Dashed out between rain storms

The Safari left Base Camp for Patch 1 without a coat in sunshine this morning, 100 yards later we were dripping wet! We’d dashed out between heavy showers and ended up slap bang in the middle of one. We spent most of our time out on the patch sheltering under the dense canopy of a large Sycamore tree waiting for the lashing rain to subside enough for a sprint back to Base Camp. Nothing of note was noted! We do desperately need the rain though, the recently planted trees along the main road are really struggling and we are now expecting heavy losses. They have endured drought, horrendous winds and a couple of days of blistering sunshine – they need a serious amount of rain to help them through the next few weeks; it’s not often we ask for a cool wet summer!!!!
The showers were still rattling against the windows at work and we were giving up hope of getting over the road to Patch 2. However a brief sunny interlude had us grabbing the scope from the draw and making a dash for it. Worth the risk too...A Grey Seal was bottling away to the south and another much closer out in front of us. Whilst scanning for more we came across a tern jinking and diving about in the middle distance, a Little Tern, a really good find as they are infrequent off this stretch of coast. Way out towards the horizon the much more familiar form of a Gannet cruised northwards with no sign of any fishing behaviour.
The tide was low and there were a good many gulls on the beach, almost all Herrings with a handful of Lesser Black Backs and Black Heads thrown in for good measure. Further down the beach a Great Black Backed Gull menacingly stalked the shallows but just by the outfall pipe we found the gull of the day, an adult Common Gull which can be hard to come by in June.
By lunchtime the beach was full of fishermen and nothing else. Several concerted scans of the sea gave us nothing but a lone male Common Scoter.
Then news came in from the Rangers that a Barn Owl was out and about hunting. Not got Barny on the Year List Challenge yet so a safari over there in the near future is deffo one the cards. Other owly news is that the nearby(ish) local Eagle Owls are enjoying a good season so we’ll have to nip up to have a look at them too...always a good hike up the valley with the potential to see plenty of other interesting stuff too.

No chance to get to the Water Vole site for some pics of the works today - should be able to manage half an hour tomorrow.

Where to next? Might get two proper patch safaris in tomorrow :)
In the meantime let us know what’s drifting along the hazy horizon in your outback.

The Safari has little to report today. A Sparrowhawk's tail was sticking out of last year's nest, the have apparently abandoned the construction of their nest...too near the scrotes? The song Thrush at the Golden Triangle was easily louder than the Blackcap but the Wren gave him a good run for his money.

Then it was out to the Water Vole site to wait for the digger. Unfortunately we couldn't gain access to the 'good' the side of the dyke, which is very overgrown (we hate that phrase/expression - it's not overgrown at all; it's well vegetated). No digger today just marking out with the driver before he breaks ground tomorrow. A Whitethroat was watched carefully but is nesting out of the area which will be dig up. Other than him there wasn't much about. A Blackcap on the roadside embankment and a few Woodpigeons completed the bird list. Invertebrate wise we noed a rather nice but unknown moth, several of which evaded the lens, as did the not so many Blue Tailed Damselflies. In the end all we could capture was this Lily Beetle which in life appeared much brighter scarlet red than in the pic.

No chance of a Patch 2 visit today, although back on Patch 1 the Sparrowhawk's tail was still visible sticking over the side of the nest, she had moved round 90 degrees during the day.

Where to next? 'Normal' service may be resumed tomorrow.
In the meantime let us know what's sticking out in your outback.

Rushed

The safari doesn't know where yo start today! Wifey has been called to London on business early morning so we had to have the quickest of spins round Patch 1 where we had the male Sparrowhawk acting all flustered and upseting the local prey species...coyuld the young be out of the nest?

Totally unflustered was the Song Thrush in the Golden Triangle which sang non-stop, crisp and loud in the cool morning air, all the while we were out and was still going a couple hours later.

We didn't get a chance to visit patch 2 until lunchtime. The tide was almost full but we got nothing other than single distant Gannet and Common Scoter.

Then we learnt that we were to be on site for the start of a major Water Vole habitat creation project tomorrow morning - great news,hopefully have some good machinery in action pics for you, if you like that sort of thing.

