Sunrise over the Duck Marsh, Rodley Nature Reserve, Leeds - Sunday 17th July 2011
A 05:30 start this moth's BTO WeBS count, finishing at 08:45-ish, and just missing the rain. The weather was great to start with, but it darkened as the clouds rolled in.
Rainbow over Rodley Nature Reserve, Leeds - Sunday 17th July 2011
Highlights this month:
A single group of 82 Mallard (there were others scattered around), made up mostly of juvenile birds born this year.
Great views of a Kingfisher from the Reedbed hide (the best place to see these here). The bird looked a little worn – it’s probably been busy tending to young for the last few weeks.
Four Little Grebe adults – no young though after they were predated by Mink.
Lots of young warblers around in the scrub and willow. Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat. We had some ID challenges with two groups of possible young Lesser Whitethroat skulking in the hedgerows (plain grey-brown uppers, mostly pale underparts, dark grey hood with a darker grey eye-mask). Lesser Whitethroat are not common at Rodley, but I heard some had been seen earlier in the month.
A nice array of finches in the trees near the entrance bridge: Bullfinch (including two young), Goldfinch, Chaffinch, and plenty of Greenfinch.
Three Common Tern having an argument over the reserve (a pair are breeding here this year).
One Stock Dove. Nothing particularly interesting about that, but I just like to mention them as they’re one of my favourite birds and they're so often overlooked.
The WeBS counts are generally too early in the morning to see much in the way of butterflies, but other wildlife included two Roe Deer (an adult female and young male), young toads, and a pool in the reed full of tiny young fish. Any help on identifying the fish species would be welcome!
Fish (?!) at Rodley Nature Reserve, Leeds - Sunday 17th July 2011
Yes, I went twitching again the other day. I went to see this beauty…
White-throated Robin - Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland
White-throated Robin - Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland
A 1st-summer female White-throated Robin (Irania gutturalis) at Hartlepool Headland, Cleveland. This is a mega rarity for the UK, and in fact for anywhere in Western Europe – its breeding range stretches from Turkey to Afghanistan, and it winters in eastern Africa. Yep, a mega rarity.
A lucky bird-ringer trapped and ringed the bird on the morning of Monday 6th June 2011, and after a initially thinking it was a Red-flanked Bluetail (a less-rare bird, but rare one nonetheless) he realised he was holding the birding equivalent of gold dust in his hand. There are only two previously accepted records in the British Isles – one on the Isle of Man (an area not covered by the ‘British List’) in 1983, and an untwitchable bird on Skokholm Island in 1990.
The news was released fast and the really (mad) keen twitchers were there by late morning, watching the bird as it fed on a municipal bowling green. Unfortunately, by the time most birders had finished work and got up to Hartlepool, the bird had retired to the garden of the local doctor’s house, no doubt for some peace and quiet. This particular garden was surrounded by a very high wall coated in anti-vandal paint. This wouldn’t stop you average hard-core twitcher though. Oh no. Here’s some footage of the scene from YouTube…
With such a rare bird, and all that craziness going on, the decision for me to go and see it was no-brainer. And see it I did. By the time I arrived most of the fuss had died down, and the good doctor had generously opened his garden to allow viewing of the bird. I had a wonderful couple of hours sat on the flattest lawn ever, enjoying great views of this sprightly, long-tailed beauty. Here’s my own low-grade video of the robin:
Job done a super-rare tick, some banter with good-humoured twitchers and locals, and all with the minimum of fuss. But, why was I feeling so guilty?
The question, “Was it worth it?” was going round my head as I drive my passenger-less car back down the A1. “Of course it was worth it”, I thought – it was cracking bird. And it only stayed for five days and was gone before the weekend, so it was a good job I went when I did! But really, really, was it worth a total of four hours driving, using most of a tank of petrol (and the associated climate-changing effects of burning it), just to get that special tick on my list? Err… yes? Maybe? I don’t know. I did put £5 in the bucket at the doctor’s house, to aid the local bird group, but that hardly balances the £50 I spent on fuel.
