tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89800484515212445612024-03-19T09:20:35.864+00:00BTO vs RSPB BirdTrack Challenge 2011The Twenty Eleven All-taxa Listing (TEAL) CupDarren Oakley-Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11336807038503288003noreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-33043177121099516282012-01-11T14:21:00.017+00:002012-01-11T15:18:48.665+00:00Twenty-Eleven All-taxa Listing<div align="center"><strong></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpGwU70iqO9582XCcP1zBZD8HCqJbuLUOMzNMOEgeQixROLg-f4IqblMj1NQiyQgOedEJzHbmWDZpKWfLLbE0Kcd0f7pJCD7_jkWQ0sjjBUoSrQF6S6sKyVvUturYLBdp-0B544jiJ8s/s1600/TEAL+graph.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696380051011399890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpGwU70iqO9582XCcP1zBZD8HCqJbuLUOMzNMOEgeQixROLg-f4IqblMj1NQiyQgOedEJzHbmWDZpKWfLLbE0Kcd0f7pJCD7_jkWQ0sjjBUoSrQF6S6sKyVvUturYLBdp-0B544jiJ8s/s320/TEAL+graph.gif" /></a> </div><div align="left">With the BTO confirmed as winners of the bird contest, we can now announce the scores in the TEAL Cup:</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;">BTO<b> 1738</b></div><p align="center">RSPB<strong> 2025</strong></p><p align="left">Despite a slow start, it seems that the RSPB took the lead at the end of June, reaching 2000 species at the start of December. Thanks to all the local naturalists who helped us out, especially those who attended the Lodge 50th anniversary recording day. Adding in all their records takes The Lodge year list to 2101, which feels like quite an achievement. 769 of these were new to the site, and the Lodge list now stands at 4035.</p><p align="left">I think my personal highlight is a big yellow slug, but there were lots of colourful, grotesque, rare, wacky, cute, new, or otherwise exciting things for us all.</p><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696386677904641154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsnxpxnz799hJcxZMomZNvXOao8u8HwHJMAGtzDGdYYPnnPm1sg2AQfDYrTfhOnU_2OU6fqP0pouquFjQjRejPH339kqcWllTPg69iz9r1x-Yj2snSZjekZP3omU_lLRYs-lJnsWNOM0/s320/Atlantoraphidia_maculicollis002E.JPG" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Atlantoraphidia maculicollis</em> new to The Lodge and to us in 2011. </span></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00917243130509739997noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-80532634114347466342012-01-10T14:17:00.002+00:002012-01-10T23:23:50.296+00:00Better late than never...Despite being 11 days too late to count on the Teal Cup list, a female<b> Scaup</b> on E Lake this lunchtime was a welcome addition to a few Lakes lists.<div><br /></div><div>[Edit: <i>Ta very much Neil! Managed to digiscaup it for the record. Nick</i>]</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn-137ieeOFDtXBBjB1q8Vmh8IJ5EbcYHoyw_aAQXPjsaAo3h9ZkdEXopSLggoG3aJZ_AHYokCk11__9JCU6fyY_yJCoUvLYr8ewPJK0pElwNt8VuZKz9f_OAen6k9s5eiyvWp9cvAUU/s1600/scaup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn-137ieeOFDtXBBjB1q8Vmh8IJ5EbcYHoyw_aAQXPjsaAo3h9ZkdEXopSLggoG3aJZ_AHYokCk11__9JCU6fyY_yJCoUvLYr8ewPJK0pElwNt8VuZKz9f_OAen6k9s5eiyvWp9cvAUU/s400/scaup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696147822032303362" /></a>Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-40750683883836569152012-01-04T12:48:00.029+00:002012-01-11T15:33:23.362+00:00The (all-important) result is in!<div style="text-align: left;">Its official: BTO staff are best when it comes to "looking out for birds"!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(though we'll soon have equally 'official' confirmation that our RSPB counterparts are better placed to be "nature's voice", once our inferior all-taxa list has been tidied up and revealed)</div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, the final BirdTrack Challenge 2011 score:</div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; ">BTO: <b style="font-weight: bold; ">143 species</b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span>RSPB: <b>140 species</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>(with apologies to Dave Leech, who was hoping for a 4-species win so that he could use "For birds, for people, four behind BTO")</span></div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>2011 was a roller-coaster year, and generally great fun for everyone involved. I say 'generally' as I do recall the occasional incident of wailing and teeth-gnashing</span><span style="font-family: arial; "> at The Nunnery, as those blasted Derek White's Eggs Pits additions hit the blog last spring. To show just how close it was, and how many twists and turns there were along the way, here are the comparative species accumulations:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><div><div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhky5uer6YhWGqZ4bJsHOvQyLqWEea_vIGuPGniNXWpXVv-9Gm_sFnG13pdhPmEOsI6tH-VWoBiywycy_WgpwJjkDHC8F05BaOgTXhSkDHinVHdQ4L7vk9FDfFakOyh15g_xfhDRL7BQNg/s400/TEAL_listing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693762715629333730" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A huge thanks to everyone who got involved and added their records to BirdTrack last year, and long may it continue!