A Drummer in the Woodland! 23/01/2016

The 'Drummer' was a Great Spotted Woodpecker I heard several times on my walk in and around Bunkers Hill Wood. I was surprised to hear the drumming so early in the year but given the 'average' warmer temperatures the last few months not too surprising I suppose. I managed to capture the drumming on a video whilst filming (poorly) a Song Thrush working it's way through the leaf litter. The Song Thrush was most confiding as was a female blackbird I watched also working through the leaf litter earlier on my walk, they were too busy feeding to take too much notice of me and I didn't get too close I hasten to add.

I added Jay to my 2016 list today, there were at least 5 flitting through the trees and making their harsh alarm call! A couple of Ravens were a treat to see and hear, one was calling as I arrived and  was putting my boots on, a good start to my walk! Other highlight species seen were Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Blue & Great Tit, Robin, Skylark, Fieldfare, Redwing,  a few 'small' Starling flocks passed overhead several times, Buzzard and a Nuthatch were heard only. I was hoping for a Yellowhammer sighting here but sadly not today, I shall keep on looking.


Bracket Fungi was to be seen on many of the Silver Birch trees and also plenty of Lichen.

Up, up and away! There were 2 Ravens passing overhead. Superb sightings!

   

Despite several of these signs along the paths they do not 'cut any ice' with some folk as the evidence was sadly quite clear to see!

A Mutation of Thrushes.

A Crime to Report.

I've a crime to report-
The Rowan tree said-
The theft of some red berries,
Small, round, red.
It happened this morning-
Kids, I suppose-
I was tired from the gale
And having a doze.
A difficult case-
The policeman said,
Licking his pencil-
And scratching his head-
We'll send down forensics
To search for clues:
Fingerprints, tyre marks,
The imprint of shoes,
But, if you ask me,
This berrying job
Sounds like the work
Of the MIstle Thrush mob.
We'll do what we can-
But a word to the wise-
Get some insurance,
And watch the skies.

Richard Edwards.



16/01/2016

I was rather chuffed with the sighting of 2 Mistle Thrush silently feeding along the edge of a field in the company of  Fieldfares, Redwings and Blackbirds! It had been a couple of years since my last sighting of Mistle Thrush at Brake lane, West Hagley. A party of Long-tailed Tits worked the hedgerow, Starlings flew overhead and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was to be my first of 2016!

                                     

 

 

My favourite Garden/Woodland bird.

Literally hundreds of Gulls flew on to the water as I counted the Goosanders of which there were 17 in total. A good count for Brake Mill Pool.

 

 

 

Now you see me......

 

Now you don't!

I was surprised to see a hot air balloon on what was a very cold and frosty morning. I later spotted 2 more 'Flying High' in the sky!

                         Spot the Goldcrest. It's in there somewhere!

 

 

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

How lovely to see the sunshine and be out walking in the fresh (albeit cold) air!

My walk today was firstly at Brake Mill Pool to feed the Wildfowl, Goosander x4 and the usual suspects were on and around the water, Gulls were there in great numbers....and hungry! A pair of Buzzards circling overhead against a clear blue sky were a joy to watch. Long-tailed Tits, Blue and Great Tits, Robin, Bullfinch, Blackbird and  Song Thrush were the remaining species seen here.

After a stop off for a coffee at a local Garden Centre and a few purchases it was off to Brake lane to see what was about! It had been a long while since my last walk in this area. Fieldfares, Starlings, Goldfinches, Blue and great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Robin, Treecreeper, Buzzard and it was a delight to watch a Kestrel as she perched and preened. No Yellowhammers today, maybe next time.

It seems an age since we had such bright sunshine and a clear blue sky!

 

 

 

This should have been a photo of a Long-tailed Tit, still the buds do look nice and fresh.

 

 

 

New beginnings.

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been”

   Rainer Maria Rilke



The rain waited for me to start my walk as has been the norm the last couple of times I have arrived at Whittington. Undeterred I made my way down the track to see what was about, in a nutshell 'not a lot'! A couple of Buzzards were vocal, Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Magpies, a couple of Cock  Pheasants, Dunnock and a Robin were the only sightings this afternoon. However it was good to be out in the fresh air even though it was raining...again!

Lovely to see the fresh shoots on a few trees! I think this is Hazel but I am not 100% sure.

 

Gorse and  raindrops!

