Tag: UK wildlife

It’s that time of year again – seal pups in Norfolk

It’s that time of year again – seal pups in Norfolk

Eric James Loh

It’s December, so that means it was time for our annual pilgrimage to North Norfolk to see the grey seals and their pups at Blakeney Point, Horsey Gap and, now Winterton. Like everyone else, we’ve not traveled as much as usual this year (i wonder why? ;-)), but we couldn’t miss this trip.

Braving the cold, but thankfully no pouring rain or winds this year, we started with the boat trip out to Blakeney Point from Morston Quay with Temples Seal Trips (we’ve also been with Beans Boats a few times and they’re also recommended). Unfortunately this year we weren’t able to book one of the trips where we could land on the point and walk around, but being on the boat gives a different experience and almost as good viewing, with hundreds of seals on the beaches and floating in the sea, keeping a wary eye on us visitors.

After a cosy night in Blakeney, we traveled on to Horsey Gap for seals experience number 2! No boats needed at Horsey, just park up (pay for your parking ticket) and wander a few yards along the path, up and on to the dunes and you’re presented with a beach load of seals. The Friends of Horsey Seals do a wonderful job manning the car park, setting up the paths and keeping a watchful eye on seals and visitors to ensure that the seals not disturbed and can come back every year to their birthing and nursing grounds.

Another part of our Horsey tradition is lunch at Poppylands, the WWII themed cafe just a across the road from the access road to Horsey Gap and in spite of it being very busy (always a sign that you’ve selected the right lunch spot) we got a table and had a delicious lunch.

Finally, we made our way to Winterton for our third seal watch of the trip. Its a bit of a walk from the car park to the beach access point, but once there, the seals are in abundance. This year, it was best to stay up on the dunes to see the seals, but normally you can get down to the beach and see them at eye level (if you lie down).

We’ll definitely be back again in 2021, lockdowns permitting!

Lock Down Wildlife Walks – Peregrine Falcons, Kestrels and Skylarks in London!

Lock Down Wildlife Walks – Peregrine Falcons, Kestrels and Skylarks in London!

Eric James Loh

Peregrine Falcons and Kestrels! Within sight of the London Shard!

Roundshaw Downs, on the site of the former Croydon Airport, is now an almost natural grassy chalkland habitat. With the A217 forming one border of the site and the towers of Croydon, the IKEA chimneys and the Shard all in view, it feels both an urban and a rural setting at the same time. As you entire the site, there are information boards telling you about the habitat and that there are skylarks and a pair of kestrels resident, however there was nothing about Peregrine’s there. I’ve lived here for about 5 years now and, although I’ve visited a few times, had never seen either…until the lock down that is.

In these times strange times of being unable to travel to see wildlife and having just one daily form of exercise, we feel really lucky to have this local nature reserve pretty much on our back doorstep.

A blue tit
Forget-me-knots
Long tailed tit

Our daily walks with our 12 month old Benjamin, have become a regular wildlife-spotting adventure. The first thing that strikes you upon entering the Roundshaw Downs, is the sound of bird calls all around you, with the song of the skylark an almost constant backdrop, along with blackbirds, blue tits and Starlings Although you can hear the skylarks everywhere, they do seem to be hard to spot, hiding in the long grass, but we’ve been lucky to spot a couple.

Second is that it is good to see that the Downs are absolutely full of pollinators, with honeybees and bumblebees seemingly everywhere, attracted by the abundance of wildflowers including forget-me-knots and carpets of bluebells in the shade of the trees.

Bluebells
Male kestrel
Starling

However, the most exciting thing for me is finally seeing kestrels, or more specifically a male (one of a mating pair, I assume) which we see 2 or 3 times a week now, letting us get a good idea of his favourite perches and hunting grounds. Kestrels, with their hovering behaviour whilst hunting, are probably my favourite bird, so to know that we have a pair just around the corner from home feels comforting and our lock down walk is always the highlight of the day.

Skylark
Skylark

Note: All photos have been taken handheld with only a 70-300 mm lens and with a 12 month old strapped to me, which presents its own challenges, both in terms of the time you have to take a shot and being able to get in the best position!

