My Wildlife Moments of 2019

I really can’t believe that it’s almost time to say goodbye to 2019. This year was slow to start but when it began it simply snowballed! December is a month to reflect though I haven’t had much time for reflection.

Thanks to Sharon for her wildlife post, prompting me to write this blog.

Reminiscing on 2019 I had to admit there were many wildlife moments this year, none more so than the male and female sparrowhawks that seemed to have kept the pigeons away from our yarden this autumn.

Male Sparrowhawk. From: http://theshakespeareblog.com/2012/01/how-to-tame-your-falcon-and-your-wife/

Female Sparrowhawk

In September David and I booked a relaxing badger watch at RSPB Haweswater. We saw two badgers that evening, Gremlin and Porridge. It was a welcome treat from seeing squished badgers at roadsides.

Gremlin the badger

For 2019 I bought David and I joint membership to the RSPB, and have made full use of our membership by visiting local reserves, such as Leighton Moss and Burton Mere several times.

Feeding a Great Tit

Feeding a Robin

Marsh Harrier – David Evans

At Leighton Moss we fed hungry great and blue tits and spotted marsh harriers flying over the pools. In June we attended a Meet the Moths event. I got to meet a popular hawk moth and an elephant!

Popular Hawk Moth – David Evans

Small Elephant Hawk Moth

At Burton Mere we photographed little egrets, shoveler ducks and redshanks in the depths of winter and enjoyed a carpet of bluebells in April.

Burton Mere Bluebells

Little Egret

Redshank

Shoveler Duck

As part of our RSPB membership we also visited Conwy and South Stack reserves. At Conwy we managed to capture a rare sighting of a grey phalarope and at South Stack there were dozens of silver studded blue butterflies!

Grey Phalarope

Silver Studded Blue

In May David and I took a day trip to Ingleton Falls. On our exploration of the falls and woodland we watched as a dipper fed her two fledglings, swimming underwater to get the freshest insects or fish. It was wonderful to watch.

Adult dipper

Dipper feeding young

For The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild, I purchased six painted lady caterpillars from Insect Lore, to witness the amazing spectacle of metamorphosis. I grew quite attached to my little hungry caterpillars and felt sad when they chrysalised. In two weeks I had six beautiful painted lady butterflies!

Day 9 – caterpillar

Chrysalids

Painted Lady Butterfly

Also for 30 Days Wild I’d booked David and I on a bee experience at Samlesbury Hall. This taster session on honey bees and bee keeping made me wish I had space for a hive myself. Perhaps in the future?

The Bee Centre

David and honey bees

Christine and honey bees

Other insect highlights were common hawkers and damselflies at Brockholes and a surprise encounter with a swallowtail moth in the yarden!

Common Hawker

Azure Damselflies

Swallow Tailed Moth

To round up a mixed 30 Days Wild I chanced upon jellyfish washed up on Formby Beach.

Barrel Jellyfish

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Formby Woods was also a fabulous place to spot native red squirrels.

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Red Squirrel by David Evans

The summer months are always a busy time for wildlife spotting. Right outside our window we watched two gull nests and how their chicks fared. One lesser black-backed gull chick fell from its nest (high up on a chimney stack) and was heard exploring the street as he cried for his parent. Frightened the chick would be hit by a car David and I contacted a local bird rescue and found a rehabilitation home for the chick. David scooped the gull up, who we named Harald and we took him to his new home in Anfield.

Harald

Harald enjoys the water

In just over a week Harald was strong enough to fly and left his rehabilitation for new adventures. Good luck Harald!

For Wild October an Instagram initiative I spotted the odd fungi and also a sadly demised hedgehog.

Fly agaric

Pleated Inkcap Mushrooms

Hedgehog

The floral highlights this year has to be searching for the bee orchid, which I found at Port Sunlight River Park.

Bee Orchid

Bee Orchid

To complete this years round up of wildlife moments I have to include an american bird sighting, a female mockingbird which I spotted among the sparrows at The High Line, New York.

