Friday 10 July 2015

Bird Songs


Tomorrow I start another adventure I'm off to Northern Ireland to live in a small cottage by a big Lough, for two weeks working at a nature reserve.

I've never been to Ireland so I am pretty excited, I also love getting away from it all, that feeling of escapism that can only be found through solitude and isolation. Just some good books, some good whiskey and some beautiful scenery for company.

I hope if there is internet anywhere nearby to keep an account of my trip here, if not I will write a journal an stick it all here afterwards.

I'm making a playlist of songs relating to birds if anyone has any suggestions please comment below:

Gregory Porter - Skylark
Fleetwood Mac - Albatross
Small Brown Bike - Kingfisher
William Elliott Whitmore - Song of the Blackbird
Dolly Parton - Little Sparrow
Laura Marling - I was an Eagle
They might be giants - Birdhouse in your soul
Knapsack - Hummingbirds
The Paperbacks - An episode of Sparrows
Sun Kill Moon - This bird has a broken wing
Down - Stone the crow
Helen Chambers - Little Black Birds
Bars of Gold - Do You Like birds?
Great Lake Swimmers - A Bird Flew Inside the house




















I'm sat at a train station in Northern Ireland called Moira, it's farm country it's got that lush smell when it's just rained too. 


I already feel good about this trip despite the rain, I'm waiting for a lift from a girl who is busy medicating a sick konik pony, it was 28 degrees when I left Cardiff. 



Arrived at the cottage after doing big shop. The cottage is amazing and I've got the place to myself tomorrow, as its a national holiday here. We got stuck behind a marching band for like 20 mins on the way back, which I didn't mind at all I'm so intrigued by a the whole thing, but not even many Irish people I've met seem to get it, unless you are proper into it I guess? They looked and sounded amazing anyway grey Blazers, purple trousers, lambegs, drums, pipes and batons. The whole thing is like some strange Wes Anderson movie though, arches with pics of the queen and prince Phillip, flags everywhere. I went for a little walk to the reserve late on, got to meet the gorgeous konik pony troop, saw hooded crow a first for me and common tern another first. The place is proper lush. 


When I find my heaven...


Enjoying a lush day off to start a working holiday due to the bank holiday parades here. I walked up to the reserve for a good look around after breakfast. 

There a small looped walk around a lush meadow, through some woods with a small pond, finally saw my first tree sparrow in the wooded area! Cool bug hotels and a nice little pond,where I managed to see an Eft not sure which species. 


Walked the whole reserve headed down to the hide, loads of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies at least two or three I have not seen before and need to check. 



At the hide, loads of common tern and chicks, loads of black-headed gulls and chicks, great created grebe, little grebe, shoveler, coot, moorhen, mute swans, tufted duck with 9 chicks. 

On the way back I saw the biggest dragonfly I have ever seen must have been over 6" lovely coppery wings again not sure if species need to check. 

Also saw swallow chicks in the nest on the rafters of one of the shelters, which was really cool being able to see into the nest.



Headed back to cottage feeling rejuvenated for cold pizza and beer for lunch. 


Time to reflect...


I headed back out after lunch saw my first sedge warbler.

Headed to the pub to celebrate a successful first day, right on the shore of lough neagh it would have been rude to not have a Guinness really. When in Rome and all that... 


Saw a girl fall in trying to get on a makeshift raft from the boat race, had a right good belly laugh. 

The lough is absolutely stunning, the people on the other hand, I don't think I have ever felt less welcome anywhere in the world. 

Ah well, I've had a class day 35 species and four new ticks. Work starts tomorrow look out. 


First day on shift today went to fix the water supply to some cattle troughs on the reserve, ball cock needed replacing on one and investigation as to why another was leaking. Then got my first valuable experience of bird surveying, counting the birds on the lough, using the scope, whilst the warden recorded what I counted. 

Got to see this tiny fluff ball two week old tern chick. 


Laura says we can take the boat out on the lough later in the week to get a better idea of the tern and gull chick numbers as the reeds are too high to tell. Needless to say I am pretty excited about counting chicks from a boat on a lough 😍. 

All the emotions today start the day with a full perimeter predator fence check of the lapwing and surrounding farmers fields. We noticed quite a few signs of a breach, foliage damage and quite a bit of excrement likely fox. Then a definite kill site most likely fully grown lapwing, yet no holes in the fence so they must be climbing and the electric isn't stopping them. 

Continued check searched hare field for rare orchid Irish lady's tresses, no record.  Saw some awesome peacock butterfly caterpillars though that looked all glittery like they were going out on the town. 


Conducted a butterfly transect of the site with crinan, walking a set route recording all sightings within a five metre box. Good numbers of meadow brown, ringlet, small tortoiseshell and green veined.



Returned to the high ground above lapwing field to get a better idea if any remaining chicks had survived predation. We finally found one fledgling and one chick with super attentive parents protecting them from three hungry herons. We felt a small sigh of relief. 

Here is there lapwing chick through the scope with my phone not great pic. 


