25 June 2006

The Doldrums

Late June in Gwent is shit, I am now at the stage at which a solitary Whimbrel is noteworthy and a dead mammal is sighting of the day. The Whimbrel was on the foreshore at Uskmouth and the mammal, a Water Shrew, was alongside one of the reedbeds (see pic below, inset showing bristles on edge of feet, an adaptation to aid swimming). Water Shrew is possibly declining in the UK and definitely under-recorded so if you see a large, blackish above/whitish below shrew with bristles at the edge of the feet and along the tail send the record in (a list of mammal recorders is available at www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/recorders.shtml).

18 June 2006

Finally

Due to work, sheer bleeding laziness and the World Cup, I haven't added anything to the year-list for about five weeks! Today, Rock Pipit fell, a pair with fledged youngsters out on Denny Island, does this mean the ball is once again rolling? Let's hope so.

PS. Who had the bright idea of county year-listing during a World Cup year? DOH!

03 June 2006

Bootiful weather Bernard...

... but buggerall birds. Here's a pic of Goldcliff Pools in the sunshine.