22 Mammals recorded on the recent mammal tour around the UK as well as over 100 bird species. Next May’s tour is now available for booking.
Badger – Scottish badgers are so much smaller than their English counterparts
Red Deer – Taking a cool dip on one of the very warm days we experienced
One of the Chillingham Wild Cattle – You wouldn’t want to get in the way of this big boy!
Wood Mouse – from the large to the small … we saw lots
A great group in Scotland last weekend on the Scottish Birders Weekend. We saw some good birds including this Crested Tit in Abernethy forest. Next year the itinerary has been changed slightly to incorporate an additional day at the coast for some passage migrants and late winter visitors such as White billed Diver and King Eider. Great hotel, great food, great birds … what more could you ask? Here’s the itinerary.
In 2000 when Jonathan Revett collected what he described as a ‘fleshy form of the Rayed Earthstar’ at Cockley Cley, Norfolk. He sent specimens to Kew and other places but was assured that it was a known variant.
It was only several years later that DNA analysis uncovered that Jonathan’s discovery was indeed a new species; and so Geastrum britannicum was named. So far it has no common English name. Since the initial discovery several other sites throughout the UK and in particular Norfolk have come to light.
A small group of Waxwings gave a bit of colour on a grey day last week. Back-lit as they were they never gave wonderful photographic oppertunities but my word they are beautiful creatures.
Grey Wagtails are not often thought of as migrants … but they are!
We were driving on the Norfolk coast road when I saw something small scuttle across the tarmac just in front of the car. I noticed it came to rest on the verge so I pulled over and walked back to investigate. Crouched on the verge was a Short tailed Field Vole. .. counting its blessings at still being alive and not being part of the road.
If you asked bird watchers which bird epitomises the Isles of Scilly you would undoubtedly get as many different answers as the number of people you asked. For me it has to be a bird that is ubiquitous, a bird that is everywhere. It has to be the Song Thrush. Scarce on the mainland; on the enchanted isles you cannot fail to come across many during the course of a day.
