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Nightjar

Summer Catchup

Think it’s probably time I posted some more images! As always it’s been a very busy year. Working on multiple sights across Wales, bird surveys, raptor surveys, ontop of Dusk Bat surveys, so my Nightjar time this year has been limited. Currently trying to fight thru some health issues also, looking forward to getting some results back from the Doctors after bloods this week. I’ve been using the R5 extensively and recently swapped out my Canon 400 DO ii with the 300 2.8 ii, as despite the fact that the DO was a superb lens, it was missing contrast and most importantly, had some weird ‘bokeh’ which rendered the foreground and background pretty distracting in certain scenarios. It’s a shame, as the lens was super sharp and I will miss it. Once I got the 300 back I was instantly reminded about the contrast and the smooth bokeh. It put me right back to being inspired again, as there’s nothing worse than putting in all the effort, and not getting the results you envisioned. The 300 also has a very ‘collectable’ image, especially wide open, where the colours are some what muted and there is a slight vignette. You see this is some of my images below, like the Nightjar shots and the Fern. They appear dark, some would say even under exposed but this is something I couldn’t even do with the 400 as it didn’t have as good dynamic range. Odd to even use that phrase in a lens but it’s true, each lense renders shadows and highlights differently and with this 300 2.8 you get the best available to modern day optics. Talking about Optics, I’m going to write a review soon on the new Swarovski NL Pure 10x42’s in comparison to my older Gen 1 EL’s. Will explain all in the next post! For now, here’s a collection of my favourite images of the summer, mostly with the macro lens in the Garden! As i’ve been far too busy for proper photography shoots this year. One thing I hope you’ll notice is how vibrant the colours are from the R5, which overall I’m finding has a much more accurate white balance straight out of the camera than the R6 did, which always seemed to be on the warm side.

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.

Skimming over Summer

I’m back! For now.. Starting to realise that this is less of a blog and more of an account of how busy I am. This summer being quite an exceptionally busy one but even more so now that we have decided to move home! Probably the worst time to buy a house but also the best time to sell, as the market is very high at the moment. We have found a new home so provided everything stays on track, we’ll be looking to move before Christmas. Fingers crossed! Excited, but also very anxious, especially with the increase in energy prices..

What does this mean for me? Well, in the new house we’ll be building an office so I’ll have a more productive space to work from. More space in general, but despite being located not too far from where we are now, it is on the edge of the mountainside so we get closer access to what little wild area is left in Torfaen.. Having a patch that I can walk to from the house is quite beneficial to me and it’s something I’ve really missed since the loss of land at south Sebastopol, where 1600 homes are currently being built. It was a beautiful and still is a beautiful spot, but it had wildflower meadows that were full of Orchids, Butterflies, Grasshoppers, and even had specialist species like Glow Worms, Otter, Adders, Barn Owls, Kestrels and much more. So to see it gone right before lockdowns hit, we really felt trapped with no wild areas to escape to. Something that has proven to be quite important to my own mental health. Of course, we’re back to some sort of normality now so having my freedom has really helped. Despite the freedom, this year we really haven’t travelled that far, staying mostly local, with the acceptation of one planned trip to Skomer Island that Jodie organised for my Birthday, followed by a few more trips to the coastline as we got the taste for the sea. That was such a great trip and well worth the miles we racked up. I’ll include some images below from my travels and I’ll end with a few sound recordings from a new pair of microphones that I plan on using for scheduled sound walks in the coming weeks.

I’ll give some more updates of Nightjar season on a later blog, as it’s been a great season, even if I was too busy to enjoy the second half of it. For now, here’s some sound recordings of Great Green Bush-crickets and some soothing sounds of Waves from some of my trips to the coastline.

Here’s a slomo version of the sound circket, as the full speed recording is quite high pitched and sadly not all can here it anymore.

One for the headphones, especially if you’re struggling to sleep.

It’s been a stupidly dry and hot summer, so the sound of this rain was really welcomed!

Early Autumn Summary

I’m actually enjoying taking a little break from the blog lately but I do apologise to those that like to have regular updates. I’ve been in the process of changing out all my camera gear so there has been a lot of testing and less exploring. Here are a few photographs with the Canon R6, which is my first mirrorless camera and also my first full frame camera, so it’s taking a little time to get used to. So far though I’m really enjoying the focusing system, the noise performance and overall the speed. I previously used the Canon 7D mk ii which is a tank of a camera, but it’s beyond it’s life expectancy and the usability, despite still working, isn’t very inspiring, what with the fact that I have to turn the dial 8 times before it starts to do what I want it to lol, which isn’t ideal when photographing time sensitive wildlife.

