ShySongbird's Twitterings

Back At Last!

2012-01-19T17:40:00.003Z

No, you're not imagining it! I am back... at last :-) I have been away from here for so long that the more time passes the more difficult it seems to re-integrate and I think if I don't post something now, I never will! Thank you so much for all your kind and caring comments on my last post, they were very moving and meant a great deal to me. Thank you too to those of you who sent concerned emails, it really is much appreciated.

I am glad to report that I have had no more of the frightening incidents mentioned in my last post and all of the tests had good results but I do have to take a small dose of aspirin each day to keep my blood thin. I also have to follow a low cholesterol diet even though my levels were well within the normal range.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012. Last year was particularly bad for me, chest and allergy wise, so what with that, the no show Summer :-( and the many recent, dull days with barely any light, I haven't had many opportunities to get out with the camera. Perhaps this year will be a better one!

Anyway, I thought I would show some of the few photos I did take in the last few months. I hope looking at out of season photos won't be too boring...it does bring a bit of colour to our dull Winter days though.

Sadly, butterflies were few and far between in 2011 in my area. Even in places where I can usually be guaranteed to at least see the more common species, they were absent. In 2009 the UK was visited by hordes of Painted Ladies but 2010 saw a return to normal and I, for one, didn't see any at all! However, back in August last year I saw this one. They really are beautiful!

Painted Lady

'I like to see the butterfly extend her painted wing.'

(A Stoddart)

One of the butterflies that thankfully did do well here, in the late Summer, was the Red Admiral. With its bold and striking colours I think it is probably my favourite although I love them all. Butterflies are such ethereal and magical creatures and the absolute essence of a sunny Summer's day. How I miss them in the Winter and look forward to their return. I hope they will be much more plentiful this year.

Red Admiral

Moving forward to the Autumn, there was an abundance of berries and the birds took full advantage of them. This Robin looked like the Hawthorn berry it was eating was much too big for such a small bird!

Robin

The Squirrel in the following photo was a long way away and I don't know what it was doing with the piece of wood, possibly sharpening its teeth.

Grey Squirrel

It looked to me like it was eating a giant sweetcorn :-)

This male Bullfinch looked very handsome amongst the Blackberries.

Bullfinch

'The bull-finch whistles soft his flute-like notes'

(Richard Savage)

I was taken by surprise by this Goldcrest and just managed to get a hurried snap before it flew away.

Goldcrest

I'm not sure what this fungus is but think it might be one of the Russula family but can't be any more specific than that.

Russula species?

I always think the collective name of 'charm' for Goldfinches is very apt and those at the top of this post certainly did look charming against the blue October sky as did this one which I photographed at the end of November.

Goldfinch

'A gaudy Goldfinch, pert and gay,
Hopping blithe from spray to spray,
Full of frolick, full of spring,
With head well plumed and burnished wing.'

(Dr. John Aikin)

Moving forward and into the Winter, in the place where I walk most which I suppose I should call my 'patch' and where all the previous photos were taken (with the exception of the butterflies), I saw this Fieldfare. The light was starting to fade and as is usually my luck there were lots of twigs in the way :-(

Fieldfare

Well, that's it for now. I will try to catch up with visiting everyone and commenting in the next few days. I did manage to get out with the camera at the weekend so I will post again soon. Until then... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

An Unexpected Blogging Break!

2011-07-17T18:55:00.001+01:00

Most of my blogland friends will know that last year I had to take a blogging break after eye surgery due to the side effects of long term treatment for respiratory problems. Unexpectedly, on Tuesday of last week, probably for the same reason, I suffered a mini stroke (that makes me sound like I'm a hundred and five and I'm not!!), it was very sudden and very brief but extremely frightening as I temporarily lost the right side of my vision. I don't mean I lost the sight in one eye but that it looked like everything had been sliced cleanly down the middle with a knife! None of my other senses were affected and after extensive tests and being given aspirin to take daily to guard against any recurrence (which is only of low risk), apart from feeling exhausted, I am OK, although I do have to have another test eventually. I also have a chest infection (nothing new there!) due to the hay fever season so have reluctantly decided it might be best to take another blogging break. I hope to rejoin you soon and will take a peek at your lovely blogs from time to time but please excuse my not commenting for a while. See you soon.... I will miss you!

Summer Selection

2011-06-23T18:00:00.013+01:00

For various reasons, I haven't had many Nature outings in the last week or so, the weather certainly hasn't helped. When I said, on my last post, that we desperately needed rain I was rewarded the very next day but it doesn't know when enough is enough and I don't think we have had one day without it since. April finally arrived... in June! April of course, having masqueraded as June! I still can't believe how quickly the year is progressing, one minute it was the beginning of Spring and on June 24th it is midsummer's day!... It goes too fast...

'The days are clear,

Day after day,
When April's here,
That leads to May,
And June
Must follow soon:
Stay, June, stay! -
If only we could stop the moon
And June!'

(Christina Georgina Rossetti)

I haven't seen the Great Spotted Woodpecker in the garden since I last mentioned it (I may just have missed it of course) but I was pleased to see this one while on a local walk.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Here, helpfully displaying the red on the back of his neck to show me he is male.

I also saw this Bullfinch. Unfortunately the light was bad but I have included it as it is not often I manage to get a photo of one. I have seen Bullfinches several times in that location so hopefully, I may get a better photo eventually.

Bullfinch (male)

Not a very sharp photo of this member of the Crane-fly family but I had to put it in, just look at those eyes!!

Tipula vernalis

Butterflies are in worryingly short supply in my area at the moment but thankfully the same can't be said of bees. I think both this one and the one at the beginning of my post are Bombus hortorum but from memory the collar and 2nd abdominal segment were quite a deep colour so wonder if they could be Bombus terrestris.
Edit: Thank you very much to Greenie for pointing out that the bee at the start of this post is probably not Bombus hortorum but a member of the Cuckoo Bee family possibly Psithyrus vestalis.

Bumble-bee (Bombus hortorum?)

'Across the open common land
shines glowing purple floral blooms
The bumble bee can hardly stand,
as flowers' scent is rising fumes'

(Stephen Patrick)

The Chiffchaff was in its usual place again :)

Chiffchaff

I'm not sure what this cheeky looking Squirrel was eating but it was certainly enjoying it.

Grey Squirrel

'Intelligent his mien ;

With feathery tail and ears alert,
And little paws as hands expert,
And eyes so black and keen.'

(Catherine Ann Turner Dorset (?))

Chaffinches always seem to be pretty accommodating when it comes to having their photo taken.

Chaffinch

'The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined body being o'errun
With the deluge of summer it receives'

(James Russell Lowell)

I had to heavily crop this very distant shot of a Common Buzzard so it is not the best but I have included it as I usually only see them in the air.

Common Buzzard

~~~

I took the next three photos some weeks ago but didn't get round to posting them.

Mute Swan

Greylag Goose (hybrid)

Edit: Thanks to Greenie for pointing out the above is of mixed parentage. I should have noticed!!

Coots

~~~

The following two photos were taken in the garden. I hadn't seen a Jackdaw visit for some time until this year, when I have seen several. In my opinion the Jackdaw is a very smart bird in both senses of the word. Not only does it look handsome but like the rest of the much maligned and highly intelligent Corvid family it is a very interesting bird. Jackdaws usually nest in colonies with monogamous pairs collaborating to locate a nest site which they then defend from other pairs and from predators for most of the year. They nest in the cavities of trees, cliffs or ruined, and sometimes inhabited, buildings, often in chimneys (sometimes with fatal consequences when a fire is in the grate below!), and even in dense conifers.

Jackdaw

'There is a bird, who by his coat,

And by the hoarseness of his note,
Might be supposed a crow;
A great frequenter of the church,
Where, bishop-like, he finds a perch,
And dormitory too.'

(William Cowper)

The above poem refers to the fact that Jackdaws are famous for using church steeples for nesting. They have a linear hierarchical group structure with higher ranked birds dominating lower ranked birds. They mate for life, pairing before sexual maturity. Young males establish individual status before pairing with females. Once paired, the female assumes the same social position as her partner. Un-mated females are the lowest members in the pecking order, and are the last to have access to food and shelter. Hmm, I think they need a bit of women's liberation in their community :)

It is known that Jackdaws share food and objects. The active giving of food in birds is found mainly in the context of parental care and during courtship rituals but Jackdaws show much higher levels of active giving than that documented for primates such as Chimpanzees. This behaviour is not fully understood but there is a theory that it is associated with mutualism, reciprocity and harassment avoidance. It is also known that occasionally the flock will make 'mercy killings' during which a sick or injured bird is mobbed until it is killed, a harsh but effective way of putting a suffering bird out of its misery...

~~~

This Robin started to build a nest in the Ivy at the side of the dining room window but for some reason I think it abandoned it before it was finished. There was one in there complete with baby birds a few years ago which was destroyed by a cat which unfortunately still visits the garden so in some ways I was pleased the Robin had second thoughts this year. I think it did nest in a different part of the garden though.

Robin

Until next time... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Just June

2011-06-11T19:15:00.004+01:00

So here we are in June already, how quickly the year is going and how strange the weather has been so far. We have had some very dull days here but barely any rain still, we desperately need it and if it is going to be dull it may as well rain! However we have had some sunshine and there is still time for it to turn into 'flaming June'. Rain at night and sun in the day, that's what we need :)

'Sweetest daughter of the year,
Smiling June, I hail thee here.
Hail thee with thy skies of blue,
Days of sunshine, nights of dew.
Hail thee with thy songs and flowers,
Balmy air, and leafy bowers,
Bright and fragrant, fresh and clear,
Smiling June, I hail thee here. '

(Henry Francis Lyte)

Last year on one of our regular local walks I noticed a Blue Tit flying in and out of a hole in a tree obviously feeding its young and recently I saw one at the same tree. I couldn't quite work out if it was feeding young again as it didn't appear to have anything in its beak. I wonder if its young might have just fledged and if perhaps it was checking the nest to make sure there were no more chicks left in it. It kept peering inside for some time before flying away and although I waited for a while it didn't return while I was there.

Blue Tit

This beetle was sunning itself on an Ox-eye Daisy. It is our old friend the Fat-legged Beetle but as this is the female she doesn't have the fatter legs of the male.

Fat-legged Beetle (Oedemera Nobilis)

It is always a welcome sight to see the hedgerows laced with the pretty flowers of the Dog Rose.

Dog Rose

'I am the queen whom everybody knows:
I am the English Rose; ...
As joyous as a Robin Redbreast's tune,
I scent the air of June;
My buds are rosy as a baby's cheek;
I have one word to speak,
One word which is my secret and my song,
'Tis "England, England, England" all day long.'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

I was struck by the beautiful depth of colour of this flower which I at first thought was the Hedge Cranesbill but now think is the Meadow Cranesbill.

Meadow? Cranesbill

Last year whenever we visited this spot there was always a Chiffchaff shouting its name from these wires and this year I am pretty sure it is the same bird back there again.

Chiffchaff (above and below)

With it being persistently windy here for so long butterflies have unfortunately been few and far between but I did see this Common Blue

Common Blue Butterfly

'Airy, lovely, heavenly thing!
Butterfly with quivering wing!
Hovering in thy transient hour
Over every bush and flower,
Feasting upon flowers and dew,
Thyself a brilliant blossom too.'

(Translation from Herder)

and this very smart looking Speckled Wood.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

A lot of the Rabbits I see lately seem sadly to be suffering from Myxomatosis so it was pleasing to see these two young ones looking healthy and bright eyed.

Rabbits

As this bee had an orange-red tail (although it can't be seen in the photo) I think I have identified it correctly.

Bumble-Bee (Bombus pratorum)

'Burly, dozing humble-bee, ...
Where thou art is clime for me,
Insect lover of the sun,
Joy of thy dominion!
Sailor of the atmosphere;
Swimmer through the waves of air;
Voyager of light and noon;
Epicurean of June.'

(Ralph Waldo Emmerson)

I have tried but failed to identify the flower in the next photo so have posted it in the hope someone may be able to help.

Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)

Edit: Thanks very much to Greenie for identifying the above flower and yes, I should definitely have recognised it! ;) Thanks also to Cheryl and John.

I could hear this Yellowhammer but for some time couldn't locate it but then it stopped singing for a few moments and started again in a different place where I spotted it quite easily.

Yellowhammer

'But this sweet day, an hour ago,
A yellowhammer, clear and low,
In love and tender pity
Thrilled out his dainty ditty.'

(David Gray)

The poor Yellowhammer was once a much maligned little bird surrounded by fear and fable. Cobham Brewer, in his Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) said;

'The eggs of this bird are spotted with red. The tradition is that the bird fluttered about the Cross, and got stained with the blood in its plumage, and by way of punishment its eggs were doomed ever after to bear marks of blood. ’Tis a very lame story, but helps to show how in former times every possible thing was made to bear some allusion to the Redeemer. Because the bird was “cursed,” boys who abstain from plundering the eggs of small birds, were taught that it is as right and proper to destroy the eggs of the bunting as to persecute a Jew.'!

On a happier note, some of both Beethoven and Messiaen's compositions were inspired by the song of the Yellowhammer.

Well, that's all until next time... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Another May Mixture... in Memory of Linda

2011-05-28T17:10:00.001+01:00

With great sadness, this post is dedicated to the memory of a dear blogging friend, Linda/Rain Gardener of Gardening by Trial and Error. I and many others whose lives she touched will miss her very much...

'Such love of life cannot so quickly fade

Or vanish like a vapor in the wind.
For it was of a lasting pleasure made.'

(Nicholas Gordon)

~~~

Linda was always struck by how very different our Robin is compared with the American Robin. She thought ours was 'adorable'.

