The future

Ill health has kept me indoors today and I am not exactly in the partying mood.
The first day of the year always seems to bring out the irrational side of my nature. I am already anticipating the days of Spring even though experience tells me that the winter has yet to really begin. This has been such an unusual autumn that spring also cannot avoid following a different course to the norm. Some shrubs are already bearing flowers which normally would lie dormant in their buds for at least another three months. It is inevitable that they will succomb to the frost to follow and that will mean that autumn next year will be bereft of many of the berries normally seen.
I do not believe in making resolutions, but I did yesterday purchase a hole cutter with the purpose of making birch log nest boxes to install in Wedge Wood. I look forward to being able to inspect these to see what species have been attracted.
I am sure the new year will bring lots of surprises in the natural world as has every year previous.

Force of Nature - A New Lake Created

I visited the old sand quarry, which is deserted and much of it has been regenerated to become an unofficial nature reserve. Following heavy falls of rain, a small lake usually appears at one end of the quarry. This is what I anticipated to find, however, what met my eyes was something totally unexpected.
Instead of a lake stretching just twenty metres across, the whole of the quarry was full. In extent, it probably stretches to four hundred square meters, though this is very difficult to estimate as it does not comprise of a single area, the quarry being almost 'U' shaped. This new lake is at least three meters deep in places and is far beyond what might be expected even given the flooding that has followed the recent rains. I was quite perplexed by this sight.
Taking a detour from the walk I had planned, I eventually emerged on the footpath at the other side of the quarry. This path follows the route of a small stream. At one point it became apparent that my path was blocked by a fallen tree; not an unlikely event in the present climatic circumstances. Upon closer inspection I could see that there had been a substantial landslip. Several trees were now rooted some two meters below the level where they had previously been. The stream bed was also well above the level of the land. At the further end, a waterfall revealed the upstream flow. The water could not continue on its usual course and so was flowing into the quarry.
The result of this could be the creation of a permanent lake presenting new environmental opportunities. But, I am wondering what will happen once the level of the lake reaches that of the inflowing stream. If the water backs up from there, it could cause all manner of other problems and presumably, the authorities will have to take action to avert this. It will be fascinating to await the outcome.

Woodcock in Wedge Wood

Visited my woodland today to begin the construction of a pond. There is a seasonal flow of water from a spring and I wish to utilise this to hopefully construct a pond sufficiently deep to survive the summer dry season.
Whilst wandering around the wood, I disturbed first one and then a second woodcock. The first bird rose up through the tree with its characteristic zigzagging flight pattern and away it went. The other specimen flew low to the ground just about twenty yards before settling again near the water course. This allowed me to get an excellent view of the barring on the plumage of what is a seldom seen but most attractive bird.
The sodden ground will be making it easy for these birds to use their large beaks to probe for worms and other soil borne creatures. I only hope they stay for the spring and breed which would enable me to see their 'roding' flight; a spectacular display flight that can usually only be observed towards dusk. The birds are largely nocturnal and their camouflage is very effective so that they can only be seen when flushed from their hiding paces as was the case today.

Still the winds blow

This has been a very unseasonal spell of weather. Yalding which lies nearby up the Medway valley has attracted national interest owing to the flooding it experienced over the festive holiday. It is unclear how the wildlife will have been affected. A large number of trees have fallen, this due, not so much to the winds, although they have been a factor, but the water-logged ground which has meant that the roots have had little of substance to cling to.
The water voles's holes will have been submerged, but I suspect that this particular mammal will have survived unscathed. It is the human animal which appears to be most susceptible to the vagaries of the weather.
A lone redwing joined the blackbirds on the rowan tree today.

Boxing Day

One of the disappointments of moving to this area close to the South Downs is that I anticipated re-acquainting myself with one of the most iconic animals in the UK but have not done so. I am referring on this Boxing Day to the hare.
Everything about the topography and the ecology of this area would suggest that it would support a healthy population of hares. They do apparently occur a few miles away in a similar location, but, despite two years of close observation, I have yet to see one.
Having in other places observed the 'boxing' matches between hares, now known to be the sparring of a male and female, and therefore, knowing it to be one of the truly magical sights of nature, I live in hope that this creature has either prove to be extremely elusive, or, that it will one day soon re-populate the area.
Watched a little egret catch a fish in the swollen stream today. It moved with a remarkable swiftness to secure its prey.
What I presume to have been a pair of mistle thrushes appeared to be engaged in a courtship ritual.