SO! Here’s are a few photo’s from that transition. Same two lens combo: Canon 300 2.8 IS with 1.4 and 2x ii extenders, and a 100mm 2.8 Macro IS.

Starting with my last Nightjar photos of the year, in the form of a Chick which stayed quite late in the season with parents sticking close nearby.

I’ll end with a random doorstep photo of a young Sparrowhawk that managed to fly into my upstairs window. Thankfully only a few displaced feathers and he shortly flew off strongly, weaving his way back thru the woodland opposite my house.

Summer Sound

Lots to share, lots to talk about as always. Blogging for an entire month is proving to be difficult but I’ll give it a shot!! Below I’ll start with a mixture of photographs from various places, but most of which were taken at Tirpentwys Nature Reserve. Not only did I find Bee Orchids in flower this year but there happens to be a spectacular show of Common Spotted, Southern Marsh (Also hybrids between the two), but also hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids! I’ve never seen such a show before, it’s really worth going to see. At the reserve I also had a Hobby, Crossbill, Greenfinch, Redpoll and a good number of migrating Swifts overhead.

Sound Recording

It’s been a good month for sound recording but things are starting to taper off now. Less and less birds in the dawn chorus already, with some mornings just a lone Song Thrush. It’s just that time of year where most of the breeding birds are done, and only the birds pushing into a second or third clutches are continuing to hold territories. It’s not over yet though and I’ll be lapping up as much of it as I can before the autumn arrives!

For our Nightjar though things have just reached peak, with some birds feeding chicks, others still on eggs, some may not have even laid yet! It’s really been an odd year for Nightjar and as a result, I’ve decided this year to concentrate my efforts on a variety of different locations as my local birds have really not had a good year so far this year and they’ve also chosen to nest quite close to a Goshawk nest so I’m avoiding the area for a number of reasons and visiting only at night.

Ok, kicking this off with a Nightjar recording, one of many this season but by far my favourite, as it shows three different calls, starting with a Male alarm call, which is softer than the female, followed by a stellar performance, and ending with his female flying thru his airspace, which resulted in him restarting the song, just so he could end with his spectacular showboating clapping performance. Then you can hear the lower pitched croak from the female, followed by the higher pitched fluty call of the male. It’s a great reference recording of the variety of sounds that Nightjar can produce.

Almost every night now I’m hearing Tawny Owl chicks and couldn’t resist recording them last night.

Grasshopper season is well underway and I look forward to hearing my first electric Roesel’s Bush Crickets. As usual though, I’ve slowed this recording down so the pitch sits in a more audible range as they can be quite difficult to hear.

The Roesel’s Bush Crickets were at the north end of Llandegfedd, and singing also was a stunning Reed Bunting, which didn’t breed there last year so it was nice to hear him back on territory. Onsite also was a good number of Common Sandpiper, which are just finishing up breeding, so are already starting to move south.

As I said, there isn’t much singing now, but Blackcaps seem to be still giving it a good effort.

I was going to devote an entire blog to this Chaffinch song, as the first three phrases appear to be quite unique, at-least they do to my ears. This was from one of my work places in Swansea, where the entire upland population there, seem to emphasise the middle section of the song, with these defined descending notes, that sound very similar to the tune of a Redwing Song. You can hear three different types of phrases in this performance but it’s the first three that I’m referring to. This tune is very similar to that found in other sub-species of Chaffinch from around the world, so it makes me wonder if this phrase goes way back to a time before the species split, as even the endemic species in the canary islands seem to have this. My local population however, doesn’t have this at all, so it makes me wonder how much of a regional accent is at play here.

Here’s a screenshot of the section I’m referring to. The left phrase shows the descending notes that really have emphasis over the rest of the phrase and the second phrase is the more typical monotone middle trill that I’m used to hearing in my local area.

