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.