Robin

'There's a friendly tone in thy minstrelsy,
And a merry heart beats 'neath thy crimson vest;
There's a pleasant light in thy glistening eye.

And of all our songsters we love thee best'

(E. and A.M. Forrester)

~~~

Well, what a strange Spring we have had this year! The ground here has been as dry as it would be in the middle of a very hot Summer. The last week or two although relentlessly dry hasn't been particularly pleasant with high winds and barely any sunshine making photography difficult. I intended to post this sequence of photos earlier in the Spring but didn't quite get around to it so as things are fairly quiet bird wise at the moment I thought I would put them on now.

Shall we dance?

Yes, let's

Shall we be serious and do the weed dance?

Oh no, it's much too soon for that!

Please?

Tomorrow... maybe?

As I have said in the past, I am fascinated by the way in which Nature uses camouflage and this following photo is a definite case in point!

Orange Tip Butterfly

Despite the very dry weather I have seen some lovely wild flowers on recent walks.

Clockwise from top left:
Red Campions, Dog Rose, Silverweed,
Ox-eye Daisies, Ox-eye Daisy.

As I mentioned before, things are pretty quiet on the bird front at the moment but I managed to get a quick photo of this Blue Tit which had just captured a juicy caterpillar to feed to its young. You'll need to look closely to spot the caterpillar!

Blue Tit

'A flutter of wings and a flash of blue,
And there my brave little friend are you!'

(G.F. Bradby)

Every year, until I see it again, I forget just how small the following butterfly is. Of course I should remember, after all the clue is in the name :)

Small Copper Butterfly (above and below)

'The butterflies, by eager hopes undone,
Glad as a child, come out to greet the sun.'

(John Clare)

I always think how very delicate Lacewings are, it amazes me that they manage to survive the elements.

Lacewing (Chrysopa perla)

I think this caterpillar must be a Garden Tiger but I thought they were bigger than this one and it wasn't found anywhere near a garden although I know that is probably irrelevant. Does anyone know if there is anything similar but smaller and more slender?

Caterpillar of the Garden Tiger Moth?

'The caterpillar there without
Has never known a mother's care;
Alone to seek its daily fare,
On grass and leaves it crawls about.'

(Unknown)

The following photo is another from earlier in the Spring, taken at Draycote Water but not posted before. There was a bit of an altercation going on!

Cormorants

Finally, I will leave you with this pretty little Common Blue Butterfly which was determined it wasn't going to open its wings for me.

Common Blue Butterfly

Well that's all for now... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Maytime Mixture

2011-05-06T18:35:00.004+01:00

May already! This year is going much too fast for my liking but what a beautiful Spring we have enjoyed this time. The only downside being that the countryside and gardens are getting far too dry. I can't remember the last time it rained here although if the weather forecasters have it right that will be rectified this weekend with showers predicted.

'Welcome, welcome, lovely May!
With breath so sweet and smiles so gay;
With sun, and dew, and gentle showers,
Welcome, welcome, month of flowers!'

(From Juvenile Miscellany)

Just a sample of the beautiful views on my doorstep

This post will contain photos from various walks in my local area and a couple from a little further afield at Draycote Water but I will start with a couple of photos from the garden. As some readers will know, I have always been envious of those of you who have the Great Spotted Woodpecker visiting your garden feeders so I have been thrilled recently to see one in mine. The first time was a very fleeting glimpse as it fed at the peanut feeder at the bottom of the garden. Some weeks later I saw one again, a female, on the Sunflower feeder nearer the house and the next day posed beautifully on the bird bath. Needless to say I didn't manage a photo on the bird bath but I did get a not very good one of it on the Sunflower feeder.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

I photographed this Speckled Wood Butterfly on Forget-me-not flowers on a lovely sunny morning.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

This next butterfly isn't posed in the prettiest of places but the photo clearly shows how exceptionally dry the ground is here. It was taken during a local walk on April 17th and we still haven't had a drop of rain since!

Peacock Butterfly

Something else which wasn't posing in the prettiest of places, such is my luck ;) was this Yellowhammer. Luckily I have found somewhere else to see them without having to return to the scene of the Larsen Trap encounter!

Yellowhammer

This one was slightly more cooperative.

One of the wild flowers which always reminds me of my childhood is the Lady's Smock also known as Cuckoo Flower and Milkmaids. As a child I used to love hunting for the first ones of the year. In folklore it was said to be sacred to the fairies so was unlucky if brought indoors. For the same reason it was never included in May day garlands.

Lady's Smock

'Dainty as a fairy's frock,
White or mauve, of elfin sewing,
'Tis the meadow-maiden growing-
Lady's-smock.'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

It is also one of the food plants of the Orange Tip butterfly.

Orange Tip Butterfly

Another favourite wild flower, I have a lot of favourites :) is the Cowslip which seems to me to have done particularly well this year. Actually, thinking about it although I love all wild flowers it is the Spring flowers which are dearest to my heart.

Cowslip

Another butterfly seen on a local walk.

Green-veined White

'But lo! a white and spangled thing
Was sporting there on tiny wing;
In haste from flower to flower it flew,
And sucked from each the honied dew.'

(Louisa Segrave)

All of the following photos were taken at Draycote. This Canada Goose looked like it was feeling the heat!

Canada Goose

These Great Crested Grebes were looking resplendent in their breeding plumage

Great Crested Grebe

and Mrs Mallard was proudly showing off her ducklings.

Mallards

Although it is easy to hear and identify Chiffchaffs I find it is not always so easy to see them but this time I was lucky.

Chiffchaff

And here, it was happily singing its name over and over.

Finally, it is always nice to see the delightful Yellow Wagtails at Draycote. This one is female

Yellow Wagtail

and I will finish this post as I started it, with the male.

Have a lovely weekend... and enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

I Creep for a Woodpecker and a Tree Creeper Creeps for Me!

2011-04-14T18:00:00.005+01:00

What lovely weather most of us in the UK have experienced in the last week or so. We had temperatures of well over 20C (68F) for several days and it was a pleasure to get out and enjoy all that Nature has to offer at this loveliest time of the year.

(Common Primrose)

'Now beauteous spring bursts forth to view,

And decks the earth with flow'rs,
And the songsters sing on dewy wing,
Rejoicing in the bow'rs.'

(Thomas Eagles)

As is so often the case in this country though the temperature has dipped again in the last day or so and is now less than half what it was!

Walking very near to home last weekend I kept hearing the laugh or yaffle of a Green Woodpecker. So often they are heard but not seen but on this occasion I had the last laugh :) as I saw it fly across in front of me and land in a tree in a hedgerow and was able to gradually creep closer to it with the camera.

Green Woodpecker

When I got home and processed the photos I was surprised to see that lower down in the tree, (as seen in the photo at the beginning of this post) there was also another woodpecker which I had been completely unaware of at the time.

'The green woodpecker flying up and down
With wings of mellow green and speckled crown.'

(John Clare)

During the same walk I was keeping an eye out in case I saw the Roe Deer which I had seen there (and posted about here) last year. This time I wasn't lucky enough to see them but I was thrilled instead to see this lovely little Muntjac Deer.

Muntjac Deer

The warm weather has brought all the Spring flowers out and I found this Green Alkarnet

Green Alkarnet

and these Coltsfoot with Violets in the background.

Coltsfoot and Violets

These Marsh Marigolds, as their name suggests, were growing in their favoured habitat by water

Marsh Marigolds

and a flower which every year at this time, is just starting to spread its beautiful blue carpet over much of the woodland in the UK.

Bluebells

'The Bluebell is the sweetest flower
That waves in summer air:
Its blossoms have the mightiest power
To soothe my spirit's care.'

(Emily Bronte)

During a visit to Draycote Water it was lovely to see lots of delightful and vividly coloured Yellow Wagtails. I have seen them there each year I have been, either flitting around on the rocks or, as this time, on the grassy bank feeding on the many flies which so often plague the walkers, joggers and cyclists.

Yellow Wagtail

You can see the following one was actually sizing up its quarry!

The warm weather has of course also seen the welcome return of butterflies and after seeing many Orange Tips frustratingly whizz past me with no chance of a photo I was eventually rewarded with a nice open winged pose.

Orange Tip Butterfly (male)

'Child of the sun! pursue thy rapturous flight,
Mingling with her thou lov'st in fields of light;
And where the flowers of paradise unfold,
Quaff fragrant nectar from their cups of gold.'

(Charles Burton)

This Speckled Wood was the first I had seen this year and posed well for me.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

I should also have been able to post some nice photos of a Peacock butterfly but unfortunately I found that all of the ones I had taken of it as well as some of a Mallard with her tiny ducklings had mistakenly been taken with the white balance setting on my camera set to tungsten light instead of sunlight which meant all the photos had a horrible turquoise hue...I am still kicking myself!!

An unexpected find during the Draycote visit was a distant view of this Stoat which was no doubt preying on the numerous Rabbits which can always be seen there. It seems incredible that a creature so relatively small can catch and kill another much larger one. It pounces on the Rabbit, killing it with a bite to the back of its neck. If it is able to obtain more food than it can eat the Stoat will often store extra food for later. It is capable of speeds of 20mph when hunting and can cover a distance of around 4 miles in a single hunt! The collective name for Stoats is a 'caravan'.

Stoat

Another walk closer to home produced another unexpected sight. I think they are Red-legged Partridges but they could possibly be Chukar Partridges, again they were very distant.

Red-legged (or possibly Chukar) Partridges

'The partridge makes no nest but on the ground
Lays many eggs and I have often found
Sixteen or eighteen in a beaten seat
When tracing oer the fields or weeding wheat.'

(John Clare)

Finally, a couple of days ago, I was pleased to get some fairly decent photos of a Treecreeper at last. Usually I only manage one either disappearing round the back of a tree or completely out of focus.

Treecreeper

Have a good weekend and ... enjoy the beauty of Nature wherever you are.

Now That April's Here!

2011-04-06T20:08:00.007+01:00

Thank you to everyone who left supportive comments on my last post concerning the Larsen Trap encounter and thank you most particularly to all those who signed the petition against them. If you haven't signed it yet please do consider it, every signature helps, wherever you live in the world!

Well what a beautiful April day it has been here today, we had a temperature this afternoon of 21c (69.8F). While visiting a small local lake it was a joy to see all the Spring flowers and hear Chiffchaffs calling their name over and over. I also heard a rustling in the dead leaves and caught a glimpse of a snake but it was so quick I couldn't identify it, my goodness they move fast! Looking back at my records I noticed that on this day in 2008 we had heavy overnight snow. Hopefully that won't happen tonight!

'When April comes with softly shining eyes,

And daffodils bound in her wind-blown hair,
Oh, she will coax all clouds from out the skies,
And every day will bring some sweet surprise,--
The swallows will come swinging through the air
When April comes!'

(Virna Sheard)

Clockwise from top left:
Ground Ivy, Cowslips, Bluebells,
Violets, Lesser Celandines and Primroses.

'Spring flowers, spring flowers,
Fairest, sweetest gems of earth,
Won from Eden's happy bowers,
Angels smiled upon your birth.'

(Louisa Shaw)

I hadn't seen Bramblings in the garden since 2008 when according to my records they visited from March 7th until April 22nd. At that time I didn't have a camera capable of taking bird photographs and have been disappointed not to have seen them since. However, since just before last Christmas I have seen one in the garden again and for the last few days a small flock have been visiting regularly and at last I have managed to get some photos. They really are lovely little birds.

Bramblings

Brambling (male)

Brambling (female)

I still haven't managed to photograph any butterflies but have seen, Brimstones and Small Tortoiseshells on some of the milder days we have had recently. It has been nice to see bees again too.

Tawny Mining Bee?

Edit: Thank you very much to Dean for identifying the above as a...

Buff-tailed Bumble Bee

On a visit to a very small Nature reserve close to home I found these Fritillaries. They were surrounded by wire to protect them, hopefully next year they will have multiplied. We opened the wire a little to enable me to take the photos but made sure we secured it again afterwards.

Fritillary

On another recent walk I saw these Mute Swans who looked rather romantic with their heart shaped pose!

Mute Swans

'They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old.'

(William Butler Yeats)

I had a face to face encounter with this Squirrel during a visit to Draycote Water.

Grey Squirrel

The visit to Draycote was unfortunately made on a very dull day which eventually turned to rain and as I have mentioned in the past my camera doesn't perform at all well in low light but I tried my best and was pleased to see Grey Wagtails on the rocks.

Grey Wagtail

And this Reed Bunting looking very smart in a hedgerow.

Reed Bunting

A bird which according to all the books is widespread across this country is the Linnet but I never see it on any of my walks close to home so was pleased but not surprised to see it at Draycote which does seem to attract many birds which I would never otherwise see!

Linnet

'There are gayer birds, 'tis true,
On the mossy branches glittering
Gold or scarlet, green or blue,
Let them flit the woodlands through,
But their song to thine is twittering. '

(Ann Taylor)

Every now and again during our visit we heard a Green Woodpecker 'yaffling' in the distance. At the end of our visit, quite late in the evening and after a downpour which had sent most people home, I saw it in a place which is normally very busy. It was so good to be there at that time which emphasised what an absolute haven it is for wildlife when no one is around, I can completely see why some birders go there at daybreak before all the joggers, cyclists etc. appear.

Incidentally if anyone with any influence reads this it would be great if they could put a word in to persuade the powers that be to clean and fill the seed feeders at the side of the hide, they seem to have been abandoned for a long time now, almost as long as the visitors centre!! If I could get to the feeders I would fill them myself!

Green Wodpecker

Well, that's all for now... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Beautiful Birds but a Barbaric Bird Trap!!

2011-03-25T18:00:00.009Z

So it is officially Spring! I suspect we could still have some less than Springlike weather but as March 21st has been and gone and we in the UK will put the clocks forward one hour this weekend everything seems to be steadily and happily moving forward.

'Spring to the earth has come; her fountains leap,
In fields of azure pearly clouds repose,
Meek flowers seem along the turf to creep,
And long the lingering twilight softly glows'

(Henry Theodore Tuckerman)

It has been lovely to find and photograph all these colourful Spring blooms during the last week.

Clockwise from top left: Violets, Primroses, Wood Anemone, Daffodils, Wych Elm.

Before I carry on with my planned post I need to tell you about something I discovered yesterday which I found extremely disturbing to say the least.

For the past week or so I have been watching and trying to photograph Yellowhammers. A few years ago I regularly saw and heard them in the hedgerows alongside a disused railway line close to home but for some time now there has been no sign of them there. However a few weeks ago I noticed a small flock about three miles further on from where I used to see them. I have been back several times but had great difficulty photographing them due to the fact they were mainly perched on the roof of an open fronted barn in a field some way from the footpath I was following. After some investigation I eventually found a way into the field but have still had trouble getting close enough to the barn to get decent photos due to there being nowhere to conceal myself.

Anyway, yesterday I tried again and decided for the first time to go around the back of the barn to see if I could get a better view of them from that angle.

As I turned the corner I was absolutely amazed to see what at first sight I thought was a chicken run but as my brain got into gear I realised I was in fact looking at a bird trap complete with two terrified and trapped Magpies!! To say I was shocked is an understatement!

I immediately beckoned to my husband who had stopped on the margin of the field so as not to disturb the Yellowhammers too much. We found how to open the trap and the two distraught and very disturbed birds eventually managed to fly out... and the trap... was somehow upturned ;)

EDIT: The photo which appeared here of the Magpies being released from their living hell has been removed as it seems some people may have viewed it with the intention of gaining information to make these hideous instruments of torture.

I have done some research and found it was a Larsen trap. The Act Against Corvid Traps Campaign says of it ...

'The Larsen trap is a cage bird trap made of wire and a wood framed cage where one live bird (decoy bird, or call bird) ie. crow or magpie, is placed to encourage another bird, not always of similar species, to come down to it. This visiting bird, not knowing its fate, falls through a false floor into a compartment, where it awaits its fate. Although banned in their country of origin because they are viewed as inhumane, Larsen traps are still legal in the UK. It uses a live wild “decoy bird” to attract and trap crows, magpies, jays, jackdaws and rooks. The decoy bird suffers a most terrible existence. Close to the ground it is terrorised by predators, these intelligent birds see its fellow birds brutally killed in front of it. A number end up being found dead through neglect.'

I am fully aware that Corvids are seen by some as a threat to some other birds but there can be no excuse whatsoever for such heartless cruelty to any creature. I am utterly appalled by this barbaric and hideous practice and urge you to please sign the petition against it at the top of my sidebar... I don't think I will ever forget the sight of those poor, terrified and panicking birds imprisoned in that dreadful trap...

Incidentally, if anyone else finds one and there is no evidence of food and water inside the trap a prosecution can be brought. Otherwise, in this country they are unfortunately still legal which is why I would urge you to sign the petition and even put the widget on your own blog. The more publicity the better!