If I’m honest - really honest - it’s not the harm I may be doing to the environment that makes me feel remorseful, although that’s bad enough. It’s those few stolen hours away from my family I feel the most guilt about. Just the other day my six-year-old daughter gave me a lovely Fathers’ Day card she’d made at school, complete with a generic poem urging dads everywhere to make the most of those early years, when their kids are young. “You’ll never get those years back” it said, “and you’ll feel really guilty if you spent any of that time twitching or watching football or jetting off to music festivals you selfish, heartless pig”. Okay, I made that last bit up, but you get my point. If the poem was intended to induce pangs of conscience in the dad reading it, it did its job. It reminded me of the time I spent twitching a Great Grey Shrike (a bird I’d seen before, and didn’t need for my list - I just wanted to show it to my friend) on the morning of my daughter’s 3rd birthday party. I got back in good time and everyone was happy, but thanks to that card a strong feeling of guilt has come back some three-and-half years later….
But, I’m not a complete rarity-obsessed monster. Honest. I’ve been doing plenty of non-twitching wildlife things recently, including things with my kids, which I hope redresses the balance in favour of responsible birding. In the past ten days alone I’ve helped with the monthly BTO WeBS count at Rodley Nature Reserve; done my own monthly WeBS survey on my section of the River Aire; written an article for my local bird group’s magazine; launched a new RSPB youth group for my local area; done my final site visit for this year’s Redshank Breeding Survey; taken my children to a local Springwatch event; and spent an evening in the rain listening to Nightjars at a traditional local site.
All that and I still feel guilty about the twitching.
Primavera Sound, held each year at the Parc del Forum, Barcelona, is one of my favourite music festivals, and having missed last year’s event I was determined to go in 2011. Some great bands on this year, although thanks to various issues, I managed to miss many of the ones I wanted to see.
Of course, visiting another country can provide some interesting birding opportunities. Unfortunately, my stay was for the three nights of the festival only. Anyone who’s been to an event like this in Spain will know that things start late and go on well into the morning – so you won’t see much daylight, or be sober enough to focus your bins if you do manage to get out. So, basically, I didn’t get any birding in; but did keep an eye out for ‘em while I was in the city.
The taxi ride from the airport to my friend’s flat, near La Sagrada Familia, took around 40 minutes, with me sitting in the front seat with my binoculars (raised eyebrows from the cabbie). En route to the city, there are some interesting habitats: the flat agricultural land near the airport, the tantalising Llobregat delta reserve, the cliffs of Montjüic near the docks… All for me to explore on my next trip, I hope.
The only birds I saw on the journey that I could ID with confidence were:
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis Absolutely everywhere in the city, easily separable from ‘our’ Herring Gulls by their yellow legs and darker upper wings – not as dark as ‘our’ Lesser Black-backed Gulls though…);
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba The nominate sub-species M. a. alba, of which the British version is the Pied Wagtail M. a. yarrellii);
European Magpie (Pica pica A nice change to see these, having visited the Scottish Highlands last weekend and seen hardly any - thanks to land owners trapping them);
Common Swift (Apus Apus Over the rooftops in the city in summer);
Blackbird (Turdus merula Heard singing almost as soon as I stepped from the cab).
Hmmm, not a very impressive list, is it? I did catch sight of a slim falcon species over the cliffs across the road from the harbour, but it was too high for me to ID from a moving vehicle. Definitely not one of the reintroduced Peregrines - too slim and thin-winged. It was almost certainly a Kestrel from the large colony at Montjüic.
So, after a beer or two at my friend’s flat, it was straight to the festival. Having spent the last couple of years telling anyone who’d listen that this was one of the best-run fests you could visit, the organisers overstretched themselves this time, leading to total chaos. The innovation this year was a pre-pay system for your beer and food. In theory, you added money electronically to a special festival card thus removing the need to come with anything other than the card and your T-10 Metro ticket. All well and good, if the server can take the weight of all the traffic when people are trying to register for it… So, after lots of queues and grumpiness, late on the first night we were all paying cash for our San Miguels, just like in the olden days.