Then a weird thing happened - we were bouncing around the Springwatch messageboard...OK OK we'll admit to watching and even enjoying the show even though someone recently said you know you're a good birder when Emmerdale is more interesting than Springwatch. But we still manage to learn something new from the programme almost every show! So it can't be all that bad - - or we don't know that much...anyway we've digressed as the great, but petit, Ronnie Corbett says...one of the respondents on the forum reported seeing and hearing a Savi's Warbler at the nature reserve whilst on his hols recently...double wow. From the ensuing correspondence with him chances are he's dead right! And all the local missed it! All will be revealed in due course...well done that man!!!

Later in the afternoon we had the camera ready to take on the beach with an evening's rockpooling with one of the local Beaver troops, we forgot the camera in the end but found a couple of nice bright Lion's Mane Jellyfish. But while messing around with the camera after taking some other pics for a colleague we came across this pic of the Iberian Chiffchaff we didn't realise we'd taken, or didn't realise was quite as good as it is. So OK it's not a White Throated Robin or a Blyth's Reed Warbler, but hey, no mist nets were involved with the finding of this one.

We've also been trying to set the ball rolling for a trip to the real outback of Australia for Autumn 2012 - we have an AGM we really ought to attend but can't go to the one this year.

Where to next? Hopefully the sound 'plop' will be on the menu!

In the meantime let us know what from your outback has been hiding in your camera.

Mystery tour

The Safari got off to a poor start today - didn't get out of bed for the early morning North Blackpool Pond Trail bird survey, but Wifey, who took Frank out, told us it was raining quite heavily anyway...so another survey bites the dust.
Getting up later to make the Sunday special bacon and mushroom panini we nearly trod on this Hoverfly sp, at first we thought it was a Honey Bee but closer inspection gave us its true identity. It was cold and struggling to fly so we opened the front door to let it out and it kindly posed on the step before going on its merry way.

After the obligatory bacon butty we took Frank out on to Patch 1 where we found a new patch of Figwort growing on the sunny side of Magpie/Woodpigeon Wood, we spotted it the other day but it has grown since and we don't remember coming across it in previous years.


Past the last house and just into the cut through into the Butterfly Zone we found this... Absolutely disgusting...what is the freaking point of doing that??? Behind this travesty a (the?) Garden Warbler was singing, is there a pair, have they bred?
Smelling a lot more pleasant, or at least it will when dusk falls, was this new patch of Honeysuckle at the far end ofthe Butterfly Zone; you could say from the ridiculous to the sublime.

And despite the Butterfly Zone didn't disappoint despite the fact it was drizzling and a full 10 C cooler than 24 hours earlier, we spotted a lonely Speckled Wood.

After lunch we tried to find some reptiles but a high security fence prevent access to the site - later we were told we tried to get in a the wrong place, there is a Frank-unfiendly (has stiles) Public Footpath which we should have used...watch this space later in the week. Thwarted we went to the nature reserve in a huff.
At the Bird Club Hide a Lapwing was as close as we've seen one for ages and offered super photo opportunities until it saw us move the camera and flew off after only two snaps...good job one of them was half decent.

Also in front of the hide and apparently less bothered by our movements inside this Woodpigeon fed ravenously on 'weed' seeds.

Then it was a walk up to the far end and instread of going round the reserve we headed in the opposite direction up towards the ancient hedgerows where the Rangers had told us there was a decent number of Marsh Orchids, Northern Marsh Orchid we think.

These weren't here when we were in charge of the site.

Nor was the formalised 'duck feeding area' although people did feed ducks from there. A 'guided walk' led by one of the adjacent caravan site's staff turned up and their bread attracted Black Headed Gulls, which the leader described as seagulls and 'flying rats', he also gave a mouthful of duff info about Mute Swans and Mallards. Thankfully he got the difference between Coots and Moorhens correct. We bit our tongue but think we'll have a chat to the Rangers tomorrow.

Then it was on to check out the North Blackpool Pond Trail to see if the Bee Orchids were in flower. We soon found a Broomrape.

