Numbers explained
213 The title of a superb Slayer song, complete with eerie twelve string guitar intro, and, my total bird list for the year. Including six new species for my ‘life list’ – see Listing, listing, 1,2,3. It’s interesting to think that had I made a little bit of effort and gone ‘local’ twitching I could have got up to around 230 species. There were a number of species that were on the marshes half a mile from the house that I didn’t go to see. Of the six new species, it makes it more special that I found two of them myself, without the need to go twitching, that’s the beauty of birding, the unexpected can sometimes happen. Probably the biggest surprise was that it took until mid October before I saw my first and only Grey Wagtail of the year. A species I usually give no thought to seeing, they are usually fairly easy to find before the end of January.
And so as the new year approaches the slate will be wiped clean and the year list will begin again.
102. My ‘From the Window list’, only increased by one this year, and that was a Garden Warbler (ironic, as it was around the garden) in August whilst watching the Goldfinches come in to roost one evening. Not a bad total for fifteen years window-gazing…I can think of about a dozen or so commonish species that I could add with some luck.
56. My TV list, these were all species seen during the year, usually in the background, of non-natural history tv programmes, just a bit of fun really. Once again, a number of surprises included Hen Harrier, Tawny Owl and Turnstone. As previously noted, birds like Mute Swan, Mallard, Herring Gull and, perhaps surprisingly, Coot seem to pop up in the background with remarkable frequency. The first three species listed rarely even turn up on natural history programmes. A good fifteen species or so lower than last year, but that’s probably down to me watching less tv.
Other Numbers
For the first time, I think, I managed to visit The Point every Friday this year (with the exception of one going one Thursday due to Bob’s other commitments). Each visit averages around 3 hours, and ended in me seeing 146 species here in total, with an average of 67.5 species per visit. Which, I think works out to roughly one species per hour of visit. Interestingly when I lead groups around the reserve, covering the same route, but taking 6-7 hours, we usually see around 65-70 species. My highest morning total was 80 species on 31st August right at the height of autumn migration. My lowest was 49 on 14th December, hampered by the fact that it started raining almost torrentially as soon as I arrived, and made for a miserable morning. Oddities were a run of visits where I failed to see ‘common and widespread’ species like Wren, Great Tit and even a couple of weeks with no Collared Dove. Highlights were eleven species of warbler on 31st August which included a Nightingale and my second ever Barred Warbler – all the way from Eastern Europe. My first ever Red-rumped Swallow headed right over my head and out to sea on 12th October in the company of 70-80 House Martins and made it onto my festive greetings card this year:
I also recorded my earliest ever Sedge Warbler on 30th March (beating last years 1st April) and my latest ever House Martin with two on 2nd November.
Holes 1.
My dictionary describes a hole as the following: hollow place, gap, cavity, burrow, perforation. I would like to add to this The Railway, Winchester. Boasting to be Winchesters’ only live music venue I made my first visit there back in late October. One of my favourite bands; Wolfsbane, were playing there and Panic Room were scheduled to be there in November. Well what can I say? it is easily the worst music venue I have ever had the misfortune to visit – even the bar at my old college was a better live venue. With limited parking nearby (unless you want to pay a fortune in a pay and display) it’s basically a converted pub. Now don’t get me wrong, some converted pubs are great (The Brook) this one isn’t. There were two support acts, no idea who they were, but both, I’m assuming, to be local up-and-coming bands. Neither of whom were anything special, although the vocalist of the second band was pretty good. The ‘room’ itself, for want of a better term, is tiny, cramped and poorly ventilated – I think I’ve been in bigger and better equipped bird hides. The ‘stage’ is barely 6 inches high, meaning that I saw none of the band members of the two support acts. Wolfsbane were as superb as the previous times I’d seen them – the last being 18 years ago. Playing a mix of songs from their new album and all their classics from their first incarnation (they were first around in the early 1990’s until their singer left to join Iron Maiden, before they reformed part-time a couple of years back and released a new album earlier in the year) it was like they’d never been gone. My brother and I were joking beforehand which old songs they’d perform, we guessed them all right, for fun I threw in ‘Lifestyles of the Broke and Obscure‘ an obscure and unlikely one, so was surprised when they opened with it. Their sound was superb and I could even see three of the band during their performance – I never saw the drummer until he stood up at the end of the gig. When the show was over and people were filtering out, that’s when the venue decided to put on the air conditioning. I’m guessing that the capacity of the place is about 60 and it was filled to bursting, with no room to move, I think tinned sardines have more room. I shudder to think of what would have happened had there been an emergency – there only appeared to be one exit – single file down some steps and through a narrow corridor. I had decided, much to my brothers surprise, before the first support had finished their first song that there was no way I going back for Panic Room. Absolutely hated the place. Interestingly, this was the only venue Panic Room made no mention of on their website when they were reviewing their winter tour – maybe they thought it was a hole too.
Holes 2.
At The Point on the last Friday in November I was intrigued to watch a female Blackbird feeding in the strandline of seaweed and other debris. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she appeared almost oblivious to my presence. As a result, I was able to approach her to within a yard or two and watch as she slowly dug herself a hole deeper in the seaweed. I’m guessing that she was feeding on the sandhoppers and other invertebrates that were hiding in there awaiting the next tide. Judging by the vigour with which she was feeding she was finding a huge amount of food. Deep within the seaweed it would stay moist until the next high tide, thus preventing the invertebrates within from drying out. As she dug deeper she was almost so deep that she was in as deep as herself. The depth with which she was feeding would surely have left her prone to attack from either an aerial source or a land based carnivore like a Stoat? Presumably the speed with which she could source a high energy food outweighed the danger? After a few minutes I left her to it and noticed a number of other Blackbirds of both sexes doing similar things all along the strandline that stretched out ahead of me.
Female Blackbird, so engrossed in feeding she paid my approach little attention
Dug in so deep, she’s almost hidden herself…
…leaving herself vulnerable to attacks by various predators, like this Stoat
Holes 3.
Here’s what ten winters of birding with gloves on has done:
Who would have thought binoculars could be so destructive? The middle finger on both hands went through on the same morning as a result of regular use of the focus wheel of my binoculars.
(Holes 4.)
One thing to bear in mind when buying gloves is that your glove size is pretty much the same as your shoe size. It’s also worth bearing in mind, if you’re pulled to one side when coming through Customs…have a look at the shoe size of the person who’s about to make that unpleasant hole inspection – it’ll give you an idea of just how painful it’s going to be…
On that cheery note, it’s time to say thanks to all my followers who’ve joined me during the year, and I’ll wish you and all my other readers a happy new year,
Until the next time…
shoutingatseahorses 