Swindonbirder: August 2016

Wednesday, 17 August 2016

Back on the Farm

Lotmead Farm: 5:05am - 8:10am

Location

Sunrise: 5:56am
Temperature: 13.2°C

Notes
Main highlight this morning was the arrival of a pair of Kingfishers on the pool. Unfortunately the mist swirling around made for poor photography, but still lovely to watch. A Roe Deer was heard barking and incredibly only one Rabbit was seen, though the Fox walking around the banks of the pool, might have had something to do with the lack of bunnies seen. By the farm buildings a Pipistrelle Bat and a much larger one as well. And finally a big thank you to Josette who kindly gave me some freshly produced milk from this mornings milking.

Birds noted flying over
- A Little Egret flew west over the pool.
- At least 80 Lesser Black-backed Gulls passed overhead heading south in parties ranging from 2 to 8.
- At least 11 Goldfinches i 3 separate parties flying back and forth over the pool.
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 2 Stock Doves
- 1 Linnet
- 1 Grey Heron

Hirundines etc. seen here today
- 10+ Barn Swallow
- 15+ House Martins

Warblers seen / heard around the water
- A few Chiffchaffs about with juveniles calling.
- A single Reed Warbler in the reed beds
- At least 2 Common Whitethroats calling from the edge of the pool.
- A Blackcap behind the Hide and another in the garden behind the cow shed.

The counts from around the pool, duck pond and farm:

1 Little Grebe, 1 Mute Swan, 8 Mallard, 7 Moorhen (2 adults and 1 juvenile, 2 adults and 2 chicks), 2 Coot, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, 6 Robin, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 2 Treecreeper, Wren, 3 Jay, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Bullfinch and 1 Yellowhammer.

Images and videos from today

Sunrise over the farm

A record shot of one the pair of Kingfishers here early this morning

Just the one Little Grebe seen here today.

A fly-by "grab shot" of a Little Egret

The Moorhens didn't seem to be to bothered by this Fox as it made its a way around the pool.

A Kingfisher stops briefly at the Pool

This Fox was on a mission as it walked around the pool

Full list of birds recorded:
1 Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Mute Swan, 8 Mallard, 2 Buzzard, 1 Pheasant, 7 Moorhen, 2 Coot, Herring Gull, 80+ Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 15+ House Martin, 10+ Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, 6 Robin, Blackbird, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 2 Treecreeper, Wren, 3 Jay, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, 1 Linnet, 11 Goldfinch, Bullfinch ad 1 Yellowhammer.

Also: Roe Deer barking, 1 Fox, 1 Rabbit, 1 Brown Rat, 1 Pipistrelle bat and 1 larger bat sp.

Friday, 12 August 2016

Spots and Speckles

I lost Benji's dog lead at Stanton Park yesterday afternoon, so decided to go back this morning, just on the off chance that it might have been found or I might come across it.

The last time I had it was in the orchard, which was where I was watching Spotted Flycatcher family feeding yesterday and as it turned out also today as well. In fact not only did I see this family but 3 others around the pool, with at least 12 birds in total. Its been a good year for them.

Today was also a lot sunnier, but still quite breezy and the majority of butterflies I came across were Speckled Woods, which I unsurprisingly I found along the woodland paths, avoiding the wind. The sun also brought out the dragonflies and damselflies, especially around the reed beds of the main pool, where I also had 2 Migrant Hawkers (Aeshna mixta) which continually flew around my head.

Also in good numbers were Common Darters with at least 1 mating pair, and I also came across my first Small Red-eyed damselfly (Erythromma viridulum) of the year and a fly-by Kingfisher.

Here are a few images from today:

An apple tree makes a good perch for this juvenile Spotted Flycatcher. Though it looks as if Mum hasn't caught anything!

Another juvenile on a post.......

......and this one preferred to be high up on a branch.

A very young Spotted Flycatcher and unrelated to the 3 above. I fact I reckon this one has just left the nest as the yellow fleshy gape flange is quite clear to see.

One of many Common Darters seen around the main pool. This one is a male..........

.....and this is another male mating with a female.

A Common Blue Damselfly

And my first Small Red-eyed Damselfly of the year.

A Honeybee takes off from the flower of a Water Mint

A Meadow Brown

And one of many Speckled Woods seen along the woodland paths.

