MY FEEDERS!

I'm GUTTED! A bit of wind and its decided that the tree outside my flat (with all my feeders in) is to be condemned.

I have, this afternoon, watched it fall to the chainsaw. And, if I hadn't been in, the feeders would have probably gone too.

I'm bereft, it was the perfect distance from the house to allow breakfast birding, and with so many of its fellows going the same way in recent months, I have precious few left to turn to. I'm going to spend tomorrow trying to clamber through the swampy undergrowth that is my front garden, attempting to choose some equally satisfactory spots (visible, yet with cover from sprawks etc.).

So, to cheer myself up, I'm going to give you a completely unrelated picture of a Reed Bunt. Enjoy!

Picture Unrelated....

Out of My Area: "Working" Part 4 - Oldfleet Drain and Killingholme

HAPPY NEW YEAR! *cough* Right that's out of my system.

Seriously though, I hope everyone had a brilliant festive season. I spent mine in windswept Scotland, sans power and heating.... bbrrrrrr! But now its back to work. Here are my pictures from my latest spots on the Humber. Both were wonderfully quiet, if a tad industrial, and I'm sure the blackwits were following me round.

Saturday I was at Oldfleet Drain, a site near Immingham, popular with cod fishermen at the top of tide and used as a thoroughfare by everyone one else. During the day there was a large flock of blackwits, some knot, an endless parade of redshank, a couple of curlew, a few family groups of turnstone, lapwing, a friendly pied wag, kestrel and a hunting peregrine.

Everything looks better in silhouette...

"Argh! this isn't mud, its concrete!"

The Muddy March of the 'Wits

Lift Off!

 Sunday I spent at Killingholme. The first person I spoke to was there to manage the water levels on the SSSI, a really interesting guy (thanks for the chat Mr Smith!), who informed me of the local water vole population and the frequent sightings of short-eared owl. I only saw about 7 people all day, but the birds paraded up and down the mud and, as I looked up from my book after my lunch, something pale was quartering the nearby fields....

Worth an Early Start

Muddy Bills

So that's why I saw no voles...

Hooo? Me?

Roll up! Roll up! For the great birdrace!

My lovely friend Kathy recently posted a challenge on her blog. A team based birdrace, over one 6 hour day between the 1st and the 7th of February, details can be found here. Seeing as I'm working down on the Humber, I'll totally be going in for it. I hope you do too.

Good luck. See you on the battlefield!

Attenborough Heaven

Who else has caught BBC One's new ad with David Attenborough reciting the Classic "What a Wonderful World"? No? Look for yourself and hear Sir Dave voicing my own and many other people's opinion of the world outside their door.

Natalie x

Out of My Area: "Working" Part 3 - Horseshoe Point and Cleethorpes Discovery Park

Well I've been playing on the Humber again folks, this weekend it was Horseshoe Point and Cleethorpes Discovery Park.
Leaving the house at 5 30 I arrived in North Coates at around 7 15, spotting two barney's ranging by the roadside on the way (unfortunately the car behind was so far up my boot I couldn't stop to take pictures). Saturday's survey period started with a lost seal pup, washed off the beach at Donna Nook, causing me to spend the early part of my day redirecting dog walkers. Wet and bedraggled, it decided to try to nip at my ankles and forge on toward the steep sided, newly cut ditch rather than back onto the salt marsh.
The weather was classic maritime Humber, chilled but sunny, and I had wonderful chats with local kite surfers, dog walkers, bait diggers and birders (a big thanks to the guys from Retford who returned at lunch time with a surprise gift of PIE AND CHIPS! I seem to meet the best people!). The Little Egrets were super showy, keeping to the dykes and pools close to the car park, and there were large numbers of Golden Plover, Lapwing and Linnet. Then, just before lunch, a female Hen Harrier put everything up before heading off north along the embankment. All day Redshank alarm-called from the dykes as the walkers strolled obliviously past, and as the evening closed in a Kestrel hovered overhead in the last of the daylight and the Lapwings "whiiired" in the nearby fields.
My last interview of the day was of a local who informed me of the recent trapping and relocation of the water-vole population whilst the dykes are being re-dug. I'll have to go back with my camera and a large stock of coffee and patience when they are returned to their haunts.

