Tuesday, 6 December 2011
'Sunday Lunch' on the decking!....04/12/2011
'Sunday lunch' on my neighbours decking....partaking was this splendid female Sparrowhawk enjoying a luncheon of Woodpigeon! I wonder what she had for 'afters'?
Sunday, 4 December 2011
A train of Jackdaws!....03/12/2011
I waited until the clouds had dispersed somewhat before setting off for Brake Lane this morning with the intention of walking the circular walk of which I had not done for a few weeks. As I swapped my trainers (a matching pair) for my wellies the 'Kronking' of a Raven was the first bird I heard and then viewed as it soared above me! A good start! Black-headed Gulls were perched on the telegraph wires looking like a string of Pearls, not often I see so many perched in this area as they are normally in the fields or on/around the Lake! I was transfixed by them as they jostled for positions on the wires. Carrion Crows and Jackdaws, the Jackdaws especially so, were noisy today with their calls sounding out on almost the entire walk. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers flew in to a tree ahead of me and I was to see two later on the walk possibly the same two. A small flock of Redwings flew out from a berry tree not to be seen again today. Dunnock, Robin, Jay and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits were also seen before I had reached the bridlepath.
As I walked (well trudged) up the muddy, squelchy bridlepath I spotted a Goldcrest flitting around the pine trees and as I reached the area with a paddock alongside the path I had a delightful sight of a mixed flock of Siskin and Goldfinch feverishly feeding in the Alders.
A Buzzard soared over the paddock and much to my joy...landed in the paddock! I stood and watched it for quite a while as it searched for insects/earthworms, a striking bird and one that I never tire of seeing! I was later to have two more sightings of possibly the same Buzzard, one sighting was a Buzzard flying to and perching on trees that are in a large garden and the next sighting was of one being mobbed by two Carrion Crows. I feel a walk around Brake Lane isn't complete until I have seen a Buzzard, today I was treated to three sightings! Magic!!
At the Lake area were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Robin (singing), Blackbird, Wren and a Songthrush! On the lake were Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, the Swan pair with their four now very large Cygnets and two Grey Herons flew overhead.
A good walk today in sunshine and at times cloudy weather, I returned home almost three hours later and ready for a warming cuppa!
Spot the birdies!
A strange sighting at the Lake! I wonder what they were comparing?
A train of Jackdaws.
As I walked (well trudged) up the muddy, squelchy bridlepath I spotted a Goldcrest flitting around the pine trees and as I reached the area with a paddock alongside the path I had a delightful sight of a mixed flock of Siskin and Goldfinch feverishly feeding in the Alders.
A Buzzard soared over the paddock and much to my joy...landed in the paddock! I stood and watched it for quite a while as it searched for insects/earthworms, a striking bird and one that I never tire of seeing! I was later to have two more sightings of possibly the same Buzzard, one sighting was a Buzzard flying to and perching on trees that are in a large garden and the next sighting was of one being mobbed by two Carrion Crows. I feel a walk around Brake Lane isn't complete until I have seen a Buzzard, today I was treated to three sightings! Magic!!
At the Lake area were Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Robin (singing), Blackbird, Wren and a Songthrush! On the lake were Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, the Swan pair with their four now very large Cygnets and two Grey Herons flew overhead.
A good walk today in sunshine and at times cloudy weather, I returned home almost three hours later and ready for a warming cuppa!
Spot the birdies!
A strange sighting at the Lake! I wonder what they were comparing?
A train of Jackdaws.
"It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas!....29/11/11
Well it did in Birmingham City Centre and at the German Market! At the German Market the spirit of Christmas abounded with gifts, delicious looking cakes, savouries, beers and hot chocolate drinks with a touch of the 'Christmas' spirit...hic!!! It had been a long time since I had ventured in to the City and fortunately London Midland have some spanking new trains running which makes the journey as pleasurable as a journey to Brum can be! A bonus was having clean and graffiti clear windows for starters! The German Market had
similiar ware for sale as on my previous visit a couple of years ago, however it was good to be in amongst the hustle and bustle of 'Christmas' in Brum!
Birds were noticeably in short supply, the weather being dull and very windy did not help no doubt. I spotted a couple of Woodpigeons on the journey to Brum and nothing on the way home as it was by then chucking it down with rain. I never cast an eye on a Starling in the town, so very different to a few years ago when they were so numerous and I saw just 2 Feral Pigeons hanging around the station entrance for a morsel or two on my way home.
All in all a good day, I returned home with my arms laden with shopping and my bank balance much lighter.lol!!
similiar ware for sale as on my previous visit a couple of years ago, however it was good to be in amongst the hustle and bustle of 'Christmas' in Brum!
