Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Great White Egret - Ardea alba

This is the story of a quaint little town and a Great White. An epic tale but not of a shark nor a town called Ammetty but a Great White Egret and a town called Chard. But first, why an epic? Well, 18 days ago I was knocked unconscious and broken by a careless bus driver rushing to get back to the depot after his shift. I can hardly afford to travel by bus and it is ironic that my life was almost ruined in a split seconds carelessness and lack of care by a man who travelled from Eastern Europe to improve his life and nearly ruined mine. So having sat for endless hours waiting for the pain to subside and movement to return to my trigger finger (read shutter release), yesterday I had had enough. My caring and loving wife Jenny got herself kitted out in my camo gear and prepared herself to lug my gear. She prepared a meal in the slow cooker for our return, made a flask of coffee put my socks on, did my shoe laces up and carefully arranged my sling before driving me the 30 miles or so to Chard to see if we could find the Great White reported tantalisingly on the day of my accident and every day since. We got ourselves across the border in to Somerset and after a short while arrived at the nice little backwater town of Chard, famous for nothing in particular except just being a nice little place. It took us as long to find the bird hide and somewhere to park as it had to get from Exeter to Chard but eventually, more by luck than and skill at all, we found the right path. What a charming, picturesque place. Lots of woodland and meadow and a massive lake of 48 acres. The hide was approached through a wooded path and then an enticing platform over the water for several yards and screened on either side by high fencing, emerging in to a metal shuttered building over the water, dark with tank-like slits to peer through. Peering through, you get a great view of the lake before you and a muddy, tree-lined shore line. Almost immediately I could see the Great White Egret, an impressive tall white heron, as big as a Grey Heron. Pictures speak a thousand words so I wont describe in detail, but note that this bird had a tiny black mark on the end of the beak. I would suggest that this specimen is a second year juvenile, but? It is said that there are around 10 Great Whites annually in the UK so this bird moving and feeding so unconcerned just in front of us, was a rare bird indeed. I cracked off a few shots just incase it left but my day get even better when a Kingfisher decided to perch on the deliberatley placed "T" perch close to the hide. My luck got even better because it decided to come and perch in the willow tree just a few yard to my left. It was as if the bird knew that I had been cooped up for a few weeks and was welcoming me back, rubbish of course but that was my feeling. As he swayed in the willow to my left i just had to photograph him but it was a painful experience. I needed to point my camera almost over my left shoulder which stretched my broken collar bone. It literally brought tears to my manly eyes, Real agony and the joy of such a close encounter with Britain's most iconic bird mingled my emotions. But when he had left I had to brace myself and wait for the discomfort to subside.  Here is a sequence of the Great Wh

ite.

 Post Script.

It turns out that there is a degree of confusion about this species. The Great White Egret - Ardea alba, is the same species that I have seen in the USA on numerous occasions. Formally it had a different latin/scientific name and I hadn't twigged that it was the same bird. In a way that is a slight annoyance, I thought that my list for the year was going to be increased by one new species but as I have seen this bird before in Florida this March then of course, no.  It will be interesting to compare photos of birds from both continents. 

Crab Spider - Misumena vatia

This Crab Spider - Misumena vatia was in my garden yesterday. I have always been fascinated with this species, I find them very attractive and impressive. They are able to change their coloration to suite their background. Apparently this can take a day or so. The ones I have seen have always been white and it is this colour that I find impressive. They don't build a web but instead rely on their camouflage to ambush their prey which can include Hoverflies. Wasps and Bees. This one was on a Citrus pot plant, not a great choice if you are white and the leaves are green! I am impressed by the eyes positioned on the face which seem to number 6 in all, in two rows. Eye sight is an obvious necessity for an ambush hunter. 

Health Update. 

My condition continues to improve. I am becoming more mobile now, pain is subsiding and I am not so tired. I still find it hard to get up from a lying position because of my cracked ribs, consequently I have not slept in a bed for 16 days. I am hoping to get out and do a bit of bird watching soon but still can't lift my arms nor carry my camera.

I survived

Just to say that my operation was a success. All nice and pinned and back in my favourite chair in front of the TV and Mac.

Always a funny story, and    I was as high as a kite after the op. When the night staff came on one of the nurses Phil turned out to be a wildlife nut and as he took my pulse he said it was racing. We were talking about bats in the garden and how lovely foxes really were. Another sensible nurse told me to calm down as it was making my pulse rush. She hooked me up to an ECG machine which by now was normal and they realised that watching wildlife is a really exciting business for me!

In loads of pain but my Angel is preparing one of her special meals, I have ordered Stubbs Guide to Uk Hoverflies which is due to arrive tomorrow....oh and the Drone Fly Eristalis Interupta from Sunday is my 19th Garden Hoverfly species...... lots to keep me amused.  My favourite Collared Dove was waiting to be fed and Goldfinches are already down on the feeders........ god I want to live forever!

Welcome to my Blog, follow the link below to my gallery of favourite images.

   

 
 
 Thanks for visiting.  I hope you enjoy your stay. Please email me or comment.  If I can help point you in the direction of any wildlife in my area then please just ask. To see the photos above in actual size, along with hundreds of others  catalogued by species visit my gallery by clicking here WILDLIFE GALLERY, 

Here is a list of photographic gear that I am currently using:

Pentax K7 body to a Sigma  150-500  6.3 APO DG  recently purchased  to replace my  water damaged Sigma  50-500  1:4-6.3 APO DG .  I  also use a PENTAX SMC DA* 200MM F4.0 ED(IF) SDM, good for close  work from  my  Chair Hide hide for example. Insects and close-ups  are with a Tamron SP AF90mm F2.8  Macro 1:1  My Tripod is a Manfrotto  055CXPRO3 and a Manfrotto  808RC4 head. The flash unit is a Metz 45 CL.4. I also use a Panasonic  HDC-TM300 Twin memory High Def camcorder.

Garden Hoverflies

You are going to see a lot more video footage on the Blog from now on, and I am sure that it is going to enhance your experience and enjoyment in the coming months. I will tell you more about this Hoverfly later on, but first a bit about my fitness. I was expecting to go in to hospital for my Clavicle pinning op. yesterday and then if not, today. Unfortunately due to emergency life saving operations I have been put down the list until a bed is available. The National Health Service in the UK is a wonderful service, free to all "at the point of need". My need is great but there are obviously other people whose life depends on being treated first. I am in a great deal of discomfort and, well to be frank, pain so I hope to get it over with very soon and then I can continue with my great life. If you are ever a situation like mine, then I hope that you have the benefit of a lovely wife or partner like my beautiful wife Jenny who is treating me like a Polynesian Chief. I have even been out on a little walk on Exminster Marsh at sunset. Jenny trailed behind, "sherpa-like", carrying my camera on it's tripod should we see anything. We did, a Green Sandpiper but it was up and gone flashing it's white rump as it it left, just giving me time to tell Jenny what it was. But back in the garden, and in between naps and glorious meals plonked on my lap lovingly by Jenny. I have been sitting on the lawn next to the flowerbeds looking at the insect comings and goings. To be honest, apart from the obvious lack of mobility. life this last week has been pretty good. Missing birds and dragons but I have been forced to watch the garden more than I would have been able, you can't split yourself in half! So I was chuffed yesterday to get a couple of photos of A Long Hoverfly - Sphaerophoria scripta, a female which I hadn't seen before. We have had males, they live up to their name, but females are not quite so long in the body. They have pretty yellow legs and a nice yellow face. You really have to look hard because they are very small and could easily be over-looked. This next species, see the pictures below and the video above is a Drone Fly Eristalis sp. I am pretty sure that it is Eristalis interuptus but I have yet to confirm this. Drone Flies are named because they resemble worker bees. They are interesting for a ew reasons. Males and females can be told apart by the position of the eyes. Females have them positioned on the side of the head whereas the eyes of males are joined in the middle of the head. They are obviously bee "look-a-likes" but you can tell the difference by the absence of a pair of wings, bees and wasps have 2 pairs. These particular hoverflies do not predate aphids, the larvae actually develop in foul, sometimes sewage pools, breathing through a snorkel! As adults they are as useful as bees. They are good pollinators and considering that there is a decline in honey bees I would have thought it imperative that we encourage them as much as possible. They are absolutely harmless in all respects.

Shield Bug - palomina prasina

Yesterday I filmed this Shield Bug - palomina prasina, in the garden. This short clip was taken as a test with my new Pentax K7 which has HD Video facility. I am of course looking forward to being fit again and I will be able to make better use of it. Tomorrow I am being admitted to the local hospital for an operation to mend my broken clavicle. I expect to be detained for at least a night and then, apparently at least 6 weeks recuperating but possibly 10! Doesn't sound good.

Harvestman - Phalangium opilio

I wouldn't say that things are getting back to normal but I am starting to feel a bit less sore and a bit mote mobile. I put a chair next to the flower bed today and with the camera on a tripod and a remote shutter release, I just sat and waited for something to show it's self.

