UNLOCK!

No, it's not the sound of Mr Speaker, Sir Lyndsay Hoyle MP, announcing the end of a division in the House of Commons.  It is what has happened over the last week in the surveying world.
British Trust for Ornithology were the first to announce the lifting of surveying restrictions which had been in place since late March.  They were followed by Riverfly and UKBMS.  All them caveated the lifting of surveying restrictions with government advice on social distancing and a maximum of two people surveying.

I must admit to slightly preempting the Riverfly announcement by surveying my Tidna site on 14th May.  Water levels were falling and I didn't want to risk missing the opportunity to survey while there was still some water flowing in the stream.  Despite my misgivings, there was an abundance of invertebrates in the stream giving an abundance score of 12, 4 over the trigger level with Baetidae contributing an abundance score of 3 with over 250 individuals counted.

My Riverfly survey site on the Tidna - May 2020

On Sunday 17th I completed my first WeBS (Wetland Birds Survey) since March at Maer Lake.  Water was in very short supply here with this seasonal lake drying rapidly. 

Maer Lake drying out May 17th 2020

The lack of water and time of year limited the number of birds seen, but I was able to add Mute Swan and Whitethroat to my personal species list for this site as well as seeing a pair of Shelduck.  These bred last year, so with a little luck, and some rain, we may see more Shelduck chicks this year.

Maer Lake - Mallard, Mute Swan, Moorhen and Black-tailed Godwit.

Maer Lake - a pair of Shelduck

I followed this with my survey of Lower and Upper Tamar lakes on Monday 18th.  Again, water levels and species diversity was down.  But Mallard and Canada Geese have bred and young were seen as well as the spring migrants such as Chiffchaff and Willow and Sedge Warblers.

Canada Geese and Goslings at Upper Tamar Lake

Sedge Warbler at Upper Tamar Lake

All these synchronised BTO WeBS surveys were one week later than previously planned due to the length of the lockdown.

My most recent survey was today, the 20th, probably the hottest day of the year and ideal for my butterfly transect unlocked and now made possible by  UKBMS (United Kingdom Butterfly Monitoring Scheme).  This is normally a weekly survey which I last undertook during the last week of March.  What an excellent survey, 73 butterflies of 12 species - Large Skipper; Brimstone; Large, Small and Green-veined Whites; Orange Tip; Green Hairstreak; Small Copper; Common Blue; Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary; Speckled Wood and Small Heath.  What a wonderful range of species.

Green Hairstreak Tidna Valley

Small Heath Tidna Valley

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Tidna Valley

Common Blue Tidna Valley

I plan to complete my monthly suite of surveys with my two other Riverfly surveys in Coombe Valley and Duckpool/Stowe Woods Bee Walk (although this latter has only just been authorised by Bee Conservation Trust).
It the weather continues as it looks to be, sunny and dry, it is looking like and excellent year for invertebrates now we are unlocked.

Platooning

My first Osprey

 You wait for ages … ….

Today was Wetland Birds Survey (WeBS) day for September at my Tamar Lakes sites. We planned to commence as usual at 10am for consistency and arrived on time. It is still summer here in North Cornwall so we did not expect any of the migrants to have arrived. And, we were not disappointed, apart from 300 Canada Geese and a small flock of Black-headed Gulls there were few ducks and heron.

A Common Sandpiper was a plus as was meeting a new acquaintance, Harvey Kendall, who has been watching birds around the lakes ever since the Upper Lake was flooded in the 1960s. He gave us good tips on what was about, Pectoral Sandpipers but no
sighting of the reported two Osprey seen over the weekend.,

Osprey fishing

Now, I can't really say that I have been waiting all my life for sight of an Osprey. When I was a youngster, they were almost impossible to find. But, in the last 20 years while I have been actively building my lifetime list – without travelling I may add – these have been on my wants list.

In recent weeks, I have just missed one on a visit to Lundy with grandchildren and Tim Jones (14^th August) and failed to sight one on the Torridge Estuary WeBS patch of my friends, Tim Davis and Tim Jones (17^th August).

The sight of not one, nor two, but three Ospreys wheeling, diving and fishing over Upper Tamar Lake is a lifetime experience. I did not have to travel far to see these enigmatic birds, they were not just on my doorstep, but on “my” WeBS patch. One appeared far bigger than the others and was seen to fish in the lake, feet hanging down and into the water, but unsuccessful whilst we watched. All three climbed high into the midday sky before soaring off eastwards.

Three Ospreys!

You wait ages for one to appear and then three appear all at once (platooning apparently!).

Well worth the wait though.

Natural History Week June 2014

The observation and pursuit of natural history does occupy much of my time, but occasionally there comes a week crammed full – this is one such.

Ringlet

Sunday 15^th was my monthly Wetland Birds Survey.

Summer surveys don't record many water birds on Tamar Lakes and this month was no exception being dominated by the few breeders that use the lakes – families of Canada Geese, Mallard and Moorhen featuring. Terrestrial breeders were also present – Reed Bunting and Sedge Warblers were very obvious. It was a butterfly day too with a mass emergence of Meadow Brown, some Speckled Wood and a beautiful single Ringlet seen.

Large Skipper

Monday 16^th – CWT meeting

We hosted an evening with friends on the committee of Cornwall Wildlife Trust Tamar Group where we planned the activities for summer and the forthcoming winter season. In advance of the meeting we took our dog around our usual walk and were delighted to see the first Large Skippers of the year. 

Tuesday 17^th – Ponds and fields with year 3 of Bude Junior School.

Water Scorpion

72 enthusiastic 8/9 year old in four groups. It was a most hectic and challenging session, but the children were very adept at catching mud! They did catch lots of interesting creatures though ranging from Newts, through Eels, Damselfly larvae, Dragonfly larvae, water louse, freshwater shrimps, chironomid worms, water boatmen and backswimmer and the stars of the show, water scorpions. All were eagerly observed before finally being repatriated into the Bude Tourist Information Centre pond. 

Bee Orchid

Thursday 19^th – Bude Marshes quarterly transect and annual Bee Orchid count.

Although circumstances left us with only 4 on the walk, and we were accompanied by the children from Adventure International in kayaks on the canal and bikes on the multi-use footpath, we managed to record 22 birds species,

The orchid count went well too – despite the vigorous grass growth, the Bee Orchids are maintaining their numbers 33 plants as compared to last year and the Marsh Orchids, previously uncounted were counted as 69 plants. It is obvious the preferred habitat of the latter is on the short sward between footpaths and the dense grassy layer, whereas Bee Orchids are happy in the mixed flower and grass habitat growing in loose groups of 2 or 3 plants.

Friday 20^th – ERCCIS Dragonfly workshop.

Keeled Skimmer

What a fantastic couple of sites. Great Wheal Seton is a post industrial contaminated area with small shallow ponds but is host to Scarce Blue-tail Damselflies – the last remaining site in Cornwall where we were privileged to count around 30 of both sexes.

The old settling pits at Bell Lake Marsh in the Red River Valley have been transformed from overgrown Willow scrub to a shallow marshy area with scrapes and was host to Small Red Damselflies, Keeled Skimmers as well as patrolling Emperors. 13 different species was a very good workshop.

Saturday 21^st – Sandymouth BBS butterfly transect

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Vixen and 6 cubs

Accompanied by two naturalist friends we were able to count 8 species of Butterfly – 38 in total (Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Skipper, Red Admiral and Painted Lady) 2 moths (5-spot Burnet and Hummingbird Hawk Moth) and a Golden Ringed Dragonfly. They agree that this is a Beautiful Square (op cit). To cap it all, as we finished the transect, we noticed that we were being watched intently by a Vixen about 400 metres away whilst her 6 cubs played!

Sampling at Marsland Water

Sunday 22^nd – Fox Club “Dung Ho!” at Marsland Nature Reserve.

Together with a friend from Cornwall Wildlife Trust, a small group was entertained by his description of what pollutes our waterways. This was followed up by our catch of myriads of invertebrates kick sampled from Marsland Water. We used the excellent wildlife centre courtesy of Devon Wildlife Trust in the idyllic setting of Marsland nature reserve.

Marmalade Hoverfly

Monday 23^rd - Equinoctial walk on Bude Aqueduct from Moreton Bridge to the junction with the Holsworthy branch is about 2½ miles of absolute quiet taking in woody shade and open walks and Bursdon Moor Nature Reserve. We were lucky to not only hear birds but to see them too – including two Treecreepers. The stars of the show had to be the dragonflies and damselflies along with lots of butterflies. We were fortunate to capture a picture of a strikingly decorated, striped hoverfly which we identified later as a Marmalade Hoverfly. 