</div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span><div style="text-align: left;">More on that other, less-important, aspect of the competition in due course...</div></span></div></div></div></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-85038396575570077232012-01-04T11:46:00.009+00:002012-01-04T13:31:03.955+00:00Extra effort<span style="font-family: arial; ">Here's an illustration of what the extra effort put in last year did for my own Lakes bird recording (NB: in September, October and December, I didn't record as many species in 2011 as I did in 2010):</span><div><span><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY-t0aA-ztCMJGiyF81APggrDeBi2LKHaoYTqORWOr8ZV35M-3QHAXu_YqT0LuezcONfZiUAa4fFbiv6ldklBqA4tYcjPTHByMy9_6IBFSkhd29iJ4AZKFWxJGE6R1F9NxeX_y5hP-ok/s1600/lakes_listing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY-t0aA-ztCMJGiyF81APggrDeBi2LKHaoYTqORWOr8ZV35M-3QHAXu_YqT0LuezcONfZiUAa4fFbiv6ldklBqA4tYcjPTHByMy9_6IBFSkhd29iJ4AZKFWxJGE6R1F9NxeX_y5hP-ok/s400/lakes_listing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693742298965368050" /></a></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-65464138820476662492012-01-04T11:38:00.005+00:002012-01-04T11:43:18.898+00:00Once you pop...<span>...you just can't stop. </span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><u>1 Jan 2012</u> <u>Nunnery Lakes</u></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>0630-0650: <b>Tawny Owl</b>, <b>Barn Owl</b></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>0820-0900: 35spp including <b>Little Egret</b>, <b>Water Rail</b> and <b>Snipe</b></span></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-51297468261106286552012-01-03T16:44:00.004+00:002012-01-03T16:44:43.019+00:00Our 140<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiJGnvRKZBwVJbCbMMIQvrcmI4AOmbGnN68qKrniIQgpCsxUUQCmeKO5VIKwNMIkjzclZPt-2g_1gYNGxdMJJuBSwmgpMGXSn-p9wmroAJau2JMQBHccSnzq18e2i-gZIjf8WxgoXJNs/s1600/White-frontedGoose_BiggleswadCommon_20Nov11aJPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiJGnvRKZBwVJbCbMMIQvrcmI4AOmbGnN68qKrniIQgpCsxUUQCmeKO5VIKwNMIkjzclZPt-2g_1gYNGxdMJJuBSwmgpMGXSn-p9wmroAJau2JMQBHccSnzq18e2i-gZIjf8WxgoXJNs/s400/White-frontedGoose_BiggleswadCommon_20Nov11aJPG.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last one</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So if you can imagine the <strong>White-fronted Goose</strong> above a bit mistier and a lot further away, that's how Mark Thomas saw it from The Lodge on 20th November. It got us up to 140 for the year from the reserve but it seemed hardly worth crowing about as the Nuns had already had <a href="http://btovrspbbirdtrackchallenge2011.blogspot.com/2011/11/y-fronts.html">these</a> and added a few more for good measure.<br />
<br />
Well played chaps - you deserve the win!Steve Blainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02236246538176966215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-55278844130651210162012-01-03T14:45:00.008+00:002012-01-03T15:18:44.323+00:00Snail's pace<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSL6YwxBT1bAz-WZ4tHOuYiayC0HhMNPXRRBg_XwcSwA69GA7iDQckNRyU8UO8FfM4Z7La73qqXc7cBwuRpFWyusKW7fJd75lP_LFPY5qmtBennXsK2zh0uCaSSMaPzEb2r3AXyjxEgY/s1600/Testacella.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 299px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693417032592207202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSL6YwxBT1bAz-WZ4tHOuYiayC0HhMNPXRRBg_XwcSwA69GA7iDQckNRyU8UO8FfM4Z7La73qqXc7cBwuRpFWyusKW7fJd75lP_LFPY5qmtBennXsK2zh0uCaSSMaPzEb2r3AXyjxEgY/s320/Testacella.JPG" /></a> It's all over. One of our last additions, before Christmas, was one that generated an unexpected amount of interest. Colin Campbell and I were walking back through the gardens when he asked me whether I was interested in a yellow slug. When I saw that it had a shell I was very interested in it: I had only ever seen these misfit molluscs in the book, and I always wondered what they would look like in life. Malcolm, an ecologist who has been studying snail books a lot longer than I have, described seeing it as being 'like a childhood dream come true'. <em>Testacella haliotidea </em>subsequently attracted a larger audience than any other gastropod has ever had on the reserve.