The Wild West!

Back to Beds!

2012-01-04T12:10:00.003Z

We were back in Bedfordshire to celebrate New Year and so I took the opportunity on a mild New Year’s Day to get out and about, my main priority being to catch up with some deer. The Isle of Wight has a wealth of wildlife, but wild deer are conspicuous by their absence, though the odd Fallow Deer is reckoned by some to swim across the Solent and visit from time to time.
I caught up with a pair of fleeing Muntjac and another distant male Muntjac at Kingshoe Plantation, but the best sighting of the day was a group of 8 Chinese Water Deer in a field alongside Flying Horse Farm, just east of Ridgemont. The video’s not great, but it does vividly illustrate the amount of hormones there are around at this time of year!

With just under an hour to spare before meeting up with the family for dinner, I decided to try one of my favourite spots for Brown Hare. Unfortunately, I drew a blank, but did come across this slime mould, which I think is Mucilago crustacea, delightfully referred to in some places as Dog Sick/Vomit Slime Mould! Slime moulds are fascinating things. This is what the Royal Horticultural Society says about them:

‘Slime moulds do not attack plants, but obtain their food by engulfing bacteria, fungal spores and other tiny pieces of organic material as they move. Some slime moulds spend most of their life as single-celled, amoeba-like structures, invisible to the naked eye. Others form a larger structure called a plasmodium. The plasmodium constantly changes its shape as it creeps along, and is sometimes seen as a white or yellow (but sometimes other colours) slimy ‘sheet’, or a network of strands, on the soil, grass or stems and lower branches of plants.

Slime moulds are triggered into spore production by environmental conditions. Depletion of nutrients is a common trigger. The spore-producing structures may develop throughout the year, but are found most commonly in late summer and autumn. The spores of many slime moulds are extremely resilient and can survive for many years before germinating.’

Golden Hill Country Park

2011-12-02T19:30:00.001Z

I came across this confiding Great-spotted Woodpecker at Golden Hill Country Park, Freshwater, this morning. You can see how well adapted he is for the job (the red patch behind the head indicates that this is a male). The two-forrard and two-aft facing toes give a great grip, even upside down, whilst the stiff tail steadies the ship! And that beak can do a lot of damage. Then there’s the tongue…I did read somewhere that it is an amazing 14cm long, its sticky saliva and bristles preventing any grubs or other invertebrates from escaping. In fact, you’ve got to feel a wee bit sorry for any grubs this individual comes across. After all, it’s a pretty mean machine!

Afton Marsh SSSI

2011-11-12T17:31:00.010Z

Lots of bird stuff has featured on the Blog over the last few weeks, so I thought I’d try to get my first glimpse of the local Water Voles on what turned out to be a beautiful warm, sunny day.

At Afton Marsh it didn’t take long to find a number of signs indicative of an active Water Vole population.

This photo shows the most interesting feature - a closer view provides the detail:

It's a feeding platform that is obviously well used. You can see how the Reedmace has been chewed right to the ground on the right and, to the left, you can see several fresh droppings.

I followed the trail of an obvious run close to the water’s edge and came across these droppings…

…and these short pieces of Water Vole-chewed Sedge close by.

At the far end of this open stretch of water was a small stand of vegetation in the middle of the channel….

…..again, obviously a favoured food supply!!

All in all, I spent several hours leaning against an Alder tree overlooking the feeding platform, but this was the only visitor!

And when I got home this Black Redstart flew over my head as I parked the car. So, even more avian video, I guess, but I’m determined to catch up with a local Water Vole soon – and the signs are looking good!!

Peregrine Falcon @ West High Down

2011-11-05T12:29:00.004Z

During my walks on West High Down I’m very fortunate in seeing a Peregrine Falcon or two at about the same frequency that Mario Balotelli scores goals per game for Manchester City, i.e., pretty regularly!!
This bird was sitting on one of its favourite spots at the top of the chalk cliffs half-way along West High Down. Earlier, I had spent ten minutes watching another bird bullying the local Ravens, gaining height and soaring before launching into a dive and ‘buzzing’ them time and again. I swear it was enjoying itself!!
Other highlights on a relatively quiet morning included 2 Isle of Wight ‘firsts’: a flyover Brambling and 2 diminutive Firecrests….brilliant!

A Stinkle in Colwell Bay!

2011-11-02T13:05:00.001Z

This confiding Rock Pipit at Colwell Bay first thing this morning shows all of the classic plumage features which set it apart from its cousin, the Meadow Pipit. For a start off, it’s a much sturdier bird and the large bill is particularly noticeable at this range. It’s a much darker bird overall, with its dark back, smudgy breast and flank spots, all supported by two black legs!
In some parts of the country the Rock Pipit is known as the Shore Sparrow. And, if you happen to be drinking a cup of coffee by the shore on Fair Isle and hear a local say, “There’s a stinkle, here”, chances are they’re not dissing the establishment but pointing out one of these birds to an interested party!! 

West High Down - November 1st

2011-11-01T17:29:00.002Z

This morning I had my first opportunity for a while to walk over West High Down…and a glorious morning it was – is it really November??!
There were 2 Black Redstarts at The Needles Battery, including this male perched on one of the interpretation boards. I hadn’t realised that it was only following the devastation of the Second World War that this, originally rocky mountain inhabitant, continued its expansion through north-western Europe and began nesting in London’s new rocky habitat, conveniently sculpted by the Luftwaffe! The first nesting record for Britain was in 1845 but it was as a ‘bomb-site bird’ that the population really began to flourish, giving it the impetus that has led to the establishment of some hundred pairs or so in the south-east today.
West High Down itself was quite quiet apart from a few Wheatears and the odd Stonechat, so I was really pleased to come across my first island Short-eared Owl in the eastern –gorse-dominated – area.

Magic!! Owls always are!

Fox Moth Caterpillar

2011-10-17T16:42:00.002+01:00

During walks over West High Down in recent days I have come across a number of these large caterpillars making their way across the short grass or, in this case, across the tarmac of the adjacent road.

They’re the larvae of the Fox Moth or, as they call it in France, Le Bombyx de la Ronce! These caterpillars are big and hairy. I was hesitant to handle it for fear of the hairs having irritant qualities and causing a rash, but it turns out that I needn’t have worried and I’m informed that I can let the next Bombyx de la Ronce that I come across crawl up my arm!

They are members of the Eggar family of moths and the male Fox Moths are regularly seen during the day, too, but the females prefer the twilight hours.

I imagine the ones moving about at the moment are gorging themselves on bramble and the like before searching out for some cosy leaf litter in which to pupate and wait for the Spring.

Ring Ouzel-fest!

2011-10-14T11:38:00.007+01:00

An early morning walk to the Needles and over West High Down came up trumps when I came across at least 9 Ring Ouzels, probably 10. Other birds of note included a beautiful Peregrine Falcon, a number of Wheatears & a Dartford Warbler. At Station Pond, Yarmouth, a single male Bearded Tit was spotted (there were 9 of these seen yesterday, too!). I've uploaded a bit of video of the Ring Ouzels:

A Ring Ouzel study group has been set up because of the decline of this species. On their website - here - they publish some interesting facts:

Ring ouzels were once (still are?) called Michaelmas thrushes on the Isle of Portland (Dorset) on account of their arriving during early late September - October on their southward migration. The great naturalist of the 18th century, Gilbert White of Selborne, also referred to ouzels arriving at Michaelmas.

An old Scots name for the bird is aiten chackart (ie chat of the juniper; aitionn = Gaelic for juniper; chackart = Scots for chacking bird).
750+ migrating ring ouzels were counted in just over 2 hours at Margate, Kent in Autumn 1998.

Ring ouzels generally nest in trees on the continent, whereas they generally don’t in Britain, preferring to nest under heather or bracken instead.

Although earthworms usually make up the bulk of their diet in spring and summer, they feed largely on juniper berries in winter.

Very occasionally, individual ring ouzels have been known to spend the winter in Britain.

Ring ouzels are now extinct as a breeding species in Galloway (south-west Scotland), whereas that region was a stronghold for them up until the late 1980s.

There are three races of ring ouzel, varying in the extent of white fringes to the (black/dark brown) body feathers. Britain and Fennoscandia have the nominate race torquatus which has the least white; race alpestris of continental Europe have more extensive white fringes on the body and flight feathers, whilst race amicorum of southern Turkey, Turkmenia and northern Iran, has a larger white crescent and even more extensive white fringes to the feathers than the latter.

West High Down specials

2011-09-27T09:56:00.005+01:00

Several people have asked me when I'm going to continue posting reports to this blog. It's been a crazy few weeks with little time to write anything up. I'm also changing the name again as I've now discovered another local website with almost the same name as 'Wild on the Wight'. So I'm going to call it simply, 'The Wild West'! A walk over West High Down this morning resulted in sightings of 2 special birds that made my heart leap.

Assuming it's the same one, this Wryneck has been around on West High Down for at least the last week or so, but I had only managed a brief view as it flew away before today when it 'performed' close by for a good 10 minutes or so. I think the Wryneck is one of the most amazing birds - in plumage, behaviour and reputation - but this once common bird is only usually encountered as a passage migrant in the early autumn nowadays.

Its Latin name is Jynx torquilla. 'Torquilla' means 'little twister' and refers to its ability to twist its head around like a snake. It's this characteristic, with the snake's association with fertility and eroticism in the ancient world, that led to the 'Jynx' part of the name. The relevant section in Birds Britannica makes for fascinating reading:
'In ancient Greece and Rome wrynecks were associated with fertility rites that involved a rotating wheel-like charm known as a Iynx. The bird was apparently spread crosswise in the wheel as it was spun, when the device was thought to have the power to charm a prospective partner or, according to one source, bring back an errant lover.
On the evidence of Greek mythology, the bird magic worked equally well for both sexes. Aphrodite, for instance, helped Jason win the heart of Medea at Colchis with the aid of a wryneck wheel, while the goddess Iynx worked a similar spell on Zeus so that he fell in love with a beautiful moon-goddess called Io. Unfortunately, Zeus' official consort, Hera, learnt of her husband's infatuation with Io and punished her rival by changing her into a white heifer, while the spell-casting Iynx was herself transformed into nothing less than a wryneck.'

Hmmm, there were several heifers in the field behind the wryneck! :-)

I was also pleased to catch up with this bird - a male Ring Ouzel or the Merlo-de-peito-branco as it is delightfully called in Portugal! This is the 'Blackbird of the mountains' and is on its way south to southern Spain or northwest Africa to spend the winter. Sadly, this species has been very much in decline, too, over the last 5 decades or so, which makes every sighting special. They're normally very shy and flighty, but this one flew into an Elder tree just a few metres away from me! By the way, if you're wondering where all of the Chiff Chaffs have gone, they're all here!!

Brook Plant Walk

2011-08-20T20:10:00.006+01:00

Yesterday evening we watched a couple of Red Fox cubs on our front lawn enjoying the peanuts, sultanas and jam sandwiches that we had left out for them. They were followed by a very lively Badger that hoovered up the remains.

And, then, this morning we went on a walk brilliantly led by Irene looking at some of the plants found along the coastline close to the village of Brook. The photo above gives some idea of the variety of plants that are flowering at the moment.

We came across a swathe of Hop plants and I was surprised to learn that the Isle of Wight was the fifth largest producer of hops in the mid-1850s. One reference I came across informs us that, ‘

The Royal Navy who had a huge presence in Portsmouth had a far more liberal attitude to alcohol than these days and needed to make sure that their sailors had enough beer to drink. Although the agricultural land in Hampshire is fine for malting barley its shallow chalky soil is not suitable for hops. The agricultural land on the Isle of Wight, particularly in the Arreton Valley, on the other hand was perfect. Sadly the navy’s disapproval of drunken sailors and the import of cheaper foreign hops made hop production unviable and the practice died out.’

There are a lot of big Burdock plants around at the moment. Irene is from Scotland and delighted in telling us the story of the Burry Man who, about this time each year, makes his way through South Queensferry in Scotland preceded by a boy ringing a bell.

He’s actually covered with thousands of Burdock burrs. The origins of the Burry Man are shrouded in mystery but the tradition nowadays is that he drinks a glass of whiskey with a straw at each of the pubs on his route….and a toilet stop is not an option.

The Edinburgh City Museum writes: “The task of being Burry Man is extremely demanding, requiring stamina, a strong bladder, an indifference to the discomfort caused by more penetrative burrs, and a conviction that this custom should not die out.”

Fascinating! :-)

Golden Ridge Moths

2011-08-15T10:04:00.008+01:00

With our Bedfordshire Moth Recorders, Andy & Melissa, encouraging me on Facebook to get the moth trap out, I thought it was about time I gave it a go and so set up the trap in the back garden yesterday evening. There weren't many specimens in the trap this morning, but it did include two Nationally Scarce B moths (recorded from 31-100 of the UKs 10km squares since 1980), though I'm assuming both are pretty common in this area.

This is the Jersey Tiger (I will endeavour to get a better photo in the future). It looks even more dramatic when it flies with its orange-red underwings. It's the 3rd one I've seen over the last few weeks as it frequently flies during the day and is present on the Golden Ridge Country Park. I've seen them in France before, but it's great to see them in the UK.

And this is the micro-moth Madder Pearl (Mecyna asinalis), named after its Wild Madder foodplant.

The other species present were 4 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, a Square-spot Rustic, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, a Rustic, a beautiful Willow Beauty and this one which, being out of practise, has confused me. It looks like one of the Brocades but I'm hoping Melissa will be able to identify it for me:

Update:
Thanks to Melissa, and Bill in the comments section, who have kindly informed me that this is a Cabbage Moth. I've got a feeling that this one has confused me in the past...and I've got a feeling that I'll be needing further help in the future!! :-)

Butties & Birdies!

2011-08-09T21:47:00.006+01:00

Over the last week we’ve continued unpacking boxes and settling down into our new home. I’ve not had the opportunity to get out much, but today I spent nearly 2 hours wandering around Parkhurst Forest while Carole was in Newport. I didn’t see any Red Squirrels, but I did come across this worn Silver-washed Fritillary in a clearing full of Hemp Agrimony. It was also good for hoverflies, with 15 species, including Xylota tarda, Seromyia silentis & two tiny species: Paragus haemorrhous and the relatively rare southern hoverfly Pelecocera tricincta.

Back in Freshwater, I walked back from The Coop via The Causeway and was surprised to come across a flock of 43 Black-tailed Godwits just over 10m away from the road. I couldn’t believe how close these birds allowed me, several cyclists and a large group of horse riders without taking flight. Indeed they seemed totally at ease in our presence and fed constantly! I tried taking a bit of video footage with the new camera and was pleased with the result (the other 2 photos are taken with the same equipment):

We've arrived!!!

2011-08-05T08:40:00.010+01:00

A few days ago we finally arrived at our new home in Freshwater on the far western side of the Isle of Wight. I've already been assured by a number of people that 'the West is best and everyone else can keep the rest'!! Of course, I can't speak from experience, and the last thing I would want to do is upset anyone who is fortunate to live anywhere on this beautiful island, but the West Wight does tend to be less 'touristy' than other areas and there's some beautiful countryside that I'm really looking forward to exploring once we get unpacked and the house is a bit straighter.

The Common Toad pictured above was found under some bramble close to our garage...it's one of the biggest that I've seen for a long time and not a bad specimen for my first Isle of Wight amphibian!

This is a map of the Isle of Wight - if you click on the picture you will get a larger version...and you can see what I mean when I say that Freshwater is in the west!

And here is an aerial photo of The Needles which is just down the road from us. Freshwater is a part of the village you can just make out in the distance.

This blog will now become an account of what I begin to find around me, and I'm sure it's going to include many pleasant surprises. I'm told that there are no deer on the Isle of Wight (the New Forest on the other side of the Solent makes up for that!); there are no American Mink...which makes for a flourishing Water Vole population; and, likewise, the absence of Grey Squirrels makes for a thriving population of Red Squirrels!

I have one problem which I'd appreciate help on...what am I going to call this blog now? I was going to call it 'Wight Wild', but there's another website called 'Wight Wild SOS'. I'm a bit stuck so any suggestions will be gratefully received!!

Flitwick Moor & Maulden Wood

2011-07-21T17:44:00.005+01:00

Last week I spent a great day in the company of Jason, Alan & John, focusing on the invertebrates of Flitwick Moor in the morning and Maulden Wood in the afternoon.

