Saturday, November 26, 2011
We returned to Lowbury Hill on our walk today, but there was no sign of the short-eared owls. The picture below shows a patch of delicate, violet-veined flowers and was taken on the 5th November.
Today most of them had gone to seed but there were still a few faded blooms hanging on. I've identified them as Pale Toadflax; and in all the literature I can find about them, their season is given as June-September.A little band of piglets, able to run under the electric wire that keeps their mothers in, had gone exploring through the hedge and onto the track ahead of us. Nice to think they have a few adventures before they're made into bacon!
The best birds were about thirty golden plovers, in among a larger flock of lapwings.
The best birds were about thirty golden plovers, in among a larger flock of lapwings.Last week, Greger's brother reported that the number of whooper swans on his fields had grown to 100; while three cranes flew over.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Titchwell recalled
Still thinking of Wednesday - a great day out. This photo of pintail ducks is a reminder that I should snap females more often as I'm not always sure of their identity when the more distinctive males are not around.
It was nice seeing this single spotted redshank on the way out to the beach.
But seeing six together on the way back was a delight. I'm always surprised (probably because of close scrutiny of single birds through the scope) at how small most waders really are; a point emphasised on this occasion by their close proximity to teal (hardly the giants of the duck world).
I've decided that my redpoll was a common (or mealy - I wish they'd make up their minds for once and for all about its name) redpoll. As I don't actually keep a life list, I've nowhere to tick it; and in any case no ticking of a list can compare with the excitement of glimpsing the bird and knowing it was something different. Wish I could go back and see it again!Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Titchwell Marsh
We have a new job which doesn't start until next week, so Greger suggested a trip today. It's some time since we drove to the Norfolk coast and we hadn't yet seen the new hide; so off we went to the RSPB's reserve at Titchwell.
Ruff, lapwings and golden plover were on the islands. Pintail are always nice to see, and for once they were fairly close to the bank.
A spotted redshank was feeding in slightly deeper water than the redshank, exactly as it says in the book.
As we walked along the bank, Greger pointed out half a dozen birds flying up from the saltmarsh. I thought they might be twite or linnets. When they settled again in the seablite I could see that one was a lesser redpoll. Then I saw a larger, greyer bird behind it and frantically took a couple of shots before they flew off again. I think it could be a common (mealy) redpoll.
The beach was windy and wonderful, with knot, sanderlings, grey plovers, turnstones and oystercatchers. A string of mergansers was on the sea and a gannet far out was flying steadily eastwards.
Back on the lagoons, this bar-tailed godwit was feeding conveniently close to a black-tailed for comparison.
The new hide is impressive; Greger particularly enjoyed winding the window open and shut.
But all too soon the light was draining from the marshes, while the lovely liquid music of hundreds of golden plovers drifted across the water from the islands where they were roosting. A snipe dropped into a tussock of weeds and grass and foraged there, quite visible through the scope.
As we walked back to the car park two marsh harriers were up hunting and a large flock of geese came straggling and calling high across the reserve, adding a magic of their own to the end of the day.
Monday, November 21, 2011
I was walking back along the Jubilee River this evening when I caught sight of something black slide into a shallow gully. Then this little face peered at me through the grass. I suppose it was the black tip of a stoat's tail that caught my eye, and I think the animal was also rather large for a weasel. Anyway, it made a change from a mink.
The little egret was a vision of pure white loveliness (you'll have to take my word for that!) but what was really pleasing was the sight of a stonechat just behind it, perching briefly on the post and flying down to the island to forage. I'm pretty sure there were still two, although it was difficult to tell with just bins and in fading light.
Two Cetti's warblers were heard in song, and a kingfisher flew upstream. Saturday, November 19, 2011
On the downs, a short-eared owl loomed out of the murk mobbed by a kestrel and a second raptor (probably another kestrel). It seems as though the owl has a prey item in its talons, although what looks like a long tail would rule out field vole (unless it's a snake).
A bright male stonechat (our first on the downs for a long time) flew past and perched on a fence-post behind us, and a corn bunting was singing.Tuesday, November 15, 2011
A golden afternoon.....
......was very welcome after the gloom of yesterday. These teal did not, for once, take fright when I peered out of the "hide" window; the blur on the closer one's flank is his foot as he preens and scratches.
Two Cetti's warblers were muttering away in separate locations, and a kingfisher was zooming about on the Roundmoor Ditch. A crow was dining off what looked like a dead Canada goose just above the weir; and an unseen green sandpiper called.Best of all, two stonechats were spotted on the far bank, perching briefly on reeds but then disappearing from view. These were my first stonechats here since December last year. As I walked back to the car a flock of about forty parakeets flew over going east.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
I had a walk through Egypt Woods and Burnham Beeches on this mild sunny day. There are still too many leaves on the trees for serious lesser-spot hunting; but I was content with a dozen lesser redpolls, a siskin flying over, and at least one brambling with ground-foraging chaffinches.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Mostly about owls
We trudged up the Ridgeway on a calm, muggy morning and headed for Lowbury Hill. We were ready for anything but were still surprised when a short-eared owl flew straight towards us over the shoulder of the down.
It was about midday so we sat on the short grass of the hill-top for lunch and were treated to the sight of two owls, flying high together and frequently interacting. Greger pointed out a splendid hare running between us and the trig-point; but I was almost relieved to note that there were no wheatears present this week.Skylarks, linnets and lapwings were on the high fields; and again, there were loads of gulls with the pigs. Where we turn back towards the Ridgeway, Greger got a shot of a calling kite on the barn roof.
Three bullfinches were spotted feeding high in a silver birch, out in the open but too distant for a picture. Back in owl country, we saw one lift from near the path ahead and glide to a new spot fifty metres away in the rough grass. A second was already in the air and next moment a third, darker, bird came from behind us. It's possible there were four altogether.
The owls flew to and fro, giving us the best views we've ever had. There was a lot of noise from some lads in a jeep in the next field; a man who looked dressed for riding but had no horse and who walked right across the field scattering owls to left and right without, apparently, noticing, complained to Greger in passing about this noise and then moaned about how warm it was. Mind you, the huntsmen and dogs (I think it's called beagling when they're on foot) he was evidently waiting for were making quite a racket of their own; and in the distance, gunshots could be heard. There were loads of red-legged partridges along the Ridgeway; I've stopped including these on lists. At this time of year they're not wild birds, but raised stock that's been let loose just for clients to shoot. The original "sitting targets", I should think.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
A walk with a wheatear in it can't be bad, despite the gloomy weather. We had found a sheltered spot on the flank of Lowbury Hill and were stuffing our faces with Cornish pasties when this rather unhappy-looking wheatear appeared on a post about ten metres away.
The bird had the odd, hunched appearance of a robin in winter. It perched on the fence-posts for some time, flying down now and then to forage; and by the time we left it was running about on the grass looking a bit more normal.
We followed the same route as last week, getting glimpses of raven and peregrine and seeing flocks of fieldfare and redwing. Climbing again towards the Ridgeway we were surprised by a short-eared owl rising from the ground ahead. It gained height quickly, followed by a rook or crow which hectored it for some time.
In fact there were two owls and they were being bothered by quite a few smaller birds as well as the corvid.
In fading light we had good views of the owls in flight, looking rather bat-like as they evaded mobbing birds high above the downs.
We were very tired when we reached the car, just before dusk.