Summer Sound

Lots to share, lots to talk about as always. Blogging for an entire month is proving to be difficult but I’ll give it a shot!! Below I’ll start with a mixture of photographs from various places, but most of which were taken at Tirpentwys Nature Reserve. Not only did I find Bee Orchids in flower this year but there happens to be a spectacular show of Common Spotted, Southern Marsh (Also hybrids between the two), but also hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids! I’ve never seen such a show before, it’s really worth going to see. At the reserve I also had a Hobby, Crossbill, Greenfinch, Redpoll and a good number of migrating Swifts overhead.

Sound Recording

It’s been a good month for sound recording but things are starting to taper off now. Less and less birds in the dawn chorus already, with some mornings just a lone Song Thrush. It’s just that time of year where most of the breeding birds are done, and only the birds pushing into a second or third clutches are continuing to hold territories. It’s not over yet though and I’ll be lapping up as much of it as I can before the autumn arrives!

For our Nightjar though things have just reached peak, with some birds feeding chicks, others still on eggs, some may not have even laid yet! It’s really been an odd year for Nightjar and as a result, I’ve decided this year to concentrate my efforts on a variety of different locations as my local birds have really not had a good year so far this year and they’ve also chosen to nest quite close to a Goshawk nest so I’m avoiding the area for a number of reasons and visiting only at night.

Ok, kicking this off with a Nightjar recording, one of many this season but by far my favourite, as it shows three different calls, starting with a Male alarm call, which is softer than the female, followed by a stellar performance, and ending with his female flying thru his airspace, which resulted in him restarting the song, just so he could end with his spectacular showboating clapping performance. Then you can hear the lower pitched croak from the female, followed by the higher pitched fluty call of the male. It’s a great reference recording of the variety of sounds that Nightjar can produce.

Almost every night now I’m hearing Tawny Owl chicks and couldn’t resist recording them last night.

Grasshopper season is well underway and I look forward to hearing my first electric Roesel’s Bush Crickets. As usual though, I’ve slowed this recording down so the pitch sits in a more audible range as they can be quite difficult to hear.

The Roesel’s Bush Crickets were at the north end of Llandegfedd, and singing also was a stunning Reed Bunting, which didn’t breed there last year so it was nice to hear him back on territory. Onsite also was a good number of Common Sandpiper, which are just finishing up breeding, so are already starting to move south.

As I said, there isn’t much singing now, but Blackcaps seem to be still giving it a good effort.

I was going to devote an entire blog to this Chaffinch song, as the first three phrases appear to be quite unique, at-least they do to my ears. This was from one of my work places in Swansea, where the entire upland population there, seem to emphasise the middle section of the song, with these defined descending notes, that sound very similar to the tune of a Redwing Song. You can hear three different types of phrases in this performance but it’s the first three that I’m referring to. This tune is very similar to that found in other sub-species of Chaffinch from around the world, so it makes me wonder if this phrase goes way back to a time before the species split, as even the endemic species in the canary islands seem to have this. My local population however, doesn’t have this at all, so it makes me wonder how much of a regional accent is at play here.

Here’s a screenshot of the section I’m referring to. The left phrase shows the descending notes that really have emphasis over the rest of the phrase and the second phrase is the more typical monotone middle trill that I’m used to hearing in my local area.

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Nocmig

Nocmig is starting to pick up again! and it kicked off with my first ever Quail! Was a beauty! Since then I’ve had my first Redshank of the post-breeding movement, along with Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and plenty of Moorhen / Coot. Other than that I’ve been getting more and more Swifts moving on ‘morn-mig’ and I intend on upping my game this autumn, as I’ve purchase two second hand ‘Audiomoths’ which are small remote, programable sound devices that are fully waterproof and capable of automaticity recording dusk till dawn, which is perfect for nocturnal migration and due to their small size, it makes them so easy to hide. I also intend on using them to aid my Nightjar research as I can identify new sites by places these devices in key areas, without having to spend multiple nights out in the field to find out for myself. It really increases my chances as you can’t be everywhere at the same time.

Breeding Season

What a month so far! No idea how I’m managing to fit all this in but it’s been such a special spring and despite a delay in the breeding season, things have burst into life, warm temps, lots of emerging insects, moths, dragonflies and just in time for our breeding birds to feed their chicks. I was beginning to worry about my Nightjar this year as Moth counts have been super low, which has resulted in them delaying their egg laying. Some have only just paired up which is crazy and overall I’m seeing less than half the pairs compared to the previous year. The bracken has come up quite fast as always though, so their habitat is looking perfect for egg laying. This month I’ve lead a few walks, one for In Our Nature CIC which was an introduction to Bird Song, with a perfect sized group. We aim todo another by the end of June to continue our progress. It’s great to see people show an interest in learning more about the natural world, as it really does help us find our place in the world. The other walk was my annual Nightjar walk for Gwent Ornithological Society, which was well attended with 20 people, but so many more people expressed their interest in another Nightjar walk as they weren’t able to attend the first, so we’ve arranged todo another on June 18th. Details of which to be found on the GOS website.

