LEONS' LITTLE FREIND. Photo: Leon Rusk
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
'BIRDSONG' DAY
Although overcast, there was no rain and very little wind as Leon and I made our way to the Wetlands Centre. In fact it was mild enough not to wear my big coat, choosing a jumper instead. The special walks and talks organised by the Centre are always very enjoyable, we were looking forward to this one, ‘Recognising Birds by their Song’ but little were we to know just how good this day was to be! Even in terms of just numbers of birds seen, this was to be a very special day.
We arrived just before nine thirty and were soon admitted to the site. As the talk didn’t start until ten o’clock we decided to go to the ‘Dulverton’ hide to see what, if anything, was about. I was speaking to a chap, who had been in the ‘Peacock tower’ the day before, about the Black Tailed Godwit, when Leon brought our attention to a bird on the island immediately in front of the hide. It was a Wheatear, showing beautifully, a ‘first’ for Leon and the closest that I had ever seen one. It was so close that we could study its’ markings in some detail.
For some reason I was under the impression that the talk would take place in the Lecture Theatre, but upon arriving back at the Centre was pleased to find that it as in fact a walk. Our guide was called Rupert.
Once the group had assembled we set off, retracing the steps we had just taken, back through the ‘Waterlife’ area. It soon became very apparent that Rupert knew his stuff. Every time a bird made the slightest ‘peep’ he let us know exactly what it was with a brief description of the bird and its’ habits. Repetition was the order of the day, having once pointed the song out, it was noted time and again until it did see that Leon and myself were actually retaining most of the stuff we were hearing! At one point, to the far side of the ‘Sheltered Lagoon’, there were so many birds calling (or perhaps we were just more aware of them!) that Ruperts’ arms were flailing like the sails of a windmill as he pointed out each ones’ whereabouts! It was then that I realised that we were seeing an awful lot more birds than usual. During our numerous visits to the site we had probably missed an awful lot! This mans’ incredible skill was down to lots of experience, we were mightily impressed!
The walk seemed to be over in no time at all, as all good things do, but I believe we had been given a good grounding in learning the skills needed to recognise different birdsong. The rest, of course, will come with practice and experience. Once again it had been a pleasure to listen to one of the staff of the Centre talking with passion about the subject that they, obviously, truly love.
We mooched back to the restaurant for something to eat, but the breakfast stuff had been removed. Somewhat disappointed we made do with a cup of coffee and then moved on to cover the site in our usual order. This was to continue a memorable day!
On the way to the ‘Wildside’ hide we both practiced identifying birds by their songs and were both surprised by what we had picked up. In the reed beds outside the hide, the Reed Warblers were giving their best of performances although not showing themselves as they had the day before.
There were a few people in the hide including one or two from the walk. Having seen the Yellow Wagtails in this area from the ‘Peacock Tower’ yesterday, I thought that we might be lucky again today, maybe getting an even better view as we would be that much closer even using binoculars. I soon spotted them in the distance at the far end of the ‘Grazing Marsh’. Leon soon picked them out, as did others in the hide. A few moments later we were joined by a, slightly breathless, Rupert who asked “Has someone here spotted the Yellow Wagtails?” We answered that we had and pointed them out to him. He seemed jolly pleased and told us that there had been reports that one of them was a Blue Headed type, not rare but uncommon, that originated in Central Europe. It turned out that there were two; Rupert thought either females or maybe first summer males. Another of the staff, Wendy, was summoned by telephone to her obvious delight! It was wonderful to hear two people discussing the birds and their characteristics, ideas flying between the two of them, and at the same time keeping everybody in the hide informed! Also seen here were a Swallow, Egyptian Geese and the first Whinchat for this year on the site. A ‘first’ indeed for both Leon and myself. We are both booked to attend an ‘Early Morning’ event (starts 04:00) in early May and were pleased to find that Wendy would be the lady taking the walk.
We made our way back to the Centre via the ‘Headley’ hide where we could still not catch any glimpse of the Kingfishers.
We visited the other hides in turn, as we usually do, noticing that we were having an exceptional day. We saw, not having a sight of them for some time, some birds that we thought not to see until he end of the year. We recorded more different species today than for any of our other visits to the site. Not only that, we had actually time to really observe most of them properly, most seemed very obliging!
Having so much to talk about we decided that we really ought to go to the ‘Red Lion’ for a few ‘relaxers’. I couldn’t have too many as I was off to Fulham for the match later that evening. As we chatted it was a surprise to us just how much information we had picked up during the day! A truly great day for two novices!
BIRDS SEEN: Greenfinch, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Wheatear, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Blackbird, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Redshank, Redstart, Willow Warbler, Goldfinch, Sedge Warbler, Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jay, Dunnock, Wren, Whinchat, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Starling, Greylag Goose, House Martin, Sand Martin, Little Grebe, Heron, Shoveller, Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Blue Headed Yellow Wagtail, Cormorant, Stock Dove, Gadwall, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Kestrel, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Ruddy Duck, Teal, House Sparrow, Egyptian Goose, Song Thrush, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Ring Necked Parakeet, Magpie, Robin
We arrived just before nine thirty and were soon admitted to the site. As the talk didn’t start until ten o’clock we decided to go to the ‘Dulverton’ hide to see what, if anything, was about. I was speaking to a chap, who had been in the ‘Peacock tower’ the day before, about the Black Tailed Godwit, when Leon brought our attention to a bird on the island immediately in front of the hide. It was a Wheatear, showing beautifully, a ‘first’ for Leon and the closest that I had ever seen one. It was so close that we could study its’ markings in some detail.
For some reason I was under the impression that the talk would take place in the Lecture Theatre, but upon arriving back at the Centre was pleased to find that it as in fact a walk. Our guide was called Rupert.
