Thursday 17 March 2011

Did our ears deceive us?

The Safari went left Base Camp and stepped out in to a mild and slight misty dawn this morning. Despite the low cloud morning had well and truly broken.
It was quite quiet with most of the song probably happening before we’d even got up.
In the Butterfly Zone we heard Long Tailed Tit not too far from where they were prospecting the other day. Then what sounded very much like a like a Blackcap gave a short burst of song, it stopped – we listened - nothing, so we walked on, a few paces further and we briefly heard it again, it stopped – we listened - nothing again...so was it or wasn’t it? A pair of Coal Tits was seen whilst we were listening for the songster.
The Sparrowhawk did another fly-over of his territory.
This nice piece of lichen was found lying on the grass – no idea of the ID.

Most noteworthy thing about the pic is that it was light enough at 06.30 to be able to take it without needing the flash.
Nothing but thick low mist over the full tide on Patch 2 but when back inside we spotted this dead bee on the carpet, again no idea of the ID but are those smoky tinged wings significant – a Cuckoo Bee sp?


Back out on Patch 2 at lunchtime was something we very rarely see here. They successfully flushed every bird off the whole beach...thanks lads.

Hope they didn’t get too wet cos that sea is cold, just about 7C
Out at sea it was still quiet misty and nothing much was about.

A late afternoon meeting away from the office gave us the chance to look around the big park for a few minutes before it started. Had a look for colour rings on the Coot on the lake, only found two but there were quiet a number of unringed ones there. Took a few pics which you might see tomorrow - if they're half decent. Then a traipse round the wooded end of the lake produced the goods when we heard then looked up to see a Treecreeper (127) working its way along the underside of a big branch, a Nuthatch was calling nearby too.
Where to next? Can we have the sun back please?
In the meantime let us know whose been paddling through your outback.
For details of last night’s amphibian safari see here and here.

1 comment:

cliff said...

Dave - re your Lichen, I have a book that touches briefly on lichens, your one looks identical to Evernia prunastri, my book goes onto say "Lichens that are attached only at the base are called fruticose and E. prunastri is the commenest in this group. It has no official English name but is known as Mousse de Chene (Oak Moss) in France."
My book also mentions it's commercially harvested for use in the perfume industry.