Another dead mammal

Anyone good at dolphin identification? Or, more precisely, dead dolphins on their side off Goldcliff Pools identification? The photos below show a smallish cetacean which bobbed downstream with the tide at lunchtime, notable features included: a reasonably long, crescent shaped pectoral fin; all dark grey upperparts; an obvious pale area in front of the pectoral fin; a seemingly rounded tail fluke; and, though difficult to judge, a reasonably large size, probably 3-4m covered the length of the visible bits. Answers on a 'comment' please (click below). Also 14 Fieldfare, 30 Swallow and 1 Wheatear amongst the migrants, and 41 Avocet flushed by the farmer on his quad (again).

Patch-ticks

God knows why it has taken so long for me to catch up with Barn Owl on the reserve but the drought is over; one was hunting over the reedbeds this morning. Then, in London bus fashion, a second patch-tick appeared, a Firecrest, only my second in Gwent, very nice.

Identification pitfalls (part 1)

With a bit of luck this will become a regular feature of my blog. The aim will be to provide reference illustrations relating to particularly difficult species pairs found in Gwent. In future, I hope to be able to add tips on how to separate the species involved, however, with these two, all I can suggest is that there must be some differences in wing formula or maybe moult schedule. Uncanny, isn't it.

A certified Sibe!

Today a bird from Siberia ended up at Uskmouth. That is about all you need to know really. I should point out the photo below was supplied by Mr. Richard Clarke Esq., by far the healthiest member of GRG. Good birds only jump in nets when I leave my camera at home. Anyhoo, I'm off to have a nice cup of Horlicks whilst listening to the dulcet tones of Mimsy Carpenter in Mrs. Bradshaw's Hat on Radio 4.

In lieu of a proper rare

Despite the north and east of the UK sinking under the weight of rares, the best we (that is GRG, not the royal 'we') could muster at Uskmouth was an abietinus Chiffchaff. If you're an international quality squinter, the photo below should enable you to make out a Chiff with pale greyish-green upperparts and what appears to be (as compared to collybita) a greater distance between the tips of P4 and P10 (and indeed between P4 and S1). All terribly interesting and, according to the next edition of Svensson (in prep.), reasonable indicators of abietinus over collybita. Of course had it been a mite greyer, some numpty would have claimed it as a tristis, largely due to the fact that a good proportion of people don't know what tristis looks like. Personally, I feel sorry for messers Dean and Svensson, they write a perfectly good paper and no muppet can be arsed to read it.

Pygmy Shrew car-jacking

If I hadn't got photos, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Here is the scene I was confronted with on returning to my motor,...



... and here's the heart-stopping expression on the evil-doer's fizzog.

It's raining (well drizzling) Chiffchaffs

Blundered onto a mini fall of Chiffs at Uskmouth this morning; 50-100 were knocking around within 150m of scrub and reedbed. Visible migration during the morning included a good passage of Swallow and Mipits plus smaller numbers of Skylark, House Martin, Grey Wag, Siskin and Redpoll. On the deck 1 Snipe, 1 Stonechat, 2 Sedge Warbler, 6 Reed Warbler, 10 Blackcap, 4 Goldcrest and 1 Clouded Yellow provided the interest. It might not be gob-smackingly good, but it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

A day in the field!

Almost a whole day birding in Gwent! Whatever next? Not a whole lot to show for it though, migrants at Uskmouth included: 20+ Blackcaps, 20+ Reed Warblers, 5 Sedgies, 1 Whitethroat, 6+ Tree Pipits, 5 Grey Wags, 5 House Martins, 1 Siskin and a constant trickle of Swallows and Mipits. Also had my first Clouded Yellow in the county this year and only my second ever Water Shrew (unfortunately, as with most of my shrew sightings, it was as dead as a dodo riding a dormouse in the derby). In the afternoon St. Brides produced 4 Wheatears, 1 Sand Martin, 3 Snipe and one nice pint.

A flutterby

Painted Lady in the front garden for most of the afternoon, alternating between the verbena and the buddleia.

Escape to Tbilisi

Another trip to the Caucasus,... nothing outrageous on the birding front just the usual raptor migration plus a supporting cast ranging from brevirostris Twite, via Bee-eater, to Booted Eagle and many other species not beginning with the letter 'b'. More easily photographed subjects included: flowers and snakes,...



... a 6th/7th century church at which Short-toed Eagle showed well and a 6th/11th century cathedral where flying saucers showed well (dipped on both Jesus and God, but then mythical beings are notoriously skulky, I've missed both the tooth fairy and Santa Claus in the past too),...



... and bugs (possibly Hesperia comma, Pyrrhocoris apterus and Rivetina baetica, drop me a 'comment' if you know better).