Stanwell Moor - 23 May 2013

We have been avoiding disturbance around the pool in the meadow as Lapwings were on territory and from monitoring at a distance there were already had well grown chicks. We met PCD and Sophie Bell to spend some time looking for pulli. Chris took up position slightly above the pool and guided us in towards the location of chicks.

The larger chicks were already gone but this was no surprise since they were not far off adult size when last seen a week ago. Our first find was a bit of a surprise as no Redshank chicks had been seen up until tonight.

 

Redshank pullus

On searching further another single Lapwing chick was ringed and another group of three apparent siblings were also found.

 

Lapwing pullus

We also found a nest with four warm eggs and these were left, having made a mental note of the location, for a later visit. We left the site to the birds with a good 40 minutes before dark allowing plenty of time for the parents and chicks to settle back into their usual night time behaviour.

In total so far Lapwings have had at least four broods of fledged young. On a previous visit, one juvenile, at almost full size was seen, with another around 50% grown. None of these were seen this time but they may have been away from the pool. Two pairs of  fairly recent chicks were seen this time, making at least four sets of hatched chicks, together with one still active nest. We found one chick dead with head injuries, and one of those we rung, though healthy, had signs of head injury, which we suspect would have been caused by crow attacks on the birds. One reason for the absence of the older two chicks may be due to the fact that on one visit a Fox was seen right in the middle of the breeding area, and the den was found on our way back out in one of the earthen mounds.

Totals: - 5

Lapwing - 4

Redshank - 1

Cryptic Wood White - Northern Ireland - 22 May 2013

I decided about six weeks ago as flights from Luton to Belfast on Easy Jet where only about £50 return I would book a day trip to Northern Ireland for Cryptic Wood White. A bit of a gamble, but a bit of research on emergence times suggested that they often peaked around mid May, but in some years came out later, and the peak could be in early June. Not expecting another poor spring for sun, I went for a mid/late May date and booked the flight. As the day drew nearer with only two decent days of sun in May so far, on the 7th and 16th, a dull day loomed ahead. Research on Butterfly Conservation's Northern Ireland branch website identified three sites around Craigavon, with Craigavon Lakes appearing to be the main strong hold with counts into the 100s in previous years. I made contact with Ian Rippley to get more precise details to avoid plodding around in the wrong area. Ian was very helpful and had even offered to met me at the site but due to personal reasons was unable to do so on the day, but the offer was welcome. Wednesday morning at Luton was cold and overcast and I set off, in anticipation of having to make a repeat visit. Landing at Belfast the weather did not seem any better, and together with a brisk NW wind, suggested I would be very lucky to have any success. The hire car was from the Eire, the only downside was that the speedometer was in km - fortunately no speed cameras anywhere.

The roads were, compared to the SE, very easy going. They were not empty, but the traffic was moderate and flowed easily, a strange feeling, until on the main A26 we met.....

Which we followed for about 1/4 mile or so. It made a real change to drive somewhere with less traffic. Bliss, not even ruinned by following the herd of cows!

At Craigavon Lakes, which turned out to be only about 30 miles from the airport, making it a real easy hop over to do, the weather was still dull and overcast. With Ian's directions it was really easy to find the rough grass area along the railway line and I walked the entire length of the north side without luck and crossing under the railway made my way back along the south side.

As I suspected the board might contain the only Cryptic (still shown as Real's) Wood White, a photo seemed worth while. As I more or less got to the end of the south embankment, the cloud started to have the odd break, allowing some sun to shine, albeit over the next hour or so, only on and off for five or ten minutes at a time, but the sun was strong enough to produce a single Cryptic Wood White!

Over the next couple of hours I manged to see three, possibly four on the south side and returning to the north another three, which considering the weather was a real result. The only other butterflies seen was a a single Large White and a mating pair of Green-veined Whites.

