25th May
My main visit today to H C N R was to take castings of animal footprints and set up the camera trap.
I drove into the reserve and sorted my gear and off I went to find some tracks; I soon found an area with some and took a couple of castings.
This is the first time I have taken castings, so it was a learning curve for me, the first ones were done with a watery mixture but turned out ok.
I then went to have a look round the newt pond and found some good tracks at the water’s edge, so I mixed some more plaster, this time of a little thicker consistency. Whilst these casts where setting I went to set up the trail camera overlooking the pond nearest Burnham Meadow.
Anyway the casts seemed to dry in what seemed like no time at all so I collected them up carefully in a bag.
I decided to have a good wander around the reserve and took a few photos with my phone.
My binoculars are always with me so I was able to see the following—Robin, Magpie, Buzzard overhead, Little Egret overhead, Kestrel on one of the owl boxes in Burnham Meadow, Great tit, Blue tit, Blackbird, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Reed bunting, Linnet, Whitethroat, Wren, plenty of Swifts, Mallard overhead. And in the field nr the reserve I saw a group of Greylag Geese about eight and in among them a single Barnacle Goose. In the same field I saw Deer and Hares.
When I got home, I cleaned up the castings and I was pleased at the results.
Charlie.