Weekend

The weekend got off to a good start. I went out for a training ride on the bicycle cresting Carnmenellis Summit to be greeted with the orange sky of the rising sun. Down the other side i turned left heading for the North end of Stithians reservoir. Just before the reservoir are some flat open fields to which something came up into the orange sky. Silhouetted, the bird flew towards the road and then over into the darkness of the West - Tawny Owl. Nice start to the day.

The afternoon was spent preparing for next years nest box season at Stithians, four boxes put up, all 28mm holes to accommodate either Blue Tit or Great Tit. On the other side off the cut off many were taken down for repair following damage caused by a GS Woodpecker.

Sunday saw me spend 90 minutes erecting two more boxes in the back whilst having to wear chest waders. Not an easy task and whilst watching a Goldcrest in the back a Water Rail squealed out less than 30ft away, providing the proof i needed that there were indeed three on the reserve. 

This box looks as though it's been chewed by a mammal.

Interestingly, all the boxes were cleaned in September, two of them now contain mammal nests.