Sunday 28 December 2008

Bird Atlas 2007-11

Finally managed to get out and visit my tetrad for my first winter survey. Only an hour visit but some good species. A good number of Linnet plus Jay, Bullfinch and Coot on one of the small ponds (the pond was barely larger than the bird itself!!). Despite the mainly farmland habitat the tetrad was strangely devoid of Pheasant, Stock Dove or even House Sparrow. Look forward to the next visit. Thanks to Andy Smith for finding the two Whooper Swan on the reservoir this morning. A Thornton tick no less..........

Friday 12 December 2008

Otter - Click here for the story

Well, the Mercury is carrying the story today of an Otter photographed within "swimming distance" of the city centre. Usual Mercury tosh about "secret riverside location" and "these cameras are often used in more exotic parts of the world to photograph rare, shy and nocturnal creatures" but a welcome story vevertheless. As most will know the water has to be clean as a clean thing to support this species so here's hoping. However at the end of the article it does mention that during last month's riverside survey amongst the more unusual species "spotted" were Water Vole and Mink. The continued presence of Mink could put pay to any recovery of the Water Vole population but Otters are reported to attack and even kill Mink and it seems that the reason mink spread so quickly initially throughout Britain was because they had no competition whilst Otter numbers were recovering. Fight, fight, fight, fight...............

Thursday 11 December 2008

The last couple of lunchtimes.......

Have been quite productive really. Tuesday brought a large Goldfinch flock to the area. Wednesday gave me Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Belgrave Gardens willows. Today was a Song Thrush (very seldom seen where as Mistle Thrush is a near daily encounter) and several Common Gull.

Wednesday 10 December 2008

Are you game?

Very surreal but I was driving between Newtown Linford and Anstey on my way to work when out ran a male Reeves type pheasant. Enormous great thing. Apparently they have the longest feather of any living bird. However, there are some that claim this title should go to the Crested Argus Pheasant (none of those in Newtown Linford)but in Japan in 1972 an chicken was bred (plenty of those in Newtown Linford) with tail feathers in excess of 34 feet.....I keep all this stuff in my head and haven't Googled any of it - I promise......

Friday 5 December 2008

Porter's Rustic

Its pending official confirmation, but the first Norfolk record of this moth from a Derbyshire recorder who was trapping at Salthouse in late August. It has been recorded in Suffolk (Ipswich Golf Course & Bawdsey) so was to be expected I suppose. See the Norfolk Moths website for pictures.

Thursday 4 December 2008

The Damned

Despite a somewhat shaky start with the sound system The Damned delivered last night. The new album tracks sounded pretty good. Old classics included Love Song, Neat Neat Neat, New Rose, Smash It Up, Disco Man and Ignite. Quality......................

Wednesday 3 December 2008

Smash It Up.....................

Off to Derby tonight to see the quite brilliant Damned. I'v seen them dozens of times over the years but it will be good to catch them again. Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible remain from the original line up presently. Plenty of old faves I'm sure plus tracks off the new album So, Who's Paranoid. 32 years on and still belthing them out..............