Partridge in Pear Tree

The other day I saw a covey of about twelve partridges. They were on a ploughed field beside the Pilgrims Way. Unfortunately, in a sense, they were French or red-legged partridge and not the native grey partridge.
Whilst it is always good to see these birds, they are birds that will have been released for the shooting season. It is some years now since I last saw a grey partridge. When I lived in the welsh borders the call of the grey partridges on a summer's evening was commonly heard, but now it is a rarity.
I have never, and do not ever expect to see a partridge in a tree, pear, apple or any other sort. They are ground dwelling birds. I once caught an injured grey partridge and kept it in a pen for a few weeks. On the second day after placing it in the pen, I went to check on its progress, but could see no sign whatsoever of the bird. It was not a particularly large pen and the ground was virtually bare of cover. On entering the pen, the bird moved and I could confirm its presence. On several occasions following that initial 'loss' I was both perplexed and amazed at the camouflaging capabilities of the bird's plumage. I am pleased to be able to report that the bird fully recovered and was released back into the wild.
Today, the tranquil stream that runs through the wood is a raging torrent; the rabbit cropped lawn near the footbridge is a small lake, and the lower part of the wood is a swamp. It certainly rained yesterday.

Peculiar Creatures

Today I observed some creatures performing what appeared to be a most peculiar ritual. You could be excused for thinking, at first coming upon the scene, that this was a mass migration. But it soon becomes clear that not all of the creatures are moving in the same direction. In fact there were four distinct flows of the creatures, two each side of a causeway.
Closer observation also revealed that the individuals within the mass each behaved in quite distinct ways, though remaining within the general pattern of behaviours. With so many within confined spaces, it is important that both the competition for space and the need to avoid individuals moving in the opposite direction, led to evasive behaviours. However, some individuals operated in such a manner as to cause real problems for others: stopping suddenly; or, making a rapid change of direction. Nevertheless, the flow was maintained, though to what great effect you might be left to wonder.
The site of these observations of animal behaviour was Oxford Street, London; two days before Christmas.

Ubiquitous Birds

Shortest day of the year. There is meant to be nine hours of daylight, but, it is such a dreary day that we are unlikely to see anything like that much true daylight.
There are plenty of birds around the garden, but, with the high winds and driving rain, not much could be seen on my usual walk.
However, there is always one bird that I can guarantee to see, and this probably applies to most people in most parts of the country, for, this has become a truly ubiquitous bird.
I am of course talking about the wood pigeon.
This bird has continuously increased in numbers despite man's continuous persecution. In addition, there has been a rapid increase in natural predators, including sparrow hawk, goshawk and peregrine falcon. Whilst the urban fox populations has definitely contributed to their predation. Nevertheless, it appears not to have been adversely affected by changing farming practises or climate and clearly breeds with great success.
One thing the weather did not deprive me of was my second sighting of the water vole, witnessed by Daphne who had only once previously seen this endearing creature.

Air Full of Birds

Today was one of those days. Following a heavy frost, a beautiful dawn broke with a clear blue sky. Taking my normal morning route, as I approached the fringe of the wood, all within my eye scope, could be seen a group of great tits, a jay, magpie and a green woodpecker. Later I came across  a flock or charm of a dozen goldfinches. Then a small family party of bullfinches flew across my path and settled in the hedge. Surely the male bullfinch with its breast reflecting the sun's rays, has a greater claim than the robin, to be the bird of Christmas.

One curious sight in the woods was an array of fallen branches with the bark chewed away. This must have been done by rabbits, though I have only previously seen this behaviour when snow lies on the ground. It is possible that the density of rabbits is unusually high for the time of year (that is certainly my impression), so, although there appears to be plenty of grass around, some individuals may be being pushed to the edge of the normal territory and struggling to find sufficient food. Further evidence for this can be found in the tufts of fur that can be readily found in the fields. This represents the aftermath of rabbits fighting, and may well lead to the ejection of young or older bucks from the colony.