Female Mockingbird

What have been your wildlife moments of 2019?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

30 Days Wild 2019 – Roundup!

I thought I would write a roundup of my 2019, 30 Days Wild.

Blogging everyday is a challenge in itself but when illness puts pay to plans it makes the challenge all that more difficult! Well it did for me! I had to cancel a weekend break to the Lakes and also a badger hide encounter. However, hopefully I will be able to re-book both in the near future?!

Before 30 Days Wild had even begun my story was featured on the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trusts’ page. I was surprised to see they used my picture of swimming in Rydal Water as their feature! You can read my story here.

Saturday’s in June were meant to be RSPB reserve visits but David and I only managed to visit one site and that was Leighton Moss to meet with their moths.

Buff Tip Moth – David Evans

Small Elephant Hawk Moth

I did manage to schedule some blog posts and enjoyed researching about red squirrels and dragonflies.

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Golden Ringed Dragonfly

Gaia was an impromptu visit but an impressive addition to my 30 Days Wild. I also focused on the moon with some facts about our beautiful satellite.

Gaia

The Moon by David Evans

There were two highlights of the month. One was of course watching my five painted lady caterpillars (from Insect Lore), become chrysalids and then beautiful adult butterflies! I would definitely do that experience again!

Day 9 – caterpillar

Chrysalids

Painted Lady Butterfly

The other highlight was the bee experience at The Bee Centre. It really made me wish I had a bigger garden so I could get a hive. I would love to become a bee keeper, and I think David would too.

The Bee Centre

Christine and honey bees

David and honey bees

Looking back, perhaps my 2019, 30 Days Wild really wasn’t that bad at all!

Would I blog again everyday for 30 Days in June? Probably. I do like how the challenge makes you focus on the small things as well as the large.

Have you enjoyed my journey through this years 30 Days Wild? What did you like and what didn’t you like?

Thanks for reading, and for one last time, stay wild!

Christine xx

30 Days Wild 2019 – Day Seventeen.

Day 17: Following on from last week’s Close Up Monday, today’s focus is on the red squirrel.

I am very lucky to live within an hours drive from Formby, which is a stronghold of the red squirrels. Disease and the introduction of the American grey squirrel in the 19th Century has impacted greatly on red squirrel numbers.

Red squirrels, a mammal, are native to the UK and classed regionally as endangered. Though red squirrels can be found in other European countries. Their population in the UK is estimated at approx. 140,000 which is quite shocking given that the figure of the grey squirrel as 2.5 million.

The reason for this disparity is obvious when you see both species side by side. Whereas the red squirrel is small and dainty the grey is larger in body.

Red Squirrel

Grey Squirrel

The two main competitions are:

• food
• disease

Food: The grey squirrel being larger has show to eat more and also to be more successful at foraging. Whereas the red has been left behind and is often pushed out of an area due to the competition for food.

Disease: grey squirrels seem to have a natural immunity to squirrel pox than reds. Pox to the red squirrels has a 100% mortality rate, which is catastrophic to any resident population. According to The Wildlife Trusts, there is currently an outbreak of squirrel pox at Formby, but hopefully it won’t be as devastating to the population as the 2008 pox outbreak when 80% of Merseyside and Lancashire’s red squirrels were wiped out!

Habitat loss is also a contributing factor to the decline of the red squirrel.

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Red squirrels are found in the North of England and Scotland. They prefer to live in coniferous forests and nest in dreys. They can have up to two litters a year, with 2-3 kittens per litter. Their diet consists of hazelnuts and pine cones but occasionally they eat small birds and eggs. Like the grey squirrel they do not hibernate.

There are a number of projects currently running to help sustain red squirrel numbers: Red Squirrels United is a partnership with The Wildlife Trusts, academics and volunteers and funded by the EU and The National Lottery to create a scientifically robust conservation programme. In turn Red Squirrels United are working closely with Saving Scotland’s RED Squirrels, who work with local communities to preserve this iconic UK animal. Red Squirrel Survival Trust is an entirely donation run initiative created to spread awareness to the plight of the red squirrel.

