'I want to be a sandcastle when I grow up'. So said four year old Dylan while we waited to join the Spider Walk. 'And his best friend wants to be a Christmas Tree', added big sister Abby. After such an interesting start to BioBlitz Day. I wasn't sure it could get any better. But it did.
BioBlitz Day is when we attempt to count everything that creeps, crawls, hops, flies and wriggles around the reserve. Things had started early with the bird ringers out since dawn. (Yes, there was ringing as well as counting ). Over sixty birds were recorded in the first wave of number crunching. Amongst them were wrens, goldfinch and a bunch of tree sparrows. A few whitethroat and a passing willow warbler also joined the ranks of those added to an ever growing list..
.
The small mammal trappers (aka Hilary and Jack) and been preparing way before the break of day. They'd been setting traps since Thursday to encourage voles and shrews into them. Their only worry now was that some creatures get 'trap happy' and keep returning to their newly discovered cosy B&B. They thought they might have to evict a few they'd seen before (one possible serial offender had a distinguishing mark on its nose). But as they started bringing in the traps, it became clear that more than the usual suspects had turned up.
Amongst the three common shrew and 28 bank voles captured, weighed, recorded and then released were a field vole, a wood mouse and a water shrew - which Jack hadn't seen around the reserve for a good two years or so. And while this rare visitor looked like butter wouldn't melt, it had attributes that could make it a memorable Dr Who monster - red tips to its teeth and venomous saliva. You wouldn't want to mess with it - particularly if you're a frog.
Meanwhile, back on the Spider Walk (which didn't involve attempting to move as if you'd got eight legs ... but maybe next year?), electric toothbrushes were being handed out. Now being close to a spider is bad enough, being close enough to clean its teeth isn't really my idea of fun. However, my worries were short lived. The vibrating brush was gently placed near to a web to fool the spider into thinking an insect has been caught so it pops out from its hiding place expecting lunch - and is promptly scooped up to be examined later in the Seabird Centre. Apparently you can see the spider's heartbeat under a microscope - another step too far for some of us. But fascinating all the same.
For the really brave (or truly reckless), spiders could also be collected using a pooter. Wikipedia says this simple but clever tool is possibly named after its inventor William Poos (whoever added the 't' to the name - good call). For novice entomologists like myself, using a pooter involves sucking a straw aimed at an unsuspecting insect and slurping it into a collecting pot. It struck me that this was only one small gulp away from a scene from a horror movie so I steered well clear. But in the hands of an expert like Nicholas, it proved extremely effective.
Nearby the pond dipping team were busy with their nets. Great crested newt tadpoles were the stars of this particular show and we can't wait for these mini-dragons to develop. A hop, skip and a jump away, the Bug Hotel was being scanned for mini-beasts to add to the list. And speaking of hopping and jumping, someone then came across a froglet. It was all go.
Elsewhere, volunteers and staff were out on the viewpoints keeping eyes peeled for sea creatures. We are often treated to sightings of harbour porpoises and sometimes minke whales. We were hopeful that today that they'd be out in force. And then the walkie talkies blasted out the news that a wood mouse had been found up near the top car park. But by the time I'd hoofed it up there, it was back in the wild, it's personal details all filed for future reference.
Even the catering team got in on the act. Helen's specially decorated cutlery and tea stirrer holders were a work of art worthy of taking a starring role in Hull's City of Culture.
And after all that effort and excitement, we recorded a grand total of 210 species - from harbour porpoises to a single 'I-vant-to-be-alone' house sparrow, which was an early contender for our warden's 'Bird of the Day' as we're tree sparrow country.
To sum it all up, our site manager turned to para-phrasing the well-known fireman's roll call from TV's Trumpton .... shrew, shrew, bank voles too, chaffinch, dunnock, grubs. Or something like that.