Moon, Star and Sunset!....16/04/2010

The waxing crescent moon looked a treat as the sky was darkening and the sunset was fading, also clearly visible was a star directly below the moon, I believe it to be Mercury but I am not 100% sure on that. Out came the camera and tripod, I do not find taking moon pics very easy and after numerous attempts I was fairly pleased with the results. The photo's of the star with the red centre and green outer colours is the star below the moon. The star with the green centre and red outer colours is a star that was to the left of the moon and probably thousands or more miles away from the moon, I believe it may be Venus. I am not hot on Astronomy as is quiet evident.lol!!

A melodious Willow Warble!....11/04/2010

After my early morning walk and a refreshing cuppa it was time to set off for Upton Warren. The Moors Pools was to be the first destination. Surprisingly only a handful of cars on the car park, I thought it would have been chocca! Walking down the lane that leads to a hide the unmistakable song of a Willow Warbler was heard from a wooded area. No sight of the bird just sound, so this would be the area to walk around after the Pools had been viewed. On the water were Coot, Moorhen, G C & L Grebe, Common Snipe, Shoveler, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Teal, Lapwing, Cormorant, Heron and a super flypast over the water by a Kingfisher. A good selection of birds to have a relaxing viewing of and the sun shone faintly so visibilty was fairly good. Walking to and from the hide birds seen were Blue & Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming. Once in the wooded area the Willow Warbler was soon found, high on the top of a tree, delightfully warbling away! A Treecreeper was also spotted on a tree close by. This area leads on to a few small pools and whilst walking by them a Grass Snake was spotted, coiled up and taking in the warm sunshine. It soon realised that it was not alone and slid of in to the vegetation! This was my first ever sighting of a Grass Snake, I was chuffed to bits! It looked to me very similiar to a Slow worm that I had seen last year at Knapp & Papermill WWT Reserve. Of course the Grass Snake was much bigger but I did think there were similarities. After all this excitement it was time for a rest and lunch!



On and around the Flashes were Avocet (11) and very flighty they were to today, they looked a treat as they chased and then had tussles as they landed on the water. Spring is definately in the air! Other highlights were L R P.s, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing and a lone Swallow!

A long day but a great birding day today.

ps: Just thought I had better mention that I haven't missed an r out of my title! ;-D

A couple of Swallows and songsters!....10th & 11th/04/2010

A gloriously sunny and warm morning saw me off early to the Fisheries for my Saturday and for the first time Sunday solitude! As I drove down the lane to the Fisheries (Sat) I spotted a Swallow on a telephone wire, I couldn't stop as there was a car not far behind me!! This was my first of the year in this area. "Oh well" I thought, there are plenty of weeks ahead to stop at this site and hopefully get a photo. Skylarks were again singing over the fields which now were showing green shoots of the crop sown, the fields looked a treat. Something pleasing seeing neat rows of vivid green shoots in such an expanse of ground!

My highlight today was the male Blackcap and Chiffchaff that were singing for all they were worth! I was especially pleased to see the Blackcap, my first of the year, excluding the Blackcap in my garden who sadly has now departed after being a joy to see in my garden over the long, long winter. The usual species were around and about, Robin, Dunnock etc. Plenty of Bumblebees were buzzing low on the ground and settling in amongst leaf mould and low vegetation. I found my first Coltsfoot of the season and noticed the nettles were starting to show signs of growth. Surprisingly I saw only one Peacock butterfly around the brambles and hedgerows. As I drove down the track towards the road a male Yellowhammer suddenly flew out of the hedgerow and perched on the wire fencing! What a treat, it was only a few feet away from me, I cautiously managed a couple of photo's and then just viewed this beautiful, colourful bird!

On my way home I made a point of driving slowly as I neared the paddocks were the Swallow was seen, I parked up in the entrance to the paddock on seeing that there were two on the wire! I managed a couple of photo's before they flew off, they were most confiding! They were a pleasure to see on such a lovely morning, well a pleasure on any morning.lol!!