We found all kinds of stuff through the day but this was my favourite fly, the Square-spot Deerfly, Chrysops viduatus. Before now I have only ever come across the Twin-lobed Deerfly, Chrysops relictus, in Bedfordshire. The names refer to the shape of the black mark on the top of the abdomen. Identification cannot be confined to this marking alone, but the wing markings help to confirm that it is, indeed, C. viduatus. I’ve got a healthy fear of these Deerflies, the females of which can give a painful bite, usually on the back of the neck.

I’ve shown a photo similar to this in the past. These hats appear to be remarkably effective in Deerfly areas!!

A ghostly Squirrel & a muggle Polecat!

2011-07-13T15:59:00.011+01:00

Many thanks to Dennis for these photos of an albino Grey Squirrel that is running around in Station Road, Ampthill, at the moment.

I love the photo which shows the contrast with the accompanying Grey Squirrel and Blackbird!

On Friday the last episode of the Harry Potter franchise is released. Will Voldemort and his 'pure bloods' triumph over those inferior wizards with muggle ancestry? I found this Polecat earlier today close to the Stewartby turn, and I'm not sure whether it's a pure-blood Polecat or a muggle Polecat-Ferret! There seems to be a few too many pair hairs on the facial pelage, and I need someone more skilled than myself to have a look.

During the Vincent Trust’s Polecat Survey of England, Scotland & Wales (2004-2006) road traffic casualties comprised the majority of the 1,273 records and, of those, 86.2% were verified as true Polecats. Here in Bedfordshire the majority of our records follow this trend. I’m going to let Richard, our County Mammal Recorder, make the call on this one! You can contrast some of the features on the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s downloadable resource here.

Update.
Having looked at the side profile, it was reckoned that the pale appearance may well be down to the Polecat beginning to come into its winter coat, even at this early stage. The front profile above, with the brown nasal mark extending right to the nose suggests that this is, indeed, a pure blood and not a muggle!

Bees Bee-ware!

2011-07-13T15:59:00.009+01:00

These two flies are both members of the Conopidae or Thick-headed Fly family. They were photographed near the Oasis Swimming Pool in Bedford last week.

Conopid flies are to our Bumblebees what Sparrowhawks are to our Sparrows! They perch on leaves and flowerheads waiting for their unsuspecting victims to alight and then, before you can say “Beware, Bumblebee, Beware” they fly alongside it and quickly deposit an egg inside the unfortunate victim using a razor-sharp needle-like ovipositor. The larva which hatches out consumes the Bee from the inside out, overwintering in the chitin husk. Gruesome, or what!!

This deep-red Conopid is Sicus ferrugineus, which is very common in this area. The head looks like it’s being blown up like a balloon!

And the wasp-like waist on this fly means that it is almost certainly Physocephalus rufipes.

Duck End Nature Reserve

2011-06-30T09:25:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I went out into the local countryside for the first time since getting back from our holiday in Canada & Alaska. I didn’t see any bears or whales, but an hour at Duck End Nature Reserve emphasized, once again, that there’s a jungle out there, wherever we may be. I have to say that I didn’t see many flies during our holiday but here’s a few from Duck End which is heaving with ‘em!!

This first one’s cheating a bit because it’s a Damselfly and not a true ‘fly’ at all. But I had to include it because I was really pleased with the photo. It’s an Emerald Damselfly. This species seems to me to be going through a real increase in numbers, and no more so than at Duck End where it was relatively uncommon until a mini-population explosion over the past few seasons. I love the metallic green colours and the way in which it holds its wings out like the larger dragonflies.

And here’s another stunner – the generally scarce wasp-mimic, Chrysotoxum verralli Hoverfly, the only record for Bedfordshire so far this year. Mr Verralli seems to have lent his name to a number of species: the flies Aphantorhaphopsis verralli, Brevicornu verralli & Thaumalea verralli, the scuttle-fly Megaselia verralli, the midge Tanytarsus verralli, the cranefly Ephelia verralli, a horsefly Tabanus verralli…the list seems to go on and on!

At this point I decided to do an internet search to find out something about this character whose name I mention regularly! It turns out that Wikipedia have an article about George Henry Verrall, who was born in 1848. I was reminded about the famous song which begins, “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly…” Several verses later it concludes, “I know an old lady who swallowed a horse, she’s alive and well of course.” For George it was the other way around: he started with horses and ended with flies! To cut a long story short he became Clerk of the Course at some of the most prestigious race meetings, eventually moving to that horse-racing Mecca, Newmarket. To be fair, his interest in flies developed alongside his proper job and, from 1866, he was over time a member, Secretary and then President of the Entomological Society. He and a colleague described some 900 species of Diptera! Alongside his entomological pursuits George was also a doughty politician and it appears that exhaustion from an election campaign led to his demise in September 1911, aged 64.

I shall never look at Chrysotoxum verralli in the same way again!

Here’s a fly that’s not named after George. It’s the tachinid fly, Thelaira nigripes. Thanks to Chris Raper for the identification. This is another photo that I was really pleased with (it’s a shame that the Chrysotoxum flew off before I could get anything more than the record shot above). It clearly brings out a number of the features of this tiny creature. You can see why George and others have fallen in love with flies…

….O.K., maybe I’m pushing it a bit there!! :)

Canadian Rockies & Alaska

2011-06-25T09:05:00.015+01:00

I’ve fallen in love again! My love for Carole hasn’t diminished at all, and it was our special celebration of 25 years of marriage that led directly to this fresh focus of loving attention: our recent trip to the Canadian Rockies and cruise up Canada & Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Allow me to share my experience of the mammals seen – some 26 species in 16 days.

The sightings began to rack up even as we travelled from Calgary Airport to Banff with Mountain Goat and a couple of Elk.

On our second day we travelled to a number of sites in the Banff National Park and it was at Johnson Canyon that we caught up with this Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. Two other members of the family were seen that day: Hoary Marmots were running around and whistling below us as we rode the Lake Louise Gondola, and a Columbian Ground Squirrel was later seen close to the impressive Bow River Falls in Banff.

There were several of these cheeky birds on the flying to and fro along the shoreline of the dramatic Lake Louise – Clark’s Nutcracker – but the most surprising sighting of the day occurred when, unseen by the crowds, a delightful Short-tailed Weasel hunted for prey in the ornamental plant beds!

The following morning I went out for an early morning walk, hoping to spot deer. Following a fruitless search in woodland just outside of the town, I came across this Mule Deer (named after its ears) in a small piece of woodland right next to our hotel. It was perfectly at ease in my presence, allowing me to take these photos from just a few metres away.

Later that afternoon, Carole and I went for a walk around the marshland alongside the Bow river. We watched the dramatic courtship of a male Rufous Hummingbird as a Wilson’s Snipe called from the marsh behind us. There were signs of Beaver, but the only mammal seen – and seen in abundance – was the delightful Red Squirrel. It was only later in the holiday that I learned of the common sightings of Pikas alongside the Vermillion Lakes on the other side of the River, which would have swayed the decision about where to walk that afternoon!

At the same time as we were on our walk, several people in our party had seen Black Bear during a trip along the famous Icefields Parkway, but my sighting had to wait until our trip across the Rockies to Vancouver on the Rocky Mountaineer train. I can’t begin to express how wonderful it is to spend 2 days travelling through the most amazing countryside and scenery. Soon after departing Banff we spotted two Elk wading through the waters of the Vermillion Lakes and I was fortunate to see a Snowshoe Hare next to the track, but the highlight was the Black Bear which I saw a few hours later as I was hanging out of the window. It was right next to the track, looked up at me, and gave me a wave before bounding into the forest! Later that day I also saw my first White-tailed Deer staring at the train from a forested hillside.

On the second day of the train journey we saw a number of Bighorn Sheep in the surprisingly arid wilderness west of Kamloops, Yellow-Bellied Marmots sunning themselves close to farmsteads, and a River Otter in the extensive lake system east of Vancouver. Another mustelid was added to the list thanks to the previous tenant of our hotel room who had forgotten to cancel the early morning alarm call! Wide awake, I decided to go for a walk in the wonderful Stanley Park. I was sat on some boulders close to a lake when the Red-winged Blackbirds suddenly called out in alarm and an American Mink suddenly appeared just a few metres away, running behind one of the stones and then launching itself into the water where it swam underwater to some reeds before surfacing. Later I saw it sprint alongside the far bank of the lake and into some scrub from which it didn’t reappear. It was good to see Mink where it belonged (and Canada Goose)! I was disappointed not to see any of the local Raccoons, but I have to say that I'm pleased that I didn't have the experience of one of our party who tried to feed one, was bitten, and had to be carted off to hospital for rabies jabs!

And here’s something else where it belongs! Grey Squirrels in Stanley Park were numerous.

The mammal list was dramatically extended over the following week as we cruised the Inside Passage as far as Skagway. This breaching calf Humpback Whale was seen during a dramatic morning whale-watching out of Juneau. The mother seemed content to feed, but the youngster was obviously enjoying itself! I’m embarrassed by my photos, but I’ve got some great video!

We also came across this harem of Northern or Stellar's Sea Lions.

And then, as the Captain of the boat put it, we got the ‘Grand Slam’ when we came across this pod of Killer Whales. We were told that they appear about once a week in the area and are the resident community, ranging over some 50 or 60 square miles. Now and again smaller pods of transient Orcas will pass through. Whereas the resident Orcas feed on fish, transient Orcas will feed on just about everything else, including the Sea Lions! Later that morning, a friend managed to get some much better photos, so - with a big thankyou to Peter Kipling - here are a few of his photographs (We've both got some amazing video but I'm not able to download video to my computer - something I'm going to rectify):

During a visit to one of the glaciers up what is called the Tracey-Endicott Arm, we spotted a number of Harbour Seals on the ice floes, many of the mothers having gone their to give birth to their pups which could be seen rapidly putting on weight! I also spotted 3 Sea Otters in the distance from our cabin balcony at one point, but it really was the whales that remain in my mind from this trip.

I had spotted a lone Orca whilst sailing out of the Puget Sound from Seatttle, and managed to see a number of Humpbacks by patiently scanning the shoreline. The highlight of the trip was a 15 minute period whilst travelling down the Lynn Canal from Skagway. Carole and I were sitting on our balcony, our breath taken away by the dramatic mountains to the west. We were watching a couple of Humpback Whales feeding and spouting when, suddenly a pod of Orcas swam past! Carole was as excited as me. I told her that I just needed to see Dolphins now and, as I sat down, several Pacific White-Sided Dolphins suddenly appeared riding the ship’s waves just in front of our cabin – wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! A couple of Dall’s Porpoises also swam close by about a half hour later, their white-marked fins looking like they’d been dipped in a tin of paint!

I say that the whales were the highlight, but there was one more special event for me when, the following day I went on a one and a half hour fast-boat trip from Prince Rupert to the Khutzymateen Inlet. After a focused search, we finally came across a female Grizzly Bear and her two cubs grazing the Lyngby’s Sedge on the shoreline. She was quite nervous, and so we wisely kept our distance but, as I stood there watching them I knew in my heart that I would be coming back to this wonderful land someday soon!

UPDATE

2011-06-04T20:03:00.002+01:00

Several people have noted the distinct lack of postings in recent weeks.

No one has been more frustrated than me at my inability to get out into the field due to various responsibilities, but I'm sure it won't be long before that changes.

Carole and I are off to Canada tomorrow for a special holiday celebrating our joint-50th Birthdays and our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We'll be spending a few days in Banff before making our way through the Rocky Mountains on the famous Rocky Mountaineer train. This will be followed by a cruise up the western coast to Alaska...this is going to be a wonderful opportunity to see all kinds of new flora & fauna, though it's going to be strange to go on holiday without a carboot full of nets, traps, tubes and optical equipment!! I'm sure that there will be a lot of wild life at home, too, as the boys celebrate our absence!

When we get back we have just over a month before we move permanently to Freshwater on the west side of the Isle of Wight. This will be a great opportunity to explore the wildlife present in a new area of the UK...I'm really looking forward to catching up with the resident Red Squirrels!

There will probably be a few more posts before this blog becomes 'Wight Wild'. Thanks so much for your interest & encouragement!

Stephen.

Duck End Nature Reserve

2011-05-10T08:47:00.005+01:00

Late yesterday afternoon, Robin Boot and I had a wander around Duck End Nature Reserve to see what was around. Here are a few of Robin's photos....

Bedfordshire wood

2011-05-05T12:44:00.007+01:00

Carole and I will be moving to Freshwater on the western side of the Isle of Wight in August. With the island famously hosting at least 14 species of Britain’s bats I’m determined to hone my bat detector and identification skills over these intervening months. Last night, I joined four other members of the Bedfordshire Bat Group in a woodland survey which included the erection of two mist nets.

Even before we caught anything, the detectors revealed a good range of species. The Soprano Pipistrelles were the first bats on the wing, and we were able to watch them hawking down the rides. Over the next hour or so we picked up Brown Long-eared, Common Pipistrelle, a Noctule flying over the wood and a probable Brandt’s Bat flying past us. Bob also thought that he may have picked up a distant Barbastelle.

It was an hour or so later that the first of three bats flew into the mist net stretched across the woodland ride.

It’s a male Common Pipistrelle with its dark bandit-mask face. Blowing on the dorsal fur also revealed the dark base to the fur.

On this photo you can just make out the flap of skin behind the calcar (the strip of cartilage running from the inner side of the ankle), called the post-calcarial lobe. It’s a feature that is not present in the Myotis group of bats – Natterer’s, Daubenton’s, Whiskered & Brandt’s, one of which turned up in the net a short while later:

The features pointed straightaway to a female Brandt’s or Whiskered Bat. The way in which it ‘gaped’ is also a common feature of these species. But, in the end, it wasn’t possible to narrow it down more than that. In fact, one person has said that if you get a number of the characteristic features for each of these species in one individual, then you would be correct in your identification 95% of the time. It’s only possible to be 100% sure through DNA analysis! My photo is quite poor, but a better photo showing the upper jaw dentition revealed that the feature called the protocone on premolar 4 is longer than the small premolar 3, an indication pointing towards Brandt’s rather than Whiskered. The heart-shaped nose is a good indicator, too, but we're erring on the side of caution and putting this one down as Brandt's/Whiskered!

A short while before calling it a night we found this bat in the net. It was very lively female and several features indicated that it might well be a Soprano rather than a Common Pipistrelle. It wasn’t obviously one or the other and the only way we were going to confirm it was by listening to its echolocation calls as it flew out of the hand….it turned out to be another Common Pipistrelle!

On the way home we added to our evening’s list of mammals with Red Fox, Chinese Water Deer and Rabbit. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy these special evenings!

Steppingley Triangle

2011-04-25T09:59:00.002+01:00

The accounts of the last few weeks underline how few mammals I have seen during my travels compared to last year. It demonstrates how it often takes a bit of effort to see them.

Arriving back in Bedfordshire at 1.30am this morning after having taken my youngest son back to University in Canterbury, I decided to have a quick drive around the 'Steppingley Triangle' before going home. The results were:

1 Muntjac deer.
1 Red Fox.
2 Hedgehogs.
3 Fallow Deer...
...and loads of Rabbits!

Randall's Farm - more hoverflies

2011-04-23T13:43:00.006+01:00

Two more hoverflies from Randall's Farm:

Xylota segnis will often be seen sunbathing and running over logs or Bramble leaves. This one is favouring us with a view of the red patches on the tergites which are usually obscured by the folded wings.

Here, you can just make out the spines that are present at the top of the hind femur in the males.

A big black hoverfly with dark wings, especially if it happens to hold them in 'delta-wing' mode (not this one, though), is likely to be Cheilosia variabilis.

Randall's Farm

2011-04-22T13:13:00.012+01:00

A quick walk along the brookside vegetation at Randall's Farm yesterday was very productive.

This Blue-tailed Damselfly is yet another species that has appeared very early this year. I don't know whether any more have been recorded in Bedfordshire or wider afield, yet, but this must be one of the first.

This is the beautiful Brassica Shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea). There were good numbers in the tops of the Garlic Mustard plants. And they're obviously in the mood for love! There are two colour forms which were both present. This is the red-spotted form.

And this is the white-spotted form. I noticed today that all of the breeding pairs were composed of red-spot with red-spot, and white-spot with white-spot. Is this always the case? And, if so, does this indicate that the two forms are on the way to becoming two separate species??

Update: I've just found 2 photos of the different forms mating with one another on the British bug id website here. So that puts paid to that rumour! :) Sheila Brooke sent me this quote from Roger Hawkins' 'Shieldbugs of Surrey': 'the colours are partly but by no means wholly linked to the sex and age of the insect.' He also says that when mating pairs were looked at the red-spotted ones were mostly female and the white-spotted mostly male. Fascinating!

