An Hour with Nature: Calderwood

This post is a bit of an experiment. I recently took part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch, in which you spend an hour counting the birds that visit your garden.

It gave me an idea. Why just count birds? And why just in your back garden? Why not spend "an hour with nature" in a random location, having a nosy around and spotting everything you see! Birds, of course, but also trees and lichen and bugs and whatever else you can find.

I tried this for the first time in Almondell & Calderwood Country Park, near Livingston, Scotland. Here's what happened...


Date: Sunday, 24 February.
Time: 8am - 9am.
Location: A small pond, in Calderwood, Almondell & Calderwood Country Park.

Site (marked with blue rectangle) shown in relation to Livingston

Diary:

8.00am
I immediately saw a MAGPIE calling loudly from a nearby branch. It flew away as soon as I stepped towards it.

8.01am
Took some shots of this HAWTHORN by the pond.

8.02am
Saw this rather octopus-like SILVER BIRCH.

8.07am
Found some interesting LICHENS growing on another hawthorn. I can't identify the exact species for sure, although my best guess is EVERNIA PRUNASTRI for this one...

... and PARMELIA SULCATA for this one:

8.12am
This long GRASS was interesting. I haven't managed to ID it.

8.14am
Saw this. Is it a grass? No idea. But it made for a fabulous silhouette.

8.15am
Starting to wonder where all the birds have gone.

8.16am
Saw this grand tree which I'm pretty sure (from the buds and bark) is ENGLISH OAK.

8.25am
Found some HAZEL with a few catkins still hanging.

8.26am
Finally heard some birdsong! It was a BLUE TIT. This is the closest I could get.

8.27am

A GREAT TIT appeared. The "Tea-cher! Tea-cher!" song was very clear. I thought too late to try and make a sound recording. Here was the best shot I could get.

8.29am
I peeped over a rise and saw the river, Linhouse Water.

8.30am
It started snowing. Heavily.

8.36am
You can kind of see the snow falling in this shot.

8.38am
Started exploring the edge of the pond. There are some REEDS like this:

8.40am
Here is the pond. Snow still falling.

8.41am
Found a hawthorn that still had some HAWS from the previous year.

8.47am
Snowfall subsided a bit. Two more great tits.

8.51am
Took some shots of these green shoots of grass poking through the snow.

8.55am
Found a HOLLY.

8.56am
Saw a great tit again, perched in a silver birch.

9.00am
END.

Well I might not have seen much animal life, but I genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed doing this Hour with Nature. I didn't expect there to be such a variety of tree species in such close proximity, and the grasses and lichens added a fascinating layer of interest. I'll definitely make time to do it again.

Here is a Google Map of all the species I saw.