As we were getting up from the Broomrape we spotted this Bee Orchid bud just in the nick of time as we very nearly put our elbow on it..that wouldn't have been a clever thing to do would it? Once we'd found the one in bud we had a thorough look around and found this one whose top petal is bent back aout of sight.

Not far away was a third, this time showing the full compliment of petals in view.

On the way back to the Land Rover we past a great wildflower area which is 'managed' by Meadow Ants. The mound of the largest hill is almost as big as Frank...wonder how many years and how many ants its taken to build it.

At the very end of the walk we saw a Whitethroat with a large green caterpillar, churring away but not dropping into the vegetation so as not to give the location of the nest.

Forgot to mention yesterday that in the blistering sun of the Butterfly Zone we had a Painted Lady which was quite a pleasant surprise.

Where to next? Back on the patches for the rest of week and maybe some seashore stuff too.

In the meantime let is know what narrowly escaped an elbow in your outback.

Pesky pugs and mystery micros

The Safari 'enjoyed' a hot humid but dry night last night. The moth trap was on and that purple light might have attracted the attention of the Police helicopter which sounded as if it was directly overhead for ages. How come the Yanks can get half way across a nation in a silent and invisible Steathcopter but what our Police force have is at the opposite end of the loudness scale - a nightmare; only we weren't asleep...if we'd have had a spare surface-to-air missile under the bed we'd have used it!!!

Then Frank, being hot, woke up early and we were out on Patch 1 not long after 05.00 hours. A Cormorant was seen going over and a Cinnabar moth was nosed out of the grass by Frank snufling around.

The moth trap was opened before breakfast and we soon learned we've forgetten all our Pugs!

Pug 1?

Pug 2 looks like it should be easy but we've been pouring over the field guides without any joy. Grey Pug?

Pug 3, dark form of Grey Pug, obsucrissima?

Then we found the micros...dooohhhh. Pretty sure this one and the next are the same species but the second one was about 50% larger.

This little Tortrix is bonny but nowhere near as pretty as one which avoided the lens and went for our throat - we dodged and it flew over our shoulder, disappearing into next door's garden. It was like a tiny Zebra!

OK on with the macros now - first one didn't make the trap as it was lodged in the base of the lamp and had been frazzled. Ingrailed Clay?

Fortunately we could identify the rest.

Clouded Bordered Brindle, dark form.

and the light form, no others caught.

Marbled Minor.

Scalloped Hazel.

Also in the trap were several Heart and Darts, a couple of Flame Shoulders and lurking just outside the trap we disturbed a Brimstone - not a bad night's trapping, if the weather holds a bit it can only get better...but the weather looks like breaking...doohhhh not AGAIN!!!

After half a loaf of toast we had an hours gardening keeping an eye on the pond in case a Large Red Damselfly turned up - none did but we probably haven't had a long enough spell of decent sunshine. A small number of Blue Tailed Damselflies were fluttering over the Lily leaves.

The Goldfish were full of the joys of spring, mating and egg-laying behind our pot of Fine Leaved Water-dropwort.

After lunch we joined the North Blackpool Pond Trail officer and members of our Fylde Amphibian & Reptile Group at a local Country Fair. A glorious afternoon which the organisers of all such summer events pray for...and consequently our stand was busy, don't think AB stood over his pond life 'touch-tank' had a chance to draw breath all afternoon with a constant stream of young and old alike wanting to have a look at his aquatic exhibits all drawn from his garden pond earlier in the morning.

This is a bit like Where's Wally? - - - Can you find Frank?

Where to next? Not sure what the weather is doing but doubt we'll get three red hot sunny days on the trot, but we have a plan and for once it doesn't involve trying to increase our tenuous lead over Monika.

Fire fire!

