BIKING BIRDER I June 2nd 2010 A Meteorite Strike RSPB Reserve - Portmore Lough

 

2^nd June 2010

Armageddon Theme

   

                                                                                      

Another Incredible Biking Birder Day at Portmore Lough RSPB Reserve.

Can you name a RSPB reserve made when a meteorite hit Northern Ireland?

Having arrived at Portmore Lough the previous evening and having camped amongst the picnic benches, I awoke early and had a walk down to the hide whilst the tent dried out from the early morning dew.

I had actually had rather an interesting dilemma on arriving at the reserve as it was getting a little late and a romantically active couple were very pneumatic on the front seat of their car as I turned onto the car park. Now what should I do? Pretend that I had not seen them, exceedingly difficult to do considering the effort the young lady involved was putting into the activity and continue down the gentle slope through the car park or turn around and go the other way. I chose the former and kept my eyes firmly looking at the way out in front of me. No way would a side glance be used!

Tree sparrows had woken me. Well, that or a large aircraft flying either away from or to Belfast Airport. Sedge and reed warblers singing, blackcaps and willow warblers too and a gorgeous sunrise over the large 'lough'. Apparently, the lake had been created 1500 years ago by a huge meteor burst. Now this is the theory and I must look into this further. Common terns were busy on the raft and a few duck and great crested grebes, together with a large number of non-breeding mute swans were on the water.

Back to the tent for a healthy breakfast of no less than five jam doughnuts, just in time to meet Steve the assistant warden. John the actual warden and then Laura, a volunteer arrived and I was invited, with a half nelson used to persuade me, to join in with the day's work.

Actually the morning spent working with these three fabulous people was immensely enjoyable. Together we drove down in the caterpillar tracked vehicle, took a boat out to put two large poles into the silt at the bottom of the lake, adjacent to the tern raft, and placed tree branches near the shore for tern roost sites. The poles are to anchor a platform, whose function is for tern chicks that fall off the tern raft to clamber onto instead of drowning. As we put up one pole a tern chick was trying to climb back to its nest having fallen off, demonstrating the need perfectly. Over 50 nests were counted on the rafts by John and Steve and the poles and branches were soon being used by the many terns and swallows.
Being a gentleman I will not say which one of we four went into the mud up to their knees. I hope health and safety will not mind but John allowed me to drive the vehicle back to the centre. Over fields and through ditches. Great fun!

The afternoon was spent at a nearby peat bog searching for and finding lots of Irish damselflies; a new one for me and one totally unexpected. Cracking little things that allowed remarkably close photos to be taken as many were in egg laying tandems. There were also dozens of four-spot chasers, a good number of hairy dragonflies and just one large red damselfly. Lots of sundews were here as well.

Back to the reserve in time for a visit from the then environment minister for Northern Ireland, Edwin Poots and his daughter, Lydia. She was there to name one of the Polish pony foals, Cookie, and it was a real thrill to walk around the reserve with John and Steve, together with such a distinguished personage. Mr Poots showed a lot of enthusiasm for the work being done on the reserve and had no qualms over getting amongst the reed bed, with Lydia, to get closer to the group of ponies. Excellent man and lovely daughter.

Once they'd gone, it was time for me to move on also and I cycled to Portadown where I met Sid once again and had a great evening, and a bath, with Sid, Janet, William and Sandy.

Bit nervous about tomorrow. 70 miles to cycle to get to the next reserve and then an interview with BBC Ulster on Friday. Ah well, tomorrow night will arrive with me somewhere or other.

Tickle My Feathers

BIKING BIRDER I June 1st 2010 To Loch Neagh and An American Drake

 

1st June 2010

Don’t Worry. Be Happy

Heavy rain overnight and had brought some water and a few slugs into the tent! Really though, it did not matter as I had had an excellent night's sleep and was up and at it at, oops, rather late ... 9 o'clock.

So, heading for Oxford Island, where a Ringed necked Drake had been seen recently, I called in to a library in Banbridge. Many thanks to all the wonderful staff, Pamela, Caroline and Ruth at this library, who let me use the internet for so long that the  blog went past the interesting phase to the, “when is he going to shut up,” phase. Thanks to them, lovely girls one and all.

A quick visit to the doctors in Lurgan and a few inhalers for my asthma got on a free prescription; a bit difference to the cost back in England. I had not known this would be the case before visiting the doctor but was grateful for the saving. Then got to Oxford Island and had a lovely evening with Sid Irwin. We searched for the American Ring-necked Duck that had been around for the last few days but it was not in front of any of the hides. A beautiful reserve this with a wonderful information centre and excellent facilities. The buzzer flies did not bite so no problem there. Sid and I walked around the whole of the area and the views over Lough Neagh reminded me of Florida, where I had stood by similar immense lakes. Lough Neagh was so beautiful with a setting sun.

Around 8.30 pm, Sid left and I went around the visitor's centre to look over the lake from the long pier there. It was from here that I saw that the ring-necked was in front of the first hide that we had visited. I went back to the hide. It was shut but views of the bird could be had through the reeds. My third Ring-necked Drake this year, not bad for a duck originating from America, Ring-necked Ducks are quite rare but regularly found and seen. This one would be my first for Northern Ireland. During the evening it became the closest one of the three too but it didn't quite come to bread!
At last, my run of bad luck was over and a good bird under my belt, UTB.

Tickle My Feathers