Once the group had assembled we set off, retracing the steps we had just taken, back through the ‘Waterlife’ area. It soon became very apparent that Rupert knew his stuff. Every time a bird made the slightest ‘peep’ he let us know exactly what it was with a brief description of the bird and its’ habits. Repetition was the order of the day, having once pointed the song out, it was noted time and again until it did see that Leon and myself were actually retaining most of the stuff we were hearing! At one point, to the far side of the ‘Sheltered Lagoon’, there were so many birds calling (or perhaps we were just more aware of them!) that Ruperts’ arms were flailing like the sails of a windmill as he pointed out each ones’ whereabouts! It was then that I realised that we were seeing an awful lot more birds than usual. During our numerous visits to the site we had probably missed an awful lot! This mans’ incredible skill was down to lots of experience, we were mightily impressed!
The walk seemed to be over in no time at all, as all good things do, but I believe we had been given a good grounding in learning the skills needed to recognise different birdsong. The rest, of course, will come with practice and experience. Once again it had been a pleasure to listen to one of the staff of the Centre talking with passion about the subject that they, obviously, truly love.
We mooched back to the restaurant for something to eat, but the breakfast stuff had been removed. Somewhat disappointed we made do with a cup of coffee and then moved on to cover the site in our usual order. This was to continue a memorable day!
On the way to the ‘Wildside’ hide we both practiced identifying birds by their songs and were both surprised by what we had picked up. In the reed beds outside the hide, the Reed Warblers were giving their best of performances although not showing themselves as they had the day before.
There were a few people in the hide including one or two from the walk. Having seen the Yellow Wagtails in this area from the ‘Peacock Tower’ yesterday, I thought that we might be lucky again today, maybe getting an even better view as we would be that much closer even using binoculars. I soon spotted them in the distance at the far end of the ‘Grazing Marsh’. Leon soon picked them out, as did others in the hide. A few moments later we were joined by a, slightly breathless, Rupert who asked “Has someone here spotted the Yellow Wagtails?” We answered that we had and pointed them out to him. He seemed jolly pleased and told us that there had been reports that one of them was a Blue Headed type, not rare but uncommon, that originated in Central Europe. It turned out that there were two; Rupert thought either females or maybe first summer males. Another of the staff, Wendy, was summoned by telephone to her obvious delight! It was wonderful to hear two people discussing the birds and their characteristics, ideas flying between the two of them, and at the same time keeping everybody in the hide informed! Also seen here were a Swallow, Egyptian Geese and the first Whinchat for this year on the site. A ‘first’ indeed for both Leon and myself. We are both booked to attend an ‘Early Morning’ event (starts 04:00) in early May and were pleased to find that Wendy would be the lady taking the walk.
We made our way back to the Centre via the ‘Headley’ hide where we could still not catch any glimpse of the Kingfishers.
We visited the other hides in turn, as we usually do, noticing that we were having an exceptional day. We saw, not having a sight of them for some time, some birds that we thought not to see until he end of the year. We recorded more different species today than for any of our other visits to the site. Not only that, we had actually time to really observe most of them properly, most seemed very obliging!
Having so much to talk about we decided that we really ought to go to the ‘Red Lion’ for a few ‘relaxers’. I couldn’t have too many as I was off to Fulham for the match later that evening. As we chatted it was a surprise to us just how much information we had picked up during the day! A truly great day for two novices!
BIRDS SEEN: Greenfinch, Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting, Wheatear, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Blackbird, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Redshank, Redstart, Willow Warbler, Goldfinch, Sedge Warbler, Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jay, Dunnock, Wren, Whinchat, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Starling, Greylag Goose, House Martin, Sand Martin, Little Grebe, Heron, Shoveller, Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Blue Headed Yellow Wagtail, Cormorant, Stock Dove, Gadwall, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Kestrel, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Ruddy Duck, Teal, House Sparrow, Egyptian Goose, Song Thrush, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Ring Necked Parakeet, Magpie, Robin
KITE AND GODWIT
What a difference from yesterday! The day was overcast and a very fine, drizzly rain was falling as I waited for the bus. All in all quite miserable, there would not be too many people around today. Perfect! I know people have the right to go to the Wetlands site but the screeching kids of yesterday must have upset the birds as much as they did me!
I went first of all to the ‘Wildside’ hide, stopping to listen to the Reed Warblers who were kicking up the most perfect racket! In fact all of the birds seemed to putting in a little extra effort today! They, and the Reed Buntings, were also more visible. A chap on the bridge just outside the hide had some really good video footage of the comings and goings of the birds.
From the hide itself could be seen a great variety of birds all busy about their daily business. Most of the Canada Geese appear to have sorted out the boundaries of their small territories, although there were a few minor altercations! There were a few people in the hide with telescopes and binoculars. A small group, they kept their voices way down and when asked what they were looking at were very reticent about giving an answer. A first in my experience, most people here are only too willing to help us novices, many going just that little bit further to make our days even more pleasurable.
He ‘Headley’ hide was still, quite rightly, blocked off at one end to give the Kingfishers some privacy. I do look forward to the day when the sheeting comes down, hopefully giving us the chance to see some youngsters! Whilst here, I was treated to the sight of two master fishers at work, a Heron and a Little Grebe. The heron was standing at the waters’ edge neatly picking out small fish, quite a few in just a very short time. The little Grebe, however, had caught a slightly larger fish than the Heron was catching, a quarter of an hour later when I left he was still struggling to swallow it!
As I approached the Centre I noticed several people watching the sky to the west. Lifting my glasses I could see the bird that they were all intent upon. I did not recognise it and asked what it was. One of the chaps said to look at its’ tail. I did and said “Red Kite!” I had been looking in my ‘Collins’, earlier, at just this bird as there had been some discussion about it on a web site that I visit. Another ‘first’ for me.