The solar panel - the most obvious landmark at the Parc del Forum, Barcelona
Grinderman were the first band I watched - on paper, a band I really should like, but as yet I’d not been drawn to listen to. Verdict: they made a great noise, and they looked great on stage, but where were the tunes? The Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds never struggled for a tune, but I didn’t hear too many during this set. Oh, and their guitar solos were too short. I guess I should actually listen to one their CDs – I do keep seeing them lying around the house.
Now then, Suicide, bone fide electronic music pioneers - tonight they performed their first album, Suicide, in full. [Note, their second album is also called Suicide. Crazy guys…]. These chaps are old, but don’t think that lessens any of their impact. In fact, depending on who you believe, singer Alan Vega is anywhere between 62 and 108 years old, and his deliberately creepy demeanour still cuts through in his deadpan vocals.
Martin Rev and Alan Vega - Suicide at Primavera, Barcelona, 26th May 2011
Meanwhile, Martin Rev produces simple, sweet Casio chord progressions punctured by atonal stabs of noise, all over a hissing, popping Roland rhythm. The whole vibe is sinister and menacing, yet also poignant and tragic. And slightly odd. Down the front of the amphitheatre, standing on the hot, litter-strewn concrete in front of the pumping speakers, I imagined the atmosphere was similar to their early No Wave gigs in the bankrupt New York of the late 70s. Bizarrely, it was probably my favourite moment of the festival.
After getting lost in the darkness, in a good way, I finally found my way to the main stage to watch The Flaming Lips. My interest in this band has waned (there’s a pun in there somewhere) over the years, after being blown away in the mid 90s by their albums Hit to Death in the Future Head, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, and Clouds Taste Metallic (all highly recommended). After the departure of guitarist Ronald Jones their sound became a little ‘straight’. But while they lost some sonic experimentalism, they developed a great stage show. I doubt few people could fail to enjoy their lightshow, banter, and antics, with singer Wayne Coyne dressed ridiculously throughout. Their earlier material was a bit thin on the ground tonight, but it was a fun show all the same.
Friday started with the most exciting bird sighting at the festival (well, pretty much the only bird sighting at the festival…), when a White Wagtail few over the bar near the solar panel, where I was stood deciding on the first band to see. Yes, how my priorities soon shift from birding and music, to booze…
I chose to start the night with a punt on The National, a band I’d hitherto ignored. And they were not bad at all, I have to say. They’re from the USA, but seem to be doing all they can to hide this fact. They sound like a grown-up Joy Division, but without all the cheesy conceit of Interpol, and tick all the right boxes by having a brass section and big, big guitar endings. No, not bad at all, although I suspect I’ll never buy one their records.
Then came the biggest fail of the festival, because I listened to my friends and not the little voice in my head. Somehow, inexcusably, I went and watched Belle and Sebastian. Quite why they were so high up the bill, and quite why so many people were watching them (and singing along! And dancing!), I have no idea. I’m guessing it’s the Mumford and Sons effect: It’s really popular, but I know of no one that likes it. I know enough of this band’s music to know it’s dull, flavourless, and weak – like a watery, headless, pint of bitter. Don’t get me wrong, I love bands like Stereolab, Pram, Cocteau Twins, so being twee (or Scottish) is fine by me; it’s being utterly shite that I can’t stand. It’s music that wouldn’t get used on a Lib-Dem party political broadcast. It’s music Radio 2 would reject on the grounds that it wasn’t risqué enough. God, it’s rubbish.
To improve my mood I resolved to go and see Shellac, who were playing at Primavera for the umpteen year running. While making my way to the ATP stage, I noticed Explosions in the Sky were on a nearby stage. I quickly popped over, as I was intrigued how they’d work on a big outdoor festival stage. I’d seen them a couple of times a few years back, and slowly lost interest in the crowded club on each occasion. Here, though, unleashed on a big stage with a massive PA, they sounded immense. I just wish I’d made the effort to get there earlier.