A few years ago I was fortunate in recording the first of these bugs to be found in Bedfordshire. It's Corizus hyoscyami. They were in the process of spreading inland from the coast....and Bedfordshire is about as far from the coast as you can get. This poor photo shows that they are continuing to do well!!

Home

2011-04-21T09:51:00.007+01:00

As the weather hots up, so does the moth season! Here are a few from the trap last night....

Early Grey...I wonder if we will get any eggs on the Honeysuckle in our garden, the caterpillar's foodplant?

Clouded drab....with that deep maroon hue, I don't think that it's drab at all!

I love this moth. It's the Lunar Marbled Brown, 'lunar' referring to the crescent moon shapes on the wing. The caterpillars feed on oak.

And here are two colour variations of the Shuttle-shaped Dart. They are also named after a shape on the wing, in this case the narrow oval shape on the wings which reminded the person who named it of a weaver's shuttle.

Last, but not least, the Cockchafer season has begun. It can be quite scarey examining the moth trap at night when these blighters are around. They are the Kamikaze insects of the night world, setting their sights on the light, and honing in with unerring accuracy. There is a last minute drone before they crash into the trap....or the person standing nearby, which can give you quite a shock!

Randall's Farm WLT

2011-04-16T09:26:00.005+01:00

A few more photos from yesterday's saunter along the Randall's Farm brook. A Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) flew past me and up into the top of a tree. A short while later I came across a number of Sloe Bugs (Dolycoris baccarum). It's sometimes called the Hairy Shieldbug - you can just see some of the long hairs on the abdomen in this photo.

This tiny Yellow Tail Moth caterpillar has emerged from its winter cocoon and is searching for food. I didn't handle it because the hairs can cause a serious rash!

Finally, a number of Nomada-type bees were flying around, including this species. The beautiful markings look pretty distinct, so I hope someone will be able to help me with the id.

Randall's Farm WLT

2011-04-15T17:26:00.002+01:00

I popped into Randall's Farm this afternoon to see what hoverflies were around....quite a few species as it turns out, but the best sighting was my first dragonfly of the year, a male Hairy Dragonfly perched on Garlic Mustard. This is a very early date for this species, so it's worth a photo, even though it's a bit blurred!

Hoverfly surprise

2011-04-13T17:54:00.005+01:00

You may remember this photo of an unknown Hoverfly pupa - one of four - found during a search for Callicera aurata pupae with John O'Sullivan & Joan Childs a few weeks ago.

Well, John informs us that two of these beauties have now emerged. It's Criorhina floccosa, not a species you see every day. This photo - credited to Walwyn's Photostream on Flickr - shows a male. A male and female have emerged so far with 2 pupae yet to reveal their hidden secrets.

Emergence of 4 Emperors

2011-04-11T22:40:00.007+01:00

I've been expecting my Emperor Moths to emerge for the last few days. I even took them with me to the Isle of Wight at the weekend!! At lunchtime today I was overjoyed to find a newly emerged female Emperor Moth in the tank. I took it outside and placed it on a plant stem as it spent the next hour or so pumping out its wings and getting used to its new existence. It was soon joined by an emerging male.

I took the 2 moths up to Coopers Hill to see if I could attract any males to the female who was, no doubt, pumping out a cocktail of pheromones. There was no response over the next hour or so, which may have had something to do with the strong wind...but it was fascinating watching the pair of them.

I looked back down at the plastic tank to find that 2 more moths had suddenly appeared!!

And here are some of the silken cocoons from which the moths emerged. I shall have to keep my eye on these over the next few days....there's more to come yet!

Ampthill

2011-04-08T15:36:00.002+01:00

One of the things about moth traps is that they don't only catch moths! Yesterday evening this turned up. It's Nicrophorus humator, a species of Sexton Beetle, so-called because of the way in which pairs cooperate in burying a carcass before laying their eggs in a nearby tunnel. All of these beetles have orange markings on the wing cases except for this one which is totally black apart from the red tips to the clubbed antennae.

When burying a carcass the pair will sometimes cut off the limbs to make it easier...it's ironic that this individual is missing one of its lower legs!

The other thing about these beetles is that they are inevitably covered in Mites. The Mites hitching a ride on this individual ran out of sight as soon as I brought it out into the sunlight. It reminded me a bit of those scarey films where nameless horrors of the night scuttle away when the door is opened or the light is switched on!

Ampthill

2011-04-07T18:14:00.003+01:00

With the promise of a warm evening, I set the moth trap up last night and was chuffed today to find my first Herald moth for the garden. I've seen these beauties hibernating in ice houses during bat hibernation surveys, but this is the first time I've seen one close up. It's a beautiful creature. And I love its Latin name: Scoliopteryx libatrix - sounds like a character from Harry Potter! Look at those wings - it looks a bit out of place perched on the corner of an egg tray, but you'd walk right past it if it was in its usual daytime habitat amongst dead leaves!

Flitwick Moor

2011-03-31T21:51:00.009+01:00

One of the things I would like to do on this blog over the coming season is to share just how varied our Hoverfly fauna is, and what makes the species so fascinating.

A flowering Sallow in marshy ground on Flitwick Moor is an ideal habitat for Eristalis intricaria. I've never seen more than one at a time before but, over 20 minutes or so, I managed three separate individuals, plus another close by sunning itself on a south-facing silver birch trunk. Note the pale base of the rear femur ('thigh'). This is a really beautiful hoverfly - with its blend of colours: white, black and ginger. I'm hoping to find some of the other colour variants over the coming year, too.

When I netted one of the Eristalis intricaria specimens, I also found this individual which must have been out of sight on the far side of one of the Sallow flowers. It's Eristalis pertinax, a member of the same family (notice the obvious 'Eristalis-loop' wing vein in both of these specimens). In fact, I would describe it as E. pertinax var. yeti, on account of its hyper-hirsute appearance, a feature of the spring generation compared to those that will appear later. It really threw me for a moment and I thought I'd better double-check with John, our erstwhile Hoverfly Recorder. The pale front tarsi (feet!) clinch it. There will be lots of these over the coming months!

And now it begins.......

2011-03-30T16:11:00.001+01:00

First hoverfly of the year: Eupeodes luniger.

Duck End Nature Reserve

2011-03-29T09:48:00.006+01:00

At 8.30pm this evening, I decided to visit Duck End Nature Reserve in Maulden to survey for Great Crested Newts. One was reported last year so we need to establish whether there is a breeding colony here, and one of the best ways of doing that is by 'torching' likely water bodies when darkness has fallen.

I spent the next hour and a half slowly walking around the Reserve and shining a lamp into the ponds. A pair of Muntjac watched me, bemused!

I found Common Toads in each of the ponds where good numbers of egg strings could be seen.

I finally found a small colony of Smooth Newts in what we call Pond 3. A dozen or so were swimming around in the 'Sallow Corner'. I only saw one definite male, though some were outside of the circle of light and, although they looked like females, may have been males, which can take several weeks to develop their full breeding characteristics after entering the water. I fished out the female above for a better look.

I shall be surveying a few other ponds over the next few weeks....watch this space!

The Hare & the Tortoise!

2011-03-24T18:41:00.005Z

Here's the Hare:

These photos of a Green Tiger Beetle were taken at Cooper’s Hill Nature Reserve late this afternoon. I found it really difficult to get a decent shot, not least because of the frenzied nature of these beasts (plus the fact that I’m a bad photographer, of course!).

Look at those purple legs and eyes, which really contrast with the creamy yellow wing case spots and the fiercesome jaws!

This voracious predator sprints after prey, overpowering the likes of grasshoppers, flies & caterpillars before slicing them apart with its mandibles. In fact, ‘tiger’ seems a very apt name!

And this is the Tortoise:

A snail. But not any old snail. This is a snail with a fast-growing reputation. This morning, it went first class via the Post Office to Peter Topley, our local Mollusc Recorder, for confirmation but we think it’s the Girdled Snail (Hygromia cinctella) which is making its way across the UK…..slowly!....after first being spotted in Devon in 1950. It’s a Mediterranean species and probably arrived via imported garden plants.

The interesting story behind this specimen is that I found it in my back garden on Wednesday, the day after Peter had told those present at the Bedfordshire Natural History Society’s AGM to be on the lookout for it, having found one himself!

Woodland search

2011-03-17T19:13:00.007Z

I spent a few hours this morning in the company of John O’Sullivan & Joan Childs. We were searching a local wood for the larvae of the rare hoverfly Callicera spinolae. Over the last few years, John has spotted adults nectaring on Ivy flowers in the Autumn. The larvae develop in the rot holes of trees like Maple and Ash, and so we arrived armed with spoons, ladles, ice-cream boxes, pale sheets….and a ladder!

As we made our way to our starting point we had a couple of views of a Fallow Deer. A little while later we also put up three Woodcocks from under our feet.

John began to scrape out the contents of a rot-hole and was taken aback to suddenly find a queen Hornet staring back at him. We were surprised to find her in a situation like this!

A little while later we were rewarded with our first Hoverfly pupa. There were 4 together and John has taken them home to breed them out.

Joan then found a rotted stump with a soup of water and detritus inside. John & Joan ladled out the contents and found a large number of hoverfly larvae:

These are Rat-tailed Maggots, the larvae of one of the Eristalis species of Hoverfly. A number of them were bagged up so that they could be bred through, too!

We never did find the larvae that we were looking for, but it made for a great morning in the fresh air! Oh, and we never did use the ladder!

UPDATE: The first pupae turned out to be the uncommon hoverfly, Criorhina floccosa, whilst the Rat-tailed Maggots emerged as Myathropa florea.

Dreaming of the spring!

2011-03-04T16:46:00.008Z

It's been a really tough day today and, being stuck in studying while the sun has been shining, hasn't helped....but I've just answered a knocking at the door to a Fex Ex parcel and my new Batbox Duet bat detector. Carole insists that I save up for things, and I've been saving for this over the past 5 months, so there's Birthday money, Christmas money & pocket money all invested in this...exciting or what! And they've even put a battery in it so that I can look at the dial and listen to the interference as I dream of Pipistrelles chattering and Noctules chopping!

I've also been preparing for the new season by leafing through Bats of Britain, Europe & Northwest Africa, by Dietz, Helversen & Nill. I can't begin to tell you just how good this book is. It covers all of the 51 bat species of the region with flowing text alongside one superb image after another from beginning to end. The chapters covering topics like echolocation, foraging and feeding behaviour, hibernation and population ecology are also worth their weight in gold. I can't wait for the warmer evenings!

Owl Pellets

2011-03-01T13:16:00.006Z

Recently I soaked 7 Barn Owl Pellets from a barn in Maulden and separated out the bones. The plastic paint tray from Staples (£1.49!) is ideal for separating out the contents of the pellets. I can see an assortment of Vole, Mouse & Shrew skulls amidst the bones. I'll try to find time to identify them to species over the next week or so. The pellets on the right are a few of a pile of Tawny Owl pellets that I have yet to sort out!

Whilst sorting out the Barn Owl pellets, this little moth suddenly fluttered out of the bag. I would need to confirm this, but I think that it may be the Skin Moth, Monopis laevigella, which is one of several members of a family that feed on owl pellets, dead animals and the detritus in birds' nests. Although the adults normally fly through the summer, keeping the pellets in my study over the winter may have confused this one!

[Update: Thanks to Skev who has pointed me in the direction of the Case-bearing Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella) which seems to fit the photo and which has been found in owl pellets (see Skev's comments). I should get a confirmation from our Micro-Moth Recorder in due course]

Stoat story!

2011-02-24T23:01:00.001Z

If, like me, you're fascinated by Stoats, check out this amazing photo sequence!

Steppingley area

2011-02-24T20:35:00.015Z

With temperatures rising and a mild evening promised, I’ve just put the moth trap out for the first time this year. Here’s two I caught earlier in a wood near Steppingley:

I think that this may well be the micro-moth, Tortricodes alternella, which can be abundant in woods this time of year.

And this one conveniently flew past my nose: Acleris notana.

I checked out the Badger sett in the wood. This entrance had the feather remains of a Wood Pigeon directly above it. If it is a Badger, rather than a Red Fox, that has consumed it, I assume the rest of the bird has been eaten or else dragged down into the depths! Birds are well-known features of Badger diets, though at a very low ratio compared to other food. Remains found tend to comprise the chicks of ground-nesting birds. I assume this Wood Pigeon was carrion!

This is the main part of the sett. There’s been a lot of digging going on since I was last here.

The tree above this entrance has been so undermined that it wouldn’t surprise me if it keeled over on a windy night. The old entrance is to the far right of the trench. You can't see it on the photo, but a new entrance has been made right under the main trunk, and the soil is already subsiding on the far side!

There’s been a lot of digging going on in the new entrance on the left-hand side, too. This large flint is on the entrance floor.

There were further broken shards of flint on the ground directly above which look like they’ve been deliberately broken apart. Would this be the result of some form of play?

It looks like they’ve been eating well, though, as this latrine close by shows!

I followed the line of a brook within the wood and found two places where the Fallow Deer cross from one side to the other. You can just make out the slots in the wet mud in this photograph. I’m tempted to come here early one morning soon and see if I can see them.

And, last but not least, a beautiful spider. The features all seem to fit the Green Crab Spider (Diaea dorsata). The brown spots on the legs and distinctive palps (not seen well on this photo) would make it a male. I swept it from the branch of a conifer, which is one of its habitats according to the book!

Snake in the grass!

2011-02-09T18:46:00.010Z

Hearing from Sue & Liz about the appearance of an Adder in the Maulden area yesterday, I used my lunchtime to have a look for myself. This is an extremely early record, even given the strong sunshine. The head was still sandy following its emergence from the nearby hibernaculum. I reckon it's a good-sized male. Male Adders usually emerge a while before the females and spend their time basking in the sunshine so that the sperm can develop, but I reckon this one has probably gone back to ground following today's much cooler temperatures!

Here's a close-up of the head. The patterns really are quite amazing when you see them close up. The eye appears to be very sunken.

There were Seven-spotted Ladybirds everywhere. It was only when I cropped this photograph that I noticed the Wolf Spider. Is it hoping for a meal, or enjoying the warmth generated by the Ladybirds?

I love seeing the Hazel catkins and watching the clouds of yellow pollen disperse in the wind. But it's easy to miss the tiny little female flowers on the twigs.

On the top of this stump by Tom's Pond there were the remains of several Red Fox scats. I've seen scats left on stumps like this several times before.

Badger Group Survey

2011-01-16T23:38:00.009Z

Yesterday morning, the Bedfordshire Badger Group conducted a survey of some woodland in the west of the County in order to establish whether Badgers are present. We split up into 3 teams and fanned out into the surrounding area.

Barbed wire fences are always worth a look to see what’s been passing underneath. This fence was between the woodland area and an old pasture…so I wasn’t surprised to come across this Badger hair on one of the lower strands.

As I was examining the hair, the other members of the team searching the woodland directly behind me came across a well-established sett with at least 7 entrances in use….result!

This is my favourite photograph of the day – the white object is a golf ball, just to the left of a several latrines. Badgers will bring objects back to the sett – I can just imagine last year’s cubs having fun playing with this!

The state of this log is most likely the result of Badgers ripping it apart in their search for grubs and other invertebrates. Another fallen log close by had a number of scratch marks on its surface.

Rabbits and Grey Squirrels were also seen during the survey, together with several Red Fox scats. And here’s something to look out for – a small, almost square leafless area amongst the leaves where a Muntjac has been scent-marking. It’s difficult to see in the photograph, but two trails could be made out leading from this patch to either side of the silver birch tree and through the wire fence to the deep cover on the other side.

Pine Martens are heading our way!

2011-01-14T19:16:00.008Z

I’d really hoped to get out a bit more this week but, in the event, it has not been possible. I did manage to watch a few episodes of the BBC’s Lost Land Of The Jaguar, though, which I missed first time round. The team spend their time searching for flora & fauna in the pristine wilderness of Guyana’s tropical rainforest. In the final episode, Steve Backshall climbs the vertical rock face of Mount Epuigma to explore the wildlife at the summit. One of his discoveries is a tantalising set of footprints belonging to some kind of mustelid, probably new to science.