Just as we were feeling up again there was to be another crushing blow. After filling the feeders and helping the girls medicate the sick konik. We were leaving only to see a magpie leave the shelter with one of the four swallow chicks, when we looked in the shelter there was a severed head, a wing, some entrails, feet and loads of feathers. All four chicks that were days from fledging gone. 

Nature is brutal sometimes bro...

Today myself and Owen a local a level student who is a bit of a bee expect undertook a bee transect of the site. It started slowly as it was probably a bit early and a bit cold. However, it soon picked up and I learned to id common carder and buff-tailed which turned out to be the two most recorded on the site. We also saw white-tailed, garden bumblebee and a single honeybee. Owen later saw a red-tailed early bumblebee.



It was work party Wednesday so the rest of the day was spent working in teams doing practical tasks around the site. I lopped brambles and nettles from the footpaths, boardwalks and platforms. Then we repaired the konik pony fence as the post had severed off due to the boggy ground. 



We then visited Campbell's dairy farm on the far side of the reserve as a badger had breached the predator fence. We repaired the hole with wire and cable ties, filled the hole back in with boulders to discourage further digging. 



Saw an awesome garden tiger moth too. 


This morning whist patching a hole in the predator fence with wire and cable ties, I grabbed the electric fence, needless to say I won't be doing that again in a hurry. 

I also got to undertake the tree sparrow and passerine survey at the three feeding stations, counting all visiting birds in a set times 10 minutes. 

In the afternoon we got to visit WOW Belfast - Windows on Wildlife. A reserve in the industrial harbour centre of Belfast. Amazing reserve, tern and gull rafts still with loads of small chicks on them. Also saw black-tailed godwits biggest flocks I've seen, Dunlin, redshank, mute swan, moorhen, coot, mallard, oystercatcher, common sandpiper a first for me. The hides were made from old shipping containers and even have quiet key coded rooms for keen photographers. 


The day ended after medicating the sick konik with an even better view of the garden tiger. 


I'am very very sad to hear that the weakerthans have called it a day, I am drinking a Chilean red with a penguin on the label and singing " Yes a penguin taught me French back in Antarctica!"

Also sad to be missing portishead in Cardiff tonight. 

Today they let me loose on the site with a petrol fly mow. I mowed all the pathways to remove tussocks of grass which were becoming a bit of a trip hazard. 

Me and Laura visited the farmland on the far side of the reserve to repair the leaking cattle trough. Only to find the farmer had bought the bits and done it himself. We did a full fence check whilst there though signs of badger breach, lush views of kestrel family too. 

Me and robin had to refill the bug hotel as everything had fallen or been pulled out, we used the staple gun and some fine mesh on the back to hopefully stop everything falling out again. I also had to retrieve some small signs from the pond with with a pole, that somebody had decided to throw you get arseholes even here sadly. 

My friends josh and joy visited the site so I took them for the tour. Josh took this awesome photo of me. 


We are staying on joys dads Christmas tree farm for the night near ballynure, we went for a little walk before dinner and finally got my froglet pic I think you can tell this made me day!


Yesterday I got to complete an almost life long dream, I have wanted to visit Giants causeway since first hearing the story in primary school. 

We headed down out along the coastal road literally some of the most stunning coastline I have ever seen. 

We stopped for a Maud's ice cream in ballycastle I had peanut butter tdf bro. 



We arrived at the causeway and it didn't disappoint so amazing, saw seals in the water, gannets overhead and fulmar nesting on the cliffs another first for me. 


We clambered over most of the causeway, took some choice photos, headed back up the cliff path just before the rain for chippy tea at port rush looking out the sea in the rain. 

Amazing day 


Highs and lows again today, very miserable weather got soaked completing the predator fence check, but did manage to flush and see my first snipe, managed to flush three or four in the end actually. I think that takes me to 130 club bro! Victory was short lived when I found my first Irish leveret, sadly it had been I think killed by a bird of prey given that only the head, some organs and the meat from the legs had been eaten and it looked to have been pecked from the bones. 

Got to meet the older wilder konik troop the one with an awesome Afro that looks like Tina turner but I keep failing to get a pic. 



Also did full wildfowl count from the hide, tree sparrow and passerine count at the feeding stations. 

And we got to set up a camera trap in the badger set which I look forward to checking in the morning. 

Checked the hill with scope for remaining lapwing chicks no sign but adult birds still guarding the same patch so possible. 

Helped medicate the laminintic konik, which seems to be improving which is good news, always good to end on good news. 

Medicated the sick konik first thing and retrieved the badger set camera trap. I stripped and cleaned all bird feeders with warm soapy water. We then cleaned the fleet car inside using the Hoover and outside using the pressure washer. 

Refilled all feeders, whilst at the shed I met stumpy a take little robin who will come to your hand for a meal worm if you are at the shed. 


We reviewed the camera trap footage at lunch to find awesome shots of the Badgers a roaring success! 

I can't upload video from the app so will add in here later. 

We cleaned the community room ready for a meeting tomorrow and took part in deciding where the new site signage should go. 

We set the camera trap back and the set and medicated the pony, hoping to get Cubs tonight fingers crossed. 

