Christmas Eve Egret

An egret has appeared again on the little stream running through the wood. This individual bird appears to be much tamer than the one that was here last winter, or, maybe it has become habituated to the presence of humans. Either way, for the first time, I have been able to watch it wading through the stream, though unfortunately, it did not catch any prey.

Primroses in flower

On a day when when we had the heaviest frost of the winter to date, I saw a small group of primroses in flower. This lane-side bank, usually has a profusion of these flowers in March, to have the flowering now reveals yet another example of how the extraordinarily mild autumn and early winter has thrown the world of flora into confusion.

Barn Owl - a first sighting here

Never expected that the first time I saw a Barn Owl in Kent it would be whilst standing on the forecourt of a service station.
The owl was over the other side of a very busy road and was filtering its way through the outer branches of some large trees. This took place at midday on a cold December day.
I frequently walk this area with my dog, but having been away for the last few days, this bird may just have arrived. Fingers crossed it stays. The environment is well-suited in many ways as it is traditional flood plain, with tufted grass meadows which should hold plenty of voles.

Black Mountains birds

On a day when the wind blew cold, you might not have expected there to be much in the way of bird life on the summits of the Black Mountains. This may have been the case, but the slopes of the ridges were full of birds.
Fieldfares and redwings abounded, though there was a clear demarcation between the two species. The redwings were feasting upon the hawthorn berries on the lower slopes, whilst the haws on the upper slopes were exclusively depleted by the larger fieldfares. It may be that the larger thrushes are more capable of surviving on the higher ground with less protection from the elements.
One surprise was the discovery of a plucking boulder, with redwing feathers, suggesting to me that the resident merlin had yet to forsake the area for the warmers climes of the coast.
One or two meadow pipits stuck to the higher ground, and my dog got up a snipe from a particularly boggy area.
Large numbers of buzzard and raven circled the valleys below.

First frost of winter

This morning awoke to the first frost of the winter. But we seem to have had a transition from summer through autumn and into winter within about a two week period. The ground was very wet, which I suspect ameliorated the effects of the frost. Certainly, the very late flowering plants appear not to have been affected.

First winter visitors

 Yesterday saw the arrival in this area of winter visitors is the form of fieldfares and redwings. There were two flocks each of about twenty individuals. The birds appeared to be moving together and yet clearly maintained themselves as two separate flocks.

Curious Ravens at Wedge Wood

Sitting upon the seat of my earth closet in my woodland, I was somewhat surprised to hear the raucous calls of a raven. These birds will wander during the winter, for they are certainly not resident in this part of the country.
As I watched, a pair flew over head, but then, one of them saw me and decided to come down to investigate. Its partner soon followed, but, as the first bird got to tree top height, it appeared to realise what it had first seen and quickly veered away.

November Sunflower

Following the pattern already established with the climate change we are experiencing, this morning, I saw a sunflower in full bloom.The plant was growing near the middle of a horse pasture (the horses having been withdrawn from the field about a month ago). It has grown to a height of approximately one metre. I can only presume that the seed was dropped by a bird for it to be growing in this location, that it should be flowering at this time of year is verging upon the bizarre.

Tadpoles

Friends informed me yesterday that they have tadpoles in their pond. Probably frogs.

Lesser spotted woodpecker

For only my third sighting ever, I saw a lesser spotted woodpecker this morning. It flew from the wood, across the field and landed on a small silver birch. By the time I had got across the field it had moved on. It was a wet dreary morning and certainly brought a brighter note to my walk. The field it flew across sees up to five a green woodpeckers every morning, the family group that bred in the wood last spring.

Dragonflies at Wedge Wood

I was in my wood yesterday collecting logs to store up for the oncoming winter, when, whilst partaking of some lunch I was dive bombed by a dragonfly. It was not an intentional attack of course, but the insect came quite close at high speed. As it flew up and down the woodland rise, it was briefly joined by another. The continuing mild weather means that there are still plenty of small flying insects around to feed these giants, but it still came as a surprise to find them around in mid-October.

There is a very good chestnut harvest this year and the ones I have found at the top of the wood are of a commercial size which has come a a very pleasant surprise.

Spring Flowers in October

The other day, on the rabbit field, I came upon a patch of beautiful white pansies. Not what I would expect to find at this time of year. Having said that, there are still some white campions in flower and the mini oxeye daisies on the horse field proliferate still.
I thought I had seen the last of the warm weather, but today broke fine and sunny and although it was breezy, a coat need not be worn. There are still some house martins around and the winter migrants seem a long way off arriving.

