Snow Birds

Last night it snowed and I decided to take some photos of the birds on the feeders and the last apple on the tree in the church by the window in our house overlooking it. I had to compensate for the snow by over-exposing. These are some of the better pictures I took. The Blackbirds were the hardest because of the bigger contrast. The Robin was on the feeders in our garden and was taken from inside the conservatory.










Later I went to Fowlmere to look for footprints. We saw some very cold ducks (Mallards, Gadwall, and Teal) and a Barn Owl (my Dad took the not very good picture.) We found many Fallow Deer and Muntjac Deer footprints and also the tracks of what I think was a mustalid (probably a Weasel?)

Small Mammals

Today I went to Commons Wood in Welwyn on a small mammal walk mostly to see Harvest Mice of which we saw about ten. I also saw a lot of Wood Mice and two Pygmy Shrews and two Common Shrews. I even got to hold one of the Harvest Mice!

Red-flanked Bluetail

I went to see the Red-flanked Bluetail at Minsmere. It was running about in the bushes at the sluice. It came out in the open a few times and I drew this picture of it.
There was a group of Barnacle Geese in a field and my dad found a Red-breasted Goose in amongst them which was probably feral. Later on my dad spotted a Great White Egret as it flew towards Dunwich Heath. I also photographed some Wigeon and Teal and my dad took a picture of a close Treecreeper.

Leach's Petrel

I went to Wilstone with my dad to see a Leach's Petrel. I'd never seen one before and I drew this picture of it and then used watercolour to paint it. I also used acrylic for the eye and beak.

Caterpillar

At my school I found this caterpillar and drew it to identify it. I still didn't know what it was though.

Bats at Savernake Forest

Me and my dad went to Savernake forest to go bating were I got to see bats up close and even hold them. First in the day we got bats out there bat boxes and later at night we put up mist nets around the entrance to a disused railway. Throughout the day I saw some Common Pipistrelles, some Brown Long-eared Bats, a Noctule Bat, some Natterer’s Bats and a Daubenton’s Bat. I drew a picture of a Daubenton’s Bat and a Natterer’s Bat. The Daubenton’s bat was a little smaller and lighter brown, and had a bit of a cuter and rounder face than the Natterer’s Bats. I did a pencil sketch of the two bats.

Pensthorpe

I went to Pensthorpe today and took these photos...

Reed Warblers

Today I went to Fowlmere and photographed a family of Reed Warblers.



The above photographs are of one of the juveniles. On its tail it has a growth bar which is where the tail stops growing due to lack of food. It had a bright rufous rump and looked neat and fresh compared to the adult.



The adult in this picture is worn and has some displaced feathers. I think it is actively moulting and the upper two tertials are pointed and worn compared to the rounded and fresh new ones.

Feather!

At the Fitzwilliam museum I drew this picture of a Great Argus pheasant feather which was in the Darwin exhibition.

Deadman's Hill

Me and dad spent several hours on Deadman's Hill near Sandon to try and see the elusive male Montaugu's Harrier. We didn't but had an excellent time seeing a total of six or seven species of Raptor:
Marsh Harrier - difficult to tell numbers but at least five juveniles.
Red Kite - three.
Peregrine - one briefly.
Hen Harrier - possible ringtail but too distant to be sure.
Kestrel - several.
Sparrowhawk - one.
Buzzard - up to ten.

We also heard Quail and Yellow Wagtail and saw a pair of Grey Partridges with a number of chicks. I also caught (and lost!) a rodent, probably a Field Vole, and found and photographed (on my dad's phone) this Four Spot Orb Weaver spider.