With a bit of patience and perhaps with the help of my new glasses, it wasn't long before I spotted, what I thought was a spider. Turns out it wasn't a spider at all but a Harvestman. Arachnids are not insects but a separate group that contains Spiders, Scorpions, Mites, Ticks and Harvestmen. There are 26 species of harvestmen in the UK and they differ from spiders by being non venomous. They also lack the ability to spin a web. They catch their insect prey by grabbing with their legs which are equipped with hooks.  They use their extraordinarily long legs as feelers much the same as antennae. They have the ability to shed a leg to escape predators. The one pictured has a leg missing. This is the first Harvestman I have seen in the garden, and good to see, photograph and record. But, do they breed in the garden, how many eggs do they lay, how long to hatch?

Harvestmen are ARACHNIDS of the order Opiliones. Harvestmen is the preferred term but they are commonly called daddy-long-legs - even though many have short legs. Moreover, "daddy-long-legs" is also used for cellar spiders (Pholcidae) as well as crane flies (Tipulidae).

Description

As with other arachnids, harvestmen have 4 pairs of legs and 2 pairs of mouth parts - chelicerae and pedipalps. Harvestmen are unique among the arachnids in that they possess a pair of scent glands, which are located lateral to the second pair of legs. The glands secrete a liquid or spray used primarily for defence. If a predator grabs a harvestman's leg, a specific joint will usually break (called limb autotomy), leaving a twitching leg but allowing the arachnid to escape. The leg is not regenerated. Harvestmen are distinguished from spiders in that harvestmen have one body part (spiders, 2), 2 eyes (spiders, usual 6 or 8), no silk glands, pinching chelicerae (spiders, fangs) and no venom glands.

Classification

Opiliones is the third largest arachnid order after the MITES (Acari) and SPIDERS (Araneae). The 6000 described species are subdivided into 3 suborders: Cyphophthalmi, Laniatores and Palpatores. Canada has about 50 species placed in 8 families of Palpatores and 1 family of Laniatores. About 10% is introduced from Europe, including the commonly encounteredPhalangium opilio.

Reproduction

Male harvestmen posses a penis and females have a flexible ovipositor. Copulation is brief with minimal courtship. Most species have a one-year life cycle. Most survive winter as eggs or immatures. A couple of Canadian species (Nelima paessleri and Leiobunum elegans) overwinter as adults in aggregations in caves and mines.

Diet

Harvestmen are omnivorous. They feed primarily on small, soft-bodied arthropods but will also feed on dead animals and occasionally on juicy fruits. They are harmless to humans.

Ornate Hoverfly - Xanthogramma Pedissequum

It's been a hard day or so, frustrating to say the least. I really want to get out and about to take some photos and record some wildlife. There has been some bird activity locally with Wood Sandpiper seen at nearby Matford Pools and there has been a Great White Egret in the next county at Chard Reservoir, all would have been on my list of possibles had I been fit. Sorry to say that I am not in any way improved from Friday, if anything a bit more sore. 

Today, in the early afternoon I went and sat on a garden bench next to my wildlife area. It sounds posh I know, but is no more than a small pond with a lily and shallow sloping sides for birds and hedgehogs to drink from.  An area of the adjacent lawn is left un mown and I have encouraged a few wldflowers to grow. I wouldn't say that this teems with life but there is usually a few hoverflies and insects to be seen amongst the long grass.  So there I am, sat feeling my bruises and sorry for myself when I catch sight of a small green cricket, probably the Speckled Bush Cricket, not seen since May. I called for my wife to fetch my camera while I kept my eye on it, normally I would have gone down to ground level but my days of lying on my belly searching through undergrowth have been temporarily put on hold. Also, Jenny is slightly rushed off her feet fetching and carrying for me already and she declined the invitation to "Quick get my camera" by asking if I was supposed to be ill or not?  By the time I had hobbled in and back out wit the heavy gear, my sore broken collar bone was chafing together and sweat beaded on my bruised ribs............. was it worth it? Guess what, no cricket either. After all the effort I decided to linger by my raised patio area, there is quite often some bee and Hoverfly activity.  We have a flowering mallow there and in the past it has been visited by a couple of the larger species of Hoverflies, for example Volucella Zonaria, a massively spectacular hornet imitator. When I saw it I was so  impressed that it inspired me to  look for a way to record my garden sightings, hence the birth of Wildlife In A Suburban Garden. Here is a picture of that Hoverfly Volucella Zonaria.

