Failed miserably to repeat my award winning photograph of the swift drinking.. Reminds me just how lucky I was at the time to actually get the shot in focus. With a different lens and camera, I cannot seem to get the flight shots i'm after. That said, there were still plenty of other things to photograph. The insect life in the surrounding meadows is incredible. I'm still discovering new species, like this Pebble Prominent Moth Caterpillar (that was way too hard to ID! I need better books..)
In my first Job with the Gwent Wildlife Trust we kicked off a new project called 'The hills are alive: with the sound of nature!). The aim of the project is to banish the idea that our uplands are baron and bereft of wildlife. We plan on doing this by teaching people of all ages how to record/interact with wildlife. Families and generations of people actually struggle to connect with nature with their children, unless of course it is as easy as visiting your local pond/lake where they often feed the ducks.
This is the reason why GWT has invested in quality recording gear for the younger generation to actually use in the field so they can practise and see how rewarding it is when you put in that extra bit of effort. It is surprising the things we miss in our busy daily lives. We tend to move too quickly, both physically and mentally...
We have teamed up with a great company called 'Breaking Barriers' and between the two of us, we intend on creating a memorable experience for the children at Garnteg Primary School who so far have learned how to use the gear and have now started to identify some of the bird songs around them. Garnteg Primary School have great facilities to accommodate this project with their very own recording studio so my knowledge of sound and music is really being used to help make this project productive.
Lots of Dragonfly on the wing today! Photographed my first Golden-ringed Dragonfly (still lots more to edit) and seen the first signs of new Froglet emerging from the water. Bumped into this Tawny Owl that was having a good old peak. I do have other news to share but due to legal issues I can't talk about it.. Just as well, as it is really really sad! It's regarding a Scheduled 1 Bird that by the looks has been poisoned :(.
Also, Neodiprion sertifer (Pine Sawfly Larvae) was seen in the absolute thousands! Possible problematic in such high numbers so well worth keeping an eye on as these larvae will consume a lot of pine needles, to the extent that they can actually kill the tree altogether.
It is said that if you get so many in one forest, on a quiet day, you can actually hear the droppings pattering on the forest floor.
I'm yet to actually see a Nightjar, however! All that may change tonight as I venture out with Steve Williams (Head Ecologist), Fergus Collins (Editor of Countryfile Magazine) and Paul Joy (BFF). We hope to at least hear a Nightjar or two in a location not that far from home. Giving that they make an incredible noise and for the most part remain nocturnal, I'll be bringing my recording gear along with me. I may even get some recordings of an owl but who knows. I'll post any success tomorrow as I'll be arriving home very late.
Well! It was MUCH later than we anticipated but the wait well well worth it! We arrived around 8:30 to scout the area and look for any pockets of habitat that we thought would be good for feeding Nightjars but that particular area didn't exactly produce exactly what we were expecting. We waited patiently as the sky got darker and darker, during which we were being bitten by thousands of midges... but all that biting was worth it come 11:00pm where in a last bid to get something, whacked my recording gear up to 10 and scanned the moors which resulted in a faint sound of a Nightjar to which I squeaked squeaked in excitement. We then had another 2 bouts of song but it was so far away, probably about 70-100 meters away from us. If the recording gear wasn't whacked up to full, I simply wouldn't have heard it. I managed to filter the recording so you can hear the frequencies being produced the bird a little clearer. What an incredible bird! I will be returning to this location again for another late night session. How amazing! And most amazingly, right on my doorstep!
This recording was part of my own personal Nightjar Survey to see how many singing individuals were on my local patch. So far only 1 recorded by that was only 1 location so lots more to check and only a very little window left in order to monitor them.
Insect life at Llandegfedd is incredible, I'm finding something new every time I look. I could spent hours and hours in the meadows searching for these insects! It is hard to connect with things so small, most of which you can't even see! but if you look hard enough, you'll start to see a whole ecosystem #A Bugs Life. A Fox showed briefly before disappearing before my eyes into the long grass.
Lots to blog about but not enough time! So just going to post up a few photographs from the Canal today.
Upon posting my Stonechat picture on social media last night, I had a response saying this 'do you find time to work?'. Though at first I thought it was a sarcastic comment, they went on to say that they generally don't get the time to interact with nature as much as it 'appears' I do. While I can agree that spending more time out in the field will inevitably get you more opportunities, in this instance, I'm spending far less time out in the field than ever! Just an hour here or their straight after work whenever I'm able. I went on to say that it really helps knowing your habitat. I for instance know where to find a Stonechat on every single mountain in my surrounding area and generally, they aren't that hard to find this time of year when they are breeding. This pair below was clearly attending to their young and while watching from a distance I could see that they were using the same perches for look outs. All I had to do was walk close enough to the perch without disturbing them and there was the shot. It can be as easy as that sometimes.. Some people think that I spent hours and hours in a hide for this shot but I didn't. There are species of bird however that you really do need a hide for but even then, you need to know your habitat. Any great photographer I know, knows exactly what habitat and animals are on their doorstep and that is how you will get better pictures and more diversity.
Despite the weather closing in on us fast, I just about managed to get a photo of both Male and Female Stonechat on the common today. I would have been happy to just get one of these fantastic birds so to get both male and female was a bonus. Shame about the gloomy background but lovely birds none the less.
Spent an hour up Blaenserchan today after work, what a lovely hour it was! Greeted by the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries and seen out by a pair of Redstarts and a Male Cuckoo that I ALMOST missed lol. Just cut off his wing....
Wow! What a great couple of days! On the weekend I met my drum idol! Chris Coleman is by far the most inspirational musician you'll ever meet and I came from the clinic having learned so much. I could rant on about that for years and I won't forget that clinic for the rest of my life. It was truly inspirational. Chris Coleman, top musician and even better person. In other news, I have a car! For those that know me, this is such a big deal lol. For a long time now I've put driving off.. I was never interested in driving... but with a career around the corner, it was inevitable that this day would have to come. All I have to do now is pass my test and I'm good to go. Wish me luck!
Chris Coleman, Drumming legend!