Sunday morning and a much colder start to the day, noticeably cooler than the previous day. Highlights today a Wren, Buzzard (which I did not see or hear on Saturday, most unusual), Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jays (x5) in an adjoining field and a lone Swallow flew over the fishing pools.



A pleasing two mornings spent ambling in solitude!

Owls and Bats on a perfect Spring evening....9/04/2010

A warm and sunny day turned into a warm and calm evening! So, a visit to the Flashes, Upton Warren was the perfect way to end a lovely Spring day. Walking alongside the sailing pool to the Flashes a Little Owl was spotted in a distant field as it flew to perch on an old tree trunk. Great views were had of it through the scope and a little later another Little Owl flew in to perch as the first Owl flew away! On the sailing pool, which was like a millpond this evening, were Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, B H Gull, Greylag and a few noisy Canada Geese flew in! On the Flashes the highlights were Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Heron, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Avocet, Teal, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing and Tufted Duck. I spotted a Fox in one of the fields who was having a good scratch and groom, oblivious seemingly of the Canada Geese close by.lol!! Reed Bunting, Blue & Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Mistle thrush and a Robin were also seen at the feeding station and along the pathway. A Chiffchaff was in full voice on the return walk and a Cetti's was heard but not seen...little monkeys that they are.lol! The light was now fading fast on returning to the car park and a surprise awaited, a very welcome surprise at that, the bats were out in force, Noctule and Pipistrelle! A lovely sight to end the evening as they swooped after the midges and then out of sight as quickly as they appeared! A Sparrowhawk was another surprise as it suddenly flew down to the grassy bank and away again without prey, it did this a couple more times before seemingly going to roost. What a treat with three great species to end a perfect Spring day.

Easter Weekend....4th&5th/04/2010

Easter weekend was in the main a 'get in the garden at last' weekend! After the lengthy wintry weather it was good to be out in the garden, in at times pleasant sunshine and tidying up the damage done by the cold frosty weather. However a birding walk was still planned albeit late in the afternoon. The Moors Pools at Upton Warren was chosen as it is a short (ish) walk to the hides, after the gardening a long trek was not inviting! In and around the water the highlights were Swan, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, G C Grebes (not displaying, perhaps too late in the day.lol), Coot, Moorhen, Shoveler, Lapwing, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Canada and Greylag Geese and B H Gull. Reed Buntings were on the seed heads of the Bullrushes in front of the hide giving great views of them with some of the down off the rushes sticking to their heads and faces, quite comical, I bet it tickled too.lol!! On a short walk down the lane to the farm a Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling and then it flew in to a paddock but did not stay for long. A Chiffchaff was also seen and heard. An Oystercatcher, Jackdaw and Magpie were in the paddock feeding close by each other, I thought it was an unusual scene seeing these three species as close together as they were. A Wagtail had been seen for a few minutes on the Pools and I had thought it looked a little different from the Pied Wagtail and wondered if it were a White Wagtail. Unfortunately an inconclusive result on this one, only having very distant and cropped photo's.



Easter Monday was to be a short visit to the area in my 'Circular Walk' post, taking the latter part of the walk as it was so productive on my last visit. A good choice as a flock of c30 Linnets were seen and heard lifting from the fields along with a few Fieldfare and Starlings!! Yellowhammers, Green, Gold and Chaffinch were also in good numbers, especially the Goldfinch. A pleasing walk after another day spent tidying the garden! The sun shone on occasions and it made me think that in the coming months the fields will turn from stubble fields into 'fields of gold' and look delightful!

A circular walk....28/03/2010

A short drive today to an area on the edge of a small local village for a circular walk taking in a bridleway which leads to paddocks which then lead to a private lake then on to two small pools and then about turn to a small wooded area, which leads back to the road and the bridleway! Phew!!!! I am out of breath just writing about it.lol!!