Foregoing coffee, I next went to the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide. The Avocets were no longer there, a shame as I thought that they were among the most elegant birds I have ever seen. In the large pool at the ‘back’ of the scrape there was a Godwit. Several people reliably informed me it was ‘Black Tailed’ and somebody kindly pointed out the differences for me. My view of the bird was not great so I decided to move to the ‘Peacock Tower’ for a better look.
The view from the tower, as I thought it might be, was brilliant. The Godwit was a rusty colour, nearly fully in its’ summer plumage. I was given a peek through somebody’s’ telescope allowing me to see the bird even more clearly. A ‘first’ followed quickly by another when a Common Sandpiper flew in. I had looked this one up earlier as well because Leon had said that he’d seen one earlier in the week.
From the other side of the tower, some Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears were pointed out. Through the binoculars they were rather indistinct but once again I was allowed to peek through a telescope for a much better view!
I called in to the feeder area on the way out as well as the ‘WWF’ hide. At the feeder there were many finches and Tits in evidence. At the ‘WWF’ hide I saw some Stock Doves, a ’first’ for me as far as I know. They are, by all accounts quite regular visitors here.
After a ‘swift half’ in the ‘Red Lion’ I made my way home.
BIRDS SEEN: Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Red Warbler, Ruddy Duck, Starling, Heron, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Little Grebe, Sand Martin, House Martin, Greylag Goose, Robin, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Ring Necked Parakeet, Cormorant, Shoveller, Redshank, Blackcap, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Little Ringed Plover, Teal, Wigeon, Pied Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, Magpie, Red Kite, Stock Dove, Greenfinch, Blue tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit.
I went first of all to the ‘Wildside’ hide, stopping to listen to the Reed Warblers who were kicking up the most perfect racket! In fact all of the birds seemed to putting in a little extra effort today! They, and the Reed Buntings, were also more visible. A chap on the bridge just outside the hide had some really good video footage of the comings and goings of the birds.
From the hide itself could be seen a great variety of birds all busy about their daily business. Most of the Canada Geese appear to have sorted out the boundaries of their small territories, although there were a few minor altercations! There were a few people in the hide with telescopes and binoculars. A small group, they kept their voices way down and when asked what they were looking at were very reticent about giving an answer. A first in my experience, most people here are only too willing to help us novices, many going just that little bit further to make our days even more pleasurable.
He ‘Headley’ hide was still, quite rightly, blocked off at one end to give the Kingfishers some privacy. I do look forward to the day when the sheeting comes down, hopefully giving us the chance to see some youngsters! Whilst here, I was treated to the sight of two master fishers at work, a Heron and a Little Grebe. The heron was standing at the waters’ edge neatly picking out small fish, quite a few in just a very short time. The little Grebe, however, had caught a slightly larger fish than the Heron was catching, a quarter of an hour later when I left he was still struggling to swallow it!
As I approached the Centre I noticed several people watching the sky to the west. Lifting my glasses I could see the bird that they were all intent upon. I did not recognise it and asked what it was. One of the chaps said to look at its’ tail. I did and said “Red Kite!” I had been looking in my ‘Collins’, earlier, at just this bird as there had been some discussion about it on a web site that I visit. Another ‘first’ for me.
Foregoing coffee, I next went to the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide. The Avocets were no longer there, a shame as I thought that they were among the most elegant birds I have ever seen. In the large pool at the ‘back’ of the scrape there was a Godwit. Several people reliably informed me it was ‘Black Tailed’ and somebody kindly pointed out the differences for me. My view of the bird was not great so I decided to move to the ‘Peacock Tower’ for a better look.
The view from the tower, as I thought it might be, was brilliant. The Godwit was a rusty colour, nearly fully in its’ summer plumage. I was given a peek through somebody’s’ telescope allowing me to see the bird even more clearly. A ‘first’ followed quickly by another when a Common Sandpiper flew in. I had looked this one up earlier as well because Leon had said that he’d seen one earlier in the week.
From the other side of the tower, some Yellow Wagtails and Wheatears were pointed out. Through the binoculars they were rather indistinct but once again I was allowed to peek through a telescope for a much better view!
I called in to the feeder area on the way out as well as the ‘WWF’ hide. At the feeder there were many finches and Tits in evidence. At the ‘WWF’ hide I saw some Stock Doves, a ’first’ for me as far as I know. They are, by all accounts quite regular visitors here.
After a ‘swift half’ in the ‘Red Lion’ I made my way home.
BIRDS SEEN: Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Red Warbler, Ruddy Duck, Starling, Heron, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Sparrowhawk, Lapwing, Wood Pigeon, Little Grebe, Sand Martin, House Martin, Greylag Goose, Robin, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Ring Necked Parakeet, Cormorant, Shoveller, Redshank, Blackcap, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear, Little Ringed Plover, Teal, Wigeon, Pied Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, Magpie, Red Kite, Stock Dove, Greenfinch, Blue tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
SPRING HAS SPRUNG (22/04/06)
An unexpected visit to the WWT today. No plans had been made but it was such a glorious day that Sue and I could not resist being out in the open.
We arrived at the Centre at one o’clock and made straight for the ‘Wildside’ hide as is our usual custom. The site was crawling with kids all intent on being louder than the next although the hide was, mercifully, devoid of the ‘screachers’. Most of the ducks and waterfowl were actually asleep, many in small flocks, dotted around the ‘Reservoir Lagoon’. I believe that we had missed the morning feeding session and that we had turned up in time for the ‘siesta’. One bird, however, was still intent on catching food. There was a Great Crested Grebe swimming underwater and rummaging through the reed roots after small fish. As the water was so clear we could watch all the action, the Grebe being rewarded several time for his hard work. Sue was able to get some lovely photos, as the action was taking place no more than about fifteen feet away! On the other side of the hide he reed beds were full of action too! The beds were teeming with Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings. Most of the children had vanished and the little birds were singing their hearts out with no competition! All around us, in the reed beds, we could see signs of nesting birds.
