Below - one of at least two firecrests at Slapton Ley today (one seen - kinda)
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| STAND STILL! |
On Tuesday I was out at Prawle looking at beach communities. It was rainy!
The beach was a gently sloping rocky shore, and - since I had forgotten to bring my bins - I got to grips with some serious invert I.D.
The warmer site, low wave impact and location beside the channel resulted in a really diverse community. Highlights for me included the gorgeous little by-the-wind-sailors (below) which had washed up along the strandline, and a pool full of invasive snakelocks anemone.
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| Cthalamus montaguii |
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| Obelia genticulata, a hydrozoan colony |
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| Snakelocks anemone, Anemonia viridis, and Cladophora rupestris |
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| Amazingly coloured periwinkles, Littorina |
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| By-the-wind-sailor, Vellela vellela |
This week I have been doing the starling counts for Dennis; a local birder who is now sunning himself in the USA. So on Wednesday and Thursday I was up at 6:30 to get down to the reserve. Early mornings at Slapton are amazing, and this week I have been rewarded with two firecrests, 3 peregrines, a super late swallow, a bittern and over 45000 starlings.
TBH, I've been cheating with the firecrests, after Nick told me that there'd been an individual heard, I stuck on the tape and lured them to the camera; but I couldn't get a clear shot even then.
More importantly, I've managed to hit all my target species for the 3 weeks, and I still have a week in hand - time to get in some south coast seawatching!
TBH, I've been cheating with the firecrests, after Nick told me that there'd been an individual heard, I stuck on the tape and lured them to the camera; but I couldn't get a clear shot even then.
More importantly, I've managed to hit all my target species for the 3 weeks, and I still have a week in hand - time to get in some south coast seawatching!
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| Wooo! Firecrest! |
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