Green-veined White

Cryptic Wood White

One other thing that struck me about Craigavon Lakes was the amount of birdlife - there were Reed Buntings singing everywhere. I cannot remember anywhere in the UK in recent years where I have heard them in such densities as here. Also there were a good number of Sedge and Willow Warblers singing. The birds seemed to be more tolerant of my presence and would pop up right next to me. I could not help wondering, as I saw so few people in the rough grassland area whether the lack of disturbance was a factor, unlike in the UK where there are people everywhere. Is this effecting our bird populations?

After Craigavon Lakes I headed over to the nearby Oxford Island NNR. Cryptic Wood White here is seen in lesser numbers and more on the small areas of marginal grassland. The weather now had become a bit more overcast and none were seen here though in one area of boggy field when the sun did make an appearance suddenly over 60 green-veined Whites appeared. The only other butterfly seen was an Orange Tip. Birding wise it was fairly quiet in an extremely brisk NW wind.

 Green-veined White

Orange Tip

 Juvenile Hooded Crow.

I had forgotten that Hoodies replace Carrions in Ireland.

 

One of the reserves bird hides

After Oxford Island I headed over to Motiaghs Moss NNR, an area of lowland bog. By this time there was more or less complete cloud cover, with the odd spit of rain. Here again Cryptic Wood White is only seen on the road edges or in the odd field.  I only managed one Orange Tip here, plus a probable Four-spotted Chaser and a Damselfly, which is either a Azure or Irish Damselfly, but as it is a newly emerged female it is proving tricky to get someone to confirm what it is. but I rather suspect it is Azure Damselfly.

Azure Damselfly.

Belfast was left via the last flight back to Luton.

The other thing that struck me about the day - was I did not see anyone Birdwatching all day - another novelty compared to England, what a change, moderate traffic and not a person around every corner, lots of birds singing to boot!

Stanwell Moor - 17 May 2013

There was no forecast for rain but thick cloud made for an overcast, dull and chilly morning with the ever present wind. The water level in the lake had dropped an inch or so surprisingly, after the rain over the previous few days - but waders were still necessary.

We set a run of three in the reedbed, two on the bramble lined spit, two in a newly cleared ride, with a net between the lake and the access road and one final single in one of the old filter beds.

 

Filterbed 60'

 

New double - 50'40' or 60'30'. 

It was good to get a few Reed Warblers,including some from previous years and there were also retrapped Robins and Lottis but there was nothing exceptional.  Towards the end of the session Swifts were feeding low over the lake but of course they merely appeared to use our net to skim to the left, right and above it showing off their considerable aerial prowess.

 Hobby and Cuckoo were present during the morning, with an Oystercatcher flying over.

Totals:  7 (9)

Dunnock - 2 (0)
Robin -  0 (2)
Reed Warbler - 4 (4)
Blackcap - 1 (0)
Long-tailed Tit - 0 (3)

Ivinghoe Beacon & Pitstone - 16 May 2013

A day with potential for butterflies, so I headed off to Ivinghoe Beacon. You could tell the spring has been bad, as the number of people utilising the semi decent weather meant there were more people than expected wandering around the Beacon looking for Dukes. At least 4 Duke of Burgundy were seen, one which was all but expired, together with a couple of Grizzled and three Dingy Skippers, three Green Hairstreaks, together with Orange Tip, Brimstone and Large White.

 Grizzled Skipper

Green Hairstreak

Duke of Burgundy

Dingy Skipper

After a brief visit to the local garden centre cafe, a turn around the old quarry at Pitstone in the hope of an early Small Blue, was almost rewarded, but it was seen by someone else after I left, but there were at least seven Dingy and five Grizzled Skippers, four Green Hairstreaks, together with Brimstone and Red Admiral.

Dingy Skipper

Grizzled Skipper

Church Norton, Pagham Harbour & Stansted Forest - 13 May 2013

It is years since we last visited this area but we managed to found our way and even found that there was more parking than when we used to go. There was no rain forecast but the wind was stronger than the previous day and dark clouds were never far away.

