<![CDATA[Wilson's Wildlife

<![CDATA[Wilson's Wildlife - Blog]]>Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:27:12 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[You wait two years, then two come at once!]]>Thu, 30 May 2019 20:16:06 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/you-wait-two-years-then-two-come-at-onceToday, Mark and I headed for Pilling with the unlikely hope of bagging an Iberian Chiffchaff, flagged up by Birdguides just 20 minutes before we set off. If I bagged this one today, that would mean 2 winners in 2 weekends after a prolonged drought of 2 years!

Iberian Chiffchaff, 26/05/19, Pilling Lane Ends, Lancs. Conspicuous by its call, if nothing else.

We noticed the call was very different from a conventional Chiffchaff, starting off low in pitch, then getting higher, then ending in a rather messy crescendo. It showed pretty well under the windy circumstances.

Iberian Chiffchaff, 26/05/19, Pilling Lane Ends. The yellowish blush to the face is another indicator.

]]><![CDATA[Sprint for a Stint]]>Sat, 18 May 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/sprint-for-a-stintToday, Eddie and I headed for a completely new spot for us: Newton Marsh, near Fleckleton. Birdguides had indicated a Temminck's Stint in that area, so off we went to investigate...

Temminck's Stint, 18/05/19, Newton Marsh, Freckleton, Lancs. Cheers mate! My first bird winner in ages.

]]><![CDATA[Florida again.]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2018 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/florida-againAgain? Well, yes. Succumbing to my family's demands, we ended up in Orlando again this summer for yet another "once in a lifetime" experience. Apparently, there were some theme parks we hadn't done before. On that basis, I expect we'll be here next year too, and the next one... unless I put my foot down.

White Ibis, 20/08/18, Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida. Not an ideal roosting spot.

Clutching at straws for winners, I snapped away at any unusual wildlife...

After a few beers, I couldn't believe my luck. Not one, but TWO giant lobsters, perched on top of cars, 50 miles inland. Unbelievable scenes.

The giant lobsters were obviously guarding their babies, but my predatory daughter had other ideas.

The next day, my son convinced me that the giant lobsters weren't actually real. The cooked ones were real, but quite dead, so didn't really count as wildlife. Unperturbed, we headed to Universal Studios, which didn't disappoint...

Two giant penguins, very much alive and kicking. 22/08/18, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida.

My sanity was finally saved by a visit to a local hot-spot: Wekiwa Springs. Just half an hour from Orlando, this little-known gem is an oasis for wildlife (real wildlife) away from all the plastic and nonsense...

From the moment we arrived, I just knew I was going to like it here...

Holly finds a butterfly and picks it up, like she often does.

Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio Palamedes). A winner! It was moving about with no people inside it!

Red-bellied Turtle. Not moving around, but real I reckon, despite the ridiculous pose.

We hired 2 kayaks and headed off downstream only to encounter this beast weaving its way accross the water...

There are times when you wish some wildlife weren't real at all. Like house spiders in your bath, or lice in your hair, or a fly in your soup. However, this snake went as far as boarding our Kayak and nestling next to my leg. Whether it was a harmless Green Water Snake, or a venomous Water Moccasin, I didn't ask questions. I simply flicked it back into the water with a cool, nonchalant flick of the wrist, thus saving everyone's lives, like Spider-man would, or the Incredible Hulk.

So there you are folks: Florida in a nutshell. Like it or loathe it, you'd be a fool to like it. But it does throw up some interesting wildlife from time to time.

]]><![CDATA[Merry Mallards]]>Sat, 09 Jun 2018 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/merry-mallards

I knew it wouldn't be long until we had another brood of ducklings swimming on our pond and causing havoc in the back garden. These emerged from the reeds this morning for their first dip with mum.

]]><![CDATA[Lunt]]>Sun, 25 Mar 2018 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/luntLunt Meadows is a relatively new Wildlife Trust nature reserve just west of Maghull near Liverpool. It was Mark who drew my attention to it and today we decided to explore for the first time. This place is enormous: several square miles of marshland, forest and scrub, surely it would yield something on this windless sunny evening...