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Determined to take us over 2000 species, I made a last visit on New Year's Eve, and spent an evening trying to name some of the trickier specimens I had collected earlier in the year. We got there just before the clock struck midnight and all my specimens turned into tiny pumpkins. Or so I thought: it turned out that while I had been at my microscope over Christmas, Dave Buckingham had been at his keyboard entering the rest of his records, giving us a total of 2025 species.</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693422660281646834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfKkYEEbAAHs2wGHcyb98jUMA2giDXf7uOxA20duIi_dMASsoW4uaya4Mjll9h-_tFYJwdJCllof1hWEES52ZN8Ga9xaugKYjDaktc98jNnTI1XCe-xCzW7Wopm4xDVO6W8DqGhd1NVU/s320/RSPB+graph.gif" />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00917243130509739997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-64836774281018050532012-01-02T21:59:00.008+00:002012-01-03T13:16:30.880+00:00All over bar the shouting<div><span>Happy New (TEAL-less) Year! Without the incentive to dash round the reserve several times already in Jan 2012, I've passed some of the nail-biting hours waiting for the final scores to be revealed by reviewing the TEAL year. Bird species accumulation graph to follow (when I'm certain it accurately reflects the final score!) but in the meantime, here's a quick tally of 2011 blog posts by the two teams - I wonder if this hints at what's to follow?!</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeL8ChwmUHQOXlcC5VvyBWz1IyWKnimDw7WEe0IGAimumS9k_8zHsfv_mgwJwJ4Ht9-543lEYUgO6zpAWKOfxpqolVFDKyhrGUWCj3GGismKZZdzcjbt1Xp0sDCcKz9pgGFOX6PDdvys/s1600/blogging.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeL8ChwmUHQOXlcC5VvyBWz1IyWKnimDw7WEe0IGAimumS9k_8zHsfv_mgwJwJ4Ht9-543lEYUgO6zpAWKOfxpqolVFDKyhrGUWCj3GGismKZZdzcjbt1Xp0sDCcKz9pgGFOX6PDdvys/s400/blogging.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693157721001980706" /></a>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-75637662820616292892011-12-22T18:00:00.008+00:002011-12-22T18:09:01.468+00:00Grin for John!<span>John Marchant (Lakes uber-lister), Neil Calbrade and I (both Lakes low-listers) headed out for the penultimate lunchtime Lakes wander of the year earlier today. As Neil isn't in tomorrow, we made a special effort to find the/a <b>Jack Snipe</b>, to no avail. In fact - and against all the odds - the only one of us who got a Lakes tick was John, when a <b>Peregrine</b> flew over and had a half-hearted go at a Mallard! Heard-only <b>Crossbill</b> and a male <b>Goosander</b> were the other highlights.</span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><b>Merry Christmas</b></span> to all TEAL Cuppers, and everyone who has been following the action this year! Only 9 days to go...</span></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-52391238764094778022011-12-11T21:11:00.003+00:002011-12-11T21:32:59.751+00:00Jack-on-the-List<span class="Apple-style-span" >Not sure how many times I've squelched round the likely-looking spots this year but it finally paid off today as a <b>Jack Snipe</b> shot out from under my feet! Great bird, and the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">list moves on to </span><b style="font-family: arial; ">143 </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">(mine to 130).</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Cryptically-patterned waders were the order of the day; a couple of <b>Snipe</b> and a <b>Woodcock</b> were in the same area as the Jack Snipe. The other highlights of a 60-species haul were 4 <b>Goosander</b> and 2 <b>Little Egret</b>.</span></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-81119126779053191882011-12-01T21:52:00.021+00:002012-01-20T15:50:28.264+00:00Snowball<div><span class="Apple-style-span">"It's all gone quiet." said Roobarb. "Too quiet." said Custard. So here's something to make a noise about after a 2 week lull in TEAL blogging:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuon6tdMcBpJxeHGsEootV67wvJ-OfvWfwY56Sio0-ocAMtkxsGhqwMgCzTWmcc353DYwqPI3d_rAUAjXjJEaQvqtDXu_ONp3hBjtT-dtvQZScucQDfgddv6HZgJX831xb8xWLuDDRRo/s400/lesre2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681281330736838754" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 337px; height: 