Under the guidance of a licenced roost inspector (who used to go by the name 'Crikey') I was able to check out a delightful collection of lesser horseshoe bats. These awesome critters are rare in the UK and are largely restricted to the south-west and Wales. We counted around 40 in this roost.
The perks of a job in ecology...
Under the guidance of a licenced roost inspector (who used to go by the name 'Crikey') I was able to check out a delightful collection of lesser horseshoe bats. These awesome critters are rare in the UK and are largely restricted to the south-west and Wales. We counted around 40 in this roost.
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A decent little outing today for a spot of birding. Notable species included; turtle dove, cuckoo, hobby and a range of warblers including reed, sedge and garden. A drumming snipe provided some good entertainment, as did the numerous resident grass snakes in the vegetation. A brave muntjac wandered close by but, being a herper, some basking common lizards stole my attention. With Gloucestershire seeming to be 'the gateway to southern herping', a Surrey day-trip was always going to be on the cards sooner rather than later. A nice patch of heathland quickly proved popular with snakes, with all 3 species being spotted within half an hour. A wander around some other areas proved less productive - and after an eternal wait during a Costa coffee break it seemed the day was done - until a pair of basking sand lizards were spotted in the late afternoon. To watch these delightful creatures had been a lifetime ambition of mine, and to sit and observe them enoying the warm glow of the evening sun was an experience that will take some beating.
Friday (1st of May) provided my first swifts of the year, so the weekend started on a good note!
Saturday (Blakehill Farm) delivered wheatear and a whinchat pair, unfortunately the latter proved too difficult to photograph. Spotted a lively dartford warbler during Sunday's Dorset trip although poor weather kept the herp count a bit low. There's also been some delightful local water vole activity this weekend... |
All images © Neil Rowntree
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