Pembroke Day 2 - 12/06/12

After an early rise (6.15 am!) and a quick breakfast we were soon on the road again heading for Marloes. When we arrived there were already a fairly large number of people present so we headed straight for the Lockley Lodge to make sure we got on board! Realizing our landing fee would be covered by joining up to the Wildlife Trust, we took out a joint membership. As we waited for the boat I took some shots of the Swallows nesting at the toilets -

The trip over was shrouded in mist but we could see the odd Puffin in the mist, and when we arrived on Skomer we were greeted by the bizarre guano smell wafting from the cliff sides. After a quick briefing by the Warden we made our way toward the farm at the centre of the Island and were lucky enough to see a Short Eared Owl flying nearby.

We took a course around the Island and saw some stunning sights once the mist started to clear up! We were shocked how unafraid the Puffins were of us, some content to walk right by us! 

Taking a shot of an in-flight Puffin proved to be a terribly hard task but I’ve managed some decent ones on the way back to the landing zone -

These Razorbill and Guillemot were also pretty unafraid of us on the steps on the way back down!

From the boat we also had three fly-by Gannets - 

And so we returned home, sun burnt and shattered, but more than happy to have made the trip, having enjoyed every minute of it.

Pembroke Day 1 - 11/06/12

Afraid as to what would become of our long planned trip down to the Pembrokeshire Coast and Skomer Island after seeing our fortunes change in regards to weather forecasts, we donned waterproof gear and set out for Stack Pole Estate. After arriving we made straight off for the cliffs, vaguely aware of the military firing in the distance.

The first check point was unmanned so we went on, taking in the stunning coastline. House Martins were everywhere, taking mud in the car park when we parked up and nesting in the cliffs by the sea. A brief shower saw us fear the worst, but it soon passed and we had a great cliff-top walk, heralded by a particularly noisy Thrush. 

I stood slack-jawed watching some Fulmar gliding by stiff-winged and managed a decent flight shot -

Razorbills lodged in the rocky outcrops, Shags stood like sentinels on stacks and a Jackdaw that had found a watery grave soon became food for a marauding gull.

We then ate our sandwiches watching the likes of Chough, Rock Pippit, and Gannet. 

As we approached Stack Rocks we realised the MOD had actually closed off the area so we sadly left that plan for another time, and headed back for Bosherston across the beach. On route we noticed a good amount of butterflies, Speckled Wood, Common Blue, and Holly Blue respectively -

We then took a lovely walk around the scenic Bosherston Lily Ponds -

We heard a Willow Warbler and saw some Cygnets, a few fledgling Chiff Chaff, and this perky young Robin-

After making our way around we relaxed at the beach before making our way back to the car and then off to the B+B, Ty Rhosyn in Camrose, where we had some stunning home-cooked food, desert and a couple of beers before getting an early night ready for Skomer Island. As we watched Springwatch I became confused about where a series of chirps were coming from and I looked outside to see some fledgling Wrens just outside the door!

Tit For Tat - 04/06/2012

After working at Hay On Wye Festival this weekend I drove down to Exeter to Jess’s parents to see her. On Bank Holiday Monday we took a trip up onto Aylesbeare Common to try and find Dartfords, but were unsuccessful on that front. We did manage to see a pair of Stonechat, a Yellowhammer calling form the top of a tree, a male Linnet in fine breeding plumage, and also a Wall Brown that landed briefly on the path ahead.

We then went down to Exminster Marsh to try and see the Glossy and Spoonbill that had been reported on the Devon Bird news forum, and found that they were no longer around so we went down for food at Turf Lock, and noticed some Swallows nesting in the tires on the lock. From the lagoons we could see a male Godwit in summer plumage, and we also aided a large Drinker Moth caterpillar across the path on the way back by the canal -

Jess had discovered that the bird box I had bought her parents Christmas time had Blue Tit’s nesting in it on the Sunday, and after keeping an eye out the kitchen window we realised there were some fledgling Blue Tits in the garden being fed by some adults on the feeders! We couldn’t figure out if they were fledglings from the box or if from nearby, as the adults still seemed to be going into the box with food.