Its seal time again – Harwich / Walton-on-the-Naze

Its seal time again – Harwich / Walton-on-the-Naze

Eric James Loh

Autumn has been a season of seal watching so far and last weekend was no different. It was also another new location for us, taking a boat from the port of Harwich in Essex with Sealwatching.co.uk.

Sealwatching.co.uk boat
A few godwits on the way to see the seals, Harwich
Little Egret, Harwich
First few common seals, Harwich
Common seal gang chilling, Harwich

The boat left from the quay at Harwich Dock and motored out through the port, past the huge shipping container port and along the much more pleasant beach at Dovercourt for about 45 minutes until reaching Hamford Water Nature Reserve. It was there that we found the seals. First just one or two in the water, then a couple more basking on the banks, until we spotted another group of about 50 hauled up ahead. As we approached, they spooked and started launching themselves into the water, making quite a splash as they went.

Hen Harrier, Harwich
Common seals, Harwich
Common seals, Harwich
Common seal, Harwich
Common seal, Harwich

It was interesting to see a few of them skipping along, jumping in and out of the water like dolphins playing. The boat hung around for a while as we watched the seals (and i’m sure a hen harrier way off in the distance), before we headed back, this time with the tide, to be back at the dock within 30 minutes.

It was a very pleasant way to spend two hours and the crew took good care of us, providing binoculars if needed and a running commentary of the sites along the way and a history of the local landmarks.

Common seal, Harwich
Lighthouses, Dovercourt
Gulls, Dovercourt
Red fox, Hanningford Reservoir
Common seals, Harwich

Before heading home, we stopped off at Essex Wildlife Trust’s Hanningford Resevoir for a quick trundle along their Wind In the Willows inspired nature walk, coffee, cake and dropping in and our of a couple of their hides for a quick peak.

Seals from Burnham-on-Crouch…sorry it’s late part 2

Seals from Burnham-on-Crouch…sorry it’s late part 2

Eric James Loh

Those very few of you who may follow this blog will have seen that we go to Burnham-on-Crouch quite often to see the seals and back in mid-September my wife and i went again, this time with baby Benjamin!

Little Egret strutting at Burnham-on-Crouch
Seal snout
Common Seal Burnham-on-Crouch
Common Seal Burnham-on-Crouch
Common Seal Burnham-on-Crouch

This time, it was just a day trip, but we did go again with Discovery Charters and met up again with our friend Noodles the dog.

It was another great day of seal watching, but also some pleasant sightings of water birds. I swear every time we go that the number of birds is increasing massively. The great work that the RSPB has done as Wallasea Island has not only created a great habitat for the returning birds, but has also helped to de-silt the river Crouch.

I won’t take too much time with words here, but just let the photos do the talking!

Common Seal Burnham-on-Crouch
Common Seal Burnham-on-Crouch
Curlew

Seals from Chichester Harbour…sorry its a bit late part 1

Seals from Chichester Harbour…sorry its a bit late part 1

Eric James Loh

A few months back my wife found out about another colony of seals (grey and common) within easy distance of home, with trips running out of Chichester Harbour. So back in early September we drove down and went on a boat trip with Chichester Harbour Water Tours (other operators are also available).

The habour itself is a good 15 minute drive away from Chichester (taking traffic in to consideration) so if you’re in Chichester for a look, give yourself plenty of time to get there – which we did not and had to rush!

 

Godwit in Chichester Harbour
Little Egret in Chichester Harbour
Sail boats in Chichester Harbour
Chichester Harbour
…relax. Chichester Harbour seal

 

The area around the harbour is a good place for walks and there’s a nice cafe also.

The trip from the harbour to where the seals can be seen is lovely with  sailing boats, sailing clubs and waterbirds to spot along the way and once there we had great views of the seals in the water and on the sand banks. It was certainly worth the drive down and the rush!

 

Common Seal, Chichester Harbour
Common Seal, Chichester Harbour
Common Seal, Chichester Harbour

Inverness and the Moray Firth

Inverness and the Moray Firth

Eric James Loh

So, a flying visit…literally.