Pied Crows

There are several carrion crows in the local area that have splashes of white on their wings. One in particular always catches the eye as its wings are almost completely white.
These birds are undoubtedly related and are illustrating a common mutation. As the crows in this area have few predators, these markings are unlikely to disadvantage them in any way. This means that there is every likelihood that the number of discoloured birds will increase. It will certainly be interesting to see if that proves to be the case over the next few years.
I once saw a crow being chased by a goshawk. The crow cleverly headed for a large oak tree hoping to outmanoeuvre the hawk. Both birds entered the confines of the tree in rapid succession. The next things was a loud crack as a rotten bough was broken from the tree. The crow emerged unscathed from the far side of the tree, but there was no sign of the hawk. After a few minutes which I presume was time it needed to recover from its crash landing, the hawk flew off.

Singing Birds

After what seemed a protracted period when few birds were singing, they appear now to have re-found their voices.
Late summer tends to bring an end to the normal chorus of the birds and the onset of the moult prolongs this silence. This year the weather appears to have taken a further toll, until now.
The most frequently heard bird is undoubtedly the song thrush. I hear at least three individuals on my morning walk, which suggests a healthy local population. The robins, which until now, have confined themselves to a quiet sub-song are beginning to fully find their voice. They are increasingly being joined by hedge accentors and wrens.
The other bird that can frequently be heard to sing is the great tit. Many years ago I was given the valuable advice that if you hear a bird in winter that you cannot identify, it almost certainly will be a great tit. So far, that has always proven to be the case.

Water vole. At Last!

There is an elderly lady in the village who surreptitiously leaves out food for the birds. It is often small pieces of bread, but always in a relatively large quantity. She deposits this food in different places, but with a degree of consistency. One of the spots she chooses is in a small field near the stream just before it passes under the road. Coming passed this morning, I noticed the pile of bread and decided to wait a moment or two to see if anything should approach. Within a very short time, a brown creature emerged from the bank of the stream and scurried towards the bread. Grabbing a chunk, it quickly retraced its steps. I had no doubt whatsoever that this was a rat.
Watching the rat repeat the process, I noticed something else in the corner of my eye. At first sight, this appeared to be a juvenile rat. It was certainly smaller than the creature I had first seen, though of a similar colouration, a juvenile, I presumed.
The first thing that raised my suspicions, was the fact that it was taking a much more stealthy approach than the rather bold manner of the rat. Once it had a piece of bread it moved back to the stream and swam across the water. On its third visit, its retreat took it upstream, and whilst doing so, it flipped on its head and submerged with a 'plop'. This confirmed that what I was watching was in fact a water vole. Further observation confirmed this, especially on seeing that the ears of the rat were very prominent but those of the vole were hardly visible.
After two years of trying to see voles on this particular stream, I was finally rewarding on what is its most unprepossessing and most public stretch.
I intend to take some chopped apple along to see if I can lure it out again and perhaps get some photographs.

Just bought a woodland

Bought a woodland today. It is in East Sussex and is about 2.5 acres. Mainly comprising of young oak and birch trees, there are also some substantial trees of ash, beech and alder, besides a few straggly conifers.
It has taken a while for the legal processes to go through, but today was the first day I could visit the wood as my own.
I have plans to make this a conservation area, with the provision of nest boxes and a feeding area.
In the one hour I was there today, observed the following species: great tit; blue tit; goldcrest; jackdaw;crow;greater spotted woodpecker; song thrush; blackbird; redpolls and a robin.
There is also evidence of mammal activity including deer, badger, rabbit and squirrel.

Drunken Fieldfares

The ground was littered with apples, the air was full of the chattering of fieldfares.
I was in the old orchard by the mill stream and following a a good harvest, the apples were providing a welcome food source for these large thrushes from the north.
Fieldfares only tend to eat the apples once they have begun to rot. At this stage, they have softened allowing the birds to be able to devour the flesh of the fruit. But, the fruit has also begun to ferment and so there is also a risk that the birds will consume a significant amount of alcohol.
Whilst the weather remains mild, these birds are remaining quite shy. Once the cold weather hits, it is likely that they will start to come searching gardens for food. Having seen them as garden birds in Iceland, it seems strange that they should be so reluctant to come into contact with humans in their winter haunts.

