Out in the big wide tank...

You may remember I had some baby fish a while ago. You probably don't and if you do, you probably didn't really care that much when I told you, but I found it quite exciting. The four babies quickly turned into two, but they've both survived for nearly a month now. They're still pretty small, but figured they were slightly bigger than the mouth of a Gourami, so it was time to let them spread their fins and see how they got on with the rest of my fish.

They've lasted about 15 minutes so far, and now they seemed to have worked out the current in the tank, they seem to be doing okay at the moment. Well, one is hiding behind the thermometer looking shit scared, but the other one is doing some good investigation... I'll keep you posted of course, whether you're interested or not. I tried to take some nice photos just in case I underestimated the size of a Gourami's mouth, but it turns out a tank in a tank is hard to focus on. I've posted them anyway for your viewing pleasure :)

the baby fish when they were stupidly small (I particularly enjoy the one at the top eyeballing the lens here)

baby fish before being released to the big tank (with helpful minnow for scale)

Scope Initiation

After last weekend I think I can consider my scope broken in now. After buying a shiny (and too expensive) tripod in Rainham on the Saturday to complete my kit, me and the boy headed to Minsmere on the sunday, for our first proper big trip of the year. Having never been to Minsmere before, this trip is probably a bit overdue, but I don't think we really saw it at it's best. Bit late for winter stuff, bit early for spring stuff. Oh well.

The scope successfully passed it's initiation ceremony though. Bushes dropped in- 2, puddles stood in- 12, hide roofs smashed into- 3, birds seen- 5ish, Sea spray covering- thorough.


I might tell you more about this trip later, if I get the time...

Just When You Never Thought This Day Would Come...

Birding Upgrade 2.0 in progress. Oh Yes.

Birding Upgrade

I feel like I have been somewhat betrayed by the weather forecasters this weekend. They lied to me, promising monsoon-like conditions, so as a result I spent most of this morning sleeping/lying around in pyjamas drinking tea and eating croissants, resigned to the fact that my planned exciting weekend walk would be pointless. But this rain never really materialised... I think the best we got all day was a light shower, and most of the time it was little more than a drizzle. Poor effort really...

All in all this was a bit of a shame, as I'm generally stuck behind a desk/on a train during the week, so I look forwards to getting out and about on the weekend, regardless of whether I see very much. I'll just have to make sure I go somewhere particularly awesome next week to make up for it.

Anyway, all was not lost this weekend- I have upgraded my birding potential this weekend. In preparation for a trip to Scotland later this year, I decided it was time to buy myself a scope. I've always scoffed at the idea of getting a scope, and never really fancied the idea of having to lug one around with me, plus I'm generally always out with the other half who lets me steal his if there's anything interesting worth looking at. However, with sites like Hanningfield and Abberton it would be a definite advantage, and seeing as how I'm going out more regularly now, it's not like I wouldn't get my moneys worth out of the "investment".

So after some deliberation I went for the angled mighty midget m2, with a 12-36x zoom lens. I opted for this scope for the obvious reason of being a tiny woman, who would crumple under the weight of a "proper" scope, and knew that I'd be less likely to use it regularly if it turned my outings into a weight-lifting exercise. I just need to find a tripod that's light enough and short enough for me and I'm sorted. Photos will be included when I have the time and the inclination...

PS- Don't think that this means I'll start going out seawatching or anything silly, I haven't changed that much.

Spring we are ready for you now...

I really am done with winter for this year. I think Britain has really entered into the spirit of winter what with all the snow/sleet/rain/freezing temperatures, and that is to be commended. Well done, good effort weather systems. But it's all getting a bit boring... Can it be Spring now please?

I don't want to be a plot spoiler or anything, but I had a look at the weather forecast this weekend in the hope that I might be able to actually GO SOMEWHERE interesting this weekend (possibly further than the cafe at Rainham Marshes, as nice as their paninis are). It looks like the weather gods may well be planning against this, so don't hold your breath...

While we are all waiting for some seasonal progression, have an unrelated but very cute photograph of a baby okapi, with fluffy ears and everything. Think she was born at the end of November, but she's only just started going out and about. Dawww....

I has had a holiday :)

I've had a nice week in the sun with my family, trying to catch up on a ridiculous amount of sleep, and generally try to relax after the crappyness of last year. Yes that is a word.

Specifically, I spent the last week in Taba Heights, Egypt. It's very nice, as long as you are happy not doing too much, which seemed to fit our needs. Would have liked to have seen the pyramids etc and the nile but it's a long way from Taba, so will have to add that to the long list of hypothetical holidays I'd like to have...


All very nice, but I'm sure you're wondering WHAT BIRDS DID I SEE? Well, there is a severe lack of vegetation of any kind, so the place was hardly abundant with a variety of birds, but the palm trees etc around where we stayed ensured an impressive population of sparrows, some house crows, white spectacled bulbuls, one very pretty dark blue sunbird, and some really cute laughing doves.


I want some of these, they do laugh (sounds like a chuckle), they like to eat chips and they're pocket sized. What's not to like?




Of course, the birds weren't really the main attraction, as it turns out the Red Sea is pretty much full of fish, and our hotel was right on top of a coral reef. We went out on a boat trip one day to go snorkeling (with an underwater camera- try to contain your excitement for a later post), but did a fair bit from the beach, and saw quite a lot just by walking along the jetty on calm days. Here are a few attempts at capturing the scene...

octopus

butterfly fish of some kind, I'm not sure which as there are loads.

cornetfish, and a marbled parrotfish I think. These are both pretty big, hard to tell though from this...

The dreaded lion fish, one of which caught me by surprise. As one of the most venomous fish, I wouldn't want to pick a fight with one...

All in all I had a nice holiday, and will try to be a bit more descriptive once I've got the underwater pics. Some more local trips are pending...

Rainham Can Be Good Sometimes (and Other Stories)

As the boy has probably already told you, we finally got round to a proper Rainham trip this weekend, and very nice it was too. Despite the cold, it was clear and fairly pleasant, and I managed to see some stuff that I would have seen earlier had it not been for the snow, like snipe, pintail and cetti's warbler. More exciting things included water rail squeeling from the reeds, picking out one golden plover amongst a sea of lapwings, and finally getting those bean geese just before we were about to leave the site. I always complain about going to the serin mound, because contrary to it's name, I don't think it has any serins. Or dartford warblers. Or whatever it is we ever go there to find. However today was an exception, offering up a big old flock of linnets, then revealing a previously-concealed slavonian grebe and a finale of a barn owl quartering over the fields in front. They're always my favourites, a site can always win me over with a bit of strigiformes... short eared owls would be nice too.

I would add some photos but the boy still has the camera, and although I copied some photos, they're not really too impressive...

This all puts the year list at a rather respectable 92 for the year so far, with Norfolk and Mull trips both looking more likely over the next few months. I think I'm getting better at this birding thing too, it's good to find your own stuff rather than wait for things to be pointed out (although my bird call knowledge is woefully inadequate).

In other news, I have some new additions to my tank... Topped up my corys with three very cute julii, and got some grassy type plants for the guppys to hang around in and look mysterious.


Some even more exciting additions didn't cost any money though...


AWESOME.