An Easyjet flight up to Inverness on a Friday night, 2 nights in Nairn and a flight back to Gatwick on Sunday evening, all with a 4 month-old baby? Sounds crazy, but we had heard about the Scottish Dolphin Centre a while back, where you can potentially see bottle-nosed dophins from the shore and decided we had to go.

The Scottish Dolphin Centre is run by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) charity, through which Heather has adopted one of the dolphins, Spirit. It sits on the mouth of the River Spey in a former salmon fishing station. We started the day with a tour of the ice house where, as the name implies, was used to store ice for preserving the salmon back in the day. The ice house is now used for exhibitions and “dry dives”, where videos of underwater wildlife is shown. After a nice lunch in the centre, we went on a guided wildlife walk (2.15pm, April 1st to October 31st) with Adam, one of the guides.

Mouth of the River Spey
What’s spooked those birds?
This osprey!
Osprey
Osprey

The walk, started with some time looking for dolphins from the centre, but alas with no luck, so we headed along the river spotting huge number so gulls and other seabirds. Soon after something spooked them and sure enough 2 osprey appeared from up river. We trekked along the river looking for otters, but again nothing this time. After the tour, Heather and I went further down the river and crossed the old railway bridge, now converted to be part of the national cycle network and as we crossed, another osprey came over head.

View from Burghead Visitor Centre
Another view from Burghead Visitor Centre

After the Dolphin centre, we drove to a few other places along the firth where there is supposed to be good chances of seeing more wildlife, Portgordon for seals, Burghead (dolphins from the Burghead Visitor Centre – a former coastguard lookout) and Hopeman East Beach (dolphins again), but had no more luck. That was the enough for day one, so head back to our apartment in Nairn for dinner and good nights sleep.

Sunday morning, we drove down to the Clansman’s Harbour for a boat trip on Loch Ness with Jacobite cruises. We just did a short trip from the harbour to Urquhart Castle and back, but it was enough to get a good feel for the Loch and to hear all the stories about the fabled monster. We had some time to kill following the cruise so we drove a few miles down the road to the Loch Ness Centre for an immersive exhibition about the monster and all the attempts down the years to prove whether or not it really exists. Let’s just say, it is unlikely!

Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness
A grey seal in the Inner Moray
A cormorant drying out on the Inner Moray Firth
A common tern on the Inner Moray Firth

Our last activity for the weekend was a wildlife cruise with Dolphin Spirit from Inverness Marina. Dolphin Spirit offer two tours, one on the Dolphin Spirit which is more sedate and another on Dolphin Mischief, a RIB, for the more adventurous. With our little one, we were on the Dolphin Spirit this time around, but otherwise we would probable have taken the RIB. It was a nice trip, no dolphins again, but we saw some grey seals, some cormorants and a common tern.

It was a great weekend, with beautiful coastlines and countryside, lovely people, nice food and some nice wildlife spotting, but no dolphins this time round. However, it was enough to make us want to go back, for a week at least next time!

Wildlife on your doorstep – Fox cubs in the garden

Wildlife on your doorstep – Fox cubs in the garden

Eric James Loh

If you had seen my last post, you will have seen why we haven’t been travelling much recently, however the last week has shown us that you don’t need to go very far to see interesting wildlife and more than that, you don’t even have to leave your property.

We live in Wallington, South London and although it’s not the centre of the metropolis, it’s not exactly rural either. My wife had bought me a trail camera, or camera trap for my birthday in January and I was waiting for a chance to use it. A few weeks ago, whilst looking for something in the garden shed, i heard a few mewing noises, seemingly coming from underneath or at the back of the shed. This, along with the freshly dug hole under the side of the shed led me to believe that a vixen had made her den there. So, this was an excellent opportunity to set up the trail camera and see if I could discover if my hunch was correct. I set up the camera about a month ago and waited. I checked it a few times and all i had was a few images of the vixen, but when I checked again on Sunday, was rewarded with these images of mother and at least 4 cubs making their first playful steps out and about the world.

I’m not sure what the white thing is that mother and cubs had in their mouths, but it looks like it made a great first toy.