Birds were noticeably in short supply, the weather being dull and very windy did not help no doubt. I spotted a couple of Woodpigeons on the journey to Brum and nothing on the way home as it was by then chucking it down with rain. I never cast an eye on a Starling in the town, so very different to a few years ago when they were so numerous and I saw just 2 Feral Pigeons hanging around the station entrance for a morsel or two on my way home.
All in all a good day, I returned home with my arms laden with shopping and my bank balance much lighter.lol!!
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Lights out!.... 26/11/20011
Early morning and the clouds were dark with just a few breaks amongst them of blue sky so I hoped for some sunshine on my walk at the Fisheries this morning! 7.45am and I was just about to dress for walking when the lights went out, a power cut!! Thankfully I had already had a cuppa and my brekkie!! After fumbling around for my walking attire I set off for the short drive to the Fisheries with house alarms serenading me...how do people sleep through such loud sounds? On arrival I changed into my wellies and noticed that I had odd trainers on, thank goodness nobody was around to see my odd foot attire bar the ponies in the paddock, I knew I should have used a torch when dressing!
Things could only get better I thought! They did as I listened for a good 10 minutes to the varied song of a Song Thrush though I did not actually see it. The leaves will all be off the trees soon so maybe next time I can view along with hearing the Song Thrush. A few Fieldfare and a good few more Redwing were seen as they flew over and the area and a flock of c40 Siskins were a lovely sight to see as they fed in the Alders, with a few Goldfinch mixed in with them.
I spotted a fresh Fungi today and have had an ID for it Melanoleuca verrucipes , I am well pleased as I have been told that it is a 'rather rare species' and was 'first discovered in the UK in 2010'...how's about that then..and 'is supposedly spreading due to our increasing use of woodchip'!
I also found a Slime-mould today...I had never heard of or seen any before today! The slime-mould was kindly ID'd for me as being Mucilago crustacea.
Slime mold is a broad term describing protists that use spores to reproduce. Slime molds were formerly classified as fungi, but are no longer considered part of this kingdom.
Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms. Historically, protists were treated as the kingdom Protista, which includes mostly unicellular organisms that do not fit into the other kingdoms, but this group is contested in modern taxonomy...
Their common name refers to part of some of these organisms' life cycles where they can appear as gelatinous "slime". This is mostly seen with the myxomycetes, which are the only macroscopic slime molds.
The sun did not shine until I returned home..typical..but nevertheless I enjoyed my 'Saturday Solitude', two new finds and some wonderful birds seen and heard!!
NB: I have since been informed that Melanoleuca verrucipes
"was first recorded in Britain in 2000, so maybe not so rare (but still a notable record)".
I am still pleased with my find and will submit the sighting to the relevant County Recorder.
Melanoleuca verrucipes
Stropharia,S.caerulea
Mucilago crustacea
Things could only get better I thought! They did as I listened for a good 10 minutes to the varied song of a Song Thrush though I did not actually see it. The leaves will all be off the trees soon so maybe next time I can view along with hearing the Song Thrush. A few Fieldfare and a good few more Redwing were seen as they flew over and the area and a flock of c40 Siskins were a lovely sight to see as they fed in the Alders, with a few Goldfinch mixed in with them.
I spotted a fresh Fungi today and have had an ID for it Melanoleuca verrucipes , I am well pleased as I have been told that it is a 'rather rare species' and was 'first discovered in the UK in 2010'...how's about that then..and 'is supposedly spreading due to our increasing use of woodchip'!
I also found a Slime-mould today...I had never heard of or seen any before today! The slime-mould was kindly ID'd for me as being Mucilago crustacea.
Slime mold is a broad term describing protists that use spores to reproduce. Slime molds were formerly classified as fungi, but are no longer considered part of this kingdom.
Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms. Historically, protists were treated as the kingdom Protista, which includes mostly unicellular organisms that do not fit into the other kingdoms, but this group is contested in modern taxonomy...
Their common name refers to part of some of these organisms' life cycles where they can appear as gelatinous "slime". This is mostly seen with the myxomycetes, which are the only macroscopic slime molds.
The sun did not shine until I returned home..typical..but nevertheless I enjoyed my 'Saturday Solitude', two new finds and some wonderful birds seen and heard!!
NB: I have since been informed that Melanoleuca verrucipes
"was first recorded in Britain in 2000, so maybe not so rare (but still a notable record)".
I am still pleased with my find and will submit the sighting to the relevant County Recorder.
Melanoleuca verrucipes
Stropharia,S.caerulea
Mucilago crustacea
Monday, 21 November 2011
The Autumn Garden
The Autumn Garden
"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought
and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as
from August to November."