400px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB5hICve-500UqrWNnfGVFcwvlFof-tjODf73h3HmdH-A60mlobXrqVMdnrLkjp3Skl5YSa6SjRLqLvOclBoq7XIJlIeXLnK4pXeqlD5Ng5jVRIsOazWPJ_llbGBD8BXmTUmUDFYX-VY/s400/lesre1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681281482786119810" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 342px; height: 400px; " /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpuYAsobKlmaconGcXqV1wAa-0X7i1_ly8w__r7Q4lK35GDiZTpm2ofpPhIoRkPP8b4UJMx09CY9GrKVchzC0IBsQsegiYoWx5M0eEFU7_kEzrQhK6NAw2YkXpeq9lSfiEgtsfUcSJno/s1600/lesre3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpuYAsobKlmaconGcXqV1wAa-0X7i1_ly8w__r7Q4lK35GDiZTpm2ofpPhIoRkPP8b4UJMx09CY9GrKVchzC0IBsQsegiYoWx5M0eEFU7_kEzrQhK6NAw2YkXpeq9lSfiEgtsfUcSJno/s400/lesre3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681281624791878466" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">All pics courtesy of Dave Leech</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">First seen in Jeff and Alison Kew's garden (easily the most nyger-rich spot in Thetford, if not the whole of East Anglia) on 23 November, caught and ringed by Dave and I at the Nunnery Lakes on 26 November. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Shame the rest of it wasn't as white as its head! See comment below as to why it should be described as leucistic (as opposed to a 'partial albino'), and for more information about plumage aberrations in birds, this detailed <a href="http://www.vogelringschier.nl/DB28%282%2979-89_2006.pdf">article in Dutch Birding</a>. </span></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-611559367202290882011-11-15T14:37:00.001+00:002011-12-11T21:34:55.723+00:00More White-fronts!Tuesday morning, Nick texts to say he's just had eight Whitefronts over his house. I wandered down the lakes at lunchtime, not really expecting to be lucky, but a flock of 10 flew east over the reserve. Nunnery tick scored back! Now where's that Bean....?Andy Musgrovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05105588316743620086noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-950084400912363622011-11-14T09:40:00.001+00:002011-11-14T09:46:36.544+00:00Still clinging onA walk round Derek Whites Eggs pit on Saturday morning found me looking at three Goldeneye. And as the mist was clearing I knew I just had to try for them from The Lodge. Ten minutes later I was squinting at the area of water I'd last seem them in from the plateau at The Lodge. No sign - they must have moved I thought - then bingo! A drake popped up right in my field of view. 139.<br />
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I wonder if we can find the White-fronts and Egyptian Geese that are currently hanging round the valley too...Steve Blainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02236246538176966215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-74137214779744241642011-11-13T17:39:00.009+00:002011-11-14T09:27:39.755+00:00Y-fronts<div style="text-align: left;">The following text came pinging in from Dawn late this afternoon:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />"<i>3 White-fronts, 2 ads and 1 juv flew south 1535 over lakes, dropping down over Shadwell or Barnham. Flew right over Pete's head and I ran out of (the) wood just in time to get them!</i>"</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Result! Another unexpected bonus; lots of White-fronts and Bean Geese coming in on the coast at the moment but to get any 'proper' geese here is a real rarity. I belted down on the bike and was able to find where they'd landed... but unfortunately for me the only place from which I could view the birds was about 75m from the reserve boundary. Never mind: that's <b>142</b>, which extends the lead up to 4 again with just 6 weeks to play!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div>...and still there this morning! Next time someone shows you a frame-filler and mutters something about it being 'just a record shot', refer them to the following:</div><div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaOc6N2gBSzw9K1slM1nGzaKfASdlp-8ya_26CZE9CBE4ifX93uHpUadotZJrfIGTAildKpTqRSnjV12itfBy4kHamlXpNzLdBA8jBkpb07nuirPfRBQdrbZ9ROQMSXCyCA_0hbQo3rE/s400/yfront1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674780209891597426" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtscv0qQ3i8AKJwSTXhB7OhV4_F6Zk-kVNgviTLx1jzF2c2IK8iS9gXESxtUuuelADP9o3YDXgBYEUVXI67dLR8aDrZcAvDm5NOhXkSxX5HLwM0Z_MtE3y-uubM1U47QI8-kB18NONCOs/s400/yfront.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674780292289772146" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px; " /><br /></span></div></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-80725501014079156612011-11-11T19:59:00.000+00:002011-11-11T19:59:02.444+00:00Miners strike!My first trip down the lakes for a couple of weeks today. Rather dull weather, and it felt like a rare waterbird should have dropped in, but the avian highlight was my record count of four Little Egrets.<br />
