Mixed Pickings 2

Last Sunday I was out on a walk in the Durisdeer Hills with V&A.

In reasonable weather there were quite a few butterflies around, the predominant species being the green-veined white.

Green-veined White

Even more predominant were large numbers of red kite, which have clearly spread from Loch Ken and a fair few buzzards.

We were really hoping to see a pair of hen harriers that appeared to have mated in the area and merlin, which are known to be present here too.  In fact we saw neither and speculated that the large number of other birds of prey may have discouraged the harriers.

There were however numerous other birds to see, notably meadow pipits as one would expect, wheatear and a few red-legged partridge - hardly surprising as they are bred widely as a gamebird. 

Wheatear

Red-legged Partridge

The wheatear looks to me like a young female. I also noticed that the pipit appears to have some sort of head or eye stripe, so that I briefly wondered about tree pipit but discounted the possibility.

Meadow Pipit

About two thirds of the way along the trail there was some cotton grass and a large expanse of bilberry and I started to wonder what else might be seen here.  However, the bilberry was only just coming into flower.

On the way back through this area, there was a chance sighting of a small heath butterfly, which pleased me considerably.  There was also a single bird's egg on the path - probably that of a dove or pigeon - which we decided to leave alone.

Small Heath

Towards the end a couple of moths appeared.  One I couldn't identify but the other appears to be a brown silverline.

Brown Silverline

A couple of days ago on the way to the doctor's, I did a reccy of Chopwell East Field, a recently declared reserve to see if it is suitable for a Naturewatch Walk.  

It actually proved quite promising.  Quite a lot of flora is springing up.  At one point there are signs of bird's foot trefoil establishing itself, though I suspect it may get overwhelmed by surrounding grasses.  A shetland pony staring at me from a neighbouring horses' field possibly was showing some interest in addressing this issue.

In an area described as wetland, which was actually pretty dry, I was lucky enough to come across one or two small copper butterflies.  Turning to retrace my steps a pair of linnets started singing from nearby trees and bushes.  It looks like they are both male.

Small Copper

Linnets

Meanwhile back in the garden, I've twice been visited by a pair of bullfinches, anxious to hoover up some seeds from the now over-abundant forget-me-nots.

Mr Bullfinch

Mrs Bullfinch

A bit rude of Mr Bullfinch to have his back turned on us.

There's no more news on the mystery black bee, but I did manage to capture this early bumblebee worker.

Early Bumblebee

No more signs of red mason or nomad bees, perhaps down to poorish weather.

On the "Is it a fly or is it a bee" debate, I think I may have missed out when I found a very small item wondering along the kitchen windowsill while cooking.  I didn't take it too seriously thinking it was probably a fly and only got a couple of poor images.

A pity as I think now that it may have been a wee furrow bee and it hung around for ages!

A Mixed Bag and a Bug Box

This post actually dates from 10th May but didn't get published at the time.

Although the red mason bee has remained the dominant species in the garden and the odd queen bumblebee continues to turn up, some more varied species have started to appear too.

Honey bees have appeared on a couple of occasions and an unidentified hoverfly that potentially looks like a nomad bee but the differences are easy to spot.

Honey Bee

Hoverfly

Today was typical in that three of the four main species of white butterfly all appeared in a short space of time, enabling some of the differences between them to be studied.

Female Orange Tip

Green-veined White

Small White

Most interesting of these is the small white, in that it showed no sign of any grey or black edging around the forewing tip.  Male orange tips have started to settle occasionally but aren't hanging around.

Yesterday I had also noticed the first garden bumblebee lying conspicuously in the flower of a californian poppy with its long tongue sticking out and today one could be seen in close-up, albeit with its tongue in.

\Garden Bumblebee

I was also able to make progress with identifying the nomad bee that has been seen frequently over the last few weeks - by trapping one in a recently purchased bug box.  Subject to confirmation, I now think it's the Flavous Nomad Bee and not Gooden's as I previously assumed.  However it could also be Panzer's Nomad Bee.

Flavous Nomad Bee

The problem previously was that I could never get a good enough view or photo to decipher the red stripe at the top of the abdomen.

Lastly, on a bike ride that wasn't intended for nature spotting, I chanced to see an urban fox with a bird in its mouth near Derwenthaugh Staithes.  Then I had to stop at Willington Quay to investigate some loud squawking from a tree I rode under.  I suspected a ring-necked parakeet but in spite of the closeness, it wasn't visible.  And riding up the coast towards Seaton Sluice, we happened on the first wheatear I've seen this summer.

Friday 7th May

 As if to prove my point a minor extreme weather event hit the area not long after I finished the last post.

Spring?

There were a few rolls of thunder, a flash of lightning and the village was suddenly bombarded by a heavy strafing of hailstones at least the size of marrowfat peas, which quickly covered the roads and gardens.  Who'd want to be a butterfly in that? 

Today a fortunate set of circumstances led to a more fortunate outcome.

I was supposed to be going cycling but my friend cancelled.  A recent cricket injury to my thigh was feeling tight anyway and I was worried I might do myself more harm than good by getting the bike out.

At breakfast I noted that a yellow wagtail had been reported at Bothal Pond and a ring ouzel at Nebiggin.  So I decided that chasing them up would be a healthier thing to do with not too much walking involved.

Flukily I turned up at exactly the right location at Bothal, as what was in fact a black-headed wagtail turned out to be in a horses' field on the other side of the road from the pond. An extensive band of twitchers had already custered by the hedge.  At first all I could see was a couple of swallows.

Amusingly the wagtail was spending its time following the horses to pick up whatever they were turning over in the field.  At first it was favouring the horse furthest away but when a woman entered that part of the field it switched horses and came gradually nearer.  Meanwhile one of the twitchers drew my attention to a wheatear on a dungheap and a couple of horses came over as if to ask what all the fuss was about.

Wheatear

At times the wagtail got really close to either end of a horse and on one occasion, looked like it was in danger of being eaten by one.  It was as if it was a matter of luck that the bird was hungrier than the horse!

Black-headed Wagtail - with horse

Among the twitchers there was some talk about a mockingbird having been seen but I decided to move on to Newbiggin to see if I could catch up with the ring ouzel. Before I moved on a quick glance at the pond revealed some tufted ducks, lapwing and greylag geese, so relative small beer.

At Newbiggin I missed my way slightly trying to find the path to the links when a couple of women in a car stopped to ask me what bird everyone was looking for.  I assumed the ring ouzel was meant but they showed me a picture of another large gathering of twitchers at a rather run down looking location.

I got to the relevant bit of waste ground just off the main street where apparently the bird had been showing all morning before moving off.  It then reappeared briefly on someone's shed just long enough for me to get a hurried shot before disappearing again.

Mockingbird

I waited for half an hour eating an apple but it didn't show up before rain moved in ahead of forecast.

Overall it was a remarkable morning.  The black-headed wagtail does turn up in Northumberland but is one of the rarest wagtails and the mockingbird was several thousand miles away from its normal haunts.  Plus it was complete chance that I found out it was at Newbiggin.

I owed both sightings to the activities of twitchers, who in particular pointed out where to look for the wagtail.  But another mystery must be:  What an earth inspired someone to check out a piece of waste ground in the centre of Newbiggin in the first place?

Friday 4th September

Some of the Naturewatch group did an informal walk around Bolam Lake last Wednesday.  Perhaps relieved to be out again, there was more chatting than spotting.  Apart from tits, we did see a treecreeper and heard a buzzard but that was about all and the main feature was perhaps the scenery in the early autumn sunlight.

Bolam Lake

It was surprising that, apart from a number of mute swans there was nothing on the lake at all in the way of ducks or waders.

A ramble around Chopwell Woods with Malcolm on Sunday wasn't very revealing either.  We did see five speckled wood butterflies and a (probable) common hawker but his dog found a corpse at one point and smelled of maggots all the way to the local pub.  I thought I saw a slightly different carder bee but the camera proved otherwise.

Since I have reflected how frequently you think you have seen something possibly unusual and get the camera out in evidence, only for the target to disappear before you can capture it.

On a bike ride to Belsay during a windless day I was a bit surprised to see a couple of buzzards.  The one on the way back seemed to have red on its tail.  It settled nicely in a tree within camera range and I was wondering if it might just be a red kite, which would have been interesting so far north.  All I can say is that it behaved much more like a buzzard in making its departure.  