I’m not a twitcher, but it’s always nice to see or hear things I’ve never seen before, so every year I try to add a few more to the list of experiences. One big one has been hearing a Nightingale, as we don’t get them here in Wales and the closest know location is Highnam Woods in Gloucester. Two attempts, one in April (too early) and one in June (too late), so next year I must make more of an effort in May. It’s just difficult to enjoy spring as breeding bird survey season is the busiest time of year for me.

As you’ll see in the pics below I’ve still been quite busy. My nightjar have seen some drama, with one of my males injuring his nose. Still don’t even know if he’s survived his injury but he was paired up so I hope he does.

Recordings

For the minority sound recorders reading this, I’ve been beta testing a microphone configuration, using two Schoeps CCM 2’s (Loan from Schoeps) and my own Schoeps CCM 4 inside a Telinga/Rycote dish system. I’m always striving to improve the sound quality of my gear and with this setup, I really feel like I’ve hit the limits of what’s actually possible. The CCM 4 is the most accurate sounding microphone I’ve ever used, and in combination with two CCM 2’s outside of the dish, it really makes for a powerful setup in the right hands. I say in the right hands, because using the CCM 4 inside the dish, hand held, is quite difficult, as the handling noise compared to many of the more affordable Telinga Setups is no comparison. It just shows that in order to get the most accurate recording as far as sound quality is concerned, it comes at a cost. For me though, this cost is well worth it, as it’s forced me to approach my recordings differently. Most of the recordings below are still hand held, but for static subjects I’ve taken to using a monopod when possible, as it just gives me that extra stability and far less handling noise for longer time periods.

One of my favourite experiences using this new setup was actually at the River Warbler ‘twitch’ at RSPB Ham Wall Nature Reserve over the weekend. It’s a magical reserve that I’ve blogged about many times. It’s potentially my favourite reserve of all time, full of spectacular species, most of which are quite rare breeders anywhere else in the Uk. The River Warbler was the first in the country in almost 11 years I believe, so it’s a super rare bird and a first for me, but I was less eager to see it, and more excited to hear this incredible sound! They are very similar looking to a Grasshopper Warbler in terms of shape and size, but generally quite dark, with most of their more interesting features on the breast and under-tail coverts, but like I said, It’s all about that sound for me! and there’s nothing quite like it. Savi’s Warbler is more electric, Grasshopper Warbler is more like a Grasshopper but this sound is clearly a sound that is designed to carry over fast flowing water and is so much louder than any other bird I’ve he

Busy Season

I’ve come to the conclusion that if I have time to blog this spring, then I’m not doing enough! This time of year is so special, I have to make it the most productive as I possibly can, as my work demand also goes up with breeding season surveys and the start of bat season begins too. As a result i’ve limited my computer time as much as possible, so here’s a very brief catchup. Plenty more spring arrivals as our beautiful countryside just gets more colourful by the day. Each day we get a new species of birdsong adding even more colour, variety and texture. I’ve still got plenty on my todo list, one of which is to record the song of a Nightingale, but so far the weather is holding me back. I’ve found a Violet-oil Beetle site this month too, just waiting to find out if there are any records there before or not. I suspect there have been but even still, finding these fascinating beetles is always special. Firecrests are doing well this year so far, with even more pairs found, including some new sites around Gwent that could support larger populations in the future. I’ve also made some new observations with Firecrest mimicry that paint a completely different picture as to why these birds are mimicking Goldcrest. At first I thought it was to deter Goldcrest, who compete for the same food source and nesting locations, but I actually think it’s more of a submissive behaviour, when a neighbouring Firecrest is heard, it then choses to sing Goldcrest instead, as if not to avoid a rival response. There is a way I could confirm this but it may take a few more seasons of studying.

Spotlight

It’s always worth spending some time outdoors at night this time of year, with vocal foxes, owls, displaying waders and of course my favourite, the Nightjar. Which I’ll get to eventually. This pair of Tawny Owls were quite entertaining though. Very vocal and I even found both birds roosting out in the open in the day.

I’ve done quite a lot of recording this month as usual but this is so far my favourite. There’s something very tranquil about the song of a Pied Flycatcher, and with the nearby stream in the background, it takes me right back to some of my favourite places in Gwent.

After finding a new Firecrest territory, quite close to home, present also was that spectacular song from a Wood Warbler. After which I travelled to a better location to record this iconic sound of the forest, only to find yet another Firecrest territory. It would seem that they prefer very similar habitat as each other in Gwent and thanks to some thinning out of the forestry, it’s opened up even more habitat for these to spread, so the coming years should be interesting.

Sound Recording

Yet again, probably enough content to listen to all year lol. So much more that I haven’t posted yet either!

Nightjar Season Begins!