We headed back to the ‘Headley’ hide hoping to get a sight of the Kingfishers, but the entire end of the, now open, hide had been blocked off by the staff. Again, most of the birds in this area seemed to be having a doze, although we did watch a Heron for a short while catching some small fish. Outside of the hide I caught my first sight of a Marsh Frog, it was not for long as he hopped into the water and vanished from sight as son as he was aware of my presence. We made our way back to the Centre by way of the area where Leon and I had previously seen and filmed the vole. We saw nothing, as expected, as there were still lots of people about.
After coffee at the restaurant, we made our way to the ‘Dulverton’ and ‘WWF’ hides where once again everything as pretty quiet, although it did seem that the birds were a little more active.
At the feeding station and walking round the ‘Sheltered Lagoon’ there were not many birds on show although the amount of birdsong seemed to be increasing as time passed.
Our arrival at the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide marked a complete change in fortune for the rest of the afternoon. There was quite an abundance of different species of birds about. We saw two Avocets, something I had not seen for many years. Sue got some lovely shots of swans having a good clean up.
We moved on to the ‘Peacock tower’ where we got some even better views of the Avocets and other waders, the numbers of which seemed to be increasing rapidly. Sue didn’t stay long at the tower. She had been looking for ‘shots’ as we had been walking around the site and, now that I was going to get settled for a while, she went off to visit the places that she had earmarked earlier in the day.
Shortly after Sue had left, a fox came out of the reeds on the ‘Wildside’ edge of the site and proceeded to walk around the whole of the ‘Grazing Marsh’ area and beyond. It appeared to have a bit of a limp but this did not stop it from breaking into a lope every now and again. It had a good nose around, scent-marking as it went along, until something spooked it after crossing the weir. It retraced its’ steps and vanished into the reeds. I spent about an hour at the tower and then moved off to revisit the ‘WWF’ hide on the off-chance that things may have picked up there as well.
At ‘WWF’ I was pleased to note that there was a lot more activity. I had my first sighting of Stock Doves; they were having a dust bath on one of the small islands close to the hide. There was also a pair of Redshanks here, both very busy with their ablutions. As I was watching, I heard a strange noise from directly in front of the hide. It was the fox again! The windows of the hide were open yet he could not have heard me as he passed within about six feet of me!
Leaving the hide, I went back to the feeder area where, once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of birds that were now on show. There were many Tits and Finches as well as a large number of Reed Buntings.
Making my way back, I met Sue at the ‘Fritillary Meadow’ which was looking absolutely stunning. The effect of mass planting / seeding really brings home the beauty of the plants. The same could be said of the Cowslips that adorned the bank along the Thames side of the site, I don’t know when the last time was that I saw such profusion.
Reaching the Centre we were both surprised at how the time had passed by. Sue had wanted to take up an annual membership, but it was gone six o’clock and the Centre was supposed to shut at six. To my knowledge there were still quite few people still on site, somebody must have been sent to round them up!
Sue forced me to go to the ‘Red Lion’ for a couple of beers. We had lots of things talk about, one of which was the evidence of predation on eggs. I was quite shocked that nearly everywhere one looked there were either eggs or their shells. I had thought that, maybe, seagulls would have been the main culprits but I only ever saw Crows eating the eggs.
The centre gets more beautiful every day now, Spring really is taking hold. That, and the lovely weather made today really special. I shall be back tomorrow, when rain is forecast, hopefully it will be busier bird wise and quieter human wise!
BIRDS SEEN: Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Heron, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Ruddy Duck, Little Grebe, Carrion Crow, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Greylag Goose, Wood Pigeon, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Cole Tit, Great Tit, Ring Necked Parakeet, Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Jay, Magpie, Redshank, Shoveller, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Green Woodpecker, Cormorant, Starling, Robin, Stock Dove, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull.
We arrived at the Centre at one o’clock and made straight for the ‘Wildside’ hide as is our usual custom. The site was crawling with kids all intent on being louder than the next although the hide was, mercifully, devoid of the ‘screachers’. Most of the ducks and waterfowl were actually asleep, many in small flocks, dotted around the ‘Reservoir Lagoon’. I believe that we had missed the morning feeding session and that we had turned up in time for the ‘siesta’. One bird, however, was still intent on catching food. There was a Great Crested Grebe swimming underwater and rummaging through the reed roots after small fish. As the water was so clear we could watch all the action, the Grebe being rewarded several time for his hard work. Sue was able to get some lovely photos, as the action was taking place no more than about fifteen feet away! On the other side of the hide he reed beds were full of action too! The beds were teeming with Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings. Most of the children had vanished and the little birds were singing their hearts out with no competition! All around us, in the reed beds, we could see signs of nesting birds.
We headed back to the ‘Headley’ hide hoping to get a sight of the Kingfishers, but the entire end of the, now open, hide had been blocked off by the staff. Again, most of the birds in this area seemed to be having a doze, although we did watch a Heron for a short while catching some small fish. Outside of the hide I caught my first sight of a Marsh Frog, it was not for long as he hopped into the water and vanished from sight as son as he was aware of my presence. We made our way back to the Centre by way of the area where Leon and I had previously seen and filmed the vole. We saw nothing, as expected, as there were still lots of people about.
After coffee at the restaurant, we made our way to the ‘Dulverton’ and ‘WWF’ hides where once again everything as pretty quiet, although it did seem that the birds were a little more active.
At the feeding station and walking round the ‘Sheltered Lagoon’ there were not many birds on show although the amount of birdsong seemed to be increasing as time passed.
