What have you seen
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It's an NSG found at Isarmunde, where the confluence of the Rivers Isar and Danube meet. Nearest town is Plattling and there is also a campsite at Deggendorf just off the A3. We tend to stay at Straubing and drive down to the reserve, which has an information centre (closed Mon/Tues) but you can just wander around it. Spring is obviously best time. If you are ever in the area in May then head south through Plattling, turn off for Moos, go past small brewery then follow signs for Isarmunde Infohaus. There's a guest house/inn opposite entrance and adequate parking.
If you have time then there is an eye opening experience to be had at Plattling. Coming from Deggendorf area you pass the Globus supermarket and as soon as you reach the Plattling town sign turn left and go over a small bridge. Park out of the way immediately then walk back (without crossing bridge) Globus way and you come to some excavations of which some are still being worked. Avoid being hit by the machinery and the staff really don't mind you scoping the pans which sometimes have great birds on them. You can continue through the works and this area becomes an NSG (reserve). It's weird but rewarding. If more info needed let me know.
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We saw a couple Red Squirrels this morning crossing the road along Loch Tay, and heard some very strange calls in the heather when we were out for a walk near the Ben Lawers Car Park but couldn't spot anything. Thought possibly Ptarmigan, definitely not Red Grouse.
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Watched a couple of young hares, playing in the paddocks beside the van last evening. They were joined by a grown up one. We then watched another hare come through a different paddock into the site, explore the paddocks edges on the end of the site before taking itself out via the site access route. Who knows if there were more in the other paddocks I was absorbed by their antics 😃
Went to visit the barn owl nest box another evening and one sitting on the beam, great view but it flew off as I reached for phone to take a photo. So silent so beautiful. Lots of pellets on the floor so hopefully doing well.
Yes we are at Burnham Wick, sadly leaving today but duty calls. It's been glorious weather but early rain this morning.
Also saw those wonderful green/iridescent beetles whilst walking - I'd forgotten how common they were in my childhood. Reports of adders but not seen them on our walks.
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The Bluetits in our garden appear to have been successful in building the nest and laying eggs. The parents are now feeding an unidentified number of chicks with food all day long. They must be cream crackered. Both parents first land in the adjacent bushes check around for predators, then one always lands on the roof, the other flies onto the hole directly at speed.
Looking forward to seeing the fledglings around the garden shortly.
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Glad to hear that you saw the Barn Owl, and the Hares, at Burnham Wick, B2.
Talking of beetles we saw a couple of Sexton Beetles, on the path above our site at Killin, working away on some animal's droppings, which contained the carapaces of Emerald Beetles.
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Thanks OP
Stuck at home at present due to the Tug being with the dealer waiting for Jag/LR to agree a warranty claim. Now into the 4th week of waiting, which is very frustrating. Out of boredom, I dug out my old EOS 1D which has 10 frames per second to compare with my 5D which has seven to compare the ability to catch the bird in more than one position. Even keeping the shutter going at 10fps, only one shot in flight per burst. Back to pressing when I anticipate the bird in the correct position. More practice today by the look of things.
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I don't know whether any of you are interested in the night sky but this is a good web site for checking things out. see here
I've been watching a couple of interesting planets, one in the east (Jupiter) and the other in the west (Venus), they're showing up quite well late evening.
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Lots of larger birds at Isarmunde reserve today. Day started well when aaBlack Woodpecker flew alongside us for a while. Then we saw a Golden Oriole, no less. Things went quiet so we sat on a bank eating lunch and a Wryneck appeared and started singing which attracted a rival not far away.
We heard something in the sky and right above us were 2 Honey Buzzards being mobbed by 3 Common Buzzards!!!. Then 4 Hobbies flew past showing off their skill at eating on the wing and finally we saw 2 Red Backed Shrikes. Hardly any small birds but we were entertained.
Back at the caravan we were sitting outside having a cold beer and had our bins with us. In half an hour we were able to see a Male and Female Spotted Flycatcher, M&F Blackcap, a Tree Sparrow, an Icterine Warbler, Black Redstart, Fieldfare, Robin, and Blackbird, all in the trees and hedge behind the van. So the small birds showed up at last.
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Went to Boat of Garten Reserve today. Very little action: EJ, the female Osprey, sitting on 3 eggs, has not had a feed from her mate, George, since last Saturday, and the staff at the centre are getting worried about her. She has left the nest but only very briefly (as well as nearly being blown off!!), and George has visited a couple of times today but without any fish.
There was a GSW and a pair of Siskins feeding on the nuts etc outside the centre when I was there. We did hear a Crested Tit as we took the 2 Lochs trail but didn't spot it.
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Up in the night I noticed a back door security light come on and saw a badger rootling around. A few holes in the grass this morning...all over the garden, quite a big area! No doubt a few juicy worms were found. We can hear the badgers calling but that's the first one I've seen clearly. Must ask OH to set up the trail camera now I know the route.
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We had a visit from one a few years ago now, Brue, and it overturned the cage that I had set up for the small birds to feed safely in and also to make sure the pigeons and squirrels didn't pinch the food. I put the outside light on, about 2 am, and there it was staring back at me, most belligerently. It wandered off and as we had some rabbit visits I decided to fix the fence at the bottom of the garden.
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Quieter day on the bird front today but we stopped on a bridge whilst out on the bikes, over a small river, to have a drink of water. The Mallards below made a right kerfuffle and looking down we saw a badger swimming straight up the middle of the stream, then 50 yards further up it did a graceful dive and disappeared from view. Just goes to show that if you're not out and about you can miss a lot.
There was some lovely blossom on what can only be described as Pea Trees.
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What a lucky sighting that was WN.
Sadly not many badgers in my area, in fact I have never seen one other than on tv.
Must make more of an effort and visit a known area when on holiday.
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There are a few Oystercatcher on the fields in front of the site, and we are a long way from the sea here at Carrbridge, and then today I spotted a couple of Terns flying above the river at Spey Bridge, although I wasn't able to identify which species.
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We had a robin alight on our balcony in the middle of the Med a couple of years ago.
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Oystercatchers will and do breed quite a long way inland, a bit like Curlews on the moors, NTH.
We saw a Common Tern today on a river and we're about 500 miles from the nearest sea!
Birds eh? Who can count on them to be in the right places?
Had a lovely surprise today when we spotted a Male and Female Willow Tit feeding together and both going back to the nest. The small birds were to the fore today which was a nice surprise. We watched a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on a dead tree as she rearranged herself after a bath. Bit miffed that we couldn't find the nest of the singing Penduline Tit but you can't win them all.
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