Friday 25 October 2013

1st blogaversary

I realise that wishing myself a happy blogaversary is a little bit lame but I feel that my blog turning 1 year old today is something to be celebrated! I so enjoy taking photos and sharing the best of them with all you lovely people who read my blog. I also immensely appreciate the kind comments that you leave, so thanks to you all :)

Anyway this post seems to be quite long - apologies!


2 and a half weeks ago we embraced a warm, autumnal, still morning and took Bracken down to Seasalter beach for a walk. Before, when we have taken him there, the tide has been too far out, meaning swimming hasn't been possible. While walking along the top of the beach he found a shoe, which he decided to carry for most of the time. Goodness knows why someone left one shoe, which was in fairly good condition, lying on the beach. Anyway here are some of the photos from the walk.



There has been an influx of Brent geese. They always arrive at this time of year.

Brent geese

Brent geese and gulls

Bar-tailed godwits, a turnstone and a gull
Making a splash...

...and some funny faces

...and some more funny faces and poses!


Mid-leap

Volunteering on 7th October was delightfully warm. Our task was to strip the old reserve sign stickers from the boards and put new ones up. Once we had replaced all 4 signs, we had lunch and then went for a walk with our cameras and scopes. I saw my first bearded tits, there were still hundreds of waders - bar tailed godwits, golden plovers, lapwings etc.  Talking of bearded tits - if you haven't read Rory McGrath's autobiography which is named after these intriguing birds, then you should. I highly recommend it.


The lighting was nice and a rather handsome drake mallard posed for a close up.


We returned to the truck and headed back. As we drove back along the narrow road, something, possibly a peregrine or some other bird of prey, caused most of the resting birds to fly. The golden plovers, lapwings and godwits, swirled and swooped. A good tactic to avoid which ever predator spooked them. The cormorants, avocets and redshanks stayed put, not wanting to lose their spot on the island in the middle of the East flood. A few sparrows dispersed from the brambles close to the road. 



The following week, our task was coppicing. Just some of the smaller trunks which could be felled with bow saws. An important woodland management technique to let light into the wood and allow certain species of flower and plant to thrive.


There was also a fair amount of fungi around...




Green elfcup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens)

Closer to home, I found this growing out of a notch in a fallen ash tree.


These small fungi had tiny little bobbles all over them. They were really quite sweet, as far as fungi go!



During an early evening walk we noticed this sun-bow. An interesting and beautiful phenomena.



We also heard and saw in the distance, 5 fieldfares. Just passing through. Hopefully the bunch which usually feast on the left over apples in the nearby orchard will make an appearance soon!



Walking along the footpath through one of the fields, a mixed flock of small birds flew up. No bins, just managed to get the photo below but they are too silhouetted for my ID skills.




Another evening dog walk after a heavy downpour meant huge puddles. Or is it a lake?! Bracken enjoyed splashing about in it anyway!


On Wednesday (23/10) I went out dormouse surveying again with Kevin (the warden I usually volunteer with) and we checked the 50 nest boxes in one of the local Kent Wildlife Trust owned woods. Last time we checked them we found several vacated dormouse nests and 2 of which contained dormice.
Once again 2 boxes (different boxes from the last survey) had dormice inside. At this time of year during the chilly days they enter into a state of torpor, whereby lowering their body temperature and therefore using less energy. They still feed at night, high up in the tree tops, trying to gain as much weight as they can before the winter arrives and they have to hibernate.
We were lucky enough to find a nest with two torpid dormice snuggled up inside! They were absolutely adorable! We held them and at first they didn't even stir. We popped one down on the woodland floor for a few seconds so I could get a natural looking photo. I then asked Kevin to take a geeky 'look I'm holding a tiny little dormouse' photo of me. We checked to see if the dormice were male or female, weighed them and put them back in their intricately woven nest and let them get back to their deep slumber. I do hope they survive their hibernation!
The other box was home to one male who was more active. Kevin showed me how to handle this lively individual too. One day maybe I'll train to get my dormouse handling license! You have to go on several handling courses and go out surveying with a license holder a number of times before you can get a license. They are a protected species so it is illegal to handle them unaccompanied if you don't possess a license.

Cuuuuute!



Me holding one of the gorgeous torpid dormice!

Jew's ear or jelly ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)

Woodland dappled in autumn light

aptly named dryad's saddle


A better example of green elfcup

That is all for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Lets keep our fingers crossed that the weather which has been forecast for this weekend isn't as dire as the warnings suggest! Thank you all for reading!