Grey Seal s have no fear of blondes or clip boards, do not attempt to use them to shoo pups away from hazards

The light is so wonderful in here in the mornings

A great end to a great day.

Sunday was spent by the boating lake at Cleethorpes Discovery Park, a site that would never be my first choice for a day out. However, the locals were great once again. Keen to hear what I was up to (and why I was stood for 9 and a half hours in the drizzle). The boating lake provided a large flock of Greylag Geese, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Muscovy Duck, and what I believe to be three Gadwall/Mallard hybrids (although I'll happily be corrected on that, they were around 40 cm in length). As the families fed the ducks and their attendant pigeons and gulls a Sparrowhawk flashed overhead (unnoticed by everyone except me and the least distracted birds), and settled in one of the pines by the water.In the afternoon I had great views of battling Moorhen and as the light waned a flock of Barnacle Geese dropped in, accompanied by a particularly lovely Ross/Barnacle hybrid. No free food, but a lovely slice of Victoria sponge at the cafe saw me through the worst of the rain.

And don't they just know it...

A Coot in need of a good scratch

and Moorhens having a good scrap

MallardxGadwall? They're teeny!

Tufty 1 and 2

Pochard 1

Pochard 2

Ross cross

Ross Cross 2

Out of My Area: "Working" Part 2 - Rimac and Donna Nook

I came, I saw, I stood around and asked people questions from dawn 'til dusk (and a little either side). Only getting half hour breaks means I cant never be more than 15 mins walk from the car, but sometimes that's all you need!

Saturday was spent at Rimac. A lovely area of Saltmarsh and dunes south of Saltfleetby. As soon as I arrived I could here the calling of fieldfare overhead and as I set up for my first 2 hours work the dawn chorus was finishing with a flourish of robin song. It was a fairly foggy morning and the air was crisp (so I was freezing), but as the sun burnt of the remaining mist and the dog walkers began to appear I was suddenly surrounded by buntings.

Just after mid-day the habitat managers, in the for of 12 cows, were delivered to the site. No sooner were they out of their trailer than they came over to meet their new friend with the clipboard, so keen were they that I considered hopping over the fence out of the way. But they soon lost interest in me and wandered away.

The rest of the day proved to be enjoyable bird-wise, little egrets on the saltmarsh at lunchtime were joined by lapwing, curlew, whimbrel and redshank. A hobby shot over at around 3pm and I had numerous sightings of peregrine, one flashing through the car park as I went for more sheets. Skeins of geese were also seen high overhead - I presume these were Brent Geese, however the retired warden, on site for the month's WeBS counts informed me that this year had also bought barnacles and white fronted.

I spent Sunday with the seals, Grey Seals to be exact. And fell in love with Lincs. Wildlife Trust, who took me under their collective wing and ensured I was never short of hot coffee, food, and let me (and my parents when they stopped in) use the warden's parking, and the super secret facilities. When I arrived the "dawn patrol" had been there since 6, herding the over enthusiastic photographers away from the saltmarsh and back onto the marked path. Not only was this tramping amongst the seals horrendously thoughtless, it was also downright dangerous as the fog was so thick you could barely see the end of your own nose.
The first break I could get I headed down the path to see the seals, then, fed up with the crowds, I turned back to get a hot coffee and chat to my lovely new warden friends.

Never short of Brent geese during the stay a few dark individuals could be seen mixed in with the rest of the flock.

There are always a few that think they have the right to go where ever they like (annoyingly they often get a better experience than more careful individuals)

Big boat, big birds

Geese and Greys, a GREYt weekend.....

All in all this weekend I met great people, ate greasy hot food in the cold (bliss), drank big cups of cocoa and got paid to chat wildlife to interesting people (I even met some friends from my time at Spurn). I cant wait to see where I end up and what I see in the first weekend in December!

naturebites

Just a quick note to you all, fellow Midlands escapee Kathy James has just started up a rather wonderful blog called naturebites: that covers her adventures in and around Anglesey. Well worth a look (just don't forget me in the process!).

Nat

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