A Morning On The Slopes

The plan today was to meet Richard Williams at Folly Farm for 7:30am, unfortunately I didn't quite make the deadline, but I did manage to meet Richard just beyond the copse. Our mission was to seek out a male Ring Ouzel, that's been seen here for the past few days.

Looking towards the Ridgeway from Folly Farm

By the time I'd reached Richard, I'd already had a good selection of species with Chiffchaff by the "car park" a Buzzard just beyond Folly Farm and dozens of Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings. It's been awhile since Ive been to Folly Farm and it was quite noticeable that there has been a fair bit of hedge-laying. I'm not opposed to it, but there was a good 200 metre stretch where there used to be good berry bearing Hawthorns and Dog Wood. I guess it will grow back.

Our route took us along the base of Liddington Hill to just below the castle grounds. The idea being we would carry on towards the road and then drop down on the other side of the field and back to the copse.

Along this route were many Chaffinches singing and a few male Blackbirds flitting about, that had our hearts pumping and binoculars raised very quickly. A large flock of Fieldfare passed overhead, with a good 70+ birds, that flew north and then doubled back towards Lower Upham Farm. All around us were birds singing with Great Tits, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Corn Buntings and lots of Yellowhammers. The field to our left had several Rooks in it and as we came up the slope a Buzzard that had probably been feeding on worms suddenly popped his head up, and on seeing us took off towards Folly Farm.

A couple of flaps........

.............and this Buzzard was well on his way after seeing us.

Carrying on up the field we watched a female Blackbird disappear into an ivy clad tree just up in front of us. As it did so a smaller bird flew out and across the field. There I was trying to identify it with my binoculars, when to my amazement a Ring Ouzel was in my field of view, flying straight at us. A beautiful male with that distinct white collar.  Having spotted us it flew over the hedgerow to our right and landed in a solitary Hawthorn Tree on the slope. Unfortunately it was at the back of the tree, but we could just about make it out. As we carried on up the field it took off and headed back down the slope from where we had just walked from.

Not to be outdone we carried on up the field and then over a gate on our right and walked very slowly back along the slope above the hedgerow to see if we could find it. Alas we didn't which was a shame, but we did get a lovely view of it as it flew across the field.

As we approached the main gate at the bottom of the slope, we came across a female Kestrel sitting on a branch with her back to us.  As a bit of fun we took a couple of photos, then approached her slowly, before taking another set of images. We did this a few times and probably covered about 50 metres before she decided we were close enough and flew off to the field next to Folly Farm, where she was seen flying between the electric fence posts.

This female Kestrel decided this was close enough for us to photograph her......

.........and she decided to do a bit of post hopping...

............. on the electric fence before..........

.........flying off again.

The fields next to the Farm were full of Corn Buntings, but strangely enough we didn't see a single Wheatear. Back at the copse there were a few more Yellowhammers, a pair of Goldfinches and another Chiffchaff. We also met up with Colin Pinchen and showed him where we'd seen the Ring Ouzel. Hopefully he managed to locate it, though it was very elusive.

In total we recorded 26 Species, which wasn't bad for an hour on the hill.

Birds Recorded: 3 Buzzards, Kestrel, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare, 3+ Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer.

Also seen 1 Rabbit

What A Beautiful Day

Another day gardening and lots of wildlife about. Highlights 2 Buzzards, Goldfinch, Heron, a male Starling in full breeding plumage, 3 Peacocks, 1 Comma, a Small Cabbage White, lots of Drone Flies, a Blue Bottle, a slug sp. and I think a Wolf Spider. Will have to check this one out.

Slug sp. on the pet rabbits dinner.

Drone Fly

Wolf Spider!!

Another Wolf Spider (I think) and a Blue Bottle.

A Comma, and a comma on the under wing that gives it its name.

Wings out and soaking up the sun. This Comma was very lethargic and I managed to photograph it using the macro setting from 2 inches away.

A Buzzard at 1000ft plus, hence the poor quality. In fact it was that high and so pale I thought at first it was Sparrowhawk. Looks can be so deceiving at times.

This male Starling was singing away as he kept an eye on his nest, which is under the eaves of a neighbours house.

Buzzards Galore

Late morning over Nythe, there was a right commotion with a lot of gulls making a right old din. I know I keep saying it, but for me 9 times out 10, its because there is a large bird of prey about. So a quick grab of the camera and out the back door and sure enough there was a Buzzard high up over the house. It never fails! This bird was keen to get away and as it went into a stoop I suddenly realised where it was going, for in the distance there were 7 other Buzzards caught in a thermal. They were very high, but very fortunately they dropped down and drifted south towards Coate. There were at least two pale individuals, one of which was very white. Here are a few photos as they glided about overhead and a couple of really cropped images to see the individual markings.

Back at the Lagoon

Having been plunged into darkness by the eclipse, okay not completely I know, but it definitely got darker as we approached 9:30am. As soon as it finished it brightened up considerably. So much so that I just had to get out of the house and have a bit of me time. So it was off to Liden Lagoon and see if there were any new visitors, since my last visit there on 19 Jan. Was it really that long ago since I was here last!

Biggest change was hearing a Chiffchaff singing from the South Island and a pair of Gadwall. (Last years pair, who knows!!). The new resident Swans were courting with the cob offering weed to the pen. However the "old" pen was still present with her two offspring from last year, which I found a bit surprising. If and when the new pen starts nesting, I'm guessing the cob will be less tolerant and see off the old pen and the juveniles. All around the Lagoon were Robins singing with at least 10 males in good voice.

The drake Gadwall

The new Cob

One of the two juvenile Mute Swans from last year.

One of many male Robins around the Lagoon in good voice.

I arrived for bath time as 50+ large gulls dropped in to add their weight to the already present 100+ Black-headed Gulls. In amongst the 50 Herring Gulls and 8 or so Lesser Black-backed Gulls was a single 2nd summer Common Gull. The Herring Gulls were mainly made up with 1st winters and 2nd winters, with only about 15 adults.

50+ Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls of all ages.

2nd summer Common Gull

Other birds of interest were a single Jay in the woods to the north of the Lagoon and a Great Crested Grebe. Though I didn't see a second Grebe, I'm assuming she was on the nest, that she built last year just above the South Island. However this year it is considerably higher, by at least 9" and it was difficult to see into it.

The only invertebrate I came across were a few midges sp. and the remains of a snail sp. which had been abandoned by a Song Thrush. Also about quite a few Coltsfoot (tussilago farfara) in flower and two species of Daffodil.

A few pieces of shell broken lay on top of a Song Thrushes anvil.

Unfortunately the Song Thrush must have been disturbed as having got to the meat was unable to eat it. He might come back!

Coltsfoot

Daffodils

Every now and then I had a look into the water, which was gin clear and there were lots of Swan Mussels and just off one of the anglers pontoons there was a 5lb Pike "basking" in the sun.

A Pike of around 5lb (often called Jack Pike up to this size)

As I was leaving I took a photo of the trees next to the car park. As you can see all the undergrowth has been cleared and unfortunately for the lagoon Collared Doves, a lot of branches have been removed as well, which as I say is unfortunate because this is where they have nested for the past 4 years. 

The undergrowth and branches all cut back for the residents to view the Lagoon from their homes.

Birds Recorded: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Mute Swan (3 adults and 2 juveniles), Canada Geese, Mallard, a pair of Gadwall, 4 Tufted Duck (2 pairs), Moorhen, Coot, 100+ Black-headed Gull, 50 Herring Gull, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Common Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, 10+ Robin, Blackbird, 1 Chiffchaff singing, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, 1 Jay, 2 Magpie, Carrion Crow, 10 House Sparrow.

Also

A Pike and Swan Mussels.

An Amazing Spectacle

The clouds nearly spoilt the partial eclipse, but it did throw up some interesting images as the shadow of the eclipse could be seen to the right hand-side of the sun/moon from 9:24am onwards.

8:50am

8:57am

9:01am

9:01am

9:24am

9:26am

9:31am

9:44am

The shadow of the eclipse can be seen on the right of the video as the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. The movement in the foreground is the clouds moving across.

A Very Confusing Duck

Another walk through the woods and around the pool at Stanton Park today. There was certainly a difference in temperature from last Friday's Arctic blast. In fact it was that warm that a few Honey Bees were out at the apiary.

A few Honey Bees out in the warm sunshine

Other changes were an increase in Mallard numbers on the frozen pool, which is just starting to show signs of thawing out. Along with additional Mallards there was a very unusual duck which could be a cross between a Mallard x Muscovy, Aylesbury x Muscovy Duck, Chocolate Magpie x Muscovy, or a Chocolate Magpie x Mulard. A Mulard is a cross between a female Pekin and a male Muscovy. All very confusing. However to draw a line under this I'm going to go for Chocolate Magpie x Mulard. I could be wrong of course, but certainly open to alternatives! More on Mulards and Magpies Here. plus a good photo of a Chocolate Magpie Here.

I'm going for a Chocolate Magpie x Mulard

He's certainly got a good pink beak for a Muscovy hybrid

Also on the pool a lot of Black-headed Gulls and one or two Moorhen. A Water Rail called out from the main reed bed which I wasn't expecting and whilst all this was going on on the pool, overhead a Sparrowhawk went into a stoop whilst a Buzzard called out as it drifted over the fields to the north.

An adult winter Black-headed Gull

A mixture of 1st winter and adult Black-headed Gulls

Well away from the icy water, this Moorhen was on a branch in the pool on the right hand side of the main track up from the car park.

Overhead a snap shot of a Sparrowhawk in a dive...........

......whilst this Buzzard soared overhead, calling as he did so.

And I couldn't resist getting down and getting and getting a close-up of the Snowdrops now out.

Birds Recorded: 3 Mute Swan, Mallard, Chocolate Magpie x Mulard, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, 80+ Black-headed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, 20+ Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Goldfinch.

Also Honey Bees out.