Anyway back to the story as it unfolds. Suddenly my attention was drawn to a spectacular Hoverfly, quite different to any I had ever seen before. This one was very black and very yellow with intense bright yellow on both body and legs. It was landing amongst low vegetation and I could see that it was a female and ovipositing by the look of things. A tiny bit of research has given me the scientific name Xanthogramma Pedissequum.   This brings my Garden Hoverfly list to 19.

Thanks for comments

A big big thanks to everyone who has sent me such nice sympathetic comments after my accident on Thursday night. I was driving home on my Chinese Bike (50cc) after my band rehearsal and as I approached Exeter along the main Topsham Rd a bus decided to pull out in frnt of me. I was pretty sure he had seen me so even though I hesitated he kept coming and hit me knocking me off and through the air. I landed mainly on my right shoulder and head. I dont know how long I was knocked out for but when I came round I was in an ambulance on my way to hospital. The casualty experience was really first class, lovely inteligent caring people trying their very best to help me and others to feel better. Their kindness and professionalism really impressed me and if they were only going through the motions than that is even more impressive. Anyway, my collar bone is broken and I have bruised ribs and pulled stomach muscles which is very uncomfortable.  I hope to be able to get back to a bit of wildlife watching in a day or so, cant be that hard to sit quietly and take few photos. Carrying the gear will be the hard part. So keep checking back for updates because there certainly will be.

Charlie x 

Hit by a bus.

I am afraid that I will be out of action for a day so. Last night I was literally hit by a bus at 1130pm. Spent the night in hospital and as well as grazes, cuts and bruises, I have broken colar bone. Right hand is completely out of action for a while. Still hope to photograph but it is going to  be hard going.  I am in loads of discomfort and feel like I have been hit by a bus, in fact it was the single decker from Countess wear service in to town!

Egrets at Powderham

Barn Owl

I am very lucky to have met a lovely couple who are living my dream for me! I will explain. Six years ago they moved to Devon and purchased  a working 24 acre farm with a beautiful  house smack in the middle of this wonderful county. Not being farmers (they have a successful internet business), they set about converting the land in to  a wildlife reserve with the help of DWT. Having met me socially and through my musical life, they read the blog and realised the depth of my passion. I have been invited,  and  given full access at my leisure to come and go and wander and photograph whenever I want. Apart from themselves of course, I am the only other person that even knows of it's existence. 

They have specifically managed the land as a habitat for Barn Owls. The meadows have bean encouraged to provide the correct habitat for the owls. They are not mown for hay and they even have mammal nest boxes to encourage voles to breed to provide for the needs of the owls.  In the barn there are breeding Barn Owls with 3 owlets at present. In another box atop an old oak tree, kestrels have bred this year. Woodpeckers, Green and Greater Spotted breed as well as Nuthatch, Tits and all the usual woodland and garden birds. There is a pond full of Dragonflies and Damsels. A wooded area is home to Butterflies including Silver Washed fritillary, Small Copper and Green Hairstreak. Have you got the picture?  I forgot the Deer ,Fox and I presume Badger.

These words cant possibly do justice to the potential and actuality of the place, it is simply tremendous and wonderful. Alive with all manner of insects and wild flowers of all sorts.

The Barn Owls are about to fledge and apparently almost fully grown and ready to fly. Being mindful of the law about taking photographs at the nest without a Schedule 1 licence, I waited in a field nearby in the hope that they would emerge to hunt whilst still light. Sadly, for me they didn't last night. It was really frustrating because after dark you could hear, very loudly the calls of 2 youngsters, obviously well out of the boxes, hissing for food as their parents were away and hunting the meadows. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of at least one owl in the car headlights as I made my way up the track but unfortunately, that didn't happen either.  But I will be back, and back so watch this space for photographs. The lady of the house showed me some of her pictures of this years adults and birds from last, pictures of hunting birds and pictures of posing birds, pictures of flying birds...... well the list went on. They were as disappointed as me that I didn't get a show last night. I am going to post some of her pictures here for you to see, it will be the first time I have included other people pictures on my blog but because they are so exceptional, I must share them with you.

I have spent a pleasant 20 minutes earlier trying to get some shots of a really confident Wood Pigeon that has decided that I am no threat at all. I can get to within 2 feet of him/her and she will resume feeding. I practised taking flight shots which is incredibly difficult when you are very close. I managed one that was almost in flight and almost in focus! Another, not cropped,  of the head, yes I was that close. 