 

 

 

It won't be long before the Skylarks will be up in the sky singing merrily and then dropping swiftly down into the field to their nests!  

My best 'bird' image of the afternoon! Watching Buzzards soar over you is a sight I shall never tire of.

My first bird sighting of 2016 was.......

a Magpie! My 2nd sighting was a Woodpigeon and 3rd a Black-headed Gull. My first bird heard singing was a Robin in the early hours of the morning.

The weather was ok this morning, cold with a slight wind but it changed considerably early afternoon just as I arrived at Brake Mill Pool to feed the ducks! Cold, cold rain came down so I didn't hang around for too long. I added 16 to my New Years Day list so not all in vain and the ducks etc appreciated the brown bread and a Robin enjoyed seed I had placed on top of a few fence posts. Good to see a few Goosander on the water, I counted 8 males and 3 females, they stay well back on the pool so I rarely manage a decent pic of them not that it is that important.

A few  images to start 2016 off with.

Where did 2015 go?

Here we are again at the end of another year, how quickly the days and months have passed by. This has been a year where I have struggled at times to find enough time and I must be honest inclination at times to post on my blog, I will make more of an effort in 2016! That will be my New Years resolution...says she.;-)

I wish to add a few images to finish the year off with.

Centre Parcs, Nottingham in October was a most enjoyable break and the weather was ok, well ok in that we did not have persistent rain during the holiday. The leaves were still hanging on in there so it was a colourful scene on walks around the forest. The feeders had a good variety of birds visiting them, the highlight birds were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, numerous Great and Blue Tits and what for me is always a treat to see especially at Centre Parcs was a Nuthatch!

 

I was pleased to see the next 2 species in my garden. The Grasshopper visited in August and the Green Woodpecker in December.

 

 

Algarve Holiday 22nd Sept-4th Oct 2015.

 

A little late with this post but I hope you enjoy the images.

 

I had booked a days guided birding prior to the holiday. I chose Sagres as the area to explore for the day. We are familiar with the area but it is always good to seek out areas off the beaten track . We had no luck with finding any Dotterel which would have been a first for me but the Raptor Watch Point (popular through the year but particularly so at migration time) at Cabranosa  deliverd some goodies! Here we viewed several Booted Eagles, Egyptian Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Black Stork, Black Kite x4, Bonelli's Eagle Hobby, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon.

A Lesser Spotted Eagle was the star of the show and caused much excitement. This species was first reported in Portugal in 2009 and was also seen in 2011, 2012 and 2013. It was seen for several days in the area.

Great Shearwater, Great White Egret, Great Cormorant, Northern Gannet, Cory's Shearwater, European Shag, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull were seen on the sea and around the area of the Lighthouse at Sagres. Rock Dove, Thekla Lark, Black Redstart, Bluethroat,the odd Red-rumped and Barn Swallow were sighted, House Martin, White and Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Stonechat and Blue Rock Thrush were the remaining highlights. 78 species were seen during the day.

At Salgados Lagoon on various days we viewed Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Marsh harrier, Osprey (my first in the Algarve), Little Grebe, Lesser Yellowlegs, Purple and Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo (one juvenile), a single White Stork, Purple Swamp-hen, Black-winged Stilt, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Little Stint, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed godwit, Common, Green and Wood Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Crested Lark, Skylark, Bluethroat, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Stonechat, Sardinian Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Iberian Grey Shrike and a single Common Waxbill being the last of the named highlight birds.

A brill holiday once again in the Algarve.

 

 

                  My first Osprey in Portugal being mobbed by Gulls after its fish!
                                                  
                                                              

 

I have had the Spider and Moths ID'd for me, lovely insects....well the Moths are, I am not so sure about the spider!

 

Argiope species

 

 

 

Palpita vitrealis

 

 

Ethmia bipunctella

 

 

Iberian Water Frogs.

 

Scarlet Darter

 

Vagrant Emperor...a stunner!

 

Today, the last day of the year was an enjoyable family day out walking around Bodenham Arboretum in glorious sunshine and finishing off with a yummy Carvery lunch!

 

 

I now have a Skinner Moth Trap which I hope to set up and start on early in the new year. It will be a new challenge and one I hope to enjoy if I manage to ID at least half of the Moths (hopefully) caught. I expect the warmer nights and longer days will be more productive so I may not post on my Moth findings very often through the Winter.

 

I wish everyone Peace, Good Health and Happiness for 2016.