Melanistic Pheasant

A totally black pheasant is probably not that unusual given the wide variation in the plumage colours of this bird. The one I saw the other day was completely black other than its red ears. It blended very well against the background of conifer trees and I suspect that it has a greater chance of surviving than its more colourful brethren.

Last day of summer?

On what was probably the last day of warm weather (two days ago); I came across a flock of fifty or sixty house martins on the wires above the fields below the Downs.  Meanwhile, from the midst of the field, a skylark sang. Then as I approached the village, a chiffchaff sang its full song.
I may not be seeing or hearing any of these again for some months.

Swallows Gone

The other day, instead of my morning walk being accompanied by swooping swallows, the skies were empty.

Goshawk

On my way through Coal End Wood on my way to Wedge Wood, a goshawk flew down the ride ahead of me. It appeared such a graceful bird, floating along without a wing beat. Unfortunately it was soon out of sight. In Wedge Wood itself, a rather less elegant tawny owl flew out of  sapling, hooting loudly in protest a few minutes later.
There are still many woodland butterflies on the rides and a large bee, the sort of which I have never previously witnessed. It was noticeable for its bright yellow tail, I shall have to research this.

Melanistic Deer

To have a break from using my chainsaw in Wedge Wood, I went for a wander through the woodland drives. Standing at the edge of one of these was a curious sight.
To begin with the deer appeared to be as perplexed as I was, for we both stood and stared at each other. It was the twitching of the extraordinary long ears that convinced me that this was one of the resident fallow deer. However, I was taken aback by the colour, which was almost entirely black, with just a hint of brown on its flanks and other parts. Having seen dark coloured fallow before as well as white examples, I had not countenanced an example of anything so black. It soon shot off into the undergrowth, where its colouration made it completely invisible under the shade of the trees.

Giant Puffball

The warm summer weather continues; blackberries are largely over, and there are plenty of swallows still flying across the fields. There is a growing presence of fungi and I recently saw the largest giant puffball I had ever seen.
It is not a fungus with a great deal of flavour but when sliced and fried with bacon, it takes upon itself the flavour of the meet.

New Forest

Spent a few days last week in the New Forest. Was astonished at how many deer we were able to observe in just a short walk. One particular roe deer allowed us to approach to within about fifteen metres.

Cairngorm Summer

A few weeks ago (mid-August), visited the Cairngorms with my son. Climbed Cairngorm mountain through cloud and hail. The only ones on the summit when it snowed.
The only other sign of life were a pair of snow buntings below the Ptarmigan Restaurant.
As visibility was so poor, decided the next day to stay off the tops. Walked through the Lairig Gruh to the Pools of Dee where we saw a large group of Ptarmigan.
Also me a walker who was completely lost. Was on his way (supposedly) to the summit of Braeriach. He should not have been allowed on the hill at all.

Hobbies again

This evening proved to be perfect as the may bugs were out in force. With such a huge force against them, it is hard to believe that any survive to reproduce, but clearly they are very successful.
I was able to identify three distinct individual hobbies, though as they fly back and forth over the wood, it is difficult to be certain that there aren't more,
Their rapid wing beats followed by a glide, contrast sharply with the languid gliding and slow wing beats of the gulls. Magpies joined with the other crows, chasing their prey along the ground.
This would be a great filming opportunity for the Spring Watch team.

Nature's spectacle

It has begun again. The first indication as I walk out on a warm summer's evening is the emotive calling of gulls. As I approach, the birds themselves can be seen behaving in a most unusual manner. Circling close to trees, they look almost as if they wish to roost in these inappropriate perching places. I then notice that there are a number of corvids amongst the gulls. Then it becomes apparent that all of the birds are hunting. The gulls, suddenly diving close to the ground, or swivelling in the air, to take flying prey. It is one of the strangest sights I have ever seen, yet it is just the prelude to an even greater spectacle. Emerging over the tree tops flies a hobby, then two, then three and then four birds. They join the gulls, but in comparison make their efforts appear clumsy. Whatever they are catching, the small falcons take them in their claws and then transfer the catch to their beaks in mid-flight. I watch spellbound as the birds circle the field, swooping swallow like. The ariel display continues until the light fades and first the rooks, crows and jackdaws depart; followed closely by the herring gulls, and then the hobbies fly westwards to their roost. The spectacle is over for another day, but whilst the may bugs continue to emerge, there is always the promise of another sighting. On my way home, I observe a little owl joining in the feast.

Avocets

Walking along Southport pier today was somewhat taken aback to see a small flock of avocets down on the beach. There was a large flock of other, smaller birds, but without binoculars it was impossible to identify them.

At home yesterday I saw the kingfisher again and this time near a hole in the bank of the stream. It really would be something if there is a pair looking to breed here.