Screenshot 2021-06-30 at 20.12.44.png

Nocmig

Nocmig is starting to pick up again! and it kicked off with my first ever Quail! Was a beauty! Since then I’ve had my first Redshank of the post-breeding movement, along with Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and plenty of Moorhen / Coot. Other than that I’ve been getting more and more Swifts moving on ‘morn-mig’ and I intend on upping my game this autumn, as I’ve purchase two second hand ‘Audiomoths’ which are small remote, programable sound devices that are fully waterproof and capable of automaticity recording dusk till dawn, which is perfect for nocturnal migration and due to their small size, it makes them so easy to hide. I also intend on using them to aid my Nightjar research as I can identify new sites by places these devices in key areas, without having to spend multiple nights out in the field to find out for myself. It really increases my chances as you can’t be everywhere at the same time.

Breeding Season

What a month so far! No idea how I’m managing to fit all this in but it’s been such a special spring and despite a delay in the breeding season, things have burst into life, warm temps, lots of emerging insects, moths, dragonflies and just in time for our breeding birds to feed their chicks. I was beginning to worry about my Nightjar this year as Moth counts have been super low, which has resulted in them delaying their egg laying. Some have only just paired up which is crazy and overall I’m seeing less than half the pairs compared to the previous year. The bracken has come up quite fast as always though, so their habitat is looking perfect for egg laying. This month I’ve lead a few walks, one for In Our Nature CIC which was an introduction to Bird Song, with a perfect sized group. We aim todo another by the end of June to continue our progress. It’s great to see people show an interest in learning more about the natural world, as it really does help us find our place in the world. The other walk was my annual Nightjar walk for Gwent Ornithological Society, which was well attended with 20 people, but so many more people expressed their interest in another Nightjar walk as they weren’t able to attend the first, so we’ve arranged todo another on June 18th. Details of which to be found on the GOS website.

I’m not a twitcher, but it’s always nice to see or hear things I’ve never seen before, so every year I try to add a few more to the list of experiences. One big one has been hearing a Nightingale, as we don’t get them here in Wales and the closest know location is Highnam Woods in Gloucester. Two attempts, one in April (too early) and one in June (too late), so next year I must make more of an effort in May. It’s just difficult to enjoy spring as breeding bird survey season is the busiest time of year for me.

As you’ll see in the pics below I’ve still been quite busy. My nightjar have seen some drama, with one of my males injuring his nose. Still don’t even know if he’s survived his injury but he was paired up so I hope he does.

Recordings

For the minority sound recorders reading this, I’ve been beta testing a microphone configuration, using two Schoeps CCM 2’s (Loan from Schoeps) and my own Schoeps CCM 4 inside a Telinga/Rycote dish system. I’m always striving to improve the sound quality of my gear and with this setup, I really feel like I’ve hit the limits of what’s actually possible. The CCM 4 is the most accurate sounding microphone I’ve ever used, and in combination with two CCM 2’s outside of the dish, it really makes for a powerful setup in the right hands. I say in the right hands, because using the CCM 4 inside the dish, hand held, is quite difficult, as the handling noise compared to many of the more affordable Telinga Setups is no comparison. It just shows that in order to get the most accurate recording as far as sound quality is concerned, it comes at a cost. For me though, this cost is well worth it, as it’s forced me to approach my recordings differently. Most of the recordings below are still hand held, but for static subjects I’ve taken to using a monopod when possible, as it just gives me that extra stability and far less handling noise for longer time periods.

One of my favourite experiences using this new setup was actually at the River Warbler ‘twitch’ at RSPB Ham Wall Nature Reserve over the weekend. It’s a magical reserve that I’ve blogged about many times. It’s potentially my favourite reserve of all time, full of spectacular species, most of which are quite rare breeders anywhere else in the Uk. The River Warbler was the first in the country in almost 11 years I believe, so it’s a super rare bird and a first for me, but I was less eager to see it, and more excited to hear this incredible sound! They are very similar looking to a Grasshopper Warbler in terms of shape and size, but generally quite dark, with most of their more interesting features on the breast and under-tail coverts, but like I said, It’s all about that sound for me! and there’s nothing quite like it. Savi’s Warbler is more electric, Grasshopper Warbler is more like a Grasshopper but this sound is clearly a sound that is designed to carry over fast flowing water and is so much louder than any other bird I’ve he