As you can see, there are plenty of Nightjar back on territory, but not all are back just yet. Or at-least I hope not, as that would mean I’m down this season compared to last. Still time though. Not much on the churring front yet though, with night time temps still pretty low for this time of year. I did manage to record a Roding Woodcock however, which is always a treat as we don’t seem to have big numbers of Woodcock in Gwent anymore, especially compared to the Forest of Dean. I should stress at this point, that even though I manage to regularly find and photograph Nightjar, that people don’t just yomp around trying to look for them, you will almost certainly be doing more damage than good. It’s taken me a lot of research, time and passion to do this in a manner that doesn’t create a disturbance and I can’t begin to stress how much thought, planning and research it takes before I even take a foot into their breeding habitat.

Nocmig

Nocmig is becoming hard to summarise. Mostly Whimbrel, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew but also good numbers of Spotted Flycatcher so far, with over 30 recordings, some of which were even flocks of Spot Fly, which is crazy to imagine. I’ve only had one Pied Flycatcher though so far, which is a little worrying, and my usual haunts have only produced one pair so far this year. Crazy to think some aren’t back yet but others are well on their way to egg laying. I’ve also had a Female Cuckoo, which I did get last spring too. I’m thinking of starting a new soundcloud account just for Nocmig calls, as it can get a bit cluttered otherwise, and they don’t make great listening material either.
One exciting thing though, Craig Constance and myself have teamed up and bought a programable, remote audio recorder, intended on being used as a research device at select locations, like Llandegfedd Reservoir or Goldcliff. Areas that we would love to know what’s going over at night, but don’t want to chance leaving expending big microphones out in the elements. I’ll certainly let you know how that goes!

In Our Nature CIC

Be sure to check out our events page. Some of my readers may want to book on to the Birdsong event on the 28th, which will be a nice easy stroll around Pontypool Park, learning the basics of birdsong and also highlighting why it’s so enriching to us to listen to birds singing. https://www.inournaturecic.co.uk/whatson

Update

Llandegfedd:

A bitter-sweat visit to Llandegfedd, as wildlife sightings are commonly accompanied by wildlife disturbances.
Many firsts for the year, in the form of Large Red Damselflies, Fritillaries, Swallows, Redshank, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plovers.

As you can hear in the recording below, the LRP’s are getting very frisky, song displaying and remarking their territories, but constant disturbance from Dogs and People make it impossible to settle, and eventually they’ll commit to one spot and take a chance, or they’ll simply try and nest somewhere else more suitable. Dog poo bags hanging on tree’s (in no-public access areas), BBQ’s on the ground in the wildflower meadows where there are Adder’s Tongue ferns and plenty of Orchids coming thru. To most people they are just fields but they are so much more. The signage that has been put out by DCWW is so conflicting, there needs to be clear, educational messages and fencing to prevent disturbance. We need to educate people otherwise this will never change. It’s not their fault, they don’t know any better. This is where a Wildlife Educational Officer is needed at Llandegfedd. They have the facilities, they just need to pay somebody with the passion to do it.

Birding

It’s a struggle to fit any ‘serious’ birding in, but a last minute journey to Goldcliff point with Craig Constance to do some sea watching, was well overdue, but came just at the right time as there as been some considerable numbers of Terns, Gulls and Waders migrating into a NE wind. Our count was pretty good for an evening visit, with 59 Comic (Common or Artic) Tern, 19 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Fulmar, 50+ Swallow, 9 House Martin, 20+ Sand Martin, Artic Skua (lifer) and the most eventful was the Little Tern(!) passing at just 30m, but that ended up being a total disaster! as I blasted off 30 shots, each appearing to hit the mark in the optical viewfinder, but I looked down with a smile on my face, to find that I had no memory card in camera!! Lol I just about got a card in as it disappeared away in the distance lol. I was happy to still get a record shot though as it was a new bird for me. Bean Goose and White-fronted Goose are still on the Lagoons where I suspect they will stay for a while as they don’t have any adults to follow back to their breeding grounds. Good numbers of Whimbrel flocking in at the

Sound Recording

Plenty of recordings to share, but here are my favourites. I’ve got quite the collection of mimicking bird species now but I’ve got to say, this Blackcap mimicking Mistle Thrush has got to be one of my favourites. Equally, the local Mistle Thrush has a fantastic Lapwing mimic, which I only managed to capture on my pre-record function but it’s on the todo list. Just take a listen to that Blackcap, it repeats the same missile thrush phrase over and over again.

Plenty more Warblers arriving, all these from one trip to Newport Wetlands!

One bird that’s been on my list to record for a while though is a Common Redstart, as they’re often quite hard to approach whilst singing, and most of our local populations are upland, where recording conditions are challenging as it gets quite windy the higher up you get and the less objects you have to hide behind. I had to use an old stone wall / building to get this recording.

Nocmig

Tempted todo a separate blog on Nocmig as so much has happened! Barn Owl, Spotted Flycatcher, Water Rail, Little Grebe, Curlew, LRP’s, Oystercatchers and so much more! Here’s a short video clip of the Barn Owl.