Our arrival at the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide marked a complete change in fortune for the rest of the afternoon. There was quite an abundance of different species of birds about. We saw two Avocets, something I had not seen for many years. Sue got some lovely shots of swans having a good clean up.
We moved on to the ‘Peacock tower’ where we got some even better views of the Avocets and other waders, the numbers of which seemed to be increasing rapidly. Sue didn’t stay long at the tower. She had been looking for ‘shots’ as we had been walking around the site and, now that I was going to get settled for a while, she went off to visit the places that she had earmarked earlier in the day.
Shortly after Sue had left, a fox came out of the reeds on the ‘Wildside’ edge of the site and proceeded to walk around the whole of the ‘Grazing Marsh’ area and beyond. It appeared to have a bit of a limp but this did not stop it from breaking into a lope every now and again. It had a good nose around, scent-marking as it went along, until something spooked it after crossing the weir. It retraced its’ steps and vanished into the reeds. I spent about an hour at the tower and then moved off to revisit the ‘WWF’ hide on the off-chance that things may have picked up there as well.
At ‘WWF’ I was pleased to note that there was a lot more activity. I had my first sighting of Stock Doves; they were having a dust bath on one of the small islands close to the hide. There was also a pair of Redshanks here, both very busy with their ablutions. As I was watching, I heard a strange noise from directly in front of the hide. It was the fox again! The windows of the hide were open yet he could not have heard me as he passed within about six feet of me!
Leaving the hide, I went back to the feeder area where, once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of birds that were now on show. There were many Tits and Finches as well as a large number of Reed Buntings.
Making my way back, I met Sue at the ‘Fritillary Meadow’ which was looking absolutely stunning. The effect of mass planting / seeding really brings home the beauty of the plants. The same could be said of the Cowslips that adorned the bank along the Thames side of the site, I don’t know when the last time was that I saw such profusion.
Reaching the Centre we were both surprised at how the time had passed by. Sue had wanted to take up an annual membership, but it was gone six o’clock and the Centre was supposed to shut at six. To my knowledge there were still quite few people still on site, somebody must have been sent to round them up!
Sue forced me to go to the ‘Red Lion’ for a couple of beers. We had lots of things talk about, one of which was the evidence of predation on eggs. I was quite shocked that nearly everywhere one looked there were either eggs or their shells. I had thought that, maybe, seagulls would have been the main culprits but I only ever saw Crows eating the eggs.
The centre gets more beautiful every day now, Spring really is taking hold. That, and the lovely weather made today really special. I shall be back tomorrow, when rain is forecast, hopefully it will be busier bird wise and quieter human wise!
BIRDS SEEN: Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Heron, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Goose, Ruddy Duck, Little Grebe, Carrion Crow, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Greylag Goose, Wood Pigeon, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Cole Tit, Great Tit, Ring Necked Parakeet, Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, Jay, Magpie, Redshank, Shoveller, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Green Woodpecker, Cormorant, Starling, Robin, Stock Dove, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
VIDEOING A VERITABLY VORACIOUS VOLE
Once more one of our ‘Wetlands’ days started beautifully. The sky was almost clear with only a few light patches of cloud. It was very warm as well and almost made me think that I should not have bothered with my heavy coat. We had decided to start just a little later today but the bus arrived early and we arrived only a few minutes later than usual! Leons’ cousin, John, was going to join us at the Centre a little later.
Leon as keen to get to the ‘Headley’ hide, in case it was now open, to see the Kingfishers. Unfortunately it was still closed and, although a little disappointed, we both knew that it was for the best. We continued on to the ‘Wildside’ hide, amazed at the amount of birdsong all around us. We really must ‘bone-up’ on our birdsong and are both looking forward to the ‘Identifying Birds by their Song’ workshop in a couple of weeks time.
From the ‘Wildside’ hide we could see that many birds, waterfowl and ducks alike, were making or had made nests already. There was even a small family of Coots with two chicks, little balls of black fluff with red and yellow ‘punk’ hairdos! There seemed to be very few ducks about, the large flocks of Teal and Wigeon had only a few representatives in evidence. No Pochard or Gadwall to be seen anywhere.
Making our way back towards the Centre we decided to go back past the ‘Headly’ hide and through the ‘South West Asia Reedswamp’ area in order to cover more ground. We had seen a vole here some time ago but were not prepared for what we were about to see today. As we walked quietly along, Leon pointed out a little creature, sat at the edge of the reedbed, eating grass. The vole was only about five feet away from us and continued to eat as if we were not there. He did scuttle back into the reeds if we made sudden movements but was soon out again if we stood still. Leon was able to take many pictures and some video footage. John turned up whilst we were watching the vole, after cautioning him to approach slowly and quietly he was able to get a really close view as well. Eventually the vole got tired of our company and toddled off into the reeds.
Passing back through the Centre we decided not to stop for breakfast but to continue straight on to the ’Waterlife’ area. We did not stay long at the ‘Dulverton’ hide as there did not seem to be much on view, in fact most people who came in stayed for only a few minutes. At the junction of the path leading from the ‘Dulverton’ hide, where it meets the main path through ‘Waterlife’, John spotted a small lizard sunning itself on the path. Needless to say, as soon as it realised that we were there it sped off into the grass. I tried to catch it but gave up for fear of injuring the poor thing. We moved on to the feeder station near the ‘Lagoon’. A disappointing visit here as there were no birds to be seen, apart from a Robin who was singing his heart out. We continued our walk around the ‘Lagoon’ spotting a few Tits here and there and watching the sparse numbers of duck on the water itself. Here, too, we heard plenty of birdsong and were again reminded of the forthcoming workshop day where we hoped that we might pick up some tips on bird recognition through their song. We also heard some bursts of Woodpecker ‘drumming’ although we did not see the bird responsible.