The only other thing of note was a grey squirrel scrambling across the road between two farm fields.  A little bizarre.

Similarly in the garden a very slight and slender white butterfly with few dark markings rested on the plum tree and I started to wonder against all the odds about a wood white.  However it flew off strongly, unphotographed, and was almost certainly just a small white.

Unfortunately, the buddleia is now almost devoid of blossom and it remains to be seen whether it can produce any more sizeable blooms.  So this may be the last small tortoiseshell to visit me this year.

Small Tortoiseshell

A booted warbler, a species of which I had never heard was reported at Whitburn Country Park a few days ago, so I decided to take a brief trip out there, well aware that it would probably have departed.

It had.  However as soon as I entered the park, I did see a wheatear, which obligingly posed on the sign at the entrance.

Wheatear

This is apparently a pretty typical appearance for an autumn female.  As an advert it was though totally misleading, as it was the only bird of I managed to see in the park apart for a couple of pigeons.  Still, it was the only one this year.

Wednesday 16th October

I went to Holy Island last Friday in the hope of seeing some of the passage birds that had been turning up over the previous few days. In fact there wasn't much about.  The first and the commonest bird I saw on the island was the starling.

Turnstone

In pleasantly bright weather but a strong wind, I did manage to identify a couple of rock pipits on the stoney beach as well as some oystercatchers and turnstone.  On the pond near the wildlife centre, all the birds were sheltering under their wings but one may have been a whooper swan.

Two whites sighted during the day remain my latest butterfly sightings to date.

I spent quite a lot of time foraging in the dunes at the North of the island, which proved completely unproductive though I did see this rather large caterpillar.  Referring to a suggested expert indicates it will one day become a fox moth.

Fox Moth Caterpillar

On the way back to the castle, there were some teal visible, sheltering against the weeds on the far side of the other pond.

Wheatear

It's strange how the most interesting sighting often occurs when you have given up looking. I had decided to visit the priory when I spotted an interesting little bird feeding by the wall on the main road.  At first I thought it was a water pipit in summer plumage but the general consensus is that it is a wheatear.  All I can say is that the wheatears I have seen were much more strongly marked but there are photographs of them online that look similar.  It certainly wasn't shy as a water pipit is supposed to be.

Yesterday the Naturewatch Group visited Belsay Gardens, where again the birdlife was a little furtive. Over time I did manage to identify three nuthatch, several coal tits and blue tits and a song thrush. The best sighting was a couple of goldcrests working their way through a hazel bush that so fascinated me that I left my waterproof trousers behind. I also got a glimpse of a disappearing red squirrel.

Obviously it was a cultivated rather than wild environment but I was rather impressed with this particular variety of rhodedendron barbarus, which apparently comes from Northern Asia.

Rhodedendron Barbarus

Holiday in Paphos Cyprus 21 April - 1st May

This was mainly intended as a chillout holiday but of course I had some ideas about possible wildlife sightings, which in fact worked out very well - at least in respect of birdlife.

Early success

An early wander around the coast at Chloraka area showed that there were still some healthy flower meadows to investigate - in spite of the fact that the whole area is clearly marked out for immediate further building complete with the roughcast for the access roads.

Pied Wheatear

There were larks and swallows and a good few butterflies, though these were of only two kinds - painted ladies, of which there must have been thousands over the course of the holiday, and whites.  Neither were keen to settle and the painted ladies were markedly more hyperactive than when they appear in the UK in late summer.

On a longer investigation of the coastal path, I was delighted to quickly discover one of my key targets, the pied wheatear hanging around a rather desolate area of perimeter fencing, then later perching helpfully on a nearby rock.

From the balcony of our apartment there were also swifts, hooded

Lesser whitethroat?

crows and feral pigeons.

On a morning forage further inland the day after it was the same story for butterflies, but I did get a rather unclear shot of what I think may have been a lesser whitethroat on the telephone wires.

Pleasant and unpleasant surprises

I went on a visit to the Paphos Archaeological Park with my daughter.  I hadn't realised how nature-friendly it is and wished I'd taken binoculars as, apart from lizards, crested larks and some slender looking northern wheatear, several other species were missed.

