Otters

Today me and my dad went to Fowlmere to see whether there was anything there. At the main hide there was some ripples which were Otters! They kept disappearing from view,  but then they swam really close and got up on the bank.  Then they went in the river in-between the lake and the hide and then we saw them on the bank again and realised that one was a pup! The adult started scent marking on a tree stump. Later we saw them again, only a few meters away in a stream although it was very dark. They knew we were there but the pup stayed after the adult swam away. It started crying out and the adult came back and made sure that it came with it that time.

Geese

Today I went to see a  subspecies of Bean Goose called rosicus. It was distant and hidden by grass a lot of the time. There were actually two Bean Geese in amongst four Pink-footed  Geese. Earlier, my dad and I may have found a subspecies of Greylag Goose called rubrirostris from Siberia which was a lot lighter than than the normal Greylags.

I drew this picture of the Bean Goose in pencil and then washed it with browns and pinks.

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.