Eupeodes luniger

I have now added Twitter  on the blog..... look just to your left, there it is. Realtime updates will be added from my mobile. So check back regularly to see what I am up to when I am out and about. for example this afternoon I am going to photograph Barn Owls.  You can check twitter on the blog, in "real time" to see how I am getting on. Could be a lot of fun. Even better I have just realised that to SMS to Twitter from my mobile is absolutely free, gets better all the time.

Couldn't post to the blog without adding a picture. I took this photograph in Derby, on the way back from Yorkshire. It is feeding on "honey-dew" left by aphids. There is a tiny newly hatched/emerged aphid in the picture as well. This makes this picture, at least to my eyes very interesting. The species is Eupeodes luniger.

Yorkshire Photos

Back in Devon now and looking through my photos, here are a few that stood out as interesting. As mentioned before, the Short Eared Owl was a great find and If I had time I would make every effort to get a lot better photos but as I literally stumbled upon this one then I have to be pleased with what I have already.

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I mentioned that last Wednesday I had watched, what at the time I believed to be, a  family of Red Grouse walking on the track to the Reservoir. Well back home and after having a really good look at the images I am pleased to report yet another species for the trip, a Grey Partridge. This bird is probably chuffed that it is not a Grouse as tomorrow is the start of the shooting calendar and being a Grouse on the Yorkshire Moors is a serious position to find yourself in! 

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This was a family group and as you can see from the photos which incidentally have been heavily "developed" in photoshop to extract the very best from the rather poor images, a total of 9, 8 youngsters and the mother hen.

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Grey Partridge are in serious decline so to get this photo and see that they have bred so successfully as well is a real coup. At the top of the little lane seen in the photo, was a bog pool which contained several Common Hawker Dragonflies. I tried really hard to get some nice photos and took several which I am more than pleased with. They are hard to get in flight like this but it proves that the investment in new equipment was worth it. It is the first time that I have been able to get such good shots of Dragonflies in flight like this.

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 My main reason for the visit to this reservoir was to try and photograph Twite, a very scarce finch in England but at this site there is a known breeding population. Having now completed their breeding they have dispersed a little around the other hills and moorland locally but in July they were/are very commonly seen. I took a few photos of what I thought at the time were Twite. They are very, very similar to Linnets particularly hen Linnets and to be really honest I am not sure if this next photo is a Twite or a female Linnet, I am leaning towards the latter and have not added Twite to my list of species seen this year which incidentally stands at 193!

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Whilst photographing Twite, or trying to that is, Meadow Pipits were constantly showing themselves. I am not averse to sitting in my hide for several hours just waiting. This can be a bit dreary, a bit like watching Derby County, mostly boring but every now and then a bit of excitement, and well worth the lousy bits. Some of my images of Meadow Pipit for this trip were really good and I really like this one. The background is really pretty.

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The next one was interesting because it shows the fleshy gape of a newly fledged juvenile. This one perched on the wall literally 7 paces from the hide because afterwards I paced it out. What an absolute shame that the wire from the fence seems to go straight through the body.

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Then as I walked around the Reservoir on the Saturday of my visit this one perched on the post in front of me and with the light just in the right place I got one shot. The camera was on a tripod but I held the camera without putting the legs down. The result, though not 100% sharp is quite pleasing. Can you see how this bird is in a post-juvenile moult? This bird is one from earlier in the season and proves that breeding of Meadow Pipit is very successful on the moors around Huddersfield.

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Old Moor RSPB is a good success story for the RSPB, it is smack in the middle of housing estates, shopping centres and disused factories but seems to be a massive reclaimed area which the RSPB is justifiably proud. It attracts lots of visitors to the shop, children's play area and cafe which would not be out of place in the West End of London. I guess this is making "big-bucks" for the RSPB and as long as it is all ploughed back in to conservation then why not. I am suspicious and it is all that I dislike about the RSPB. For Birds..... well yes perhaps, for People ....... ? But certainly to make lots of wanga. I suppose we just have to get used to the fact that without them then this refuge wouldn't exist, probably best to concentrate on the positive things. However it is a sad day when the quality of a reserve is judged by the quality of facilities on offer and not the contribution to conservation. I took this lovely Coot photograph who certainly couldn't care less that the coffee came in three cup sizes and was "Fair-Trade"

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Incidentally, this reserve has a small population of Willow Tit, a rare bird indeed here in Devon. I watched one visiting the feeders and have to say that I was pleased with that. From a distance and in fact even close up, telling Marsh Tit from Willow is almost impossible. The very well informed and friendly warden told me that they do not have Marsh Tit here so any Marsh/Willow Tit are bound to be Willow. 