One day I managed a bit of time fishing near the Municipal Swimming Pool.  Most of the bites were also missed but I did manage to catch three tiny ones next to the rocks.

Revisiting the coastal area at dusk one evening was productive, proving the crested lark is particularly common but I also stumbled on a group of hoopoe and found a moustached warbler in an area of rough ground.  Cetti's warbler was singing nearby, but, typically, not seen. I also thought I'd found a blue butterfly but it turned out to be a day-flying moth.

Hoopoe

Moth

Moustached Warbler

Unfortunately we chose a poor day to visit the Troodos mountains.  It rained and made the tricky climb to a waterfall hazardous, resulting for me in a heavy fall, a seriously twisted knee and a couple of days enforced rest on a sunlounger.

A strong finish

Cyprus Warbler

Fortunately I was by the penultimate day fit enough to attempt an e-bike ride to the Asprokremmos Dam area in pursuit of the indigenous cyprus warbler.  This proved much easier to find than expected once I could recognise its distinctive song, though it took a good long time to get a half-decent photograph as they wouldn't stay still.

It's funny how the different light conditions can affect sightings.  I found I was often wondering about the swallows I was seeing.  On the way up to Asprokremmos I took the chance to photograph one of them and it was only from looking at the results that I could see they were red-rumped swallows.  Perhaps the ones at the coast were too.

Similarly, it was only examining a photo of a suspected warbler that I realised I'd seen my first woodchat shrike.

Red-rumped Swallow

Woodchat Shrike

After being delayed by around a thousand domesticated goats crossing the road, the area near the Dam also revealed the definitive photo of a crested lark and a brief encounter with a very bright blue butterfly that only settled briefly with its wings closed.  I wondered about adonis blue or even false eros blue but neither would realistically have been on the wing so early in the year.

Goats on road

Crested lark

On the last day, just before leaving, I glimpsed three clouded yellow in flight and equally disinclined to settle as most of the other species.

Monday 15th May

Then there was a slightly curious bike ride to Dalry last Wednesday.

Having decided to start at the car park above Glenkilns reservoir in beautiful weather, a bird I had never seen before landed on the remains of the stolen Henry Moore statue - a common sandpiper.

It was a day when I reckoned to watch and listen for cuckoos and so set of over Speddoch Hill in anticipation. there were green-veined whites and orange tips, but no cuckoo.

Heading up towards Loch Urr it was a good day for stonechats and pipits and I reckon I must have seen about five stonechats on the ride overall. On the run down to the loch itself there was a good view of a male wheatear, just when I started to wonder if one would turn up.

Then I flushed a roe deer out of the undergrowth of the moor on the right hand side.  So it stupidly decided to jump the fence onto the road in front of me and started trying to batter its way through the fence on the left hand side of the road as I slowed in the hope of stopping its panic. Eventually it climbed clumsily over.

A bit further on, a ewe and lamb decided to jump out onto the road too and then ran on ahead in front of the bike for about half a mile until there was a gate across the road and they faded away through a gap to the left.

By that time I was running late and had to push the pedals quite hard for the rest of the day. During a brief rest, I spotted yet another flower I wasn't familiar with:

Greater Stitchwort

The last part of the trip was my old favourite cuckoo haunt between Bogle Bridge and the reservoir, but not a cuckoo to be heard.

Riding back up to the car park, I caught sight of two or three black swans on the reservoir and as soon as I got of the bike, heard a cuckoo singing from the hill right next to it!

Friday 28th April

Sometimes I wonder if I should rename this blog "Nature and Cycling" since all my trips out now seem to be cycling trips. In particular, I haven't been out fishing for a year and a half. Incidentally I forgot to say I saw a hare last Wednesday, lying in a field.

Anyhow, this Wednesday's run was pretty much the opposite to last week's in that the weather started out fair but didn't last. On the way out I was pleased to see that the sand martins are back and busy on the Nith just downstream from the cycle bridge.  It looked to me almost as if they were already feeding young though more likely they were lining the nests or some similar activity.

Sand Martins - nesting area

It was also pleasing to see a single lapwing playing over a farm field between Shawhead and Crocketford, not normally an area in which I expect to see other than common birds.