Barn owl, 25/03/18, Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve, Merseyside. There simply had to be an owl out tonight, the habitat and conditions were perfect.

Roe Deer, 25/03/18, Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve, Merseyside.

Greylag Goose, 25/04/18, Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve, Merseyside. Common but resplendent in the setting sunlight.

]]><![CDATA[Merry Fishmas]]>Tue, 26 Dec 2017 22:10:38 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/merry-fishmasGosh, its been so long since I updated my blog, I almost forgot how to do it. I must be getting old in my old age. So what's been happening? Not much to be honest... until today! Yes folks, Mark and I have been dangling our rods again, this time at Glasson Dock, still a great place to catch pike...

(This, by the way, is the first and last time I ever use a mobile phone to take a picture. Give me a proper camera any day of the week).

11 pound pike, 26/12/17, Glasson Dock, Lancs. One of four pike I caught today, a welcome change from blanking for weeks on end...

Back at home, the usual scene: birds queuing up outside my house.

]]><![CDATA[Florida]]>Mon, 04 Sep 2017 20:15:28 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/floridaIf you're like me, you'll buy all your clothes from Asda. You'll be 6ft 4 inches tall and you'll own a brown Citroen C4 Picasso with a large dent just above the nearside left rear wheel-arch. But that probably doesn't apply to you, so I'll start again.

If you're like me, you'll hate theme parks. However, our family holiday to Florida this summer taught me that theme parks needn't be hell on earth. Keep an eye out for wildlife and, eventually, you'll stop tearing your hair out...

Universal Studios Florida. Great for the kids, rubbish for you (unless you look for wildlife).

Aha! Wildlife! Whilst you sit around in the sweltering heat waiting for your offspring to reappear from a stomach-churning rollercoaster ride, you might as well take advantage: Brown Anole, 10/08/17, soaking up the heat from a red-hot metal fence.

Gulf Fritillary, 10/08/17, Universal Studios, Florida. Common and easy to photograph here.

Spiny Orb-web Spider, 10/08/17, Universal Studios Florida. Hanging around doing very little (like yourself).

Stupidly, we visited Kennedy space Centre on a rocket launch day. No chance of any wildlife here...

Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. Normally quite good for wildlife, but events like this tend to scare critters away.

After a week in Orlando, Lynne and I were ready for a holiday. Sarasota was only a 2 hour drive away...

Sandcastle Hotel, South Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida. Excellent for birds, I think you'll agree.

Royal Tern, 15/08/17, Sandcastle Hotel, South Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida.

Ruddy Turnstone, 15/08/17, Sandcastle Hotel, South Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida. Birds here are very approachable.

Sanderling, 15/08/17, South Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida. I didn't mind experiencing this familiar British species at such close quarters. Can you see teeth in that bill?

This is what I wanted to capture: Black Skimmer, doing exactly what it does best. Loads here, all catching the surface fish.

Brown Pelicans. Common in Sarasota.

Willet. A very common wader around Sarasota.

Opposite The Sandcastle Hotel on Lido Beach, Sarasota, there is a nature reserve with a mangrove swamp and a shoreline teaming with life....

Mangrove Snapper, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. Caught this beast on a prawn.

Pinfish, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. A different species, but just as spiky, also caught on prawn.

While I fished, this little guy appeared from the shadows. Probably sniffed out my prawns (or my butty).

Raccoon, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Sarasota. The kids and I hand-fed it my Walmart super sub sandwhich.

Needless to say, the water-birds here are numerous and spectacular. Easy pickings, even with a small lens...

Green Heron, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. Fishing along side me, within 10ft.

Great Blue Heron, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. Hiding in the shadows, this bird was going nowhere, even with me stood within spitting distance.

Snowy Egret, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. Probably the commonest egret here.

