Those of you who visit Shellness Point on Sheppey will be familiar with the old military blockhouse on the beach there, below.
Yesterday, a good friend doing a bird count there was surprised to find this superb piece of graffiti painted on the seaward wall of the blockhouse. I popped out there this morning to get my own photos of the painting. It's so apt seeing as the saltings behind the blockhouse are the main winter roost site on Sheppey of Hen Harriers, hopefully the reserve management will see it as a great asset to the reserve.
This is how passing boats will see it, quite amazing.
Prior to that I was on the reserve at 05.00 this morning, just after the sun had come up and even then it was very warm but a beautiful morning with the reed beds full of the sound of Reed Warbler song.
And out on Horse Sands in The Swale there were several Common Seals resting on the sands at low tide (a bit distant I'm afraid)
Lastly, as a result of the recent grass topping exercise, some of the hundreds of "emmett casts" or Yellow Field Ant hills were also unavoidably "topped"......
.........but it's amazing how quick the ants start to rebuild the top of their hills, in this photo you can already see the fresh deposits of soil beginning to build up.
It's by a guy called ATM Streetart (http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/22/warning-signs-street-artist-atm-birds) and he did it in support of Hen Harrier day (interview with him at https://soundcloud.com/bawc/street-artist-atm-july-2014)
ReplyDeleteGreat artwork Derek and clearly done in aid of a great cause.
ReplyDeleteI agree Mike and the way things are going that one might be the only one we see this coming winter. I never recorded one on any of the six, monthly roost counts last winter.
ReplyDeleteThanks also to East Kent Kingfishers for the information.