Llandegfedd Rewards

Just when you’re having a bad day, struggling to get out the house and motivated due to health reasons, by which time the day is almost gone but I arrived at the north end of Llandegfedd at 3:30pm, to be rewarded with a fishing Osprey right in front of the car park. I didn’t even need to leave the car park as the bird patrolled the perimeter, giving me several hover flights as he hunted the shallows. Moments later a Red Kite flew into the same air space, and it was nice to see the size comparison between the two species. Kites certainly have the bulk but there didn’t look like there was much in the wing length between the two.

I’ve started to turn my attention to our spring bug life, of which there were plenty on the wing during this short lived heatwave. I clocked 24c in my car! and by next week we’ll be experiencing another cold snap with -1 night-time temps. This weather is truly crazy. If that’s not a sign of global warming in April I don’t know what is.

Good to see my local population of Violet Oil-beetles out in good numbers with over 20 adults and plenty of larvae on the lesser celandines. Andrenna Sp. present but not sure what species, not sure if the picture will show enough of it’s features to identify it to Sp.

Sound

I always make the effort to record Yellowhammer when able, not just because they sound amazing but because I’m hoping I one day record a different dialect. The predominant dialect in Wales is XIB but there are small isolated populations that sing different dialect, which might suggest that those birds originate from a different area, possibly even a different country.

It was nice to see a Female out in the open for a change too, as they usually stay hidden, tucked up in the middle of a Gorse bush. You can see how well her rustic colours blend into the twig colours: making them much harder to spot when they’re sitting on the nest.

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A few other showy songsters came in the form of a Nuthatch, which is another personal favourite of mine. They have such a rich quality to all of their calls, and they have quite a variety of different song types. This shows two types you’ll likely hear in the spring but it also shows their high pitch squeal call which can catch some people out when heard on its own.

Common species non-the-less, but it’s cool hearing the subtle differences between the Robin’s winter and spring song. Here’s a good example of a spring song, which tends to have more heft behind the lower notes, and less scratchy higher notes.

By far my favourite recording though was of this blackbird, which was at quite the distance away, 20m or so, but thanks to the Schoeps CCM 4 inside the dish, it makes it sound like the microphone is right in-front of it’s bill. I’ve never experienced this level of quality inside a dish before, it honestly sounds like a shotgun recording. Very pleased.

Nocmig

It’s been a mixed bag so far but really please with some of the birds that I’ve got already. Waders are just starting to pour in, with Golden Plover flocks, Curlew, Grey Heron and Little Ringed Plovers, but for me, hearing migrating Blackcap, singing their migratory song, is pretty epic. How on earth these birds navigate the darkness I do not know.

I’m still waiting on confirmation from a few mysteries too, which a probable Bittern and White-front Goose flock, but they’re a bit distant so might have to let those go.

Nocmig

Birding

My first ‘birding’ trip to Llandegfedd this year proved fruitful with a Kittiwake flying in over our heads on the dam wall, continuing on a NW flight path. Not sure if it’s a migrating bird or if it’s been blown off course during the last storm but I presume it’s the latter. There’s so much we don’t yet know about migratory birds, which is why Nocmig recording is quite an exciting activity to take part in. All that community data could really help paint a bigger picture about bird movements and distribution and all this could be achieved from the comfort of your home. So far I’ve only heard a Swallow, I haven’t actually seen one yet but looking forward to it.

One spring migrant I’ve certainly heard plenty of so far is the Chiffchaff. At first I wasn’t sure if it was just the birds that overwintered here that were singing, but I can confirm now on the Gwent Levels that they’re everywhere already! Here’s a recording from Llandegfedd this week.

I love this time of year, as winter migrants start to properly sing and ‘warm up’ to spring, but at the same time, spring migrants are arriving and starting to reclaim territories, so you get this cross-over of sounds from birds that live in totally different worlds to each other. You would have probably heard this by now but if you haven’t, keep a close eye on the Ivy and Holly bushes, especially around open fields of waterways. As the Redwing flock up, they’ll often sing together, creating a wall of sound that sounds way bigger than it actually is. The scratchy sub-song of the Redwing is quite common in winter but it’s less common to get a single bird sing their spring song, which is exactly what you can hear slightly in the recording below. Just a few fluty notes is all it takes.

I’ve recorded quite a lot so I won’t post everything, but here’s a comparison between the song of a Goldcrest and a Firecrest. Other than the fact that they’re both high pitch, they’re quite different when you know what you’re listening out for, so here’s a comparison. That dainty, bouncy rhythm of the Goldcrest is quite distinctive compared to the Firecrests loud-sharp-monotone song, that speeds up towards the end.

I have plenty more new recordings to listen to. I’m really starting to become more proud of the work that I do, and the benefits that it has, not just for my own mental health, but for others than are stuck in isolation, not just because of covid lockdowns but because they’re confined to the house, care home or hospital bed.
Below, probably one of my favourite, as it’s my very own Garden Blackbird that is now gracing me every morning and evening. I’ve commented on the track where mimicry is used.