Unexpected Kingfisher

I often frequent environments which you might consider to be ideal for kingfishers; the River Wye, and my local lakes. It came as quite a surprise the see one on the little stream that flows through my local wood. I walk here most days and have never seen any sign of this bird before. Similarly, I recently saw a tree creeper near this stream. To see this bird now suggests that it is breeding nearby, yet, even though I walk here regularly, this is the first specimen of its kind I have come across.
A little while ago I posted a picture of Dylan (my dog) chasing a canada goose from its nest. This nest was in a very exposed position on a plateau overlooking the recently filled sand quarry. It appeared to be a site open to predation. I am pleased to be able to report that on Sunday, I saw the two parent birds, shepherding their four cygnets on the water, safe and sound.

Myxamatosis

I was walking with my dog Dylan in the Forest of Dean the other day when he managed to catch two rabbits. He occasionally catches a rabbit, but in this case, his chase was very short, as the rabbits had no chance to escape as the disease had blinded them. I put both animals out of their misery. It is a terrible disease and there are much better means available to control the rabbit population.
On a better note, I heard the song of a wood warbler for the first time in many years.

Goose nest

Went back to the flooded quarry, and on a grassy plateau Dylan disturbed a Canada Goose revealing four eggs.
Also glimpsed what I suspect was the Curlew Sandpiper, so perhaps there is a breeding pair. They are draining

the lake as it is polluted with sewage, though the intention is to re-fill it. We shall see.

Goshawk

I never cease to wonder at the possibilities that technology can afford us.
The other morning I was walking my dog in the woods at Symonds Yat and watched a male goshawk. To begin with, he was perched high in a tree but then moved to another branch before taking his leave which afforded me the spectacle of watching the bird's fantastic ability to navigate between trees at speed.
Later that same day, I was 150 miles away walking my dog on the North Downs in Kent listening to skylarks, blackcaps, whitethroats, yellow hammers and linnets singing away.

Symonds Yat

Reading the notice board at the entrance to the Miner's Rest Nature Reserve, I  noticed that they described the lower field as full of cowslips and orchids. Wandering down to it, I was surprised to see that this was indeed an accurate description. What a beautiful sight on a Spring morning, the almost red of the orchids contrasting sharply with the nodding yellow flowers of the cowslips. It has been an extraordinary year for the cowslips and in some places, fields and roadsides are absolutely covered with them.
Looking up from the flowers, I just caught sight of the behinds of half a dozen fallow deer retreating into the woods.
Yesterday, down by the river, I watched a pair of blackcaps in clear view and then later a garden warbler. At this time of year, I am accustomed to only hearing these birds sing from deep within foliage and it is a real pleasure to get a clear sight of them in the open.
My dog went chasing something through the woods and I managed to glimpse a dark slim creature running ahead of him. This was in the same area where I have several times now seen  a creature which I cannot fully account for. Until I make a positive and definite identification, I shall not be making any claims, but my suspicion is that this is a colony of pine martens living in an area where they are not meant to exist. The area is ideal for them, with mixed woods and lots of small caves and caverns and without too much disturbance. One day I shall see one clearly for more than a couple of seconds, and, having seen martens before in Scotland, I shall know exactly what I have seen.

Nightingale

Yesterday took the dog for a walk by the lakes. Doubly intoxicated by the scent from May blossom whilst listening to the song of a nightingale.
Also in song were blackcaps and whitethroats though none as yet in the same numbers as for the last two years.
Some very small baby rabbits were about with the typical white stripe down the forehead which is a common mutation at this site.

Chiffchaff

The beautiful spring weather continues, though rain is forecast for the day after tomorrow.
I sat this morning on the slopes of North Downs and watched a female chiffchaff tugging at a piece of grass which it then flew off with to the nearby bushes. I knew that this was a female as the male was declaiming his territory near the top of one of the bushes.
I have also seen redpolls nest building, so the breeding season appears now to be in full swing.

Does not make a summer

Saw my first swallow on Thursday. It was flying over the rape feels below the North Downs.
The new lake has coot, canada geese and several pairs of mallard. But, probably a passing migrant, a curlew sandpiper.
Some interest being shown in the new nest boxes in Wedgewood, but also some signs of squirrel damage on one of them.

Adder

Such was the warmth of the day yesterday, that traversing one of the footpaths that follows the contour line along the face of the North Downs ridge, I came across an adder basking in the sun.
Fortunately Dylan, my dog, ran straight past it. Momentarily, I mistook it for a stick, which would have given the dog a chase down the slope. The unmistakable zigzag pattern soon alerted me. It lay there coiled for a few moments then slithered quickly down the hill side. About sixteen inches in length, this was a creature of great beauty; a delight to see and a first for me on these downland slopes.
Great tits are carrying nesting material into the box beside the conservatory, whilst the nestling robins in the garden will be fledging in a few days.

