THURSDAY 6TH JUNE 2019

WILFORD CLAY PIT + TK

Nothing can better four hours in the company of Tannavi and the nature to be found at this terrific little nature reserve other than more hours.

Quaking-grass

Briza media is a lovely distinctive grass with spikelets that dance and tremble. It is not at all common generally except on basic soils and it is very frequent here.

I’ve visited this Notts Wildlife Trust reserve on several occasion as have many other naturalists and botanists so I’m pleased to have found a first for the site (if BSBI maps are anything to go by) in the form of Sulphur Cinquefoil Potentilla recta.

Sulphur Cinquefoil

As the day warmed up (we were on site by 7:15) the invertebrates gained our attention and several Burnet Companions were the highlight among these.

Burnet Companion on Hay-rattle

Tannavi is beautiful and clever and delightful – here she is photographing a Burnet Companion and her photos are much better than mine.

TUESDAY 4TH JUNE 2019

RUBOP

Five hours of magical mystery, touring eastern Rushcliffe’s Barn Owl boxes with Howard and Tannavi our new assistant owler. The boxes continue to turn up large clutches and we ringed five that were big enough near Aslockton where we were joined by photographer Lionel Reyes. He has taken many very fine shots of the owls, such as the one below and others can be viewed on his Flickr site under Lionel Gibraltar.

Barn Owl by Lionel Reyes
Howard Tannavi and Neil holding 5 Barn Owl chicks
L-R Howard Broughton, Tannavi Kumar and Neil Pinder