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istanbul airport transfer
istanbul transfer
istanbul airport shuttle
istanbul shuttle
Each Patchwatch I tell myself there is no point arriving before dawn as I won’t get an owl anyway. I snuggle under the covers for another hours kip but then think, ‘Yes, but what if there is an owl there and I miss it.’ So I find myself stumbling around in the dark at 05.30 again wondering where I left my common sense. All I can hear is Robins, they seem to be singing or ‘ticking’ from every other bush, the ‘Bird Count’ days never record this many Robins. Related posts Small Tortoiseshell A very warm and sunny day slightly spoilt by a strong south westerly breeze which kept the butterflies from flying. A group of seven of us set off along the Ouse Dyke where we encountered the usual selection of large, small and green-veined whites, speckled wood butterflies along with common darter, brown hawker and southern hawker dragonflies. We were even greeted by the call of the resident kingfisher as it speed off up the path. On entering the site we soon found the first of our target species of common blue, which it became apparent are very abundant all around the site as there is plenty of birds-foot trefoil on the bank tops and sides. The next of our target species for the day was the small copper, only one of these was located at the top of a bank I know from previous visits to be one of the best places to find them. Unfortunately we weren’t so lucky with the small heath which failed to show at all, probably due to the wind whipping across the site. Dropping down to the river bank to get some shelter from the wind we encountered our next target, brown argus. Or at least the back markers did, by the time the rest of us had backtracked it had disappeared into the long grass. However, we did all get to see this small butterfly later as altogether we encountered six in various parts of the lagoons. The walk continued in the shelter of the hedge bordering the back of the gravel pits where plenty of common blue damselflies along with other butterflies and dragonflies were taking advantage of the windbreak offered by the hedge. Our return to the site found more brown argus on the central bund between the deep pit and the slurry lagoon, and also along the bottom pathe following the railway line. By the end of the walk we had encountered ten butterfly species, including those mentioned above along with small tortoiseshell, brimstone, meadow brown and painted lady. Other highlights included two hobby, wheatear, whinchat and various warblers. Related postsTen People turned up at the main gate at 20.15 to see what bats could be found over the lagoon site. Rebecca Tarry, senior ecologist with SLR Consulting, led the survey and distributed bat boxes to those who did not have them. Bat boxes translate the calls of bats, inaudible to humans, to a sound within the range of human hearing. Some of the boxes were set to different frequencies so that as broad a range of bats as possible could be detected. Rebecca explained to us how the different bats sounded and how some use harmonics, so that the lower harmonic of one bat’s call and the higher harmonic of another could both be picked up with the bat box tuned to one frequency. We walked along the top of the Slurry Lagoon bank, towards the river but, as the bats frequently wait until about twenty minutes after sunset to start feeding, we did not pick up any calls. At the corner of the Deep Pit, by the river, Rebecca placed an Anabat box to scan the Deep Pit water surface below. This device records the bat calls in bursts of a few seconds so that they can be analysed later on a computer with a programme that produces sonograms. Each bat’s sonogram is unique to its species, except for a very few Myotis species which are very difficult to separate. We left the box where it was and continued around the top of the Deep Pit. As we walked along two Common Sandpipers, which had been calling on the river, flew past us and on the Deep Pit the Tern platforms, which we thought had been deserted since the Terns finished breeding, were being occupied by roosting Terns. We carried on around the Deep Pit and then past the Slurry Lagoon, where the Starling roost could be heard as its occupants quarrelled over perches in the deepening gloom. In the background the calls of gulls and geese could be heard as large flocks of them were also coming in to roost. We arrived near the footbridge, with still not a whisper from any bat although there were plenty of insects about, when someone suggested standing on the bridge for a while as they had seen Pipistrelles here in the past. Soon a Pipistrelle was heard giving its peculiarly ‘wet’ sounding clicks, and then another call identified as a Noctule. Another bat was then seen flying silently in the half light between two hedges. Rebecca explained that bats in fact have very good eye-sight and, where they know there is an open space, they do not need to echo-locate, in fact there is nothing there to catch an echo from. Pipistrelles fly in a very erratic way, with lots of twists and turns and often forage on insects attracted to lights. They are very small bats, their body being no bigger than the top joint of your thumb, but they need several thousand gnats or midges a night to keep them in good condition. There are two species of Pipistrelle which were only separated when bat boxes were invented. One calls at a frequency of 45 and the other at 55, called the Soprano Pipistrelle. People then realised that the bats calling at these frequencies formed discreet populations and were in fact two different species. Noctules are much larger bats and can be seen flying at dusk (or even in the middle of the day), sometimes mingling with Swifts as they make aerobatic stoops to catch large flying insects like cockchaffers or large moths. Willow Walk promised to give some good bat foraging opportunities so we walked along its length but only picked up two more Pipistrelles before we were back by the gates. We now walked along the Lower Path, back towards the river, getting more Pipistrelles and a Noctule flying over. At the Railway Bridge the bat boxes started to pick up a new sound, much ‘drier’ than the Pipistrelles, and Daubenton’s Bat was identified. Rebecca switched on a very powerful torch and the Daubenton’s were seen flying through its beam very low over the water. She told us that Daubies use their feet and tails to catch insects close to or on the water’s surface. The torch beam was thick with flying