Peter Jones Wildlife blog

Singing Melodious Warbler on the Ile D'Oleron. Took a while to become familiar with the song. Was thinking Sedge Warbler initially, until I saw one. As the week went on, I realized they were quite numerous in the area. This one showed well, but distantly, and the grass was too long to use the ground as a steadier rest, thus the shake. https://youtu.be/ZXoA2qcIHrw

Often you don't see the beast.. but you know it was there. A Badger's latrine, in Wiltshire

An aged Giant Puffball, found recently in Wiltshire

Return to moth trapping! Moths have taken a back seat in the last few years, but modern LEDs have given me renewed enthusiasm. Especially if there is a chance of a lightweight, portable solution enabling me to go further afield than the garden. I bought a small book on building your own trap, which was useful for the electronics, but I couldn't get a UV bulb compatible with the design ( I did trap 3 moths with this method and a purple LED). Fortunately, I have now found a good supplier of UV LEDs (Future Eden), and my prototype suspended over my existing "Skinner trap" worked well on it's first evening. Despite the batteries running out in the early hours, the mornings results were more encouraging with a dozen or so moths. Also throughout the evening, you could see insect activity near the bulbs, which is a good sign. So my next step will be to replace the heavy wooden box with a lighter design, make it all a bit more robust and showerproof, then think about taking i...

Plenty of mini-beasts on a recent holiday in France! Originally shared by Peter Jones Visited the ile D'Oleron in France for a family holiday. A lovely island on the west coast of France connected to the mainland by a fairly impressive bridge. The habitat on the island is dominated by ditches, canals and man-made ponds, quite unlike anywhere I have ever been in Europe, perhaps reminiscent of Israeli fishponds, and the wildlife was pretty cool. One highlight on the journey down was a brief glimpse of a Polecat in the headlights, plus a couple of Black Kites. The island was far enough South to have some nice birds including Short-toed Eagle, Hoopoe, and Night Heron. Melodious Warblers were numerous, and Scops Owl was heard most nights. The commonest birds on the Island were Serin, Black Redstart, Cattle and Little Egret, Nightingale, and Marsh Harrier. Cirl Bunting and Short-toed treecreeper being the other highlights. Best of the dragonflies and damsels were: Southern Emerald Damsel...

Visited the ile D'Oleron in France for a family holiday. A lovely island on the west coast of France connected to the mainland by a fairly impressive bridge. The habitat on the island is dominated by ditches, canals and man-made ponds, quite unlike anywhere I have ever been in Europe, perhaps reminiscent of Israeli fishponds, and the wildlife was pretty cool. One highlight on the journey down was a brief glimpse of a Polecat in the headlights, plus a couple of Black Kites. The island was far enough South to have some nice birds including Short-toed Eagle, Hoopoe, and Night Heron. Melodious Warblers were numerous, and Scops Owl was heard most nights. The commonest birds on the Island were Serin, Turtle Dove, Black Redstart, Cattle and Little Egret, Nightingale, and Marsh Harrier. Cirl Bunting and Short-toed treecreeper being the other highlights. Best of the dragonflies and damsels were: Southern Emerald Damselfly, Scarce Emerald Damselfly Dainty Damselfly Southern Migrant Hawker Sc...