[Photo credit: Nature Library]

Exciting stuff….and I guess that Kevin O’Hara, the Conservation Officer of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, must have got similar goosebumps when, last year, he found a Pine Marten scat on a den box in the Kidland Forest. Although there has been a lot of anecdotal evidence, it’s the first confirmed evidence of Pine Martens in England for a long time! Kevin said, “This is the holy grail for myself and many others!”

I remember a magical evening spent watching a female with two young kits at the Speyside Hide near Aviemore. The short video clip above is someone elses experience at the same location. But what would I give to see Pine Martens in Bedfordshire! Maybe it will happen one day as they slowly spread south (and east following the discovery of similar evidence in Wales a few years ago!). A few decades ago, who would have thought that Polecats would ever be seen in the County again, but now they're relatively common once more!

They used to be present, of course. Recently, we became aware of a copy of The Victoria History of the County of Bedfordshire online, via Cornell University in the United States! It was published in 1904, and below is the fascinating account of Pine Martens found there:

During the early years of the (19th century) the pine marten was still in evidence in our county, but was more particularly confined to the larger woodlands. A rapid extermination must have however followed soon afterwards, as records of a more recent date seem entirely absent, and at the present time I do not suppose there is anyone living who has any local knowledge of the marten except from hearsay. Davis, in his History of Luton (1855), refers to it as ‘rare,’ and in his second edition (1874), ‘almost extinct,’ whereas there seems little doubt that it had been exterminated even long before his first edition. Mr A. Covington remarks that he has heard his uncle speak of having occasionally obtained it around his home in Bolnhurst, and his mother when a girl had a cape made of marten cat skins and a muff of polecat skins. The animals had been caught by her father and brother in the locality. The last two that he ever heard of were one trapped in a fir tree at Sandy, and of more recent date one seen by a Mr Ruff. It had been trapped at Keysoe Wood (then of far greater acreage than now) and suspended to a hazel in one of the ridings. He also adds that keepers generally used to sell the skins of both these and polecats to the furriers. In a conversation I had some years ago with an old keeper, named Franklin, he assured me his father once killed a marten cat at Haynes about 1840, and he had heard of it being obtained at Wootten. In the Field (1859) is to be found an interesting account of the capture in Odell Wood of a pine marten and four kittens by an old gamekeeper in about the year 1819. The old cat brought up the kittens successfully in confinement, and although the mother was never tamed the young became as docile as domestic cats.

Stunning webcam

2011-01-07T11:20:00.010Z

If it's dark outside and you'd like to do a bit of wildlife watching from the comfort of your armchair, and with your computer warming your lap, can I recommend you try two of the streaming webcams at http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/6122

The site is a wood in Estonia. Last night on Forest Camera 2 I watched a large group of Wild Boar feeding. It's fascinating to watch the relationships between the animals.

Forest Camera 1 was even better. When I first looked, there was a Roe Deer feeding in the clearing. A little later a group of 6 Wild Boar were foraging, now and again chasing away a group of Raccoon Dogs that were gathering in the background. A little later on, 7 Raccoon Dogs were hoovering up what had been left by the Wild Boar and they, in turn, were making sure that a Red Fox didn't get any of the spoils!

Fascinating - Wild Boar, Roe Deer, Racoon Dog & Red Fox, and all from the comfort of home!

Have a look and let me know how you get on!

Steppingley - alien creature!

2011-01-06T21:49:00.004Z

This strange creature is the result of me trying to get a photo of a Chinese Water Deer near Steppingley in the early hours of this morning from inside the car. I promise you that there is only one and not a herd! I can't use the flash setting. What kind of settings should I be thinking about in order to get a half-decent photo? Or should I just give up? Any help gratefully accepted!

Steppingley-Eversholt Triangle

2011-01-06T15:43:00.003Z

Yesterday evening was one of those crazy nights when I finally stopped working after 3.30am. I was then left in a dilemma: should I go to bed and risk waking Carole up or not. You have to understand that, when Carole rises from her deep slumber, she sits up, looks at the clock and then wonders why she can't get back to sleep again! So, there was no dilemma really. I put some warmer clothes on, crept silently down the path and got the car out from the garage as quietly as possible.

It was just after 4am and, for the next hour, I drove up and down the deserted country lanes in what I call the Steppingley-Eversholt Triangle. There were rabbits everywhere, scampering across the road in front of the car and leaping head first into the hedges. I was looking out for deer, though, and my first sighting didn't disappoint - a Roe Deer in the field between Flitwick Wood & Steppingley. Roe Deer have only started to colonize Bedfordshire in recent years and remain relatively scarce, so this was a great record. When I slowed down it bounded off into the distance.

Over the next hour I had the following sightings:
Kingshoe Wood verge - Muntjac.
Eversholt Village - Chinese Water Deer.
Eversholt Village - Male and female Muntjac browsing together.
Woburn Abbey wall - Muntjac.
Eversholt Lake entrance - Muntjac.
Milton Bryan East - Muntjac.
Milton Bryan West - Muntjac.
Road parallel to M1 - Chinese Water Deer (very comfortable in the car headlights).
Back road to Steppingley - Chinese Water Deer.

That's 7 Muntjac, 3 Chinese Water Deer & 1 Roe Deer during a relatively brief drive in a limited area. I wonder how many there are in total?

There were also a number of moths flying around (almost certainly Winter & November Moths), and 2 Barn Owls at Berry End. I wish I had a pair of military spec night vision binoculars...I wonder how much I would see then!

2010 - a special mammal year!

2011-01-06T08:00:00.018Z

2010 was the year in which I finally got to do something that I’ve been planning for some time – to attempt to see as many of Bedfordshire’s mammals as possible over the 12 month period. Here's a brief overview of just how it went.

The first mammal was never in doubt and, as expected, a number of Rabbits (1) were picked up in the car’s headlights on the way back from the Bedford Blues RFC’s New Year’s Eve party!

Later, another New Year's Day species was added when I came across Chinese Water Deer (2) in the fields adjoining Flying Horse Farm near Ridgmont. A walk over nearby Millbrook Plantation on the second day of the year added Grey Squirrel (3) and Muntjac (4) to the list. This was followed a few days later by a hungry Red Fox (5) walking on top of the ice at Brogborough Lake. Earlier, two starving Bitterns had also been wandering around, and what happened next was one of those events that will remain forever in my memory. As I watched one of the Bitterns in the scope, another one flew over the top of it and, at that moment, was hit by a Peregrine Falcon, resulting in a 'featherburst'. The Bittern dropped into some reeds below and I wondered whether it had survived. The answer came 20 minutes later when the Red Fox stuck its nose where the Bittern had disappeared, which was followed by the Bittern flying into the air and eventually landing in a quieter patch of reeds! Amazing!!

Brown Hares (6) were seen in their regular haunts to the north of Ampthill Park before what turned out to be another red-letter day: the 13th January. I joined members of the Bedfordshire Bat Group in a Hibernation check of several ice houses and another premier Bedfordshire site. Four species of Bats were seen throughout the day: Brown Long-eared (7); Natterer’s (8); Barbastelle (9) – the one I’d really been hoping for (see photo above); and Daubenton’s (10).

Two days of small mammal trapping at Westminster Pond, Ampthill Park in mid-February added Common Shrew (11), a diminutive Pygmy Shrew (12) and Wood Mouse (13) to the growing list. Ampthill Park has given me some amazing Stoat sightings over the years so, as dusk began to fall on 24th February, I made my way down to the epicentre of their activity: The Rezzy. Within 20 minutes a Stoat (14) suddenly ran out from under a bramble and down the path. Incredibly, it turned out to be the only Stoat I saw throughout the year!

As March arrived, my attention turned to Stewartby Lake. Early in the month I lifted a piece of strategically-placed tin to reveal a confiding Bank Vole (15), the first of many through the year. There had been reports of an American Mink frequenting the lake shore close to the gull watchpoint so, early one morning, I got into position and soon spotted the Mink (16) swimming right in front of the watchpoint. It didn’t re-emerge further down the shore and, searching the bank, I’m fairly confident that I found its den under a large fallen log. When it comes to Water Shrews the RSPB HQ at The Lodge in Sandy never disappoints. At Jack’s Pond my patience was rewarded when a Water Shrew (17) appeared and spent some time swimming and diving, at one point consuming its prey right beneath my gaze! I thought I’d got some stunning video footage…until I discovered I hadn’t switched the recorder on!

The 24th March was another red-letter day. In the morning I followed a Water Vole (18) making its way some hundred metres along a brook. Then, as dusk was falling I made my way along to Warren Villas Nature Reserve and sat on the path some 20m away from the point where Otters crossed from the lake into the River Ivel. I thought I was too late but, less than 10 minutes later I looked up to find an Otter (19) staring at me at that very spot….Wow! Before this I had spent many early mornings fruitlessly searching for the Stewartby Lake Otter!

It was to be another month before I was able to add to the list with an inquisitive Weasel (20) spotted crossing the main ride at Chicksands Wood. A night taking part in a bat survey in another wood resulted in a Common Pipistrelle (21) being examined in the hand. But even better was a big Serotine Bat (22) that hawked for insects right around me as I stood at the woodland edge.

A visit to Priory Country Park on the way back from watching the Bedford Blues train on 10th June gave the opportunity to catch up with a large number of Soprano Pipistrelles (23) and, on the way back to the car, I came across a Hedgehog (24) snuffling in the grass.I thought it was about time I added Badger to the list and, the following evening, I had some great views of two growing Badger cubs (25). On 28th June I joined a bat survey at Stockgrove Country Park and we managed to net a big Noctule (26). The evening got even better when a Roe Deer (27) was spotted in the verge alongside Kingshoe Wood on the way home, a species that is only just starting to colonise Bedfordshire and remains fairly scarce.The next day I finally caught up with Brown Rat after searching in various places. Following a tip-off, I visited Wardown Park in Luton. I walked from the car to the lake shore….and looked down to see a Brown Rat (28) only a metre or so away from me. Within 10 minutes I had two feeding on the seeds I was throwing to them!

Field Voles seem to have been at just about the lowest point of their population cycle these last few years, so I was really pleased to find a Field Vole (29) in the Longworth Trap set in grassland just north of Redbourne School in Ampthill on 1st July. And a fortnight later I made my way up the ladder and into the permanent stand at Potton Wood to be rewarded with great views of a Fallow Deer (30) and her accompanying fawn.

I knew that it was going to be a real challenge to add any further species to the list from here on in, which made every one really special. My surveying group had missed Hazel Dormouse during the Maulden Wood box-checks, so I was really grateful to the Studham group for allowing me to join them. It wasn’t without incident though – I got into the car to find that I wasn’t going anywhere because the brake-shoe was jammed onto the drum. 3 cheers for Liam of Tavistock Motors who came out and sorted it for me (with the help of a massive hammer!). I got to Studham just in time to see the Hazel Dormouse (31) above. She was in rude health but, sadly, the House Mouse (32) died soon after I had left Sue’s house, probably as a result of imbibing poison elsewhere.

I can’t do justice here to the Edible Dormouse (33) encounter that David Anderson and I had on 17th September. You’ll have to look it up below but, suffice to say, the young animal not only mistook David for a tree, but found what it thought was a cosy nook, too! I still can’t believe that David didn’t have a heart attack! On 30th September my night-time forays turned up a Polecat/Polecat-hybrid (34) in the verge at Kingshoe Wood in the early hours but, unfortunately, it was only a view of the shoulders down as it leapt into the longer grass.

But November brought some great views of two mammals that could so easily have been missed. After Dave Parsons’ turned up at Richard Lawrence’s office with a dead Yellow-necked Mouse caught in his garage in Haynes, I set a number of Longworth Traps. Sure enough, a few days later on 11th November, two traps in the roof space contained big, bouncy mice with attitude: Yellow-necked Mice (35). And, two days later, having put down a number of traps in the vicinity of empty Harvest Mouse nests on Flitton Moor, I came up trumps when, in the last trap on the last day, there emerged a beautiful Harvest Mouse (36).

It was the first one I have ever seen and it was the cherry on the cake at the end of a brilliant year. I was really pleased with 36 species. There were 2 ‘that got away’. While I was in Israel in May, Bob Cornes caught a Brandt’s Bat in a wood where they have occurred before. And, believe it or not, I never did see a Mole! Oh yes, I saw plenty of molehills appearing and moving, and I spent some time during the final week of the year gazing at lumps of brown earth at Duck End Nature Reserve, but it wasn’t to be. Richard Lawrence also found a dead Red Deer close to the Cambridgeshire border, but a live one would always be very much a chance sighting. I did search for signs of Sika Deer, and listened for their singular screams during the rutting season in the Briar Stockings area, but found no evidence. It’s been a number of years since a small herd was last reported in the County.

I’d love to do this again now that I’m armed with more knowledge as to where a number of these species occur and the best opportunities of seeing them. But maybe I will concentrate on studying a few of these mammals more closely this year. Now I know where there are Harvest Mice, I’m pretty sure I can rig up something so that I can watch them….and then there’s that Otter – I’ve got a feeling that I’ll be spending a few late nights and early mornings at Warren Villas this year!!

Halcyon River Diaries

2010-12-29T13:36:00.008Z

Earlier this year I shared about how I had enjoyed Philippa Forrester's book, The River. Yesterday evening, I watched the latest instalment of Halcyon River Diaries charting the ongoing story of the family's life interacting with the wildlife living on the river. The fact that Philippa is married to a top BBC wildlife cameraman makes for some incredible images and stories, including catching up with the local Kingfishers, Dippers & Otters.

There are another 11 days during which you can catch up with the programme on the BBC iPlayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x3s5r

Towards the end of the programme there is a really dramatic scene. Discovering a young American Mink setting up territory on their stretch of the river they reluctantly set up a Mink trap. Eventually they check the trap one morning to find the Mink inside. Now that it's been trapped there's only one course of action - it has to be dispatched, much to the distress of both Philippa & husband, Charlie, who has to shoot it. It's well worth following this part of the story which begins at about 44 minutes into the programme. Continue watching for some great shots of the Water Voles living in the town of Cheddar, a sight which helps the family to come to terms with the action they had to take earlier.

Book Review - Pearce on Badgers

2010-12-28T19:02:00.008Z

One of the advantages of my love for our British wildlife is the fact that my family never gets stuck when it comes to choosing Christmas gifts. As I excitedly opened my presents on Christmas Day the pile of books around my feet grew and grew. My Amazon Wish-list had been used to great effect!!

George Pearce’s book, entitled Badger Behaviour, Conservation & Rehabilitation, was my father’s present. I’ve just finished reading it and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone perusing this blog who would like to learn more about this fascinating animal. The subtitle is ’70 Years of Getting to Know Badgers’. George's passion began when he encountered his first badger whilst cycling home as a 14 year old during the famous arctic winter of 1946-7. His knowledge grew during the years he spent as a pig farmer, and he has been able to put everything he has learned to good use as a Badger Consultant since giving up farming in 1990. I say ‘good use’ advisedly. In the world of the amateur naturalist, wildlife consultants to developers and government bodies are often perceived as being ‘tainted’ by association and apt to side with the wishes of the organisation paying their fees – and I have certainly heard a few horror stories over the past few years – but George certainly comes across as someone with real integrity, always seeking to put the needs of the badger first and foremost. I guess some people will still struggle, though, with George’s response to the chairman of a local CPRE group wanting advice on the best grounds for objecting to the planned construction of a new road that happened to run right through George’s badger study area: ‘To her surprise I said they should welcome it with open arms. As the proposed route crossed arable land, I took the view that there would be far better habitat after construction than there was before; there would be more permanent grassed areas and a variety of small trees and shrubs would be planted.’

George writes in an anecdotal way, and the stories of his personal experiences are really enjoyable. Early on, he tells the story of being called out to check on a group of badgers marooned on an island after the Rivers’ Severn & Vyrnwy had overflowed their banks and inundated the surrounding countryside. George managed to wade across to find 11 badgers safe and sound, most of them – including 2 in the canopy of a tree – asleep! Checking them again the following day he writes, ‘As I got closer to the elder tree, I was greeted by a sight that will live forever in my memory. In front of me was a huge ball of badgers, half a metre above ground level, wedged between the wire fence and the tree trunk. Amazingly, they weren’t in any distress – quite the contrary, they were asleep, their breathing synchronized! I assumed there were nine badgers in the ball, as there were two fast asleep on a limb in the treetop.’ Fortunately, George took a photo of the scene which can be seen in the photo section of the book.