I listen to Shellac records frequently, and see them live occasionally, but here I’m reminded just why Shellac are such a gift to the World. They’re very professional, yet there's something unpredictable about them. They’re so tight and controlled, and maybe in the past have come across as po-faced, but they’re a fun-loving bunch who always throw in some theatrical japes into their shows (they did a cracking slow-motion sequence tonight). And they can write a mean tune. Most of the old faves were aired tonight, but there were plenty of new tracks to suggest a new album is on the way. A compulsory purchase.
I reckon Friday’s headliners Pulp are a good band. Not bad. Not brilliant either. I’ll leave it at that.
Saturday’s birding consisted on picking out a Chaffinch singing in Barcelona city centre, and then watching an endless procession of Yellow-legged Gulls glide lazily over opening act Damo Suzuki. It was a good call of my mate to suggest we get here early to see Damo. It was the perfect accompaniment to a warm, hangover afternoon. He usually uses a local band to back him, and the choice today was Barcelona’s Cuzo. They were okay; he was great. But then, he’s a bloody legend.
Damo Suzuki and Cuzo at Primavera, Barcelona, 28th May 2011
Next, Warpaint were on at the large Llevant stage on the far side of the site. This was definitely the place to be, if you wanted to experience the best atmosphere of the weekend... Yes, the Champions League Final was being shown live on a big screen here after the band. I wanted to see Warpaint anyway, as I love their debut album The Fool.
Warpaint at Primavera, Barcelona, 28th May 2011
Warpaint sounded great, in an ace, lo-fi way – the rough edges of their playing coming through the massive PA loud and clear. There was a problem though… but it wasn’t that they didn’t play my two favourite songs: Set Your Arms Down and Shadows. The problem was the band’s stage persona – all giggles and in-jokes and clothes my wife wouldn’t decorate in (and she was a real, lo-fi pop star, nearly). It felt like we were watching a rehearsal. And this made the band come across as a bit smug. In their defence, I guess they were just happy to be playing such a great, relaxed festival, but it was slightly incongruous.
The band were then upstaged by FC Barcelona winning the CL Final against a poor Manchester United – but, then again, I am biased.
I caught some of PJ Harvey’s set, and wished I’d made an effort to see and hear more. Her voice sounds so lovely; she’s really developed it since those days of Sheila Na Gig and Dress. Ah, takes me back to the time I saw her at the Duchess of York in Leeds on her first tour in 1992…
Well, Swans were playing, and I couldn’t miss them, even if my friend was feeling ill and wanted to go home. Selfish, I know, but I'd come along way for this! They performed a cut down version of the set they did at Supersonic in Birmingham last year – basically tracks from their current album My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. This time they were going though a bigger PA. I mean, what more do you want?
Michael Gira - Swans at Primavera, Barcelona, 28th May 2011
So, that was Primavera for another year. Lots more good memories to take home. Talking of which... Traveling on the Barcelona Metro every night, I was confronted by an image I hope I'll live to forget. I took a photo, so you can enjoy it too.
I’d gone to hell and back (a car park in a Sheffield backstreet) to get a ticket. On the day of the match, I travelled down early morning by train, arriving at 10:20. Why was I in London nearly five hours before kick-off? So I could do some birding first, of course.
Nothing too extreme - just a quiet walk around Hyde Park without binoculars, to get a bird or two on the year list. My targets are both BOU Category C1 birds - naturalized introduced species that now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations.
I walked from Hyde Park Corner to the Serpentine, looking and listening all the while. I managed to pick up 22 species before stopping for a break near the bridge across the lake. I looked down onto a small jetty in front of me, and there sleeping on the pontoon was one of the birds I was looking for: Egyptian Goose.
Egyptian Goose - Hyde Park, London
Bright green Ring-necked Parakeets are common in the Greater London area, which has a population of 10,000+ now. This doesn’t mean I can just get of a train in the smoke, look into a tree, and see one. Eventually I did, seeing three flying around after following their calls, but not before seeing another interesting Category C bird: Red-crested Pochard. A male a female on the Round Pond. Apologies for the poor quality photos – I only had my iPhone with me.