Ham & Cheese -

I've been long overdue my first visit to Ham Wall for sometime now. Having missed my chances to go for the autumn murmuration I told Jess we had to make a spring trip, and I'm glad we did! It was a scorching hot day and on arrival we were treated to views of a Great White Egret off the first observation point.


It was actual a bit of ornithological history in the making as it was one bird out of the UK's first breeding pair, which are nesting over at the neighboring reserve Shapwick Heath. We sat watching it eating our sandwiches and I shouted out as a Bittern flew past over the far side, Jess's first Bittern, albeit a distant one.





We explored some of the short trail hides and I'm sure I saw a distant Marsh Harrier. The reserve was stunning in the sunshine and we could see Glastonbury Tor from afar. Even the squirrels were out sunbathing on branches!

Cuckoo's were out in force with a few calling from distant parts of the reserve. Warblers, and especially Black Caps were plentiful and so were the Four Spotted Chasers! Plenty of fodder for the Hobbies.

I managed to see the Cuckoo perching on a dead tree on the red loop walk and a quick view of a Cetti's as we came back towards The Railway Inn for a cool pint of cola each. I was lucky enough to see a Weasel with what I think was a Great Tit in his mouth as I brought the car around to the car park.

After refreshments we walked down to explore some of Shapwick Heath, and saw what we think was the other Great White of the pair, along with more distant flying Bittern and our first Hobbies! By the time we had got around to the first hide we were altogether a bit too frazzled to be out in the sun much longer, and we headed around to see the Avalon Marshes Centre.

On the way home we drove through Cheddar, and visited the DWN peregrine site, and saw two juveniles testing out their wings on the steep cliff sides.













A stop at Cheddar reservoir cooled us down in the breeze, and there were plenty of Mallards and Swans, and this perky young Wagger, unfazed by the lapping waves -

The Circus Comes To Town - 25/05/2012

I had a day off today so I took myself off to the usual patch and just as I pulled into the lay-by at Sluice Farm, James text to say there was a Black Winged Stilt at Goldcliff! So I carried on driving on the coastal road and arrived there twenty minutes later to find it viewable from the first hide. It was over the other side of the lagoon but luckily Mat from the Wetlands was there with a scope. However I managed lots of distant shots (let down drastically by heat haze and well, the sheer distance!)


It was really interesting watching the Avocet driving away everything that came near, even a Heron three times their size, and any marauding gulls -

Fearing road closures because of the Olympic Torch relays I headed off but couldn't resist a quick exploration down Saltmarsh Lane on the off chance of some Marsh Harrier..

It was a stunning walk with the temperature easily in the high twenties, and there were plenty of smaller bodied birds in the lane, with plenty of Chiff Chaff, Linnet, Blue Tit, and Chaffinch. There were plenty of warblers to be heard too, and I had one short glimpse of a Reed Warbler.

And then I heard the Cuckoo.

I must have chased him up and down the lane for about 45 minutes before I could spot him perched up. After last weekend's brief sighting I was determined to get a positive ID, and I saw him fly over at one point, but it took a while to relocate him before I realised there were actually two calling nearby. This is the best shot I managed, the crafty thing was always one step ahead of me, and I think he managed to drive me a bit cuckoo myself to get this one!

 Just as I was heading off a saw a small family of Swans with some fluffy cygnets in the reen right by the small Saltmarsh Lane car park-

Newport Wetlands - 20/05/2012

The sun was shining this afternoon so we decided to try going to Newport Wetlands by driving along the coastal road. There were quite a lot of visitors around, but within minutes we heard and then saw a Sedge Warbler just up past the first screens inside one of the closed off areas. A female Pochard was keeping a close eye on her brood at the edge of the reed bed, and we were sure we saw a Cuckoo making a dash over the reeds after hearing one nearby.

The Owl and the Warbler - 19/05/2012

With the weather not so great today we decided to knock the idea of going down to Somerset on the head. Lamby Lake seemed to be heaving for some reason so we drove up the road on the off chance that the Little Owl was there and low and behold -

We then decided to have a wander around before heading back so we went up on to the wharf, and I'm very glad we did because I got this little beauty skulking in the scrub -

Of note were Whitethroats, Linnets, Lapwing, Shelduck, 4 Little Egret, and 2 close fly-by Swans from the wharf, and then Kes landed nearby at Sluice Farm -