Sunday, January 31, 2010
Burnham Beeches Firecrest
After two hours of walking in a fruitless quest for lesser-spots and in fading light, I spotted a whirling dervish in a holly tree and got the bins onto my first BB firecrest.
A goldcrest put it to flight, but it didn't go far. Great compensation for the woodpecker and well worth the long, cold walk!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
An enjoyable walk in Egypt Woods on a dullish morning brought a male lesser spotted woodpecker.
Like the female on 1st January he crossed the path in front of me; but unlike her, he was extremely wary and soon flew off into the trees. He foraged in usual woodpecker fashion, clinging to near-vertical branches - but this photo has caught him when he was briefly perching on a horizontal one.
At least two wrens were present, as were several goldcrests. There were half a dozen redpolls, at least three nuthatches, and a bright and beautiful treecreeper. Just as the light improved and a watery sun came out, it was time to go home.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dorney Wetlands
The boardwalk was flooded.....
.....and a water rail was feeding in the open on the waterlogged grass.
In rapidly fading light I saw two more water rails further downstream, a snipe huddled under a bush, a male stonechat in the reeds, and a song thrush foraging near the path.Sunday 17th January
We walked on this sunny day from Bury Down. Not all skylarks moved south evidently; and at least one corn bunting was singing.
Good numbers of woodland birds were seen, including bullfinches and marsh tits. But the best bird came just before dusk - a ringtail hen harrier powering up the slope close to the ground, skimming the Ridgeway and disappearing into the dark and wintry scrub.Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Snodland, Kent
Greger spotted these five red-legged partridges yesterday during a work visit to a construction site near Maidstone.
Taplow
This female blackcap flew down onto the patio for some grated cheese. A male blackcap is also still around - as is the grey wagtail.
Down the grounds I couldn't locate the firecrest but a goldcrest was singing half-heartedly in the falling snow. Wrens also seem to be surviving.Monday, January 11, 2010
Taplow
A grey wagtail flew into the garden this morning and has stayed here more or less all day. When not feeding, it stands close to the house wall on the patio as if to make the most of any warmth that escapes - and quite a lot of warmth escapes from our house!
A song thrush has also visited the garden but is usually chased away by a female blackbird. Down the grounds, a firecrest was still present foraging in a holm oak.Thursday, January 07, 2010
Taplow
A very cold walk down the bottom (the garden thermometer showed -4°C) produced a firecrest.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Egypt Woods (Burnham Beeches) - Lesser spotted woodpecker
After a longish walk in gorgeous sunshine, I was watching some long-tailed tits when a lesser spotted woodpecker flew across the path in front of me and swooped into a nearby tree.
She foraged in the same area for some time, conveniently low; and I was able to get my first halfway decent photos. Needless to say she made my day.
Elsewhere in the woods, twenty or so siskins and two redpolls were present. A green woodpecker undulated through the trees and a great spotted woodpecker - making off with a larch cone - looked so bright he might have been freshly painted. A goldcrest was seen and a marsh tit called.
Dorney Wetlands
Late afternoon, and the Dorney Common corner held two water rails, two stonechats, numerous pied wagtails, several grey wagtails, three meadow pipits, two chiffchaffs and two reed buntings - as well as robins, wrens, dunnocks and moorhens. On the islands, at least 130 golden plovers were settling down for the night.
