21/05/19. Guillemots on Twinlet Bay cliffs, Skokholm.
Guillemots make a very distinctive call, sounding insistent, annoyed and strangled all at once. A perfect descriptive word is “argumentative”, suggested to me recently by former Skomer warden, Mike Alexander. Skokholm’s cliffs are full of guillemots. Other sounds on this recording include seals, razorbills, fulmars.
21/05/19. Fulmars chattering at North Gully, Skokholm
A small group of nesting fulmars sits chattering together on the high ledges above North Gully. Some in pairs; some singles whose mates are out for food. In one case, it’s a threesome and late in the recording the third is noisily chased off. Argumentative guillemots can also be heard, as well as ...
22/05/19. Puffins coming, going and chatting at Crab Bay, Skokholm
Afternoon on the 22nd May. It was warm and sunny, with the Puffins busy coming and going; many leaving and others incoming with sand eels and dashing immediately into their burrows. Always present were 1-2 Gulls, waiting for the opportunity to go after a close-landing Puffin and attack them for their catch; not always successful, ...
12/05/19. Aulus-les-Bains. Kestrel feeding.
Mid-afternoon on a very warm and lovely day I sat in the grass behind the church, and I watched and listened as two kestrels made several feeding visits to the belfry. The parents made visits every 20-30 minutes or so, and each time would deliver their food to a different slatted window. There were at ...
08/03/19. Elmley NNR, part 2. Lapwings.
At about 5:30am the lapwings seem to be most noticeable. They are wonderfully beautiful birds – iridescent green on their upper wings, white below; a “fascinator” on top of their heads. This time of year the male spends a lot of time showing off its aerobatic skills, sometimes alone, but also with other males. ...
08/03/19. Elmley NNR. Gulls and more just before sunrise.
Elmley National Nature Reserve is in Kent, on the Isle of Sheppey. It is a very large area of water and marshland, and absolutely full of birds. The recording below is from just before sunrise (so, around 6am), and is dominated by the sounds of black-headed gulls. Other birds include Canada geese, mallards, ...
27/02/19. Geltsdale by Tindale Tarn.
Sitting in the hide at Tindale Tarn around 6:30am. Lots of interesting sounds. Here are three short clips. Wind in reeds; a warbler – I’m not sure which one; goldeneye; crow Curlew; warbler, crow; pheasant; goldeneye; lapwing; Grebes splashing/calling (later in the clip); frogs; woodpecker; curlew; woodpigeon; goldeneye I think my favourite (excluding the curlew) ...
