Last few days in the Shire

A good few days up in the Shire with Holly- baby still not arrived yet. Sunday I carried on with Bioblitz at the Old Vicarage and did a bit more on the garden, Monday went to Otmoor and today on the way home had a great stop off at Staines Res.

Here's a few photo highlights: 

Grass Snakes at Otmoor- 30+ have been recorded recently basking in the sun along one of the ditches.

Common Lizard at Otmoor. I met up with Ellen (the non-bird recorder for Otmoor) and we had a look round the reserve and discussed some surveys that I'll be carrying out later on in the year including surveying for Black Hairstreak and also doing a Butterfly transect. 

Clouded Drabs, Common Quaker and Hebrew Character from the Old Vicarage moth trap. Also had Small Quakers on a different night. 

Plenty of territorial behaviour on the Old Vicarage grounds including Jackdaws at the Chimneys and also singing Stock Doves, Coal Tits and other common garden birds 

Goldcrests singing at the Old Vic 

Fritillaria sp (Imperialis?) No doubt planted but another addition to the bioblitz list- 185 species now (HERE) 

Did some night sound trawling at the Old Vic with a new addition to the Mobile obs- not much, was hoping to get the Tawny Owl but no luck. Also put out some camera traps but nothing. 

The mobile Obs doubling up as a hot dog van

Toiling around the Old Vic 

Great Diving Beetle- in the moth trap (above). Blackbirds at the Old Vicarage (below)

STAINES ON WAY HOME 

Pretty good stop off: 8 Little Gull, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Common Tern, 1 Redshank, 1 Water Pipit, 1 Red Kite 

 8 (6 adults and 2 first-winters)  Little Gulls on the Res (Adult top two shots and first-winters bottom two shots)

 Common Tern (I think- although can't say too much from this pic)

 Sandwich Tern on South Basin

Juvenile Wigeon trying to be a Wood Duck