~~~

Thank you for bearing with me :) now back to my original post and as I mentioned Yellowhammers, I think I should post a couple of photos I managed to get, neither of which are good by any means but I will keep trying to get nearer to them.

Yellowhammer

'In early Spring when winds blow chilly cold
The yellowhammer trailing grass will come
To fix a place and choose an early home
With yellow breast and head of solid gold.'

(John Clare)

The following one is on the barn roof

and this Pheasant emerged from inside the barn!

'The beautiful pheasants were fluttering with ease from place to place,

then raising themselves up into an erect position with a majesty that is peculiar to that bird.'

(John Black)

Another bird I saw on the same walk was this Bullfinch and again I couldn't get close enough for a good photo but as I don't see them very often I have included it anyway.

Bullfinch

I love to hear the tinkling voices of the Long-tailed Tits as they hurriedly swoop into a nearby tree and just as quickly disappear again.

Long-tailed Tit

The Blue Tits were also busy hunting for insects and grubs.

Blue Tit

When these Bluebells flower I think they will look lovely growing among the moss covering the base of this tree trunk.

Bluebells

There were lots of Rabbits around.

Rabbit

And the lovely song of Robins accompanied us throughout our walk.

Robin

'Sweet, constant, faithful bird,
True to thy land and home !
Whilst other birds seek other climes
Thou never learn'st to roam. '

(Richard Richards)

Now there is more warmth in the sun it is good to see insects emerging again. In the last few days I have had fleeting views of Small Tortoiseshells, Brimstones and Red Admirals but no photos yet. I photographed these Ladybirds in local woodland trying to warm themselves on quite a chilly day last week.

Ladybirds

I often see Dunnocks in the garden but like Wrens they are quite secretive birds, usually skulking around under shrubs and bushes. However, this one seen on our walk, posed long enough for a photo.

Dunnock

Thank you very much for reaching the end of this slightly 'different' post. Please do think about signing the petition, wherever you are in the world your signature is valuable.

Cheerful Colour and a Continental Cormorant

2011-03-12T18:00:00.004Z

Several local walks recently showed definite signs that Winter is starting to lose his cruel and icy grip and that Spring's gentle hand is reaching out to make her tentative mark upon the landscape.

'WITH rushing winds and gloomy skies
The dark and stubborn Winter dies.
Far-off, unseen, Spring faintly cries,
Bidding her earliest child arise:

March!'

(Bayard Taylor)

The Snowdrops won't be here much longer.

Snowdrops

'Snow-drop, earliest flower of Spring !
Array'd in spotless white;
O hither come, and with thee bring
What must all eyes delight.'

(Catherine George Ward Mason)

There were lots of Blue Tits enjoying the sunshine and examining every twig and branch for insects. The more yellow the male's breast is the more he is attractive to the female as the yellowness indicates high levels of carotene pigmentation due to the amount of yellowy-green caterpillars he has eaten. This tells the female he will be good at feeding chicks!

In the West Country the Blue Tit is sometimes known as 'Little Billy Biter' as it is a staunch defender of its nest and will peck at an intruding finger!

Blue Tit

This Great Tit had its feathers fluffed up to keep itself warm on what was a sunny but cold day.

Great Tit

I was thrilled to see my first Violets of the year.

Violets

'The violet in her green-wood bower,
Where birchen boughs with hazels mingle,
May boast itself the fairest flower
In glen, or copse, or forest dingle.'

(Sir Walter Scott)

There is one particular place where I can usually be guaranteed to see our tiniest bird, the delightful little Goldcrest but photographing it is not guaranteed, they are such busy little birds, always moving from branch to branch and tree to tree in their quest for a meal of tasty insects. On this occasion I managed a couple of photos (the one at the top of this post and the following one) although neither are as well focused as I would have liked. This one shows how it earned its name.

Goldcrest

It was also lovely to see the cheerful, golden flowers of the Gorse which looked beautiful in the sunshine against the blue sky. If you look carefully you will see at least three Ladybirds, another sure sign that the year is moving forward.

Gorse

'And over-head in richer gold
The gorse's hardy flow'rs unfold.'

(Mary Russell Mitford)

I was fascinated by this Lichen.

Lichen (Bushy Fruticose)

Lichen is a primitive plant species, strands of algae linked with roots and branches of a fungus that together absorb minerals from the ground and conduct photosynthesis. They first appeared about 400 million years ago!

It can grow almost anywhere, from moist bark to recently cooled lava to frozen rocks. Its body, called a thallus, can be made of different types of fungi and blue-green algae, which will determine how much water it needs or to what it can attach.

Three major types of Lichen grow into different shapes on various surfaces. Crustose grows into unique flat plates that look like mushrooms. Foliose looks leafier, with small, green lobes, and grows in wetter climates beside moss. If you see lichen that resembles viney clumps hanging from branches, it is probably fruticose which is what I think the one above is although I am not sure of the exact identification.

As it is very sensitive to pollution, especially sulphur dioxide, environmentalists use it's presence as a gauge of the cleanliness of the air. Incidentally, Beatrix Potter was one of the first people to postulate that lichens are a symbiosis of fungi and bacteria!

~~~

It is always a pleasure to see Long-tailed Tits flitting from tree to tree. This one was doing an impression of a Treecreeper :)

Long-tailed Tit

'Like feathered dart, the long-tailed titmouse flies'

(Allan Ramsay)

~~~

On our latest visit to Draycote I spotted a Cormorant which looked slightly odd to me. I took several photos of it and did some research when I got home and found it was the Continental Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis This subspecies is uncommon in the UK and is usually found inland. While the white head is an indication that it is P. c. sinensis, the only reliable feature that can be used to separate them from the British subspecies, P. c. carbo, is the angle of the gular patch (the yellow patch at the base of the bill). I was pleased I had noticed it was different and found later that it had been mentioned on the Draycote website.

Continental Cormorant (above and below)

Finally, these Daffodil buds were a welcome sight. In the next few weeks, as these lovely flowers open properly, they will be brightening the gardens, parks and roadsides all across Britain, with their colourful and cheerful faces.

Daffodils

Have a lovely weekend and ... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Draycote but Distant!

2011-03-06T18:00:00.017Z

There is an unfortunate theme running through this post which is that most of the subjects on my recent visit to Draycote Water were very distant. As I think I have mentioned before I do have a 500mm lens but I find it too heavy to hold without using a tripod and have always been reluctant to take a tripod out with me although I am beginning to realise that I may have to rethink that decision.

The weather here has been bitterly cold again with a cruel and unremitting north easterly wind, however March is here and the year is steadily moving on.

'Then March, the prophetess, by storms inspired,
Gazes in rapture on the troubled sky,
And now in headlong fury madly fired,
She bids the hail-storm boil and hurry by.
Yet 'neath the blackest cloud, a Sunbeam flings
Its cheering promise of returning Springs.'

(John Clare)

I again failed to find the Smew and the Scaup :( but did see some of the Goosanders which have been there for a while now. However, they were a very long way out in the water. The following photo is of four of the group of eight which I saw.

Goosanders

The male has bold, striking plumage.

Goosander (Drake)

The female is equally striking I think and is commonly known as the 'Redhead'.

Goosander (Hen)

A young Goosander requires 33kg of fish to reach adulthood! Goosanders are shot under licence on (mostly Scottish) rivers to protect angling interests. I wonder who needs the fish most... the hungry birds who depend on them to sustain their lives... or the anglers to satisfy their hobby!

A bit of showing off here!

'Look who pretends that she's a sprite,
Who kicks and prances in self-delight.'

(Averill Curdy)

Someone else showing off was this Mallard.

Mallard (Drake)

I wonder if he was the same one I saw getting very friendly with a female. Shortly after I took the following photo they got even more ... errm ... friendly ;)

If you thought the Goosanders were distant ... this Shoveler was even more so :) but I have included it as a record shot.

Shoveler

There are quite a large amount of Teal there at the moment and they, at least, were a little closer affording slightly better photographs.

Teal (Drake)

I never cease to be amazed by camouflage. The female Teal below blends perfectly with the rocks and the green of the weed!

Teal (Hen)

The male's plumage is particularly striking I think.

There were subtle signs of Spring despite the vicious cold wind blowing across the water and biting into every bone of our bodies.

Alder

'There's an alder-tree, which sighs alway,

On the stillest night and calmest day ...

That alder-tree, with a happy sound,

Bowed its whisp'ring branches to the ground.'

(Ada Trevanion)

Pussy Willow

We had seen some people feeding Mallards and noticed Canada Geese getting in on the act too, this group came scurrying up to us but were disappointed on this occasion.

Canada Geese

Finally, in keeping with the unfortunate distant theme running through this post, I saw this Cormorant overseeing the gulls coming in to roost for the night.

Cormorant and gulls

Until the next time ... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Ducking and Diving at Draycote

2011-02-21T18:45:00.010Z

After last week's, optimistic 'Suggestions of Spring' post, showing Snowdrops, Winter Aconites and Daffodil buds it has felt more like Winter again here with low temperatures, rain and dreary days.

'Ah ! wherefore still the leafless wood,
The angry, roaring, raging flood,
That headlong rushes red as blood?
Ah! wherefore still, snow, sleet, and hail,
When vegetation should prevail.
And winter end her dismal tale?'

(Stephen George Kemble)

It was a pleasure, after an enforced absence, to be able to visit Draycote Water again recently but unfortunately when we arrived the wind had picked up and made walking and trying to hold the camera steady, an uncomfortable experience.

I love Draycote. It is one of the only places within easy reach to see birds which wouldn't usually frequent this landlocked area. The problem there is though, that unless you have the time to walk the five and a half miles around the whole perimeter, the decision has to be made as to which is the 'right' way to walk. As I don't usually have enough time to go all the way round my luck is that unfortunately, when looking for a particular bird which I know is there, I inevitably manage to pick the 'wrong' way. I always check the Draycote website before I go so this time was hoping to see the drake Smew off Farborough Bank where it had been sighted the day before and for several days previously. Of course, as is nearly always my luck, when I visited it had moved to the other side :( Oh well! We made the best of it and I was pleased to see a pair of Goldeneye Ducks. The Goldeneyes have a slight look of the Smew I think.

Goldeneye Ducks

'From troubles of the world I turn to ducks,

Beautiful comical things

Sleeping or curled

Their heads beneath white wings.'

(Frank W. Harvey)

What a striking bird the drake is.

Goldeneye (Drake)

The female has an attractiveness of her own too.

Goldeneye (Hen)

'And when beneath the pool
They dabble, and when they swim
And make their rippling rings,
0 ducks are beautiful things!'

(Frank W. Harvey)

Diving ducks (as opposed to dabblers) such as the Goldeneye can of course be frustrating to photograph due to their habit of disappearing under the water just as one is about to press the camera shutter but I can be pretty well always guaranteed to see another diving duck there, the Tufted Duck and I managed to catch this one just before it dived.

Tufted Duck (Drake)

We walked to the hide but as seems to nearly always be the case at Draycote it was locked. If it hadn't been I would have had a much better view of this mixed group of ducks which included Mallards, Teal and the odd Wigeon and Gadwall.

A Mixture of Ducks

'Tails uppermost, or waddling
Sailor-like on the shores
Of ponds, or paddling -
Left! Right! - with fanlike feet
Which are for steady oars.'

(Frank W. Harvey)

In the field on the far side of the water, among the Crows, I saw lots of Fieldfares but unfortunately they were too far away for photos.

In the trees, I spotted this Squirrel.

Grey Squirrel

'Small as he is, he knows he may want,
In the bleak winter weather, when food is scant,
So he finds a hole in an old tree's core,
And there makes his nest, and lays up his store.'

(Mary Howitt)

A little further on, I saw a gull, walking in the grass below the trees, which I think may be a second winter Common Gull or just a Common Gull in Winter plumage but as I am no expert on gulls and in my experience Black-headed Gulls are far more 'common' than Common Gulls, I stand to be corrected.

Common Gull?

(Edit: Thanks to Warren for confirmation of my ID)

The following photos were all taken at Draycote too but at the end of October, during a visit I didn't get round to posting here.

As is usually the case there were plenty of Pied Wagtails on the rocks looking for a tasty insect or two.

Pied Wagtail

I was pleased to see a good number of Meadow Pipits foraging on the grassy bank at the side of the path. They weren't too bothered by passers by, just flying a little further on when approached, before settling again.

Meadow Pipit

'Birds are poetry come to life and set to music'

(Elizabeth Gordon)

On this occasion I got a better view of a Teal

Teal Duck (drake)

and also of this Gadwall which entered into a prolonged and sometimes synchronised preening session with a Mallard. I watched them for some time hoping that the Gadwall would give me a better pose but it was far too busy with its ablutions to worry about photo opportunities!

Gadwall with Mallard (above and below)

The Cormorants at Draycote are usually seen standing sentinel on boats or buoys but the one in the photo below was in the water seeking its next meal

Cormorant

While this Canada Goose looked as if it was trying to will something to appear for its meal!

Canada Goose

Well that's it for now...enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Suggestions of Spring

2011-02-15T18:10:00.007Z

It is that tantalising time of year when we can all too easily be seduced into thinking that one welcome day of milder temperatures and golden sunshine spells the start of Spring, only to have our hopes dashed the next day with a return to penetrating, cold winds and rain. It was therefore frustrating when one of the aforementioned Springlike days, last Tuesday, coincided with prearranged appointments, however we managed to snatch an hour or so to visit a small, local lake. The wild and unforgiving cold winds which we had experienced day after day, for what seemed much longer than the five days they actually lasted, had gone and the sun had put in a much needed appearance.

'Spring is coming ! spring is coming
Infant leaves are on the trees;
And the little birds are humming

Songs upon the pleasant breeze'

(Mrs. C. H. Waterman Esling)

How lovely it was to be greeted by the sight of Snowdrops... lots of them... some growing in drifts as far as the eye could see!

Snowdrops

'The little snowdrop comes
To herald in the spring,
In robe of spotless white,
With hope upon its wing.'

(Ann Stuart Thompson)

I have never seen any particularly unusual birds there but always think it a shame that the more familiar species are overlooked by many of us because they are familiar; if, for instance, we had never seen a Mallard before, surely we couldn't fail to be delighted by such a striking and entertaining bird!

Mallard Ducks

I think the same is true of the Moorhen with its comical feet and bold red frontal shield.

Moorhen

A Moorhen incubating eggs was observed by scientists, during heavy rain, covering itself with a sheet of polythene and then removing it once the rain had stopped!

~~~

In addition to the Snowdrops it was a delight to find another cheerful flower which I have always loved, the colourful Winter Aconite, a member of the Buttercup family, whose flowers open only while the sun is shining.

Winter Aconites

'Oh, the New-year's Gift a welcome flower!
For she gladdens the gloom of the wintry hour.
When a brief gleam of sunshine dissolves the first snow,
It is pleasant to gaze on her beautiful glow ;
At a time when no object in nature looks bright,
Save the golden hue of the Aconite.'

(Agnes Strickland)

I often hear (but rarely see) woodpeckers during visits to the lake but on this occasion there was no sign of one, however I will slip in a (poor) photo of one I saw there in November which I didn't get round to posting.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

There are always plenty of Great Tits to be seen there.

Great Tit

The song of the Great Tit has been found to change in noise polluted urban areas. Where there is low frequency background noise pollution, their song has a higher frequency than it does in quieter areas!

There is usually a Robin singing its little heart out to accompany our walk.

Robin

Sweet bird, on yonder leafless spray,
What means that song so blithe, so gay ?

(Anon)

~~~

The land which adjoins the lake is part of the estate of a manor house and has parkland which houses Red Deer. While not as exciting to see as the Roe Deer I recorded on an earlier post which were living totally in the wild it is still lovely to see these beautiful animals. Due to there being unsightly scaffolding on the house last week the following two photos were again taken during our visit in November but are a portrayal of what we saw last week without the unsightly metalwork.

Red Deer

How can anyone even contemplate killing magnificent creatures such as these for pleasure?

Finally I saw these Daffodils in bud, another sign that Spring is just around the corner.

Daffodils

I hope Spring is just around the corner where you live too... Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Curtain up on the Big Garden Birdwatch 2011!

2011-02-06T19:26:00.007Z

The stage was set and the audience waiting last weekend but would the star performers turn up? It was, of course, the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch weekend and the stage had been set by making sure all the feeders were topped up and by putting some extra apples, sultanas and suet treats out. The feeders and tables, as usual, contained mixed seed, sunflower hearts, suet sprinkles and dried mealworms. This audience of one chose Saturday for the hour long performance and waited with eager anticipation. So at 1pm, with binoculars at the ready, it was camera, lights, action for a matinee performance! On this occasion though the big spotlight in the sky failed which meant that unfortunately the camera was redundant :(

'Ah! little dreamt I of the cloudy sky,
Which o'er my path would cast the dreary shade;
That, as on light'ning's wing my bliss would fly,
And every flower of hope's creation fade!'

(Samuel Dobell)

I am very pleased I decided to pick Saturday for my count as Sunday was an unusually quiet day in the garden, I suspect that the Sparrowhawk was around or the troublesome cat from next door! Anyway on Saturday a handful of star performers did turn up and my count was as follows.

Chaffinch 7

Greenfinch 6

Blackbird 5

Starling 4

Goldfinch 3

Blue Tit 2

House Sparrow 2

Wood Pigeon 2

Coal Tit 1

Great Tit 1

Robin 1

Dunnock 1

Collared Dove 1

And now the star performers and top of the bill, in no particular order :)

Blackcap 1

Brambling 1

Redwing 1

As it was such a bad day for the light all of the photos (some taken through glass) are from my archives with the exception of the Brambling. I last saw Bramblings in the garden three years ago. I first noticed them on the ground feeding amongst the Chaffinches and a small flock then visited each day for some weeks, they were a delight to watch but unfortunately I didn't have a decent camera at that time so although the light was bad last Saturday I managed to at least get some record shots through glass of this very welcome little visitor.

Brambling

I had been hoping to see some ever since the weather turned wintry but hadn't been lucky but I was going through some photos yesterday which I took in December and which again fell victim to bad light, I was just about to delete some which I had taken of Goldfinches when to my amazement I noticed that in the top corner of three of them was...a Brambling!! So it just goes to show that sometimes there are birds visiting our gardens which we are just not aware of. I really must look more carefully and more often in future. I also forgot to mention on my last post that I had been visited by a Great Spotted Woodpecker!! It was at the far end of the garden on one of the peanut feeders and unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photograph, I fear it may have been a one off visit as it was during the very bad weather but I'll keep hoping.

Now, back to the count and the largest amount of birds I saw at one time were Chaffinches.

Chaffinch

Greenfinches are regular visitors

Greenfinch

as are Goldfinches and although I only recorded 3 during my hour's count, I usually see them in much larger numbers.

Goldfinch

'Sometimes goldfinches one by one will drop
From low hung branches; little space they stop,
But sip, and twitter, and their feathers sleek,
Then off at once, as in a wanton freak;
Or perhaps, to show their black and golden wings,
Pausing upon their yellow flutterings.'

(John Keats)

Blue Tits are seen most days

Blue Tit

and so are Great Tits

Great Tit

The male Blackcap has been around the garden for some weeks now. Last year on Big Garden Birdwatch day I recorded 2 males and 1 female but this Winter I haven't seen a female so far.

Blackcap

I am pretty sure I saw a Tree Sparrow on a seed feeder at the far end of the garden but unfortunately it wasn't there long enough for me to be certain so I couldn't record it. I did see a couple of House Sparrows which are nowhere near as common in the garden as they used to be.

House Sparrow

'In simple suit of russet brown,
I thus am daily dressed,
While other birds on me look down;
Yet I've a peaceful breast.
No envy for the loud and gay
Shall e'er my bosom harrow ;
More lowly, I'm more blest than they,
A fearless, trustful sparrow !'

(Hannah Flagg Gould)

Of course it was no surprise that the Starlings turned up, they can never resist the fat treats.

Starling

I don't think there is a day goes by without Blackbirds in the garden.

Blackbird

It is always lovely to see the Robin. I don't see it every day although I usually hear it so I was pleased it appeared to have its name recorded on Big Garden Birdwatch day. I like to put grated cheese and dried mealworms out as a special treat for it in the Winter.

Robin

'Come here, little Robin, and don't be afraid,
I would not hurt even a feather;
Come here, little Robin, and pick up some bread,
To feed you this very cold weather.

Cold Winter is come, but it will not last long,
And Summer we soon shall be greeting;
Then remember, sweet Robin, to sing me a song,
In return for the breakfast you're eating!'

(Unknown)

Apart from the Brambling the biggest surprise of the hour came when I was watching the Blackbirds eating apples which I had scattered on the ground. I suddenly realised that one didn't look quite right, I took a closer look through the binoculars and was thrilled to see a Redwing had dropped in to join the performance!

Redwing

And so the curtain closed on another year's Big Garden Birdwatch and it was nice to have a couple of surprises. One notable absence this time though was the Long-tailed Tit. I haven't seen any in the garden for some time but of course they do tend to all flit in together in a rush and disappear again just as quickly so it may be that I have missed them but they definitely didn't put in an appearance for the count this year. Have a great week...and enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Winter Visitors

2011-01-17T18:30:00.001Z

After an unintentional break from blogging I have at last managed to put a post together. My apologies to regular readers and to all my blogging friends whom I have been unable to visit lately. I will do my best to catch up with you all as soon as I can. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and my very best wishes to you all for a healthy and happy New Year. I would also like to thank my blogging friends who have contacted me with expressions of concern at my absence, you know who you are and I have been immensely touched by your messages, it has meant a great deal to me to know that people care.

It’s all because life won’t wait,
before you know, it’s Christmas here.
And look, in a minute,
suddenly it’s New Year.

Snow is falling, deeper – deeper.
Maybe, with that same stride
in that same tempo,
with that same languor,
Time’s going by?

(Boris Pasternak)

With some rather depressing and ongoing family problems, Christmas preparations, the festivities themselves, and my husband going into hospital for an operation just after Christmas I haven't been able to pay much attention to the computer for some time! However, my husband came home a week ago and is progressing steadily, he is not allowed to do much for a while which of course means I have a lot to do at the moment but hopefully things will get back to normal before too long.

Well, what weather we have all experienced recently! After just a small amount here to start with, we eventually had our fair share of very heavy snow which hung around for quite some time. The last few days have been much milder though and one or two have felt almost like Spring with lots of birdsong and the sound of Blackbirds establishing their territories. While carrying out my duties as chief dog walker, since my husband has been incapacitated, I have been keeping a lookout for any wildlife and over the last few days have seen lots of Robins, Sparrows, Blackbirds and Chaffinches darting in and out of hedgerows, Pied Wagtails strutting along pathways and yesterday I saw a small flock of Long Tailed Tits flitting from tree to tree. I have also seen many Grey Squirrels scurrying up and down trees. Unfortunately, I can't manage a large dog and a camera at the same time so wasn't able to get any photos.

I realise I haven't mentioned the birds in my garden for some time so thought I would show a selection of photos taken over Christmas but regrettably through the (not too clean!) window.

Collared Doves are regular visitors to the garden.

Collared Doves

It is amazing to think that before 1955 there were no Collared Doves breeding in Britain and now they are one of our most common birds probably in some part due to their lengthy breeding season of March to October. They are most often seen in pairs and remain loyal to their mate.

Chaffinches visit the garden in large numbers in Winter but not so much in Summer.