Busy Season

I’ve come to the conclusion that if I have time to blog this spring, then I’m not doing enough! This time of year is so special, I have to make it the most productive as I possibly can, as my work demand also goes up with breeding season surveys and the start of bat season begins too. As a result i’ve limited my computer time as much as possible, so here’s a very brief catchup. Plenty more spring arrivals as our beautiful countryside just gets more colourful by the day. Each day we get a new species of birdsong adding even more colour, variety and texture. I’ve still got plenty on my todo list, one of which is to record the song of a Nightingale, but so far the weather is holding me back. I’ve found a Violet-oil Beetle site this month too, just waiting to find out if there are any records there before or not. I suspect there have been but even still, finding these fascinating beetles is always special. Firecrests are doing well this year so far, with even more pairs found, including some new sites around Gwent that could support larger populations in the future. I’ve also made some new observations with Firecrest mimicry that paint a completely different picture as to why these birds are mimicking Goldcrest. At first I thought it was to deter Goldcrest, who compete for the same food source and nesting locations, but I actually think it’s more of a submissive behaviour, when a neighbouring Firecrest is heard, it then choses to sing Goldcrest instead, as if not to avoid a rival response. There is a way I could confirm this but it may take a few more seasons of studying.

Spotlight

It’s always worth spending some time outdoors at night this time of year, with vocal foxes, owls, displaying waders and of course my favourite, the Nightjar. Which I’ll get to eventually. This pair of Tawny Owls were quite entertaining though. Very vocal and I even found both birds roosting out in the open in the day.

I’ve done quite a lot of recording this month as usual but this is so far my favourite. There’s something very tranquil about the song of a Pied Flycatcher, and with the nearby stream in the background, it takes me right back to some of my favourite places in Gwent.

After finding a new Firecrest territory, quite close to home, present also was that spectacular song from a Wood Warbler. After which I travelled to a better location to record this iconic sound of the forest, only to find yet another Firecrest territory. It would seem that they prefer very similar habitat as each other in Gwent and thanks to some thinning out of the forestry, it’s opened up even more habitat for these to spread, so the coming years should be interesting.

Sound Recording

Yet again, probably enough content to listen to all year lol. So much more that I haven’t posted yet either!

Nightjar Season Begins!

As you can see, there are plenty of Nightjar back on territory, but not all are back just yet. Or at-least I hope not, as that would mean I’m down this season compared to last. Still time though. Not much on the churring front yet though, with night time temps still pretty low for this time of year. I did manage to record a Roding Woodcock however, which is always a treat as we don’t seem to have big numbers of Woodcock in Gwent anymore, especially compared to the Forest of Dean. I should stress at this point, that even though I manage to regularly find and photograph Nightjar, that people don’t just yomp around trying to look for them, you will almost certainly be doing more damage than good. It’s taken me a lot of research, time and passion to do this in a manner that doesn’t create a disturbance and I can’t begin to stress how much thought, planning and research it takes before I even take a foot into their breeding habitat.

Nocmig

Nocmig is becoming hard to summarise. Mostly Whimbrel, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew but also good numbers of Spotted Flycatcher so far, with over 30 recordings, some of which were even flocks of Spot Fly, which is crazy to imagine. I’ve only had one Pied Flycatcher though so far, which is a little worrying, and my usual haunts have only produced one pair so far this year. Crazy to think some aren’t back yet but others are well on their way to egg laying. I’ve also had a Female Cuckoo, which I did get last spring too. I’m thinking of starting a new soundcloud account just for Nocmig calls, as it can get a bit cluttered otherwise, and they don’t make great listening material either.
One exciting thing though, Craig Constance and myself have teamed up and bought a programable, remote audio recorder, intended on being used as a research device at select locations, like Llandegfedd Reservoir or Goldcliff. Areas that we would love to know what’s going over at night, but don’t want to chance leaving expending big microphones out in the elements. I’ll certainly let you know how that goes!

In Our Nature CIC

Be sure to check out our events page. Some of my readers may want to book on to the Birdsong event on the 28th, which will be a nice easy stroll around Pontypool Park, learning the basics of birdsong and also highlighting why it’s so enriching to us to listen to birds singing. https://www.inournaturecic.co.uk/whatson