Read my other blog at budeaqueductwalks.blogspot.com

As I am writing this, over my left shoulder I am watching the wind ripple a field of grasses, docks and sorrel. The weather has been dry and very hot and as the wind stirs the stems of the plants, millions of seeds are blown from their heads into rolling, billowing clouds looking like smoke. They roll slowly over the field, a perfect demonstration of natural seed dispersal. They are now next year's plants in waiting.

Goodbye Winter migrants – March 2014

Well after the poor weather early this year we have had at last some spring-like weather.

Dark-spotted Sedge

I walked as section of the coastpath in Morwenstow and found invertebrates about – Bloodynose Beetle, and two bees Buff-tailed and Red-tailed.

What I though was a micro-moth turned out to be an adult Caddis-fly – Dark-spotted Sedge Philopotamus montanus.

I also put my moth trap out one night an caught nothing but the following night caught 6 moths of 4 species – Early Thorn, Hebrew Character, Early Grey and Common Quaker.

I keep get glimpses of butterflies, but never close enough to identify and not very many. Being at the 140m contour line a mile from the sea seems to prevent me seeing the butterflies that everyone else is seeing.

I used the trail camera and managed to capture a small video of or our resident Bank Vole although I do get good daytime views and pictures. Other than a grey squirrel at Lower Tamar Lake a couple of day's ago, I have not seen any other mammals.

Last week the quarterly Bude Marsh transect was completed for Spring despite the patchy mist. We did see a mammal there, a rabbit on the west side of the canal. Near Petherick's Mill the mist really thickened up and a passing dog-walker commented on our slender chances of seeing birds in such weather. No sooner had he gone than through a break in the reeds we saw 7 species within a 10metres stretch of water – Grey Heron, Wigeon, Teal, Moorhen, Mallard, Snipe and Goosander. We took great delight in relating this to him when his circuit brought him past us again.

It was good to record two Willow Warblers – early harbingers of spring and during the same week as we saw them last year. Dare I say it – we have said goodby to the Starlings? We saw none on the transect and at hope apart from two that seem to be residents, we have not seen any for a week. We can put our washing back outside again!  And the WeBS survey at Lower Tamar Lake six Swallows were darting in and out of the mist over the water.

Puccinia smyrnia.

Spring flowers are beginning to bloom – Lesser Celandine are everywhere, Primroses are still to be seen and I have seen occasional Creeping Buttercup and Greater Stitchwort in the hedgerows. On the cliffs were Danish Scurvygrass and Violets. Alexanders are beginning to flower everywhere and come complete with a rust Puccinia smyrnia.

One swallow does not a summer make

We are all aware of Aristotle's remark ... how about half a dozen?

Cormorant Upper Tamar Lake

Today was the date set for the Wetlands Bird Survey organised by the British Ornithological Trust.  So, I dutifully visited Tamar Lakes to record my two sites.  It was a grey and misty morning and the birds had begun to desert the open water for cover and breeding sites.  I saw a very few gulls but no Black-headed Gulls formerly so common.  Although, there was a good number or Cormorants totaling 11 and a species count of 10 at the Upper Lake.

Marsh and Coal Tit - Lower Tamar Lake

It was a similar picture at the Lower Lake although the bird hide feeders, freshly replenished, were in great demand.  I saw all four tits, Marsh, Great, Blue and Long-tailed as well as Reed Bunting, a male Bullfinch and in the trees, a Jay.

But the sighting of the month, just as I was about to call it a day and leave, must go to the half dozen or so Swallows hawking over the lake.

Reed Bunting

The mist, dim light and the fact that none of them had tail streamers made positive identification difficult.  That is, until I was able to see the chestnut band under their chins.

Not quite "Summer is acumin" (Summer is here from a 13th Century song) but certainly a promise of summer in the air over Lower Tamar Lake.

WeBS at Tamar Lakes

Golden Plover - Upper Tamar Lake

My day to do the Tamar Lakes Wetland Birds Survey.  I swore I would never do it on a Sunday again due to joggers, dog-walkers, model sailing boats etc.  But, it has forecast more weather again tomorrow so I bit the bullet but went a little earlier.

I saw all my usual birds, but a total of 14 Cormorant on Upper Tamar Lake is a big number.

Nuthatch - Lower Tamar Lake

The mixed flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover were as welcome and spectacular as ever and still 17 Goosander of both sexes still there too.  Dare we hope for breeding?

At the Lower Lake there were even more Goosander – 41 in total.

The stars of the show were the birds taking advantage of the feeders placed near the Bird Hide thoug – with a female Great Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit and Nuthatch all photographed.