Chaffinch (male)

Chaffinch (female)

Some time ago I bought a couple of hanging feeders with adjustable roofs.

Goldfinch

The idea being to not only keep the food dry but also to deter the larger birds. I always put food in various places around the garden so that all visitors are well catered for but that doesn't stop the bigger species from devouring more than their fair share. I should of course have realised that with Starlings, where there is a will ... there is always a way!

Starlings

'An old huntsman named Maurice had a trained starling which, if its master said,'Starling, where are you' would immediately answer,'Here I am !'
This bird was a great delight to the son of one of the neighbours, a little boy called Charles, who often came to pay it a visit.
One day, when he came to see it, the old huntsman was not in the room.
Charles caught the bird, put it into his pocket, and was moving towards the door when in came Maurice, who, thinking it would please the child, called as usual, ' Starling, where are you?'
And the starling, from its hiding-place in the boy's pocket, cried with all its might,' Here I am!'

'Be a theft cunning as it may,
It soon comes to the light of day.'

(J.M.C.)

Greenfinches are also regular visitors to the garden and I have noticed they can be quite aggressive towards other birds while vying for position at the feeders.

Greenfinch

Although this one happily shared the peanut feeder with a Coal Tit

Greenfinch and Coal Tit

It is not always easy to get photos of the little Coal Tits as they don't stay still for long but in the snow and ice they stayed at the feeders longer in their frantic attempts to fuel their tiny bodies against the bitter cold weather.

Coal Tit

I think one of the most colourful and delightful visitors to the garden is the enchanting Goldfinch which is guaranteed to brighten the dullest day with its tinkling call and exotically coloured plumage.

Goldfinch

In the Winter I always make sure I put plenty of apples out for the birds and this year I was hoping to attract some of the Waxwings which have been reported in so many parts of the UK including just around the corner from me. Unfortunately I haven't been fortunate enough to see any so far but the apples are particularly welcomed by the Blackbirds. Look how brightly the orange beak and tongue of this male show against his black feathers and the snowy background!

Blackbird

'The blackbird is a bonny bird
That singeth in the wood
His song is in the evening heard
When the red cow chews her cud ...

O bonny is the blackbird still
On top of yon fir tree
On which he wipes his golden bill
And blithely whistles he.

(John Clare)

A very occasional visitor to the garden is the Stock Dove, a slightly smaller and more timid bird than the rather similar and much commoner Wood Pigeon.

Stock Dove

Finally another frequent visitor all year round is the bird which I started this post with, the pretty little Blue Tit.

Blue Tit

'Where is he that giddy Sprite,
Blue-cap, with his colours bright,
Who was blest as bird could be,
Feeding in the apple-tree.'

(Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Well that is all for now and I shall try to catch up with you all as soon as I can, thank you for bearing with me and until the next time... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Oh, Deer!

2010-11-17T17:40:00.001Z

A few weeks ago we took an afternoon walk in a favourite local spot. Despite taking the route many times I had never been lucky enough to see the wild deer which were reputed to be there and in fact on this occasion I had completely forgotten about the possibility of seeing them. As we strolled in the October sunshine, enjoying the beautiful surroundings, I looked to my left and noticed what I thought was a large log in the distance, halfway up a grassy slope. At the time I thought nothing of it being more intent on looking for birds or the odd, late butterfly.

'Where are you O Wild Deer?
I have known you for a while, here.'

(Shams al-din Hafiz)

We walked on for a while and eventually turned to our left and slowly climbed the steep incline. While stopping to catch my breath halfway up I looked through the binoculars and realised the 'log' had multiplied and that I was actually looking at a small group of three Roe Deer. Completely by chance, I had found them, at last!

Roe Deer (Capreolus Capreolus)

'Up the steep hill we'll zigzag through heather and moss;
We'll dive into the glen and the steppingstones cross;
We'll couch with the red deer, we'll rise with the roe;
We'll rest when the sun's high, go fast when he's low.'

(James Henry)

Of the six species of deer which live wild in Great Britain only the Roe Deer and the Red Deer are truly native having been here since before the Mesolithic Age. Forest clearance and over hunting led to them becoming extinct in England by 1800 although they remained in wooded patches in Scotland. During Victorian times, reintroduction schemes led to their natural spread and an increase in the planting of woodland and forests in the 20th century, has meant that Roe Deer are widespread and abundant in the present day.

There was something which I found very noticeable throughout the entire time we were watching the deer. Our walk had taken us along the valley below them, then up the steep hill at the side of them and finally along the grassy route above them. So in effect we walked full circle around them and at all times, after I first spotted them, at least one of the party was watching us intently while the other/s grazed. I strongly suspect they had been watching us long before we realised they were there!

When alarmed, bucks (male) and does (female), give a short bark, which is often repeated. During the rut, the doe makes a high pitched piping call to attract the buck who in turn makes a rasping noise as he courts the doe. The rut, or breeding season occurs between mid-July and mid-August. Prior to this bucks become aggressive and maintain exclusive territories around one or more does. Fights between bucks can result in serious injury or even death! The winner will then take over the loser's territory or attendant doe. Bucks usually mate with several does and does mating with several bucks has also been noted. Courtship involves chasing between the buck and the doe for some time until the doe is ready to mate.

Although mating occurs in late summer, the fertilised eggs do not start to develop immediately. This phenomenon is known as delayed implantation (embryonic diapause) and is unique among hoofed animals. It is thought to be an adaptation to avoid giving birth during the harsh Winter months.

The fertilised egg remains ‘floating’, unattached within the uterus for five months. During this time the cells of the embryo divide and multiply very slowly. Unlike those of other species (including those with delayed implantation), the un-implanted embryo controls its own growth. At the end of December or early January, when it is little more than 0.3mm long, the foetus is genetically programmed to reactivate from its period of delayed implantation. It sends a message to the mother by way of a protein unique to the Roe Deer. When the mother receives this message a cascade effect of hormones begins which enables the embryo to expand rapidly. After a short period of very fast growth, the embryo attaches itself to the inner wall of the uterus. Normal foetal growth follows then, for a further five months.

The doe will typically produce two young during May or June of the following year when the weather should be more hospitable. The young stay with their mother for around 12 months. I think it is more than likely that the three I saw were mother and her two youngsters.

'When from my path the startled roe-deer fly,
In their soft glance I see thy gentle eye '

(Unknown)

Roe Deer are active 24 hours a day but most active at dawn and dusk. They also spend long periods 'lying up' which is where the deer lies down to ruminate between bouts of feeding.

I had great difficulty finding any verse about deer which didn't concern hunting. I think it is a great shame that these lovely creatures are not celebrated for their beauty rather than the so called sport they provide for man. However, this extract from a poem written by the publisher of the Rotarian newspaper in Concorde Massachusetts in 1950 after he had read one such poem sums up my feelings perfectly.

'The beauty they bring
To their natural haunts
For all who are privileged to see,
Is full reason it seems
To let them live on
Quite alone, quite alive, and quite free.'

(Samuel G. Kent)

I felt immensely privileged to watch the Roe Deer for so long. These normally shy animals allowed me to observe them openly for quite some time before eventually taking to their heels and disappearing down the hill but not before all three turned and gave one last look as if bidding goodbye.

Until the next time... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Closer to Home

2010-11-05T18:44:00.009Z

As I had my little twitch :) with the Lesser Yellowlegs last week I was eager to tell you about it the next day which was when I was originally planning to publish this post. So, after all the excitement of last week, and later than intended, this is one of my more usual posts.

I was reminded a couple of weeks ago that the most magical moments in Nature don't always concern unusual sightings, sometimes the most 'ordinary' creature can deliver something very special.

I was walking close to home when I noticed a Carrion Crow perched on a fence post at the edge of a field. As I approached I expected it to fly away, I started to take photos mainly because I hadn't seen much else of interest during my walk. To my surprise the Crow was completely unperturbed by my presence, as I stood within arm's length of it, clicking away with the camera. For a few moments it seemed that I was totally at one with this bird which seemed to have a certain wisdom in its eyes.

'Crows can recognise individual human faces and hold a grudge for years against people who have treated them badly. This ability – which may also exist in other wild animals – highlights how carefully some animals monitor the humans with whom they share living space.

John Marzluff and colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle prepared six masks from casts of people's faces, then wore different masks to capture crows in each of four locations. In each case, they found, the crows recognised and scolded whichever mask they had seen when they were captured, and ignored the others.'

(Bob Holmes, New Scientist.)

Unfortunately, all too soon, the spell was broken by the approach of a group of people with dogs and my muddy beaked, new friend flew away.