When I had been there earlier in July, I had seen several of the reserve's Tree Sparrow but on this visit there wasn't one to be seen.

Home in Devon

So here I am back in Devon, I nearly said heaven because it feels like that. I have spent the last 6 days sleeping on a Futon, sounds trendy but in actual fact is more like a Sainsbury's pallet and if you stay on it more than 5 hours it takes 6 to get the feeling back in your spine! The climb down the attic ladder at first light is akin to Neil Armstrong's first step and to make it in to the bathroom without injury makes you realise how Edmund Hillary felt, but at least he had Sherpa Tensing to help him! I  have, however, had a wonderful time however watching my new born baby grandchild and her lovely mum and dad, my son and his wife. It suddenly makes you realise what life should be about. 

A nasty shock when I eventually got in front of the computer to find that the file format that I had taken all my photos in whilst in Yorkshire was not compatible with my version of Photoshop and nothing else I had would open them. But after a fiddle around for the last 7 hours (no joke) I have downloaded a program to convert them so here are a few photos of Short Eared Owl to be going on with.

Number 1  first shows my encounter when I stumbled upon the bird last Tuesday. I am chuffed to have got a reasonable image in flight.

Even though I am not as close to the owl as I would have liked it still gives a good idea of the habitat and bleakness of the environment that the birds prefer.

The tale of the Short Eared Owl.

As I am on my way back to Devon tomorrow I thought I would get myself out to Scammendon Dam to see if I could find the Short Eared Owl again and perhaps get a few better views. I parked the car in the public car park and didn't think too much about the other cars parked except that it seemed odd that they all contained single men!!!!!!!!!!!!! Alarms should have rung but being innocent and unsuspecting I didn't think anything of it until I returned to my car after my adventure................. I was actually propositioned by some kind of odd disgusting individual who thought my camera was for ............ well I am not even going to say, but use your imagination. I thought about punching him but decided that he might enjoy it so I left in a hurry with my camera full of great bird photos. Sometimes when you are out and about with your camera you get the most unusual reaction. 

So now to the real point of my entry. I walked up the valley from the car park and with the binos, scanned the fence lines. I wasn't expecting too much of a result to be honest, but if you don't look you don't find and if I was going to pass on one "Pearl of Wisdom" this would be it.  I saw a dark object on the fence line at the top of the valley to my left and thought, this must be a crow. With the binos on it I was so pleased and excited to see an Owl!. I had found it. 

After snapping off a few record shots I made my way up the steep side of the hill. It was heavy going, but I had reasoned that the bird couldn't see me and I was going to get close to it. So now I knew that, as I was about to come over the brow of the hill, the bird would be just in front of me. The plan worked and I got a dozen or so shots but in quite poor light.  After a short while the bird leapt up and flew down to my left. I was chuffed and excited that I had recorded some nice images, there was more to follow though but  at the time I didn't know it. 

I my heart was beating with excitement but more likely exertion. With the binos I casually scanned the hillside ahead and couldn't believe my luck when I saw the bird again now around 300 yards to my left on the remains of a low Yorkshire stone wall. If only I was closer! I got a 100 yards nearer  and the bird was still visible but as I walked closer still there was no sign and as the light was getting worse I reasoned that it had left the scene and I had missed it. So now, after making my way in the direction of the last sighting, I approached the wall now only a few feet away. The thought went through my mind "Imagine if it was still here"?  With a flash and whoosh of wing the bird rose in front of me from behind the wall where it had been all along! It would be hard to put in to words how thrilled and exhilarated I was at this moment. One of those rare, real moments of wildlife excitement that you can't buy. I hadn't given up though and followed on up the hill in it's wake. Again I could get close  by being in the lee of the hill and I knew it wouldn't be able to se me. As I got to the top again, there it was and this time he was waiting for me. I could see his starring eyes peering through the sedge and I could imagine that the bird thought it odd that this strange camo clad thing was following him across the hillside. A few more shots and off he went and I left him to it.

I returned to my car and ran the gauntlet of old Yorkshire perverts! Beware if you are ever at Scammendon Dam looking for Short Eared owl.  My daughter- in- law tells me that this a well known place to avoid by the people of Huddersfield.............. if only she had told me before!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Tales from Yorkshire

Still up here in Yorkshire with my new grand-daughter, all is well and she gets even more beautiful. I took the opportunity to go out again for most of the day, so much to see and so much to discover. The first stop was back at the local Twite site but I have an element of doubt  that all  my sightings are correct, well at least some of them are probably  Linnet. That will be a shame but now I know where there are regular sightings of Twite I am positive that I will not only see some in the future but get good photos as well.