My local Yellowhammer’s are back on territory and it’s so nice to hear this iconic song again. I can’t imagine the countryside without it. We need more gorse! Hedgerows aren’t enough, we need to protect our gorse patches and not allow farming culture to cut it all down. Even the brecon beacons national park have a lot to answer for, for needlessly cutting down gorse. Cattle can graze around it, and it doesn’t spoilt the view, it enhances it, as a mountain side covered in flowering gorse is a site to behold.

If you haven’t managed to get to your local mountains yet, the moorland soundtrack is in full swing again. Plenty of Skylark and Meadow Pipit displaying. The only sad the about that trip was seeing the amount of destruction done to our protected peat bogs. 4X4 and off-road vehicles have a lot to answer for, not only do they pose a threat to ground nesting birds but the damage they’ve have caused to our nationally important peat bogs is almost irreversible. They think it’s just grass, and that the grass will grow back, but that is not our moorlands work! they aren’t in many ways like ancient woodland, formed over hundreds of years, and once damaged like this, take a very long time to recover. The exposed peat makes the moorland less affective at storing water, which can cause flooding, as that water is no longer being stored and released slowly. It also contributes to global warming, as it makes the peat less affective at storing carbon. I hate seeing this happen on our doorstep but truth is, it’s happening everywhere. It’s good to see the police are starting to tackle this but I do think that off-roaders need somewhere where they can practise their hobby and enjoy themselves without causing damage. Simply educating people isn’t going to be enough.

Some other cool moments for sound were these Carrion Crows, that were in full territorial dispute. At first I thought they were dive bombing a predator, but they were actually dive bombing each other. |f you listen to the start of the recording, you can hear two birds forming a bond with each other by rubbing their bills together.

I’ll hopefully get more opportunities to record Siskin, as I know they can be excellent at mimicking other birds. In this recording you can hear Swallow and Green Woodpecker, but I’ve heard some that are quite elaborate with it.

This Robin actually did a pretty good job at mimicking other birds. I’ve commented a few of the more obvious species on the actual track, check them out.

Nocmig

Right! Now onto the good stuff, as migration is well and truly underway! And like last spring, I have high hopes for something special flying over the house. So far it’s been mixed bags, but last night, despite the northerly winds, I had quite a variety of cool birds.

I won’t upload every recording, but I’ve also had Wigeon, Snipe and good numbers of Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Redwing and small numbers of Song Thrush too. As we approach April, things should really pick up, as so much starts moving, it’s quite exciting as you never know what you might have flying over your house at night. I’m expecting Common Scoter any day now as they have started moving all across the country but I’m also looking forward to Terns arriving, Spotted Flycatchers and Tree Pipits, which seemed to be a popular one for me last year.

I’ll end with some sleep material and a celebration of my local streams.


In Our Nature CIC

Be sure to check out my business In Our Nature CIC as we roll out free online workshops and downloadable resources, as part of our Heritage Lottery funded project My Local Patch.

We have a few dates for the diary, which were intended on being outdoor workshops originally but we’re having to adapt like many other businesses and provide our workshops online. It’s all new for us so bare with us as we digitise all our material. It’s the perfect time to celebrate our local patches, and be thankful for the things we do have on our doorstep during these difficult times.

Naturally I’ve diverted a lot of my time over to In Our Nature, which is another reason why I’ve focused so much on sound recording the last year, to increase my sound library to produce content that will be beneficial for educational purposes and therapeutic, as the sounds of nature really do have a positive impact on peoples mental health. That sense of freedom, roaming your favourite forest straight after a long lockdown is one of the biggest releases and I cannot wait to be able to travel again for that reason alone. For now I’ve been exploiting local patches, getting up that extra bit early to avoid the sounds of traffic, which isn’t always achievable but I’ve done my best. Local Marsh Tit’s were a real nice surprise, especially as they appeared to be paired up and singing. Generally though I’m just happy to start hearing more birds singing.

One interesting songster came in the form of this Chaffinch, which gave a little ‘brrrrrrr’ type trill at the start, as if it were warming up the vocals before giving it the full shebang.

Nocmig

I haven’t posted any updates on my nocturnal migration progress for a while, but I’m still at it!
So much to talk about I don’t even know where to start, but I hope to reveal some mystery files soon once I’ve got them approved but so far, a few good movements of Song Thrush, small numbers of Redwing, but the Mallards, Moorhens, Coots and Oystercatchers have began. I know as soon as I start to get Oystercatchers going over the house it’s game on.

I’ll end with some random doorstep photos, in what has been a variable and unpredictable few months of weather so far this year.

January Whiplash

January is giving me whiplash! Heavy rain and flooding, followed by a cold snap, followed by mild weather which spurred on an early spring with more birds singing and spring flowers emerging, then we got hit with snow, but swiftly followed by rain and milder temps again. Either way, I think the over-all pull of spring is fast approaching, no matter what the weather throws at us, it’s just around the corner.