Seasonal Greetings

Summary

What a year it’s been. The impact of 2020 will be felt for a long time I’m sure, but I do believe there’s been some important lessons for us all this year. I had a very scary experience with Covid in April, being hospitalised twice, and despite coming out the other end, it’s been months before I’ve felt some what myself again. I have been very lucky, and I think that’s the whole point with this virus as it affects everyone differently. To think that there are still sceptic people out there who deny the very reality of Covid, just because there remains a cloud of mystery around how data is interpreted. Frankly, I couldn’t care less about how accurate the death counts were, people ARE dying and HAVE died from this virus, and that should be enough for people to start thinking about their actions. That doesn’t mean living in fear, it means proactively making decisions to minimise risks. That is literally all we can do. I think the government have had to make very difficult decisions this year, for the economy and peoples wellbeing. Do I think they made all the right decisions? of course not. There were times that too much trust was given to the people, and there were times where we weren’t given enough trust., timings were never perfect, typically too late to act but sometimes too early. Ultimately though, the power always remained in own hands and if we all continue to make sensible decisions, that doesn’t put others at risk, then that is all we can do. I really do feel for people who’s careers have been put on hold, kids that have lost out on a basic education and the amount of pressure put on small businesses, people who are self-employed or rely on face-face interactions to do their Job. I can’t imagine what you’ve all had todo in order to survive this. Of course some people simply haven’t, and are continuing to find their way out the other end of this long tunnel, but I do believe this will come to an end. Who would have thought we’d already have a vaccine? Am I sceptical about how fast it’s been produced and approved? Not at all. Will I have a vaccine if they become available to public? without a doubt, because I do not what to catch that virus again. If there is anything we had to succeed in as a race, it was this. We’ve overcome so much in our history already and I’m sad to say, this will unlikely be the last. We’re going to face big challenges in the future, with even greater stakes on the table. Climate change is catching up with us but all we can do is work together and great things can be achieved.

Willow Tit

So what else has 2020 produced? Well, conservation partners like the RSPB, BTO, WWT, DAERA, JNCC, NatureScot, NE and NRW have all worked together to compiled a ‘State of the Uk’s Bird’s 2020’ report.
It’s worth a read so here’s the link to BTO’s website, on which you can download the report yourself.
We all new species are declining all over the world.

One of the many declining species on the report, was the Willow Tit, which is now Britains fastest declining native species. This news comes just in time as one of our last breeding sites in Gwent has been decimated, so much so that there’s not even a stump left of what was perfect habitat. Enquiries are underway as to how and why this has happened. Thankfully, the site is located in Gwent’s largest forest ‘Wentwood’, so I can only hope the birds that did breed there, have found a suitable alternative elsewhere in the forest. Prior to knowing about the destruction of this breeding site, I found not one, but 3 Willow Tit’s, feeding and following each other around at a new spot in the forest. The habitat isn’t perfect, but it has a mixture of tree’s that will become much more suitable in the next few years. One of the three birds was actually singing, which is early as they don’t usually start till January, but temps so far this winter have been quite mild. I also managed to capture a sound that as apparently been undocumented before, which I’m told is an aggressive ‘warble’ described in old text to have a ‘nightingale feel’. I mistook this sound at first as being some sort of courtship contact call, as it was following what I thought was a female, but it could of actually been another male as I’ve been told that they also flock up in the winter, typical behaviour from the ‘Tit’ family.

Their song though is quite beautiful, and one I won’t mistake if I heard it again.

Looking Back

It seems to be a trend to look back on the years achievements, and despite all odds, it’s actually been a very productive year for me. Developing my sound recording has been both a therapeutic exercise to improve my own wellbeing between lockdowns, but it’s also been an opportunity to develop ideas that supports my new, collaborative business ‘In Our Nature CIC’. We’re so excited to be kicking off 2021 with our first project, which has been supported by HLF Funding. The Project is called ‘My Local Patch’ and you’ll be able to learn more about it here. Soon we’ll have a members area for participants of the project where you’ll be able to download resources and get involved in our workshops between now and the end of March. You can show your interest by creating an account on the website, so we know who you are and can invite you to events. Otherwise keep an eye out on our Facebook group
It’ll depend on Covid guidelines as to how we run this project but we’re hoping that it has a little of something for everyone.

I think we’ve all had our mental health tested this year. We’re not built for confinement, we need the outdoors, which is why we encourage everyone to make the most of each opportunity we get to enjoy our green spaces. This is where sound recording’s come into play though, as there are people who are stuck indoors, so to be able to listen to nature at home can be a powerful thing.

