Non-target captures on OtterCam

The otter family has been keeping a lower profile recently.  At one stage they were absent from the cameras for a week, possibly because the mother is taking the cubs farther afield to show them that there is more to the world than one lake.  They also haven't shown up much in daylight recently but here's a little night-time wrestling match between the two cubs who seemed to be taking it very seriously.  They are now bigger than their poor mother and I think she got a nip at one stage.

At present fewer than 1% of the trail camera recordings show otters.  Many of the others are of non-target species, especially moorhens, water rails, coots, robins, reed buntings, dunnocks, blackbirds, herons and wood mice.  Last week there were three notable captures of non-target species.  First a common snipe with the added bonus of a Cetti's warbler singing, a little grebe and a bumblebee on the audio track.  I even heard and saw the Cetti's when I was checking the cameras.

Then a stoat, first in daytime and then at night.  Being a stoat it was too fast for most of the cameras but this is what they saw between them.  It is interesting that the stoat is aware of the cameras switching on in the dark.

Thirdly a badger who was very aware of the cameras switching on as well.  The Cetti's warbler was singing in complete darkness.

The reaction of the stoat and the badger to the cameras is interesting.  The first time a trail camera switches on at night there is a click from the mechanical infrared filter moving into position but these weren't the first recordings of the night which probably shows that both animals can see the low-glow (850nm) infrared light.

I am having big problems with false triggers on the cameras in their current positions - recordings made when there is no animal at all.  It seems to be caused by the waving shadows of the reeds on sunny days and because of the cameras' positions there isn't much I can do about it.  It fills up the cards and runs down the (rechargeable) batteries so it isn't the end of the world but it does mean I have over 1000 videos to look through each week.

Finally a little bonus from the mallards, who never seem to look where they are going even in daylight.

End of year favourites - Aves (elsewhere)

I haven't taken as many bird photos this year as usual, probably because I have been distracted by other things such as dragonflies, bees and hornets.  Here are a few birds I did see.

The not-so-common common snipe

In normal circumstances in Gosforth Park we don't often see the sort of birds that like poking about in mud.  However, the recent prolonged drought has meant that the water level is very low and several more unusual birds have been attracted to explore the mud.  A few common snipes have been visiting in recent days and this one seemed either to be unaware of me or unworried by the noise of the camera.  I am used to hearing and seeing these birds at a distance but seeing this one close up was a chance to appreciate the beauty of its plumage.

Snipe nest

This is the 13th year that I have counted birds for the BTO Breeding Bird Survey on a km square in Northumberland near Wark Forest.  Despite the title, the survey looks for the presence of birds in the breeding season, rather than evidence of breeding, but I do occasionally stumble across a nest.  In the past I have seen meadow pipit and curlew nests and this time I flushed a snipe when I was almost on top of it.  The bird sat tight until  I was a metre away, relying on its camouflage.  I expect if I had been a couple of metres either side I would have walked straight past without it moving.  I took the opportunity of taking a few photos before walking on.  This is the nest from 0.5m so you can see how well it is hidden.

There were four beautifully camouflaged eggs.

I heard the tick-tock call of a snipe from the nest area once I had moved 100m or so away so I am sure the bird happily resumed incubation.  I heard another bird drumming in the sky a few 100 metres farther on.  You can hear both the tick-tock and the drumming here.

Bird of the Week - Common snipe

I was lucky to see a snipe showing off its beautiful camouflage in Gosforth Park Nature Reserve this week.

The snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a shy bird and is not often seen on the ground.  At this time of year it is performing its territorial display, flying fast across the sky and diving with its side tail feathers stuck out to produce a low-pitched throbbing sound known as drumming - some people think it sounds like a goat bleating.  Here is a pencil sketch of a snipe drumming by the famous Scottish artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935).

Snipes are not common and their numbers declined dramatically between 1975 and 1995, mainly due to loss of habitat.

The breeding population is mostly confined to upland and wetland areas.

This is boosted by a larger number of winter visitors.

The snipe is a blackbird-sized wader and was (and is) hunted for sport.  A "snipe hunt" is a fool's errand or imposed wild goose chase.  Because they are small and secretive and fly at high speed snipes are challenging targets for marksmen, which how we got the term "sniper" for a sharpshooter shooting from cover.  This is Thomas Bewick's snipe shooter.

Bewick also called the common snipe "the snite" and "the heather-bleater".  He wrote in A History of British Birds in 1797 "... when undisturbed, the Snipe walks leisurely, with its head erect, and at short intervals keeps moving the tail. But in this state of tranquility it is very rarely to be seen, as it is extremely watchful, and perceives the sportsman or his dog at a great distance, and instantly conceals itself among the variegated withered herbage, so similar in appearance to its own plumage, that it is almost impossible to discover it while squatted motionless in its seat: it seldom, however, waits the near approach of any person, particularly in open weather, but commonly springs, and takes flight at a distance beyond the gun.  When first disturbed, it utters a kind of feeble whistle, and generally flies against the wind, turning nimbly in a zigzag direction for two or three hundred paces, and sometimes soaring out of sight; its note is then something like the bleating of a goat, but this is changed to a singular humming or drumming noise, uttered in its descent.*

From its vigilance and manner of flying, it is one of the most difficult birds to shoot.  Some sportsmen can imitate their cries, and by that means draw them within reach of their shot;  others,of a less honourable description, prefer the more certain and less laborious method of catching them in the night by a springe like that which is used for the Woodcock.".

* From this comment I presume Bewick thought the drumming was a call rather than a non-vocal sound.

He also wrote "The Snipe is a very fat bird, but its fat does not cloy, and very rarely disagrees with even the weakest stomach.  It is much esteemed as a delicious and well flavoured dish, and is cooked in the same manner as the Woodcock".

You can listen to a recording of the drumming here and to Kate Humble's BBC Radio 4 Tweet of the Day on snipe here.

Birds of the week

It has been a mainly dragonfly week so here are a few waders.  Redshank, ruff and snipe from the Ponteland hide at Hauxley.

And a snipe at Big Waters.