The day ended with this awesomeness. 


But the last word belongs to stumpy 


One of the hardest days work I think I have ever done but I feel absolutely amazing. Spent the morning of work party Wednesday clearing azolla an invasive weed species from one of the drainage ditches on the farmland surrounding the site. A beam and two ropes were used to gather the azolla then it is fished out into the banks to die off using nets. Tiring but rewarding work. In the afternoon we completed a full fence check of the site about a five mile walk across heavy terrain after the mornings work in the heat just about done me in, got dropped at the pub for a reward Guinness or two on the jetty by the lough. 



One for the fans 


I can't remember looking or feeling better after a day's work sweaty and dirty having a few pints. Well being fully restored. 

Today we were invited up to lough beg to take part in an introductory day to phase 1 habitat surveying and nvc plant surveying. It was probably the nerdiest thing I have ever done but was absolutely amazing. The cause was taken by Matthew RSPB ecologist for Northern Ireland, who is basically a walking encyclopaedia on habitats and plants. We were introduced to how phase 1 habitat surveying works and then walked a transect of the site from the last phase 1 survey. Matthew pointed out some key species to the location such as Irish lady's tresses a rare orchid found in only a few sites not yet in full flower but still amazing. 


Matthew explained using the flora key to id species and we all got to have a go which was cool. Some of the other highlights creeping Jenny, narrow marsh reed, penny royal again only found on very few sites. I also found and correctly id'd my first marsh orchid which I was pretty chuffed with. 


We also saw great white egret which is always awesome. The day ended with Matthew finding chaff weed, so tiny you have to lie on your belly with an eyeglass to see the tiny fruit and flowers. 

Finally me and Crinan set up moth trap which I look forward to checking in the morning. One day left though : (

Spent most of my last day carefully removing moths from the moth trap into specimen jars and trying to id them using a book. Id'd over 40 species and well over a 100 individuals. Highlights included: elephant hawk moth


Ruby tiger


Mother of pearl 


Swallow tail moth 


Plain golden Y


We also got poplar hawk, early thorn, peach blossom, dark arches, grey arches and many more. 

Again pretty nerdy but also awesome. Fly mowed the paths again in the afternoon and spent my last hour on the reserve lopping brambles and nettles from the pathways ahead of tomorrow's big butterfly count. 

Awesome adventure best two weeks, well being fully restored. 


In the hide on my last night with my last Guinness, a fitting end... 


























Wednesday 1 July 2015

I wish I was a Tenenbaum

At the weekend, again in much need of friend therapy I headed to the Mumbles for my BFF Pugs birthday adventure.


We hit up our fave local spot Cafe Vallance for a romantic cheese & wine Brodeo.


Jamie and Miles met us after practice and Pugs' sister. I fell asleep drunk watching Mean Girls with Pugs and Jamie, standard.

It was awesome to get to see Batman again too.

In the morning we were meeting to go on an expedition to the Gower. Of course they were all on "Swansea time" so a 10 o'clock departure turned into midday after a Veggie sizzler at the White Rose.

We left the car and the stuff at Torbay, and headed off to the rendezvous at Mewslade bay. Mewslade is proper lush never been before, sea was proper choppy and full of jellies.

I was fully hoping to see Gower Chough for the first time, as I had heard they were in this area.

As we headed over the top there was lush views of a Kestrel hunting doing its classic wind hover.

Then I spotted 4/5 Chough foraging in the short turf again lush views.

As we headed off along the top there was a first for me, which I was pretty stoked with a Yellowhammer, although once common and present all year round I hadn't managed to see one until now, which tells me they are in decline sadly.


I drew this Yellowhammer when I got home to commemorate the sighting.








Three friends on a cliff




We stopped for the holy trinity of Chip Butty, Peanut butter Joe's Ice cream and Booze in Port
Eynon. I had a Black Dragon by Gwnt-y-Draig 7.2% bit rich for lunch time, but bloody lovely.


The inaugural shit punching contest took place back on the trail.



"Like that fella from the three rings!"

We headed on along the coast path towards Oxwich the path took in some sensational views and some stunning secluded cove that would be lush for wild swimming.




The final stretch was pretty killer through a large wood in search of Sasquatch. No sightings or scents of placenta unfortunately...

We got to the Oxwich Bay Hotel totally fucked, dogs barking bro one and all.



I had a pint of cloudy cider and then walked in the sea across the beach to Torbay to soothe my aching trots.

I hadn't been to Torbay before it was lush like the beach from Moonrise Kingdom!

We still had to walk to the car to get the gear too. Got the gear, set up a pretty sick camp on the beach.



Pugs set up a pretty sweet fire, whilst we got the BBQ's going, the wrongbow's started flowing.




















We ate some BBQ, collected more wood, Rez cooked a Tadik in the fire a traditional Persian rice dish, we chatted shit and enjoyed the fire for a couple of hours then hit the hay, all pretty knackered from the walk.



A fantastic expedition


Awkward family portrait by Jamie Morrison


I look forward to the extended version in August.


City Bouys - Walk the Gower available soon on slashsquash records