 Church Norton - site of a Norman fort

 Rising tide next to Church Norton

Sea Kale

 Threatening skies

 Herring Gulls

Coastal reedbed
 

 Looking to the right - sunlight sparkling on the sea

Looking to the left - dark clouds and sea

 

Sandwich Terns (distant)

There wasn't too much about, apart from some Terns (Sandwich, Common and Little) and large numbers of Dunlin shuttling back and forth along the beach as the tide came up. 

We moved on to Siddlesham Ferry end of Pagham Harbour, now an RSPB reserve?

 This female Orange Tip was photographed along the coastal path.

Shelducks, Curlew and a single Whimbrel were seen.

We seem to recall there being less vegetation and more birdlife in years passed. So we dropped in at Fishbourne then on to Stansted Forest. We went for Pearl-boardered Fritillary and were treated to an unexpected Bluebell spectacular, even 'though we found no butterflies.

Noar Hill & Farlington Marshes - 12 May 2013

The wind was too strong, from the wrong direction and it was rather cold - but I had booked an overnight stay in Arundel so we decided to go anyway.

We started at Noar Hill hoping for Dusky Skippers and Green Hairstreak, as well as a chance of Duke of Burgundy butterflies. The wind was tearing up the hill and try as we might we could find no Hairstreaks or Skippers in the few sheltered areas. As the morning drew on, we listened to a Tree Pipit singing from the top of one of the scattered bushes and watched it perform the descending flight display.

 

Tree Pipit

We did manage to find some Duke of Burgundys and they were quite obliging - partly due to the low temperatures, even when the sun shone.

 Duke of Burgundy

The Cowslips were in bloom all over the hills.

Cowslips

We then moved on to Farlington Marshes and set off to do a circuit of the reserve. The wind was freshening and we had little hope of finding much in the way of migrants as the clouds bunched overhead. There were seventeen Black-tailed Godwits on the pools and sixteen Whimbrels high tide roosting on a single bar in the harbour. Cetti's and Whitethroat were heard, but they stayed well down in the vegetation. The Swifts were whizzing back and forth over the pathway and came quite close giving fantastic views.

 Farlington Marshes reserve

 Gorse

High tide at Langstone Harbour

The rain started before we got all the way round. In addtion we had a Cuckoo, some Little Egrets and a Raven, which bathed in the pools, as we returned to the car. As the rain was now quite heavy we decided to leave it at that and headed off for our hotel in Arundel, which despite being slightly tired, at £34.50 with breakfast through Hotel Bookings was without doubt still a very good deal.

Holland Park, London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - 11 May 2013

Yet another windy Saturday! Too windy for most of our local sites, with the risk of sharp showers thrown into the mix, but we were to join WH to do a demonstration at Holland Park. The wildlife area is fairly sheltered with well marked walkways, matured trees and a small pond teeming with tadpoles for good measure.

 

Wildlife area pond

We started well with 4 Blackbirds retrieved from a single net on the first net round. The birds trickled through, albeit limited to just a few species and the visitors were thrilled so see them close up. The wildlife seemed particularly tame and we had visits from Woodpigeons, Robins and a Squirrel that appearEd curious as to exactly what was happening on their patch.

 Woodpigeon

 Drake Mallard

 Grey Squirrel

We managed to avoid catching any peacocks or joggers - or to photograph any birds in the hand as we were very much engaged with the public. There were lots of questions to answer and there was a lot of interest in the way nets are constructed and erected. There were a few showers but they made little difference under the thick canopy.

The refuge area is just a short walk away from beautiful gardens.

 Kyoto Garden

 Fukishima Garden

 

Bonsai conifers

 Tulip beds

 This stunning mural can be found under the covered walkway close to the cafe and environmental centre.

Totals - 7 (4)

Blackbird - 2 (2)

Wren - 1 (1)

Blackcap - 4 (0)

Great Tit - 0 (1)

Visitors - 34