Aromia moschata (Linnaeus)

In addition to my last post. An alert just popped up on my Academia.edu page informing me that my name had been mentioned in an article, and I am delighted to be told that I had a brush with a first for Spurn. Not a bird, but a beetle.

I was the chosen stopping point for Aromia moschata (Linnaeus), a musk beetle, which decided to land on my arm as I counted in visitors. The individual was over 3 centimeters long and perhaps one of the beautiful beetles I have ever seen, but a real shock in a hideously hung over state.

You can find the original text here. Thank you very much to the author M.L.Denton for including me in the mentions, despite my very minimal involvement in the finding and identification, I am quite chuffed.

Aromia moschata

Anticipation

Well tomorrow I head back to England again, pick up the car and prepare for another week of "work" on the Humber. This is the one I've been looking forward to, my weekend at Partington and Spurn Point. Followed by a pesky few days in Lincs. then back north of the Humber to Spurn, meet a few friends and compete in the Naturebites birdrace.

I anticipate fun, friends, birds and beers. Knowing my luck, I anticipate rain!

The ringing shed (centre) and old accommodation, Spurn Point

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