Absent Friends

With all the excitement around the new spring arrivals, it is sometimes easy to forget about the birds you are no longer seeing or hearing. The obvious absentees are the winter migrants and it is now some weeks since I last saw a redwing or fieldfare. More surprising is the disappearance of bullfinches. Just a couple of weeks ago, I would not have bothered to comment on their appearance, being a daily matter in all of my usual haunts. This morning, whilst listening to chiffchaffs and blackcaps, it suddenly occurred to me that I had for some time, neither seen nor heard the plaintive piping of a bullfinch. Perhaps it is now that they descend upon the orchards. These are nearby but not within the scope of my daily wanderings. I shall have to go and see.
Whilst walking the dog in the dark last night I heard a curious murmuring sound coming from overhead, it clearly came from some bird or birds, most likely a migrating species, but what they were remains a mystery.

Blackcaps

The chiffchaffs have now been joined by blackcaps. I heard my first one singing this morning. It was situated in a tree which is often its singing post during the breeding season, which makes me suspect that it is the same individual returning to its old haunts.
Saw some fighting goldfinches which suggests that they are coming into breeding condition much earlier than would normally be the case.
Yesterday at Wedgewood and had singing siskins and redpolls calling.

Chiffchaffs

Wherever I go I am met with the cheerful song of the chiffchaff. To begin with, I thought they may have been individuals passing through on the migration route north and westwards, but they now appear to be settled and establishing territories. Also heard a cock yellowhammer singing away the other day.
Blackbirds are nesting and a robin's nest in the garden has eggs. However this cold spell will be making it difficult for early breeders and migrants to find insects. The thunderstorm today would not have helped much either though warmer weather is forecast for the weekend.

Symonds Yat wildlife sighting

The air was full of the sound of singing siskins. These birds are rarely seen in Kent but here they are regular visitors to the bird feeders. Within minutes of my refilling the mixed seed dispenser I had a siskin feeding. This was closely followed by great, blue and coal tits. Six pheasants (three of each gender) soon arrived to mop up any spillage.
Down by the river, the mallards were all paired up, and as evening set, the tawny owls began their chorus.
There was lots of evidence of the deer travelling down through the wood to the river, and badger s appear to use the same tracks.

First singing spring migrant

Yesterday heard a chiffchaff singing on the edge of my local wood.
Spent most of Thursday in the Black Mountains. Every few hundred yards, a new pair of skylarks appeared and the cock would rise singing into the air. Plentiful cock meadow pipits the cocks with their parachute flight displays. Saw no sign of merlin and wondered whether the profusion of birds was due to the fact that the merlins had not arrived back from their winter quarters.

Buzzard Antics

The usual area to see buzzards locally is along the slopes of the South Downs. However, today there was one in the middle of a field that holds several horses down by the local wood. It was particularly noticeable owing to its very white front, but as these birds can be seen in a number of colour guises, this was nothing out of the ordinary. What was rather more strange was the behaviour of this particular bird.
On a number of occasions I have had the good fortune to observe vultures in various parts of the world, and their tendency to fly in to a kill, and then run and skip along the ground is one of the well known characteristics of this species. I had not previously seen this sort of behaviour in our own buzzard.
From a standing position, the bird suddenly ran to one side and then, with its beak, snatched something from the ground. A few minutes later the bird carried out exactly the same procedure but in another direction. It was clearly catching some minuscule prey. Given that this was in February, it is unlikely that these were grasshoppers, or emerging may bugs. Neither did they appear to be worms, or I think I would have spotted them through my binoculars.
Another natural mystery to ponder upon.

It IS Spring!

The increasing signs of Spring leave me concerned that we may have a start to Winter and all this new growth and blossom will be killed off. Robins are nest building in my garden. I have observed bearded reedlings carrying nesting materials. Primroses abound, celandines and dandelions are in flower and the blackthorn trees are adorned with white sprays of blossom. The skylarks sing above the rape fields and the chaffinches are now in full voice. Yet with March yet to arrive, frosts and even snow are not impossibilities.

Grey Wagtail

This was a surprising bird to see this morning. It was not down by the stream as might be expected but was finding insects to feed upon on a piece of land that had been under flood water the day before. This is possibly the most inappropriately named European bird. My attention was first drawn to a flash of black and white, and although this was only a glance, something about the shape made me immediately aware that it was not simply another chaffinch. The bird had flown up into a blackthorn and as it returned to the ground to feed, I was able to observe it in its full splendour of vivid yellow underparts and soft grey upper parts.
Later in the day I heard the skylark singing once more over the rape fields below the North Downs, whilst wherever I go I seem hardly to be without the soft whistle of the bullfinch, a bird that seems to be more plentiful than has been the case for some years.