Watch this space: https://www.inournaturecic.co.uk

I've had lots of memorable moments with nature this year, most of which have been without the camera to be honest, but despite getting many planned Nightjar shots, it was this unplanned scene that was my favourite. I’ve learned quite a bit this year about the requirements and preferences of Nightjar, why they choose certain spots over others and what they do in all kinds of different weather conditions. They are quite incredible birds and can be some what predictable once you know what they require, but this spot was totally out of the blue and the last place I expected to find her as it was right out in the open. This was post-breeding, so I suspect she was enjoying the open area for a change after spending most of the year sat in wet poo on the ground from the youngsters.

Some of the biggest highlights though have most certainly been whilst sound recording.
As horrific as it was, for the first time in centuries the world was almost faced with complete silence with no cars on the road, no planes in the air and factories closed. Just sticking your head out the window was very strange and people were starting to notice the sounds of birds once again. Suddenly peoples Gardens become more important than ever, as people fed their garden birds and appreciated what they had in their doorstep.

I was lucky to still be working at that point, as I work alone in the countryside so no risks of social engagement. Farmers were still working though, so I couldn’t escape that sound, but considering this recording was taken under a mile away from what would otherwise be a raging sound from the M4 motorway, I was amazed I was able to capture such a peaceful recording of this Grasshopper Warbler:

Another lockdown magical moment was with a pair of displaying lapwing on the gwent levels. The only sound of man came from a nearby farm but the location was otherwise deadly silent, so much so that you could hear the wingbeats of passing Bats! It was insanely quiet and a moment I will never forgot.

I had many throughout the year, too many to share but here’s a Nightjar, Cuckoo, Pied Flycatcher and a Weasel, which was one of many mammals I got to record this year, like Water Shrew, Wild Boar, and a few Bat species too.

The list is too long for me to chose but I think you get the picture. We have almost come full circle and soon spring will be here. I hope this spring will be the release we all need but if we are back in lockdown once again, just think about the peace that wildlife will get during that time of silence. I hope 2021 you’ll be able to find your own tranquility in this busy world.

Wild Boar Humbug Hug 6th March copy.jpg





End of a Season

The picture you see below, will likely be the last of the season, as my last nest has sadly been predated. Over-all the season was a success, with all my other pairs successfully fledging two chicks each. That is a great year for these birds that don’t have a very high success rate. I suspect the failure of this particular pair was down to a Tawny Owl, that was very persistent throughout the night, doing low flights right over the nest site. I was surprised after a nocturnal session how many males were still churring last week, but I suspect it was more of a ‘goodbye’ churr, cuing to the females that the time has come, because the following days, all of my roost sites were un-occupied and I found this female miles from her nest, roosting in a tree. It’s probably a welcomed changed after sitting in mud and poo for most of the season.

Here’s a short clip of the pair seeing off a hunting Tawny Owl:

Midnight used this log roost almost every single day as it was close enough to the nest that he could keep an eye. Not all males will do this, but it made sense for him todo this the second time around, as the first clutch failed. Two sets of eyes are better than one. I only located one of the fledglings, so it’s likely that they’ve left the clear-fell now and headed to more suitable feeding grounds ready to migrate for the first time to Africa. It always amazes me how chicks know where to go..

I’ve done so much travelling between work and random birding trips since my last blog, so I won’t bore you with all the details. Here’s a selection below that highlights my favourite moments, most of which were on the Gwent Levels but some, like the Southern Dune Tiger Beetle were from the Gower. Small Red-eyed Damselflies were numerous at the reen entrance to Goldcliff Lagoons which was nice, as I’ve never seen one officially before. Lesser Marsh Grasshoppers seem to be turning up everywhere on the Levels now I know what I’m looking for. Their sound is actually quite similar to Field Grasshopper but the notes are spaced differently. You can hear it better when slowed down so I’ve including a recording below.

Sound


Below are some targeted flock recordings from Goldcliff Lagoons on a nocturnal visit. It’s quite difficult to get one of the platforms to yourself at high tide with so many visitors, especially this time of year where it becomes more popular due to arriving migrants, so I visited after dark, on a late high tide. There were still quite a few birds feeding in the dimming light, but even after dark, simply moving the dish around you can target specific species. It’s great hearing such a variety of waders in one place, with the added sounds of Shelduck, Little Egret and Greylag Geese in the background. It’s also been beneficial to me, to see different variations of calls on the spectrograph, from wader species, as it helps me ID some of the more unusual calls you get on Nocmig recordings.