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However, I grabbed a few oak leaves and, as hoped, found a few new leaf-mining micro-moths - <i>Ectoedemia quinquella, E. subbimaculella </i>and <i>E. heringi. </i>The total now reaches 1,785 (1,720 named to species level).Andy Musgrovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05105588316743620086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-63408646796426910692011-11-09T17:42:00.004+00:002011-11-09T17:49:31.884+00:00Pochard at last<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">Gull and waterfowl numbers are creeping up and with them came a long-awaited personal Lakes year tick today (courtesy of Neil): a female </span><b style="font-family: arial; ">Pochard</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">. That takes me to 127 for the year but how are Neil and Darren getting on (and anyone else who is keeping their own score)?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60sx_EgL0Jq0WJ3MYqhO06QleGTTfs09rudI1nHgiW6CHESj8cTFw6tMSdMMGej1ht34y1VMxuEj1yWJj8ggnj1AY_mFD-nCO7-R8vFz8EMQaO_z2xN3FngvIa_JABfKvlvmyU-6uRhc/s1600/lakes_sa.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60sx_EgL0Jq0WJ3MYqhO06QleGTTfs09rudI1nHgiW6CHESj8cTFw6tMSdMMGej1ht34y1VMxuEj1yWJj8ggnj1AY_mFD-nCO7-R8vFz8EMQaO_z2xN3FngvIa_JABfKvlvmyU-6uRhc/s400/lakes_sa.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673053896969406738" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >My Nunnery Lakes species accumulation in 2011<br />(BirdTrack Explore My Records facility)</span></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-91431739085165034132011-11-03T11:50:00.003+00:002011-11-04T10:14:55.263+00:00Rock on...<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was standing on the plateau having a cigarette at 10:30 this morning (ok, so I've started smoking again, but it has it's plus points) when I heard a familiar autumnal call overhead, ''viiiss!....viiss!'' Two birds flying over north, but only one - so far as I could tell - was calling. In rubbish light, they <i>appeared </i></span><span style="font-size: small;">dark, but there was no mistaking the call. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After a week's constant dawn vis-migging without adding anything new, I decided against it today and scored a tick when least expected. </span><span style="font-size: small;">About time I contributed something - and it wasn't the Stonechat, SEO or Hawfinch (outside bet that one) that I was hoping for. <b>138 (STA).</b></span></div>Darren Oakley-Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11336807038503288003noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-40332861477958371532011-11-02T09:17:00.004+00:002011-11-02T09:44:26.889+00:00Warden's wizardry<div><span class="Apple-style-span">Eight months ago The Lodge warden Andy Schofield conjured up a <a href="http://btovrspbbirdtrackchallenge2011.blogspot.com/2011/03/as-if-my-magic.html">gripping record of a certain magical falcon</a>. Yesterday afternoon Nunnery Lakes site manager Chris Gregory struck back with our very own <b>Merlin </b>(shortly after Dawn Balmer had seen a small falcon chasing passerines over the Nuns Bridges whilst she was driving home from work)! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">That takes us to a stratospheric <b>141</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">... but will it be enough? </span><span style="font-family: arial; ">Back in January Darren and I reckoned >135 would clinch it; perhaps </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">we need to revise that to >145!</span></div><div><br /></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-91651342681834346342011-10-29T23:00:00.019+01:002011-10-30T11:20:45.370+00:00Little beauty!<span class="Apple-style-span">It was hard to believe the string of texts I received whilst on Fair Isle two weeks ago. First a Rufous-tailed Robin in Norfolk, then even more gripping news: <b>Short-eared Owl, Tree Sparrow</b>, another<b> Woodlark</b> and a<b> Whooper Swan</b> at the Lakes in quick succession, all of which would have been Lakes ticks for me (this patch-listing lark does funny things to your perspective)! Although Blyth's Reed Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit and a certain jewel-throated <i>Luscinia</i> up in Shetland went a long way towards softening the blow of those dips at the time, once I was back in full Lakes mode, the still-present <b>Goldeneye</b> just wasn't enough to rectify things at a local level. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The balance was well and truly restored today though; an impromptu scan of D Lake this morning (when I'd told my wife I was only going as far as the flood) resulted in a big Little surprise: a first-winter <b>Little Gull </b>swimming around among the Coots and Black-headed Gulls! The latter weren't particularly welcoming to their diminutive relative, and after a preen and a couple of brief circuits of the lake, it headed off south. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>140</b> OTL (both the Challenge list and my own Lakes 'life' list). </span></div></div>Nick Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01336637337712350126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-63128870594796515432011-10-25T12:45:00.003+01:002011-10-25T12:56:33.329+01:00Big ears<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBw8Op3tNXqGdsheZaP8VDuLHrzeTFfAuol6coD3L-9vyD7wJ4SfjkuhaONvibeotUJMawUjNN_bsAIvjZVhEtJI1YqL_hDdIcflQeqD60yxr42HlXrT-6SAi0Tzo-y7kUnhHucLW7T2U/s1600/Ledra_aurita008E.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667395182747032850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBw8Op3tNXqGdsheZaP8VDuLHrzeTFfAuol6coD3L-9vyD7wJ4SfjkuhaONvibeotUJMawUjNN_bsAIvjZVhEtJI1YqL_hDdIcflQeqD60yxr42HlXrT-6SAi0Tzo-y7kUnhHucLW7T2U/s320/Ledra_aurita008E.JPG" /></a><br /><em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ledra</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">aurita</span></em> appeared in our moth trap a few weeks ago. I found the one pictured here earlier in the summer when I was walking along the path and heard a short buzzing noise coming from an oak. I did not know they could make themselves heard like this; it seems to be the closest thing to a cicada that we have on our list.<br /><br />Dry weather has halted the mushroom season for us. Assuming that there has been a similar drought in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Thetford</span>, I am quite glad. because it gives me time to look at insects of having to spend evenings chopping up fungi and looking for clamp connections.<br /><br />Our species total is now 1592. Still behind, but perhaps close enough to make it an interesting finish.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00917243130509739997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-82936483073156189852011-10-24T13:56:00.000+01:002011-10-24T13:56:20.832+01:00Feed the birds weekend<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cIn1UihIz-4rrDBNfc9jcyujzqID60CWwdAfsmKmb7MOK7JsYqADYBqNM4p08PAbds8aQaqJWFH7i4OyiOcDp0frcNkcDAXPb6kqX4XtuVvHYZrTkXOk-siHIBP1nnqPiJIe6c5xPCE/s1600/BlackRedstart_TheLodge_23Oct11a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cIn1UihIz-4rrDBNfc9jcyujzqID60CWwdAfsmKmb7MOK7JsYqADYBqNM4p08PAbds8aQaqJWFH7i4OyiOcDp0frcNkcDAXPb6kqX4XtuVvHYZrTkXOk-siHIBP1nnqPiJIe6c5xPCE/s400/BlackRedstart_TheLodge_23Oct11a.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only new one - <strong>Black Redstart</strong></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been quite a rip-roaring weekend at The Lodge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was it a ‘feed the birds’ event all weekend, but some excellent birds dropped in to say hello too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First up are the regular <strong>Woodlark</strong> posse, which has dropped from a peak of six last week to a fairly constant three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have been showing really well often at just a few yards around the Hill Fort.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next up there has been an <strong>Osprey</strong> which seems to like to feed on it fishy meals in one of the trees on the new heath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was first seen on Friday afternoon and reappeared again Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the photos taken of this bird are so good that you can also identify the species of fish in its talons!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if we can count that too?