Spring?

On this glorious morning with not a cloud in the sky, I heard a chaffinch singing. This for me is the clarion call for Spring.
It was not the full song of the bird, for I have noticed in past years that it takes a few weeks for the cock birds to get fully into their song. As the breeding season approaches and the need to reinforce their territorial rights increases, so the song improves. In many countries on the continent of Europe they hold singing competitions with the chaffinch and this species is of particularly well suited as they will sing whenever they hear the song of a rival.
I walked within a few yards of a kestrel yesterday. It had its back to me whilst sat on a fence post engrossed in what it could hear in the grass tussocks below. It moved off gracefully and perched in a tree, probably waiting for me to pass by.
The new lake (the result of a landslip near a local exhausted sand quarry) is now full, and the stream, whose route was interrupted is once more flowing along its full course.

Singing Skylark

With a brief break today in the weather, a skylark announced its presence over the fields at the foot of the North Downs. A dandelion in flower on my allotment also suggested that spring has arrived, though this signifies little in a year when summer flowers bloom in January.
The air was full of birds today. It seemed that almost wherever I went I could hear the piping of bullfinches. Thought I heard the rasping call of a yellow hammer but turned out to be a chaffinch.

Splendour in Small Things

As the rain continues to fall, we can rejoice in the brief interludes when the sun shines. It is a joy to see the hazel catkins light up the landscape backlit by a low winter sun. More subtle, but just as full of beauty are the alder catkins whose purpling of the tree give it a character you would not expect. One specimen I know of is set against a background of the young yellow wands of a willow and the contrast is breathtaking.
Further news of blackbirds breeding early: an egg shell discovered on a footpath, clearly one from which a youngster has emerged.
I have asparagus spears appearing on my allotment, a good two months early.

Back

Thanks to help from Google I am once more able to post a blog. A lot to catch up on.

Deluge Continues

I love being out and about in the countryside with Dylan my dog, however, when you have day after day of cold wet weather, when your cagoule has to be fully pulled over your head and face, and there is little to see or hear, the fun goes out of it. Hence the lack of blogs for the last few days.
This morning there was a little respite. Seeing some small birds across the field, I applied my binoculars but first spotted a green woodpecker. Nothing unusual about that, I regularly see two or three on this particular field. But this male bird was acting in a very strange manner. It was swaying its head from side to side in a most pronounced manner.
Roving my eyes (through the glasses) a little to one side, I saw another green woodpecker. Whether this was a female or one of the immature birds, I could not be sure, but the male, I presume, was either courting it or threatening it.
The other birds turned out to be goldfinches.

Freak Storm

Saturday saw a storm that lasted for little more than ten minutes. The havoc it caused almost amounted to the total damage caused by the all the recent flooding and gales.
There was a strong wind and hail stones (apparently there were also some isolated tornadoes witnessed). Strangely whilst ivy clad trees of all descriptions have been brought down over recent weeks, this storm very largely affected conifers.  I would like to see an explanation for this though can offer none myself.
We were going to a Burns Night supper and had to manage in candlelight as five conifers had come down on the edge of the castle grounds. They managed to bring down power lines besides hitting a parked car. A number of roads locally were blocked on Sunday.

Spring Singers

Two unexpected birds singing today. The first was a greenfinch, which have become rare in this area due to disease. The second was a bullfinch which sings quietly, but was hidden in a hedge just a few yards from me.
It is very early for either of these birds to be singing, though for me the quintessential song of spring is that of the chaffinch. I usually accept that once that birds refrain has been heard, spring has truly arrived,
On the lake were tufted duck, pochard, and a pair of shovellers.

Tits Inspecting Boxes

I have both great and blue tits inspecting nest boxes in the garden. This is not that unusual for the time of year, but may be yet another indication that birds are gearing up for early nesting. As far as I am aware there are several factors that determine nesting times for many of our birds. There are some specific ones for specialised species such as ravens who breed when there is the greatest chance of carrion, that is with the birth of lambs,etc.
The length of daylight hours is important. This is because birds need as many hours as they can get to feed their young. The availability of their food is another factor, and this mild winter has meant that more food has continued to be available than is usually the case.
As far as the tits are concerned, their inspection of the nest boxes may be the beginning of their establishing a territory; it will be when they begin taking nesting material into the boxes that their real intent will become apparent.