As I arrived and got out of the car, I almost immediately  saw a Grouse take to the air to my left, disturbed by a dog walker, this was a great sighting.

After more frustrations with Twite I decided to go to Old Moor RSPB reserve near Barnsley. I hoped to see and photograph the Tree Sparrows again. Quite surprisingly there was not a Tree Sparrow to be seen! I watched a Marsh/Willow Tit at the feeding station and was very pleased when I chatted to the reserve manager to be told , that this was for certain, a Willow Tit.

This is my first, for certain,  confirmed Willow and even if I dont include Twite makes my new lifers for this week 3! A pretty good few days

Twite in West Yorkshire

After my report of the Short Eared Owl, I have moor/more goodies to report. Yesterday after doing a bit of local research I discovered that there is an area not far from Huddersfield that is probably the best site for Twite in the UK, well that's what the lady at the local RSPB office told me. Armed with my instructions and full of enthusiasm, as usual, I made my way to a nearby reservoir to try for  yet another "lifer", my first Twite. Twite are absent in my home county of Devon so this was going to be a great opportunity to see this interesting little bird that is quite similar to a Linnet.

The reservoir was approached up a very pot-holed road with signs everywhere telling me that it was a private road and I was a little worried about not being welcome but the lady at the RSPB had told me it wasn't a problem. Ahead, in the road was a small group of what, at first, looked like partridge. The birds were between me and the sun but I took a couple of photos of what, in fact was a female Red Grouse and 8 of her almost full grown chicks. Yet another lifer! I am looking forward to posting those photos when I return to base at the end of the week.

So, having parked the car, I made my way around the reservoir to where I had been told the Twite are regularly seen.  I had been slowly walking and watching for over an hour and hadn't seen anything remotely like a bird let alone a Twite. I chatted to a lady dog walker who told me that yes, I was in the right place but she hadn't seen any Twite for a few days. But she knew all about them and the ringing project that is taking place.

Wandering back again and feeling a bit  deflated I got excited when a finch flew over me and I guessed this might be a Twite, but guessing isn't part of this. Then at last,  perched on wires above a typical Yorkshire stone wall was my first Twite. I crept closer and took a few photos, not the best but no doubting it was a Twite. In the end I saw several more and got a few more photos. Twite are very similar to Linnet, and in the winter can be hard to tell apart but  Twite beaks are light at that time of year. At the moment beaks of both species are darkish. I have to say though, that having watched Linnet just before I left Devon, when I saw these Twites they had a different look about them, dumpier and well, just different.

I returned today to the same area in the hope of getting a good shot from the hide. My plan of action was to place the hide in a place which I hoped would be a good spot, next to the wall. Unfortunately I was not successful today but a young Meadow Pipit was just 7 paces away from the hide and I got some great views of this lovely species.  I gave  up with the hide after a couple of hours, and then a  bird showed down the wall in silhouette. Murphy's law!

Also photographed today was a nice photo of a Common Migrant Hawker Dragonfly in flight. The new camera and 200mm lens worked really well to get these shots and again I will be able to post some good images when I get home.

 

Short Eared Owl

I am away from Devon and in the county of West Yorkshire. My first Grandchild, Isabella Jo was born yesterday morning at 0245. She is beautiful and as pretty as any butterfly.

Not wanting to spend the whole day listening to Breast Pumps and discussing meconium I snuck out to an area quite close that I thought might be good for Wheatear perhaps. In a new site who knows what you might discover?

Having parked up  close to Scammendon Dam which is on the edge of Saddleworth Moor, I made my way with anticipation down the valley side towards the water. It was hard going, the moor was boggy and riverlets of run-off water meandered past rocks and the remains of ancient walls. The grass and sedge was almost waist high, hiding all this water and debris. Suddenly to my right and not too far away a large bird of prey swooped around and settlled in the long grass. My first reaction was Harrier and then perhaps a "light form" Buzzard. But my luck was in, the bird was down and even though I couldn't see it I knew it was there and I was going to get a good sight when it rose. I hurried closer through the rough, stumbling as I went, sorting the camera and tripod, readying for a shot if the possibility came. Suddenly it did! The bird appeared with massive flaps and started to "quarter" the filed in front. My thought process was, "Barn Owl---------- then no it's too big----------- then no it's too dark."I was Impressed by the wing flaps and size. I got my first real look of the head and realised I was seeing my first Short Eared Owl.