Rowan Tree

When we had our conservatory installed, we did contemplate having the rowan tree removed. It is quite close and we were concerned that the berries might stain the roof. We retained the tree with a little judicious pruning.
 Besides the usual crowds of Starlings and Blackbirds, today saw a visit from a Song Thrush. But what did rather surprise me was to see the local cock Chaffinch also partaking of the fruit of the tree. It was clearly stripping the flesh from the stone and devoured several berries whilst I watched. Normally it would be feeding on the seeds spread from the feeders onto the ground, usually a consequence of the picky House Sparrows, clearly it felt the need for a change of diet.
It is not that unusual to discover finches feeding on fruit. Even more astonishing was the instance I saw a number of years ago when a small flock of Goldfinches descended on the neighbourhood's ornamental cherry trees. I was intrigued to discover that they were indeed eating the berries. Even with their specialist beaks designed for extracting seeds from thistles, teazles and the like, they were able to manipulate these fruits to enable them to consume the flesh.

Fog and ice

As I walked back with Dylan this evening the ice fronds were forming on car windscreens and the pavements became slippery. This is no season of mists and mellow fruitfulness but rather one of fogs and frost and ice.
Yet, when the sun does emerge it is possible to see clouds of midges as the temperature rises. So, we have days of real contrast.
 At first light I was down by the stream and saw one of the Little Egrets standing in the middle of the water, but, not where I am accustomed to seeing it, down in the wooded section of the water-course, but under the bridge than spans the stream carrying the bypass. This beautiful bird whose previous existence in this country was curtailed by those seeking to fulfil the needs of fashion, (feathers); has thankfully returned, but I wonder if it has fully adjusted to the straits of the climate. Underneath the roadway is undoubtedly an area protected from the extreme cold and may well have offered this bird much needed shelter.

Little Grebe

Watched a pair of Little Grebes in the lake outside of the tropical house at Wisley. It is such a small bird that it seems unlikely that it can survive its watery environment in the depths of our winter. Clearly their feathers and the fish diet they enjoy, provides them with sufficient insulation.
A pair of these birds often frequent a local small lake which has a stream running from it. They can sometimes be seen in this stream and will then often swim under water. It is a curious sight to look down upon them for they have an almost reptilian appearance when seen in this way.
Even given our knowledge of science, sentimentality seems to play a major role in our view of the world. Today we saw low lying mist across the field. Fully understanding the meteorological conditions that created that effect failed to efface the ethereal quality that made the scene appear almost unreal. Beauty transcends science in our emotional responses to such scenes.

Birds out of Context

It is December and today I heard a Skylark singing.
I have previously heard them in the winter, in fact, one year I listened to an individual on New Year's Day. This particular instance is very much a response to the extraordinarily mild weather we are experiencing. Today, the sun shone and the temperature rose, such that, I worked my allotment without a jacket.
Saturday saw me once again in Belgium. Driving back and upon joining a motorway I had to look twice to confirm that what I was looking at was a group of half a dozen Curlew. These birds were feeding on a grassy area of only about twenty meters width lying between the motorway and the access road. Oblivious to vehicles speeding past on either side, they clearly were able to find plenty of food.
For me the Curlew represents summer in the wild areas of the Black Mountains of Wales, where their calls in the early morning would welcome me to the hills. Otherwise, they can be seen wintering on the coast. I never expected to see them on the verge of a motorway.
But my surprise had hardly subsidised when I saw a Cattle Egret in a field beside the road. The last time I saw one of these birds was in October in South Africa.
It rained yesterday. There was hardly a cloud in the sky and the nearest must have been some five miles distant, yet, as I crossed the field with Dylan and Stuart, the latter pointed out that there was rain falling. It was only when I shaded my eyes and looked towards the sun, that, sure enough, drops of rain could be seen descending.

Eight House Sparrows

The House Sparrows come regularly to the feeding station in the garden. There are never more than eight there at any one time. This I presume to be the resident pair and their young from this year. It is interesting to note that when it comes to dominant behaviour on the feeders, it is always the females that win out. This may be a genetic modification to ensure that the birds that need most of the feed get what they need.
The House Sparrow is generally seen as a very humdrum bird and so familiar that it was often taken for granted. I well recall listening to the sound of young birds in the nest as a child, the parents each year adopting a cavity in the wall beside my bedroom.
Recently I walked through the streets of Walthamstow with not a sparrow to be seen. This tells a sorry tale of how the House Sparrow has largely disappeared from our towns and cities. The reason, almost certainly the lack of small insect life (greenfly, etc) that are needed in the feeding of young during the first few days of their life. The removal of the sort of plants that foster such insects, the spraying of plants and the concreting of front gardens has ensured that the House Sparrow cannot survive in the very environment in which they previously thrived.
It may be a drab bird at first sight, but the House Sparrow has real character and I am very pleased that this little group frequents my garden.

