Radio 4 programme and booming bitterns

My report on the translocation of field crickets at RSPB Pulborough Brooks was very well received on BBC Radio 4 both on Tuesday morning and last night. It can still be heard on iPlayer via www.bbc.co.uk/savingspecies.
The programme also covers the fascinating insights into Purple Emperor butterfly caterpillars and the relationship between hummingbirds and plants in South America.

I was doing a recce last night with friend and co-leader Charles Martin for a tour we're doing next week for Naturetrek on the Somerset Levels, www.naturetrek.co.uk. After checking the hotel in Wells and having a nice bangers and mash in a nearby pub, we nipped down to the RSPB's Ham Wall reserve and met some very nice cows being used to graze the wetlands. Almost immediately we began hearing bitterns booming, at least three or four. Just amazing. Sedge and reed warblers reeled out from the reeds and a hobby flew low, revealing its grey back and red-orange underparts. Back at the car park, while we listened to my Radio 4 report, a garden warbler sang continuously from a nearby copse while a female cuckoo 'bubbled' away nearby and two male cuckoos followed soon after, 'cuckooing' across Shapwick.

Naturetrek on the Levels

Just back from leading an amazing tour for Naturetrek on the Somerset Levels. This tour around the Somerset Levels in late February was a brilliant opportunity to see the diversity and abundance of waterfowl using wetlands during the winter. Touring across the many reserves large numbers of Shovelers, Wigeon, Pintail, Teal, Mallards, Golden Plovers and Lapwings were a highlight. All the expected raptors revealed themselves over the reedbeds on the second day while Cetti’s Warblers sang explosively and Water Rails squealed from the reeds. Otter spraints and diet remains were easily found. The group weren’t disappointed by the million of starlings which are now famous for their huge gatherings as they come to roost in the reedbeds. The flocks came in on a beautiful sunny evening, swirling and twisting to avoid aerial predators. The last few hours of the tour really were an amazing spectacle!! Bitterns showed from time to time too over the two days and we heard some 'booming'. This photo is of an immature female peregrine as she flew overhead giving awesome views!

Despite the snow, I had a lovely day out in Somerset checking out places to go for two tours myself and Charles Martin are doing for Naturetrek next month on the Someset Levels. All the main roads were clear of snow and we managed to get to Wells in good time to look around the hotel where we and clients will be staying. We then ventured into the countryside to log distances between the hotel and places we want to visit, plus pubs for soup lunch!! Everywhere was still very white and near Wells you could see where the snow had drifted into the hedgerows. We even passed a snow plough - haven't seen one of those for many years!! Warm air from the east meant temperatures stayed around 3 degrees Celsius all day - you could see grass tufts appearing in fields throughout the day as the snow began the melt and thin. We didn't go down to any of the nature reserves and from the main roads there was little wildlife to see, just a few kestrels, buzzards, fresh mole hills and a heron standing by a frozen dyke. There were quite number of blackbirds and redwings feeding by the roadside verges which were free of snow however - and bizarrely a song thrush hanging dead from a hawthorn bush. Sadly some of the thrushes were looking weak and we saw at least 4 which had been hit by cars. In Langport centre a tame redwing was pecking away at the snow (not sure what it was eating) - a blackbird was doing the same a little later. After getting our tasks done we headed back to Bristol - near Temple Meads Station over 60 fieldfares were busily jostling in the berry laden trees! Got back around 4pm after a full day out and just in time to see if there were any birds in the garden. Couldn't see any but the apples I had put out had been pretty much eaten! All ready for another week!