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Strange robber bees & book reviews.

The weather is still flippin' awful at the moment and I am now at a point of despair that many of the insects are having a rather dire time trying to get anything done.

Looking back through 06 photos, I was happily meandering down Patch One photographing crickets, hoppers and a plenty of flies, bugs and butters. Come June, the patch would be filled with the sounds of Grasshoppers singing away in the sunshine, the foliage would droop under the weight of pentatomidae and other buggy type creatures and the back of my neck would turn as red as a pyrochroa coccinea. But now… thanks to mankind (you gits) …now, the only thing present is the hardcore soldier beetle known as Rhagonycha fulva (or colloquially as ‘that bloody red beetle again’).

I haven’t even bothered doing any birding.

I did, however, raid the library and managed to steal (using a library card) a selection of dodgy books:

Understanding Bird Behavior. (Stephen Moss / Wildlife Trusts).
In this book it tells you why birds fly and how they fly, why they hop around and why they try their utmost to avoid being spotted by overweight birders who give themselves crap nicknames such as ‘The Cardinal’.

How to watch birds (some guy / Wildlife Trust)
Sit, wait & then go home and sulk.

Devon & Cornwall Where to watch birds (Norman & Tucker).
Mr Norman and his pal Tucker attempt to send me on a wild goose chase.

The Bird Feeder Book
If you want to build a bird feeder shaped like a McDonalds drive thru or learn the height of such a table above the ground for a nesting Chickadee or Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (and happen to live in America) then this book is for you.

Above: Robber fly type thing with stuff and, you know... things like wings...

Digibinning… still deleting the photos…

Tehidy Woods: Don't peck the hand that feeds you.

The weather has been (as most will know) rather shocking as of late. Bugging has gone more or less out of the window and the only chance to do any birding fell on Thursday last week when we made a mini-trip out to Tehidy Woods.

Tehidy is basically a hybrid-mallard sanctuary, with an overabundance of tame birds to feed. Believe it or not, you can even feed blackbirds by hand; utilising a little patience that is. Larger birds, such as the Rooks and the Jackdaws tend to follow in the wake of breadcrumbs left when feeding the duckies. Dunnocks come in close, but have not yet managed to brave mankind & Jays will quickly make an appearance to pick off bread from the ground before heading back into the trees.

Below shows part of an arm owned by Tracee and an approaching Great Tit + a parked Robin Red Breast.

Luckily the day ended with a brief sighting (plus plenty of singing) from a Blackcap jumping around in a tree by the pond near to the entrance.

My next post will be all about the delightful world of digibinning... prepare for lots of out of focus dribble.

General update: Part 1

Stithians Reservoir: 16.06.07
A quick 15 minutes stop at this watery world produced a few Sedge Warblers, more Willow Warblers and the usual Dunnocks, Chiffchaffs, Blackbirds and other dreary flying creatures to which many of my trips are becoming well noted for spotting. In fact, if I see something small resembling a bird, I tend to accept my luck generally runs out the minute I wake up and announce the bird to be nothing more than a Sparrow and have done with it.

I spent 5 minutes watching the young Buzzard preening itself before deciding to head off back home.

Crowan Church: 17.06.07
Not much happening down this end today. The Jackdaws had fledged and could be seen (and more importantly heard) flying around with mummy & daddy. A Magpie was being lovingly assaulted in mid air strikes by a Collared Dove and a Chaffchiff perched on the telegraph wire for a good few minutes watching the commotion.

Home sweet home: This week.
The House Sparrows which are currently nesting around this area (including a large brood in the honeysuckle sharing our garden and a neighbour’s) have been out on mass. There must be around 8 pairs coming to the garden to feed, including young, making up to around 15 sparras at any given time.

A family of Magpies (2 young + parents) have been coming regularly to the garden to feed, which is always a lovely site. At first much of the feeding has been done with mother or father watching over them, although recently they have been coming alone. Then, much to my surprise, this morning before leaving for Redruth I counted 5 young Magpies hopping around the garden (our two plus the rogue three). I assume they have got together to start some kind of gang…

The Chaffinches have yet to return to feeding in the garden, as it is always around baby making time they head off to Patch One to breed. The same goes with the Wrens and the Bullfinches.

I’m currently filming what does make it to the garden, which tends to be the larger birds who usually arrive when they are heading back to roost over yonder somewhere…