I have a brand new camera, a  Pentax K7 with far better sensor and performance and it really came in to it's own now. In fact the first bird picture with this new, very expensive bit of kit was a great shot of my first ever Short Eared Owl.

Dunnock in the Garden

We have had a bit of bird activity in the garden today, mostly House Sparrows but also a young Dunnock has been with us for the second day in a row. A Wren was heard singing, this time in the garden , and Greenfinches came and went. The Collared Doves continue to show, still in the small flock as before and I noticed a degree of territorial behaviour. Perhaps the male will be chasing away his siblings as the week progresses. The Herring Gulls that bred on my neighbours roof have been causing quite a disturbance and this morning at 4.30 they were almost unbearable. As we approach midnight I notice that they are perched on the apex of the roof next door tonight, so we are in for a noisy morning yet again, at first light.

I took another photo of the recently discovered new species of Hoverfly today, Melanostoma mellinum.  This time a female. You can tell male and female Hoverflies by the arrangement of the eyes on the head. If they are on the side then it's a female but fused together indicates a male. This shot was taken with my Tamron 1:1 Macro lens. The insect is in fact very tiny , around 3 mm long. It is perched on a wild flower that I leave to grow around an un-cut area of my lawn next to the pond. This is a great place for insects and frogs etc.

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I took the next photo during the day and when I had a good look it occurred to me that it would make a good quiz question. So here's what we do. Have a good luck at the picture, have guess at an ID and then either email me or comment with your answer and we will see if anyone gets it right.

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Quiz Name this insect

email with your answer.

Melanostoma sp. (scalare or mellinum)

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Melanostoma sp. (scalare or mellinum)

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The sighting and photograph of this Hoverfly brings my garden tally up to 17 species. This is apparently a common Hoverfly, well I haven't seen one in the garden before and also by all accounts it hasn't been studied extensively either. But a welcome addition to my gallery of Gqrden Hoverflies which you can check out here.

Monthly report and update

Here is the link to my PBase photo galleries where you can find all my favourite images.

Southern Hawker

It's been a hard month for wildlife watching and photography generally because of the almost ridiculously awful weather which has made July a virtual right-off.  Apart from some good weather at the beginning of the month, we have had very few good days  Thursday 30th being an exception and perhaps  Saturday 25th. I have however made the most of it and had some good,  interesting excursions out and about.

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The beginning of the month started with a Fox encounter out on Dartmoor and on the same day a good shot of a Pearl Bordered Fritillary. On the 5th I discovered the breeding Hedgehog and her 4 hoglets in the garden  and as the month progressed I bumped in to her twice more.  Recently, on the 29th she was foraging in daylight in the flower-bed borders . It was around that time that one of my baby hen chicks disappeared and she is the suspect! 

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I last saw the Bush Cricket on the 5th and am yet to bump in to it again as a real adult but I am looking daily. There was an Osprey at Powderham on the 10th which stayed for several weeks and I am not sure when it continued south or if it is still there. 

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It's been great for Butterflies as you would expect and I saw a nice Small Copper and Common Blue in two different locations and on two separate occasions, Dawlish Warren and Exminster, two very similar habitats.

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On the 15th I enjoyed seeing an unusual Oystercatcher, a pied bird. On that day I also saw my first Roseate Terns. I     have been trying for most of the month to get a good shot of the resident Slavonian Grebe off Cockwood but to achieve that I need the right combination of tide and time of day and a good sunny day as well.

Green Sandpipers are back and I have seen them on 3 different days but not had a photo opportunity.

Birds in the Garden have included the usual protagonists but I am noting more birds seen in spring but not present in the height of mid-summer. It is nice to get them back. The young Goldfinches have not been seen for a week but a small flock of tits were in the garden yesterday which included, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Coal Tits and Great. Almost a full house!

On the Marsh, I am yet to see Black Tailed Godwits but last year at this time they were very noticeable. I have been seeing Linnets, Stonechats and Reed Buntings and Pied Wagtails.

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Two very noticeable insects in the garden have been Jersey Tiger Moth and a fleeting visit from a Southern Hawker Dragonfly which was also seen and photographed on the Marsh. See the photo above. So to summerise quite a good months wildlife watching. Just to mention our Herring Gulls that have bred on the neighbours roof. They have now fledged as big, quite attractive birds. They come back to roost and spend the day. They are extremely noisy and wake us up at first light most days......... thanks for that!