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Osprey

Happy New Year

Well, considering my last blog was titled ‘I’m back’ all the way back in February, I wouldn’t take this blog very serious if it involves speaking about my goals for 2024, as they never seem to materialise lol..

As soon as the breeding season hits, my work load just skyrockets and I rarely get the time to do photography and sound recording anymore, let alone blog. We all need money though and without it I couldn’t do all these wonderful things anyway. Gear is so expensive these days and with constant new innovations, there’s always something to spend money on..

Photography


Below, seems like a lot of photos but most of these images were taken on just a handful of trips and most from the comfort of my garden for the latter half of the year.

Skomer Island was certainly highlight, which it always is, but every trip to the coast is uplifting.
Otherwise, I spent my usual free time over the summer months monitoring over 20 pairs of Nightjar and Long-Eared Owls, both for personal and licensed work. Overall though I spent more time searching new areas than I did re-visiting old ones. For instance I spent a fair few hours in search of Club-tailed Dragonflies along the River Usk, (with no luck might I add) but if you don’t look, you don’t find, and I’m not afraid of going home empty handed anymore. A recent trip to Whiteford point was a nice refreshing example of that for me, as I left the camera at home. It’s nice to be free of that pressure of ‘getting nice images’ and just enjoying yourself, being outdoors and taking it all in. Strip yourself back and leave the camera at home, it’ll do you the world of good. Oh, and buy yourself a pair of binoculars if you’re still relying on other people finding the good stuff for you ;)

New Home & Garden

Amongst everything else, the new house has taken priority above all this year, with so much that needs doing. The Garden being the biggest project left to complete, with every single bit of wood, completely rotten, so it needs to go. Some how though, I did find the time to dig a pond, which actually resulted in me getting a mega garden tick in the form of an Osprey!! lol. Would upload the phone video but internet is terrible here. So here are some funny progress pics instead and a screen grab of the Osprey.

Sound Recording

My sound recording journey this year really paints more of a picture of the seasons than any of my photographs do really. Even though I still wish I had more time for it, with sound, you don’t just need free time, you need good weather, so it’s even harder to find those windows of opportunity. Low wind is my friend though, no matter what the temp, even if it's wet, if it’s windy, it’s hard to work around with a parabolic dish.

The first recording of spring migrants for me this year was this Tree Pipit, at a time were there really wasn’t very many in the county yet, this guy was pumping it out on a clearfel.

Skipping ahead, it’s always nice to hear the sound of mammals. They’re a difficult subject to record as you may have one in front of you but there’s no guaranty you’ll get any vocals, so with mammals like this Water Shrew, you just have to make the most of the opportunity you’re given. This was during a Lapwing Survey on the Gwent Levels.

Whilst in full swing of the busy season, spring migration can turn up anything but I don’t think anybody was expecting a few Great Reed Warblers, and this has got to be one of my favourites of the year, even though I didn’t get a very good image, the sound recording was far more impressive and it’s not very often you’ll get a nice singing male performing like this in the Uk. Another first for me from Hamm Wall Nature Reserve. Does this beat the River Warbler from last year? I’ll post that recording below so you can compare ;)

This was always going to be a length blog… Below, an annual trip to hear the Nightingales at highnam woods is turning out to be a little bitter-sweat, as whilst I absolutely love hearing them, it’s so annoying that the woods are so close to the road and there really is no escaping that sound. If there’s one thing i’d love todo in 2024, it’s find a better location to record these fast declining species.

A few of licensed Long-eared Owl work this year

I think I’ll leave it there lol, trying to cram in what should have been several blogs into one but I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to at-least some of it. If any, listen to this garden warbler with a good pair of headphones. They’ve got to be one of my favourite songsters. That tonality just carries itself and needs no accompany.

In Our Nature CIC

Just a final plug for my business, ION is still doing really well and has been so busy this year, running weekly guided walks since April. The project ‘Take A Moment’ was granted in April and is running to April 2024! So if you haven’t got on the band wagon yet, check out our What’s On Page. We’ll be running plenty more specialist Saturday events too, with Fungi, Otters, Tree ID, Spring Flowers, Bird Song and many more that have been quite popular so far. Here’s some pictures of our events, mostly of the back of my head lol. Quite proud of the amount we’ve achieved this year, with the new house, ontop of all my ecology work in the private sector, Bats, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibian work. It’s been a crazy one, but all worth it.

Happy New Year all, hope you all have a fantastic 2024, especially if 2023 has been a difficult one for you. Now get outdoors and enjoy the planet before we screw it up even more!! The clock is ticking.

