The Seals of Donna Nook

When you go to a nature reserve in quest of a certain species, you expect it to be difficult. You expect to have to cover a lot of ground while being super stealthy in order to catch a glimpse of something a long way away, and produce a blurry "record shot" of the creature involved.

Donna Nook is completely counter intuitive to that. In order to find a seal, you merely park, ascend a short track over the dune, and the bloody things are literally sleeping right under your nose in their hundreds, making no attempt to move away from the crowds.

The pups are entirely unprotected by their parents, who seem to spend their time further away doing big belly slides on the mud while occasionally chasing after each other in a desultory fashion. Apparently they understand the fence, and what its for, and any human jumping over is subject to immediate attack, which I would not fancy being on the end of.

Amongst these huge inert bodies, there were lots of small brown wading birds that I couldn't identify, but these birds were not the reason why it was the busiest nature reserve I've ever been to.

No everyone was here to see the seals, the easiest wildlife experience possible, these largely immobile sacks of blubber in many colours.

Wonderful things.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.12.19

I Bought the Guy a Drink

I, like many people, have been  worried about our wildlife i this hot weather, and I was walking home last night thinking that I hadn't seen a hedgehog for a while.

The South Parade Park is looking very brown and scorched at the moment, and not exactly looking like it is alive with juicy slugs and worms. In my own garden area I've heard a lot  of snuffling and rustling in the undergrowth  lately, but not actually seen anything prickly until last night.

This young character was scuttling alongthe drive.

I immediately got a bowl of water and left it out for him, hoping he'd find some solid food as well.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.07.18

Doh a Deer...

I was out walking along the cycle path, a couple pf miles out of town by the old British Gypsum place which now seems to be home to a French company making washbasins and toilets for the luxury market. I had just gone past the little section of woodland where occasionally Polish folk set up little encampments and tents.

No-one there at the moment, but the rubbish and filth still is, sadly. 

I had decided against crossing the land where a certain member of a certain community had threatened me last year - I could see there was a bonfire and that someone might be around. So I took the turn off onto the road.

I had been listening to Desert Island Discs where the guest, a mixed race composer and double bassist had been of how her Nigerian father had first taught her music by singing "Twinkle Twinkle" at her, and that she had then got into "The Sound of Music" in a big way, and that would be her next choice.

And right at the moment that Julie Andrews sang "Doh a deer, a female deer" a female muntjack deer, about the size of an alsation dog, suddenly skittered across the path directly in front of me, about 5 metres away!

I thought it might have been a roe deer at first, but the longer flashing white tail rather than white bum of the roe indicated it was a muntjac, a species I've never seen before. 

I was thrilled to see it - they've been reported in town before but I've never seen one.

It topped even seeing three egrets on the BLue Lake now, and 6 goosander as well!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 11.02.18

The Runner's Friend

Found myself out running late last night; it was deep twilight as I ran along the cycle track with a following wind, making a decent pace for a change; I ended up doing about 25.30 for the 5km.

What may have helped was having a pacemaker. As I approached the railway station, I noticed that I was being raced by a small, low slung entity about 10 metres ahead of me.

I've never seen a hedgehog run so fast - it took me a few seconds to catch up with it! Specimen in good nick too.

Always pleased to see them about, safe away from roads.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 12.08.17

The Lapwings and the Shrew

Put myself in the pain zone today, he says using macho gymspeak, by flogging myself on a 17km over two hours through the Owl Land, through a Hawton suddenly seeming short of colour, and then to Farndon before coming home along the river.

The sun gradually retreated further into the cloud the further I ran, and a wet weather front began to line up ominously along the far horizon. The council has begun the annual verge murder along the cycle path, but it could be worse, they have only chopped back the initial metre or so. I just wish they'd wait till October.

Two main attractions of note today. One was in the Owl Land, where recently I haven't seen a whole lot of interest. Well today, I flushed a large flock of perhaps 150-200 lapwings up from the long grass barely ten metres away, black and white flashing wings prominent.

I've barely seen a lapwing since spring, so it was welcome to come across them again. These birds are presumably heading South in fits and starts.

The next thing was when I was on the power station reach of the river path, having yet again failed to take an in focus picture of a common blue damselfly. Wretched things perhaps live permanently out of focus, I think. Like ghosts.

Anyway, I was running along, when I noticed a brown scuttling form at my feet. It decided to play the "Freeze, and I'm invisible game" when it realised there was a humanoid giant in its path, thus giving me plenty of time to inspect it.

It was a tiny little shrew, the first I've seen alive, and it was shuddering, tiny heart pounding all the beats to a minute. I took a couple of photographs quickly then left it to it, to hide amongst the ragwort and himalayan balsam.

A fine couple of prizes for the day, I think!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 19.08.15

Hoverfly on Polish neighbour's lily

Marmalade hoverfly

Almost a good macro shot

Holly blue at library

Ragged small white

Damn that shadow!

Lapwings

Off into the south

Buddleia bee

Common blue damselfly, as good as I could get

Power station

Little shrew!

Close up

Swiss roll in the fields time

Fly grazed under the bypass

Unobliging peacock

Lovely boat on the river