The main chapter headings give a real taster as to what this book is all about: Badger biology; The world of the sett; Badgers in the family; Badger rescue; Badger consultancy; Badgers and farming; Badger-watching. There’s also a useful index at the back. Within the chapters is a wealth of knowledge and practical advice that will really inspire both those with a developing interest in wildlife, together with those who regularly watch and read about badgers. I was amazed to learn just how much soil a badger can shift in an evening and, concerning tunnels, I was interested in George’s theory that badgers, like moles, build the tunnels to act as a means of catching worms & any other invertebrates which fall into them. He also proposes that most of the injuries reported indicate that the majority of fights between badgers are hierarchical rather than territorial in nature. As a former farmer, his discussion on bovine TB is enlightening, based on the observation of a vet: ‘To create a disease you have to create the conditions.’ George feels that we haven’t learned from the experiences of the past and that our agricultural biosecurity is nowhere near as tight as in years gone by: 'In the cattle industry, the increase of bTB has happened in parallel with the changes in management of dairy and beef cattle and if I were in farming today that's where I would want the research concentrated.'

George’s character shines through the pages of this book. Are there any conditions where even the most ardent badger-watcher is likely going to struggle to see anything? I quote: ‘But a cold east wind? Stay indoors and put your feet up. As Corporal Jones of Dad’s Army might put it: ‘badgers don’t like it up ‘em’.’

George concludes, ‘This farmer’s boy is old in the tooth now. The back creaks and the joints complain. But the wonderful memories live on and I feel very privileged that wild animals have allowed me to share part of their lives with them. I hope many of you will feel that way too.’

Ampthill

2010-12-27T20:49:00.008Z

I'm almost embarrassed to say that, due to busyness followed by illness, today was the first day that I've actually had the chance to explore some of the local snowy wastes. I can hardly believe that I've missed out on so many brilliant opportunities to see what's happening in the local countryside by looking at the various tracks left by our wildlife.

I took the opportunity to check a local sett that I haven't surveyed properly for a few years. There were 2 entrances under a fenceline and they both looked like they were well-used. Here, you can see where the Badger exits to the right-hand-side, leaving a trail of muddy snow!

Badgers spend a lot of time underground when it's very cold, so perhaps it wasn't surprising that it was difficult to find good tracks to photograph. This is about as good as it got!

When looking at some tracks from the rear, it was easier to see the 5 claws in a line, typical of Badger.

I walked right around the edge of Maggs Field in Ampthill Park. These are Red Fox & Rabbit tracks crossing one another.

I know that some people will hate me for saying this, but I hope we get more snow and I get the opportunity to get out a bit more!! :-)

Home

2010-12-24T13:21:00.003Z

If you missed it last year, here's my favourite Christmas greeting from all of our friends in the countryside. I'm recovering from the lurgee here - it will make it all the more satisfying to get out & about next week!!

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year,

Stephen.

Duck End Nature Reserve

2010-12-19T15:54:00.007Z

Here are some photos of Thursday morning's Nestbox day at Duck End Nature Reserve in Maulden, courtesy of David Withers. Thanks to Peter Wilkinson for providing the necessary expertise in advising on, locating and erecting the boxes.

The first box to go up was this Tawny Owl nestbox. It looks very swish, but Tawny Owls are notoriously difficult to get settled. I've got high hopes for this one, though!

Earlier in the year I discovered a pair of Kestrels nesting on top of an old Crow's nest in the Silver Birch copse. This des res should be much more suitable for them!

And, finally, here's the Barn Owl box being placed into position. That A-frame nestbox was really heavy, but it's fixed as solid as a rock, now.

I'm tempted to put up a 'Vacant Possession' sign! We recovered some relatively fresh Barn Owl pellets from a local barn which I'm hoping to dissect over the next week or two. I can already see a Shrew skull and 2 sets of Field Vole incisors!!

Ampthill

2010-12-18T11:33:00.006Z

I've had little chance to get out into the countryside recently, though I enjoyed a morning placing Barn Owl, Tawny Owl & Kestrel nest boxes at Duck End a few days ago.

A record shot of 2 of the 8 Waxwings that were present in Flitwick recently. The Waxwing invasion this year has been pretty impressive with just about all of the Scandinavian population swarming across the North Sea to feast on our berry bushes.

This is the banner that will accompany our nature table that will go into local schools next year (see below). We're really pleased with the result. Thanks to Andy Wyldes of Butterfly Conservation for helping to design it for us. It's being modelled by myself and Erika Pratt.

Finally, a photo of a Hampton Forge 8" Chef's Knife...I bought one of these yesterday to help me get my last mammal in these final few weeks before the year's end. Over the last 12 months I've watched numerous molehills gradually rising into the air, but I haven't yet caught sight of any of the occupants. This should help me locate runs and, maybe, cut around an 'active' molehill that I can then lift with a large spade, complete with surprised Mole....that's what I'm hoping, anyway! Watch this space.

Lower End

2010-11-27T23:11:00.004Z

Chinese Water Deer are beginning to be noticeable in the local fields again. I saw five from the car in the Ridgmont area this morning. Just south of Lower End I searched an area of rough grass where this species often settles down for the day, and disturbed two individuals, including this one, which I managed to get a brief shot of as it bounded into the hedge!

I released the Harvest Mouse back over Flitton Moor some time ago, now, but I really enjoyed the period that it spent as my guest in the study and felt that I really began to understand something of it's lifestyle & habits. Next year I'm determined to learn more about this fascinating creature!

Flitton Moor

2010-11-13T22:54:00.006Z

Here’s a more in-depth report of this morning’s excitement!

This photograph shows the River Flit close to the village of Flitton. It is under the bridge that you can just make out on the right that the Otter paw-prints and spraint were found a few weeks ago. The main expanse of Flitton Moor is located the far side of the copse on the right, and behind the camera. Between the copse and the path is a water-filled ditch, and it is here that I found one of the Harvest Mouse nests (See here).

Between Thursday and today, I’ve had 8 Longworth small mammal traps set along a 30m stretch of this ditch bank, beginning just after the end of the copse in an effort to find my first ever wild Harvest Mouse.

In that time, incorporating 5 box-checks, I have trapped 19 Bank Voles and 4 Common Shrews (some of the Bank Voles, particularly, were probably ‘trap-happy’ and entered the traps several times!). As I approached the last trap this morning, set in the midst of a bramble bush, I was beginning to think that Harvest Mouse was going to elude me this year. So I was delighted when I emptied it to find a surprised-looking Harvest Mouse exploring the depths of the plastic bag!

So, here she is again – at least, I’m calling her a ‘she’ though it could as easily be a male. It’s thought that our UK Harvest Mice are slowly declining – it’s certainly been harder to find them in Bedfordshire in recent years, though that is probably due at least in part to a lack of people searching for them – a 1972 nest survey here revealed them to be fairly widespread. They’re certainly tiny, weighing only 5-11 grams!

When I’ve had the opportunity during the day I’ve been transfixed as I’ve watched this winsome creature creeping through the grass, or else clambering among the hogweed stems, sometimes gripping them with her prehensile tail as she stretches out to sniff the Bertolli tub! I’ve watched her wash, lap water from a bottle top, nibble grains held between his paws, and spend quite some time simply staring back at me from the other side of the glass! The Bertolli margarine tub contains the Harvest Mouse nest that I found on Flitton Moor a few weeks ago (see above). I fashioned an entrance with my penknife and she’s readily taken to it, and is tucked away safely as I write – of course, it could even be the nest where she was raised!

Flitton Moor

2010-11-13T12:46:00.003Z

I've only got time for a brief note here, but I was really excited this morning when emptying the 8th and final trap to find a delightful Harvest Mouse running around in the bottom of my little aquarium, my first in the wild...just as I was beginning to give up hope of ever finding one! I'll write a bit more later, but I've got it here at home for a little while, and it's happily eating the meadowsweet seeds and pieces of grain provided. Wonderful!

Marston Vale Country Park

2010-11-12T18:25:00.007Z

This Bank Vole is one of 6 that were present in 8 traps on a 30m stretch of ditch parallel to the River Flit. There was also a Common Shrew in one of the other traps, a pretty good trapping rate!

I spent the morning in the Marston Vale Country Park Centre displaying our BNHS ‘Bring Back The Nature Table’ exhibit during an environmental education event attended by a number of Bedfordshire schools. Schools are able to ‘book’ this nature table for a few weeks. After an initial assembly, or other time demonstrating the table to the children, we leave it with them. The idea is that it will help to inspire the children to begin to bring together their own nature table. The mink stole on the left hand side of the display was the real hit – the children loved stroking it and putting it around their necks, and I was able to relate the story of the American Mink in the British countryside.

The Education team from Whipsnade Zoo were a few tables away. I put one of my Fallow Deer droppings alongside their Elephant dropping…it's the little black dot to the right!! Although they had a Tiger skin, Tiger skull, stuffed Penguin and ivory tusk, Jackie & Hannah, their Education Officers, kept popping along and exploring our nature table. In fact, I think that it was a real hit all round, one teacher excitedly exclaiming that it covered the whole of their curriculum! I’m really looking forward to us getting it into the schools and developing this simple concept.

Haynes

2010-11-11T17:43:00.009Z

Dave Parsons recently found a Yellow-necked Mouse next to the freezer in his garage. He has also trapped House Mouse and Wood Mouse over the year. Still not having seen Yellow-necked Mouse in 2010, I set up a number of Longworth traps in various places, and have since been waiting in hope.

Nothing yesterday but, this morning, Dave rang to say that the doors on two of the traps in his garage roof-space were shut. The first trap revealed this individual. Yellow-necked Mice are bigger than the more common Wood Mouse, and share several distinctive features. The relatively large ears and eyes look good for Yellow-necked.

And the dark ‘stripe’ on the dorsal area, extending between the ears and onto the face, looks good too.

But this is the clincher. A terrible photo, but one that clearly shows the ginger ‘collar’ which gives the Yellow-necked Mouse its name. This is the best photo of the underside that I could get due to the frenzied ‘bouncing’ around of this Tigger-like rodent….another Yellow-necked Mouse trait!

Unfortunately, the Mouse in the other trap escaped, but I'm convinced that it turned around and smirked at me before disappearing behind a gap...that's one trait the guides don't mention!

Chandos Road, Ampthill

2010-11-01T18:03:00.004Z

Readers of this blog will know that I constructed an ‘uber-Hedgehog table’ in our back garden earlier in the year. Unfortunately, there was never any evidence that it was used, and I felt just a little hard-done-by when our next-door neighbour recently informed us that she had found a Hedgehog under some leaves on the other side of our fence!

After lunch today, Carole and I spent an hour or so in the back garden picking up the leaves that had fallen. If you look on the left-hand-side of this photograph, you will see a pile of leaves that I have deliberately built up.

That is because I discovered this Hedgehog nest as I cleared the leaves away. It’s a fairly substantial pile of stems and leaves and it was pretty obvious that it was the winter hibernaculum where the occupant would spend the next five or six months in a deep sleep.

I carefully peeled the outer layers away, and could feel the heat even before revealing this good-sized individual. It moved a little which, together with the heat, suggests that it is still fairly active, but it won’t be long before its body temperature drops to the rate of its surroundings, 4 degrees C being the ideal. At that temperature, its heart beat will slow from about 147 beats per minute to an amazing 2-12 beats per minute. I didn’t want to disturb it any more and so quickly replaced the vegetation.

Galley Hill, Luton

2010-10-24T17:52:00.007+01:00

Back to Galley Hill early this afternoon in search of yesterday's Shore Lark and, this time, success! Many thanks to Steve Blain for staying around to help locate the bird for me, letting me look through his 'scope, and allowing me to display his photo of this cracking bird above (the photo was taken yesterday). The Lapland Buntings were proving very elusive today, but a small group of us managed to get some great views of the male.

The County's top birders have enjoyed increasing their Bedfordshire bird species list this weekend. The current totals are:
Dave Ball - 256
Barry Nightingale - 256
Peter Smith - 255
Martin Palmer - 255
Dave Odell - 255
I'm not an ardent 'lister', and haven't gone out of my way to see a couple of the rarer birds flying through....so I'm miles behind on a paltry 216, but really pleased to have been a part of the excitement this weekend!

Galley Hill, Luton

2010-10-23T19:06:00.008+01:00

The hail & driving rain took something of the anticipated polish off the Leicester-Bath game at Welford Road so, when news of a Shore Lark at Galley Hill just east of Luton came through, it really was no contest!

I arrived to find the great & good of Bedfordshire's birding fraternity in a frenzy of excitement. The Shore Lark - only the 5th one found in the County - had been a County 'tick' for all of these longstanding local twitchers but, whilst scouring the empty fields, two (yes, two) Lapland Buntings had also been located in the midst of the Skylark flock....adding up to an amazing two County ticks in a few hours, the only previous 'Lap Bunt' in Bedfordshire being recorded in the same year that England won the World Cup! It's reckoned that these birds had probably bred in Greenland.

Unfortunately, the stir caused by the Lapland Buntings had understandably drawn attention away from the Shore Lark, which had not been seen for a while before I arrived, and didn't reappear for the rest of the afternoon. But I was well chuffed to see the Lapland Buntings (a male and female), including great views of the two of them flying around in the bright sunshine.

Eversholt area

2010-10-22T01:09:00.011+01:00

I really enjoyed an hour's wander over the fields near Eversholt.

This small deer slot is only 3cm long and almost certainly belongs to a Muntjac deer.

This deer slot is a lot more problematic. At just over 5cm long, it's too large for Muntjac, Roe, or Chinese Water Deer, but it's too small for an adult Fallow or Sika Deer. I reckon that it must be a young Fallow Deer though, in this area alongside the Woburn Abbey Estate, it could be anything!

There were hundreds of Red-legged Partridges and Pheasants strutting, calling and 'helicoptering' about. I reckon that there's at least 17 individuals present in this photo....and the majority will probably end up on someone's dinner table! There has been a debate about the effect of these game birds on the populations of other animals where they are intensively stocked (In the UK we release between 30,000,000 & 40,000,000 ever year!!). It's reckoned that there wouldn't be many Common Lizards in an area like this, for instance! If you're a Red Fox, or a Polecat, or Stoat, though, it must seem like Christmas has come early!

The photos above were taken yesterday afternoon. I returned early this morning hoping to catch some deer out in the open.

This slot is about 7cm, though there's a lot of slippage in the wet mud.

In the end, this distant male Muntjac was the only deer seen this morning, but I wonder just how many are seeing the day out in the middle of the numerous woods of this area!

Flitton Moor

2010-10-19T22:13:00.014+01:00

[This photo by permission of John Pitts]

I can’t believe that it’s been so long since I was last out in the local countryside! At the end of the morning, I took the opportunity to meet up with the Greensand Volunteers who were doing a great job clearing a clogged-up water channel at Flitton Moor. The other reason was to spend an hour or two searching for Harvest Mouse nests.

This Otter print was under the bridge from which the first photo was taken. I reckon that it’s a left fore print. It’s about 6 ½ cm long, with 5 toes – the 1st & 5th toes not being aligned. I think I can just make out a faint webbing mark in the soft mud.

There was also some old spraint on a log under the bridge. Even though it was old, the smell was very fishy.

This dropping was old, too. There was no fishy whiff, but there definitely was a distinct lingering odour – almost certainly Mink.

I’d gone down to the Moor to catch up with the Greensand Volunteers and to do a quick search for Harvest Mouse nests. In the first clump of Common Reed, within 5 minutes of starting the search, I found this nest - unbelievable!!

Then, a hundred metres or so down the footpath in another patch of Common Reed alongside the River Flit I found this old nest close to the ground.

Here are the 2 nests together, which gives you an idea of the difference in size.

On the way home I stopped off and quickly examined the Common Reed in a field alongside the road near the Silsoe turn of the A503. I soon found this interesting ‘nest’ lying on top of some Common Reed alongside in the vicinity of some thistles. The leaves seem to suggest that it has been constructed by a Harvest Mouse, but it consists almost entirely of thistle down, as you can see in this photo of the ‘nest’ broken open:
Is it a Harvest Mouse nest? I need to show it to someone else to confirm that or otherwise.

Chandos Road, Ampthill

2010-10-12T18:05:00.004+01:00

Carole screamed and quickly pulled her legs up onto the sofa when this spider suddenly ran across the living room carpet in front of her.

I find identifying spiders quite a challenge, but this is probably the female Giant House Spider (Tegenaria gigantea) or at least a Tegenaria sp. (the species are not easy to separate out by photo). Those jaws look pretty fiercesome, but the bite is not supposed to be able to pierce the skin of the likes of you and me. I have picked these up at various times but, between you and me, I do feel more than a little apprehensive when doing so!

