Thursday, 31 March 2022

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 31st March 2022

Date: 31st March 2022

Time: from 7:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, moderate wind, 1°C to 2°C

On 22nd March 2022, I visited Benfleet and Hadleigh Downs. It was sunny with temperatures of around 16°C and I only needed a T-shirt .... plus a pair of trousers obviously 😀.

This morning, just over a week later, winter has returned with temperatures barely above freezing and feeling significantly below that with a wind chill caused by the moderate wind. I still felt cold with winter-lined trousers, a base layer, a jumper and 2 fleeces!

The return to colder temperatures had a not unexpected impact on bird song which was much reduced despite it being sunny. However, the Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps which have now returned for the summer clearly didn’t get the memo since I saw and heard singing males of both species around the site 😀.

I saw 2 singing male Chiffchaffs and heard at least 3 others plus I saw 2 singing male Blackcaps and heard 2 others. I managed to photograph both species but the former was much easier than the latter.

With regard to other birds, this visit was particularly notable for Greenfinches. This is a species that historically I have only recorded on a few occasions each year but this year has already produced several records. This morning I saw 3 Greenfinches and heard 3 others: a male seen well in bushes in the south west corner of the site, a calling male seen flying over the same location, a calling male seen flying over the field in the north of the site, a calling bird heard flying over the church car park and 2 males heard calling and singing either side of the access track from Larkins Tyres in the woodland and scrub.

Other notable records included 2 Green Woodpeckers, 1 distantly calling bird from the south west corner of the site and a much louder calling bird from the woodland around the access track from Larkins Tyres, and a single male Mallard flying over the north of the site.  

With regard to mammals, I saw a Red Fox briefly emerge from the hedge bordering the eastern section of the cemetery. As it spotted me, it turned round and disappeared back in to the hedge.

In addition, I saw a Reeves’ Muntjac at the edge of the field in the north of the site which I managed to photograph.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Dunnock
Wren
Blackbird
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Green Woodpecker
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Mallard
Herring Gull

Red Fox
Reeves’ Muntjac

Here are some photos from my visit:





























Photo: male Chiffchaff




























Photo: male Chiffchaff




























Photo: male Chiffchaff




























Photo: male Chiffchaff




























Photo: male Blackcap



























Photo: male Blackcap





























Photo: Robin




























Photo: Woodpigeon




























Photo: Reeves' Muntjac




























Photo: Reeves' Muntjac





















































































Site totals to date (2022 totals in brackets):

Birds = 56  (35)
Mammals = 6  (3)
Butterflies = 21  (2)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 7  (0)
Reptiles = 1  (0)
Amphibians = 0  (0)

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Solidarity with Ukraine

SS15 wildlife watching: Solidarity with Ukraine .... stand with Ukraine






















Slava Ukraini! …. Glory to Ukraine!

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Albert Ross has returned!

My birding highlight last year, and probably of all time, was seeing the incredible Black-browed Albatross at RSPB Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire on 7th July 2021.

This bird was first reported at RSPB Bempton Cliffs last year on 28th June 2021 and was then seen regularly until the end of September 2021. It also visited the same location in the 2 previous summers and presumably spent the winters wandering far out at sea.

SS15 wildlife watching: RSPB Bempton Cliffs - Black-browed Albatross

SS15 wildlife watching: More on the Black-browed Albatross at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

SS15 wildlife watching: Albert Ross really is a star!

Today, what is almost certainly the same Black-browed Albatross, was reported for the first time in 2022.

Albert Ross has returned!

Hopefully, he or she will now remain in the area for the summer again although sadly its hope of breeding will be entirely fruitless since the nearest potential mate will be many thousands of miles away. Maybe some solace will again be found in hanging out with the 10,000+ Gannets which breed at RSPB Bempton Cliffs.

If this Black-browed Albatross does remain at RSPB Bempton Cliffs another trip may be necessary at some point in the coming months to not only see this amazing bird but also to improve on my pathetic attempt at a photo last year .... 



The Black-browed Albatross is the most widespread and common member of its family and it has a circumpolar range in the southern oceans and breeds on 12 islands throughout that range. In the Atlantic Ocean, it breeds on the Falkland IslandsSouth Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and the Cape Horn Islands and it also breeds on several islands in the Pacific Ocean. This bird shouldn’t even have crossed the Equator, let alone found its way as far north as the North Sea in Europe!

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Record from my flat - Mallards

I very occasionally see Mallards flying past or over my flat and this afternoon was the latest sighting.

At 2 p.m., I saw 3 Mallards flying over in a south westerly direction, quite possibly to Gloucester Park where there are always varying numbers when I visit.

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature


Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Eagles bring tourism boost to Mull

A new study The Economic Impact of White-Tailed Eagles on the Isle of Mull has revealed the scale of the economic benefits that White-tailed Eagles bring to the island.

Tourism inspired by these majestic birds of prey accounts for between £4.9 million and £8 million of spend every year. This money supports between 98 and 160 full time jobs on Mull and between £2.1 million and £3.5 million of local income annually.

This is yet a further example of the economic and social benefits of eco-tourism to remote upland and island local communities which far outweigh those other activities (“sports”) which prioritise the killing of animals for fun with collateral persecution and killing of wildlife and habitat degradation and destruction.

RSPB - White-tailed Eagles bring tourism boost to Mull


I have seen White-tailed Eagles and Golden Eagles on Mull on numerous occasions over many years although not recently due to the travel restrictions arising from the Covid-19 health pandemic.

Here are a few of my record shots of White-Tailed Eagles on Mull plus some much better photos taken in the Varanger peninsula in the far north of Arctic Norway and in north east Finland ....













Photo: White-tailed Eagles - Creag Mhor, Loch na Keal, Mull, Argyll













PhotoWhite-tailed Eagles - Killiechronan, Loch na Keal, Mull, Argyll














PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Killiechronan, Loch na Keal, Mull, Argyll













PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Killiechronan, Loch na Keal, Mull, Argyll













PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Kuntilampi, near Kuusamo, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Kuntilampi, near Kuusamo, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Kuntilampi, near Kuusamo, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Sandfjord, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Komagvær, Varangerhalvøya National Park, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Skagen near Vardø, Troms og Finnmark, Norway

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagles - Krampenes to Skallelv, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - near Nesseby, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Ekkerøy to Vardø, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway

























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Salttjern to Ekkerøy, Varanger peninsula, Troms og Finnmark, Norway


























PhotoWhite-tailed Eagle - Nesseby to Varangerbotn, Varanger peninsula, Finnmark, Norway

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature