Another busy week with nights away from home and no opportunities for any birding, or anything else for that matter.
A slim glimmer of excitement came today though as I spied a small flock of Waxwings on the route into work. Even better, just over an hour later there were 29 of them briefly perched up in a tree immediately outside of my office window. This is the third time I've had Waxwings outside the office over the years, though in the past they have loitered and fed on berries - very few berries left anywhere now.
It's been ridiculously windy here today, and worse last night. The temps are very mild and I'd be very tempted to get out mothing if it were more still.
Showing posts with label Wildlife at Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wildlife at Work. Show all posts
Friday, 4 February 2011
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Repeat
Back to work today. The company opposite my office (Thales) has a large lawned area where they erect arials and test radar type stuff. Most of the time though it's just a big open bit of grass where on a daily basis a handful of gulls gather to charm up worms by jogging feet on the spot. Today, along with a pair of Lesser Black-backeds, a Common Gull and a few Black-headeds were two Herring Gulls. As my workplace is within the City Boundary, this was a City yeartick.
The chances of getting many yearticks at work are few and far between to say the least, though in 1995 when I worked in the same area for a different company we had Nightingale and Sedge Warbler in the srub at the back of the factory bordering the railway line and carpark. No such chance these days as sadly our big warehouse is built over my old place and the scrubby bit ....
I had to nip into the City center at lunch time for some very old fashioned banking where people are involved - this was a bit alien to me as I have been internet banking for years. The route from work into town is directly past where I've been seeing the Waxwings, and sure enough there was a gathering there again today. The light was slightly better, but the birds remained mainly high up. Whenever they came down it was brief and agitated with the Mistle Thrushes in attendance.
I counted 154 on one photo (not this one - but click for big and have a count yourself) but I am sure there were one or two more out of shot. Spot the Redwing in this shot whilst you're at it.
Here's some arty bollox.
The chances of getting many yearticks at work are few and far between to say the least, though in 1995 when I worked in the same area for a different company we had Nightingale and Sedge Warbler in the srub at the back of the factory bordering the railway line and carpark. No such chance these days as sadly our big warehouse is built over my old place and the scrubby bit ....
I had to nip into the City center at lunch time for some very old fashioned banking where people are involved - this was a bit alien to me as I have been internet banking for years. The route from work into town is directly past where I've been seeing the Waxwings, and sure enough there was a gathering there again today. The light was slightly better, but the birds remained mainly high up. Whenever they came down it was brief and agitated with the Mistle Thrushes in attendance.
I counted 154 on one photo (not this one - but click for big and have a count yourself) but I am sure there were one or two more out of shot. Spot the Redwing in this shot whilst you're at it.
Get orf my berries
Here's some arty bollox.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Migratory Monster
I was confronted by this enormous beast at work this morning ...
It's even more impressive than the Pine Chafer we had.
My precise reaction was "fucking hell that's big!" - and this was pretty much the same response from everyone subsequently shown it, apart from the women who all screamed. It was sitting on top of some pallets. We'd recently off-loaded some from a lorry bringing packaging in from one of our southern Spanish plants which seems the most likely explanation for origin. I guess it wasn't too happy about arriving in Leicester, as it didn't put up too much of a struggle when being bundled into a plastic bag.
It's an Egyptian Grasshopper, and at just under 3" long (excluding antennae) it is an impressive insect. It's not very colourful apart from a bold red stripe on the back of its massive jumping legs. I'll try and get some better photos on a more appropriate prop in daylight tomorrow - assuming it is still alive. After that it's either one for the Leicester Museum reference collection or freeze dried bird food.
It's even more impressive than the Pine Chafer we had.
My precise reaction was "fucking hell that's big!" - and this was pretty much the same response from everyone subsequently shown it, apart from the women who all screamed. It was sitting on top of some pallets. We'd recently off-loaded some from a lorry bringing packaging in from one of our southern Spanish plants which seems the most likely explanation for origin. I guess it wasn't too happy about arriving in Leicester, as it didn't put up too much of a struggle when being bundled into a plastic bag.
It's an Egyptian Grasshopper, and at just under 3" long (excluding antennae) it is an impressive insect. It's not very colourful apart from a bold red stripe on the back of its massive jumping legs. I'll try and get some better photos on a more appropriate prop in daylight tomorrow - assuming it is still alive. After that it's either one for the Leicester Museum reference collection or freeze dried bird food.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Wildlife at work, 26/05/2009
Not unexpectedly, given the massive number moving through the UK, I had two Painted Lady fluttering purposefully past the office window today.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Wildlife at Work
I'm on a roll! This feature will not feature very often. This is largely because I work in a very industrious factory in a very industrial estate. Also because I go there to work, not fanny around looking at wildlife ;-)
Having said that, I've already posted a photo of an interesting moth I found on my office window last year, and on 25/09/2006 I recorded the first Antigastra catalaunalis for VC55 - a rare migrant pyralid - which again I found on a window at work. I also had a huge adventive beetle at work - a Pine Chafer - in July 2006.
On the bird front, today I noted a flock of c60 Waxwings from my office window, perched in trees on Golf Course Lane. This is the second time I've seen Waxwings from there - the last time was March 2005. Although it is a different company, I now work on the same site as in a previous job - part of the old Marconi factory and grounds were flattened to build the warehouse we now use for our cans. When I worked for Marconi, I recorded Nightingale and Red Kite along with regular stuff like Lesser Whitethroat and even Sedge Warbler in the scrub that bordered the old car-park - sadly long gone now.
Having said that, I've already posted a photo of an interesting moth I found on my office window last year, and on 25/09/2006 I recorded the first Antigastra catalaunalis for VC55 - a rare migrant pyralid - which again I found on a window at work. I also had a huge adventive beetle at work - a Pine Chafer - in July 2006.
Antigastra catalaunalis - first for VC55
Pine Chafer - 36mm long!!
On the bird front, today I noted a flock of c60 Waxwings from my office window, perched in trees on Golf Course Lane. This is the second time I've seen Waxwings from there - the last time was March 2005. Although it is a different company, I now work on the same site as in a previous job - part of the old Marconi factory and grounds were flattened to build the warehouse we now use for our cans. When I worked for Marconi, I recorded Nightingale and Red Kite along with regular stuff like Lesser Whitethroat and even Sedge Warbler in the scrub that bordered the old car-park - sadly long gone now.
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