Club Outdoor Meeting Wednesday 3rd July

Hello

The July meeting for the club is traditionally an outdoor field meeting and we start at 7pm this coming Wednesday (3rd).

The plan is to meet at the Old Walgrave Road at Pitsford Reservoir which is found off the minor road between the villages of Holcot and Walgrave. Here we will park our vehicles on some hard standing next to a barn and take a trailer ride down to the Walgrave Bay of Pitsford Reservoir. There will be cones/signs on the Holcot - Walgrave road indicating the turn.

The plan is to then walk down towards the back of the bay, perhaps making it as far as some small ponds which tend to be good for invertebrates. The usual refreshments will be on-site, perhaps using the Walgrave Hide as our base for hot drinks and coffee! After a couple of hours or so we will take a ride back up to the parked vehicles. We hope to see birds, insects and have an opportunity of speaking with Sarah Gibbs (senior reserve warden) about some of the woodland management and wildlife improvement plans for the site.

The weather forecast currently looks good so it should be a pleasant evening walk! All welcome!

Neil M

Common Terns.

Gadwall.

BEAR BLOGGER

Hi good people,

Bird club member Dave Thomas recently came back from a photographic trip to Finland.

Finland has always been a magical place to visit for bird watcher's, especially for European Owl's, Woodpeckers and lots of other scandinavian delights.
There are lot's of places to visit now, set up to see and photograph Bear, Wolf  and Wolverine.

Dave went with  Canon ambassador Danny Green, Natures images to Martinselkonen a guaranteed place to see Brown Bear, Dave seeing 31 animal's on the first night. WoW!

Staying in different hides every night from 4pm to 7am the next morning ! Dave managed lot's of  fine images, some of which are shared  below.

He also met an Owl guy, who tracks owl's earlier in the year  and provides suitable  tree stump accommodation .

Great Grey Owl

Just some of Dave's beautiful images, Many thanks.

ICELANDIC MARAUDER.

At the risk of showing some of my not so good shots, I thought you might forgive me and enjoy, if that's the right word. An exciting hour or so for me at least, photographing Arctic Skua's and their endeavour's.

Arctic Skua.

In June last year Neil, Eleanor, Wendy and myself embarked on our first ever trip to Iceland.

The trip was based in the North-west birding area's, taking in the Snaefellsness peninsula and lake Myvatn.

 If you think that the wet weather of the past week or so was aweful, add a few degree's of coldness and strong wind, that would be the prevailing condition's we were contending with most of our trip. So  finding a cafe along Miofjorour at Hvammstangi was a welcome relief.

Although the sky held rain and it was very breezy I found a partly sheltered spot and elected to stand and try to photograph some Arctic Skua's...whilst the other's sat in the warm and dry drinking their expresso's

The lighting was dismal and grey my Iso  as low as I dared at f5.6 as I tried to track and photograph the distant action. I soon became enthralled with the action and dilemma's being played out in front of me.

Picking a target

Skua's are much larger than their victims and are in effect mugger's and bullies.
Although one thing I love about the arctic Skua is it's fighter style prowess in the air.

The chase begins 

They identify their quarry and soon get along side their hapless victim.

Flying upside down !

With  speed and acrobatic flight they easily catch up and strike terror into the much smaller Arctic Terns.

Catching the disgorged food 

As often is the case, harassing the Tern's, they are forced into disgorging their food. But the Skua still
has to catch the falling bounty.

Swerving to find another Tesco's trolley.

This time a Black headed Gull, take a close look at the flight attitudes of both birds.

Trick flying.

Sometimes the Black-headed Gulls are not so easy to mug, but the Skua's have it covered.

Two against one

Once the Skua's have prompted the Gull to regurgitate it's food, it's a race to see who can catch it.

But Hey ! this fiesty Gull isn't taking things lying down.

Whoops better move on.

Amazing the Gull was able to defend itself and move the marauder's off.

Another Gull doesn't defend so well and gives up it's hard gained food.

If you look closely you can see dinner arriving or is it departing?

Two lumps up for grabs

I can't quite imagine that the discarded food is all hoovered up, there must be a lot of wastage?




And so the conflict's continue as they have alway's done from the distant past. Although I've called them  bullies, this is the way they survive and they should not be maligned in any way for the way they live. It's all part of nature's rich tapestry and I would not change a thing.

Hope you have liked this short epic adventure, I found them simply captivating and enthralling, I hope that I have conveyed that feeling to you.
I Would dearly luv to do it all again and maybe I will !!

Club Indoor Meeting 5th June

Hello

Next Wednesday (5th June) is this month's club indoor meeting at the Fishing Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir. Our speaker is club member Jeff Blincow who will be presenting what he considers his best talk...'Rockpooling'!

Club members will know that Jeff is an excellent all round naturalist and speaker, his enthusiasm for all aspects of wildlife is legendary and I'm sure this month's talk will be as educational and amusing as always.

The meeting commences at 7.30pm with a few notices and a brief update on the club tour of the Camargue last month and the evening is then over to Jeff. Hot drinks and biscuits will be available throughout the evening. Everyone is welcome!

Regards

Neil M