Simply Spring

The new month seems to have brought a change in the weather, it has been very cold here for the last few days but I suppose we have been quite spoilt for some weeks with such mild temperatures and glorious sunshine, perhaps we forget how early in the year it still is.

'The world's favorite season is spring,
All things seem possible in May.'

(Edwin Way Teale)

~~~

To continue with some photos taken in the last few weeks, I saw this pretty little Blue Tit at Draycote, it seemed to be wondering what on earth I was doing pointing a camera at it!

Blue Tit

But this Chaffinch was unconcerned by my presence.

Chaffinch (Male)

'The cock Chaffinch in Spring
Is as stunning a little bird
As any in the world.
It should be prized for its commonness'

(Simon Barnes)

~~~

Compared with last year Draycote seems surprisingly lacking in gulls at the moment but this time last year we hadn't discovered the place so perhaps a little later in the year there will be more. However, we did see this Black-headed Gull which had found something interesting to eat.

Black-headed Gull

There is definitely no shortage of Coots

Coot

and soon there will be more, this one was contentedly sitting on its nest.

'Oh Coot! oh bold, adventurous Coot,
I pray thee tell to me,
The perils of that stormy lime
That bore thee to the sea!

Amid the foaming wave, thou sat’st.
And steer’dst thy little boat;
Thy nest of rush and water-reed

So bravely set afloat.'

(Mary Howitt)

~~~

This Tufted Duck was looking very smart in its monochrome plumage

Tufted Duck

and this one was out for a swim with his wife.

These Great Crested Grebes were looking serene in the early evening sunshine

Great Crested Grebe

while this one was enjoying a fish supper!

~~~

It was quite strange to see this colourful Pheasant with a watery backdrop but it seemed quite contented as it scratched around for food. The strange black marks on this photo and on the one of the Pheasant at the beginning of my post are actually the dratted flies which I mentioned in my last post!

Pheasant (Male)

'... And to see 'mid the growth of all lovely things,
The joyous Pheasant unfolds his wings,
And then cower down, as if to screen
His gorgeous purple, gold, and green!'

(Mary Howitt)

~~~

This Canada Goose looked more in keeping with its surroundings.

Canada Goose

As we walked past some bushes I heard rustling noises and spotted this Rabbit looking rather well fed.

Rabbit

This Cormorant (I wondered if it was a Shag at first) looked, to me, like a witch in her black, hooded cloak, astride her broomstick!

Cormorant

~~~

During a visit to one of the small, local lakes I saw this Swan looking resplendent in its finery

Mute Swan

'Wild bird of beauty,
Strong, and glad, and free!
Dwelling on these waters,---
How pleasant it must be!
Like a gleam of sunshine
In shadow passing on,---
Like a wreath of snow, thou art,
Wild and graceful swan!'

(Mary Howitt)

While this Mallard was in reflective mood :)

Mallard Duck (Male)

I am always amused by the large and rather ungainly feet of Coots and Moorhens and this Moorhen illustrates my point.

Moorhen

~~~

In the last few weeks, wherever I have been, the constant call of the Chiffchaff has teased and tantalised me. I have scoured the trees so many times with my binoculars to no avail but on a walk quite close to home, just as I was about to give up, this one suddenly appeared in the open. It was a fair distance away and this was the best of a bad lot of photos.

Chiffchaff

I was hoping to visit a Bluebell wood this weekend but the weather has turned very cold and we have had prolonged, heavy rain. This photo was taken as they were just starting to flower about ten days ago

Bluebell

'My hundred thousand bells of blue,
The splendour of the Spring,
They carpet all the woods anew
With royalty of sapphire hue;
The Primrose is the Queen, 'tis true.
But surely I am King!
Ah yes,
The peerless Woodland King!'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

and this photo taken just a few days ago shows how frighteningly quickly the year is moving on with this Horse Chestnut tree already starting to show its 'candles' which will eventually bear Conkers during the season which begins with A and which I really don't want to be reminded of :)

Horse Chestnut

~~~

Finally (well nearly), we returned to Draycote, one day last week in the hope the flies might have gone. They were still there but thankfully not in such huge numbers. I was pleased to see this very proud mum out and about with her new family.

Female Mallard Duck and Ducklings

I counted eleven ducklings so she has a busy time at the moment especially as dad abandons his family once incubation is well underway, leaving mum to raise the large brood on her own!

Now, finally (really!), regular readers may remember my many fruitless searches last year at Draycote for the elusive Lesser Scaup. Well this year I have been several times in the hope of spotting the two Great Northern Divers which have been seen there for some weeks but as is usually my luck, they have eluded me each time. However! On my latest visit, while scanning the water for the Divers, my attention was caught by a duck which looked unfamiliar. It was quite a long way out so the photos are not wonderful but on my return home after checking my books I was thrilled to discover I had found a...

Garganey Duck (male)

Shy and secretive, the Garganey is a dabbling duck, meaning that it feeds by skimming rather than diving or 'upending'. The male has a distinctive 'crackling' mating call. The RSPB says of it,

'The garganey is a scarce and very secretive breeding duck in the UK. It is smaller than a mallard and slightly bigger than a teal. The male is most easily recognised with a broad white stripe over the eye. In flight it shows a pale blue forewing. It feeds by "dabbling".'

It was great to see a new bird.

Enjoy this beautiful season of Spring, wherever you are.