20 comments:

  1. Happy anniversary! Congratulations!

    So many lovely pictures as always Lou. Especially enjoyed seeing Bracken looking so happy in the water and the adorable dormice. I'll be ahhing over them for ages!

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    1. Thank you CT :) They are such lovely little things!

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  2. Happy Blog-anniversary.
    In the first image of the Brent geese, is that a Barnacle in the top left of the frame?
    I really like the flock image of all the birds scattering from a predator attack, I have a little unproven theory on this, if the flock stay reasonably low it's normally a sparrowhawk, if the flocks immediately go very high-a peregrine, it's not a fool proof system but works...sometimes. The other flock shot, they kind of remind me of snow buntings, not sure though
    The dormice really do look so cute.

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    1. I do believe it is Doug. Which is very odd. I didn't think they came down south?!

      That is an interesting theory about which predator it may have been! I have seen peregrines around the flood before so it is quite possible.

      It would be lovely if the flock were snowies. We aren't too far from the shore so maybe they were just passing through on their way to the beach!

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  3. Happy BlogAnniversary!!! Look forward to your second year of posts :)

    Some great photos there - lovely to see Bracken having so much fun.

    I do enjoy reading of all your volunteering work - the dormouse is just beautiful and exceedingly cute.

    Well done too on the Bearded Tit sightings - have never seen this species. Was hoping to see them in Norfolk earlier this year but it was not to be :( And I really enjoyed the Rory McGrath book too - as you say well worth a read :)

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    1. Thanks for your kind comment RR :)

      We were a bit worried about Bracken after he hurt his leg, but he seems to be on the mend and is racing around as normal again. He does love the beach!

      The bearded tit sighting was very brief - I would love to see one properly! Glad you enjoyed the book too!

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  4. I will get your name the correct way round today Lou Mary - apologies. Congrats on your first anniversary and with your informative and expert blogging style I think we'll all be reading about your second anniversary no problem. Certainly looks like the Peregrine effect from your picture and they are so fast it is easy to miss them amongst the melee.Nice list of birds you had on your walk and I can almost here the oohs and aahs for those dormouse from here.

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    1. Oh yes! Don't worry about it! Thank you, I am truly flattered that you think my style is expert!! Yes we did think peregrine but were in the truck so couldn't see for sure. Oare is certainly a great place to see a variety of birds.

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  5. Happy blogaversary! A great achievement and a lovely blog. I really liked your fungi photos - especially the green elfcup. Looking forward to many more posts from you :)

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    1. Thank you Tim! Very kind of you to say so. I loved the name of green elfcup! Sounds very magical I think! Maybe secret elves sit in them in the woods! If you the fungi then perhaps that would be what you would see!

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  6. Happy Blogaversary! A lovely post with some beautiful photos. The dormice are completely adorable - I am envious that you saw some, let alone held one! I love Bracken in the water, especially in mid-leap. He looks as though he's having so much fun. I saw a male Bearded Tit for the first time this summer which was a real treat. I'd love to see more.

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    1. Thanks for your kind comment Wendy! They were unbelievably gorgeous. I couldn't stop ahhh-ing! We love it when Bracken has that much fun too! It also wears him out so has a nice quiet snooze when we get home. I'm glad you got to see a Bearded Tit too. I would love to see more too!

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  7. Happy Blogaversary from me too! That Dormouse is fantastic - what a treat to actually see and hold one. Bracken pictures are brilliant, particularly the funny face one. The flock reminds me of the Fieldfares we get here in huge numbers....is that possible?

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    1. Thanks Em! I nearly melted when I held the dormice. They weigh practically nothing and I felt like I was holding gold dust or something! We do get large flocks of fieldfares but I think the flock was more finch sized rather than thrush family sized.

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  8. Many happy returns as regards your first blogaversary, I always look forward to your posts even though I maybe a bit slow to comment sometimes :-) This is yet another superb and enjoyable autumnal post with loads of gorgeous fungi, though the star has to be that adorable Dormouse which is unbelievably cute (especially in the first pic) :-)

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    1. Thanks so much David, I always appreciate your nicely thought out comments :) I too look forward to your posts!

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  9. What beautiful photos Lou, especially of the 'big skies' Oh well it's so hard not to be totally distracted by the beautiful dormouse pics. Oh so cute-that would be the highlight of my year!

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    1. Thank you Suzie :) Dormice and water voles have most definitely been my highlights this year!

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  10. Some great pictures here. I know hardly anything about fungi but am always fascinated to see them - probably more so than flowers. Thanks for deciding to follow my blog - Loose and Leafy And happy blogaversary!

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    1. Thanks for your kind comment Lucy and also for following :)

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