11th July

My last day of surveying before I head off to Denmark for the autumn was a good one; looking at a stretch of river in Herefordshire adjacent to a housing development.   We were looking for signs of Crayfish and Otters and there was obviously a good population of Signal Crayfish present (unfortunately the non-native species!) as we found many remains - smashed up or in Otter spraints and saw several individuals including a beast of a lobster sized one under a bridge!

Afterwards a little look at Stretton Sugwas Pits near Hereford produced a few returning waders including 4 Green Sandpipers, 6 Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin and 6 Little Ringed Plovers.

Live (and dead) Signal Crayfish showing the smooth claws and carapace and the white spots (or signals!) at the base of the claws giving  it its name

A selection of (I assume) Otter spraints; I think they are too big for Mink but I haven't seen red ones before

These couple of baby Goldcrests were in Ryan's garden in Leintwardine

Common Sandpiper