Arriving at the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide we were pleasantly surprised to see quite few birds going about their daily business. This was without doubt the busiest area we had thus far visited. A Kestrel gave a fantastic display of hovering above the ‘Peacock Tower’ and several other locations as it moved westwards across the site. Amongst other birds we were treated to were some great views of Common Snipe moving about and feeding.
As John and Leon were going on to an Easter family lunch, they were keen to move on to the ‘Peacock Tower’ itself. From the tower we were able, once again, to get some more great views of the birds in the ‘Wader Scrape’. Looking around the site we could still not see many ducks about although the odd bird or two represented most species that we have grown accustomed to. After a short while John and Leon made their goodbyes and went off to lunch. They had not been gone more than a few minutes when a Sparrowhawk shot past the tower in pursuit of some small bird. Most people got, at least, a quick look at this raptor in full flight. Even better, a few minutes later, a shout of ‘Peregrine!’ went up and most of us on the North side of the tower saw the bird, although somewhat fleetingly, as it sped Westwards. There was utter pandemonium in the tower as people were rushing around trying to see the bird. Having missed its’ quarry the bird had gone. Three raptors in less than half an hour, I was very happy!
I hung about for about another half an hour, just looking at this and that, then decided to make my way home. I had been watching the Kingfisher Bank but had seen no toings and froings.
I decided to go to the feeder station on the way back to the Centre ‘just in case’. I am glad that I did because there were many birds in attendance. I was especially pleased to see a Chiffchaff again, my second sighting. There were lots of Finches and Tits as well as the now common Ring Necked Parakeets, hogging one of the feeders.
I didn’t fancy a beer so made my way straight home for dinner. Roast duck!
BIRDS SEEN: Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Mallard, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Tufted Duck, Ruddy Duck, Greylag Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Lapwing, Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cole Tit, Robin, Kestrel, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Snipe, Sand Martin, Magpie, Swallow, Blackbird, House Martin, Wood Pigeon, Mute Swan, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Shoveller, Peregrine, Chiffchaff.
Leon as keen to get to the ‘Headley’ hide, in case it was now open, to see the Kingfishers. Unfortunately it was still closed and, although a little disappointed, we both knew that it was for the best. We continued on to the ‘Wildside’ hide, amazed at the amount of birdsong all around us. We really must ‘bone-up’ on our birdsong and are both looking forward to the ‘Identifying Birds by their Song’ workshop in a couple of weeks time.
From the ‘Wildside’ hide we could see that many birds, waterfowl and ducks alike, were making or had made nests already. There was even a small family of Coots with two chicks, little balls of black fluff with red and yellow ‘punk’ hairdos! There seemed to be very few ducks about, the large flocks of Teal and Wigeon had only a few representatives in evidence. No Pochard or Gadwall to be seen anywhere.
Making our way back towards the Centre we decided to go back past the ‘Headly’ hide and through the ‘South West Asia Reedswamp’ area in order to cover more ground. We had seen a vole here some time ago but were not prepared for what we were about to see today. As we walked quietly along, Leon pointed out a little creature, sat at the edge of the reedbed, eating grass. The vole was only about five feet away from us and continued to eat as if we were not there. He did scuttle back into the reeds if we made sudden movements but was soon out again if we stood still. Leon was able to take many pictures and some video footage. John turned up whilst we were watching the vole, after cautioning him to approach slowly and quietly he was able to get a really close view as well. Eventually the vole got tired of our company and toddled off into the reeds.
Passing back through the Centre we decided not to stop for breakfast but to continue straight on to the ’Waterlife’ area. We did not stay long at the ‘Dulverton’ hide as there did not seem to be much on view, in fact most people who came in stayed for only a few minutes. At the junction of the path leading from the ‘Dulverton’ hide, where it meets the main path through ‘Waterlife’, John spotted a small lizard sunning itself on the path. Needless to say, as soon as it realised that we were there it sped off into the grass. I tried to catch it but gave up for fear of injuring the poor thing. We moved on to the feeder station near the ‘Lagoon’. A disappointing visit here as there were no birds to be seen, apart from a Robin who was singing his heart out. We continued our walk around the ‘Lagoon’ spotting a few Tits here and there and watching the sparse numbers of duck on the water itself. Here, too, we heard plenty of birdsong and were again reminded of the forthcoming workshop day where we hoped that we might pick up some tips on bird recognition through their song. We also heard some bursts of Woodpecker ‘drumming’ although we did not see the bird responsible.
Arriving at the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide we were pleasantly surprised to see quite few birds going about their daily business. This was without doubt the busiest area we had thus far visited. A Kestrel gave a fantastic display of hovering above the ‘Peacock Tower’ and several other locations as it moved westwards across the site. Amongst other birds we were treated to were some great views of Common Snipe moving about and feeding.
As John and Leon were going on to an Easter family lunch, they were keen to move on to the ‘Peacock Tower’ itself. From the tower we were able, once again, to get some more great views of the birds in the ‘Wader Scrape’. Looking around the site we could still not see many ducks about although the odd bird or two represented most species that we have grown accustomed to. After a short while John and Leon made their goodbyes and went off to lunch. They had not been gone more than a few minutes when a Sparrowhawk shot past the tower in pursuit of some small bird. Most people got, at least, a quick look at this raptor in full flight. Even better, a few minutes later, a shout of ‘Peregrine!’ went up and most of us on the North side of the tower saw the bird, although somewhat fleetingly, as it sped Westwards. There was utter pandemonium in the tower as people were rushing around trying to see the bird. Having missed its’ quarry the bird had gone. Three raptors in less than half an hour, I was very happy!
I hung about for about another half an hour, just looking at this and that, then decided to make my way home. I had been watching the Kingfisher Bank but had seen no toings and froings.
I decided to go to the feeder station on the way back to the Centre ‘just in case’. I am glad that I did because there were many birds in attendance. I was especially pleased to see a Chiffchaff again, my second sighting. There were lots of Finches and Tits as well as the now common Ring Necked Parakeets, hogging one of the feeders.
I didn’t fancy a beer so made my way straight home for dinner. Roast duck!
BIRDS SEEN: Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Mallard, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Tufted Duck, Ruddy Duck, Greylag Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Lapwing, Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cole Tit, Robin, Kestrel, Little Ringed Plover, Redshank, Common Snipe, Sand Martin, Magpie, Swallow, Blackbird, House Martin, Wood Pigeon, Mute Swan, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Shoveller, Peregrine, Chiffchaff.
Monday, April 03, 2006
AN ACCOMODATING WATER RAIL
A beautiful start to the day, there was virtually no wind and the sun was shining brightly. It would be like this for most of the day although there would be some very heavy showers later on. I was to be on my own today, Leon was off to France tomorrow and Sue was busy with other things. Waiting at the bus stop I was surprised by the amount of birdsong, perhaps I was becoming more attuned to it. I noticed too that the buds were breaking on the trees and shrubs all around me.
I didn’t arrive at the Centre until just gone 11 o’clock and so was not surprised to see that it was quite busy. It was National Heron Day and there were large parties of youngsters everywhere.
As usual, there didn’t seem to be much going on at the ‘Wildside’ hide but I have come to know that even on this, comparatively, small site anything can be happening only a few minutes walk away! I stayed for about half an hour and moved on.
I made my way back to the ‘Hedley’ hide and saw a small notice on the door. The hide was closed. The good news was that it was closed because Kingfishers had decided to start building a nest in the ‘Kingfisher Bank’ constructed just for this purpose. I believe that this is the first time that it has been used and therefore understandable that the hide be closed.
Walking back towards the Centre, I noticed that, apart from the very noisy Canada Geese, there was very little birdsong. There didn’t seem to be very much in the way of small birds about either.
I didn’t stop for breakfast as I had had mine much earlier. There were plenty of people sat both inside and out enjoying theirs, those outside enjoying the lovely sunshine as well! There were a couple of vans parked at the Centre belonging to a film company; by all accounts they were filming a documentary about the possibility of droughts in the South East.
Walking from the Centre towards ‘The Lagoon’ the whole day was about to change for the better. The wind suddenly picked up and was soon quite gusty and strong. Quite a few smaller birds were now busy amongst the Birches and Willows. There was quite a sizeable group of Reed Buntings with many other types coming and going. It stared to rain so I popped into the ‘WWF’ hide, getting there as the sky turned very dark and the rain got very heavy. From here I could see lots of different waterfowl and gulls and spent about half an hour watching them going about their daily business. Even the heavy rain could not stop the Canada Geese from squabbling and trumpeting! The sun came out almost as suddenly as it had disappeared and the water seemed to turn blue, reflecting the, now clear, sky. I decided to move to the ‘Feeder Station’ where I saw my first Chiffchaff. This was kindly pointed out by a small group of people who were armed with enormous telescopes and cameras. They were waiting to photograph the Kingfisher so I was able to repay their kindness by suggesting that they go to the ‘Peacock Tower’. With the equipment they had they should easily be able to see an action.
I walked the long way round ‘The Lagoon’ spotting a Green Woodpecker in the same tree that we saw the Great Spotted Woodpecker last week. He was quite motionless and I moved on after a few minutes. As I moved along there were plenty of Tits and Finches to see in the undergrowth to both sides.At the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide there were a large group of people already seated inside. A young lady who was on her first birdwatching trip was asking lots of questions and getting lots of information and tips from a much older gentleman who I have often seen at the Centre and who is always ready to help novices such as myself. He was pointing out a Little Ringed Plover …”next to the Redshank”… he said. They were indeed within eighteen inches of each other, the Redshank another first for me! The young lady was obviously highly delighted and asked …” and what is that bird just there on the mud?” It was a Water Rail. It proceeded to promenade to and fro, about ten feet away at its closest, for the best part of an hour! The Sandmartins were back and they were busy flying back and forth with beakfulls of nest making material.
I moved on to the ‘Peacock Tower’ and looking back to the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide I could still see the Water Rail out in plain view. I made sure that everybody was aware that it was there in case some had not seen it. The Wader Scrape, which was as empty of water as I had ever seen it, held several Little Ringed Plovers and also a few Redshanks, one of which only had one leg but seemed quite content. Rumours were circulating that several people had seen a Bearded Tit, although none in the hide had. I spent about two hours in the hide during which time we had another downpour. The sky was even blacker this time and the rain much heavier. Birds over fifty yards away were lost to sight. Yet still, the Canada Geese kept up their racket.
The sun came out again shortly afterwards and I decided to make my way out of the Centre. Upon leaving the ‘Tower’ I came across a chap and a lady who were filming some birds in the willow ‘hedge’. Not wanting to disturb them I stood still and watched the birds through my binoculars. When they had finished, after a few minutes, I asked what they were. “Willow Warblers!” he said “A tad early but Willow Warblers!” I had thought that they were Chiffchaffs (again!) but checking my ‘Collins’ I think that I agree with him.
Walking back to the Centre I took time to reflect on everything that I had seen. This place never seems to be the same from one day to the next. You just never know what you might see!
I noticed again that the buds were bursting on the trees and all about me there were flowers that I had not noticed before. I will take more time over them next week and shall bring a book to help me identify them.