In a Japanese city, Carrion Crows have discovered how to eat nuts that are too hard to crack. One method is to drop the nuts from a great height on to a road. Some nuts are particularly tough, so the Crow drops it among traffic. To retrieve the nut without getting run over, some birds wait by pedestrian crossings and collect the cracked nuts when the lights turn red! You can see this behaviour here.

~~~

It was lovely to see a butterfly recently, after not seeing any at all for some weeks when the weather inevitably turned from late Summer into Autumn. I suspect that is the last one I will see until next year now.

Red Admiral Butterfly

The hedgerows were laden with fruit waiting to provide a tasty meal for the birds.

Rose Hips

'Autumn! soul-soothing season, thou who spreadest
Thy lavish feast for every living thing,
Around whose leaf-strew'd path, as on thou treadest,
The year its dying odours loves to fling

Their last faint fragrance sweetly scattering.'

(Bernard Barton)

Hawthorn Berries

Blackberries

As I walked around the local reservoir I saw a number of Goldfinches flitting through the trees and hedgerows which line the path. By the time I realised my camera battery had run out of power and replaced it with the spare, most of them had dispersed and I only managed to get a very distant photo of one examining a solitary berry, while another sat below it presenting me with a bottom shot!

Goldfinch

As is usually the case there was nothing of great interest on the reservoir itself. About the only birds I have ever seen on the water there are Mallards, Grey Herons, Cormorants, Mute Swans, occasionally Great Crested Grebes and of course gulls.

Black-headed Gulls

On this occasion, apart from the usual Black-headed Gulls, I did see this one which I think is a Lesser Black-backed Gull, if you think I have problems identifying waders I have even more difficulty with gulls!

Lesser Black-backed Gull

And here with a Cormorant.

Cormorant and Lesser Black-backed Gull

A Grey Heron was patiently watching the water, hoping to spot its supper.

Grey Heron

'Hermit-like, he stands and muses,
Until he seems to be,
Moveless in dream-like silence lone,
Some spectre bird, or sculptured stone,
Or stump of scathed tree.'

(Bernard Barton)

Surprisingly there were no ducks at all on the reservoir, not even the usual Mallards but I did see some through the hedge on the river

Mallards (male, left and female)

and it was nice to see a couple of wildflowers blooming in October.

White Campion

Comfrey

I will finish with this lovely Robin singing its heart out in the way I love to see them most.

Robin

'Bird, are you singing to me ?
Singing of wood and of dell ?
Of the flowers I used to take,
Of the nut-trees I would shake,
Of the fishing on the lake.'

(Menella Bute Smedley, Fanny Wheeler Hart)

Have a good weekend and ... enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

I Turned into a Twitcher and Bagged a Juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs!

2010-10-26T16:52:00.004+01:00

When I started this blog I made a point of saying I was not a birder and that I just love Nature and beauty in all its forms. Somehow though, somewhere along the line, it gradually happened! I think that someone who breathes, sleeps and (sometimes, quite literally) dreams birds has to eventually admit that they are indeed a birder and after all, I have watched birds since I was a child, even writing a book on birds for a school project at the age of twelve. However, I have never considered myself to be a twitcher. A twitcher, as we know is someone who will travel long distances, sometimes from one end of the country to the other in pursuit of a rare bird which has been sighted and whose location has been transmitted on the bush telegraph to fellow enthusiasts who then proceed to converge on said bird to add another tick to their list.

I would find no pleasure in dashing all around the country just to add a bird to my list and in fact I think there is no greater pleasure than spotting a bird in one's own garden which has never been seen there previously. However, when I hear there has been an unusual bird seen within twenty five or so miles of my home, I have to admit to being tempted to go and take a look, purely because it is a bird I have not seen before and hopefully to get a photo of it.

So when I heard there had been a juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) at Port Meadow Oxford for the last week or so, I thought it was worth turning into a twitcher for the day and giving it a try. Of course regular blog visitors who remember my failed attempts, this year and last, to see the Lesser Scaup at Draycote Water (a slight case of twitching there too I suppose!), will not be surprised to read I had no confidence at all in my ability to actually find the bird, even if it was still there!

Imagine my surprise then, when after leaving the car in the free car park, we walked into the meadow and towards the flooded area and within moments spotted it! The only snag was that the sun was in the wrong place for decent photos but I had a try (how could I not?) and below are the best I could manage.

Not being overly familiar with waders and completely unfamiliar with this particular one, I was a little worried as to whether I had found the 'right' bird, however...

When we first arrived there was just one other person taking photos and as we approached he packed up his gear and left. I had also noticed a small group of people on the opposite side of the flooded area and when I finished taking my photos I turned round and found the group had walked round to the side we were on and had their binoculars, scopes and cameras all focused on 'my' bird. So, in slight fear and trepidation of showing my ignorance, I asked if I had the right bird and was told it was indeed and one of the party said he had even seen one before, up in Scotland!

It was a shame I was always shooting into the sun as the photos don't adequately show the beautiful deep yellow which gives this lovely wader its name. I think the one at the top of the post gets closest.

Outside the breeding season Lesser Yellowlegs forage in shallow water, picking at prey on or just below the water's surface. They scythe their bills back and forth in the water stirring up prey like an Avocet.

This visitor from North America bobs the front half of its body up and down and the most common sound which may be heard is a two-note flight call. During the breeding season, insects make up the majority of the Lesser Yellowlegs diet. The rest of the year, they also eat small fish and crustaceans.

Well that is it for now, I hope I haven't bored you too much by focusing on just one bird and thank you for indulging my excitement. I rather enjoyed 'turning twitcher ' for a day but now I will go back to being a birder...until the next time I hear of an unusual sighting not too far from me :) Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Not Quite Beside the Seaside!

2010-10-14T18:45:00.001+01:00

Another visit to Draycote didn't reveal the hoped for Lesser Scaup but was nevertheless an enjoyable afternoon out in a place which I love. As I have mentioned before, living just about as far from the coast as it is possible to be in this country, it is the nearest thing to being at the seaside that there is for me. Sometimes the water is a beautiful blue but the photo below shows that when there is not much sun it can look very grey!

There are usually lots of gulls which add to the feeling of being by the sea and on this occasion the Black-headed Gulls were swooping and swirling and showing off their aerial acrobatics quite close to me.

Black-headed Gull

'Away on the winds we plume our wings,
And soar, the freest of all free things:
Oh! the Sea-Gull leads a merry life
In the glassy calm or tempest strife.'

(Eliza Cook)

I had to look carefully at each Tufted Duck I saw (and there were a lot of them!) just in case it was the similar looking Lesser Scaup...but of course it never was!

Tufted Duck

I scrambled down the bank on the opposite side of the water to get a closer look at some fungi which I had spotted through the binoculars while scanning the grass for a Green Woodpecker which I had seen there before. It turned out to be the impressive looking Shaggy Inkcap. This first photo shows it in its immature state

Shaggy Inkcap

and this one in maturity.

'There 's a thing that grows by the fainting flower,
And springs in the shade of the lady's bower;
The lily shrinks, and the rose turns pale,
When they feel its breath in the summer gale,
And the tulip curls its leaves in pride,
And the blue-eyed violet starts aside ;
But the lily may flaunt, and the tulip stare,
For what does the honest toadstool care ? '

(Oliver Wendell Holmes)

There are also always plenty of Rabbits to be seen among the grass, many of which I suspect, provide a tasty meal for predators such as raptors and foxes.

Rabbit

Back to the water and another bird I see there often is the elegant Great Crested Grebe.

Great Crested Grebe

I also quite often see the delightful little Teal there. For some unknown reason I always seem to see the hen (female). It is surprising how small they are, one of the smallest dabbling ducks there is, I believe.

Teal Duck

Draycote wouldn't be Draycote without Pied Wagtails flitting about. Even if you are not quick enough to see them properly there is no mistaking their call and swift, undulating flight. I think both of the following may be juveniles.

Pied Wagtail

The colours of this Guelder Rose were glowing beautifully in the afternoon sunshine.

Guelder Rose

Apparently the fruit of the Guelder Rose is edible in small quantities but is 'very mildly toxic' and if eaten in large quantities could cause vomiting or diarrhoea...hmm! I don't think I'll bother :)

I was really pleased to see a Wheatear again. Like the wagtails it seems to enjoy hunting on the rocks at Draycote for insects, I do think it is a lovely little bird. It is a passage migrant which will be preparing for the long and hazardous journey to central Africa.

Wheatear

'Away! away! thou summer bird !
For autumn's moaning voice is heard,
In cadence wild, and deepening swell,
Of winter's stern approach to tell. '

(Sir Bevis of Hampton)

Every time I see Teasels I hope to see Goldfinches feeding on them and although I have seen Goldfinches at Draycote even, strangely on the rocks, I have never seen one anywhere on Teasels apart from in photos. However, I thought this one looked nice decorated with webs and even a little spider.

Teasel

Finally, at the end of the walk, I saw this Cormorant far out in the middle of the water, maintaining its lonely vigil as the last rays of the setting sun cast a coppery glow over the water.

Cormorant

'Yet not to all was sleep's kind angel sent,

A pale worn form in lonely vigil bent.'

(Nicholas Michell)

Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Dabbling with Waders

2010-10-04T18:00:00.001+01:00

Thank you so much to everyone who has enquired and sent good wishes concerning my husband's health. He returned home after spending five nights in hospital and is much better than he was although the doctor says he is still very unwell but going in the right direction. When he is well enough he will have to have surgery which we hope will be before the end of this year or possibly at the beginning of next year.

To me this year, Summer seemed no more than the blink of an eye and already we seem to be in the grip of Autumn.

'Radiant joy is everywhere.
Spirits in tune to the spicy air,
Thrill in the glory of each day.
Life's worth living when we say, October!'

(Joseph Pullman Porter)

The following photos were taken at Draycote just before my husband's unexpected admission to hospital.

I had heard there had been quite an influx of waders there and as you probably know I am not good on waders/water birds so I hope my IDs are correct. The first one, the Lapwing, I know is correct. A member of the plover family, it is also known as the Peewit which describes its display call. A very attractive bird I think, which is disturbingly on the red list of threatened species due to modern day farming practices!

Lapwing

I had heard there was a Curlew Sandpiper there and as I had never seen one I was hoping I would be lucky but I know from experience that it is one thing knowing a particular bird has been seen at Draycote but quite another to actually find it myself! I hope that the two photos below are of the Curlew Sandpiper, they were taken at the time I know it was there and look to me like photos I have seen of it.

Curlew Sandpiper (above and below)

A little duck I often see at Draycote is the Teal, a small but attractive dabbling duck.

Teal Duck

Another duck I see there frequently is the delightful Tufted Duck, a diving duck which I know is a favourite of Warren's...or would be if he ever saw one :)

Tufted Ducks (with Mallard)

'The water-birds with shrill discordant scream
Oft rouse the peasant from his tranquil dream.'

(John Leyden)

Talking of the Tufted Duck, the rather similar but much more unusual Lesser Scaup has put in an appearance at Draycote again, needless to say, as in the past, it has so far eluded me :(

I saw quite a few Ringed Plovers. I think they were Ringed and not Little Ringed?

Ringed Plover (above and below)

I saw an abundance of Autumn fruits in the hedgerows.

Hawthorn Berries

'The thorns and briars, vermilion-hue,
Now full of hips and haws are seen;
If village-prophecies be true,
They prove that winter will be keen.'

(John Clare)

Rose Hips

Snowberries

'October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.'

(George Cooper)

As I mentioned last year, there is a type of algae which affects parts of Draycote Water which gives a strange turquoise blue hue to the water, this effect is particularly noticeable in the following photo.

Black-headed Gull

Just for fun, I want you to see how difficult it was for me to spot the waders in the part of the reservoir where they were. The following uncropped photo shows that not only were they some distance away but also just how well camouflaged they were. It was very, very difficult to distinguish between rocks and birds!

If you look carefully you will see there is a Ringed Plover in there!

I have seen this species at Draycote before so am (fairly) confident the two following photos are Dunlin.

Dunlin (above and below)

There were lots of Cormorants but all too far away for a decent photo.

Cormorants

Finally, I think (and hope) I have the next ID correct. There was definitely a Ruff present on the day I was there so I think the final two photos are it.

Ruff (above and below)

Well that is all for now and as long as there are no more dramas my next post will not take as long to appear as this one has. Until then, enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

It Never Rains But it Pours!!

2010-09-09T20:11:00.001+01:00

Just as I thought everything was back on track it has all gone haywire again! My husband went for the results of some blood tests on Tuesday and was told he had to be admitted to hospital then and there. I won't go into details but it was found that his kidney function levels were much too low. Needless to say our local hospital couldn't deal with the problem and we had to make the twenty five, or so, mile journey to Oxford! They had quite a job to find him a bed and he was moved from unit to unit and bed to bed before finally being put in the right place. Thankfully he seems to be improving now and I hope it won't be too long before he is back home.

Consequently this post, which I was starting to put together before the emergency, is not quite my usual one and time doesn't allow me to sort out any verse or quotes.

However, we were back at Draycote twice recently and this post and the next contains photos of what I saw there.

The long staying Egyptian Goose was still present when we visited last week, it has been there since about the 3rd of June and certainly seems to have enjoyed its stay.

Egyptian Goose

I think it is very handsome and its plumage is beautiful.

I have two poor record shots of a small wader next which I am sure someone will be able to ID, I do find waders difficult. Living in such a landlocked county, about as far from the sea as it is possible to be in this country, I haven't had much experience with waders etc but am taking a guess at a Common Sandpiper.

Common Sandpiper?

I don't think we have ever been to Draycote without seeing lots of Pied Wagtails, such busy little birds, always flitting about. This one had a beak full of food, as did the one at the beginning of this post.

Inevitably there are always Coots and Moorhens there too.

Moorhen

I was very pleased to see Little Egrets there as they are rare vagrants at Draycote.

Little Egret

I love those yellow feet!

Sadly the hide is out of use at the moment due to mindless vandalism! However the feeders at the side of it are always busy and this Great Tit looked very smart I thought.

Great Tit

While this Squirrel was partaking in a little vandalism of its own :)

Grey Squirrel

Just as we were coming to the end of our visit I was thrilled to see a bird which we don't usually see anywhere near my area and which I had never seen before.

Wheatear

What a dainty little bird it is and not too camera shy. Unfortunately as it was at the end of our visit the light wasn't as good as it had been.

Incidentally, I checked the Draycote website just now and they have had a Red Necked Phalarope there for the last couple of days!!

Well, I'm afraid I am going to have to leave it there for now but if all goes well I hope to be able to post again before too long and I will probably need some more help with wader ID when I do.
I will try to visit you all when I can but please bear with me...

Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

The Eyes Have It!

2010-08-29T00:05:00.004+01:00

It is so nice to be back in blogland after my recent eye surgery and despite some complications I am happy to say things are now pretty well as they should be and I just have (I hope) one more hospital appointment in a couple of weeks time and then that should be the end of it. Thank you so much for all your good wishes, it is much appreciated.

I don't know what has happened to Summer lately but it seems to have disappeared here and we have had rain and cool temperatures for some days now. However, I have managed to get out with the camera a couple of times and on a sunny Sunday recently we visited the local herb centre where I knew I would be guaranteed to see some colourful butterflies.

Peacock Butterfly

Brimstone Butterfly

Meadow Brown Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

' "Ho!" said a butterfly, "here am I,
Up in the air, who used to lie
Flat on the ground for the passers by
To treat with utter neglect!
None will suspect that I am the same
With a bright, new coat and a different name;
The piece of nothingness whence I came,
In me they'll never detect." '

(Miss H.F. Gould)

Gatekeeper Butterfly

Comma Butterfly

Small Copper Butterfly

Red Admiral Butterfly

'Child of the sun! pursue thy rapturous flight,
Mingling with her thou lov'st in fields of light;
And, where the flowers of Paradise unfold,
Quaff fragrant nectar from their cups of gold.'

(Samuel Rogers)

~~~

The following photos were taken at one of my favourite places, yes, you've guessed it, Draycote :) The first three photos show a Canada Goose being very aggressive towards a Coot which had done nothing to antagonise it other than just being there!

I was close enough to see that the goose was not just threatening the Coot but actually pecking the poor thing!

It wasn't long before the Coot made a swift exit watched by a very self satisfied Canada Goose.

The next two photos were taken before I had my surgery and show Mallard mums showing off their little ones. I'm not sure what had caught their attention in the first photo but most of them seemed to be looking at something to their left.

Mallard Mum and Ducklings

This young Crow seemed happy to pose for a photo.

Crow

'The crow—the crow! the great black crow!
He loves the fat meadow—his taste is low;
He loves the fat worms, and he dines in a row
With fifty fine cousins all black as a sloe.'

(P.J. Bailey)

I know they are quite common birds but I rather like Moorhens with their colourful red bills.

Moorhen

This Grey Wagtail was posing nicely.

Grey Wagtail

There always seem to be good numbers of wagtails at Draycote, predominantly pied but also frequently grey and yellow. I am rather confused about the following one as there doesn't seem to be much yellow on it that I can see but I assume it is a young Grey Wagtail. I stand to be corrected.

Edit: Thanks very much to Keith, Greenie and Warren for identifying the bird below as a young

Pied Wagtail

'I go to nature to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses put in order.'

(John Burroughs)

Something else which can be seen in large numbers there are Rabbits. I was interested to learn that without Rabbits much of our downland and cliff tops would be overgrown with brambles, gorse and hawthorn. They suppress the growth of shrubs by nibbling the growing shoots and the resulting turf encourages the growth of insects, attracting low growing plants such as trefoils and vetches beloved by butterflies. The very short grass itself attracts insects such as ants which in turn attract many species of birds.

Rabbit

Finally I will end as I started with this Frog which was just outside my back door and which stayed put while I hurriedly fetched my camera. I know some people aren't keen on them but I think they are beautiful.

Common Frog

Well that is all for now. I will be trying to catch up with all of your great blogs over the next few days. Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Farewell for a Few Weeks

2010-07-30T18:50:00.000+01:00

I am not really supposed to be using the computer at the moment, so shh, don't tell anyone :) I had planned to post before my eye surgery but there was so much to do at home before I had it done that I just ran out of time. Anyway it is done now although it was a bit more complicated than the last time and I won't know for three weeks or so how successful it has been. For those reasons this will be my last post for some weeks and I'm afraid I won't be able to visit all your lovely blogs at the moment either. Consequently this post is really just photos taken on our last visit to Otmoor.

