic. With a bit of listening from here and listening from there we managed to track it down to a small patch of Brambles but couldn't see it. For the best part of the next half an hour it remained doggedly hidden and we were at the point of giving up on it. A small bird flew from an adjacent bush to one further away and that was our trigger to give up to go to see what that was...it turned out to be a second Grasshopper Warbler and was giving  it plenty of wing shivering and tail wiggling while the first bird still sang from his thicket. A second bird arrived in the bush which we got the briefest view of and a 'tack' which seemed to be a Garden Warbler but we never saw or heard it again so it remains a mystery.

The Grasshopper Warbler left the bush to go to another smaller one at which point the male joined it from his Bramble patch - now we had two Grasshopper Warblers buzzing around displaying in one small bush and after about another 20 minutes we still had no pics but had enjoyed some superb sights of the pair interacting.

We walked up to the bridge seeing a good number of Sand Martins (Please, please pleeease make use of our specially built holes) and a few Swallows hawing insects over the water but there weren't, or we didn't pick out, any House Martins.

Wandering slowly back the way we came we heard the Lesser Whitethroat again and had good but brief views of the, or another, Blackcap. A pair of Blackcaps were mooching about in the dazzlingly flowers of the Blackthorn thicket by the new hide when behind us another Whitethroat fired up and this one was obligingly staying still although a long way back in the scrub.

We met up with LR on his way in, he had nothing exciting to report before heading off with one of his dog walking friends while we headed back to the car and the warm. Passing the big Raspberry thicket we heard this Grasshopper Warbler reeling from its usual spot so it has stuck and it looks like we'll have at least tow pairs this season. We had another scan of the rough grassland for anything beginning with W but they weren't there.

Instead of following the track to the car we cut across the now just about dry enough wetland to have a peek in the ponds. For most if them the margins were still too wet to get near enough to without wellies which is a good sign for our Great Crested Newts, lets hope the ponds hold water most of the summer for them.

This is the time of year that gets hay fever sufferers worried, and for good reason -  we saw the first flowerheads of grass of the year today, the beautiful and aptly named Meadow Foxtail. Always like to see this species, it's another that tells you that despite the weather spring really is here.

After lunch we had a family visit involving the motorway. Outbound Kestrels 0 - 0 Buzzards in rather grotty weather. Homeward bound Kestrels 2 - 0 Buzzards - in better weather, it's not often we don't see even a Buzzard on a post on this route now.

A quick safari round the Community Orchard area and the  lake at the top end of the North Blackpool POnd Trail with colleagues to help with risk assessments for kiddies events later in the summer gave us the usual spring delights of Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff along with a loud Song Thrush and a cheeky Grey Squirrel too. It was warm out of the wind but we didn't see any butterflies and only a few Bumble Bees.

Where to next? We'll try to get a look at Patch 2 tomorrow.
In the meantime let us know who's letting you know spring has sprung in your outback.

Off to the bank

The Safari was out early this morning joining the Dunes Project Officer and co for a spot of small mammaling.

We arrived in good time and the early morning sunshine was very pleasant. Several Whitethroats were very entertaining doing their dancing song flights, which proved impossible to capture on 'film' - shoulda used the video mode perhaps.

A pair of Wheatears were kicking about in the dunes near the road, the male setting off on short song flights

Skylarks were everywhere, mostly giving it plenty aloft! Except this one.

In the small patch of scrub we saw a couple of Dunnocks and heard a Chiffchaff and best of all a Garden Warbler (172).

Near the Warden's Hut we found this impressive Drinker caterpillar.

Any way on with the mammals.

Longworth Traps were set over night with a handful of hay some seeds and mealworms to keep any trappees happy overnight.

They were subsequently checked early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. They have bubble-wrap around them to keep them warm during the small hours.

Just one of the 22 traps had been triggered. The contents, including maybe an animal - occasionally the traps 'trigger themselves' - are emptied gently into a plastic bag.

 And there he(?) is...but what is it?

That fur on the flanks looks quite reddish and that's a clue. Is it a male or a female. Trap it in a fold in the bag and getting a look at its underside becomes a little easier than trying to wrangle it upside-down in your hands.

Answer - female or juvenile...unable to tell more than that.

It is a Bank Vole - much longer tail than our little friend from last weekend and the fur is obviously redder

 And once we'd finished with him/her it was time for release back in to the big wide world unharmed.

A lunchtime safari with Frank to Patch 1 - yes he got there again! - gave us a singing Lesser Whitethroat, singing in full view from the edge of an Apple tree and a Chiffchaff.

Very good to see were several butterflies on the wing, a couple or three of Speckled Woods and distant unIDd whites.

Large swathes of Sweet Vernal Grass and Meadow Foxtail are now in flower too.
Where to next? Hopefully a bit of warm sunshine this week for Wifey's birthday.

In the meantime if you don't hear from the Safari for a few days don't panic - all will be revealed in due course.