The cutest little creatures ever!

Yes, dormice!

Today I've been on a dormouse course with NWWT. This afternoon we went to Bontuchel woods to have a look in some of the dormouse boxes there. We were very lucky to see four dormice, in two different boxes. I didn't get a great look at the first but I saw it's fluffy tail. The second scarpered up a tree but not before we could get a great look at it - then it sat a few metres above our heads in the tree for ages. Brill! The last two dormice were probably a mother and almost fully grown son in a box together. I'll never forget the cuteness of the female as we put her back through the hole into the nest box, with her bum and tail hanging out for ages!

Baby blackbirds

A blackbird nest right outside the front door, with four little cuties inside!

A trip to the beach

On Wednesday I spent a few hours on the beach at Formby Point near Liverpool and found all kinds of marine creatures. There were hundreds of razor shells, prickly and common cockles, worms, swimming crabs, shrimp, mermaid's purses, whelk eggs and even a baby plaice. I've got a lot to learn about sandy shores but it was a great way to start.

Birding at Point of Ayr

Point of Ayr is the Northern-most tip of the Dee estuary on the Welsh side. In the sand dunes is Wales' only breeding population of the rare natterjack toad. But I went to see the birds in the estuary and salt marsh.

Although the best time to go to Point of Ayr is in winter, to see the over-wintering birds, it was still a very enjoyable few hours in early May. There were abundant sky larks, which are one of my very favourite birds, with lots of males singing high in the air then floating slowly down to the ground and disappearing into the vegetation. I saw a curlew, with it's slender decurved beak, feeding in a muddy channel through the marsh, and oyster catchers feeding in the mud of the estuary. There were lots of swallows, back from a winter in Africa. I also heard chaffinch and greenfinch in the scrub bordering the holiday village of Talacre.

I'll definitely be back one evening to listen out for the natterjack toads calling in the dunes, and maybe be lucky enough to see some too.

Reptile surveys

Today I've been reptile surveying with the Wildlife Trust at a few sites in South Wales. Had a brilliant day in the sunshine, laying and checking artificial refugia and discovering all kinds of wildlife. Although we only found one reptile!

First off we went to the Dow Corning nature reserve in Barry. We checked and laid about 20 artificial refugia - squares of corrugated roofing material (Onduline) like this:

Reptiles can't regulate their own body temperature, so need to use the environment to warm up and cool down. In the mornings they need to bask in warm places to get enough energy to move around. The Onduline squares are warmer than the surrounding vegetation so are attractive to reptiles, making them ideal places to look for them.

No success with reptiles yet, but we found some beautiful field vole nests under our refugia. Here's one of them:

We also saw and heard loads of birds including Cetti's warbler, reed warbler, whitethroat, great crested grebe, greenfinch, chiff chaff and coot. I think I've finally got the Cetti's warbler song in my head now! We saw some butterflies too, buff-tailed bumblebees and lots of tadpoles.

At our second site, in Caerphilly, we checked and laid some more refugia. Again no reptiles, but we did find toads hiding under the refugia. One of the highlights was a stoat's nest. I searched for dormouse-nibbled hazelnuts but all I found were those eaten by woodmice. Also incredibly cute! Note the tooth marks perpendicular to the edge of the hole. If a dormouse had eaten them the hole would be neater, with tooth marks parallel to the edge.

At the final site in Margam we found a female slow-worm under the first refuge. Success! Long, slender and beautifully marked, she slithered away quite quickly for a slow-worm - but not before I could take this picture:

We found lots of otter spraint alongside the ditches, full of bones and scales. There was abundant ladysmock, the larval food plant of the orange tip butterfly. We saw a few adults too. As well as many field vole nests we also managed to see a couple of voles themselves, with their stubby tails and rich brown fur.

Despite a whole day's surveying, we only found one reptile - but she was certainly worth it, along with the birds, mammals and insects we were lucky to see. Beats a day in the office. If I had one.

Snowdonia birds

I've had a wonderful weekend in Snowdonia - primarily walking of course, but I just can't help finding a few nice birds here and there!

On Saturday we did Crib Goch from Pen-y-Pass. Up the Pyg track, then scrambling up over rocks to the magnificent knife-edge ridge with views down to the Llanberis Pass on the right and across to the twin peaks of Y Lliwedd on the left with Snowdon itself out in front. In the glorious sunshine it wasn't quite so perilous, but the precipitous drops to either side certainly made my heart race! Ravens soared below us and gulls were tiny white specks on the lake below.

The next day we finally made it up all 1085m of Snowdon. We chose the Miner's track, walking along side the lakes before a steep climb to the summit ridge. The weather couldn't have been any more different than yesterday - torrential rain and swirling winds weren't exactly pleasant. "Is this fun?" I asked my other half. It didn't look like he thought so either. We made it to the summit and back down the the lakes, through the clouds and rain. And finally the rain stopped and the birds came out to play: pied wagtails, meadow pipits and wheatears flitting around the tussocky grass and rocks of the lower slopes. It was fun after all - despite the rain, wind and cold the birds made it worth it once again. What a wonderful way to end the weekend.