Linacre WeBS and Ringing

 This week, I have been down to Linacre a couple of times to carry out this month's WeBS count and for a ringing session.

The WeBS count was as follows: Mallard (46), Tufted Duck (28 adults, no breeding again this year), Mandarin Duck (5), Coot (8; 5 adults and 3 juveniles), Moorhen (8; 5 adults and 3 juveniles),  Grey Wagtail (4), Cormorant (1), Grey Heron (1), Great-crested Grebe (4: 1 adult and 3 juveniles) and 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. Other birds seen were: Goldfinch, Bullfinch (heard), Robin, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, 1 Mistle Thrush, c.8 House Martins and c.20 Swallows.

The ringing session, held on 23rd, was the best one so far this year, with 80 birds ringed. Totals were (new/retrap): Chiffchaff (19/0 - all juveniles), Willow Warbler (5/0 - 4 juveniles), Blackcap (14/1 - the retrap being a juvenile first ringed here in July), Blackbird (1/0 - an adult), Blue Tit (20/1 - the retrap being a bird ringed in box c.26 on 18th May 2025), Great Tit (6/0 - all juveniles), Long-tailed Tit (1/1 - the retrap being a bird first ringed here in November 2024), Robin (2/0 - both juveniles), Wren (2/0 - 1 juvenile), Goldfinch (1/0 - 1 juvenile), Dunnock (1 juvenile) and Goldcrest (5/0 - 4 juveniles).

Other birds seen were: House Martin (c.17), Swallow (2 over) and Crossbill (10 over).

5 butterflies (3 Red Admirals, 1 Speckled Wood and 1 Painted Lady) were also seen.

RSPB Frampton Marsh - 22nd August 2025

 Every year, at about this time, Jayne and I drive over to RSPB Frampton Marsh to catch up with a few passage waders, that can be seen, at this time of the year. It also gives us a chance to catch up with a damselfly that I haven't yet manged to find in Derbyshire.

This year has been very dry all across the UK, so most of the usual pools at Frampton were dried out. This meant that the birds that were there, were concentrated onto the few, remaining wet areas. We visited one, by the side of the reedbed, where we spotted a very obliging Wood Sandpiper (193) and 2 less obliging Green Sandpiper (194), that flew straight off!! 

Wood Sandpiper

After lunch, we went across to the Reedbed Hide were we spotted c.100 Greylag Geese,  Black-tailed Godwits (c.30), Lapwing, 3 juvenile Shelduck, Ruff (6), Avocet (1), juvenile Little Ringed Plovers and 4 Little Stint (195).

Little Stint

Our final stop was the dragonfly/dipping pool, where we spotted a couple of mating Migrant Hawkers and a pair of Willow Emerald Damselflies (in tandem). Common and Ruddy Darters were also seen, as was a pair of Common Blue Butterflies and a single Small Copper.

Migrant Hawkers

Willow Emerald Damselflies

Rufford Gulls - 20th August 2025

 After a couple of weeks away, I had a 2 hour visit to Rufford yesterday afternoon. There were approximately 75 Black-headed Gulls present (c.20 juveniles) and 6 of "own" ringed gulls.

The Black-headed Gulls seen were: 283B (ringed in November 2022, as an adult, and last seen on 4th September 2024), 

283B

207C (3rd sighting this "autumn/winter"), 

207C

245C (ringed in October 2023, and the first sighting since January 2025), 

245C

258C (3rd sighting this "autumn/winter), 

258C

2V03 (ringed in January 2025, and the first sighting since March 2025) and 2V16 (ringed in February 2025, as an adult, and the first sighting since 8th February 2025).

2V03

2V16

Other birds seen were: c.100 Canada Geese, including 1 ringed bird; 5230434., 4 Greylag Geese and  2 adult, unringed Mute Swans. 

Maasai Mara - Part 2

On day 2 of our time in the Maasai Mara, we spent the entire day out on safari (7.30am - 5.00pm). We saw all the usual suspects (see previous post), and also added the following species: Coke's Hartbeest, Cheetah, Warthog, Nile Crocodile (on the Mara River) and Vervet Monkey. 

Cheetah

Nile Crocodile

Warthog

Vervet Monkey (taken at Lake Nakuru)

Maasai Mara - Part 1

Last year, Jayne and I had a fantastic two week holiday in Kenya and Zanzibar, to celebrate a special birthday. We visited Kenya for a week's safari and then had a week on Zanzibar. Whilst there, we spotted 134 species of bird (118 of which were lifers), 42 species of mammal/reptile and amphibian (all of which were lifers), 15 butterfly species (all lifers) and 3 species of Dragonfly 9 (all lifers).