At Bridge of Urr, I continued my interest in the developing flowers and was struck by a purple flower next to the wall on the way out of the village.  Again, after consulting the Book of Flowers, I'm not sure what it is - common mallow perhaps?

Common Mallow?

Before setting out I had wondered what would be the likeliest: to see or hear a cuckoo or to see two butterflies.  I deliberately rode back through the Glenkilns, which has in the past been a regular home to cuckoos, but, in increasingly overcast weather, there wasn't the least sign of any cuckoo. However I did catch two brief sightings of male wheatears in flight, the first of the season, and so was happy to settle for that.

Once over the hill there was a buzzard and red kite taking stock of each other in the sky, some nice goldfinches, and right on the edge of Dumfries, literally adjacent to the first houses, a skylark could clearly be heard.

And then, going back along the cycle track in a last burst of hazy sunshine, there was a single small white butterfly - just like last week.

Sunday 2nd October

Another trip to Northumberland at the end of last week, which resulted in a pleasant walk along the coast between Craster and Dunstanburgh Castle.

I was a little surprised to sight a number of wheatears, all male, moving around the rocks on the shoreline. I've seen wheatears in coastal areas before but not on the shoreline, plus I would have expected them to be on their way back to Africa by now. Maybe they were getting ready for the effort. There were also a couple of rock pipits darting around in similar fashion.

Nearer the castle, a seal pooped its head out of the water now and again and a couple of eider duck were spotted amongst the floating seagulls.  In the fields next to the castle, quite a large number of swallows were flying around at speed and I was told they are usually there.  The entrance castle itself was guarded by some young cows who seem to like small dogs.

On the way back the smaller birds had been replaced by a number of calling turnstone.

Meanwhile I am hoping that my stray sunflower might attract a goldfinch or two.  So far the only visitor has been a hyperactive coal tit.

Wheatear

Eider duck

Cows and castle

Thursday 10th July

Walked from Mossvale to Loch Stroan in search of birds of prey, as I've heard tales of a few sightings in this area.

The weather was more mixed than anticipated with one heavy rain shower and some drizzle, though this did not put off the ringlet butterflies who were again out in force. However it may have contributed to the lack of birds of prey taking the wing, apart from one red kite I disturbed from its roost, which gave a very good view of its underparts as it flew of squawking.  Apart from that, the most notable thing I had seen on turning back to the car was a grey wagtail perching in the conifers near the loch.  I didn't know they would do that.

Wheatear

But on the way back I noticed two birds of prey, heading over the moorland towards the forest.  The merlin is a bird I have a strange relationship with, full of half and questionable sightings, but from the
adept, speedy flight and the pointed wings, I would be fairly confident these two were indeed merlins. Too far away though to pick up more of the body colouring than a hint of dark brown.

Two or three minutes later, I noted some 'tek, tek' noises coming from a hawthorn, followed by some brief whistling notes. I got close enough to see the bird, but it took me a few minutes to decide it was a very pale looking male wheatear - the first I have come across this summer.  So pale in fact that there was only the merest suggestion of red on the breast, which doesn't show in this photo but I also managed to identify the tail pattern when it started to fly around a bit.

Wednesday 30th April

Cycling destination of Crocketford gave opportunity to revisit Glenkilns to check possible merlin. Did see a brown bird of prey fly to top of pine tree, where another bird attempted to mate with it! Could not get good view before it moved on but I did not think it was a merlin - too big and brown. Possibly a sparrowhawk. More exciting was however to hear and then see a cuckoo singing similarly atop a pine tree just east of Craigadam Woodlands - a first! Initially sighting was not clear but on moving to get better view it was not startled and some of the chest colouration could be seen. Also a couple of wheatear as well as usual fleeting pipits (presumably) and a stonechat or reed bunting in flight. Close up view of one wheatear on wall that appeared to have some yellow in its chest.

I tried to think if I ever saw a cuckoo when I was a kid in Nottinghamshire.  I certainly heard them but I don't think I ever saw one.