Breeding Blackbirds

I reported yesterday that I had seen a blackbird carrying worms and conjectured that this could signify a breeding pair. This morning, I checked out the area and saw a group of magpies in an adjoining garden. One of them had something in its beak which could have been a chick. Two blackbirds were frantically flying around.
So, it is likely that the blackbirds did have a brood but this has been discovered by the magpies.
Saw two separate lots of flowering daffodils today.

Blackbird with Worms

Saw a blackbird today carrying what appeared to be more than one worm in its beak. One worm can be explained by the fact that it simply was taking it away from my presence to consume, more than one worm would signify that this was a parent taking worms to young. As it was close to home, I shall check this out tomorrow to see if there is any evidence of a very early brood.
The goldfinches today were feeding on knapweed. Would have made a good photo, but no camera to hand.

Goldfinches Displaying

Came upon a poacher with his ferrets in the wood today. No one seems to know who owns most of the wood so it does not concern me. What I did find surprising was what first attracted my attention to his presence. It was a strange clicking noise. I soon realised that he had a collar on his ferret and was tracking its progress underground. He had a boy with him about twelve years of age who should have been in school.
Came across a large flock of goldfinches. As some of them rose into a nearby tree, one of the cocks started to display. Moving its body (swaying) from side to side and repeatedly calling. Yet another indication that some of the birds think that spring is here already, although goldfinches are normally late nesting birds, waiting until May before going to nest.
Heard a blackbird singing.

Song Thrushes

I counted six singing song thrushes on my morning walk today. They were still singing when I went for my late afternoon walk. This tells me two things: firstly, there is a healthy population of song thrushes in the area; and, secondly, that the birds have begun to establish their territories in preparation for the breeding season.
A flock of around fifty redwings were quartering the ground on a horse pasture. They maintain the same distance between each bird and then move metronomically across the field. Two pied wagtails and a few chaffiches shared the field with them.
The winds have dislodged a good few dormouse nest boxes. I have tried to repair and replace some, and some I shall relocate to Wedge Wood. It has been interesting to find bedding in the bottom of some of these boxes, though I hope the mice have hibernated elsewhere.

Violets in Flower

Further evidence of the early spring (or very late winter); came with a sight of violets flowering locally. Alongside them were the flowers of a summer flowering plant, aubretia. Though it has to be said that, growing under a hedge as they do, these particular plants usually do flower earlier than normal, but, not this early.
A lot of fieldfares flying around in flocks at the moment. Their behaviour often amuses me as they appear to be heading with some purpose in one direction but then, some individuals will suddenly turn around and head back from whence they came. Quite what this behaviour signifies I do not know.
Visited another flooded sand quarry today, though there were indications that parts of this are permanently under water, with a few bullrushes growing. The path to the quarry had collapsed making a difficult descent and even more difficult ascent on my return. The amount of rain we have had is clearly undermining the fragile geological substrata.

Another Wet Day

At last the media seem to be picking up pon the fact that we have so far experienced an incredibly mild, though wet, winter. I have seen primsoses in flower amongst many other plants which are weeks and months aheaad of schedule. Driving along the M4 yesterday it was very evident that the fields were much greener than would usually be the case at this time of year.
I just wonder what is going to happen if and when the cold weather finally hits?

Otter Feast

Am I imagining things or does the river in flood make less noise than when at its normal level? That is certainly the impression I had this morning whilst walking beside the River Wye at Symonds Yat.
What I found on the bank, where the water had receded a little from the flooding, was  a pile of freshwater mussels. Some had been crushed and their contents consumed, and around them were prints which I hope were made by an otter.
At Wyewood Cottage, a huge number of birds come down to the feeders. These currently include great tits, blue tits, coal tits, chaffinches, siskins, and goldfinches. In addition blackbirds, robins, hedge accentors and thrushes, feed on the ground. This morning, with these birds I counted seven pheasants: three cocks and four hens. Given that there is no shoot nearby, I am not sure where these come from, but they certainly benefit from the food put out for them.

Resourceful Crows

It has been well documented that members of the crow family can tend to be quite resourceful in adapting their behaviour to help meet their needs.
Walking beside the River Wye near Symonds Yat, I was this morning surprised to see a largish black bird hovering above the river. As you might expect, at the moment the river is swollen and fast flowing. Earlier I had seen a comorant stood on the bank amongst a line of mallard duck; but this was no cormorant. Even though it was at first obscured by some bank side trees, I was confident that I had correctly identified the bird as a carrion crow.
As I approached closer, the bird flew from the river with a white object in its mouth. Flying into the branches of a tree, it consumed its catch. Could a crow be fishing?
What I think was actually occurring was the crow was picking from the surface of the water, pieces of bread. I can only surmise that someone up stream had been feeding ducks (perhaps at the Saracens Head), the bread was floating downstream to be picked up by this crow.
Watching carefully, I could see that the crow was not doing this without some risk. The bird would briefly hover above the river, though as it descended its tail and wing tips definitely entered the water. With the river flowing so quickly, the bird had to get its timing just right, each time it took a piece of bread (and I observed it take three pieces), there was a chance that it would end up in the water almost certainly leading to its demise.
At one point, another crow flew up the river, but it was quickly chased away by the resident bird.