The Safari was buoyed up by yesterdays unexpected sightings and a check through the old notebooks revealed we are 20 bird species up on the same time last year – how did that happen? But today is another day!
Patch 1 didn’t give us much; an agitated Chiffchaff and a bat box full l of baby Blue Tits, the parent came in to feed them and only just managed to squeeze through the slit at the bottom of the box...hope the youngsters aren’t so well fed they can’t get out when the time comes!
Patch 2 wasn’t much better...
We found a male Common Scoter not far out with a flock of about two dozen very distant going north and an Auk sp sped south.
Best sighting of the morning session was the flare-gas from an unseen rig beyond the horizon bright burning orange against the dark grey sky.
Lunchtime gave us a Grey Seal so close inshore we could see the water dripping off the ends of his whiskers. Way out on the horizon a small flock of Common Scoters went north while almost in the same place this morning’s male still hung about.
Two Gannets eased their way northwards almost at the horizon.
And not a lot else

Well that was yesterdays news, what will today hold?

No pics cos you had more than plenty in the last post.

Laters...the moth trap could well go out tonight!

Patch 2 brightens return to work

The Safari set off up the hill to Patch 1 this morning with not much expectation as it is becoming the time that fledglings and their parents start to become more secretive. We noted a large number of uncounted Blackbirds and Woodpigeons and heard several Wrens. The Golden Triangle's Blackcap was still warbling away but not a lot else was moving.
Back at work it was our first watch over Patch 2 of the ‘summer’ and the tide was not long on the rise, there were dark clouds this side of the horizon and a hint of mizzle in the air. A couple of scans gave us nothing but a couple of Herring Gulls mooching about. Then we noticed a tern dart down towards the water but not really in a manner that would indicate feeding. Almost instantaneously a dark shape launched itself out of the trough and rose above the tern which then took evasive action. Skuas are worth the wait as this one’s flying display was stupendous, how agile are they for such a big bird easily matching, even out manoeuvring, the dodging tern. After a few seconds above the waves we were able to get enough on it for an ID – a dark morph Pomarine Skua (185; 58)...not a species we’ve seen too many of over the years and a welcome addition to Patch 2’s tally. After watching it disappear in to the on coming squall we had another couple of scans which gave us precisely nothing! What a fluky time to put the scope on the wall!!!
Mid-morning we were called to an unexpected but very welcome site visit. At this site we are developing the habitat for Water Voles. They have been suspected of being in the area for a long time but recent surveys by the Environment Agency have confirmed their presence –

now we just have to confirm the Grass Snakes too for which a bit of warmer weather wouldn’t go amiss – so new dykes, banks and ponds are going to be dug. Should help the invisible Grass Snakes and visible amphibians too. The existing pond on the site is almost dry and is going to be deepened in a series of ledges – gonna be a great little bit of habbo creation. Some nice patches of Ragged Robin were along the side of the Water Vole’s dyke.

The field on the other side has been over grazed for a few years but this year horses have been excluded and the Ox-eye Daisies have put on a bit of a spectacle – shame it’s earmarked for development, given the chance it's one of the best wildflower areas in town.

Patch 1 came up late trumps this evening with it's first Kestrel (59) of the year and a young Magpie succumbed to the guile and speed of our resident male Sparrowhawk.

Have a butchers at our pics from yesterday’s safari over to the South-side. The Safari isn't overly keen on Avocets but they are a welcome addition to the North-west's avifauna.

Redshanks were everywhere and severa chicks were noted.

anyone know the name of this Mirid Bug?

Marsh Orchids were numerous at our second site, but is Northern Marsh or Southern Marsh or a hybrid?

Two tonnes of prime habitat restorer!!! An Old English Longhorn bull.

The 1st winter Little Gull we embarrasingly overlooked and had to go back for when another birder wasn't too sure what it was and asked for confirmation using AB's scope...ouch!!!

An Ichneumeon Wasp on the inside of the hide window - survived the rampages of the moth eating Little Owl then...

A very dapper Chaffinch.

Good numbers of Black Tailed Godwits were seen, this is the best of a poor set of digiscoped pics.

Don't think we've ever seen Dunlin so close before...

Close enough to see their prey items they've gleaned from the bottom of the lagoon.

Where to next? More patchy stuff – will 1 or 2 bring home the bacon tomorrow?
In the meantime let us know whose regurgitating what in your outback.