Trail Cams

Red Legged Partridge on the Rock with 2 chicks, fairly regular on it. Put a Trail Cam on the new Little Owl Box for 2 days/nights and lots of activity.


No Little Owls yet but Barn Owls trying to access it through curiosity, or even looking for a roost possibly, this happened quite a lot over 2 nights. Would suspect fledged juveniles possibly looking for there own Box.


Kestrels already on it no doubt between hunting foray's to rest up, will place Cam again over the weekend.

Little Owl Pole Box

On Sunday with the valued help of my Amigo’s, Paul and Shaun and Freddie supplying the water which proved a godsend, we concreted in as above, a Little Owl Pole Box.

A bit of a bugger on the dig, I hit a few lumps of concrete on the way down, but rather miraculously, I got lucky and there was enough room for the telegraph pole to go down 1 metre.

On Sunday the whole event from start to finish took only 50 minutes, stand it up, plumb it and then concrete it in. Paul/Shaun did all the work but I could see they needed my guidance, so nagged them as much I could.

In all seriousness though the boys did a great job as usual and I removed the struts, levelled the substrate and placed a Trail Cam on it Monday morning.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the little fellas to find it, or if the Stock Doves find it first!

Watch this space.

 

Cooling Marshes

 

August 8th

As you know one of my favourite places that has rarely disappointed over the years, I visited with Paul at dawn on the Saturday, only my 2nd visit this year.

Lots of Curlew in the Breach on a rising tide, I estimated around 180+ also a single Grey Plover seen along with 6 Black Tailed Godwits and 4 Whimbrel the best of the waders.

The morning however will go to 7+ Bearded Tits, juveniles all, it seemed staying faithful to one particular Reedbed, always good to catch up with these. Additionally they stayed for a good while allowing me to get some half decent photos.

Raptors were represented by Common Buzzard, Hobby, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and a juvenile Peregrine flew overhead, no rings that we could see. This far out ‘in the wilds’ possibly a juvenile that has left the natal site and is now self-sufficient.

Good birds/migrants seen on the drive out to the road included a Northern Wheatear, 2 Corn Bunting, 4 Whinchat and a Stonechat.