Moles again. This time at Symonds Yat

Not surprisingly, the river is running high. In fact the island at Wye Rapids has disappeared. The only indication of an island is the trees emerging mid stream. I wonder what this will have done to the attempts made last summer to reinforce the island. A digger made its way to the middle of the river to stack up a shingle bank and then willows were planted in this embankment. The whole point of the island, which is man made, is to create the rapids for the canoeists.
The river has clearly over-flowed its banks and there is plenty of debris remaining to confirm this. What I am unable to offer a fully convincing explanation for is that within this flood plain, the moles have started to re-erect their hills. The original mole hills were not completely washed away, but now there are new mini hills atop these somewhat flattened and shrunken original structures.
My question is: how did the moles survive the flood? Assuming they were able to attain higher ground and thus escape drowning, how would they have known that they were in danger?
Intriguing questions.

Stag at Wedge Wood

I drove as slowly and quietly as possible down the forest ride on the approach to Wedge Wood and was rewarded with the sight of a magnificent fallow deer stag.
He was amongst the conifer plantation and it was not immediately apparent what I had seen; simply a shape moving amongst the trees. Stopping and using my binoculars, I was able to get a clear view. Soon afterwards he melted into the background and that was the last I saw of him.
On my previous visit to the wood I had seen little evidence of deer presence, this time, they had clearly returned in numbers. There were lots of droppings and places where it was clear that the deer had sat down leaving a depression in the ground. There were also areas where the leaf mould had been scraped away, though the reason for the deer doing this remains unclear. They certainly revealed a myriad of bluebell shoots, but there was no evidence of them attempting to eat these.
What this does mean is that come late spring, I shall be able to enjoy having a bluebell wood of my own. I wonder what other delights the wood will reveal to me?

Ducks on the new lake

I wrote previously of the new lake that has formed. The bed of a stream has collapsed causing the water to flow into a deserted sand quarry forming a large and deep lake where none previously existed.
Today I witnessed a small flotilla of pochard swimming on the lake. If there are any fish there, which could only have come from the stream, there would not be many and so, I presume the duck were there simply because it is in such an out of the way location as to provide them with the seclusion they prefer.
I look forward with great anticipation to how this scenario develops.
I used to watch redpolls on the alders beside the river Usk when I lived in that part of Wales. They proved to be very confiding birds, often feeding in the trees just a few feet above my head. I have not seen any of these little finches locally this winter until yesterday. Previously I have seen them once again feeding on the alders alongside the stream down by the village green; in this instance however, they were high in the branches of birch trees in the grounds of the local health centre. I cannot imagine a setting further removed from the tranquil setting of the Usk in winter.

Mole hill Construction

How is that some everyday events are rarely witnessed?
I have frequently been asked by people: "How do you manage to see so much wildlife?" My response to this question tends to be two-fold: Firstly, that I try to get out and about to observe as much as I can; and, secondly that I look about me a lot. Many people do not see things because they are constantly looking at little other than the ground before their feet, or are concerned with other matters, such as talking with those in their company. I try to keep my eyes open and particularly receptive to any movement.
This morning I glimpsed some movement about thirty paces from me. My brain suggested that what I had seen was a mouse or a vole running over a molehill. I moved closer to the said molehill in anticipation of seeing this small creature, particularly as the grass was short and the ground lay open. What I did see was the movement of the molehill. It was being constructed before my eyes, something which is an everyday event, yet, for me certainly, rarely observed.
Molehills, as I understand it, serve two purposes (except when the moles are breeding and a larger version can hold the breeding nest,) one is obvious: they need somewhere to place the earth they have excavated to create a tunnel. The hills also serve as a ventilation shaft, allowing fresh air into the tunnels.
I watched the activity of the mole for about ten minutes. It moved more earth onto the hill at the rate of about every thirty seconds. At no point did I see the mole. This leaves me with a question:
Does the mole push the earth up head first or tail first. In other words, does it push the earth ahead of it; or, does it reverse the earth back up the tunnel?