I hope my Ids are accurate but as always I welcome correction although I may not be able to amend them immediately.

Above and below
Ruddy Darter

Small Skipper

Above and below a particularly beautiful
Gatekeeper Butterfly

Grey Heron

Brown Hare

Meadow Brown Butterfly

Rhagonycha fulva
(commonly known as Hogweed Bonking Beetle)

Fat-legged Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

Above and below
Common Darter

Green-veined White Butterfly

Little Egret

Above and below
Emerald Damselfly

Sorry it is not my normal type of post but I can tell I have been here too long already. Apologies too that I wasn't able to answer all the comments on my last post. I look forward to being back with you all and will miss you.

Summer Sights

2010-07-10T12:40:00.010+01:00

Summer finally arrived in all her glory and my goodness it has been hot, hot and unfortunately humid too for much of the time. The grass is parched and the birdbath needs refilling frequently. Very hot and humid weather doesn't do me any favours at all but we have taken our chances where we could and enjoyed some nice walks towards the end of the day when the air is a little cooler.

'That beautiful season the Summer!

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.'

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

We revisited Otmoor twice recently, it is a lovely place which we first visited last year. It is an area of approximately 400 acres of wetland and wet grassland in Oxfordshire. Watered by the River Ray, it was until the early 1800s unenclosed marshland, and regularly flooded in winter. An Enclosure Act was passed in 1815, under which the area was extensively drained. This disadvantaged the local farmers and led to civil disturbances known as the Otmoor Riots of 1829 to 1830.The semi-wetland landscape provided habitat for many rare species of birds and butterflies. These were threatened in 1980 by a government proposal for the route of the M40 motorway to cross Otmoor. Opposition to this plan was led by Friends of the Earth. An alternative route was eventually adopted by the government, and since 1997 a large part of Otmoor has become an RSPB nature reserve with large areas of land being returned to marshland.

When we visited recently, at the end of June, it was a lovely sunny day...until we arrived at our destination! Within moments of our arrival the sun disappeared and only showed itself occasionally which didn't help at all with photography.

The first thing which greeted us was that most welcome and quintessential (though sadly not so common now) sound of an English Summer's day - the Cuckoo. After not hearing one for at least three years it was a real joy to be accompanied by its call for much of our visit.

I saw these Burnet Moths busily ensuring the continuation of the species.

Five Spot Burnet Moth

These Damselflies posed nicely for the camera.

Blue-tailed Damselfly?

Common Blue Damselfly?

Edit: Thanks very much to Warren for confirming my ID of both damselflies.

While photographing the damselflies I caught sight of what I think was a fritillary butterfly but it was gone before I could get the camera on it. I think it may well have been a Marsh Fritillary as this site has the only colony of Marsh Fritillary Butterflies currently known in Oxfordshire, and represents the second most easterly location for this butterfly in Britain.

I did see this lovely moth which I have had difficulty identifying, I think it might be a...

Silver Y Moth ?

Edit: Thanks very much to Cheryl for confirming my ID.

Otmoor is a great place for birders. Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Marsh Tit, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Red Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Reed Bunting and Cetti’s Warbler are just some of the birds which can be seen regularly all year round and Hen Harrier and Merlin are regularly seen in Winter. It is one of the best places in England to see Hobbies which enjoy the abundance of dragonflies during the Summer months. A Great Bustard was seen there in April of this year and last year in June a Marsh Warbler was seen.

When we were there the air was alive with the sound of Reed and Sedge Warblers singing from the reed beds. Grasshopper Warblers reeled from an adjacent field and Skylarks sang overhead. Being 'that time of year' most of the birds were staying well hidden and if only I were more adept at identification by song and call I could have given a list of what was heard but not seen.

We spent some time watching Lapwings from one of the hides and trying to decide if the white birds we could see in the very far distance were Little Egrets which are seen quite regularly there. Towards the end of our walk I saw this Reed Bunting perched quite openly on a branch completely unconcerned by my presence.

Reed Bunting

Mirroring our experience last year, as we returned to the car parking area with the light failing fast, I saw this Yellowhammer repeatedly treating us to its familiar song of ‘a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheeeeeese’.

Yellowhammer

'Ah homely bird ! thou canst not know
How far into my heart doth go
That melancholy key,
How from thy little straining throat
Each separate, successive note
Beats like a pulse in me.'

(Frederick William Faber)

and this Whitethroat.

Whitethroat

I also saw these Cormorants, I counted five but there may have been more. Perched in trees in a darkening landscape they almost looked like they inhabited some distant foreign land.

Cormorants

Otmoor is an atmospheric place which holds many unusual species and is well worth visiting and revisiting. My next post will show what I saw there when we visited again a couple of days ago.

'Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne.'

(Barry Cornwall)

~~~

Another walk, last week, was to see what butterflies I could find locally and I didn't need to go far to see this Small Tortoiseshell which was literally on my doorstep! It was on a Lavender plant right by the front door.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

I was pleased to find this Large Skipper on a Cornflower.

Edit: Whoops! Thanks very much to Greenie for pointing out my very sloppy and elementary mistake, the flower below is not Cornflower but of course Black Knapweed!

Large Skipper Butterfly

and a butterfly I don't recall seeing before but which seemed to be everywhere I looked that day.

Ringlet Butterfly

This one with wings open

The Meadow Brown is more familiar to me.

Meadow Brown Butterfly

This Burnet Moth was posing very prettily

Five Spot Burnet Moth

and I thought this Comma looked lovely with the light shining through its wings

Comma Butterfly

'The Butterflies, by eager hopes undone,
Glad as a child, came out to meet the sun.'

(John Clare)

and this one with wings open.

I also saw this damselfly glistening in the sunlight.

Banded Demoiselle

I think this is a Broad-bodied Chaser

Broad-bodied Chaser

Finally this pretty wild flower is the Field Scabious also known as Gypsy Rose, Blue Button and Lady’s Pincushion.

Field Scabious

'Like frilly cushions full of pins
For tiny dames and fairykins;

Or else like dancers decked with gems,
My flowers sway on slender stems

They curtsey in the meadow grass,
And nod to butterflies who pass.'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

Enjoy the beauty of Nature wherever you are.

Joyful June

2010-06-20T18:15:00.007+01:00

The year seems to be moving on at an alarming pace although it hasn't felt much like June for the last week or so and the last couple of days have been really quite cool. I am refilling all of the bird feeders in the garden each day, a clear sign that there are lots of youngsters being fed. The Starlings are particularly vociferous at the moment and using their usual bully boy tactics, making sure they get more than their fair share of the food!

'A bird in the boughs sang “June,”
And “June” hummed a bee
In a bacchic glee
As he tumbled over and over
Drunk with the honey-dew.'

(Clinton Scollard)

~~~

On one of our regular walks around a small local lake recently I saw this brightly coloured insect which is a type of Cardinal Beetle.

Pyrochroa Serraticornis

'And the poor beetle, that we tread upon,
In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great,
As when a giant dies'

(William Shakespeare)

I was particularly struck by the serrated antennae which earns it part of its Latin name.

I also saw this spider which I hope I have identified correctly as a Long jawed orb web spider. I have also seen it called Large jawed and Stretch spider but the Latin name is...

Tetragnatha montana

During the same walk I saw these colourful Iris growing by the water's edge.

Yellow Iris

It was here that I was bitten by the infamous Blandford Fly. I didn't feel anything at the time but my goodness it made itself known the next day! The whole of my leg from just below the knee to the ankle was an angry brick red and extremely painful. I have heard of several people who have been hospitalised due to its bite and it has taken nearly three weeks for my leg to fully return to normal!

~~~

I have been several times, recently, to a local spot where I noticed Blue Tits flying in and out of a hole in a tree trunk to feed their young. Trying to photograph them was very difficult due to their speed but they were fascinating to watch. The last time I went there was no sign of any activity so I hope the family all fledged successfully. The two photos below were the best I could manage I'm afraid.

Blue Tit

Another bird which was difficult to capture due to the speed of its movement was this Treecreeper. I thought I would include the photos (although they are not good) because the only other time I photographed one I only managed to get its back and foot!

Treecreeper

'From the day they leave the nest until the day they die
From ground up they climb the tree and then to the next tree fly'

(Francis Duggan)

This little beauty led me a merry dance before eventually camouflaging itself magnificently among the Buttercups.

Brimstone Butterfly

On the same local walk where I saw the nesting Blue Tits and the Brimstone Butterfly I heard and then spotted this Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

'And merry chiff-chaff from the budding tree,
Gives out his joyous notes so wild and free'

(John Joseph Briggs)

constantly calling to one of its recently fledged little ones which was on a higher tree branch.

Fledgling Chiffchaff

It is always a pleasure to see Dog Roses decorating the hedgerows at this time of year. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was used to treat the bite of a rabid dog.

Rosa canina

'In the may-thorn's place,
Now the dog-rose blooms,—
Mingling rich perfumes,
With each modest grace.'

(William Barre)

I haven't been able to identify this small fly but have included it because I thought it made an interesting photograph.

Soldier Fly

Thanks very much to Greenie for identifying it as one of the Soldier Flies but there are so many of them that it hasn't been possible to be specific.

~~~

On our latest visit to Draycote, which is where I photographed the Rabbits at the top of this post, I saw this Great Crested Grebe youngster riding on mum's back. I think there is something quite comical looking about the young with their stripy heads!

Great Crested Grebe

Later in the walk we saw both mum and dad providing transport (no decent photo unfortunately) but here its sibling had to be content with swimming alongside.

I was also pleased to see young Yellow Wagtails.

Fledgling Yellow Wagtail

This Buzzard was soaring and gliding over the fields on the opposite side of the water.

Buzzard

'With piercing eye and rapid flight
He skims the moor from morn till night;
The feathered tribe are mute with dread
At visage of his hoary head.'

(Edward William L. Davies)

I had heard that an Egyptian Goose had been at Draycote for a week or so, only the third time one had been seen there in around thirty years. I had been keeping a look out for it but as it is a five and a half mile walk around the entire perimeter of the water and we are usually limited by time I can usually be guaranteed to walk in the wrong direction when looking for a specific bird. This time we walked part way round one side before doubling back and walking a short way in the other direction. We decided that as we had been there for about three hours, and it was quite late in the evening, that it was time to turn around and make our way back to the car when all of a sudden I spotted a large goose foraging at the edge of the water...it was indeed the Egyptian Goose!

Egyptian Goose

I have included the next photo to show the lovely light in the bird's eye but unfortunately I had a problem with camera shake :(

I know it was originally an introduced, ornamental bird which now breeds in the wild in certain parts of the country but I had never seen one before and was pleased to see what is a very rare visitor to Draycote.

Have a wonderful week enjoying the beauty of Nature.

Flitters, Flutters and Stop-Start Sprinters!

2010-05-31T19:30:00.006+01:00

The very warm weather which many of us in the UK experienced a week or so ago was nice while it lasted but it certainly didn't last long! We had some persistent rain here in the last couple of days but it hasn't had much impact on the very dry ground especially as there have been some blustery winds which have dried things out considerably. However, at the moment everything still looks beautifully green and fresh.

'The old hills that for a mans lifetime hath stood
Unmolested mid brushes and burrs
The worn ways leading along to the wood
And the rabbit tracks into the furze....

Though simple to some I delight in the sight
Of such objects that bring unto me
A picture of picturesque joy and delight
Where beauty and harmony be.'

(John Clare)

~~~

I haven't yet seen as many different varieties of butterflies as I would have expected but during the very warm weather, while enjoying a walk close to home, there were lots of Speckled Woods about.

Speckled Wood Butterfly

I also saw this white butterfly taking nectar from a Herb Robert flower. I'm not too good at identifying whites, I don't think it is either the Small White or Large White and it doesn't look like the Green Veined White which I photographed last year. I'm pretty sure I have seen and photographed it before but by the time Summer has gone and we are into a new year I have forgotten what I learnt the year before :( therefore, I am going to leave it to those more expert than myself!

Green-veined White Butterfly (probably male)

(Thank you very much to Greenie. for the ID)

This little Fat-legged Beetle was gleaming in the sunshine on a Buttercup. It is so called because the male of the species has swollen looking femora (thighs). Other names are Thick-legged Beetle and Flower Beetle.

Fat-legged Beetle (Oedemera nobilis) (male)

This little beauty gave me the run-around, flitting from bush to bush, it was very difficult to 'pin down' and this was the best I could do before it took off again. It looked much blacker than the photo shows. I am assuming it is a Damselfly (although it almost seemed too small) but I haven't been able to identify which one possibly because it may be immature, I'm sure someone will know :)

Beautiful Demoiselle (female)

As I said, I knew 'someone' would know and of course he did!
Thanks again to Greenie :)

Back on safer ground now, during the same walk, there is no mistaking what is probably Britain's favourite bird, I photographed this one singing its heart out which gladdened mine immeasurably.

Robin

'Oh! for a strain as gladsome and free—
Oh! for a voice of such melody—
Oh ! for the spirit-like flow of song,
Heard for a moment, remembered long.'

(Henry Righton)

~~~

All of the following photos were taken during recent visits to Draycote, the light conditions were not always favourable and some of the birds were a very long way away. Whenever we go there we are usually guaranteed to see Pied Wagtails flitting around, searching for insects and landing momentarily on the rocks.

