Happy Xmas

Countries that don't celebrate Xmas 

Russia, Turkey, the Maldives, Thailand Vietnam, Somalia, Laos, Cambodia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Iraq, China, Congo, Algeria, Yemen, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Iran, Azerbaijan, Comoros, Oman, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, Nepal, North Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Tajikistan, Bahrain, Israel, Tunisia and Afghanistan.

A couple of curiosities

 The Pin head mould Phycomyces nitens growing on cat faeces in the obs communal garden

A stash of Acorns- presumably a Jay?, Found in a cavity in a dangerous tree we had to take down. 

Rainham and Sound Recording

Met Sue and Dave Lambert at Rainham at 700am to have a go at getting some sound recordings and test out various sound recording options. A nice little morning with three Short-eared Owls flying along the river, 3-4 Marsh Harriers over the reserve, Knot and Avocet on Averley Bay, Pintails on the reserve, Rock and Water Pipits and a local scarcity- a Yellowhammer. 

 Short-eared Owls in murky conditions over the Thames 

  Male Yellowhammer
Recording by Dave HERE

Yellowhammer sonogram (Dave Lambert)

Male Kestrel in the murk 

Azores Nature Review 2016

A few picture and links of highlights from this year's Azores Nature Project. If you would like to take part in or find out more information on the natural history trip in July 2017, the pelagic in August  2017 or visiting Corvo in October 2017 please email us at:
littleoakgroup@btinternet.com 

NATURAL HISTORY TRIP 2016

Azores Bullfinch 

Roseate Tern 

Azores Grayling 

Cory's Shearwater 

Cuvier's Beaked Whale

2016 Team

Azores Nature Trip Report June 2015 by Peter Alfrey on Scribd

Here's the trip report by Chris Townend from 2015 that followed a similar itinerary 

AZORES PELAGIC 2016

Trip Report by Josh Jones: 

AZORES NATURE Pelagic Trip Report 2016 (1) by Peter Alfrey on Scribd

CORVO 2016 

Upland Sandpiper 

Scarlet Tanager 

Semipalmated Sandpiper 

American Golden Plover 

PUBLICATIONS/PRESS

Click on link to view news report on Corvo 2016 

Review of the 2014 report in Birdwatch Magazine

Unfotunately the 2015 report has been delayed but hoping to get up to date next year

AZORES NATURE

Bouncing on the Bottom

THEE BRYANS

The Old Vicarage

Spent the last couple of days at Holly's. Made some progress with the bioblitz. Did the lawn area this time. I'm trying out using I-record. I usually keep records on private spreadsheets/ systems, generate analysis/ a report and then create a database of relevant information for national recording schemes. By using I-record it's doing it the other way round but is a convenient way of collecting records for casual, temporary or blitz sites etc. Will see what happens.

Here's a few provisional ids for some things I found. Any corrections or suggestions for id greatly appreciated. I'll stick them up on I-spot if no joy here. 

I-record

I-SPOT

 Mushroom sp (Bonnet?)  with Yellow Feather-Moss

 Jelly ear and fungi sp

 Slime Mould sp? 

Lichen, moss and fungi sp 

Purple Jellydisc

 Fungi sp on Conifer. On left possibly Bleeding Conifer Crust (Stereum sanguinolentum)

At least six of these in the garden 

Poor shot of a Raven in the garden 

Otmoor RSPB/ Starling Murmuration

Visited Otmoor again to see the Starling roost- 70,000 birds! Also had Marsh Harrier and Tawny Owl. Had a chat with some of the locals, the birding sounds great, certainly looking forward to exploring more in the future. It's only 10-15 minutes from Holly's so will officially be the new local patch. 1000 acre site owned and managed by the RSPB so protected as much as it can be. Great birding with huge numbers of wintering Lapwings, Golden Plovers, Starlings!, wildfowl and raptors (seven species last week), breeding Snipe, Lapwing (120 pairs!) and Redshanks, passage migrants and waders and a history of rarities too. Can't wait to see if I can find something there. Must be some interesting entomology going on too.   Here's the local birding blog and some Starling action from yesterday evening : 

OTMOOR BIRDING