</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ‘best’ bird of the weekend was a <strong>Black Redstart</strong> which flitted around the top of the Avocet building right above the main event on Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not only a new bird for the challenge, but also a site tick for me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It kept visitors entertained all afternoon, but unfortunately did a bunk Sunday night so many staff missed it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As if that lot wasn’t enough, the ringers in the gardens caught a <strong>Firecrest</strong> Sunday afternoon too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So all those, along with plenty of <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Siskins</strong>, <strong>Redpolls</strong>, and the odd <strong>Brambling</strong> and <strong>Crossbill</strong> makes The Lodge a great place to come birding for a few hours at the moment.<br /></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6rHHSsE_klQxo-Y7SXdLu8nE8Sebev_J4zGzgEmLI78q3SHNJcj8mD-yvU2JSNv6Ig73lGH31zBLO9wYTJQtDe84sxRyhW7CjumEawYbsxjvjR1r4XzMwjuJ0qgy0XrIYVedxWCmsLU/s1600/Woodlark_TheLodge_20Oct11a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6rHHSsE_klQxo-Y7SXdLu8nE8Sebev_J4zGzgEmLI78q3SHNJcj8mD-yvU2JSNv6Ig73lGH31zBLO9wYTJQtDe84sxRyhW7CjumEawYbsxjvjR1r4XzMwjuJ0qgy0XrIYVedxWCmsLU/s400/Woodlark_TheLodge_20Oct11a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the six <strong>Woodlarks</strong> that have been around The Lodge recently</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We’re still two down on the Nuns with our Black Red triumph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if we can make up the ground before the year is out?</span></div>
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<br /></div>Steve Blainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02236246538176966215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-24271151405434490042011-10-24T13:52:00.003+01:002011-10-24T13:52:40.180+01:00Black Redstart<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday was <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/feedthebirds/">Feed the Birds Day</a> at The Lodge, so several staff members were on site, including Tony Payne, who for a change had his bins with him. Good job really, because he found a <b>Black Redstart</b> bouncing round on the roof of the Avocet building (where, incidentally I work). He beat Bash to it by seconds, so BX remains a glaring miss on the latter's self-found Bedfordshire list. I believe Steve has photographic evidence to be posted here soon.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>137</b>...</span></div>Darren Oakley-Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11336807038503288003noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-38864429246418290592011-10-21T14:00:00.000+01:002011-10-21T14:00:48.353+01:00All that glitters...As expected, yesterday's Whooper Swan had realised its mistake and presumably headed to Welney overnight, but it had been suitably replaced by a 1st winter drake <b>Goldeneye</b>, taking us to <b>139</b>.Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-23096908956583960672011-10-20T14:08:00.000+01:002011-10-20T14:08:02.730+01:00Super-whooperThanks goes to WWT for the temporary loan of one of their Whooper Swans, swimming around on D lake this lunch time. We'll send it on to Welney shortly. Bird no 138. Only my second record here (one in 1999).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQCtVH9ytb-f6INRXmVimZaliMzUoAiJ1alQgSmIgZubjO6olKFMbmdjcUb4bnu-6dOs3ckJ-_ys6dvadVmymuux25feksR1vVw6I2HmlmhP9KM8Bp6V6rqbd8_VC4b_jXgZtCdmjUqV_/s1600/P1110277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQCtVH9ytb-f6INRXmVimZaliMzUoAiJ1alQgSmIgZubjO6olKFMbmdjcUb4bnu-6dOs3ckJ-_ys6dvadVmymuux25feksR1vVw6I2HmlmhP9KM8Bp6V6rqbd8_VC4b_jXgZtCdmjUqV_/s320/P1110277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Andy Musgrovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05105588316743620086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8980048451521244561.post-50781032961749710512011-10-16T13:01:00.000+01:002011-10-16T13:01:23.455+01:00Weekend doubleI spent this morning down the lakes hoping to relocate Dave's Short-eared Owl from yesterday but with much more disturbance from fishermen, there was no sign. With glorious weather, there was quite a bit of stuff going over, the highlight being 3+ <strong>Tree Sparrows</strong> which circled overhead before possibly dropping onto the adjacent fields.<br />
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That puts us on <strong>137</strong> and back in the lead for now, and I quite agree Steve, I must come into work on a weekend more often!Neil Calbrade Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086112407136277857noreply@blogger.com0