Rose.G.Kingsley
"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought
and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as
from August to November."
Rose.G.Kingsley
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Recent walk updates. October/November 2011.
The 29th October saw me walking around Brake Lane, Hagley. On the Lake were 2 pairs of Goosander and a Little Grebe, the Little Grebe being my first sighting of this species on the Lake. Plenty of Black-headed Gulls, Canada Geese, Mallards, a few Moorhens and Coots on the water and I was pleased to see the Swan pair with their 4 Cygnets (which are now as big as their parents) were still safe! One of the Cygnets was feeling it's feet and chasing off the Canada Geese that came too close! Highlights on my walk were Coal Tit, Mistle Thrush, Jay, Green Woodpecker and Goldcrest. I had a chat with a Lady who was walking her dog (on a lead) by the lake and I asked her the breed of the dog as I had never seen one like it before, it was a Labradoodle! A lovely friendly dog but I do wonder why the need to cross the two breeds?
6th November (Brake lane). On the walk today highlights were Pied Wagtail, Wren, Yellowhammer, Raven and a flock of Starlings! On a fence next to a paddock I noticed that it held a lot of Ladybirds, I believe most were Harlequin but nevertheless they were a good sight to see so late in the year.
The 1st, 12th and 19th November were walks taken at a local Fisheries and the welcome sightings of my first Redwing and Fieldfare of this Winter season! Highlight birds of the walks were Bullfinch x3(2m & 1f), Skylark x 2 singing, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Goldcrest x 2, Buzzard, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit flock and the usual Corvids.
Fungi was in abundance sprouting up amongst the bark alongside the paddocks and along the grassy path next to the hedgerows giving a colourful display. I have not ID'd any of the Fungi yet, that will be a task to do through the Winter months ahead.
Flocks of Woodpigeons where constantly flying overhead on the early morning walks.
On the 3rd of November an almost continuous stream of flocks of Woodpigeons flew over my house heading West, I reckon c2000! The following weekend there were reports of thousands of Woodpigeons on the move, it was good to have seen a part of the movement!
The 17th November and a walk along the Public Footpath which is alongside Hagley Hall and heads towards the Clent Hills. This is a good area for a walk with good views over open fields and paddocks. Redwings were the highlight birds as they flew to and from the berried trees and 5 Mistle Thrush were also a good sight to see! Greenfinch, Goldfinch, numerous Blackbirds, Long-tailed Tit flock, Pied wagtail, Jay, Blue & Great Tit, Goldcrest, Buzzard and a Little Owl which was heard only but pleasing to know they are in this area.
On my walks I wrapped up in thermal trousers and tops as the sunny but cool/cold and sometimes windy weather was far removed from the heat of the sun of my birding days in Portugal, nevertheless it was good to be back home and enjoying the English countryside and all that it has to offer!
6th November (Brake lane). On the walk today highlights were Pied Wagtail, Wren, Yellowhammer, Raven and a flock of Starlings! On a fence next to a paddock I noticed that it held a lot of Ladybirds, I believe most were Harlequin but nevertheless they were a good sight to see so late in the year.
The 1st, 12th and 19th November were walks taken at a local Fisheries and the welcome sightings of my first Redwing and Fieldfare of this Winter season! Highlight birds of the walks were Bullfinch x3(2m & 1f), Skylark x 2 singing, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Goldcrest x 2, Buzzard, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit flock and the usual Corvids.
Fungi was in abundance sprouting up amongst the bark alongside the paddocks and along the grassy path next to the hedgerows giving a colourful display. I have not ID'd any of the Fungi yet, that will be a task to do through the Winter months ahead.
Flocks of Woodpigeons where constantly flying overhead on the early morning walks.
On the 3rd of November an almost continuous stream of flocks of Woodpigeons flew over my house heading West, I reckon c2000! The following weekend there were reports of thousands of Woodpigeons on the move, it was good to have seen a part of the movement!
The 17th November and a walk along the Public Footpath which is alongside Hagley Hall and heads towards the Clent Hills. This is a good area for a walk with good views over open fields and paddocks. Redwings were the highlight birds as they flew to and from the berried trees and 5 Mistle Thrush were also a good sight to see! Greenfinch, Goldfinch, numerous Blackbirds, Long-tailed Tit flock, Pied wagtail, Jay, Blue & Great Tit, Goldcrest, Buzzard and a Little Owl which was heard only but pleasing to know they are in this area.
On my walks I wrapped up in thermal trousers and tops as the sunny but cool/cold and sometimes windy weather was far removed from the heat of the sun of my birding days in Portugal, nevertheless it was good to be back home and enjoying the English countryside and all that it has to offer!
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