Pied Wagtail

On a visit in April, I spotted, in the top of a tree what I assumed to be a Yellow Wagtail. In my experience it is unusual to see a wagtail in a tree and I took some very poor photos which on careful examination showed that I had found the Blue-headed Wagtail which had been seen there at that time! Unfortunately they were much too poor to show but nevertheless I was pleased to have seen it. Getting back to more recent visits to Draycote I was happy to see my first Yellow Wagtails of the year. This is sadly another bird on the red list of endangered species in the UK!

Yellow Wagtail

It was also nice to see these Ringed Plovers, there were two, each standing completely still, apart from constantly turning their heads. In common with some other birds including other plovers these attractive little birds will defend their nests and young against predators by feigning a broken wing, calling and leading intruders away from the nest, once the potential threat is far enough away the plover will fly off. When hunting for food they employ a stop-start, run and pause technique.

Ringed Plover

'They sprint eight feet and -
stop. Like that. They
sprintayard (like that) and
stop.
They have no acceleration
and no brakes.
Top speed's their only one.'

(Norman MacCaig)

This lovely Great Crested grebe was quite close to me for a change, what elegant, graceful looking birds they are, even when dripping wet after diving for food!

Great Crested Grebe

These two were much further away and I hoped they were going to perform their beautiful 'weed dance' but unfortunately after some initial overtures it fizzled out.

As well as water birds there is always lots of birdsong coming from the trees and hedgerows at Draycote and this Dunnock was enjoying some sunshine

Dunnock

and so was this very smart looking Great Tit.

Great Tit

This next photo is especially for someone who is not feeling too well at the moment as I know it is his favourite bird. I hope it may help to cheer you up a little, Keith :)

Pheasant

'Oh! beautiful bird in thy stately pride,
Thou wast made in a waste of flowers to hide,
And to fling to the sun the glorious hues
Of thy rainbow-gold, thy green and blues!
Yes, beautiful pheasant, the birch-wood bowers,
Rich many-formed leaves, bright tinted flowers,
Broad masses of shade, and the sunshine free,
In thy gorgeous beauty are meet for thee!'

(Mary Howitt)

~~~

Wherever I go at the moment there seem to be lots and lots of Rabbits which is not surprising considering that it has been estimated that in five years a single pair could have around a million descendants were it not for the many mishaps to which rabbits are exposed!

Rabbit

I was very pleased to get photos of two birds I have never managed to capture before, the first was a Kestrel which was a long way away from me and the light wasn't good but here it is anyway.

Kestrel

And finally my first captures of a Green Woodpecker. Again it was a very long way away and I scrambled down a rather steep bank to try and get closer, needless to say I soon spooked it and it was off and away all too quickly!

Green Woodpecker

'Hark! heard ye that laughter so loud and so long? -
Again now! - it drowneth the wood-linnet's song!
'T is the woodpecker laughing! - the comical elf!
His soul must be merry to laugh to himself! -
And now we are nearer - speak low - be not heard!
Though he's merry at heart, he's a shy, timid bird ...

... soon as a footstep that's human is heard,
A quick terror springs to the heart of the bird!
For man, the oppressor and tyrant, has made
The free harmless dwellers of nature afraid! ...

And then, when we're up at the end of the lane,
We shall hear the old woodpecker laughing again.'

(Mary Howitt)

Have a wonderful, Nature filled week wherever you are.

From Swan to Speedboat!

2010-05-12T19:30:00.010+01:00

This month of May continues to feel more like March here, or even February! It has been cold and dull for most of the past week with only the occasional glimpse of sunshine. The verse below is really about April but I thought it was very appropriate.

'The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.'

(Robert Frost)

~~~

I glanced out of the window yesterday and thought the Stock Dove which visited me on Big Garden Birdwatch day had returned but when I opened the door for a better look I realised it was a Feral Pigeon and, while very common birds in more urban settings, I thought I would include a photo as I have never seen one in the garden before. I do hope it doesn't tell its friends as I really don't want my garden full of them!

Feral Pigeon

It is descended from the Rock Dove. I think it has lovely plumage and looks much nicer in a garden setting rather than wandering dusty streets as we so often see them.

At the same time, I photographed this juvenile Wood Pigeon, unlike the adult it has no white marking on the neck and is quite fluffy looking. I was slightly confused by the very distinct black wing bars and if anyone would like to tell me that it is in fact a juvenile Stock Dove I will be more than happy...but I think it unlikely.

Wood Pigeon (Juvenile)

This lovely little Robin seems to be very busy in the garden at the moment so I am hoping it may have a nest hidden away somewhere.

Robin

'Tis true; and therefore still we find
That gentle spirits love the robin
That comes as Wordsworth says, "When winds are sobbing;"
Pecks at your window; sits upon your spade,

And often thanks you with a serenade.'

(Mary Howitt)

~~~

We visited a small Nature reserve a few days ago, unfortunately it was a very dull day with only brief moments of sunshine so the conditions were far from ideal for photography. However, I was happy to see these lovely Cowslips which were a welcome splash of bright colour.

Cowslips

I also saw another of my favourite Spring flowers.

Lady's Smock

'Where the grass is damp and green,
Where the shallow streams are flowing,
Where the Cowslip buds are showing,
I am seen.

Dainty as a fairy's frock,
White or mauve, of elfin sewing,
'Tis the meadow-maiden growing---
Lady's-Smock.'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

'When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smock all silver white
And Cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight.'

(William Shakespeare)

The colour of these pretty flowers, also known as 'Cuckoo Flower', vary from white to pink but are more commonly pale lilac. The ones I saw were very pale with just a hint of lilac. Its leaves were once popular in salads as the plant is closely related to Watercress.

The scent wafting from this Crab Apple blossom was beautiful.

Crab Apple Blossom

~~~

This Great Tit posed nicely for me.

Great Tit

~~~

We sat for a while in the hide, overlooking one of the reclaimed gravel pits, and watched a pair of proud Coot parents out for an afternoon swim with their family

Coots

and no sooner had they left the stage than enter proud Mrs Molly Mallard with her family. Her erstwhile husband, Mr Malcolm Mallard, having done a runner of course (or should I say a swimmer) as soon as incubation was well underway!

Mallard Duck and Ducklings

I noticed a bird flitting around the edges of the water, it was intent on playing hide and seek with me and unfortunately this was the only photo I could get. It is only the second or third time I have managed any sort of picture of a Reed Bunting.

Reed Bunting (Male)

~~~

When we visited a small lake, one day last week , I saw this Swan sitting serenely on its nest. Considering how, when building a nest, they seem to fling the material around haphazardly, I am impressed by how relatively neat the finished article is. It reminds me of a large wicker basket which, I suppose, is pretty much what it is really!

Mute Swan on Nest

'Queen-Bird that sittest on thy shining-nest,
And thy young cygnets without sorrow hatchest,
And thou, thou other royal bird, that watchest
Lest the white mother wandering feet molest.'

(Charles Lamb)

Some time later, after that scene of calm serenity, we were at the opposite end of the lake and about to make our way back to the car when, seemingly from nowhere, into view zoomed one very angry Swan! Of course I have seen Swans acting aggressively many times but this one was particularly persistent. Whether it was the mate of the one on the nest I don't know but it somehow hardly resembled a bird at all and seemed to have metamorphosed into an almost surreal, feathered speed boat!

'It looked as if a night of dark intent
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.
Someone had better be prepared for rage!'

(Robert Frost)

And the object of its derision?

This hapless Canada Goose and its mate, who had previously been swimming around, minding their own business!

Canada Geese

They were left marooned and bewildered on the bank trying to work out how to get to the opposite side of the lake and into the reeds, where I suspect they had a nest, without unwittingly antagonising the Swan again. It made eye to eye contact with them,

before patrolling up and down for a while, until it was sure they had got the message.

When it was happy that they had, it looked to me like it was taking a curtain call and inviting applause!

And the Canada Geese? They made a sudden dash for it and with much loud honking flew across the lake and out of sight into the reeds. They went so suddenly and quickly that the Swan had no time to return...and I had no time to record their escape with my camera...

~~~

Finally, as we haven't seen much blue sky in the last couple of weeks, I thought I would post this photo of a Squirrel, taken at Draycote during April when it seemed Summer had arrived early...how easily we are lulled into a false sense of security...

Grey Squirrel

'In the joy of his nature he frisks with a bound
To the topmost twigs, and then down to the ground;
Then up again like a winged thing,
And from tree to tree with a vaulting spring.'

(Mary Howitt)

Enjoy the beauty of Nature, wherever you are.

Simply Spring

2010-05-04T00:01:00.002+01:00

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.

Revelling in Sight(s) and Springtime Sunshine!

2010-04-26T18:30:00.000+01:00

How nice to be back in blogland again and I would like to thank everyone who left such kind comments on my last post and particularly for the good wishes concerning my recent eye surgery. I do hope that just this once, in the circumstances, you will forgive me for not having replied to each comment individually. I would also like to thank everyone who so kindly emailed me, I was very touched by your concern and I'm happy to say that all went well and that I now have very good sight again in my right eye. Of course it does rather emphasise how poor the sight in the left eye is and makes things seem rather 'out of kilter' but hopefully it won't be too long before the next operation.

~~~

I have to admit that I could/should have been here a week ago but the weather has been so nice that I have been playing truant and taking advantage of it, getting out and enjoying the beauty of Springtime, and how very beautiful it is this year!

'The World is very old;
But year by year
It groweth new again
When buds appear.'

(Cicely Mary Barker)

All the photos on this post are an amalgam, taken in the last few weeks, when I was able to enjoy several different walks but was not permitted to use the computer for any length of time.

~~~

After the long hard Winter which we have endured this year it is wonderful to see all the lovely Spring flowers which suddenly seemed to appear from nowhere and I have to start with my all time favourite wild flower.

Primrose

'They speak of things above my verse,
Of thoughts no earthly language knows,
That loftiest Bard could ne'er rehearse,
Nor holiest prophet e'er disclose,
Which God Himself no other way,
Than by a Primrose could convey.'

(William Gay)

~~~

Of course Spring wouldn't be Spring without the delightful little Violets peeking out from below hedges and hiding in ditches.

Common Dog Violet

Another favourite is the beautiful silky

Pussy Willow

~~~

I visited several small, local lakes, enjoyed riverside walks and continued my love affair with Draycote Water. Unfortunately the last time we went to Draycote, just over a week, ago we were driven away by the swarms of black flies which came at us from all directions in huge black clouds. They looked remarkable but made our visit impossible, flying into mouths, eyes and ears. We had encountered them on a smaller scale last Autumn and found them unpleasant but this time they were exceedingly troublesome. I hope that particular experience was an exception and will visit again before long in the hope that the situation has improved.

~~~

This Moorhen was enjoying a peaceful swim in the sunshine during our visit to a nearby lake.

Moorhen

While this Coot was more energetic!

Coot

Another Springtime treat I always look forward to seeing when visiting watery locations is the lovely Kingcup or Marsh Marigold, seen here in bud.

Kingcup

'Kingcup, is it true
That Fairie Kings drink out of you,
Golden Kingcup full of dew?
"My cup is filled," the flower replies,
"For Kings and Queens and butterflies." '

(Maud Keary)

And here, in full flower.

Spring is, of course, a very busy time for the birds and we spotted this Swan nest building.

Mute Swan

This Canada Goose was perhaps only thinking about nesting.

Canada Goose

While this Greylag Goose was just enjoying posing in the glorious sunshine.

Greylag Goose

How lovely it is to see the butterflies again and one which I don't recall seeing much of last year but which seems to be everywhere at the moment is the beautifully coloured Orange Tip. The colourful orange tips on the wings of the male are a warning to predators that this butterfly is highly unpalatable!

Orange-tip Butterfly (Male)

'You are the most beautiful thing
I've ever seen
You shine just like sunlight rays
On a winter snow
I just had to tell you so'

(Lenny Kravitz)

This lovely Chaffinch was on a bush at Draycote, close to the feeders, awaiting his turn.

Chaffinch (Male)

While this Blue Tit was more interested in insects than seed.

Blue Tit

While visiting a small local lake I spotted these handsome Deer through a wire fence.

Roe Deer

At the same lake in one of the surrounding trees I spotted this Goldcrest and what a very difficult bird it is to photograph, it just never stops moving in its search for insects! I managed one photo which showed the lovely yellow crest which gives it its name but unfortunately it is out of focus but as it is a bird I have never had the opportunity to photograph before I have included it anyway.

Goldcrest

'A small bird's trilling note,
That seemed, like fairy's song,
On the evening air to float,
By the breezes borne along;
I look and look, and then
With eye delighted see
A Golden-crested Wren,
Singing from a neighbouring tree.'

(Richard Tonson Evanson)

This tiny bird, which is the UK's smallest, was previously called the Gold-crested Wren which explains why I was struck by its similarity to the Wren particularly in its rather grumpy facial expression. It is also the national bird of Luxembourg.

This small lake surrounded by lovely old trees seems to be a haven for wildlife and is always alive with birdsong. While standing, looking and just enjoying the sights and sounds, this beautiful Blackcap appeared in a tree just a short distance away from us. Completely oblivious to our presence, it was a wonderful 'at one with Nature' moment.

Blackcap (Male)

'For beauty being the best of all we know
Sums up the unsearchable and secret aims
Of nature, and on joys whose earthly names

Were never told can form and sense bestow'

(Robert Bridges)

~~~

Finally, in the same location, it was lovely to see this Grey Wagtail which is on the amber list of endangered species and can be badly affected by harsh Winters.

Grey Wagtail

Well that is all for now. I shall endeavour to visit all your great blogs over the next few days and hope to post more regularly now, although it is still difficult with good sight in only one eye. However, I will do my best and thank you again for all your good wishes and concern.