Sunday 20 November 2016

Western Conifer Seed bug


Sent from my iPhoneCame across this W.C. Seed bug whilst gardening in Little Hadham on Tuesday. Only my 2nd record in the parish, so good to see. Looking for a good hibernation site, I suspect.

Thursday 17 November 2016

Red Kite

Whilst wandering up to Little Hadham Place to check for leaf miners yesterday afternoon, I chanced upon one of the local red kites. The light was good so a few photos. Unfortunately, the closest it came was when I had the sun directly between me and the magnificent bird. However, a few pleasing snaps.







Flyby male kestrel, too

Saturday 12 November 2016

Norfolk Day

A not too early start and then a queue due to a serious accident near Mildenhall meant I arrived at Holkham Bay at 10.15. Leaving the car in Lady Anne's Drive and immediately registering wigeon and pink footed geese, I set off, firstly through the woods for firecrests but only goldcrests heard and seen. I headed to where a large flock of shore lark had been reported. They were still present, but distant so not really worth taking photos. In total I estimated around 80, the largest flock I have seen since the 1990's, so a great start to the day. The light was fantastic as I headed to the dunes for a sea watch.
Lady Anne's Drive wigeon

Brent geese at Holkham Bay

Distant shore lark

As close as I wanted to get!
The sea was full of common scoter, with a solitary red breasted merganser whilst several red throated divers were seen further out. As usual, sanderling ran around in the surf and oystercatechers roosted on a rapidly disappearing sand bar. Meadow pipits and skylark overhead. A flyby gaggle of brents.
easterly herring gull

few of the 100's of common scoters
Sanderling flock


Sanderling

And another sanderling
After several hours enjoying the beach I headed back to the car and off to Cley. After a pastie I checked the 3 main hides in the middle of the reserve but very little of interest, so continued to Sheringham with a view to finish the day with a sea watch as the tide would be high about half an hour before dusk. Turnstones, as usual on the promenade lent themselves to a few photos but no sign of purple sandpiper in its usual winter haunt outside the Funky Mackerel cafe. Very little of note out to sea, so a change of plan. I headed back to Cley beach where I could sea watch and check the area to the west for short eared and barn owls. Nothing really happened so eventually packed up and headed home.
Jackdaw at Holkham

Cley scrape from Daukes Hide

drake teal at Cley

Solitary black tailed godwit in fading light

Black headed gull at Sheringham

Confiding turnstone, Sheringham

Looking west from Sheringham promenade

Leaf Mining Days

Last Sunday, 6th Nov, we met up in Millennium Wood for a leaf mining search. Leaf mines are marks left on leaves from where moth, fly and beetle caterpillars and larvae eat their way around the leaf, between the 2 layers. By autumn these tracks have become clearly visible as the leaf fades to autumnal colours. 10 children, accompanied by adults, spent an hour wander ing around the wood, collecting bags of leaves to be checked. Between Graeme Smith and myself we managed to identify 20 species of micro moth from the leaves discovered.
To identify these firstly you need to know the tree from which the leaf was taken and then each caterpillar makes a track that is often specific to that species. www.leafminers.co.uk is a most helpful site to help with identification.
I then spent time in local woods where I have run moth traps to add to the year list. Still have several larger woods to check in the next few days, before all the leaves disappear.
Millennium Wood path

Guelder rose berries

Glorious morning in the wood

Leaf mine on hazel of Phyllonorycter coryli, the nut blister moth

On hazel, Phyllonorycter nicellii

Stigmella aceris on field maple

Several species have mined this hazel leaf.

Wednesday 2 November 2016

Waxwing Photos

Last Sunday a solitary first year female waxwing showed up in Bishop's Stortford. I managed to get a few photos in dreadful light but today I had time to return and, in brilliant light managed a pleasing set of shots.











This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander