Llandegfedd & Blaenserchan

I've spent a lot of time at Llandegfedd this month so far for many reasons. What with the sun being out in the last couple of days, I saw the opportunity to record this years Butterflies and also wanted to check up on the Tawny Owls as I've been worried about their success this year compared to last year where they only managed to raise 1 chick. Well, I can happily report that they managed to raise 2 chicks that have since fledged and are up in a very tall oak tree. Prior to this sun, we actually had some really bad rain which effected many of our breeding birds in the UK. I've had stories of failing Goshawks and lots of flooded Meadow Pipit nests so far so lets hope we have some dry weather for a week or so to get them back on the right track. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a meeting with Welsh Water on the 5th and I'm so happy to report that the meeting was very positive and though nothing is on paper yet, it looks like Welsh Water will accept the help of Gwent Wildlife Trust and work in partnership so improve/maintain the wildlife requirements onsite. This is exactly what I've been working hard for in the last 2 years since I started 'Llandegfedd Res Wildlife Community' on Facebook. I just hope that things move along smoothly and all the legal/financial are sorted asap so that work can be done ready for next year. I also managed to spend an hour up Blaenserchan in search of the beautiful Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary and within 2 minutes of walking up the path from the main car park I was greeted by 4 PBF escaping the harsh winds. I certainly had luck on my side as for the rest of the trip I didn't see a single butterfly as the winds really took over and most were hunkered down. 

Sebastopol & Llandegfedd

Today was a memorable day! Absolutely beautiful weather and plenty of fantastic wildlife showing really well for the camera. Lots of species of Damselfly on the canal already making the most of that warm sun, including this years first Emperor Dragonflies which are the first to emerge out of the larger Dragonflies. Llandegfedd's trip was short but wow! What a time! Some good and bad news however, the good news came in the form a Tawny Owl! She/He was hunting in the day time! Must be making up for the terrible weather we've had in the last couple days as it does have chicks to feed. The female Mandarin with her 4 chicks looked to be doing well until I examined the photos and it looks like she has a fishing hook stuck in her shoulder... Just in time to show Welsh Water at an official meeting with myself and the heads. Wish me luck! I have a full blown presentation ready for this meeting and I'm hoping that I'll have some good news to share with you as a result. There are a few exciting things happening at Llandegfedd, some of which, I can't even tell you! 

Patch Tick! (South Sebastopol)

Wasn't expecting to see a Spotted Flycatcher on my regular walk along the canal today! A pair was feeding in their typical way in the tree tops. 

Schedule 1 Birds

  1. What is a Schedule 1 Bird? 

  2. Why should you care? 

  3. How can you help?

  4. What are the rules? 

Wildlife photography is becoming quite popular in this country and why not? We have amazing wildlife on our doorstep and technology is improving at a rapid rate so everyone can enjoy this hobby and get something rewarding out of it. 

Photography however is an added extra for me and though I very much so enjoy taking photographs and showing you all what is on your doorstep, the most important thing for me is to protect our wildlife. There are rules to follow and species that even I can't take pictures of given the right circumstances (breeding). 

1a. A Schedule 1 Bird is a Red Listed Species of bird that has decreased in population so badly in the last 25 years that it is automatically protected by law in order to give them the best chance they can to re-establish their population. 

2a. You should care because, if caught disturbing one of these birds during the breeding season, you could be prosecuted over £5000 and serve up to 6 months in prison. 

3a. You can help the cause by joining your local conservational groups like RSPB or Wildlife Trust that actively seek to improve sites and protect our greens spaces in order for these birds to re-establish themselves. There are lots of passionate people like myself who spend every day trying to ensure that scheduled 1 birds are protected and have the best chance they can get so that one day we can see more of them without the need of a schedule 1 licence. 

4a. This is where things get a little complicated but I have found a great document that explains it all really well in perfect detail and here is the link.  - The blurry part in all this is how you judge whether you are disturbing the bird(s) or not and what distance is a safe distance to observe.

Disturbance

  • The best way to understand disturbance, whether intentional or reckless (ie pursuing a course of action while consciously disregarding the fact that the action gives rise to a substantial and unjustifiable risk), is to think that it includes any action that causes a nesting Schedule 1 bird to behave differently to how it would behave if the photographer wasn’t there.

  • This includes getting too close and flushing, alarming, or causing a nesting bird listed on Schedule 1 to stop what it was doing; and/or using a recording/tape lure that causes a nesting bird listed on Schedule 1 to react in any way at all whether that behaviour is a ‘normal’ response to hearing the call or not.

  • It is not an excuse for a person to claim that they thought that no nesting activity was taking place.

In basic terms, when it comes to Schedule 1 birds, if a photographer does anything that causes a nesting adult or their young to change behaviour they are breaking the law.

Additionally irresponsible disturbance may put a bird at risk, cause a nest to fail, or allow eggs or dependent young to be predated or harmed.

If you are unsure what distance is best to keep away from these birds then you are better off staying well away until you seek advice from a professional. You only need change its behaviour to be breaking the Law and that really puts it in perspective. 

Firecrest

Don't be mistaken though, you can't always help seeing/being next to a schedule 1 bird and sometimes you stumble upon them or they stumble upon you but it is the course of action you take that determines whether you are disturbing those birds. The Firecrest at the start of last month is a perfect example of this, as a group of us literally opened the car door to a Firecrest and the photograph confirmed the sighting and we swiftly moved on. We were there for all of 2 minutes and as a result of the sighting, a survey will be conducted by myself and Tom Chinnick (County Recorder for GOS) to evaluate how many singing males are in that particular location (if any). 