Bird Recorded: 1 Grey Heron, 3 Mute Swan (2 adult, 1 juv), 53 Mallard, 1 Buzzard, 1 Red Kite, Moorhen, 3 Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 1 Kingfisher, House Martin, Swallow, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 1 Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, 12+ Spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, 2 Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch.

Also: 5 Southern Hawkers, 2 Emperor Dragonfly's, at least 2 Common Hawkers (Aeshna juncea), 8 Common Darter, Common Blue Damselfly, Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas), 5 Speckled Woods, Green-veined White, Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown and 2 Hornets.

And 1 Yellow-bellied Terrapin.

Note: Didn't find Benji's lead!!!

Wednesday, 10 August 2016

An Early Morning Start

Blakehill Farm Nature Reserve
Dawn's back on early's so after breakfast it was off to Blakehill Farm Nature Reserve to watch the sunrise. I arrived at 5:15am and already the birds were singing with a Robin by the car park and a Wren in the hedgerow behind me. I've never walked to the end of the track before and with such a lovely morning it seemed to be the obvious thing to do. At the end of the track it was an about turn and back to the car park for 7:30am.

My route this morning with the location of the Redstarts.

Sunrise at 5:45am

A Roe Deer keeps a wary eye on me........

.........plus a few more further along down the track.

And the end of the road just beyond the treeline, though there may well be a footpath south of this location leading to Stoke Common Lane

A family of Goldfinches

This Buzzard clocked me and...............

...........he was off

This dead tree is perfect perch for Jackdaws, Wood Pigeon and seconds earlier another Buzzard and Magpie.

A Kestrel on one of the many posts in the fields.

There were 2 Common Redstarts here this morning. This male and a female further down the track.

I nearly stepped on this Pheasant, which scared the living daylights out of me as it took off right under my nose!!

One of 2 Hares seen here this morning.

There were 4 Swallows flying very low around a copse. It was like watching cars driving around a roundabout...........

..........so I placed the camera on a post, set the shutter to continuous and fired off a few shots as they flew into shot. They were pretty fast and as you can see below the height of the grasses.

Birds Recorded: 4 Mallard, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 5 Pheasant, 2 Red-Legged Partridge, 2 Black-headed Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 11 Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, 2 Common Redstart (1f, 1m), Blackbird, 1 Common Whitethroat, 3 Blackcap, 12+ Chiffchaff including juveniles, 1 juvenile Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 2 Raven, 2 Starling, Chaffinch, 6 Linnet, 10 Goldfinch including juveniles, Greenfinch and Bullfinch.

Also: 4 Roe Deer, 2 Hare, 10 Rabbits and a Fox.

Twitchers Gate
After Blakehill it was off to Twitchers Gate to see what was on Cleveland Lakes Nature Reserve. Unsurprisingly it was quiet, but things did pick around 8:00am when 60 ducks flew in, unfortunately they didn't land on the main lake, but judging by the shape and size, many of them looked to be Tufted Duck with a few Shoveler mixed in.

On Pit 74 in front of me were at least 12 Great Crested Grebe and 15 Cormorants. Over the scrape and on Pits 68a/68b were up to 10 Common Tern, whilst on the scrape itself were a pair of Lapwings and a Green Sandpiper.

A few of the wildfowl that flew in.......

.......including these 2 Shoveler

Birds Recorded: 12+ Great Crested Grebe, 15+ Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Buzzard, Coot, 2 Lapwing, 1 Green Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 10 Common Tern, Wood Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, 1 Cetti's Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff singing, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Jay, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch.

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

Fewer Moths

After a windy start to last night, it did eventually ease off with the overnight temperature dropping to 12°C. In the moth trap this morning there were 32 moths of 19 species:

Poplar Hawk-moth, Laothoe populi (1)

Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria (3)

Marbled Beauty, Bryophila domestica (4)

Large Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba (1)

Riband Wave, Idaea aversata ab remutata - Light form (1)

Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella (1)
Garden Pebble, Evergestis forficalis (1)
Dark Arches, Apamea monoglypha (1)
Straw Underwing, Thalpophila matura (8)
Square-spot Rustic, Xestia xanthographa (3)
Privet Tortrix, Clepsis consimilana (1)
Light Brown Apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (1)
Yellow-barred Brindle, Acasis viretata (2)
Dingy Dowd, Blastobasis adustella (1)

Plus

Common/Lesser Rustic (2)
Moth sp. (1)

Plus

Caddis Fly, Limnephilus lunatus