What is your stance on the red vs grey squirrel argument? Do you ever see a time when both can coexist in the UK?

Thanks for reading, and stay wild!

Christine x

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Further reading:

The Wildlife Trusts:

The Wildlife Trusts saving species:

The Wildlife Trusts’ Projects:

The Woodland Trust:

Red Squirrel Survival Trust

Trees for Life

Sunday Sevens #65

I’ve wanted to write a Sunday Sevens (devised by Natalie at Threads and Bobbins), since Easter. However I’ve just not had enough material to warrant a post.

In the past three weeks David and I have been to a wedding, visited bluebells at RSPB Burton Mere and had a disappointing trip to The Royal Liver Building.

Wedding

Liver Building Tour

Burton Mere Bluebells

Beach:

David and Riley

Riley

Christine and Riley

Riley

We’ve visited Formby Point on several occasions recently. I think you can gather from the pictures that Riley loves the freedom the beach offers.

On our second visit David managed to capture splendidly the very friendly and brave red squirrels!

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Book I am reading:

I recently saw an advert for Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls. My education heavily featured Greek History so I was intrigued by the premise (the Trojan War told by Briseis), so I decided to purchase a Kindle copy. I found the writing easy to read and though I enjoyed it, I feel I expected more from the story somewhat. Since then I’ve picked up The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase. Have you read any of these books?

The Silence of the Girls

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde

#walk1000miles:

I fear my mileage has taken a hit recently. Late buses (meaning I don’t do a two mile walk before work) and days of feeling poorly, have meant my miles total for this week has been 38, bringing my annual total to 785 miles. If you are doing the challenge, how are you doing?

Baking:

David has been baking again, this time it’s cup cakes!

Nutella Cupcakes

#30dayswild

#30DaysWild:

This week my 30 Days Wild poster and wildflower seeds arrived through the post. I was so eager to start planning that I pinned the huge calendar up on the fridge. We’ve a few days already planned, but I won’t tell you about them just yet. Will you be participating in The Wildlife Trusts‘ initiative?

And finally:

During a Sunday visit to Liverpool’s Sefton Park we finally got to see the mandarin duck that’s recently taken up residence and caused a stir in the birding community!

Selfie

Mandarin Ducks

So, that was my week, how was yours?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

Dodd Wood

With the British weather still not warming up for skins swimming (well for me at least). I forsook a swim and headed instead for a walk with David to Dodd Wood.

View from Dodd

Dodd Wood, managed by the Forestry Commission, is a fell that overlooks Bassenthwaite Lake. It is part of the Skiddaw range and has an elevation of 502m. It is 50m higher than Catbells and without the scramble to the top!

After an early start, we arrived at the pay and display car park at 10am and promptly paid the £6.30 for all day parking. There is a cafe and toilets on site, and the forest was already busy with walkers and families.

To start our walk, we headed for the lower Osprey viewpoint. Since 2001, Ospreys have been breeding in the area, after travelling from Africa.

Lower Osprey Viewpoint

There are two viewpoints at Dodd Wood both equipped with long range telescopes and friendly volunteers. There is also an online webcam where you can view life in an Osprey nest. At the time of visiting the female was incubating three eggs. We didn’t see either Osprey. At the lower viewpoint there are feeding stations for woodland birds such as Jays and Coal Tits. There are even visiting Red Squirrels but when we were there they never showed.

Woodland Bird Feast

From the second viewpoint David and I walked through an overgrown path that joined up with the way-marked (in green) Dodd Summit route. We took our lunch overlooking Derwentwater before heading up to the summit.

Viewpoint selfie

The summit had fantastic views overlooking Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite Lake, Skiddaw and towards The Solway Firth, though it was a bit cold and windy on this cloudy April day!

Derwentwater from Dodd

Bassenthwaite Lake from dodd

Blown Away

On our way back down towards the car park, we walked along a woodland path with grassy embankments. From one such embankment came the chirrup of birds. At first glance we couldn’t see anything, but then David lifted his camera and pointed to a small round hole in among the moss. There were three open mouths awaiting their parent.