Llandegfedd Rewards

Just when you’re having a bad day, struggling to get out the house and motivated due to health reasons, by which time the day is almost gone but I arrived at the north end of Llandegfedd at 3:30pm, to be rewarded with a fishing Osprey right in front of the car park. I didn’t even need to leave the car park as the bird patrolled the perimeter, giving me several hover flights as he hunted the shallows. Moments later a Red Kite flew into the same air space, and it was nice to see the size comparison between the two species. Kites certainly have the bulk but there didn’t look like there was much in the wing length between the two.

I’ve started to turn my attention to our spring bug life, of which there were plenty on the wing during this short lived heatwave. I clocked 24c in my car! and by next week we’ll be experiencing another cold snap with -1 night-time temps. This weather is truly crazy. If that’s not a sign of global warming in April I don’t know what is.

Good to see my local population of Violet Oil-beetles out in good numbers with over 20 adults and plenty of larvae on the lesser celandines. Andrenna Sp. present but not sure what species, not sure if the picture will show enough of it’s features to identify it to Sp.

Sound

I always make the effort to record Yellowhammer when able, not just because they sound amazing but because I’m hoping I one day record a different dialect. The predominant dialect in Wales is XIB but there are small isolated populations that sing different dialect, which might suggest that those birds originate from a different area, possibly even a different country.

It was nice to see a Female out in the open for a change too, as they usually stay hidden, tucked up in the middle of a Gorse bush. You can see how well her rustic colours blend into the twig colours: making them much harder to spot when they’re sitting on the nest.

Yellowhammer F - SR1A1767.jpg

A few other showy songsters came in the form of a Nuthatch, which is another personal favourite of mine. They have such a rich quality to all of their calls, and they have quite a variety of different song types. This shows two types you’ll likely hear in the spring but it also shows their high pitch squeal call which can catch some people out when heard on its own.

Common species non-the-less, but it’s cool hearing the subtle differences between the Robin’s winter and spring song. Here’s a good example of a spring song, which tends to have more heft behind the lower notes, and less scratchy higher notes.

By far my favourite recording though was of this blackbird, which was at quite the distance away, 20m or so, but thanks to the Schoeps CCM 4 inside the dish, it makes it sound like the microphone is right in-front of it’s bill. I’ve never experienced this level of quality inside a dish before, it honestly sounds like a shotgun recording. Very pleased.

Nocmig

It’s been a mixed bag so far but really please with some of the birds that I’ve got already. Waders are just starting to pour in, with Golden Plover flocks, Curlew, Grey Heron and Little Ringed Plovers, but for me, hearing migrating Blackcap, singing their migratory song, is pretty epic. How on earth these birds navigate the darkness I do not know.

I’m still waiting on confirmation from a few mysteries too, which a probable Bittern and White-front Goose flock, but they’re a bit distant so might have to let those go.

Catch Up

Garden

Those that are friends with me on Facebook will know that I haven’t been well for the past 2 weeks with Covid symptoms. I still haven’t been tested but the Doctor was convinced I had Covid-19 as I was very ill and all symptoms were textbook, with Fever, body pain, kidney problems, migraines and of course, a terrible dry cough. To cut a long and painful story short, I am so much better now, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine. Whilst doctors say antibiotics don’t work for viruses, the hospital said that Doxycycline has been responding well with covid-19 and a strong dose certainly seemed to help me as I usually struggle with chest infections anyway. Never have I experienced such a fever before, shaking all night long with temps between 37.5-38.8. Please be prepared, the shortness of breath is no joke, it was quite a frightening experience, but I got thru it! We’ve followed all guidelines set out by the government RE self-isolation and thanks to loved ones we’ve been well looked after. Happy to report I’m back on form, as you’ll tell by the number of bugs I found in the Garden these last two days. I’ve done my best to ID them but naturally have to run them by Liam Olds and Mike Kilner to be sure. This time last year I was totally new to Bee’s so was happy to ID quite a few in the Garden, which proves I’m learning. Just add a few species to your list each year and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can pick these up.

Forest of Dean

Whilst I’ve had time on my hands, I had a look thru some old files from earlier on in the spring. I spent a lot of time in the Forest of Dean in search of drummer Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers to add to my sound recording catalogue and even though I failed, I did find some characters along the way. Wild Boar are incredible creatures, so intelligent and play such a vital role in the forest. They truly belong in the Forest of Dean and I couldn’t imagine them not being there. Just seeing the habitat they’ve created in some of the dense forestry is enough to make you realise their importance. Watching the humbugs playing, feeding and sleeping is a joyous experience that I’ll carry with me forever. As the light faded she gathered nesting material for the night and the little humbugs joined in! bringing small piles of bracken over, even if it was in the wrong place. They really do learn from a very young age. Below the photos I have a short sound recording of the humbugs begging mother for a feed, much to her disapproval.

