A Shrewd Move, Down the Lane

Dull greyness this morning was less than inspiring, but it turned to bright sunshine in the afternoon. It stayed cold though!

This morning I had another go with the Barn Owl pellets, aided by Alex who was fascinated and disgusted in equal measure. Having now done just four pellets, I've found and identified four different small mammals and can already see that there is a great deal of variation in what amount the pellets contain. A reminder that yesterday's single pellets yielded 3 Field Voles & 1 Wood Mouse.

Pellet 2 : 4 Field Voles, 1 Common Shrew
Pellet 3 : 2 Field Voles
Pellet 4 : 3 Field Voles, 2 Common Shrews, 1 Pygmy Shrew

The Shrew skulls are smaller and even more delicate than the voles, but the red teeth really stand out amongst the matted fur and bones.

Common Shrew above, Pygmy Shrew below - apart from size, the shape of the end tooth is the ID clincher.

Later in the day, I headed off for a walk down the lane. Haven't been down there in daylight for a while so was surprised to see that the verge had been massively torn up ...

Then realised that the farmer has dug out the roadside ditches. No doubt the verge will recover - hopefully before any f.wits fill the ditch with fly tipped rubbish ....

The outward bound walk was enlivened by the regular Little Owls, a couple of Buzzards and still good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing. It was noticeable that on balance the trees, hedgerows and verges are still showing more signs of autumn and winter than spring. A few buds starting to show, but plenty of stark twigs with still-attached seeds ...

Sallow

Traveller's Joy

White(?) Willow

Ash

A trio of Mallards on Whetstone brook made it onto the OFFH list before I completed a little circuit and headed back up the lane. Almost as soon as I was back on the lane I heard a distinct and vaguely familiar call. A quick scan with bins and I was pleased to see a pair of Yellowhammers - hope the stay around. Here's a pathetic record shot in poor light from distance (plus any other excuses that fit the bill).

You may well have to squint and stare to see them both ......

Things what I did this weekend

Firstly, I'll start off with a couple of things that I didn't do ...

1) I was unable to generate an opportunity to get time off of work in the week, and I was constrained yesterday as Nichola was working. So - I could have driven all the way to Cornwall today in a solo attempt to see the American Bittern but I quickly decided that would be completely stupid in many ways and opted to do something else. Just aswell as it appears to have fucked off last night ahead of the impending weather doom.

2) Aside from having charge of the family with Nichola working yesterday, my brother had managed to offload his two with my Mum for the weekend, and she suggested in a way that I couldn't refuse that we should all meet up for the afternoon at Bradgate Park. Fecking Snow Bunting pops up at Rutland Water and I can't get there.

So, today rather than worrying about what are essentially petty things like mega rarities and catching up a couple of County Ticks (Bearded Tits still at Rutland Water aswell), I spent a couple of hours this morning bashing a local tetrad for the BTO Atlas and then I cleaned out the fish tank (which is doing very well now - recently added Clown Loach and 3 Odessa Barbs looking very smart). Both being very relaxing and worthwhile.

Here's a variety from Bradgate Park and a couple from this morning.

Black-headed Gull

Mute Swan

Red Deer

Fallow Deer

Horse Chestnut

Oak

I really can't get to grips with fungi, but I think this could be Hypholoma sublateritium (aka Brick-red Hypholoma) I've been advised that this is Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare - quite a few clumps under a very big oak.

The most exciting aspects of the tetrad recording this morning were not avian. I walked along a disused railway track near to Cosby that I've not been along before. I was very pleased to find a bit of Aspen along there, and also lots of Traveller's Joy - definitely worth a speculative moth-trapping effort next season.

Traveller's Joy

Otherwise, nothing unexpected in poor arable farmland in between suburban estates. Grey Wagtail was nice, and I picked up a handful of Goldcrests tagging along with a tit flock. Only the wrong sort of partridges were noted.

Red-legged Partridge

A late bit of mothing news - Thursday night's effort was much poorer than the temperatures promised but with the extreme wind it was not surprising.

Light Brown Apple Moth 3
Acleris sparsana 1
Rush Veneer 1
Blair's Shoulder-knot 1
Brick 1

I ran a trap last night as well - clear and cold and bugger all this morning.