25 April 2006
Visit to my route for the BTO Breeding Bird Survey
I haven't written for a few days now, mainly because I haven't done anything of any interest to me, let alone anyone else. I have just done the normal stuff, shopping, walking the dog, eating, cleaning out the pets. Did visit my friend yesterday for a couple of hours and had a walk down "The Dingles" again, which I posted about last week.
This afternoon turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous spring day, but I didn't feel particularly like going too far, but the dog kept pestering me to go out so in the end I decided to take another look at the route I am to survey for the BTO Breeding bird survey I have volunteered to do. I have already been down once and sussed out exactly where it was, and the lie of the land, but haven't gone any further with it, the forms look a bit daunting, although I can do it online, I haven't really looked properly to be honest, I haven't been in the right frame of mind at all lately for complications. I think I still have plenty of time though, but they recommend doing the survey between 6 am and 7 am, which doesn't appeal to me very much! Mine will be more like 9 am I think. Anyhow, the last time I went down there it had been dry for ages, not so today, it was very muddy, ending up carrying Emma over a particularly evil load of sludge, but there was worse to come and in the end I just had to let her plod through it, as did I. I didn't walk as far as I had last time either, as I could see a couple of cows out further down the track, so did an abrupt about turn before they saw me (I hope) I still kept looking back over my shoulder though just in case. I won't go anywhere near cows I'm afraid, not with my dog as well, comes from a nasty experience mum and I had with cows on Romney Marshes when I was a kid. Cows don't like dogs.
I tried to take note of all the birds I either saw or heard or both, which were 4 Magpies, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 2 Robins, 4 House Martins,Chaffinches, 1 Woodpigeon, 1 Crow, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Chiff Chaff or Willow Warbler (ooer,) and at the very end, chattering away to me on an overhead cable by my car, a Swallow. :o)
The first part of my route 1 goes through a farmyard, I feel awful walking right past people's houses, but I kept Emma on a short lead, last time, the people were in and said a cheery hello, so I guess they are used to it. They have all sorts of fancy fowl there including Buff Orpington chickens, and a Peacock, which I managed to get a photo of this time, although he is camera shy (or probably dog shy) and he had gone onto the shed roof by the time I was in range.
Anyway, managed to get a couple of things done here when I got back, cleaned the outside flight of my aviary and re-sanded, and shortened the hose pipe which was spurting a fountain through a split near the tap. Not much else though.
Oh, checked on Snuffles again this morning, just lifted his box lid up a bit, didn't rummage around in the straw to see if he was in there or not, but I guessed he was, he's taken in some of his own bedding too, there was a lot of moss and dead leaves in there now, bless him.
Last but not least, just looked out of the window as I was doing this to see a Song Thrush gathering a huge beakful of worms, and fly off with them. Haven't seen her here since the winter, and then it was only a couple of times. Hopefully now I will have a little family coming soon. They are so rare here.
The River Teifi on the border of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion
The Teifi looking down river in the opposite direction, looks great with the sun reflecting off the water.
Part of my route down the farm track
The Peacock in the farmyard
Other fancy fowl by the farm house
The start of my route - the farm house and track leading round the side
My route in the opposite direction, heading down towards the river which is round the bend here
The Church and graveyard which is the start of my route in either direction
This afternoon turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous spring day, but I didn't feel particularly like going too far, but the dog kept pestering me to go out so in the end I decided to take another look at the route I am to survey for the BTO Breeding bird survey I have volunteered to do. I have already been down once and sussed out exactly where it was, and the lie of the land, but haven't gone any further with it, the forms look a bit daunting, although I can do it online, I haven't really looked properly to be honest, I haven't been in the right frame of mind at all lately for complications. I think I still have plenty of time though, but they recommend doing the survey between 6 am and 7 am, which doesn't appeal to me very much! Mine will be more like 9 am I think. Anyhow, the last time I went down there it had been dry for ages, not so today, it was very muddy, ending up carrying Emma over a particularly evil load of sludge, but there was worse to come and in the end I just had to let her plod through it, as did I. I didn't walk as far as I had last time either, as I could see a couple of cows out further down the track, so did an abrupt about turn before they saw me (I hope) I still kept looking back over my shoulder though just in case. I won't go anywhere near cows I'm afraid, not with my dog as well, comes from a nasty experience mum and I had with cows on Romney Marshes when I was a kid. Cows don't like dogs.
I tried to take note of all the birds I either saw or heard or both, which were 4 Magpies, Great Tit, Blue Tit, 2 Robins, 4 House Martins,Chaffinches, 1 Woodpigeon, 1 Crow, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Chiff Chaff or Willow Warbler (ooer,) and at the very end, chattering away to me on an overhead cable by my car, a Swallow. :o)
The first part of my route 1 goes through a farmyard, I feel awful walking right past people's houses, but I kept Emma on a short lead, last time, the people were in and said a cheery hello, so I guess they are used to it. They have all sorts of fancy fowl there including Buff Orpington chickens, and a Peacock, which I managed to get a photo of this time, although he is camera shy (or probably dog shy) and he had gone onto the shed roof by the time I was in range.
Anyway, managed to get a couple of things done here when I got back, cleaned the outside flight of my aviary and re-sanded, and shortened the hose pipe which was spurting a fountain through a split near the tap. Not much else though.
Oh, checked on Snuffles again this morning, just lifted his box lid up a bit, didn't rummage around in the straw to see if he was in there or not, but I guessed he was, he's taken in some of his own bedding too, there was a lot of moss and dead leaves in there now, bless him.
Last but not least, just looked out of the window as I was doing this to see a Song Thrush gathering a huge beakful of worms, and fly off with them. Haven't seen her here since the winter, and then it was only a couple of times. Hopefully now I will have a little family coming soon. They are so rare here.
The River Teifi on the border of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion
The Teifi looking down river in the opposite direction, looks great with the sun reflecting off the water.
Part of my route down the farm track
The Peacock in the farmyard
Other fancy fowl by the farm house
The start of my route - the farm house and track leading round the side
My route in the opposite direction, heading down towards the river which is round the bend here
The Church and graveyard which is the start of my route in either direction# posted by flicker : 17:20
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
<< Home