Reddish Egret, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. Not so common, in fact my second ever sighting.

White Ibis, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota.

Osprey, 13/08/17, Ted Sperling Park, Lido Beach, Sarasota. No Florida nature reserve is complete without these common raptors.

Same Osprey in flight.

Having recharged our batteries for a few days, we headed back to the theme park madness of Orlando. But could it really offer any more natural wonders?

Solar eclipse, 21/08/17, Universal Studios, Orlando. Cloud cover + a pair of eclipse-viewing glasses made this shot possible.

The strangest thing about this shot, is not the eerie twilight effect of the eclipse at 14.30 in the afternoon, but the oblivious / disinterested American public.

Photographing the eclipse? Nope. Every single one of these tourists are taking photos of a large fibreglass dragon breathing fire atop Gringotts Bank, Harry Potter Land. (The eclipse was at 50% totality when this shot was taken). Even more stupidly, I'm taking photos of tourists taking photos!

At last, a winner to save my sanity! Curly-tailed Lizard, 21/08/17, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida. Someone must have spent ages thinking of that name.

It was time to head back to Miami to catch our flight home. On the way, we stopped at Fort Lauderdale Beach which had an interesting nature reserve directly behind it, not a place for aracnaphobes though...

Banana Spider, 22/08/17, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Huge things with massive webs: EVERYWHERE. You have been warned!

Four-spotted Pennant, 22/08/17, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Brown Anol, 22/08/17, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale. Displaying its flag, and out for the creepy crawlies no doubt.

Green Iguana (female) 22/08/17, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale.

Green Iguana (male), 22/08/17, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale. These are really quite big.

Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia)22/08/17, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale. The meadow inside this park is alive with insects and this one was a winner for me.

All in all, a great holiday was had by the whole family. Thrills for the kids, beaches for Lynne and the odd wildlife winner for me. Not bad really. Oh, and because our outward flight was delayed due to a technical fault, our flights to Miami and back worked out totally free in the end. But don't tell that to the guy who spent £8K today on a one-way ticket from Miami to the UK. Hurricane Irma should hit Florida tomorrow, so I guess we got lucky with the weather!

]]><![CDATA[More Meddling Mallards]]>Fri, 04 Aug 2017 21:35:33 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/more-meddling-mallardsOur Mallard production line has a spanner in its works. Just 6 hatchlings emerged from the nest on Sunday morning. Sadly, 2 of them died within a few hours and another died on Wednesday night. Then another one died the next day when I tried to relocate the family to our nearest pond. The last I saw of this troop was yesterday morning: mum was parading the remaining couple of chicks around the cul-de-sac whilst an on-looking cat licked its lips. The upside is our back garden survived!

Mallards again. Our 5th brood! 01/08/17, our back garden, Penwortham, Lancs.

]]><![CDATA[Midweek Monster]]>Mon, 17 Jul 2017 10:08:52 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/midweek-monsterAn evening at Rufford Meadow Fishery is just the tonic after a full day's work. With beasts like this keeping you occupied all evening, you'll hardly get a chance to sup your beer.

An 11 pound Mirror Carp, 11/07/17, Rufford Meadow Fishery, Rufford, Lancs

Resident robin perched on my rod. This chap will feed from your hand too.

]]><![CDATA[Devon]]>Mon, 29 May 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.wilsonswildlife.com/blog/devon8650643Predictably, we headed to our favourite Spring-bank holiday retreat this week which always throws up something new every year...

Holly's friend Amy joined us this year. She had never been rock-pooling or crabbing before.

A new species for our crab bucket: Five-bearded Rockling, 29/05/17, Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon.

Sea Bass, 01/06/17, Dartmouth Harbour, Devon. Another new fish for me, caught on my Mackerel lures and quickly released.

Common Blue, 02/06/17, Broadsands, Devon. No sign of Cirl Buntings this year, but I'll photograph anything when the sun is shining.

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