Our trip started off in Nairobi, where we stopped for a night, before heading off to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. We spent two days here, staying at the Sopa Lodge, and travelling out onto the reserve.

On the first drive (4pm - 6.30pm), we spotted Impala, Topi, Eland, Plains Zebra, Cape Buffalo, Thompson's Gazelle, Wildebeest, Olive Baboon, Maasai Giraffe, Grant's Gazelle, African Elephant, Hippopotamus, Spotted Hyena, a Mongoose species, most likely Banded, Silver-striped Jackal and African Lion!

African Elephants

Cape Buffalo

Maasai Giraffe

Eland

218F Returns

 A quick post to update on a Black-headed Gull that was seen at Center Parcs last week (14th). 

The bird in question, ringed 218F, by me, as a 1st year bird in October 2024 was reported back in the country at Center Parcs again. Unfortunately, there were no sightings over the summer ( I last saw it, at Rufford, on 2nd March 2025), so we don't yet know where it breeds. Hopefully, it'll hang around for another winter.

218F

Oban - 9th - 16th August 2025

 After our week in Anstruther, Jayne and I drove across to Oban, to meet up with the rest of the family. Whilst there, in between the touristy bits, we managed to add 3 new bird species to the "Year List", a new butterfly for the year and add a new species of butterfly and mammal to the Life Lists.

The 3 new birds were: Greenshank (190), when 2 were spotted on the loch near our holiday home, Black Guillemot (191); 2 birds in and around Oban harbour and Manx Shearwater (192), with a flock of c20 seen from the ferry, whilst crossing over to Mull.

Black Guillemot (moulting into winter plumage)

The new species of butterfly was a Scotch Argus, that flew past us on the beach (!) and landed, very briefly, hence the awful photo, on Ganavan Sands, Oban.

Scotch Argus

The other butterfly species seen were: Red Admiral, Green-veined White and Grayling (seen on Isle of Luing).

Grayling

Other species seen, whilst up there were: Common Buzzard, Raven (3 over the Isle of Luing and over the holiday accommodation), Hooded Crow (no longer on the Year List since being  "lumped" back with Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Turnstone, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Gannet, Kittiwake, Herring, Common, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls, Stonechat, Swallow, House Martin (nesting on our holiday home), Starling, a single Skua species (probably Arctic), seen harrying the terns (probably Arctic as well) on the ferry to Mull and some "pigeons" that could possibly be Rock Doves (seen on the Isle of Luing).

Hooded Crow

Mammal wise, we spent an enjoyable few hours out with the Heart of Argyl Wildlife Organisation in the Knapdale Forest on a "Beaver Walk", where we managed to watch an adult beaver swim the entire length of the Loch of Barnluasgan!!

European Beaver

Whilst on the ferry across to Mull, we saw a small pod of approximately 6 Common Dolphins (no photos unfortunately). The final animal of note, was a single Red Squirrel, seen disappearing into the bushes!

Anstruther Gulls and Shag

 This morning, I had half an hour checking the gulls in the harbour area around Anstruther. I spotted a new species for the trip, Mediterranean Gull. 

Black-headed and Mediterranean Gull

In the afternoon, Jayne and I checked the rocks below the golf clubhouse, and spotted 2 darvic-ringed Great Black-backed Gulls and a single darvic-ringed Shag. 

233:M

207:M

Shag - AXS?

Year List Update - 4th August 2025

 Jayne and I are up in Scotland for a couple of weeks. On the drive up, we stopped off at Musselburgh Lagoons, near Edinburgh, to look for some scoters. 

There were 4 species of scoter to find, but, as you can imagine, we only managed to find 2 of them, Velvet Scoter (185), Common Scoter (186). Annoyingly, the White-winged and Surf remained elusive!! Other species seen were: Eider Duck, Razorbill (187), Redshank, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull and Goosander.

Arriving in Anstruther, we spotted 6 species of gull, around the harbour area: Black-headed, Common, Herring, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed and a single Kittiwake. 2 Kingfishers were also seen feeding in the rockpools, along with Redshank, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Turnstone. A single Shag (188) and a single Common Tern (189) were spotted on the nearby rocks.

A walk along the coastal path to Pittenweem added Linnet, Painted Lady and a single Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Linnet