Birch log nest box - part 2

Invested in an electric saw today which has enablde me to considerably speed up the process. I currently have my first project clamped in the workshop, having glued the two halves together. Once the necessary 24 hours has elapsed, I shall test the strength of the fixer and decide whether or not I need to add screw fixings.
I have used a hole cutter to produce the entrance. This I have made a little on the larger side, to allow great tits to use this box. Some commercially produced boxes have their holes too small, and I have observed blue tits spending hours of their time and precious energy pecking at the hole to make them larger.
All that will be required to complete the box, is to fit a roof which I shall cover with felt. This hopefully will prevent woodpeckers gaining access by this route, which otherwise would be the most vulnerable part of the box.
I then intend attaching the box to a tree with the use of two nylon ties. These are now cheap and readily available, easy to fix and relatively straight forward to remove. Far better than fixing with screws.
If this design proves to be effective, I shall attempt to have the process filmed and p;laced on Youtube, then perhaps others will not be frustrated in thier attempts to make their own birch log nest boxes.

Birch log nest boxes

Have found matters very frustrating in my attempts to construct nest boxes out of birch logs. I did manage once before to make one by drilling multiple holes in the top of the log and then using a chisel to gouge out the wood. The fact that I write of only one of these, gives an indication of just how long it took.
I spent a not inconsiderable sum of money on a a hole cutter attachment for my drill. It proved to have minimal effect. I have spent hours searching the net to find the right tools or the best techniques, but without anything concrete. Other than making them out of concrete!
I have made a fresh start on my own idea. That is to saw out a major section of the log, then drill and chisel out the excess wood from the core and fix the two pieces back together. For this latter I am currently considering the use of glue, though I suspect I may have to reinforce this, either with wire or screws.
I have made a vertical cut down one side of the log (from the top) and have begun cutting down the other way (90 degrees). This has taken a while to achieve but is showing much more progress than the previous approach.
I trust the birds appreciate all my efforts and take up residence. I hope to place at least six nest boxes in Wedge Wood this spring.
I have two crocus breaking into bloom in the garden today.

Snowdrops

Down by the old mill house there is a tree beneath whose spreading branches grow a spring blanket of snowdrops. Today, I saw that not only are these plants showing above ground, but some are about to break into flower.
At the same time, I saw a kestrel in the old orchard. This is the first I have seen in the area, this winter. Normally, I would expect to see one hunting along the fringes of the dual carriageway bypass. They sit on the light standards watching for any movement below. Given the mildness of the winter so far, I would have expected these to birds to have been well provided for, so it is a surprise that this is the first one I have seen in this vicinity.
What I have seen lately is a number of instances where animals, foxes or badgers, have attempted to dig out the burrows of voles. In one instance, a nest had been excavated. This confirms that there should be plenty of food available for the kestrels.

Bird Bathing

Got out today hoping that the fresh air would help relieve the pressure on my blocked sinuses. Then got caught in a blustery shower and regretted it.
A familiar sight then surprised me. With the rain pelting down, a cock blackbird decided to bathe in one of the many puddles. I was surprised because my first response to question the intelligence of a bird that took to a bath in a downpour. Of course, the blackbird was able to better soak itself in this way.
This reminded me of a recent sighting of some bearded reedlings. This too was following a downpour of rain and I first saw two birds that were completely sodden wet such that it they appeared to be barely capable of flight. I assumed that the rain had caused this and that the surrounding reed beds failed to provide adequate shelter. However, I then noticed some other birds of the same species who were completely dry. So, again these particular individuals appear to have chosen to bathe in open water even though the rain would have given them a shower. A further strange thing about these birds is that they have not evolved to fully deal with their environment. Nests are susceptible to flooding and fledglings upon leaving the nest are prone to drowning. Placing their nest above water may prevent predation from some animals and birds, but it also signifies other dangers.

A gaggle or a Skein?

Was just about capable of taking Dylan for a walk down to the village green today (walking slowly).
I had noticed that a dead tree besides the stream had been earmarked (a red cross spray painted) for removal. Whilst I can understand the health and safety concerns of the local authorities, this tree provided a nesting hole for a pair of greater spotted woodpeckers last summer. Although many people use the green, I doubt that many were aware of the birds' presence. Anyway, the recent storms have brought down the tree and it has been washed partly downstream, so the chain saw will not be necessary.
Whilst throwing sticks for the dog a large (fifty) flock of greylag geese flew over, calling loudly. I made the mistake of muttering something about a 'gaggle' when I was quickly and forthrightly corrected by Daphne who informed me that it was a 'skein' and not a 'gaggle'.
Technically of course, she was correct, as the birds were in the air, however, this was no well-formed 'v' shaped squadron of geese, but a real mass of birds with no distinct pattern. They certainly appeared to be more of a 'gaggle' than anything else.

Cold/Flu

Unable to write today due to ill health.
I suppose that observing my symptoms is not too far removed from observing nature in the raw.