Red-crested Pochard - Hyde Park, London
So then, three new birds on the year list (yes, I wonder “why?” too). Then off to Wembley for a few too many drinks before the match with the other City fans (that’s Man City, not Stoke).
I won’t dwell on the game, there are plenty of proper reports on it. And anyway, I can hardly remember parts of it! But, unlike a famous Man-United-supporting birder (London born and bred, I’d like to point out), I didn’t get bored during the match because we weren’t winning yet and start looking at birds (sorry David, couldn't resist it). So, I may have missed a Peregrine, but rather that than miss Yaya Toure’s goal! The first trophy for 365 years, and the first FA Cup for 42 years (that's since before I was born)!
The final whistle - 14th May 2011, Wembley Stadium, London
Blue moon...
A top day out in the capital – here’s to many more!
A friend of mine, who works for Natural England, invited me to take a day off work to visit these three interesting sites in North and East Yorkshire, between York and Selby. We also had a chat with the warden of Bank Island and Wheldrake (which along with North Duffield Carrs are known collectively as the Lower Derwent Valley NNR, or LDV) and heard about their efforts to catch and radio track Whimbrel and Quail.
Skipwith Common
Skipwith Common is one of the last remaining areas of lowland heath in the North of England, probably because it remained as common, non-enclosed land until 1901. During World War II it was an airfield, which probably protected the heath further. Remnants of its wartime use are obvious everywhere, particularly the former bomb bays, which now are great places to look for basking reptiles.
Bomb Bay - Skipwith Common, North Yorkshire
Unfortunately, the weather was a bit chilly the morning we went (Wednesday 11th May 2011) and the reptiles weren’t showing. We did, however, get great views of a Stoat as it bounded around one of the old brick structures. The other mammals seen were Roe Deer, Grey Squirrel, and Exmoor Pony (used to control scrub growth).
Exmoor Pony - Skipwith Common, North Yorkshire
The trees around the reserve were full of bird song, mainly of common woodland birds, plus warblers such as Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Blackcap. The highlights, though, were the birds of the heathland. We picked out a couple of Tree Pipits from their memorable song, and were treated to great views of a pair of Woodlark on the open heath.
Bank Island
The path to Cheesecake Hide - Bank Island, North Yorkshire
The sun came out when we arrived, and so did the butterflies and damselflies. The brighter weather gave us clearer views into the distance too, allowing us good views of a Greenshank and an elusive Wood Sandpiper on the far pool from the Cheesecake Hide. We met a researcher in the hide studying Lapwing breeding and crow predation – as we watched, Lapwings mobbed a pair of Carrion Crows as they took eggs from a nest (probably a Coot’s).
Wheldrake Ings
We spent the remainder of the day here, a patchwork of hay meadows and pools bordering the River Derwent. The fields are regularly flooded in winter, providing a great wintering area for ducks, and rich grassland for summer visitors.
Unfortunately, the Tower Hide had been vandalised a couple of weeks before our visit, and was still closed; but there is plenty to see from the other four hides on the reserve.
Tower Hide - Wheldrake Ings, North Yorkshire
The trees along the path south from the car park are great fro warbler, and we heard and saw several Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat, and Chiffchaff. We’d had a heads up that Lesser Whitethroat and Grasshopper Warbler could be heard near the wind pump, but we couldn’t pick these up. In fact, it’s difficult to hear anything when that thing’s going round. Having said that, I hope they don’t oil it – it produces a wonderful sound, very mournful.
Wind pump - Wheldrake Ings, North Yorkshire
Near the Riverside Hide we saw two Hobby, catching insects overhead, and we watched a single Common Tern from the Pool Hide. We didn’t hear any Quail – another speciality of this reserve – but it was a little early in the year for these.
Swantail Hide - Wheldrake Ings, North Yorkshire
The Swantail Hide overlooks the lowest (and wettest) part of the reserve. Plenty of waders here - all Redshanks, Lapwings and Curlews on our visit. Four brilliant Yellow Wagtails pinging around us, occasionally resting on fence posts (although none for long enough for me to get a decent digiscoped image).