January has the potential to be a little depressing for me, especially with Lockdown’s and a period of ill health and in general, a lot of stress in the family right now. So far though, we’ve dealt with everything together, no thanks to a good support system from my loved ones. The reassuring feeling that spring is fast upon us, is also very up-lifting. Already in the Garden I’m hearing a variety of different birds joining in on the action, as winter food supplies are running out, it can be a difficult time of year if the cold drags out any longer, but despite the cold night time temps, the daytime temps have been way above average and I’m already seeing substantial growth from my Daffodils in my Garden. Reports online of Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming, Blue Tit’s making nests and plenty of Frogspawn in ponds. It’l be a few more weeks yet and really anything could happen as I’m reminded of the beast from the east that we experienced a few years ago.

I had a period of ill health, back and forth hospital with suspected gall bladder problems (again) but once I was feeling a bit more myself I started to record the birds I could hear from my doorstep. Everything in the little playlist below was taken from the comfort of my home.

Prior to the hospital trips I was enjoying getting out on my daily walks along the canal, and thankfully I was in walking distance of a Black Redstart, that was found by Marcus Doolan along the cycle track near Tesco. Such a random place, right next to a busy main road, but I believe the bird stayed for a while. It could even be still there! It was so tame, not very often you have to take the teleconverters off the camera, so all these were shot at 300mm (on a 1.6x crop sensor). Such a beautiful bird though, and well worth the walk.

Along the way, I was surprised to see so many Goosander, that appear to be getting a lot more socialised around people than they once were. I remember just a few years ago with one or two present along the south Sebastopol stretch of canal, but as soon as they saw anybody coming, they would fly away. Now though, they are following the Mallards around and coming in for the bread thrown out by public. Considering bread is bad for Ducks, I can’t imagine it’s that great for Goosander either, especially given that their diet usually consist of fish.

I’m back to work now though, awaiting some results from the specialist, so hopefully this experience will push my investigation along a bit quicker. My surveying Jobs take me to some random places, but for the last two years I’ve spent a lot of time surveying parts of the Gwent Levels. This week I had two very different locations to survey, one being a very busy farm and the other alongside the very tranquil Magor Marsh Nature Reserve.
I am very appreciative of my Job at the moment as I’ve particularly struggled this lockdown, as I know many of you are too. So I took the time before and after some of my surveys to capture a taste of what those areas sounded like. I hope you take the time to listen with your headphones as I’ve embraced the sounds of the environment, including sounds that I would typical avoid, like tractors, dogs, cars, trains ect, as we don't always get to chose our daily soundtrack, especially during these lockdown periods.

I’ll start with my day on the farm. Snow was on the ground, with -5 morning temps on a dawn survey, but spring was still in the area, with my first drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and plenty of other birds to keep me perked up.

Also you’ll know by now already, I enjoy recording mimicking birds, and that morning I recorded this Robin, which gave a few good impressions during the short period I recorded. One phrase of a Great Tit, followed by another of a Blue Tit, but attempts were made to mimic Cetti’s Warbler and Goldfinch towards the end.

By far the best mimicker of the bunch though was this iconic Starling, which towards the end does a very convincing Yellowhammer Song! when not being outcompeted by a nearby Robin. As incredible Starlings are at mimicking, they aren’t very loud singers.

On another survey, I was lucky to have Magor Marsh Nature Reserve on my route, as part of a wider scope survey across the Gwent Levels. I was surprised to see Mute Swans building a nest already, but listening to the recordings below you would think it was spring, as so much was singing that morning. 2 Gadwall of note from the hide, one female of which has a white wing bar, which I have seen before. Only 6 Teal, 1 Kingfisher and plenty of Mallard, Coot, Little Grebe and Moorhens on the pond. Lesser Redpolls seem to be using the reserve quite often too and still plenty of Cetti’s Warblers making themselves known from time to time.

As I said, there were a lot singing that morning, but it’s always nice to get a recording of wintering birds singing, like this Redwing. This is their subsong rather than their full breeding song, but personally I tend to prefer the more complicated, scratchy subsongs.

I’ll leave you with plenty more songsters, including a performance from a Jackdaw that was trying to impress a female. Finishing with a Great Tit alarm calling, but specifically using their ‘Human’ alarm call, which is basically the bird telling me that they know I’m there… a bit pointless if you ask me but who knows what experiences these birds have with other people.