According to Wikipedia, this species used to hold the record for the top spider speed, reaching 9.73 feet per second (2.97 metres per second) at full whack!

At Carole's insistence, this one ended up in the front garden (using a large glass and piece of card!), but I usually leave them to wander around and hoover up the invertebrate life that we don't see!

Steppingley Area

2010-10-10T06:24:00.004+01:00

An interesting drive around the Steppingley area with the following sightings:

4.40am - Large Badger running along the road by the Eversholt cricket pitch.
4.51am - Barn Owl close to Milton Bryan.
5am - Great views of a Badger (presumably the same one as above) on the road by Eversholt cricket pitch, together with 3 Rabbits.
5.16am - Brown Hare, a number of Rabbits, and a covey of Red-legged Partridges in field close to Steppingley.
5.21am - Female Muntjac in the verge close to Steppingley.

When you go out at night you just never know what you're going to see. I was really surprised only to come across one deer, though another larger unidentified deer crossed the road in the distance when I was looking at the Muntjac. The Badger sighting was a real bonus - I'm surprised I haven't seen more during my nocturnal wanderings!

Milton Bryan

2010-10-09T20:29:00.002+01:00

This Hedgehog was wandering about on the road that runs through Milton Bryan just after 5am this morning. It's sporting some 6,000 spines and probably harbouring some 500 fleas! This one was looking very healthy - it will be looking to hibernate for the winter in a few weeks time. It's good to see a Hedgehog in this area where there are a number of Badgers. I'm convinced that there are a lot less Hedgehogs around because there are a lot more Badgers around!

I'm hoping to get out and about again in the early hours of tomorrow morning....before joining my eldest son for the Japanese Grand Prix at 6am!

Steppingley area

2010-10-03T23:37:00.012+01:00

My mind continues to be exercised and so I went for a much needed walk this afternoon to clear my head. My choice of location was a local wood, which I enjoyed wandering round in the midst of a strong breeze.
There were fungi everywhere including club fungi. I think that this is Wrinkled Club….

…but I’ve no idea what this species of coral fungus is!

Mammals seen included a male Muntjac, Rabbit and 2 Grey Squirrels.

There are also Fallow Deer around though, these droppings being characteristically pointed at one end and indented at the other.

And this Badger sett was interesting. It looks like the Badger is a bit of an architect!

This area is a part of the Greensand Ridge which means that there is a lot of sandstone around. This nondescript-looking block holds a secret, the two separate parts revealing this:
Any ideas?

Update.

Our Geology Recorder, Martin Whiteley, has furnished me with the following information:

"What you've found are ironstone concretions within a block of Woburn Sands Formation sandstone (otherwise known as the Lower Greensand). These concretions are very common and probably form as the loose sand grains start to become compacted and de-watered as they are progressively buried beneath the sea floor after deposition.

Iron-rich fluids pass through the sand grains and locally precipitate into a wide variety of circular and elliptical forms. The iron-rich 'rinds' are usually dark brown or purple in colour and may enclose sand grains that are less well cemented than those elsewhere in the rock. Some concretions closely resemble burrows that were formed by sea floor dwelling animals such as crustaceans when the sandstone was being deposited, and in these cases it seems as if the iron-rich fluids were preferentially deposited in the lining of the old burrows.

The precise reason why iron is deposited in such curious forms is not really known, but variations in the permeability of the enclosing sediment and the chemical composition of the migrating fluids are probably key."

Steppingley-Woburn Road

2010-09-30T06:10:00.001+01:00

Polecat….at last!!! It wasn’t the best view, and may not be accepted, but I’m as convinced as I can be given the evidence.

I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment and found myself lying in bed awake in the early hours. After a while I got up and wandered around downstairs before deciding to go for a drive along my favourite stretch of road between Steppingley & Woburn. As I drove along, Rabbits jumped from the road and up onto the verge as if they’d been given an electric shock! A female Muntjac browsed on the verge and a Chinese Water Deer disappeared into the hedgerow. I drove through the Woburn Deer Park just before 4am, a surreal experience as deer loomed up out of the mist.

Just after 4.15am I was driving slowly past the entrance to Wakes End Farm when I suddenly noticed the sinuous body of a large mustelid disappearing into the long grass of the verge alongside Kingshoe Wood….just a few metres away from me. Frustratingly, I could see everything clearly…except for the head! But the size, colour (a mixture of dark & pale in the full-beam) and location all shouted out “Polecat”! The only other possibility is American Mink, but this would have appeared more uniformly dark in colour.

Over the next ¾ hour or so, I drove up and down this stretch of road a number of times, but had no further encounters with this enigmatic animal. What I did see, though, was another Muntjac and two female Fallow Deer. At one point, I had one of the Fallow Deer standing right next to the car, and continued to come across them several times during my passes, though they would usually wander slowly into the hedgerow and out of sight each time.

I remain determined to get a really good view of a Bedfordshire Polecat, including the unique bandit-mask face. Today's early morning experience was another encouragement to keep trying!

Maulden Wood

2010-09-25T20:22:00.005+01:00

Only 8 of us gathered in the sunshine for this morning's BNHS Small-mammal trapping session at Maulden Wood, led by Richard Lawrence. 14 traps had been set overnight, and we recorded 1 Pygmy Shrew, 2 Common Shrews, 2 Wood Mice, and this Bank Vole, nestling in the palm of Richard's hand.

There were plenty of fungi species around. I love the beautiful contrast of red and white on this Fly Agaric which will be open soon.

Recently, I also found these strange fungi in a roadside hedgerow in the Silsoe area. They look like the remnants of some species of Earth Star, but I can't work out which one. Any ideas?

Studham

2010-09-17T20:29:00.016+01:00

This afternoon I joined David Anderson to check some Dormouse boxes in the Studham area. David kindly invited me to accompany him in anticipation of encountering my first live Edible Dormouse. It turned out to be quite a memorable experience....

After checking a number of boxes and finding them empty apart from the odd bird's nest, it was beginning to look as if my hopes wouldn't be realised but then, as David tapped a box in the midst of a young Hazel shrub, we heard the distinctive chuntering sounds of an Edible Dormouse! My excitement grew as we released the box and emptied its contents into the large plastic bag and….hey presto:

Fantastic!! We managed to get the animal into a plastic jar where we spent a few minutes examining it. You can make out some of the classic features: the large black eyes, whiskers and bushy tail.

Releasing the Edible Dormouse from its temporary captivity, David warned me to stand back...

...suddenly, everything went awry and mayhem ensued as the animal ran out of the jar, scampered over to David and disappeared up his trouser leg!!!!!! This all happened in the blink of an eye. David leapt back in alarm, clutching his trousers tightly below the knee (good job he didn’t react more slowly!) and, not being a journalist, I dropped the camera and ran over to help him, feeling quite helpless it has to be said!

David was now showing remarkable restraint and gradually squeezing the Edible Dormouse back down his trouser leg. Suddenly it reappeared and, alarmingly, bounded straight towards me, resulting in an impromptu and desperate dance in an effort to avoid the same fate!

Fortunately, it obviously realised that there must be easier trees to climb, turned sharply about, ran across the path and disappeared behind a young Holly tree where, approaching slowly and peering round with some trepidation, we found that it had disappeared into thin air!

This is one encounter that I’m never going to forget….and I don’t think David will, either. There were a few scratches on David’s lower leg, but it could have been so much worse, and we were able to laugh about it. I have to say that it was more of an adrenaline rush than any of the rides at Alton Towers!

A few boxes further on we found more signs of Edible Dormouse activity with these 'burrs' and nibbled Beech-nuts!

[Note: In recent years, David has recorded several Edible Dormice present in these boxes early in the Autumn. They are all juveniles which have become independent and found that they can squeeze through the holes. An adult would be too big to do this. This is the only place in the country where Edible Dormice are using Dormouse boxes. There used to be Hazel Dormice present in the wood we were surveying, but they haven’t been recorded for some years, most probably having been displaced by their larger cousins]

Ampthill

2010-09-17T08:42:00.005+01:00

I’ve been so busy these past few weeks that I haven’t been out into the countryside at all and, as a consequence, I’m going a bit stir-crazy! But a phone call early yesterday evening led to my 32nd Bedfordshire mammal species of the year….
….a juvenile House Mouse. Sue Raven, a good friend who lives close by and works for the Greensand Trust, first encountered the mouse in her living room a couple of days ago and, consequently, set 4 Longworth Traps around the skirting boards. But she needn’t have bothered…encountering this sorry-looking individual crouching on her carpet yesterday. It’s obviously unwell, refusing to even nibble that tasty-looking block of chocolate, and Sue reckons that it may have consumed some poison put down by other residents in the building.

I’m surprised that it’s taken me this long to add House Mouse to this year’s list – it’s not for want of trying, after all, as readers of this blog will know.

The Latin name for the House Mouse is Mus domesticus. The Roman poet, Horace, called it ridiculus mus, but ridiculus mus has had the last laugh: after the likes of you and me, Mus domesticus is the world’s most widely-distributed mammal!

When I spent a year working as a pre-college student on the dairy unit at Nottingham University’s School of Agriculture at Sutton Bonington, I lived in a tiny cottage – called Lit Lun! – which had a resident population of House Mice that would scamper around the property. Falling asleep in the armchair after milking one morning, I awoke to find a little House Mouse sat on the arm looking at me quizzically!

Great memories!

Clophill

2010-09-11T00:52:00.011+01:00

If you’re a fan of Nirvana, you may be familiar with this plant which, in Bedfordshire, is only found on one small patch in the Clophill area. It’s a sprig of Pennyroyal, the subject of the song Pennyroyal Tea, written by Kurt Cobain, the title alluding to its abortifacient properties. It’s a depressing song and featured on the band’s last album, In Utero.

It’s a shame that such a beautiful plant is known everywhere primarily for its poisonous properties. The fragrance is beautiful and one of my favourites!

[Photo credit: BiologyProjectWiki]

I’ve read a lot about scent recently. The September edition of Eureka in The Times featured an article on 'bioboundaries' and the work of scientists seeking to identify the volatile compounds in Africa’s Wild Dog urine that stop rival packs from entering their domain. Dr John ‘Tico’ McNutt, working in Botswana, comments: “If we could identify (and synthesise) the chemical components that signal residence and territoriality to Wild Dogs, we could provide residents that have no neighbours (at the edges of wildlife areas, for example) with ‘virtual neighbours’ and in so doing, decrease the extent of conflict these endangered species encounter in areas where they can cause problems for farmers.”

Then, I’ve just finished reading Philippa Forrester’s wonderful book, The River. It’s the story of Philippa’s relationship with the wildlife cameraman Charlie Hamilton James and the early days at their cottage alongside the River Tipple in the West Country. It wasn’t long before they discovered Otters on the river and set out to film them, succeeding to the point where a mother and her two cubs would regularly swim right past Charlie on their way along the river.

But one evening their behaviour changed completely and they no longer wanted anything to do with him at all. This happened for a while, and an examination of the animals’ prints revealed that rather than pass Charlie, the mother was leading her cubs out of the river into the surrounding fields and right round him, entering the water again further downriver where it was safe.

Finally, following a bath one night, Charlie realised what the problem was. I’ll let Philippa relate what happened:
Half an hour later there was a lot of yelling from the bathroom. I made my way upstairs wondering what had happened. Had he got his toe stuck in the tap? Had we run out of toilet roll? Was there an otter in the bath? Had he suddenly realised how big the hole in the ozone layer was? In the bathroom I waved my way through a fog of deodorant. What with that and the chilli smoke from the night before, my lungs were beginning to feel the strain.
‘Smell this.’
‘I can’t do anything but. This isn’t good for you or the ozone layer, you know.’
‘No, smell it. Really smell it.’
‘I can. It’s horrible.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Well, it is. It’s too much.’
‘Does it smell familiar?’
‘I don’t know. It’s a bit like oranges. Is this the one you normally wear?’
‘Hah! Fantastic!’ He had lost it. I was going to have to call someone. The fog in the bathroom was becoming thicker.
‘What colour is the bottle normally?’
‘I don’t know, darling.’ I couldn’t see what he was getting at.
‘I’ve changed my deodorant!’ His grin was now inane, the glint in his eyes positively insane. All I could think of was how to get him out of the bathroom and away from the razors. My mind began to buzz, my throat was dry from the deodorant powder blocking up the pores, and all I could smell was musky oranges. I couldn’t swallow any more. And then, finally, I caught up.
‘You’ve changed your deodorant!’ My inane grin matched his. ‘Surely that couldn’t be it.’
‘I bet you any money it is. I’m not wearing any from now on.’
I’m probably the only girlfriend I know who would receive that kind of information with delight.
Sure enough, that night Charlie took care to shower again before he went out, he used no deodorant and the otters immediately returned to normal. They dawdled past him as he filmed them while standing in the river. Evidently they recognised is unadulterated smell as belonging to someone who meant no threat. They were probably grateful for his BO, it saved them a lot of time and trouble trekking across paddocks!’

There’s a real lesson here for any enthusiastic wildlife watchers!!

Maulden

2010-09-03T15:25:00.005+01:00

I placed a number of Longworth traps in various nooks and crannies around Maxine’s amazing garden last night.

4 Wood Mice turned up, including this juvenile.

And we caught 2 Common Shrews from opposite ends of the garden. This one shows the red tips to the teeth which are found in our 3 mainland species: Common Shrew, Pygmy Shrew and Water Shrew. You can find the Lesser White-toothed Shrew in the Scilly Isles, and the Channel Islands of Jersey & Sark, whereas the Greater White-toothed Shrew is found on Guernsey, Alderney & Herm!

This dead Weasel shows just how attractive the small mammal community in Maxine’s garden are!

Potton

2010-09-02T22:25:00.003+01:00

This morning, I met up with Katharine from the Wildlife Trust and we conducted a Water Vole survey in the Potton area. It was great to be able to confirm the presence of these special creatures. Other highlights were a Pike in the stream, and the presence of fresh Otter spraint on a rock.

We found a number of these small piles, consisting of lengths of the surrounding vegetation. This photo could, conceivably, be the work of a Field Vole, which engages in similar behaviour, but in many of the feeding areas the vegetation was much larger and coarser, indicative of Water Voles.

Droppings are a giveaway, though we didn't find any obvious built-up 'latrines' that are typical of Water Voles and used to scent-mark territories.

And here's a hole that's obviously well-used. Other holes were seen below the waterline.

Nearer home, this Grey Squirrel had a soft spot for blackberries!

The Alameda, Ampthill

2010-09-02T22:18:00.003+01:00

It's strange how the mind makes connections - the blue, yellow and green colours on this impressive Lime Hawkmoth caterpillar reminded me of something completely different!

Steppingley-Woburn Road

2010-08-31T07:32:00.008+01:00

Driving back to Ampthill with Carole after a pleasant afternoon spent in Woburn yesterday, I pointed out my 'Polecat-layby', referring to the hours I have spent there these past months waiting for that all-elusive sighting (after finding a dead Polecat close by and Badger-watching Man seeing a live one at exactly the same spot the following day). A few hundred metres up the road we rounded the corner and came across this...
...another dead Polecat! Carole's used to being left in farm gateways while I examine an interesting corpse in the road, and she waited patiently as I retraced my steps to check this one. I didn't have any kit to examine it properly, but it looked like a juvenile. Interestingly, there was also a dead Stoat nearby.

I'd already planned to spend some time in this area yesterday evening, and enjoyed a pleasant hour driving up and down this road between 11pm and midnight - the Dire Straits album gave just the right ambience! No Polecats, but I did chalk up a load of Rabbits, 1 Chinese Water Deer, 3 Wood Mice and a black and white Cat!

Biggleswade Common

2010-08-29T22:04:00.012+01:00

The large Sparrowhawk soared up in front of me, rapidly gaining height and skilfully negotiating the strong gusts of wind as it banked right, and then left. When you’re searching for a rare bird, especially one that spends a lot of its time perched on the top of posts, the sight of a Sparrowhawk is not the most comforting omen! Back in March 2004, a group of birders were congratulating one another on catching up with a rare American Robin – which had somehow travelled from the States and ended up on an industrial estate in Grimsby – when a Sparrowhawk suddenly swooped down and grabbed it right in front of their eyes…they must have been so gutted!!