I’ve put the camera back up, hanging from the washing-line pole and see what else i can capture in the coming weeks.

Seeing the deer rut at Knepp

Seeing the deer rut at Knepp

Eric James Loh

Those of you who follow the blog (not many I grant you), may have noticed that we go to the Knepp re-wilding project quite often. It’s just an hour’s drive from home and has a lot to see. However, this was our first time in the deer rut season.

Knepp is divided in to 3 “blocks”, the northern block, the middle block (where the owners of Knepp, the Burrells, country house is) and the southern block. All of our previous visits have been to the Southern block as that is where the camp site is and where most of the other “safaris” take place. We had previously walked through the middle block, but this was our first proper visit there.

We arrived for 8.30am on a very cold and frosty Saturday morning and was greeted by the site of a stag in the mist as soon as we drove through the gates and on to the estate. This was a sure sign of a great morning ahead.

Darren started off by giving us a presentation on the project at Knepp, about all of the different species on the site and how they all contribute to bringing the site back to a relatively natural and sustainable state. As well as all of the fantastic mammals on site, Knepp is home to a large (and growing) population of purple emperor butterflies, scarcely seen turtle doves and tuneful nightingales. However, it was deer rut season and we were there for the deer!

A dominant male sniffing the air
Frightened off by a bigger male, he looks back at what he has lost
A magnificent stag

Darren told us about the three species of deer that call Knepp home, these are (in size order, smallest first) roe deer, fallow deer and red deer, the largest land mammal in the UK. I have to say I learned quite a lot in this introduction to deer. For example, did you know that fallow deer have twice been hunted to extinction in Great Britain and twice been reintroduced by foreign invaders? First by the Romans and then by the Norman conquerors who brought them over to form deer parks. Or that a deer’s antlers, even the really big ones, grow annually in the space of only 2 or 3 months.  Also, did you know that many terms used in common English today find their roots in the life-cycle of deer? For example “prick” comes from a buck in their second (or prickets) with unbranched antlers who generally behave like a nuisance or “pricks” in the rutting season.

Anyway, once the presentation was over, we piled into the ex-Austrian army transport that the guys at Knepp use for their safaris. We set off into the cold and soon found a herd of red deer, a large stag and his “harem” of hinds. The stag was in his element, grunting, roaring and sniffing the air. However, after just a few minutes a huge stag with antlers which seemed to be 6-foot across appeared. He looked like he had come straight out of an advert for scotch whisky. Our previously confident stag, knew he was no match for the newcomer and slowly sloped off, looking back ruefully every few steps. Although two males will fight over the right to mate, it is a last resort, they would rather not risk injury or death if they can help it.

DSC_2143
The victorious stag

Next we headed out to find the fallow deer. The mating rituals of the fallow deer differ from the red deer in that they lek. “What’s a lek?” I hear you say. A lek is where the males congregate in mating area, each claiming their own piece of territory (which they return to every year), scraping the soil and urinating in the area making it as attractive to the does as possible. The does will then come over the most desirable male to mate. We saw a number of males, each in their own lek groaning and calling out. We stopped there for a while, getting out of the truck and consuming the provided tea and sausage baps, which were very welcome on such a cold morning.

Males roe deer in their lech
The ruins of Knepp Castle

The safari finished with a drive round some of the other interesting feature in the middle block, the ruins of the old Knepp Castle, the old iron mill pond (now home to a number of water fowl) and the new Knepp castle, home to the Burrells).

It was great to see these mating behaviours for the first time and we’re looking forward to going back to Knepp again sometime next year.

A weekend’s camping at Knepp – Buzzards, pigs, deer and a kestrel?

A weekend’s camping at Knepp – Buzzards, pigs, deer and a kestrel?

Eric James Loh

This was our second trip to the Knepp re-wilding project in West Sussex, the first was an afternoon’s dusk safari, whereas this time we went for a weekend’s camping with a self-guided wall around the project.

We arrived on Friday evening and quickly set up our tent. We bought some firewood and kindling from the on-site store, so we could get a fire going in the fire-pit that comes provided with each pitch.  On the way back to our tent we saw a bird of prey hovering and hunting over the heath-land next to the campsite, we’d left our camera and binoculars with the tent so couldn’t identify it in the dusk light, but hoped it would come back the next day.