Wednesday 23rd April

Ride to Palnackie via Glenkilns, hurrying near the end as late.  Typical example of the way that a number of bird sightings can occur in a short period of time, in this case going over the moor after the remaining sculpture.  Two wheatear were quickly followed by a hovering kestrel when another bird of prey flew purposefully past it straight into a tree.  Wondered about merlin but did not get a good view but was a bit dark for a sparrowhawk.  Then there were a series of two or three grey wagtails.  A lot of goldfinch around today but no red kite west of Bogle Bridge, just another pair of wheatear.

Sunday 19th May

A rare day of twitching as I read reports of wood warblers at Wood of Cree, so abandoned other plans and set off to Newton Stewart early.  Made things complicated by stopping at the new part of the reserve and starting with a rather barren “wood” walk that actually mainly took in moorland.  Managed sparrowhawk, reed bunting, wheatear with juvenile and willow warbler as well as hearing skylarks and seeing suspected pipits in flight. Also heard cuckoo calling from woods - so that makes three in three years.

On finding the main wood, I found a calling wood warbler almost immediately and got a good view of it fluttering in the canopy.  Several more too and wood warbler was the predominant bird in the lower part of the wood ahead of willow warbler and chaffinch. In the binoculars on a day with poor light it was heard to see much yellow on them but the song was unmistakeable (hear more than see video below!). There was just one pied flycatcher on the way back and nesting boxes seemed as yet unoccupied.  Did not see tree pipit although told by bloke on first site that there are plenty around.

So a major tick on my list and a cue to think what still is on the list after various successes over the years.  Basically in some sort of order it's willow tit, green woodpecker, hawfinch (not sure where to start with that one), merlin, goshawk, eagle).  Not a very long list now, but there are plenty that I would like to see again.  Hold on though, I forgot hooded crow.

Tuesday 8th May

Conntinued easterly winds and very cool weather have meant all thoughts of fishing have been postponed.  Managed morning trip to Ken Dee Marshes as a first attempt at spotting wood warbler, green woodpecker and willow tit.  Never sure about this place.  The area noted for wood warblers seemed decidedly quiet again although I did hear some trilling from a distance and saw the bird but too far away to identify.  No sign either of pied flycatcher.  Did however see treecreeper and female wheatear (never seen either here before) as well as pink footed geese.  There was a moment of excitement when I caught sight of a bird with dark head markings at the edge of the main woodland - but it turned out to be a fluffy looking male blackcap.

Also three red squirrels on brief walk to Lockerbie Wildlife Reserve some time before this.

Saturday 24th March

Very warm day with some sun.  Far too pleasant to stay in the house, so another bike ride to Poldivan, thinking it might be last chance to see great grey shrike.

Saw much less than I heard, but spotted first chiffchaff of the year in trees by
cycle track, then a few buzzards.  Thought I heard a skylark not far out from Locharbriggs.

Most productive area was a lovely run through Amisfield Moor, where the meadow pipits have returned and there were also two male wheatear and a number of what on checking were probably female reed buntings.

On the way past Ae saw the first butterflies of the season. The ones I got a view of were peacocks that have presumably over-wintered.  At Poldivan, the shrike was not in evidence, so headed up past Mitchellslacks hoping to see predators.  But there were just some more pipits, quite a few curlew and some lapwing starting to display.

On the way back, the shrike was back in position.  Hung around just to the south of the clearing as a bloke from Cumbria reckoned he had seen a couple of goshawks.  I may have heard them, sounded a bit like a pheasant though.  Nothing much on Amisfield Moor, but did hear another chiffchaff before the cycle track turnoff.

A notable absence was the swallow - must be a few in the country by now.

15th April

Bike ride the day before yesterday to Gallaberry Plantation and Applegarthtown Nature Reserve.

Very overcast. Many sand martins dogfighting above the water and some willow warblers (both locations) - first seen this year.  Only one chiffchaff heard but almost impossible not to hear them around Dumfries.  Have heard a swallow at home around 4th April, but didn't see it.

Bike ride to and into Ae Forest.  Black rabbit by roadside, quite a way from nearest farm so presumably an escapee.  Good to see kestrel hunting, showing some have obviously survived, also buzzards in mating flight (or two males having a fly-off)?  Wheatear on moor, the earliest I've seen them and passing pipits.  Siskins drinking from a puddle in the forest track - could almost have run them over.  Again heard but did not see skylarks.