heliastes21's Journal

The black-necked grebe, otherwise known as the eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) is a rare breeding species in Britain, its small population is largely restricted to central and eastern England. During the winter months however, the species may be found more widely on both inland and coastal sites. It is listed as a Schedule 1 species on The Wildlife and Countryside Act, making it an offence to recklessly or intentionally disturb these birds.

It has recently been discovered, as a result of genetic analysis, that grebes are the closest living relatives of flamingos and that in fact they are rather distantly related to other diving birds such as ducks, loons and coots. There are 22 extant species of grebe (though I have only observed four). I have previously only spotted the eared grebe in the Algarve Portugal. This is my 215th British bird species on iNaturalist.

The little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) is the smallest species of gull in the world. It is a highly migratory species, nesting in northern Scandinavia and the eastern Baltic Sea, but wintering further south in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean off North Africa. This dainty gull is most often seen in the United Kingdom during its northward spring migration, though small numbers remain in the Irish Sea, English Channel and North Sea throughout the winter. Numbers seen in winter around the UK vary annually depending on weather conditions; during onshore gales they may be reported from coasts and occasionally inland. The number of wintering birds recorded in the UK seem to be increasing (+410% increase from 1995/96 to 2020/21), a trend that likely reflects general range expansion in western Europe. In 2016 they successfully nested for the first time in Great Britain at the RSPB reserve at Loch of Strathbeg in Aberdeenshire. I have seen this species at RSPB Minsmere (Suffolk), NWT Cley Marshes (Norfolk), Whitlingham Broad and Thorpe Marshes (Norwich) in spring and autumn.

They can walk on water and lurk around lakes... but one of the UK's rarest spiders was on its last legs until recently.

According to the RSPB, the fen raft spider is the UK's biggest spider species and was almost at the point of extinction until recently. Now, after a conservation project lasting over ten years, the RSPB have helped the fen raft spider make a comeback in nature reserves along the River Yare, Norfolk.
In 2010, the British Arachnological Society, Natural England, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the University of East Anglia all teamed up to try and bring the fen raft spider back. They first trialled breeding fen rafts in captivity, before releasing them back into the wild in 2012, monitoring which spaces they preferred living in. Over the last decade their numbers have risen, and the RSPB now estimate that the number of female fen raft spiders who are breeding has reached around 10,000!

It can be quite hard to spot this rare spider, but according to the RSPB the best time is when the young spiders hatch, as they can be visible when the adult spiders create their own nursery around the water on a sunny day.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cq5djdwl0qqo

Although I have seen plenty of shrikes elsewhere in the World (most notably in South Africa) I have, up until now, not managed to find any in the UK. This beautiful male individual was spotted at RSPB Minsmere this morning, so I thought I would call in and take a look. This is my 214th British bird species on iNaturalist.

Red-backed Shrikes were effectively lost as a UK breeding species in the 1990s, following a long period of decline. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the primary pressures contributing to the decline of this long-distance migratory bird. It is now a scarce visitor, most often reported during summer (May to October). Red-backed Shrikes underwent an extensive range contraction through the late 20th century, dwindling to only one pair in the 1990s.

Red-backed Shrikes are known for their impressive hunting skills, often seen perched on exposed branches or wires, diligently scanning for prey. Somewhat grotesquely, they impale their catch on thorns or barbed wire, essentially creating a larder of food reserves for later meals.

As I was leaving work today, a Caspian Tern was reported at Buckenham Marshes (Norfolk) so I called in to see if I could find it on my way home. This is the 212th bird species I have loaded into iNaturalist for the United Kingdom.

Distinctive, with a huge red bill and slight crest, this is by far the largest of the terns; it is a regular but scarce visitor, mostly occurring during the summer months. There are approximately five sightings in the UK per year. It is a rare migrant from eastern and southern Europe.

Slow worms are apparently the most frequently seen reptile in Britain, though I have struggled to find them until now. Today, completely by chance, I thought I would check under some pieces of old roofing felt at a local nature reserve and I came across four, two small (and worm-like), two large (and somewhat snake-like), but all a glorious golden colour.

Slow worms are unique in the UK for being legless lizards. They spend much of their time burrowing into loose soil and decaying vegetation, where they snack on a variety of invertebrates, including slugs, snails, spiders and earthworms. It is often claimed that the slow worm is 'the longest-lived lizard' or 'one of the longest-lived lizards in the world'. Their average lifespan in the wild is thought to be 20 to 30 years and one slow worm reportedly survived for at least 54 years in captivity at Copenhagen Zoo.

