Lapwing 100 Dairy Farm Road
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Friday, 10 August 2012
Hilbre Island
It was a beautiful day on Hilbre Island today, though that did have the downside of attracting a few too many people and too few birds. There were two Wheatears on the west side and a scattering of Turnstones around the island, including one in summer plumage, as well as good numbers of Sandwich Terns, but it was very much a day to spend botanising. Rocky coastlines are a pretty scarce commodity in this part of the UK, and it's difficult to think of many between Morecombe Bay and Llandudno, and as such Hilbre has several species of plant which are rare in the North West. These include notably Rock Sea-Lavender Limonium binervosum, Rock Sea Spurrey Spergularia rupicola and the fern Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum.
Rock Sea-Lavender Limonium binervosum is a rare plant throughout the UK, and the race which grows on Hilbre occurs at only five localities in the UK. It's also a frustratingly difficult plant to photograph!
Harebell Campanula rotundifolia and Rock Sea Spurrey Spergularia rupicola.
Sheepsbit Scabious Jasione montana and the fern Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum. I'm quite a fan of ferns, and Sea Spleenwort is a particularly interesting species. Unlike other ferns it has a very leathery feel (like many coastal plants) and it requires salt spray for its survival.
Spear Mint Mentha spicata (although it's possibly a hybrid) and Seaside Centaury Centaurium littorale.
Grayling and Grey Seal. Graylings always land with their wings closed and sit in such a position as to minimise their shadow, as this one is demonstrating perfectly! They're so confident in their camoufalge that they can be quite approachable.
Rock Sea-Lavender Limonium binervosum is a rare plant throughout the UK, and the race which grows on Hilbre occurs at only five localities in the UK. It's also a frustratingly difficult plant to photograph!
Harebell Campanula rotundifolia and Rock Sea Spurrey Spergularia rupicola.
Sheepsbit Scabious Jasione montana and the fern Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum. I'm quite a fan of ferns, and Sea Spleenwort is a particularly interesting species. Unlike other ferns it has a very leathery feel (like many coastal plants) and it requires salt spray for its survival.
Spear Mint Mentha spicata (although it's possibly a hybrid) and Seaside Centaury Centaurium littorale.
Grayling and Grey Seal. Graylings always land with their wings closed and sit in such a position as to minimise their shadow, as this one is demonstrating perfectly! They're so confident in their camoufalge that they can be quite approachable.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Rainford Mosslands
Siskin 10 adults and juveniles in Dairy Farm Road
Lapwing 70+ Dairy Farm Road
Corn Bunting 1 singing Dairy Farm Road
Buzzard 1 Old Coach Road
It would be great to think that the Siskin are local breeders. There certainly seems to be some good habitat for them near Dairy Farm Road.
Lapwing 70+ Dairy Farm Road
Corn Bunting 1 singing Dairy Farm Road
Buzzard 1 Old Coach Road
It would be great to think that the Siskin are local breeders. There certainly seems to be some good habitat for them near Dairy Farm Road.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Eccleston Mere
Mute Swan 2 adults
Tufted Duck 6
Still very quiet at the mere.....
Walking around the mere this evening I noticed quite a lot of freshwater Swan Mussels Anodonta cygnea in the water. I've seen Common Scoter on the mere swallow them whole in the past, and once watched a Velvet Scoter at close range on an inland lake swallow three in 45 minutes! They can grow quite large, and the photo above (taken about 4 years ago) is quite typical. The scale on the rule is inches of course. Occasionally there is a "wreck" and lots of them get washed up on the shore.
Tufted Duck 6
Still very quiet at the mere.....
Walking around the mere this evening I noticed quite a lot of freshwater Swan Mussels Anodonta cygnea in the water. I've seen Common Scoter on the mere swallow them whole in the past, and once watched a Velvet Scoter at close range on an inland lake swallow three in 45 minutes! They can grow quite large, and the photo above (taken about 4 years ago) is quite typical. The scale on the rule is inches of course. Occasionally there is a "wreck" and lots of them get washed up on the shore.
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