Seasonal Greetings

Summary

What a year it’s been. The impact of 2020 will be felt for a long time I’m sure, but I do believe there’s been some important lessons for us all this year. I had a very scary experience with Covid in April, being hospitalised twice, and despite coming out the other end, it’s been months before I’ve felt some what myself again. I have been very lucky, and I think that’s the whole point with this virus as it affects everyone differently. To think that there are still sceptic people out there who deny the very reality of Covid, just because there remains a cloud of mystery around how data is interpreted. Frankly, I couldn’t care less about how accurate the death counts were, people ARE dying and HAVE died from this virus, and that should be enough for people to start thinking about their actions. That doesn’t mean living in fear, it means proactively making decisions to minimise risks. That is literally all we can do. I think the government have had to make very difficult decisions this year, for the economy and peoples wellbeing. Do I think they made all the right decisions? of course not. There were times that too much trust was given to the people, and there were times where we weren’t given enough trust., timings were never perfect, typically too late to act but sometimes too early. Ultimately though, the power always remained in own hands and if we all continue to make sensible decisions, that doesn’t put others at risk, then that is all we can do. I really do feel for people who’s careers have been put on hold, kids that have lost out on a basic education and the amount of pressure put on small businesses, people who are self-employed or rely on face-face interactions to do their Job. I can’t imagine what you’ve all had todo in order to survive this. Of course some people simply haven’t, and are continuing to find their way out the other end of this long tunnel, but I do believe this will come to an end. Who would have thought we’d already have a vaccine? Am I sceptical about how fast it’s been produced and approved? Not at all. Will I have a vaccine if they become available to public? without a doubt, because I do not what to catch that virus again. If there is anything we had to succeed in as a race, it was this. We’ve overcome so much in our history already and I’m sad to say, this will unlikely be the last. We’re going to face big challenges in the future, with even greater stakes on the table. Climate change is catching up with us but all we can do is work together and great things can be achieved.

Willow Tit

So what else has 2020 produced? Well, conservation partners like the RSPB, BTO, WWT, DAERA, JNCC, NatureScot, NE and NRW have all worked together to compiled a ‘State of the Uk’s Bird’s 2020’ report.
It’s worth a read so here’s the link to BTO’s website, on which you can download the report yourself.
We all new species are declining all over the world.

One of the many declining species on the report, was the Willow Tit, which is now Britains fastest declining native species. This news comes just in time as one of our last breeding sites in Gwent has been decimated, so much so that there’s not even a stump left of what was perfect habitat. Enquiries are underway as to how and why this has happened. Thankfully, the site is located in Gwent’s largest forest ‘Wentwood’, so I can only hope the birds that did breed there, have found a suitable alternative elsewhere in the forest. Prior to knowing about the destruction of this breeding site, I found not one, but 3 Willow Tit’s, feeding and following each other around at a new spot in the forest. The habitat isn’t perfect, but it has a mixture of tree’s that will become much more suitable in the next few years. One of the three birds was actually singing, which is early as they don’t usually start till January, but temps so far this winter have been quite mild. I also managed to capture a sound that as apparently been undocumented before, which I’m told is an aggressive ‘warble’ described in old text to have a ‘nightingale feel’. I mistook this sound at first as being some sort of courtship contact call, as it was following what I thought was a female, but it could of actually been another male as I’ve been told that they also flock up in the winter, typical behaviour from the ‘Tit’ family.

Their song though is quite beautiful, and one I won’t mistake if I heard it again.

Looking Back

It seems to be a trend to look back on the years achievements, and despite all odds, it’s actually been a very productive year for me. Developing my sound recording has been both a therapeutic exercise to improve my own wellbeing between lockdowns, but it’s also been an opportunity to develop ideas that supports my new, collaborative business ‘In Our Nature CIC’. We’re so excited to be kicking off 2021 with our first project, which has been supported by HLF Funding. The Project is called ‘My Local Patch’ and you’ll be able to learn more about it here. Soon we’ll have a members area for participants of the project where you’ll be able to download resources and get involved in our workshops between now and the end of March. You can show your interest by creating an account on the website, so we know who you are and can invite you to events. Otherwise keep an eye out on our Facebook group
It’ll depend on Covid guidelines as to how we run this project but we’re hoping that it has a little of something for everyone.

I think we’ve all had our mental health tested this year. We’re not built for confinement, we need the outdoors, which is why we encourage everyone to make the most of each opportunity we get to enjoy our green spaces. This is where sound recording’s come into play though, as there are people who are stuck indoors, so to be able to listen to nature at home can be a powerful thing.

Watch this space: https://www.inournaturecic.co.uk

I've had lots of memorable moments with nature this year, most of which have been without the camera to be honest, but despite getting many planned Nightjar shots, it was this unplanned scene that was my favourite. I’ve learned quite a bit this year about the requirements and preferences of Nightjar, why they choose certain spots over others and what they do in all kinds of different weather conditions. They are quite incredible birds and can be some what predictable once you know what they require, but this spot was totally out of the blue and the last place I expected to find her as it was right out in the open. This was post-breeding, so I suspect she was enjoying the open area for a change after spending most of the year sat in wet poo on the ground from the youngsters.

Some of the biggest highlights though have most certainly been whilst sound recording.
As horrific as it was, for the first time in centuries the world was almost faced with complete silence with no cars on the road, no planes in the air and factories closed. Just sticking your head out the window was very strange and people were starting to notice the sounds of birds once again. Suddenly peoples Gardens become more important than ever, as people fed their garden birds and appreciated what they had in their doorstep.