They are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, meaning that it is an offence to kill, injure or sell them.

(I revisited the same site on 4th July and found 3 individuals curled up together)

The Brown House Moth (Hofmannophila Pseudospretella) is a common house moth originally from Asia. In the 1840s, this moth was accidentally introduced to Europe, eventually spreading through the British Isles, and also into north America.

Of the 2,500 moth species in Britain there are only five – thankfully – that can do your wardrobe and carpets serious damage. The common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the brown house moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) are the worst offenders.

The brown house moth is considered a serious pest in domestic and commercial settings because of the larvae's destructive feeding habits. Larvae feed on various manmade foodstuffs and household materials. These include stored cereals, dried fruit, seeds, clothes and furniture fabric, fur, and wood floor inlays. Their destructive power is largely attributable to their unusual ability to degrade keratin. Larvae also bite through synthetic carpet fibres to construct their pupation cells, and since they rarely ingest the fibres, they are little affected by conventional moth-proofing agents.

Hen Harriers are undoubtedly the most intensely persecuted of all UK birds of prey. Driven to extinction in mainland Britain in the 19th century, they have remained rare due to illegal persecution and disturbance, primarily in areas associated with grouse shooting. Just ten years ago, in 2013, no Hen Harriers nested in England, but there are now more Hen Harriers nesting in England than at any point since they were lost as a breeding species around 200 years ago. In 2023, a total of 54 nests were recorded (up from 49 last year) and 141 chicks fledged.

In the spring and summer months, hen harriers are primarily seen in the upland hills (for example in Scotland) looking for mates and nesting sites in heather moorland. In the winter however, hen harriers can be found in a variety of lowland habitats including farmland, grasslands and wetlands. Hen harriers visit Norfolk in small numbers during the late autumn and winter but do not breed in the County and have generally departed by mid-April. I have seen ‘ringtails’ at NWT Cley Marshes (Norfolk) and at Hen Reedbeds (Suffolk), though always elusive.

This is my 210th British bird species on iNaturalist.

In February 2024 I took a trip to Costa Rica in search of sloths. Sloths are a group of xenarthran mammals comprising the suborder Folivora. Noted for their slowness of movement, tree sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the south and Central America. There are six extant sloth species in two genera – Bradypus (three–toed sloths) and Choloepus (two–toed sloths). The two groups are from different, distantly related families, and are thought to have evolved their similar morphology via parallel evolution from terrestrial ancestors.

The first sloths we encountered were living within the campus of the University of Costa Rica, which holds some of the largest patches of forest in the San José Metro Area. Initially we came across 5 individuals of the brown-throated sloth Bradypus variegatus (a mother and baby, two adolescents and a solo male) but also a very active – and surprisingly quick Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni). Later we encountered more individuals of both species, though mostly the brown-throated three-toed sloth, in Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

The ancient Xenarthra included a significantly greater variety of species, with a wider distribution, than those of today. Ancient sloths were mostly terrestrial, and some reached sizes that rival those of elephants, including Megatherium – the giant ground sloth, notably collected by Charles Darwin during his expedition to South America on HMS Beagle.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/november/darwins-giant-ground-sloth-skull-pieced-together-and-scanned.html

Smew are scarce winter visitors to the UK, with most birds not arriving until at least December and leaving again by the middle of March. They spend the summer in the taiga forests of northern Scandinavia and Russia.

The number of smews reaching the UK each winter has decreased dramatically in recent decades and they are now considered a scarce visitor. In the mid 20th century, hundreds would spend the winter here, with a record 144 counted at a single London reservoir in 1956. By contrast, in 2019 it was estimated that only 130 smews wintered in the whole of Britain. This decrease has been attributed to the effects of climate change, with warmer winters meaning the birds don't need to travel as far from their breeding grounds to escape freezing conditions.

I have observed this species at a number of sites, including inland lakes (Eye Brook Reservoir – Leicestershire, Rutland Water) but also RSPB Minsmere nature reserve in Suffolk
Smew are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. They are classified as ‘Red’ under the “Birds of Conservation Concern: Red List for Birds” (2021).

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/waterfowl/smew