#sp: m. fuscus

[corin-tuckers-left-one]

Broad-toothed Rat, Mastacomys fuscus

reblog and put in the tags which animal gives you the most serotonin when you look at it

[petec9099]

Lagoons

Shingle Banks

A trip to the Kent coast with Bexley RSPB Group on a misty and cold morning. As we approached the reserve, a party of around 12 Swans were visible in a field. From the coach and in the early morning light identification was impossible, but I was later told by one of the volunteer wardens that they were a flock of Bewick Swans, which winter in this area. Arriving at the reserve the first stop was to try and find the roosting Long-Eared Owl which frequents the scrub at the back of the dipping pool. A long scan by many people drew a blank and as others headed off for the hides, I retreated to the visitor’s centre for a hot drink. Suitably refreshed I made my way back for another look for the owl. I was fortunate in that a group of birders from our group haa already located it and soon people were gathering to see the bird which was in vegetation but once found could clearly be seen. A Common Kingfisher paid a visit to the scrub whilst we were watching the Owl giving excellent views.

Spot the Owl

With the days primary objective completed a circuit of the hides reveals the usual wintering waterfowl, although sadly there are no Smew, Goldeneye or Goosander to be seen. With the milder winters, these once regular winter visitors may become more of a rarity in future. Highlights include a number of good views of Common Kingfisher along with more common ducks and Geese including a single Brent Goose.

Common Kingfisher

Northern Shoveller

Marsh Harrier

                 Common Kingfisher, Northern Shoveller and a Western Marsh Harrier

  Great Cormorants

Great Cormorants

Greylag and Canada Geese

Greylag and Canada Geese

                                   Great Cormorants and Flight of Geese (Canada and Greylag Geese)

At the end of the afternoon, a small group of us walk out to the ARC hide at the farthest extent of the accessible part of the reserve. We were well rewarded for this trek as on the way we found some Tree Sparrows on a feeder and on the ARC pit we got good views of a Great White Egret and on the return walk to the visitor centre saw a Western Cattle Egret fly into one of the small pools by the reserve entrance.

Great White Egret

  An excellent day.

Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser) Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis) Brant Goose [sp] (Branta bernicla) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Gadwall (Anas strepera) Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos) Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca) Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis) Great Crested Grebe [sp] (Podiceps cristatus) Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea) Great Egret [sp] (Ardea alba) Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta) Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo) Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus) Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo) Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus) Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus) Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra) Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) Common Gull (Larus canus canus) Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus) Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus) Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus) Long-eared Owl [sp] (Asio otus) Common Kingfisher [sp] (Alcedo atthis) Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica) Western Jackdaw [sp] (Coloeus monedula) Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone) Great Tit [sp] (Parus major) Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus) Cetti’s Warbler [sp] (Cettia cetti) Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus) Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris) Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula) Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula) European Stonechat [sp] (Saxicola rubicola) Eurasian Tree Sparrow [sp] (Passer montanus) Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs) European Greenfinch [sp] (Carduelis chloris) European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis) Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Naturelog: 17th December A trip to the Kent coast with Bexley RSPB Group on a misty and cold morning. As we approached the reserve, a party of around 12 Swans were visible in a field.

[petec9099]

  A bright winters day and a trip to Walthamstow Wetlands in east London, in search of a Little Bunting which has been present for a number of weeks. This rare visitor to the UK breeds in Northern Norway and Russia and winters in Nepal and China, so this bird is way off course. By nature, it is a skulking bird so on arriving at the area where it had been seen it was just a case of scanning all the small birds coming to the feeding tray. It took about 90 minutes but eventually, I saw a small bird moving behind the tray and then there it was, clearly visible. It moved quickly to the right and then disappeared into the vegetation. Some others present continued to see it for a minute or so in the vegetation but then it was gone. I later heard that it came back about 2 hours later.

Little Bunting. Photo by Vince Garvey (https://www.flickr.com/photos/baggieman/)

After this, I took a walk around the reservoirs where the usual array of waterfowl were present. The highlight was a drake Greater Scaup, which is not common inland so was a good record.

Greater Scaup (m). Photo by Andrew Reding (https://www.flickr.com/photos/seaotter/)

Great Crested Grebe

Grey Heron

Common Linnet (top), Great Cormorant (bottom left), Canada Goose (bottom right)

Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis) Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Gadwall [sp] (Mareca strepera) Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos) Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) Greater Scaup [sp] (Aythya marila) Common Goldeneye [sp] (Bucephala clangula) Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis) Great Crested Grebe [sp] (Podiceps cristatus) Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea) Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo) Eurasian Sparrowhawk [sp] (Accipiter nisus) Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus) Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra) Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus) Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus) Feral Dove [sp] (Columba livia) Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus) Great Spotted Woodpecker [sp] (Dendrocopos major) Rose-ringed Parakeet [sp] (Psittacula krameri) Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica) Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone) Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus) Great Tit [sp] (Parus major) Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus) Eurasian Wren [sp] (Troglodytes troglodytes) Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris) Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula) European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula) Dunnock [sp] (Prunella modularis) Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba) Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs) Common Linnet [sp] (Linaria cannabina) Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla) Common Reed Bunting [sp] (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Naturelog: 22nd February A bright winters day and a trip to Walthamstow Wetlands in east London, in search of a Little Bunting which has been present for a number of weeks.

