Wildlife Wherever: Last day of May

I have to start on a sad note.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-190624

Yet another chapter in the long history of raptor persecution. My guess is that in today's climate where raptor persecution has become a more widely addressed issue, with the RSPB doing a lot to make people aware, incidents like this are now just a big two fingers up in the face of conservationists from whoever is behind it. When I think of raptor killings I often think of gamekeepers and their associates and they are usually the most likely culprits but I suppose in today's bizzarre world it could be anyone who decides they don't like birds of prey.

Things got even more ridiculous earlier this year when the queen donated money to 'Songbird Survival', a "charity" based in Norfolk that advocates the killing of magpies and sparrowhawks among other species as a means to increase songbird numbers. They claim that the removal of magpies has a beneficial effect on song thrushes, however, my local nature reserve has plenty of both. They claim to include in their ranks, "ornitologists" and "rspb members". As one RSPB volunteer said when asked if they ever had to "control" bird numbers, "we are the the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds." This "charity" is at best a group of very ill-informed people but unfortunately, it is more likely a veil for the interests of those with a vested interest in the removal of raptors and corvids. The fact that Queenie donated an undisclosed (read: large) sum of money seems to point to ties with something even more dubious than they're apalling website suggests. The royal family, they own a few shooting estates right? Anyone remember the incident at Sandringham?

Anyway...

Got out quite early yesterday as I went to the National Water Sports Centre for a spot of rafting, which was fun, but what of the birds? Several sand martins flew past my head as I was paddling up the trent - fantastic - plenty of swallows too. Another highlight was a buzzard mobbed by a few crows. A common tern was flying along the Trent too, presumably toward Attenborough where there are quite a few. An array of feral geese included various hybrids with a few Anser x Branta (presumably Greylag x Canada, although swan goose probably wasn't out of the question, didn't really have time to examine) among them, typically bigger than all the others. All the usual waterfowl you might expect about. It seems like a pretty good place for a few birds, even a whitethroat singing from a bush (they are everywhere at the minute).

A coot chick at NWSC

Attenborough was a pleasant afternoon's wandering. Weather not as good as it had been in the morning but alright for birds. Busy Saturday afternoon so a few idiots about, inlcluding one guy who prevented me from getting the my first decent shot of a whitethroat. "Want one o' me?! I'm very photogenic!" "No, sod off." Another couple of idiots were messing about in a little inflatable dingy not far from the hide.

A few wigeon were visible on the scrape as well as 5 or 6 grey herons. There's also a few pochard about elsewhere that I only noticed later on when the light was fading, on the way out towards the village, they were hanging around with a couple of tufted ducks. An interesting incident occurred when a carrion crow came down to feed on the seed dropped under the feeding station by the hide, video here.

Crow, Rat and Mallards

Other highlights included a passing lapwing, the only wader I saw, a stock dove feeding by the visitor centre and a reed warbler singing its heart out on a reed by the visitor centre.

Dunnock on a thorny branch

The whitethroats were obvious as usual but no photos worth uploading. thanks man. A couple of chiffchaffs were very agitated and calling the loud "hu-it" call as they flitted around in a tree by the bridge. Later on the way out there was a group of at least 5 blackcaps all moving about together, both male and female and making little "chrr" calls. I've never seen so many all together before.

Chiffchaff with a meal