I’d made my way over to Biggleswade Common following the sighting of a Red-backed Shrike here yesterday. Shrikes are well-known for the characteristic way in which they catch insects and small mammals and then impale them on thorns, creating their own larder. No wonder they are commonly referred to as 'Butcher Birds'! One older birder I spoke to today told me that his parents used to speak of how they would often come across these larders when walking in the countryside in times past. Unfortunately, the Red-backed Shrike no longer breeds regularly in the UK, despite government attempts to encourage it to take up residence in numbers again by 2015.

It was soon after 3pm when Rob Dazely gave me a shout to say that the bird had been spotted….a stunning female! Steve Blain has given me permission to reproduce his brilliant photo here (that looks like a Speckled Bush Cricket sticking out of its bill!).

I spent the next 2 hours watching this bird as it slowly made its way down the fenceline next to the railway, undisturbed by the regular trains that careered by. At one point I saw it catch and consume a bumblebee….that will be an interesting record for Colin, our Bedfordshire Bumblebee Recorder!!

Studham

2010-08-27T20:19:00.011+01:00

I couldn’t believe it when I started up the car first thing this morning and put it into gear. As I moved forward there was a horrible grating noise. I put it into reverse and there were further grindings and the back of the car lifted alarmingly! It turned out that a rear brake shoe had seized. “Please, not today,” I groaned to myself! But I’m forever in debt to Lee who came over from Tavistock Motors and, with a bit of clever manoeuvring, and a whack with a hammer, got me going. I was over an hour late, but had nothing to lose and so headed south to Studham where, guided on the mobile by Pam, I caught up with the local Dormouse team in the depths of an ancient hedgerow just in time to meet this character…

….a typically winsome Hazel Dormouse! This was the second Dormouse that Steve, Pam, Fiona, Fay & Ali had found as they checked the specially-constructed Dormouse boxes.

And here’s a photo of the very cosy des res! This was a female, and she had constructed a typical nest, skilfully weaving strips of honeysuckle bark into a round sphere and then adding concentric layers of leaves.

Of course, certain birds also take advantage of the Dormouse boxes. Here’s a Blue Tit’s nest that we found in one of them. Sadly, the parents must have been disturbed and deserted, leaving these five eggs as a poignant reminder of just how precarious life can be in the wild!

Ickwell

2010-08-26T21:56:00.007+01:00

This Bank Vole was the first one of 5 that were caught overnight in John & Nancy's marvellous garden. The target species was Yellow-necked Mouse, which has been caught here frequently in the past, but the only mice caught today were two Wood Mice. The door hadn't tripped on the last trap, but the tooth marks on a piece of apple indicated the presence of a much larger rodent...it might have been a Brown Rat, or else the elusive Yellow-necked Mouse!

Nancy raised an interesting question for thought: Why have the Yellow-necked Mice populations seemingly declined in many places when their robust size, vigour and strength would seem to make them potentially more successful than the smaller Wood Mouse?

I'm hoping to add a new 2010 Bedfordshire mammal to my list tomorrow...watch this space!

Great news from Scotland

2010-08-20T14:06:00.001+01:00

Photo credit Steve Gardner/Scottish Wildlife Trust

This past week I’ve spent hours sitting in the midst of a large rabbit warren, reading and hoping for a close view of Stoat….or even a Polecat! I’ve spent further hours fruitlessly searching various local habitats for Harvest Mouse…but it’s been great to be out and about.

Today I’ve been stuck inside, preparing for a trip to Somerset over the weekend, but I’ve been celebrating the news of 2 Beaver kits from different family groups being spotted in Scotland’s Knapdale Forest, where strenuous efforts are taking place to reintroduce this special mammal back into the wild.

It’s brought back memories of the time I spent searching for Beavers during a family holiday on the shores of Lake Annecy a few years ago. At the southern end of the lake is a nature reserve where Beavers are resident. A daytime wander revealed a number of pencil-point trunks, a lodge, and a small dam.

I returned late one night, making my way through the thick undergrowth. I stood by the side of the main channel for a while until I thought I heard a noise. I switched the torch on just as a Beaver swam past in front of me with a branch clasped in its jaws. Further downstream it left the water and spent a few minutes watching me from the bank. Wonderful!

Ampthill Park

2010-08-16T00:24:00.008+01:00

Earlier today I went over Ampthill Park in order to search for Harvest Mouse nests. I could only spare a few hours and, in the event, my plans changed when I came across two Xylota sylvarum hoverflies spending their time in the vicinity of an old fallen tree stump. It's the first chance that I've had to photograph this attractive hoverfly. This individual got used to me over a period of time and even perched on my jeans & boots!

There were also several of these attractive wasps flying about amongst the bramble leaves:

Thanks to Tim Strudwick of the BWARS Newsgroup who has identified it as Mellinus arvensis. An internet search reveals it to be a wasp that is likely to be seen over the next few months searching various bushes in a hunt for flies. It places up to a dozen of these in a near-vertical sandy burrow that can be some 40cm long! Jeremy Early has conducted an interesting study of some of his local individuals here.

Beadlow Manor

2010-08-14T11:08:00.003+01:00

Q. What's the difference between a stoat and weasel?
A. A Weasel is weasily wecognised and a stoat is stoataly different!

In practice, though, it’s not quite as straightforward! I often get asked about the difference between a Stoat and a Weasel. This is a Stoat that I found dead alongside the A507 between the Beadlow Manor Golf Course and Sandy Smith Nature Reserve:
The black tip to the relatively long tail is obvious here, and I find it the most reliable character when confronted by a small Stoat or Weasel suddenly running across the road in front of me.

And this photo demonstrates why. This is a dead Weasel from Maxine's garden. It's appreciably smaller than an adult Stoat, but that's not easy to tell from the photo, and the same is often true of Weasels seen in the countryside, where the sighting can be agonisingly brief. Look at the tail, though. You can see how the presence of the Stoat’s thick, black-tipped, tail is a giveaway compared to the small thin tail of the Weasel.

Chandos Road, Ampthill

2010-08-13T10:14:00.003+01:00

This is the Banded Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus investigator, perched on the wall of my moth trap!

Recently, I did a study on our 7 species of Burying, or Sexton, Beetles and discovered just how fascinating their lifestyle can be. Have you, like me, ever wondered why so few small mammal & bird corpses are found considering how abundant they are? This little beastie and his friends is probably the main reason.

Sexton Beetles have a nose or, perhaps we should say, antennae, for a corpse, flying in from some distance in order to fulfil their vital task. We wouldn’t consider a corpse romantic but, for the Sexton Beetle, it’s the place to meet up and get to know one another. They bury the corpse and then lay their eggs close to the body as a future food source for their little ones!
(photo-credit: www.animalbehaviour.org)

What I find most amazing about these creatures takes place next, as the parents don’t high-tail it off to another corpse, but stay behind to feed the growing larvae before they’re able to look after themselves! The photo above shows just this amazing behaviour!

Well Head and Totternhoe area

2010-08-12T08:31:00.010+01:00

John O’Sullivan and I spent yesterday undertaking a hoverfly survey in the south of the County. We spent a few hours at Well Head, where the water gathers at the base of the Dunstable Downs. After lunch, we walked along a few footpaths on the chalk in the Totternhoe area.

There were hoverflies everywhere. As John put it, “For every bee there must be at least 100 hoverflies.” I think the number was probably much higher than that!

Not a good photo, but this was my favourite hoverfly of the day: the stunning Helophilus trivittatus, the biggest and brightest member of the Helophilus family. It’s only the second individual recorded in Bedfordshire so far this year.

I love the eye patterns on this species: Eristalinus sepulchralis, though you'll have to click on the photo to get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

The other hoverfly highlight was the presence of 4 male and 1 female Volucella inanis individuals on the same patch of bramble!

There were good numbers of butterflies around, too, including lots of Common Blues.

At Wellhead, we were surprised to come across this Chalkhill Blue.

Last year we had an invasion of these beautiful butterflies, originating in the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa: the Painted Lady. This year their numbers have been much fewer and far between!

Below are our butterfly and hoverfly lists for the trip: a great day out!

Butterflies:

Large White; Small White; Green-veined White; Meadow Brown; Gatekeeper; Ringlet; Common Blue; Holly Blue; Chalkhill Blue; Small Copper; Large Skipper; Small Skipper; Red Admiral; Painted Lady; Comma.

Hoverflies:

Melanostoma scalare; Melanostoma mellinum; Platycheirus rosarum; Platycheirus peltatus; Platycheirus clypeatus; Platycheirus albimanus; Syrphus vitripennis; Syrphus ribesii; Melangyna comp/lab; Melangyna umbellatarum; Eupeodes corollae; Eupeodes luniger; Episyrphus balteatus; Dasysyrphus albostriatus; Scaeva pyrastri; Sphaerophoria scripta; Sphaerophoria taeniata; Cheilosia bergenstammi; Cheilosia pagana; Cheilosia impressa; Cheilosia proxima; Cheilosia soror; Melanogaster hirtella; Neoascia podagrica; Eumerus funeralis; Pipizella viduata; Volucella pellucens; Volucella inanis; Syritta pipiens; Eristalis tenax; Eristalis pertinax; Eristalis horticola; Eristalis intricaria; Eristalis arbustorum; Eristalis nemorum; Eristalinus sepulchralis; Myathropa florea; Helophilus pendulus; Helophilus trivittatus.

…a total of 39 species, which is a new record for me in terms of species seen in a day!

A6 stream bridge

2010-08-11T09:53:00.004+01:00

This Signal Crayfish was scampering about on the bottom of the shallow stream at this site midday yesterday. Notice the white area on the claw. The Swedish biologist, Gunnar Svärdson, who gave this species its colloquial name, observed individuals waving their claws at one another, and the white patches reminded him of train dispatchers signalling to the engineer!

Signal crayfish, originally hailing from the United States, have been spreading throughout the UK ever since escaping from ponds where they were farmed for food in the 1970s. They readily walk overland. The bad news is that they reproduce rapidly and numerously and, even more ominously, carry a plague that can wipe out our native White-clawed Crayfish.

The small Bedfordshire population of White-clawed Crayfish collapsed a few years ago, though we don’t know whether the Signal Crayfish invasion was to blame. Other factors that are worrying conservationists are the amount of native species that the omnivorous Signal Crayfish consume – upsetting delicate ecosystems; and the way in which they burrow into the banks of rivers, streams and ditches – thus destabilising them.

Here's some other interesting Signal Crayfish facts that I came across:

• The female breeds from the age of about two when it is 40mm long.
• She breeds once a year and averages 275 eggs.
• The eggs are fertilised by the male in October/November.
• They are carried by the female folded within her tail until May when the young are released - if they can escape her jaws.
• The Signal is bigger and more aggressive than native crayfish.
• They are less fussy in what they eat and more successful and rapidly colonise new areas.
• They can live up to 12 years.

Steppingley-Woburn Road

2010-08-10T09:27:00.009+01:00

At first light this morning, with rain falling steadily, I was parked in one of my favourite spots on the road between Steppingley & Woburn. A young Buzzard was very active, calling and flying to and fro over the field on the opposite side of the road. Just before 6.30am, a male Muntjac appeared at the side of the field which has recently been harvested. He wandered about for a while before disappearing, once more, into the long vegetation alongside the copse.

Then, just before 6.50am, a female Muntjac wandered into the stubble, followed by a lively fawn and, finally, the male lagging slowly behind!

After several minutes browsing, the family made their way back to the tall vegetation at the end of the field. The male and fawn bounded into it, whereas the female turned around and spent another ten minutes leisurely grazing in the midst of the stubble.

Cooper's Hill & Ampthill Park

2010-08-08T00:26:00.004+01:00

Two striking but very different fungi encountered locally:

Southern Bracket (Ganoderma australe), here close to the base of a Silver Birch tree over Cooper’s Hill. When this occurs in a living tree, a corresponding white rot means that the trees days are numbered! You can see the brown dust below the fungus, the result of millions of cocoa-brown spores being released.

And this is the Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota procera), growing in the midst of a stand of Silver Birch trees in Ampthill Park. I was thrown for a moment because it looked smaller than the grandiose specimens that I often find in the Park, but the snakeskin pattern below the cap confirms its identity. Notice, too, the double ring on the stem, or stipe as it is known in fungi circles!

Ampthill Park

2010-08-07T10:15:00.003+01:00

Having talked about the plight of our Horse Chestnuts, I came across this in Ampthill Park this morning:

It refers to a magnificent Beech Tree, and I fear that it may be the results of a fungal disease that has already led to several of the Park’s Beeches being felled.

At the other end of the size scale, I came across this Wood Mouse in her nest. On the 29th July I found her (presumably a female) in exactly the same situation. I assume she’s got young, the average being between 4 and 7 individuals, but I didn’t want to disturb her any more to find out. Up to six pregnancies, one after the other, have been recorded in the wild in Wood Mice, the population potentially doubling every month. When in the nest, females exclude other mice.

The Alameda, Ampthill

2010-08-06T20:45:00.010+01:00

A few days ago, I noted the fact that a Hedgehog faces quite a challenge just to survive day by day. Our Horse Chestnuts – ‘Conker’ trees – are also confronting difficult times. If you live in this area you cannot fail to have noticed the grim appearance of these usually graceful trees.

The leaf damage on this tree is caused by the aptly named Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moth, Cameraria ohridella. It was only discovered in northern Greece in the 1970’s, but has since spread like wildfire through Europe, before being discovered infesting the trees on Wimbledon Common in July 2002. Since then it has continued to spread north through the UK at an alarming rate.

The moth lays its eggs in the leaf tissue and the larva subsequently eats its way through the leaves, causing them to turn brown and shrivel. You can see the leaf mines in this photo, though I couldn’t find any with larvae present.

If this isn’t bad enough, there’s an even worse enemy attacking our Horse Chestnuts. This is the trunk of the same tree:

It’s suffering from Bleeding Canker.

As far as we know, this disease used to be limited to India where it caused minor damage to the leaves of the Indian Horse Chestnut but, since arriving in Europe - probably on imported timber - it has been wreaking havoc. Initially it was thought to be a fungal disease, but research has confirmed that it is, in fact, bacterial.

The tree starts to ‘bleed’ yellow or red liquid in the spring before it gets darker in warmer weather, drying up to leave the effect evident on the photo, though it may ‘bleed’ again when Autumn comes, the bacteria almost certainly preferring mild & moist conditions. It destroys much of the essential tissue in the tree and can cause all kinds of secondary effects.

Thankfully, there is some good news. Earlier this year, scientists in Norwich decoded the genome of the bacterium (which goes by the chilling name of Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aesculi, or Pae for short!), which will hopefully lead to a bit of genetic warfare. If we don’t want to see our Horse Chestnuts going the way of our Elm trees, a solution can’t come soon enough!

The Alameda, Ampthill

2010-08-05T18:58:00.007+01:00

This molehill, which stands on The Alameda at Ampthill, was made at some point earlier today. It’s now been flattened, as has every other molehill along the length of this impressive avenue of trees, bequeathed to the town by Lord Holland in the 19th century. Over the last week or so, I’ve dutifully flattened any molehills in the morning and afternoon in order to get an idea of the activity that’s been going on. This very basic experiment has revealed the presence of half a dozen or so individual moles! If you’ve got molehills close to you, then it’s worth doing the same – like me, you might be surprised by the amount of excavation that’s taking place!

The UK’s most famous molehill was made during the early 1700s, in 1702 to be precise. It was in that fateful year, on 20th February, that King William III’s horse, Sorrel, stumbled over a molehill in Richmond Park, the frail 51 year old King William breaking his collar bone and dying of a subsequent fever a few weeks later, which explains why...

a) ….King William’s statue in St James Square includes a molehill!

b) …King William’s enemies, the Jacobites, used to raise a toast to ‘The Gentleman in Black Velvet’!

Harrold-Odell Country Park

2010-08-04T23:54:00.006+01:00

This evening half a dozen members of the Bedfordshire Bat Group and a dozen or so members of Bedfordshire and Luton Mind, the local mental health charity, gathered at Harrold-Odell Country Park in the north of Bedfordshire for a bat walk.

The Mind group, who have also been making bat boxes, enjoyed a similar ramble in the rain at Priory Country Park a few weeks ago, but it certainly hadn't dampened people's spirits and many had returned this evening in anticipation of another bat-fest!

There was a special treat before we started the walk as Bob & Jude had brought along a female Brown Long-eared Bat that had been found grounded at Chicksands a few days ago, and which seems to be lacking any disposition to fly for some reason.