Nocmig

I stopped recording overnight during my ill period but I’ve just started back up, and this time sporting my shotgun microphone as I wanted to be able to capture the rarer species with a little more clarity to share with you. For recording purposes you really don’t need anything expensive, just a handheld recorder will do the trick, but the files aren’t that pleasing to listen to, as you’ll know from my last blogs.

Over the last couple of days, I’ve added a few new species to the Garden list, with Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Golden Plover being my favourite so far. I’ve added one more Water Rail too, this time a little closer to the mic. The recordings will still sound quiet, but they’re perfectly viewable on the spectrograph which is all you really need to ID them.
Listening back to some without decent headphones on, you may not even hear them, but they are there.

There isn’t a whole lot of resources online to ID nocturnal flight calls but that is changing as time goes on and more people are starting to join in. It’s a great way to kill a few hours in the morning and I’ve learned so much already. I mean who would have thought I would get Oystercatcher, Common Scoter, Golden Plover, Water Rail, Curlew and Little Ringed Plover over Sebastopol! Every single night I get Moorhen, Coot and plenty of unknown wing beats that I need to ID, but it’s possible to even Id those if you study them hard enough. I’ve also learned more about Tawny Owls in this process and how many different sounds they actually make. I’ve lost track of the amounts of times I’ve heard this call:

I thought this call was unique to my local tawny, as I have recorded a Tawny here before that sounded like it had some vocal trouble. You might remember from last year? Here’s a reminder below. Turns out though that this call is just a contact call, and this was proven to me by Craig Constance who also picked up the same type of call from his local Tawny Owl last night.

All in all, I’m starting to enjoy this nocturnal migration recording. Not only is it giving me something to do during this period of isolation but I’m learning something new every day. I’ll leave you with a picture from 2017 of an unforgettable experience with three juvenile Ospreys, one of which was born in Scotland and the other two who’s origin will remain a mystery due to no rings. I worked at Llandegfedd at the time so learned their every move, from favoured feeding perches, roost perches and their general routine. I’ve been recording Osprey movements at Llandegfedd for over 10 years, as you’ll see in past blogs. I’ve accumulated quite a list of ringed birds, most of which have been from Scotland. I continue to play an active role with ongoing communications with Welsh Water so we can one day erect a nesting platform once a suitable location is found. This year should be a great year for our Ospreys as the lockdown ensures our large lakes have less disturbance from tourism and boat activity. The same will apply to many shy breeders.

An opportunity I cannot miss!

My time as a Seasonal Ranger has come to an end, with my last official day with them just yesterday. But why you say? You love it at Llandegfedd! This is very true, I do love Llandegfedd, and thankfully, my connection to Llandeg goes much deeper than a Job with Welsh Water, and that connection will never end. 

So what's next? Well, I've been offered a Job as a Specialist Wildlife Researcher for Aden Productions to help produce Iolo Williams' next wildlife documentary for the BBC. It's a great opportunity that I simply cannot turn down, and I can't wait to start with them on the 28th of this month. It will mean some extra travelling but it's well worth it, working alongside like-minded people, all of which share my passion for wildlife. I appreciate all the support from friends and family, as though this change is a good change, I still struggle at times like this as my anxiety can sometimes get the better of me. 

Below are four of my favourite pics from Llandeg last year. I'm sure I'll continue to have many more memorable moments at what is such a fabulous place for wildlife.  

Finish off your plate

Have you ever wondered what happens when an Osprey gets to the end of it's Fish meal?  Well, wait no longer as you can see it for yourself. Tail'n-all! down the hatch :) 

Hope you've all had a great weekend! Don't forget, I'm a Celeb is on at 9pm! (sorry animal lovers, I do love the program despite all the insect/animal abuse that goes on, and it's the only program I watch all year around). 

Osprey Last but of Fish

Glorious Ospreys

I've held this off for long enough now. What have I been doing the last couple months? Well, as far as photography is concerned, very little to be fair. I simply haven't found the time. However! after quite a few 5am starts with not one, but three! Ospreys at Llandegfedd, I set out to get a close up shot of these outstanding birds, but in a way that would leave the birds completely undisturbed, showing their natural behaviour, without them knowing I was there. 

I'm very lucky in that I got to observe these birds in and outside of work for the last month and a half, so got to learn a lot of their routine. All three birds are this years Juveniles, one of which was ringed in Scotland and the other two that stayed the longest which I believe may have been siblings due to their interaction and lack of rings. It was the two siblings that really put on the show for us as they appeared to be very much so beginners at catching fish. They would often fail to land on a perch while also trying to hold onto a wriggly, wet fish. They started off catching silver fish, like Roach and Rudd, likely because they are easier to see in the water but they did manage to get better in their time here. It was quite a proud moment watching them catch their first trout! some of which were quite big. There's lots more I learned about Ospreys thanks to these individuals and having them so late in the year was a bonus for us for sure, I just hope they manage to get to Africa in time and safely. They have all left now so fingers crossed for them. 