Nestlings by David Evans

We walked a total of 4 miles, but it sure felt longer! After a coffee, we headed back on the road towards home. We’d had a tiring yet enjoyable day!

Have you visited Dodd Wood? What are your favourite woodlands in the UK?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

Sunday Sevens #10

One word springs to mind when I think back to this past week and that is… SUNSHINE! Most of the UK has been blessed with unseasonably warm weather. I am not complaining, I have been enjoying most of the weather by sitting out in the yarden with Artie. We have spent many a long afternoon, dining al fresco and soaking up the rays! Artie looks like he has recovered from his little tumble down the stairs on Sunday!

The beginning of the week saw David and I heading off to wander around the red squirrel walk at Formby Point. Come the end of the week we had ventured to Chester Zoo to see the new Aye-aye exhibit (which was the highlight of the day for me!) Of course no visit to Chester Zoo would be complete without visiting Islands and going on their Lazy Boat Ride (another firm favourite of mine!)

Red Squirrel by David Evans

Aye-aye by David Evans

On Friday we welcomed guests to no. 49! Joining us at our dining table was David’s brother, sister-in-law and nephew. David served his signature Rogan Josh for the adults. All had a good time, there was not even a morsel of rice left!

This Sunday, David and I spent a good part of the afternoon, cutting, grooming and washing the family dog, border collie, Riley. Here he is just after his bath!

How have you been spending your weekend? Enjoying the sun (if you have had it!)?

Have a good week ahead,

Christine x

Sunday Sevens was devised by Threads and bobbins.

Contrasting Weather at Formby

Photo by David Evans

The May bank holiday dawned like previous bank holidays, cold and dreary. We had decided that whatever the weather we would try and get out of the house, even if it was just for a little while.

So on Monday we drove the 45 minutes to Formby Point under a grey leaden sky. We arrived just before 10am, paid the £5.70 parking fee and stepped out of the car to go in search of red squirrels. While traversing the 1/2 mile circular walk under a canopy of pine trees the rain started to fall heavily!

We watched while getting soaked, several red squirrels gather monkey nuts, shred the shells with their teeth and quickly devour their nuts. The squirrels didn’t seem to mind the rain unlike David and I who tried to keep the rainwater from damaging our cameras.

I read later that the red squirrel is native to Britain, but due to competition for food with grey squirrels and diseases their future has become less certain. There is estimated to be only 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain, mostly found now in small conservation areas in the north of England and Scotland. Red squirrels are arboreal (live in trees) and are diurnal (active during the day), though they are more active several hours after dawn and before dusk. They are mostly solitary and live in dreys, similar to birds nests. Red squirrels also do not hibernate and prefer forests of pine.

After spending an hour or so with the squirrels we decided to walk towards the beach (Cornerstone walk). We went past some wind bent trees as the rain started to wane. The sand dunes looked bleak in the overcast weather and the contrast between beach and forest was striking.

Sand dunes

Cornerstone Wood

As we made our way back to the car for our packed lunch we wandered off the track and followed another path, (Asparagus trail) that lead us back towards the beach. By this time the clouds were dispersing from the coast and radiant blue sky was bringing everything into colour. So David and I walked back towards the beach. The difference in weather could not be more contrasting!

Dancing on the beach

Path to the beach

David dressed for the elements

I am glad that we persevered with the dreich weather, a glorious afternoon of blue skies was our reward. I really enjoyed getting out of the house, even if we were drenched at the beginning of the day, there were many smiles as the sun broke through the clouds. We stayed at Formby Point for four hours. A whole day could be well spent there. We look forward to visiting again in the summer but will arrive early as the queue at the entrance as we left was growing!

Did you get up to anything over the spring bank holiday? Been to the beach recently?

Christine x

Information about red squirrels taken from:

• http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/redsquirrel
• https://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/animals/redsquirrel.html