I was lucky to still be working at that point, as I work alone in the countryside so no risks of social engagement. Farmers were still working though, so I couldn’t escape that sound, but considering this recording was taken under a mile away from what would otherwise be a raging sound from the M4 motorway, I was amazed I was able to capture such a peaceful recording of this Grasshopper Warbler:

Another lockdown magical moment was with a pair of displaying lapwing on the gwent levels. The only sound of man came from a nearby farm but the location was otherwise deadly silent, so much so that you could hear the wingbeats of passing Bats! It was insanely quiet and a moment I will never forgot.

I had many throughout the year, too many to share but here’s a Nightjar, Cuckoo, Pied Flycatcher and a Weasel, which was one of many mammals I got to record this year, like Water Shrew, Wild Boar, and a few Bat species too.

The list is too long for me to chose but I think you get the picture. We have almost come full circle and soon spring will be here. I hope this spring will be the release we all need but if we are back in lockdown once again, just think about the peace that wildlife will get during that time of silence. I hope 2021 you’ll be able to find your own tranquility in this busy world.

Wild Boar Humbug Hug 6th March copy.jpg





Back to 'normal'

So our firebreak is over in Wales, what does this mean, well I hope that it means people were sensible, people stuck to the rules and prevent further spread of this hideous virus so that we have a chance of at-least spending Christmas with our families, but I must say, my trust in people these days has certainly been tested.

During the lockdown I’ve still been as busy as ever with my surveying Jobs, mostly on the Gwent Levels. Whilst it has been great to still get outdoors, the weather has been questionable, and I don’t take advantage of my Job. As soon as the survey is finished I’ve been coming straight home. I did however get to find a rare bird on one of my surveys, in the form of a Richard’s Pipit.

I didn’t have a camera with my on my survey, or my sound recording gear, so I quickly took advantage of the only device I had, which was my mobile phone. I was amazed how much the video actually did capture, and thanks to the bird doing another circle, I was able to get 5 calls on video of the bird flying over. The spectrograph confirms it perfectly, with two horizontal higher modulations either side of the triangle shaped call, which is diagnostic for the species, which also separates it from the similar call from a Tawny Pipit, which only has a single upper modulation on the latter slope of the call, but that also has a double syllable.

I only wished I was quick enough for the Red-throated Pipit I had on a similar survey last month, but that bird was way too quick for me and I made the mistake in searching for my audio app on my mobile phone, instead of going for the camera. So top tip, if you ever think you have an interesting bird that is calling, go straight for the camera app and take a video. The audio quality is actually pretty decent for a mobile and the spectrograph never lies.

Below are a few photos from random surveys over the last month. I haven’t taken many pics, simply for lack of time. In other news though, during lockdown there was a Snow Bunting up the British mountain, found by Mike Jones and refound by a few local people on their daily walks up the mountain. The bird was feeding alongside the main road in typical Snow Bunting fashion but I don’t believe it hung around for long enough but if you’re looking for something todo withy our new found freedom, it’s well worth a visit up The British top road. The bird was sighted near the cattle grid at the old entrance of Blaencuffin Canyon.

Nocmig

Well I honestly don’t know where to start with Nocmig. November has been insane!!! With huge numbers of winter thrushes, some days noticeably better than others though and with added wader activity. I’ve had good numbers of Grey and Golden Plover, a few Lapwing but the last two nights a strong movement of Dunlin too. The last two nights I’ve had Barn Owl, which makes me wonder if there’s just a local bird but there isn’t much left of my local area in turns of hunting grounds so I really don’t know on that one.

One thing is for sure, I’ve added a lot more to my ‘mystery files’, something I one day hope to dedicate a blog post (or three) too, as I’m sure some of them might be interesting, and at the very least a good story.
So far this month alone, only 9 days in I’ve had over 2,122 Redwing Calls, 146 Blackbird, 81 Song Thrush, 8 robin, 6 Fieldfare, and I won’t bother counting the amount of random waders but here’s a few of my favourites below.

I’ve had that many birds, I was saving them all to start with but when you’ve got over 700 Redwing in one night, I’ve come to be a little more selective lol. That said, even the Redwing vary greatly, so it’s always worth saving the ‘odd’ looking calls just incase it catches you out again one day. I’ll do another blog on odd sounding Redwing as it’s quite amazing how much they vary in shape, size and frequency. Below is a picture of my favourite shape by far, but by no means a common shape to find.

Redwing Zigzags

Naturally, with migration doing well at night, Visible migration can also be just as good too. This month saw thousands, if not hundreds of thousands passing over pontypool alone, and with it, quite the number of Chaffinch’s and Thrushes. Getting my first Brambling of the year was nice, but nicer that it came so close to the microphone to reveal that subtle chaffinch type call that they also make. Sometimes, as we learned one morning, they don’t make their iconic raspy call at all, so it’s important to learn the subtle calls too as we had a whole flock of Brambling and not one of them made the rasp call.

I’ll end with another Robin, the song of winter, with a collection of both urban and natural sounds in the background.