Nocmig

What a turn out so far! In my last blog I spoke of how autumn migration has well and truly began, and whilst everyone knows this, I didn’t expect to get all these species over the house already! Wood Sandpiper was on my wish-list and it didn’t take long to get one! I had a Wood Sand long before I had a Green Sandpiper, which goes to show it’s not all about how common the species is, you really could end up with anything on these recordings, regardless of where you live.

Below I put together a selection of different calls, all of which I had within one night, just so you can see the visual differences side by side.

Here’s a few more species, all dated accordingly, but I’ve also had quite a few Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Crossbill, Swifts, House Martin, Swallow, Oystercatcher, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Coot, Spotted Flycatcher and many unknown smaller birds that are going to take a while to ID.

I’ll leave the blog with a Robin recording, which seems to be taking over at the moment.

Autumn Migration

I can’t help but feel the tension this time of year, as it’s a race for many bird species, to complete their breeding task and start to make their way south again for the winter. Some of my Nightjar are either during their second clutch, or are thinking about starting one, but they really want to get a move on, otherwise they risk the unpredictable weather of autumn. Pair number 1 are still roosting with their first clutch of chicks, but pair number 2 have finally kicked out the kids and look to be getting cosy again. I know this because she (Pebbles) is starting to roost with Rocky again at his favourite roost site, which I predict is where she is going to lay her second clutch. As a result he’s started to sing a little more, which has spurred on more territorial behaviour from neighbouring Male Midnight, who wasn’t on his usual log today. I suspect he’s on the edge of his territory, to make sure that Rocky doesn’t get any bright ideas and move in on his girl (which does happen quite often with Nightjar).

Their movements, roost site choices and behaviour all makes sense, the more you get to know these birds. Whilst it might appear random to us at first, there’s always a reason for their choice of roost and the more I’ve learned, the more I realise that their requirements are particular, but quite simple. So simple in-fact that there are things we can do, to ensure their breeding habitat stays in suitable condition, for as long as possible. It’s something I intend on discussing with NRW, Woodland Trust and any other land owners that happen to have breeding Nightjar, as their success rate is pretty low, at just 20%, but we can increase their chances that with some careful land management plans.

Nocmig

Finally, Autumn migration is picking up, and I’ve started to get more waders on my Nocmig recordings. I share this experience with close friend Craig Constance, who is also recording at his home, and despite living just a town away from each-other, we are both getting very different results so far. Just this week Craig has managed to get a Quail!, Green Sandpiper and a steady movement of Tree Pipit. Being on the canal, I seem to be getting quite a number of Common Sandpiper so far, but even with the canal, anything could happen, no matter where you live. Always expect the unexpected!

We’ve both been keeping our ears open for key species, Quail was one of the species that we hoped to pick up, so for Craig to get one already, was quite exciting! Wood Sandpiper was also on our list of species to look out for, and before peak has even arrived, there it was! My first Wood Sandpiper, and the classic call too, so no mistaking this for anything else. Who would have thought, over Sebastopol we’d be getting such a variety of species, some of which are quite the rarity. We usually get one or two on the coast, especially picked up at Goldcliff, and now I’ve heard one from my Garden, i’m eager to go and see one on the flesh, so I’m hoping we do find one soon. We do seem to be getting good numbers in the Uk this autumn so it’s just a matter of time.

There isn’t much left singing now, so I was particularly happy to hear two Male Greenfinch in full song on the Gwent Levels this week. Most certainly not a common sound anymore due to declining numbers. Such a pretty song too, which has been on my wish-list to record for quite some time.
The only birds that are still singing, are birds that are second (or third) clutching. You’ll probably notice that Wood Pigeons are quite vocal again too, and I’ve even seen some carrying twigs to build a second nest, or repair the first one.

The only other singers on the levels right now are random Wren’s, Cetti’s, Linnet and Goldfinch, but as you can hear below, the Linnets aren’t giving it their full effort anymore.

The Dawn chorus has been pretty poor the last couple of weeks and I’m not sure if it’s just the winter Robin song creeping in as autumn approaches, or whether it’s birds going for a second clutch, but either way, it’s nice to hear some birds singing in the morning again.

I’ll leave you with a few more photos, firstly of Midnight who’s still roosting on his favourite log. He’s the only Male that has stayed with the female throughout the entire incubation period, which I think is a reaction to the fact that they failed their first clutch due to predation. He’s keeping a close eye on her, and in doing so, gives her an early warning system should another predator come lurking. Two sets of eyes are better than one after-all.