On the way to the ‘Red Lion’ (I needed more reflection), I noticed a strange bird call. It sounded like an old clockwork train running down! I quickly got my binoculars out and found the location of the bird. It was sparrow sized, very, very dark grey with even darker (black?) wings and head. I haven’t been able to find it in my ‘Collins’ but will keep looking or ask at the Centre next week. A big Chaffinch chased the bird off.
BIRDS SEEN: Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Wood Pigeon, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Shoveller, Little Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Carrion Crow, Starling, Blue Tit, Heron, Lapwing, Blackbird, Cormorant, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Reed Bunting, Robin, Chaffinch, Reed Warbler, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Water Rail, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Kingfisher, Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, Shellduck, Willow Warbler, Ring-Necked Parakeet.
I didn’t arrive at the Centre until just gone 11 o’clock and so was not surprised to see that it was quite busy. It was National Heron Day and there were large parties of youngsters everywhere.
As usual, there didn’t seem to be much going on at the ‘Wildside’ hide but I have come to know that even on this, comparatively, small site anything can be happening only a few minutes walk away! I stayed for about half an hour and moved on.
I made my way back to the ‘Hedley’ hide and saw a small notice on the door. The hide was closed. The good news was that it was closed because Kingfishers had decided to start building a nest in the ‘Kingfisher Bank’ constructed just for this purpose. I believe that this is the first time that it has been used and therefore understandable that the hide be closed.
Walking back towards the Centre, I noticed that, apart from the very noisy Canada Geese, there was very little birdsong. There didn’t seem to be very much in the way of small birds about either.
I didn’t stop for breakfast as I had had mine much earlier. There were plenty of people sat both inside and out enjoying theirs, those outside enjoying the lovely sunshine as well! There were a couple of vans parked at the Centre belonging to a film company; by all accounts they were filming a documentary about the possibility of droughts in the South East.
Walking from the Centre towards ‘The Lagoon’ the whole day was about to change for the better. The wind suddenly picked up and was soon quite gusty and strong. Quite a few smaller birds were now busy amongst the Birches and Willows. There was quite a sizeable group of Reed Buntings with many other types coming and going. It stared to rain so I popped into the ‘WWF’ hide, getting there as the sky turned very dark and the rain got very heavy. From here I could see lots of different waterfowl and gulls and spent about half an hour watching them going about their daily business. Even the heavy rain could not stop the Canada Geese from squabbling and trumpeting! The sun came out almost as suddenly as it had disappeared and the water seemed to turn blue, reflecting the, now clear, sky. I decided to move to the ‘Feeder Station’ where I saw my first Chiffchaff. This was kindly pointed out by a small group of people who were armed with enormous telescopes and cameras. They were waiting to photograph the Kingfisher so I was able to repay their kindness by suggesting that they go to the ‘Peacock Tower’. With the equipment they had they should easily be able to see an action.
I walked the long way round ‘The Lagoon’ spotting a Green Woodpecker in the same tree that we saw the Great Spotted Woodpecker last week. He was quite motionless and I moved on after a few minutes. As I moved along there were plenty of Tits and Finches to see in the undergrowth to both sides.At the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide there were a large group of people already seated inside. A young lady who was on her first birdwatching trip was asking lots of questions and getting lots of information and tips from a much older gentleman who I have often seen at the Centre and who is always ready to help novices such as myself. He was pointing out a Little Ringed Plover …”next to the Redshank”… he said. They were indeed within eighteen inches of each other, the Redshank another first for me! The young lady was obviously highly delighted and asked …” and what is that bird just there on the mud?” It was a Water Rail. It proceeded to promenade to and fro, about ten feet away at its closest, for the best part of an hour! The Sandmartins were back and they were busy flying back and forth with beakfulls of nest making material.
I moved on to the ‘Peacock Tower’ and looking back to the ‘Wader Scrape’ hide I could still see the Water Rail out in plain view. I made sure that everybody was aware that it was there in case some had not seen it. The Wader Scrape, which was as empty of water as I had ever seen it, held several Little Ringed Plovers and also a few Redshanks, one of which only had one leg but seemed quite content. Rumours were circulating that several people had seen a Bearded Tit, although none in the hide had. I spent about two hours in the hide during which time we had another downpour. The sky was even blacker this time and the rain much heavier. Birds over fifty yards away were lost to sight. Yet still, the Canada Geese kept up their racket.
The sun came out again shortly afterwards and I decided to make my way out of the Centre. Upon leaving the ‘Tower’ I came across a chap and a lady who were filming some birds in the willow ‘hedge’. Not wanting to disturb them I stood still and watched the birds through my binoculars. When they had finished, after a few minutes, I asked what they were. “Willow Warblers!” he said “A tad early but Willow Warblers!” I had thought that they were Chiffchaffs (again!) but checking my ‘Collins’ I think that I agree with him.
Walking back to the Centre I took time to reflect on everything that I had seen. This place never seems to be the same from one day to the next. You just never know what you might see!
I noticed again that the buds were bursting on the trees and all about me there were flowers that I had not noticed before. I will take more time over them next week and shall bring a book to help me identify them.
On the way to the ‘Red Lion’ (I needed more reflection), I noticed a strange bird call. It sounded like an old clockwork train running down! I quickly got my binoculars out and found the location of the bird. It was sparrow sized, very, very dark grey with even darker (black?) wings and head. I haven’t been able to find it in my ‘Collins’ but will keep looking or ask at the Centre next week. A big Chaffinch chased the bird off.
BIRDS SEEN: Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Wood Pigeon, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Shoveller, Little Grebe, Ruddy Duck, Carrion Crow, Starling, Blue Tit, Heron, Lapwing, Blackbird, Cormorant, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Reed Bunting, Robin, Chaffinch, Reed Warbler, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, Water Rail, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Kingfisher, Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, Shellduck, Willow Warbler, Ring-Necked Parakeet.
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