Kelly then led us on a walk around the Park. It was still light when we entered the wooded section, but already a Soprano Pipistrelle was flying to & fro amongst the trees and we were able to watch it and listen to it on the bat detectors. It was an ideal evening for bats, damp but clear after the earlier rainfall, and there was further activity around the lakeside, including a feeding Common Pipistrelle.

But the best show of the night occurred at a clearing by the lake where Daubenton Bats skimmed over the surface of the lake while Pipistrelles flew overhead, regularly flying right past our heads, much to everyone's delight.

A little further on and suddenly the detectors emitted a totally different sound at a much lower frequency. I likened it to the sound of nails being frantically knocked into a wall. It was the distinct sound of Noctule Bats feeding high above the trees.

I think everyone really enjoyed themselves this evening - it's no wonder that the Bat Group is going from strength to strength!

Hoverfly heaven!

2010-08-04T17:40:00.011+01:00

In the United States, hoverflies are called ‘flower flies’ and, at the moment, there are often clouds of these engaging insects around stands of flowers in our gardens and the wider countryside. Here are two species that are particularly noticeable and well worth examining in greater detail when you find them:

Scaeva pyrastri

There is little mistaking this relatively large and conspicuous hoverfly, with its three pairs of white comma-like markings. The first individuals that we see from about June onwards are migrants from southern and central Europe which breed and, in good years like this one, give rise to large numbers of offspring that turn up just about everywhere. We don’t know whether any fly south again as the year progresses, but those that remain can’t survive our cold winters, a situation that global warming could reverse over the coming years.

It’s reckoned that the larvae of this species probably consume as many as 500 or more of the aphids that they feed on, generally low down in the vegetation but, once they’ve become adults, they content themselves with nectar & pollen, which helps to mature the eggs (thankfully, they don’t require blood like the deerflies below!).

Episyrphus balteatus

This is probably our most familiar hoverfly – it’s even got an English name: the Marmalade Hoverfly. It’s smaller than Scaeva pyrastri but has that wonderful marmalade-coloured abdomen with the double black stripes. It’s a form of what is known as Batesian mimicry, the harmless hoverfly mimicking a more dangerous species, thereby gaining protection from predators.

The Marmalade Fly larva is also an important predator of various aphids, and a number of studies have been undertaken of their beneficial effect in controlling pests in various crops. One experiment established that female Marmalade Hoverflies ‘are able to evaluate and adjust oviposition rates according to different aphid prey densities’, i.e., the greater the number of aphids, the greater the number of eggs laid!

The thing I find most fascinating is the fact that they are drawn to the aphid colonies by the honeydew secreted by the individuals. So it’s not the number of aphids which attracts them so much as the concentration of honeydew and, even then, they are able to differentiate between the honeydew of various species so that they are choosing the correct aphid species', too.

Amazing!

The Alameda, Ampthill

2010-08-03T18:20:00.004+01:00

They say that there's more than one way to skin a cat, and I guess that the same goes for our Hedgehogs, too! Over the last few days I've found 3 separate Hedgehog skins on the grass along The Alameda, two of them within a few metres of one another.

I grew up reading stories of gypsies coating Hedgehogs in clay and then placing them in the hot embers of a fire to bake them, the spines becoming detatched by the process. But this is the work of a Badger or Fox. My money's on Badger. Even though there's not a known sett closeby, they do wander around the local area. It's said that, if you don't find many Hedgehogs around in a suitable rural or suburban area, then one of the reasons may be the presence of Badgers foraging locally, and I think that there's a lot of truth in that, though Hedgehogs also have to contend with the dangers of getting squashed by traffic, strangled or suffocated by rubbish, drowned in steep-sided ponds, sliced up by strimmers, burned by bonfires, or else poisoned by snails & slugs (which have themselves been poisoned by slug pellets). All in all, it's not an easy life for a Hedgehog!

Back in 1981, here in the UK, Hedgehog Foods Ltd marketed Hedgehog-flavoured crisps! The flavouring used was actually pork fat, and Hedgehog Foods landed up in trouble with the Office of Fair Trading the following year. What happened next? As one website relates it, 'Bizarrely, a settlement was finally reached when Mr Lewis, of Hedgehog Foods, interviewed gypsies who actually did eat baked hedgehogs, to ascertain the flavour of hedgehogs. Mr Lewis then commissioned a flavourings firm to duplicate the flavour as closely as possible and changed the labels from "hedgehog flavoured" to "hedgehog flavour" and all interests were satisfied!'

Randall's Farm WLT, Stewartby & Ampthill

2010-08-02T16:59:00.012+01:00

I wrote a few days ago about a small-mammal trapping session at Randall’s Farm WLT. Over two days I had the Bank Vole pictured below, a Field Vole, 5 Wood Mice, a Common Shrew and….a juvenile Brown Rat. It exploded out of the trap and jumped up and down in the plastic bag looking for a fight, by far the liveliest rodent that I’ve trapped to date!

I had several more genteel small mammals on my own local patch this morning:
Two Common Shrews, including this one in some rough vegetation along The Alameda next to the school playing field….

And two juvenile Wood Mice in the scrub alongside the Ampthill Rugby Club pitch.

My dedicated search for that all elusive Polecat sighting continues to be...well, elusive! On Saturday, whilst travelling with my wife, Carole, alongside the Woburn Abbey boundary, I drove over a dark-furred corpse which, in the rearview mirrow, showed a flash of white at the head-end. The coat colour wasn't quite right, but I thought it must be a dead Polecat. On driving right around the next traffic island and heading back up the hill (my wife, Carole, commendably uncomplaining and resigned to the inevitable) I found this:
A freshly-killed Mink. The flash of white had been the Mink’s throat patch rather than a Polecat’s facial markings!

I did come across another Polecat of sorts yesterday afternoon though:
…the Polecat Inn at Prestwood in the Chilterns, which we passed on our way home from a visit to Disraeli’s home at Hughenden!

Randall's Farm WLT, Stewartby

2010-07-30T22:41:00.006+01:00

During an invertebrate survey at Randall’s Farm, I suddenly experienced a familiar buzzing around my head with regular attempts to use it as a landing pad, and I knew that the time of year had arrived when I would have to start dealing regularly with this character again:

It’s Chrysops relictus – the Twin-lobed Deerfly – and it’s after blood…my blood! I can cope with males, because they only gaze at you from a flowerhead as they feed on the sugary nectar, but females have a more malicious intent.

Those mouthparts are sharp and custom made for sawing into flesh in order to extract the blood that it needs in order to ensure that the developing eggs mature fully. The Deerfly specializes in extracting its blood from the back of the neck, which is very sneaky as far as I’m concerned. They do give you warning, though: flying like Spitfires around your head before softly landing so, if your radar picks them up soon enough, you’ve got a chance of swatting them. But I warn you, they don’t give up easily.

Which is why I was fascinated to come across the following product advertised in the United States:"If you have one of our deer fly patches on the back of your cap, they will immediately be trapped when they land. The patch will not stick to your fingers, but will still trap the deer flies. It's all small-scale jungle warfare.
Offered in packages of four or 12 sticky patches, each measuring 2-1/2" x 5-3/4". One patch will stay effective for several days."

Is this a wind up? And, if it isn't, where can I order a set from??

Chandos Road, Ampthill

2010-07-30T20:28:00.001+01:00

A County-first on Tuesday, and a garden-first today when I found this beauty in the moth trap this morning: Pale Prominent (Pterostoma palpina). I’m assuming that the second part of the Latin name refers to the stonking mouthparts, or palps, which are particularly noticeable on this male. With the tail tufts at the other end and the pale but cryptic colouring, you can see how any hungry birds would struggle to find this individual tucked away during the daylight hours!

Randall's Farm, Stewartby

2010-07-29T22:14:00.006+01:00

Late this afternoon I set 18 Longworth small mammal traps at Randall's Farm, the Wildlife Trust Education Centre. I went back this evening and found this Bank Vole in a trap set by a gap in the shed:It's the third Bank Vole I've come across today. Earlier I stopped off at Stewartby Lake and looked under a refuge that I had placed here some months ago, revealing a beautiful chestnut-backed individual. I then visited several other refuges close to Ampthill Park. One was home to another Bank Vole, with a Woodmouse in a nest under a further refuge just a few metres away. The other refuge here - a large sheet of MDF rescued from Dad's garage - revealed several Toads and a Great-crested Newt. It all goes to show just how effective sheets of tin or wood can be - I'm always on the lookout for suitable pieces!

Studham

2010-07-29T13:41:00.004+01:00

In my last post I mentioned the day that John O’Sullivan and I had spent around Studham surveying for hoverflies. Today, John e-mailed me to say that a small dark hoverfly that I had netted from the top of a Hogweed umbel had been identified as Cheilosia scutellata, a first for Bedfordshire.

The other notable record was the presence of 5 of these: the impressive Volucella inanis, which has been expanding its range northwards over the last decade or so. It looks like a giant wasp and is, indeed, a wasp mimic, its eggs known to be laid in the nests of the Hornet and of some of our common social wasps. One reputable source notes that the strangely flattened larvae can ‘fit into the larval cells beside the wasp larvae on which they feed’ [Ball & Morris, 2001], whereas another hoverfly aficionado writes, ‘the larvae probably feed on organic debris accumulating in the nest cavity below the nest itself’ [Falk, 1991]. What’s amazing to me is the fact that they’re there in the first place!

Another insect that’s been expanding its range quite dramatically in recent years is this one: Roesel’s Bush-Cricket. It used to be a rare inhabitant of coastal meadows. Why Roesel’s? Because it’s named after the German entomologist, August Johann Rosel von Rosenhof, who studied insects and painted them. He died in his mid-fifties, and I can’t help wondering whether he would still have been able to hear this species calling towards the end of his life as the high-pitched song, created by rubbing the wings together, is not easy to pick up as our hearing deteriorates with age. I can still hear them…but for how much longer, I wonder?

Notice how long the wings are on this individual, extending past the end of the abdomen. This makes it the ‘macropterous’ form. In the usual form the wings only reach about half-way along the abdomen. I’ve never noticed this before. The author of the Wikipedia article on this insect states, ‘This form appears predominantly during hot summers and enables the species to extend its geographical range rapidly while conditions are suitable; such migrations may also be in response to local over-population.’

This individual was close by – I think it’s a Common Green Grasshopper, though I’m happy to be corrected.

Here’s a question for you to think about: What colour is Grasshopper blood? I was surprised when I found out. Any ideas?

Night Journeys

2010-07-28T07:34:00.007+01:00

At 1am this morning, I listened intently to the strange sounds of the Bedfordshire countryside: a rich assortment of grunts, snorts, yaps, howls…and a regular rumbling groan that I could only liken to a Hippopotamus with indigestion!

I admit that it wasn’t typical for this part of the world because I happened to be sitting in the middle of the Chiltern Way alongside the perimeter fence of Whipsnade Zoo but, closing my eyes and letting my imagination run riot, I could have been in the middle of the rolling plains of the savannah, or else sat up a tree in a tropical rainforest: a surreal experience that I’d recommend as the 502nd thing to do before you die!

I decided yesterday morning that I wouldn't be going to bed last night and so, whilst visiting our local shops first thing, I was delighted to find a homeless giant Teddy Bear in the local charity shop. We both got on really well and I couldn’t resist purchasing it so that Carole wouldn’t be on her own in my absence!

John O’Sullivan and I had spent the day conducting a hoverfly survey around the pretty village of Studham on the south-western boundary of the County, and it was to Studham that I returned soon after 10pm, hoping to encounter an Edible Dormouse or two in the local woods. These are very common and active in parts of the Buckinghamshire Chilterns at this time, so I thought it would be worth having a look-see locally, too.

On the way into the wood I’d watched a Brown Hare in the night-vision scope as it weaved its way through a herd of cattle but, over the next hour or so, I couldn’t find sight nor sound of anything within the wood itself….apart from a Hornet that made me jump as it suddenly buzzed loudly right past my ear in the darkness (I confess that night-flying Hornets being attracted to the light is the thing that makes me more nervous than anything else when wandering alone through pitch-black woods in the middle of the night!).

A female Muntjac grazed next to the road as I drove to Whipsnade, and another sauntered nonchalantly out of my way as I walked down the Icknield Path and, thence, onto the Chiltern Way and around the Whipsnade Zoo perimeter. In a small copse I came across a young squeaking Tawny Owl which sat gazing quizzically at me from its perch just a few metres away. A further ramble brought me to the section of fence where I sat listening to the strange cacophony of sound emanating from the Zoo. In the midst of this kaleidoscope of sound, I was pretty sure that I heard an Edible Dormouse chattering & chuntering in the depths of the thick Oak tree canopy above my head, too, though mainly by a process of elimination because I couldn't think what other creature it might have been apart from a Grey Squirrel dreaming!

After a further hour here, I made my way back to the car and thence, via the M1 (and a cup of strong coffee at Toddington Services), to the Barton Bypass in the hope of seeing a Polecat. No luck here, despite several ‘passes’ between the Streatley & Barton roundabouts, though I watched a Hedgehog scuttling around by Harlington Station, and another in Flitwick.

And so, at about 3.45am, with a beautiful bright moon right ahead of me, I found myself parked once again in my favourite spot on the road out of Steppingley (see below), listening to a lecture by Tom Wright, outgoing Bishop of Durham, and sipping an orange & mango juice purchased from the 24-hour Tescos in Flitwick. No Polecats again….not even a Red Fox, in fact, but fascinating as always with browsing Rabbits, canoodling Grey Squirrels and a beautiful female Muntjac. A massive brown bird flew low right over the top of the car just after 5am. There are a family of Buzzards around, but everything about the ‘jizz’ shouted out “female Goshawk”. Later, I saw it fly down the edge of the wood – stunning!

[Photocredit: wunderground.com]

Polecat Musings

2010-07-24T23:05:00.004+01:00

Last night I dreamed that I saw a live Polecat and managed to photograph it. I can't remember the details but it shows just how much this beastie has been on my mind in recent weeks. I'm hoping to spend a few nights out in the countryside in the next week, baiting suitable areas, lamping, and using Richard's night vision scope (thanks for the loan, Richard). In the meantime, here's some Polecat excerpts from a 1960 book, British Animals of the Wild Places, by J. Wentworth Day:

'We stood one night in a little willow holt, a tangled jungle of soaring poplars, graceful osiers and blackthorn bushes, where soil was black and oozy and tasselled reeds and cream-yellow meadowsweet grew shoulder high. It was on the edge of Wicken Fen, that untamed wilderness of reeds and sedge, and peaty waters, where still the bittern sometimes booms on nights of spring, and the wild duck rears its brood.
That night, as we stood beneath the whispering leaves of the tall poplar that rose, faintly murmurous, a great silvered spire, reaching for the stars, there came a quiet patter on fallen leaves. The crackle of a twig. Quick insistent footsteps.
Moonlight struck a wan, white patch of bare ground between the bushes and the reeds. I stood in the black shade of the poplar. Suddenly, out of the reeds snaked a long, sinuous animal. Half as long again as a rabbit it seemed in the moonlight. It paused suddenly. Lifted a fore-foot. Eyes gleamed greenishly towards the half-seen figure in the poplar shade. My companion, a lion-hearted terrier, stiffened like a wire-brush. He plunged forward.
The strange animal whisked sideways in the moonlight, disappeared almost instantaneously in the reeds. The dog crashed after it. There was a momentary gleam of a rich dark-brown coat - and then the most appalling smell that ever smote the nostrils of man or boy in an English wood. That smell seemed to linger for days.
That was my first, and last, vision of a true, wild polecat in his native haunts in England...

....The average man can live a lifetime without seeing - still less smelling - this prize murderer of the wilds...

...There is little to commend polecat or marten, although both are handsome, courageous and ancient. They were here long before the Romans came. Both, however, are ruthless killers. They kill for the sheer lust of slaughter. Game birds, hares, rabbits and poultry are never safe when either is abroad.
In the North Country, particularly the Lake District, I believe that the polecat still survives in limited numbers, and, indeed, some years ago there existed a scratch pack of smallish hounds of a more or less nondescript breed, which were used for hunting "foulmarts", as the polecat is called, among the rough moorland pastures and the drystone walls of the Lake District...

...In the winter of 1943 I was staying at Clochfaen Hall, far up on the head-waters of the Wye in Montgomeryshire. There, on a wild unkeepered estate of some four thousand acres of moorland and sheep farms, tracks of polecats were plainly visible in the snow. One farmer even told me that he had seen no less than fourteen of them hunting in a pack! Heaven help any new-born lamb which that bloodthirsty gang should chance to encounter.'