Jackdaws

I sometimes have the impression that birds are capable of getting enjoyment from their ability to fly. This is especially apparent on a windy day such as today. To see birds flying into the wind, diving and weaving to try to make progress and then, suddenly change direction and fly downwind, appears to be more than a pragmatic decision.
I observed this behaviour in a large flock (up to fifty individuals) who suddenly broke formation and descended upon the field I was walking through. Calling all the time, the Jackdaws always make their presence very apparent to anyone within hearing distance.
My early interest in Jackdaws came from reading the work of the animal behaviour expert: Konrad Lorenz. He reared some young birds to be better able to observe their behaviours. He delighted in their flying abilities and I always wanted to get to know this bird, though they were extant in the area of Lancashire where I grew up.
Later, living in Wales, I had the greatest pleasure from owning a house that lay along the Jackdaw's daily flight path. What an amazing clarion call to announce the start and end of each day as large numbers of these birds fly to and from their roosting site.

Bullfinches

I live in what is known as the Garden of England. This emanates from the number of fruit farms in this area. For the most part, these are orchards, though increasingly, with the use of poly tunnels, the range of fruits extends to strawberries, raspberries, etc..
As you might imagine, the Bullfinch is seen to be an enemy of the fruit farmer. They do feed on fruit buds and it is still possible for farmers to acquire licenses to shoot these beautiful birds. Although quite plentiful, I have yet to see  bullfinches in a flock. Small parties of family groups, can be come across in the summer months, but by now, they have invariably separated into pairs as such, I cannot believe that they can do much damage to the acres of orchards that cover much of this part of the county.
The way in which these pairs maintain contact is through a repetition of a short whistle. In recent weeks, I have frequently heard this call, though it is much more difficult to actually spot the birds. In days gone by, the male bird, sporting its beautiful pink breast, was a popular cage bird, noted also for its ability to mimic the whistles of its owner. This is strange, as I have never heard Bullfinch song that displayed the ability to mimic other birds. In fact, the male's song is very quiet and rarely heard. A mixture of notes and warbles, it is quite attractive but you need to be very close by to hear it.
This is a good year for the Bullfinch and, the main reason for this I believe, is because of the very heavy harvest of blackberries.I am sure that the birds consume some of the blackberries whilst the fruit is ripe, but, the main attraction of this fruit for the birds, comes when the berries are dried but remain on the stalk, for it is the seeds of the fruit that the Bullfinch really relishes and at this stage, these become more readily available to the birds.

Night Drive

I love driving along country lanes in the dark. The reason: the wildlife that can be seen.
Last night was such an occasion, and, although I sometimes draw a complete blank, that was far from the case. First sighting was of a fox, soon followed by a badger. each of these could first be seen by the reflection of my headlights in their eyes. Then a mouse ran across the road, soon after to be followed by a rat which was attempting to scale a bank before my approach.
Later I was quite astonished to see two foxes together on the road. As I slowed to see what they were about they confronted each other and began fighting. They did not engage in the sort of fox boxing that is frequently observed between male and female, with each fox on hind legs sparring with each other; rather these two were rolling over and over and seemed to mean real business. I suspect therefore that they were two males contesting a territory.
The problem with this form of wildlife viewing of course is that you are not often able to stop and really observe what is happening, but for seeing creatures that you might not otherwise readily see, it has a great deal to offer.

Christmas Bunny

It is a well known fact that rabbits are capable of breeding throughout the year. I have never previously seen a baby in December, but this afternoon I did.
The local Lakes hold a quite large population of rabbits and it seems that at almost any time of day, you are likely to see one or two. Today, on a typically cold and grey early December afternoon, we saw several adult rabbits and then had a huge surprise when we saw a baby. Fortunately, Dylan did not see it or it may not have survived for much longer.
There are so many ways in which the weather this year has failed to comply with the normal seasonal patterns and this very late autumn has been no exception. Rabbits will respond in their breeding cycle to the environment. The grass is still growing and this female clearly has been duped into thinking that spring has arrived. If the weather had turned colder as is expected by the end of the week, then it is likely that the pregnancy would have been ended or delayed within the womb for this is something that rabbits are capable of, but the relatively mild weather has induced this birth.
Also saw a Reed Bunting beside the largest lake, which is a first for this site.