Where has the sun gone!!

The weather forecast wasn't looking too good for today and seeing a rainbow a first light as I dropped Dawn off at work, almost put me off my walk around Stratton Wood. But the weatherman did say it would be dry first thing and wet later, so I showed a bit of faith and parked up off the Highworth Road. Looking towards the south-east, I wondered whether I was taking a chance as a very watery sun was trying hard to break through the advancing clouds.

My trail around Stratton Wood

Will it or won't it rain!

Stratton Wood owned by the Woodland Trust

Well I was here so I decided to give Benji a good a good walk and hopefully there would be something of interest to see. A Blackbird called and then a Robin and as carried along the path I could here a Mistle Thrush calling to my left. In the hedgerow a pair of Bullfinches were feeding on the hawthorns and as soon as they saw me they were gone. As the path bends to the right I decided to take the extremely muddy path to my right which takes you behind the bungalows and up towards Kingsdown Lane. It opens out behind the bungalows and in the distance I could see and hear 4 Fieldfare heading towards Stanton Park. Also along here were quite a few Magpies that seemed to be enjoying the gusty conditions.

There's a bench on your right and behind it someone has adorned a few trees with Christmas decorations, which was a bit bizarre!

Christmas has arrived at Stratton Wood

The one thing that was noticeable, was the number of Chaffinches around.  No matter where I was there were always one or two calling in flight above me. The same could be said of the Blue Tit, along the tracks it always seemed to Blue Tits calling from the hedgerows. Once I reached Kingsdown Lane, the trail takes you northwest and then to a corner of the wood where you end up walking southwest. Eventually you would end up on the A419, but my walk wasn't taking me there just yet and a few metres along I took a path that opens out into the meadow.

The hedgerow alongside the meadow

Straight away I could see a Buzzard on the ground and he saw me instantly. I stopped and he took off and flew to an Oak tree just a few feet away from where he had been feeding. I managed a couple of photos, but a pair of Kestrels flew in and he didn't seem to want to hang about and flew off towards Blunsdon. Along the path next to the hedgerow I could see a few birds flitting about and with my binoculars I could make out Redwings, Blackbirds, Chaffinches and a Yellowhammer feeding on the ground. Unfortunately my walk was on their path, which was a shame, but even though I put them up they all came back and landed behind me. In total there were 18 Redwing, 8 Blackbirds, 6 Chaffinches plus the Yellowhammer.

Buzzard 

Kestrel

Blackbird, Redwings and Chaffinch

My trail was getting muddier and muddier, but fortunately I knew that once I was pass the wood on the other side of the meadow, the paths are a lot firmer. Following the trail you eventually come into another section of the wood that is very close to the lay-by on the southbound carriageway of the A419. Its also where the pylons loom above you. Back in October I came across the fungi Rosy Bonnet, Mycena rosea. Two months on and it's still flourishing!

Rosy Bonnet, Mycena rosea

Rosy Bonnet, Mycena rosea

At this point the path runs parallel with A419 in a southeasterly direction and at the end you meet the Highworth road and the car park. There wasn't much along this stretch that is until I got the corner of the wood by the bridge. There had been a few mixed flocks of Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests, but in this party there was a Marsh Tit calling. And then if that wasn't enough I caught a glimpse of a Treecreeper in amongst them.

Goldcrest

Male Great Tit

Back at the car park I interrupted another foraging party of Tits which had two Dunnock, 3 Bullfinches and 2 Blackbirds with them. Now that is a mixed flock.

Female Bullfinch

So what I thought might be a quick walk because of the imminent rain turned out to be quite a long and very rewarding one. In total I recorded 29 species. 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, 20 Blackbird, 4 Fieldfare, 28 Redwing, 6 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, 1 Marsh Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Treecreeper, Wren, 1 Jay, 18+ Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 50+ Chaffinch, Goldfinch, 6 Bullfinch, and 1 Yellowhammer. Also 3 Grey Squirrels and a few Rosy Bonnet, Mycena rosea.

Album Photos from today start here

Sunny Liden Lagoon

With the sun out and all my morning chores out the way, I thought I'd have a walk around Liden Lagoon. Mainly to see if there were any Little Egrets sunning themselves on the trees on the north island. Liden is very accessible and within a few feet of the car park at the end of Eastmere Road, you are straight onto the Lagoon path.

Initially there didn't appear to be anything on the water, not helped by the fact that I was staring straight into a low setting sun. However by the time I got round to the dam in the north-east corner it was quite evident that there was quite a bit going on. Bounding about in the trees was a Grey Squirrel and a Blackbird scolding it and as I passed the dam and started walking alongside the waters edge I came across 4 Goosander, a drake and 3 females which were feeding in the shallows. Having seen me they scuttled off and went behind the north island.

Grey Squirrel

Female Goosander making her escape

Further around where the pontoon joins the two islands there were 3 Tufted Duck, a duck and 2 drakes. Strangely enough they were the only Tufties on the lagoon. With the weather so nice I had expected to see at least one Little Egret, but instead there was just a Grey Heron under the trees where they normally perch.

One of the 2 Grey Herons around the North Island

Moving down to the grass bank on the southern tip of the Lagoon a dozen or so Moorhen scurried off the embankment in their haste to make sure they weren't cut off. In total I think there must have been getting on 20 birds on the water. Just before the grass bank a Red Kite sailed over and headed east over the A419. I tracked it in my binoculars before it disappeared into the distance.

One of 20+ moorhens at the Lagoon today

A distant shot of a Red Kite as it flew east

As I approached the metal fencing that overlooks the drainage outlet pipes, I could see more Goosander, with 5 females and 3 drakes tucked in under the trees on the north side of the south island. Eventually they came out into open water and I watched as the drakes, and certainly one in particular were harrowing one or two of the females, with one being forced to take off and land a small distance away.

Eight Goosander between the islands

Two pairs of Goosander

Two "Brownhead" Goosanders as the females are also known as.

The Canada Geese were all present and correct with 28 counted including LP the orange neck collared individual. I can't see him leaving as the the locals were down in good numbers feeding him, the Mallard, Swans and Coot. Feeding time also attracted at least 50 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls.

LP on his way to be fed

Adult Black-headed Gull in winter plumage

1st winter Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull in good voice

And again

Before flying off for some free offerings

Before I got back to the car park I could see a second Grey Heron by the boat on the North Island. He was definitely feeding and doing a fair bit of travelling up and down the shallows.

Another Grey Heron also around the North Island

 A Blackbird cackled and as I looked round a male was feeding on some Rowan berries in a back garden. Above him I could hear a few Goldfinches in the Alders and ended up with a count of 10 in the "charm".

Male Blackbird feeding on Rowan

Goldfinch

Goldfinch feeding on an Alder

Once back at car park a small flock of Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits and a pair of Goldcrests passed by me and started their clockwise route of the lagoon.

One of many Blue Tits around the Lagoon today

Literally before you get back up onto the road something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a green ball and then I realised it was an apple. It was the only one hanging on for dear life on a very small Apple Tree. But can you spot it!

Can you spot the apple!

Definitely one still hanging on for dear life.

In total I recorded 30 species. 2 Grey Heron, 2 Mute Swans, 28 Canada Geese, Mallard, 3 Tufted Duck, 8 Goosander, 1 Red Kite, 20+ Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 2 Feral Pigeons, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, House Sparrows, Chaffinch and 15 Goldfinch. Also noted a Grey Squirrel

Buntings, Crows and Thrushes

The last time myself, Dawn, don and Benji did this walk was back in September, so we thought we'd give it another go. As before we started our 4-mile circular walk from Oxford Street and down into the village before we heading up past the village green onto Crooked Corner and down Grasshill to Lottage Road. Through the village there were Mistle Thrush, Wood Pigeon, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Blackbird. At Grasshill a Brambling landed in a Beech Tree.

Our 4 mile circular

(map courtesy of Google Earth)

Crooked Corner and Grasshill run parallel to Lottage Road and is more or less an an access road to the homes backing onto it. Along its length there were quite a few Robins, Blackbirds, Great Tit, Blue Tits, House Sparrows, Dunnocks and a few Redwings.

Redwing and Blackbird

At the end you cross over Cook Road and onto the start of the Gallop. On your left and right are fields and the track takes you down to Lottage Road. Along this length were more Redwing and as we approached the paddocks there were also good numbers of Fieldfare and Corn Bunting.

Corn Bunting

Crossing over Lottage Road we headed up the Gallop and as we crossed over, there were dozens of Fieldfare and Redwings sitting in the tree tops and on the telegraph wires there were Corn Buntings and Starlings. About 100 metres up the Gallop we turned right and headed towards east Lease Farm.

Fieldfare

Starling

The track up to the cottages is about 1½ miles and runs along a ridge on your right. To the left are fields, which had been harvested, ploughed, seeded and now had 3in shoots poking through.  Along the track we could see a distant Red Kite, too far away for a photo but further along we came across dozens of Rooks and Jackdaws feeding on old stubble.

Rooks and Jackdaws

Rooks

Along the track the bushes eventually give way to a newly installed wired fence and in the distance we could make out East Lease Farm and more corvids flying about.

Rooks and Jackdaws

Close to East Leaze Cottage was a Yellowhammer and a few Chaffinches.

All in all another good walk with 29 bird species seen. Red Kite, Pheasant, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Brambling, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer.

Egrets Galore!!

I wasn't planning on walking around Liden Lagoon this afternoon, as I had planned to visit the CWP to see some Smew, but I'm so glad I changed my mind.  When I arrived at the Lagoon, there only appeared to be gulls, ducks and geese, but as I walked around towards the bank close to the A419, there were 3 Little Egrets sunning themselves on the branches overhanging the north island. A good scan with the binoculars showed that "my" Egret with the leg rings was not one of them. Underneath them was a Grey Heron and on the pontoon that joins the two islands there was a Cormorant also sunning himself.

A trio of Little Egrets

Little Egret

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Cormorant

Surprisingly there were only a few Tufted Duck with just 2 drakes and one pair. The two drakes seem to be synchronised in everything they did. Twins!! The number of Mallard and Canada Geese seems to have increased with at least 30 geese, including the goose with the orange collar.  Around the southern tip of the south island there were a good number of Moorhen and in total there must have been around 15 on the lagoon. Coot were easier to count with just 6 birds noted.

The "collared" Canada Goose

Synchronised drake Tufted Duck

And again

Further around to the water outlets a Herring Gull sat and posed for me and as I took a picture of him, I could see 2 brownhead Goosander swimming behind him. As I walked on up to the fence overlooking the lagoon I also picked out another two, this time a pair swimming towards the Cormorant on the pontoon which didn't seem to be too impressed and dived into the water.

Herring Gull

Goosander "brownhead"

Two "brownheads"

Goosander "brownhead"

Goosander "brownhead"

Drake and "brownhead" Goosander

Also about was a Redpoll flying around with the Goldfinch and they all settled in the alders on the north island. And around the edges of the lagoon the House Sparrows were having a bit of a splash.

Goldfinch

Goldfinch

House Sparrows bathing

Other birds noted were: 2 Mute Swans, Black-headed Gulls, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Wren, Magpies, Rook, Carrion Crow and Chaffinch.