insects, so there was abundant food for bats, but there were not many bats around. Rebecca then saw another bat in the beam that didn’t behave quite as the Daubenton’s were and provisionally identified it as a Natterer’s Bat. More Pipistrelles, including Soprano Pipistrelles, and Noctules were also found here so the river was definitely the most productive site for bats so far. We didn’t expect to get a great deal more now so we went back up the Deep Pit bank to retrieve the Anabat box. The bat boxes could detect Pipistrelles and Daubenton’s over the water and these were soon picked out in the beam of the torch. Having retrieved the Anabat box we made our way along the top of the bank towards the gates. Bat activity faded as we got further from the river and we picked up none once we were walking by the Slurry Lagoon. This brought us to the end of our survey so we returned to our cars, Rebecca saying she would analyse the recordings she had made and let us know the results. Related postsNine of us met at 8.00 p.m. at the Blidworth Bottoms car park as we had been informed that the Longdale Lane car park was closed. Just as we were to move off we saw a Jay fly across the car park into conifers. Leaving the car park we started walking up the main path when someone spotted a Yellowhammer sitting at the top of a tree. A little latter the Jay flew on again deeper into the wood. As it was a bright light evening we realised that we would have a while to wait for either Nightjar or Woodcock. We sauntered slowly through the wood seeing both hare and grey squirrel, until at one point, I was completely disorientated and we had to use Tony’s Sat Nav to find out where we were. With the time at about 9.15 p.m. the first of 3 Woodcock was spotted. We walked a little further and at about 9. 50 p.m. the first Nightjar was heard “churring”. As we waited a small group walk to an other clear area, keeping in touch with the others by telephone. The small group of 3 almost immediately heard a Nightjar quite close by. It stopped and flew but was not seen clearly. A couple of minutes later we had one singing in a tree almost above our heads. This one, a male, flew and gave as good views of the white squares on its wings and tail. The rest of the group, as they joined us, could hear the bird churring as they approached – then silence! We waited and waited and decided to give it until 10.30 p.m. At about 10.25 p.m. another started churring and, like the previous occasion flew off. Again the bird started in the tree above our heads. We had wonderful, clear views of it for 3 – 4 minutes before it too flew. Having obtained our objective and time was going we made our way back to the cars and off home.
The bird trip list now stands at 120 for the year so far.
Report by Philip Burnham Related postsI was very pleased to see seventeen people meeting at the car park on Longdale Lane on Friday, 5th June 09 for what we hoped would be an eventful evening. Dark clouds were looming but we decided to give it a try. Garden Warbler was singing as we left the car park and we soon added Blackcap to the list. While walking through the woods we heard a Cuckoo – my first of the year. As somebody said – “a new record” – for me it was, the latest I had ever heard one. We stopped at a crossroads and as expected we soon saw the first of five Woodcock, or was it the same one going round in circles! We pressed on and as expected as we got to the furthest point from the car park the heavens opened. We bravely sheltered for about 20 minutes getting wetter and wetter until at last we gave up. Seventeen very wet and soggy people said their goodbyes in the car park but not before planning a return trip the following week.
We recorded 11 birds on the night and we added 3 birds to the trip list that now stands at 119 for the year.
Report by Philip Burnham Related postsEleven of us met at the car park in the Goyt Valley, one of the best turn outs for a while. The weather looked promising after a wet and windy week. From the car park the song of Common Redstart could be heard and it wasn’t long before it was spotted and we all got onto it. Spotted Flycatcher was also seen from the car park along with commoner species. We started the walk up the valley road and it wasn’t long before Pied Flycatcher was seen – the first of over a dozen seen on the day. With 20 birds on the list including 2 target birds we continued up the valley to a path that took us nearer the stream. Tree Pipit and Raven were seen on this stretch although some of us missed the Ravens. The surprise along this stretch was two bats that we seem to think were Daubenton’s. They were seen by most of the group skimming over the water looking for insects. Upon returning to the road it was not long before we had superb views of Dippers taking food to their nest near by. The first of 6 -7 Painted Lady butterflies were seen along with many Orange Tip and Green-veined Whites. It wasn’t long before someone said they could hear Grasshopper Warbler. We stopped and listened and soon all the group could hear it. This was unexpected bird as we were above the tree line and now on the open moorland. Reaching the car park at the top of the road Whinchat was seen and heard at the top of a conifer, 3rd target bird. After a short stop for lunch we continued up the hill with a very fine breeze and full sun. Meadow Pipits were everywhere so it was really no surprise when a Merlin was spotted sitting on a wall. Turning off the track onto the moorland we passed a pair of agitated Curlew that obviously had young with them, their haunting calls carrying down the valley. Red Grouse were eventually seen but distant. On the way down the narrow path three Green Hairstreak butterfly were seen on a Bilberry bush. Although there were bilberry all over the moorland, these were the only green hairstreak seen. We returned to the road, crossed it and walked through a conifer plantation looking for an area were Black Grouse could be seen but to no avail. After a pleasant break near to where we had seen the dippers, we took a leisurely walk down the hill back to the car park. Just before the car park a pair of Common Lizards were seen basking on the reservoir wall.
13 species of birds were added to the year’s tally that now stands at 115. The Lizard was the first reptile of the year while we added 2 more butterflies to the tally of 10. The only mammals seen on the day were the bats and, surprisingly, we have not yet recorded any dragonflys.
Report by Philip Burnham
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