The sun was shining today but still cold and with the odd dark cloud threatening to rain on the parade! The bridleway was shall we say a little muddy in places and the only bird seen was a Robin singing his little head off in a tree! A walk alongside paddocks which are on both sides of the path brought little in the way of birds, Woodpigeons the odd Crow and a few Magpies. On the last walk along here there were numerous Pied Wagtails dodging the ponies in the paddocks, today not one to be seen. So, on to the path that leads to the lake and the pools! The Lake held Swans, Mallards, Coot, Moorhen and Canada Geese, I had been hoping for Grey Wagtail but none today. On to the pools and the only birds seen were a Swan and a resident mad hybrid/farmyard type Goose that gave out such a racket as we walked past it! This Goose did the same thing whilst on a walk there last year, it was at the time protecting a Mallard!!!! Four Common Buzzards were circling over the fields before flying off in different directions.

About turn to head for the path alongside the wood, at this point the rain came down, fortunately it was only a short sharp shower! A Treecreeper was spotted..great joy...a bird!!! It had seemed so quiet after such a long walk that to find a Treecreeper was like winning a prize in a Tombola..or something to that effect.lol! Great views were had of the Treecreeper, when it wasn't scurrying at the back of the tree trunk! Then soon afterwards two Jays flew to the top of a tree, not great views of them but still nice to see what appeared to be a pair, baby jays in the weeks ahead possibly. Almost at the end of the walk now and a few goodies were soon to be seen. A charm of Goldfinch were spotted flying into some trees and whilst viewing them a Sparrowhawk appeared, flying from out of the trees in the wood. The Sparrowhawk then dive bombed with it's wings almost closed and headed for the charm of Goldfinch which took of pretty quickly! The Sparrowhawk missed it's prey this time and then a strange sight happened as the Goldfinch seemed to be mobbing the Sparrowhawk. I have never seen this behaviour before with such small birds against a much larger bird. The Sparrowhawk circled a couple of times and then flew off in to the distance.

A Chiffchaff was heard and then seen, I had heard a Chiffchaff the previous day so I was well pleased to have actually seen one today! Then it got better, a Goldcrest flitting amongst the pine trees! Better still were the flock of Lesser Redpoll as they made a few flights to and fro amongst the trees that were in a large garden! Long-tailed Tits put in a quick appearance along with Dunnock, Blue & Great Tits, Blackbird, Songthrush and Mistle Thrush, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming and Nuthatch was heard only! This area proved to be the icing on the cake, or so I thought! Walking along the road to my car and passing arable fields, a scan of the fields yielded Yellowhammers in the hedgerows plus Starlings, Fieldfare and my first of the year Wheatear (male) in the stubble fields!

The next time I visit this area I will head for the fields and woods first as this proved to be a little haven for birds!

Wassell Grove Fisheries.... 27/03/2010

No Swallows (as hoped) to be seen on my way to the Fisheries this morning though 4 Skylarks seen and heard over the ploughed fields were a delight on what I thought would be a refreshing walk in the sunshine.....that is until I got out of my car, goodness me!! The wind that was blowing was such a cold one!! Brrrr!!!!!! I had left my gloves and fleece hat at home so a case of grin and bear it! However, once walking alongside the hedgerow I was sheltered from the cold wind and it actually felt quite pleasant. I began to think that the birds were laying low and sheltering from the wind as it was so quiet, with just the odd Blue & Great Tit flitting along the trees along with a Greenfinch that was calling 'zweeb, zweeb' continously, also Goldfinch, Wren and Robin were seen. As I neared the end of the shortened walk and about to head back as I wanted to survey the fields this morning, I spied a flock of c20 small birds heading for the top of one the Alders! Their buzzing rattle call was a good pointer to ID them as Redpoll (sp) and once I had managed to locate them amongst the high branches my suspicions were confirmed! I was well chuffed with this sighting, especially as they were my first of the year!

As I walked along the public footpath on the edge of one of the fields I saw large flocks of Carrion Crows and Woodpigeons alighting and then after a while descending once again into the distant fields. A Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling but not seen....again....I will catch sight of it one day.lol!! A Common Buzzard was hawking in the adjoining field and then flew beyond the distant hedgerow. I love to watch and hear the Buzzards so I was pleased to have had good views of the one seen today.

On my way home I decided to pull into a lay-by along one of the roads that has fields either side of it. I was so pleased that I did as I heard my first Chiffchaff of the year!! A lovely end to my 'Saturday Solitude' walk