[petec9099]

Started the morning at Hamm beach on Portland Harbour, where the conditions were arctic with a strong wind blowing in from the bay. A single Red-breasted Merganser was present along with 14 Ruddy Turnstone and a Meadow Pipit, but no sign of the divers or Grebes that had been frequenting the harbour.

Ruddy Turnstone

A Common Kestrel was actively hunting along the vegetation at the edge of the water and allowed me to come quite close

Walking along the Fleet, an inlet from the harbour, a Male Eurasian Stonechat was active in the vegetation.

The Fleet at Ferrybridge

Eurasian Stonechat (m)

A small flock of Brent Geese were by the visitor centre and 40 Mediterranean Gulls were on the high tide gull roost along with Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull. Had a distant view of a Black-necked Gull along with a Little Grebe, which gave a good comparator. Also present were 14 Red-breasted Merganser.

                   Meditteranean Gulls with Black-headed Gulls (top), Brent Geese (middle)                         and Red-breasted Merganser (bottom)

In the afternoon I visited RSPB Radipole Lake where along with a good variety of water-birds the highlights were a Water Rail, a Bearded Reedling and 2 Western Marsh Harriers.

Shelduck (top), Great Cormorant (bottom left), Herring and Black-headed Gulls (bottom centre) and Northern Shoveler (bottom right)

Brent Goose [sp] (Branta bernicla) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Gadwall (Anas strepera) Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos) Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca) Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) Little Grebe [sp] (Tachybaptus ruficollis) Black-necked Grebe [sp] (Podiceps nigricollis) Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea) Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta) Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo) Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus) Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus) Water Rail [sp] (Rallus aquaticus) Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus) Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra) Eurasian Oystercatcher [sp] (Haematopus ostralegus) Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa) Ruddy Turnstone [sp] (Arenaria interpres) Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)

Common Gull [sp] (Larus canus) European Herring Gull [sp] (Larus argentatus) Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus) Common Pigeon [sp] (Columba livia) Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus) Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone) Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus) Bearded Reedling [sp] (Panurus biarmicus) Long-tailed Tit [sp] (Aegithalos caudatus) Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris) Common Blackbird [sp] (Turdus merula) European Robin [sp] (Erithacus rubecula) European Stonechat [sp] (Saxicola rubicola) Pied Wagtail [sp] (Motacilla alba) Meadow Pipit [sp] (Anthus pratensis) Common Chaffinch [sp] (Fringilla coelebs)

Naturelog: 5th February Started the morning at Hamm beach on Portland Harbour, where the conditions were arctic with a strong wind blowing in from the bay.

[petec9099]

On the way back from a trip to Peterborough, Sue and I stopped off at Welney Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust for lunch and a couple of hours bird watching. From the main hide, we could see that the number of Whooper Swans present had risen significantly since our last visit back in mid-September with arrivals from the breeding grounds in the artic.

  Also present were good numbers of duck species which also make their home for the winter on the washes of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk

Eurasian Wigeon

Common Pochard

Northern Shoveler (m & f)

  Pintail (m)

The star birds of the day, although only seen briefly in flight were a group of 3 Common Cranes, which flew into the far side of the reserve before disappearing into the vegetation and out of sight. These once very rare birds are now increasing in numbers due to re-introduction programmes in Somerset and East Anglia.

Common Crane (Photographed Slimbridge Dec 2013)

Despite being the first weekend in November, we also saw a red admiral and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly and a pair of Common Darter Dragonflies, witness to how mild the autumn has been.

Red-legged Partridge [sp] (Alectoris rufa) Common Pheasant [sp] (Phasianus colchicus) Greylag Goose [sp] (Anser anser) Canada Goose [sp] (Branta canadensis) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Gadwall (Anas strepera) Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) Mallard [sp] (Anas platyrhynchos) Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Eurasian Teal [sp] (Anas crecca) Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) Grey Heron [sp] (Ardea cinerea) Little Egret [sp] (Egretta garzetta) Great Cormorant [sp] (Phalacrocorax carbo) Red Kite [sp] (Milvus milvus) Western Marsh Harrier [sp] (Circus aeruginosus) Common Buzzard [sp] (Buteo buteo) Common Kestrel [sp] (Falco tinnunculus) Common Moorhen [sp] (Gallinula chloropus) Eurasian Coot [sp] (Fulica atra) Common Crane [sp] (Grus grus) Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Common Snipe [sp] (Gallinago gallinago) Black-tailed Godwit [sp] (Limosa limosa) Dunlin [sp] (Calidris alpina) Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) Lesser Black-backed Gull [sp] (Larus fuscus) Common Wood Pigeon [sp] (Columba palumbus) Eurasian Collared Dove [sp] (Streptopelia decaocto) European Green Woodpecker [sp] (Picus viridis) Eurasian Magpie [sp] (Pica pica) Carrion Crow [sp] (Corvus corone) Great Tit [sp] (Parus major) Eurasian Blue Tit [sp] (Cyanistes caeruleus) Eurasian Skylark [sp] (Alauda arvensis) Common Starling [sp] (Sturnus vulgaris) House Sparrow [sp] (Passer domesticus) Eurasian Tree Sparrow [sp] (Passer montanus) Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) European Goldfinch [sp] (Carduelis carduelis)

Naturelog: 5th November On the way back from a trip to Peterborough, Sue and I stopped off at Welney Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust for lunch and a couple of hours bird watching.