This evening I went for a walk along the River Aire from Bingley to Saltaire, with the aim of finding Otter poo, otherwise known as spraints.
The otters lay the spraints in highly visible places to clearly mark their territory, often on rocks in the centre of rivers. This helps the spraint-hunter, as they can be easy to spot - if you know what you are looking for. When fresh, the spraints are a slimy dark green, becoming paler and more brown as they dry out. They smell very strongly of fish - and Otter's diet is exclusively fish. Minks have a more varied diet, so their scat will smell less fishy, and will contain mammal bones and other debris. This was important distinction, as we didn't want to be finding the wrong poo - I've seen Mink along this section of river before.
After a barren first mile, we found a fresh spraint on a rock in the middle of the river. Not easy to access, but with a long stick, we got a sample. Dark green, a similar to goose scat, but without any white. And I can confirm the smell.
Later, nearer Saltaire, we found an older, dryer spraint. Again, not easy to access, but after some clumsy scrambling down the riverbank, I got close enough to take a photo.
Otter spraint - River Aire, Saltaire, West Yorkshire
After mashing it up, the spraint's contents were revealed. Lots of tiny fish bones, although the smell had obviously faded over time.
Contents of the Otter spraint
A successful evening, and now I know what to look out for when walking along the river.
I thought I'd share this lovely, leisurely walk, perfect for a Spring day. From Milldale, Derbyshire, down Dovedale, through the grounds of Ilam Hall and up over the hills to Stanshope and back down to Milldale. It took me around five hours, and that included lunch at Ilam Hall and lot of stops for bird-watching.
You can start anywhere along the route, but starting at Milldale means you can look forward to a nice ice cream by the River Dove at the end (and the parking is free), and lunch at Ilam Hall NT is around halfway round.
During the first time I did this walk, at Easter 2007, I encountered the extremes of Peak District weather: chilly, clear skies at the start, warm sun and t-shirt temperatures by halfway, and strong winds and snow by the end. This year, at Easter 2011, it was sun all the way, so be prepared.
Dovedale, Derbyshire
In Spring there’ll be lots of lambs around, so do heed the notices – particularly if you have dogs with you. Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many people failing to keep their dogs on leads or under control.
Grazing sheep - Dovedale, Derbyshire
Milldale to Ilam – follow the path south by the River Dove, down Dovedale. There’s plenty to see here, including great views of Dipper on the stones in the river. All the usual woodland species are here. I think I heard a Marsh Tit calling on my last visit, so one to look out for. Also, keep an eye out for Ravens and raptors among the Jackdaws around the rocky outcrops. Plenty of flowers around in Spring, of course.
Forget-Me-Not - Dove Dale, Derbyshire
Lots of butterflies too, depending on the weather and the time of year, including Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Red Admiral, Green-veined White, Large White, etc.
Peacock Butterfly - Dovedale, Derbyshire
The southern end of Dovedale gets very crowded, so I’d recommend pasing through here quickly and heading on to Ilam, going vis the footpath over the field north of the Izaak Walton Hotel.
Ilam Hall to Castern Hall – If the weather’s good, I’d eat lunch outside in the Ilam Park, within the grounds of Ilam Hall. The Nation Trust run a café here.
There are some good birds along the river here, with Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow and Garden Warbler all calling by late April. The trees by the path to the farm and Castern Hall have Common Redstart, so listen out for their call – probably the best way to pick them out once the foliage has grown on the trees.
Lamb - Stanshope, Derbyshire
Castern Hall to Stanshope Hall – Up on to the hills. I saw a Raven being mobbed by Carrion Crows here this year, and it flew very low over our heads. Also keep and eye out for Little Owl and Common Buzzard.
Stanshope to Milldale – Go past the front of Stanhope Hall, taking care to take the right the track to Milldale. By the way, I can recommend Stanhope Hall if you are looking for somewhere to stay in the area.
Stanshope, Derbyshire
Once you are on the brow of the hill, follow the signs back down to Milldale.
If you go, I hope you enjoy it – let me know what birds you see!