Glamping at Knepp
Entrance to Knepp campsite
One of the facility areas at Knepp campsite (pizza oven included)

We got up early on Saturday morning, had a shower in the great facilities and made breakfast over the camp-stove. We decided to do a walk round the grounds to, see what we could find for ourselves. Last time we camped we did the “country-pub walk”, so this time we chose the Castle loop, which is about 8.8 km long. The site provides some handy printed maps of the walks you can do around the grounds and the way is marked with colour-coded stripes on sign posts along the way.

Tamworth Pig, Knepp
Common buzzard, Knepp
Common buzzard, Knepp

Almost as soon as we first strode on to the trail, we saw (and heard) a couple of common buzzards, soaring and circling looking for prey. Not long after, we came across a couple of Tamworth pigs, fast asleep by the path. They woke up when we approach, but didn’t seem too bothered, and as they stirred, a piglet came trotting on to the scene.

Dotted around the project are a number of wooden viewing platform, built into the boughs of trees, acting like high-rise hides over the ranges and we climbed up into a view as we trundled around. We stopped for lunch at the Countryman Pub in Shipley around half-way round for much needed refreshments. After lunch we passed the Shipley windmill and on to Knepp castle. Close to the castle we saw a large herd of fallow deer, complete with very impressive antlers.

Fallow deer, Knepp
Fallow deer, Knepp
Viewing platform, Knepp
Lancaster bomber, Knepp
Knepp ruins

There was also another tree-top viewing platform near the castle and as we descended we heard a deep, rumble coming closer. Soon a Lancaster bomber came past us, low and slow. I believe there are only 2 of these incredible aircraft left flying and only 1 in the UK, so this was probably the rarest sight we would see all year!

We were on the home stretch now, dipped into a bird hide overlooking the mill-pond, which seemed well stocked with swans and coots, before seeing the single-wall that is left of the Norman keep at the old Knepp ruins. We arrived back at camp for a bit of a rest before making another well-earned supper on the fire-pit. Luckily the mystery bird of prey did make a comeback that evening over the heath and I had my camera ready. The light was failing and it was at the extreme range of my 300mm lens, but I fired off a few shots and am pretty sure it was a kestrel. The first time I had ever seen one.

Kestrel at Knepp
Kestrel at Knepp
Kestrel at Knepp

Knepp is one of our favourite places to visit whether its camping or safari and I’m sure we’ll go back again. I think we may try glamping next time!

 

Back to Blandford – Is that an Otter? No, it’s a mink!

Back to Blandford – Is that an Otter? No, it’s a mink!

Eric James Loh

So, yesterday we had a free Sunday and made the drive down to one of our favourite haunts in Blandford in the hope of seeing some otters and maybe kingfishers too. We arrived late in morning, bought some supplies and set up some camp chairs by the river in a spot where we had some success previously.

Before long a loud splash was heard to our right. No otter, but a dog jumping in, chasing a tossed ball and cooling itself in the river. This was repeated throughout the day,  with various pooches. We began to think that this was not to be our day, there is no way an otter is going to come out when the river is full of dogs! Or maybe it was just too hot?

Late in the afternoon, we strolled to a few other points along the river, but no sightings. Finally, we tried one last spot, more secluded and with more shade. Moments after we sat down by the bank, some dark, willowy shapes appeared on the opposite bank, slivering down into the water and beneath an overhanging outcrop of rocks. 1, 2, 3? Are they otters? Aren’t they a bit small? Are they pups?

 

Mink, Blandford Forum
Mink, Blandford Forum
Mink, Blandford Forum

I fired off a few quick shots before they disappeared and zoomed in on the screen. No, not otters. Are they weasels or a stoats? Hmm, don’t think so. With the aid of a google search, it turns out they were mink. A non-native species, now found over a lot of England.

We headed off for home, happy that the day wasn’t a complete blank and then also spotted a little egret, before it was scared off by another dog jumping in the water.

DSC_0928 (2)