After the Storm

With heavy storms hitting the Uk the last two weeks, we've seen Migration in two very different ways. Firstly a halt in activity due to high winds coming from the south, this brought us 3 Juvenile Ospreys at the same time, just over a week ago. They are all still at Llandegfedd and are continuing to catch fish and put on a great show, right from the visitors centre. Following the high winds, the weather has taken a change with rain storms coming from the north, which has seen the swift movement of thousands, if not millions of Swallows and House Martins all over the country. It was quite a spectacle today to see so many bird moving south. One of the 3 Juvenile Ospreys showed a Blue Darvic Ring (Blue JL8) on the left leg which we've tracked back to Aberfoyle, Scotland this year. Darvic rings are proving to be vitally important in tracking birds of prey as the large rings can be read with a good telephoto lens. The last two photos in this group show all three Ospreys in one tree and the last picture is one of the Ospreys looking at a Fox in the background lol. Something I never thought i'd see in the same lens, despite it being a way off. 

Llandeg Updates

What a weekend! and what a pleasure to see so many birders this weekend turning up to see the 2! Ospreys present at Llandegfedd. Our original male has picked up a female bird and both are showing signs of courting so it's worth keeping a safe distance from any perched birds and observe them from the Dam, North Car Park, Petingale or Bert Hammar Hide for extended viewing in the morning or late evening. Quite a few birders were treated this morning only feet from their cars at the north car park (Glascoed End) with a fly-by from both birds as they inquisitively checked us out while fishing. 

Possibly the same male? 

Looking back through old records and our current male could well be the same male we had July 2016 last year, (See picture above) that also stayed for over a month in July before heading off. There were two other birds present last year also, one with a Blue ring that we didn't make out in the end. Could be a coincidence but the female he's picked up this year also has a Blue ring which we finally got a closer look of today and it so reads NW1

Female Osprey NW1

I'm yet to find out details from this bird but it's likely a young female as the Ring info isn't on any of the Ring Data listed online. This could mean it's been rung very recently but time will tell, I'm just waiting on a phone call. 

A beautiful Common Tern showed really well from the visitors centre around 8am and tucked up most of the day on the Fishnets after a mornings fishing. Loved the fact that it landed on one of the safety boats I regularly use. 

Cattle Egret

'Patching' is so important and there is nobody that's more committed to a single patch than Craig Constance. He really does put a lot of time and effort into birding Llandegfedd and as a result, he has found some great birds over the years. Yesterday evening was another classic example as we were just about to meet up after my shift and he finds a Cattle Egret right opposite the visitors centre, much to my approval, as I've never seen one before!. They are usually winter visitors to the Uk but breeding records are increasing yearly, this year even breeding at the popular RSPB site - Hamm Wall Nature Reserve. Llandegfedd is a perfect breeding site for Cattle Egrets with plenty of mature trees around the outskirts of the water to nest in but also plenty of farmed fields for Cattle Egrets to feed. As the name suggests, Cattle Egrets are closely associated with Cattle, in that they prefer to be feeding at the feet of cattle as they disturb insects off the ground. They are native to places like Asia, Africa and Southern Europe and you may have seen them in Nature documentaries on TV, feeding around the feet of Elephants and larger cattle. Here their feeding methods remain largely the same, only they feed around Cows, Horses and Sheep. 

In other news, the resident Osprey is still present, seen only early hours and late evening. I would recommend making an early appearance for best chance of seeing it fishing (between 5-7am, or late evening between 7-9). 

Osprey Activity

Our annual Osprey visit at Llandegfedd seems to be giving everyone a run for their money, showing only to the select lucky few as it catches a fish and disappears for days on end. Lucky for me, part of my Job as a Ranger at Llandegfedd requires regular boat patrols / rescues and on one occasion it flew as close as I think I'll ever get to a wild Osprey before returning to its roosting tree. This individual has been present for a couple weeks now and has become quiet at home for the time being. I'm not sure how long it will hang around but if you're yet to see it, I'm working lates for the next 9 days so pop by the visitors centre and if I'm available, I can give you up-to-date info on it's activities.

In other news, another victim to fishing line as a Carrion Crow manages to tangle itself on the highest branch it could find on a completely dead tree, leaving Craig Constance and myself completely helpless as it struggled. We tried literally everything and even rang our local Fire department in the end in desperation. They did everything they could to try and get it down and not even they could reach it. The bird unfortunately didn't survive the trauma. Sorry to share the images with you, I know it's not nice seeing anything suffering but we really did do everything we could. A hungry Stoat watched intently at the bird but not even a Stoat would have got that high.