Don't be afraid of reporting any sightings of Schedule 1 birds because sharing locations is important, but! Make sure it is privately and to correct people. Please email any of these sightings to Tom Chinnick if you live in Gwent, otherwise, please contact your location Ornithology Society privately. 

countyrecorder@gwentbirds.org.uk

Schedule 1 Bird List

Avocet, Bee-eater, Bittern, Little Bittern, Bluethroat, Brambling, Cirl Bunting,  Lapland Bunting,  Snow Bunting,  Honey Buzzard, Capercaillie (Scotland only) Chough, Corncrake, Spotted Crake, Crossbills (all species)  Divers (all species) Dotterel Duck, long-tailed Eagle, golden  Eagle, white-tailed  Falcon, gyr  Fieldfare  Firecrest  Garganey Godwit, black-tailed Goshawk  Grebe, black-necked Grebe, Slavonian Greenshank Gull, little Gull, Mediterranean Harriers (all species)  Heron, purple Hobby  Hoopoe Kingfisher Kite, red Merlin Oriole, golden Osprey Owl, barn Owl, snowy Peregrine Petrel, Leach's Phalarope, red-necked Plover, Kentish Plover, little ringed Quail, common Redstart, black Redwing Rosefinch, scarlet Ruff Sandpiper, green Sandpiper, purple Sandpiper, wood Scaup Scoter, common Scoter, velvet Serin Shorelark Shrike, red-backed Spoonbill Stilt, black-winged Stint, Temminck's Stone-curlew Swan, Bewick's Swan, whooper Tern, black Tern, little Tern, roseate Tit, bearded Tit, crested Treecreeper, short-toed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Dartford Warbler, marsh Warbler, Savi's Whimbrel, Woodlark, Wryneck

Brecon Beacon Red Kites & Usk Reservoir

The trip finally arrived and despite having all kinds of weather thrown at us, the Red Kites really did deliver the goods today. This was my first time visiting an official feeding station and I wasn't at all disappointed with the views. I honestly didn't want to leave... That said, myself and Paul Joy did spend a good few hours exploring the surrounding environment and we must have recorded nearly 40 species of bird. Willow tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Snipe and Garden Warbler to name just a few. 

Local Terrapin (Fred)

Activity was booming on the Canal with the warm weather that we had yesterday and today. Damselflies recorded so far have been: Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselflies. A Kingfisher appeared late evening that looked to be roosting on the edge of the woodland. 

We had a very large active Pike in full hunting mode too which for the most part was scaring people as they walked passed due to the big splash they would make when trying to catch the fish up against the bank. Amongst the Pike were nice sized bream and smaller roach all feeding on various things falling into the water. While trying to photograph one of the Pike, I took the opportunity to follow a head bream that was floating down the canal in the wind... It wasn't a Pike that came to eat it though.. It was the local Terrapin lol. Though for the most part he was just head butting the fish away from him, he did manage to pull off a few bites before carrying on with his business. He/she is certainly not afraid of people as it swam right up to me this time. If you have a Dog however, it will not stick around for long and you'll most likely hear a plop from him jumping back into the water.

Pontypool Uplands

The more I walk this path, the more I discover! We are so lucky to have all this on our doorstep! Our uplands are an invaluable source for our wildlife and without that resource, our wildlife would really suffer. Watching these Green Tiger Beetles hunting along the cleared quarry floor was incredible and I didn't want to leave I was enjoying it that much! As part of a Gwent Wildlife Trust survey I ventured out with a team of people to re-discover our biodiversity in the hope that we can shine some light on areas that are faced with future developments. We found some incredible things, most of which I cannot post on here for legal reasons but it is safe to say, we are very lucky indeed!

Blaenavon

Sometimes, an opportunity can just present itself to you with no help, just complete luck. This is certainly one of those moments where 2 males happened to be fighting and while caught up in testosterone, they neglected to realise that I was right next to them. This scene below is that point where one of the males realised that he was right next to a human... That look on his face was brilliant lol. 

Another Recording of a different Yellowhammer in a similar location to last time at Llanover, this time up the top of the mountain near the Blorenge.

If you follow this link - http://www.yellowhammers.net - you can learn more about the yellowhammer song

Pet Industry (Terrapin) (Fred)

I must admit, seeing these guys on the Canal is quite... nice. They are pretty little things and pose very well for the camera.. However, they have the potential to cause a lot of damage to our native wildlife. They are opportunistic creatures that will eat whatever is on offer in that particular season.. There are a few particular things that concern me when seeing these guys in the Canal.. People have been asking me, where is all the frog spawn on the canal this year? Well.. Most of it had sunken to the bottom at that point but, frog spawn and tadpoles would be on the hit list for a feeding terrapin. Also, dragonfly larvae, small fish, frogs, toads and even baby chicks would be easy pickings for a terrapin that can swim fast when it wants to and has a perfect camouflage for any water environment. It is on that note alone that I will be reporting these guys to our local ecologist to see if anything can be done about these invasive species that simply don't belong there. 

If there were any positive effects of their presence, i'm not sure it would outweigh the negative effect at this point. For now I'll continue to document them and their activities on my patch. I've already recorded 2 in the same area so who knows, they may be breeding. 

A lot of people blame the pet owners for irresponsibly releasing them into the wild but personally I think the Pet Industry is largely to blame for over producing and breeding these animals to the point where they are ending up in too many homes (most of which breed them privately).