Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Eton Wick flood didn't produce anything special, although a somewhat bolshy-looking great crested grebe was a new species there for me.
If I thought the weir was impressive before, it was thunderous today, with the flood relief channel in operation and the boardwalk flooded and locked.
Friday, November 23, 2012
The Flood
I walked from the Lake End Road car park late afternoon. Water rails were squealing from reed-beds in several locations along the river, and a Cetti's warbler called.
As I climbed the bank to look over the floods, I caught my breath at what I saw. After the winds of yesterday, it was completely still; and the main component of the view was water. Still, steely water. Two swans sailed just below on the ditch, and beyond them, beyond the pool on the common, half-seen cattle grazed in a long scarf of white mist that trailed across the grass. Just above the line of mist I could see the traffic on the road. The setting sun, colouring the sky in the west, saved the scene from dreariness.
I looked the other way and took this picture of the flood in the field, probably the most extensive I've yet seen it. Even as I clicked off a shot, the mist thickened until the far side of the flood and most of the birds were invisible.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Five wigeon and a green sandpiper were the only notables on the flood late afternoon. Two meadow pipits were feeding on the muddy edge, and three siskins were in alders.
This is the first picture I've got of siskin at Dorney Wetlands. Also present were at least three redpolls.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
On a wonderful morning of blue skies and sunshine, a flock of finches fed in alder trees near the Manor Farm Weir. The flock contained chaffinches, goldfinches, greenfinches, and siskins. The birds were difficult to watch and photograph as they were quite high with the sun behind them and mostly obstructed by branches; but eventually I realised there was at least one lesser redpoll present, and this is the first image I've managed of the species at Dorney.
As I walked back, the sky was full of flying ducks, while the islands of East Marsh held lapwings, gulls, one or two green sandpipers, and several snipe; these had been displaced by a chap walking along the edge of the Eton Wick flood in wellies, carrying a toddler. He probably lives in one of the houses that back onto the field, and was maybe getting revenge for all the lenses that have been pointing his way over the last couple of months!
Two bright male pochard were on the river, and back near the car park two goldcrests were a fairly unusual sight in the hedgerow.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A cold but beautiful morning tempted me out to walk the length of the wetlands. Nearing the weir, I heard the lovely call of a green sandpiper and the wader came flying over low, giving good views in the bright sunshine.
Looking over the Roundmoor Ditch from the common, I could see a little grebe on the flood and was trying to photograph it through the branches when I caught sight of a pipit foraging in the mud beyond.
I'm not good at pipits. I was sure it wasn't a meadow pipit because of the long bill and greyish colour; but was it rock or water? Both species had been reported here recently.
A pied wagtail chased the bird, but this proved useful as the pipit flew up into the willow and started to preen. It looked even greyer in the tree, with broad smoky streaks on its chest and flanks.
Oddly enough, it looked more like a rock pipit when it was in the tree. Anyway, the camera battery was running out so I walked back across the common, flushing a grey heron and four Egyptian geese from the muddy ground near the hedge.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
No doubt there were dozens of ring ouzels at Combe today because we decided to go instead to Warren Farm, from where we did a walk of almost 14 kilometres.
The best birds were two lesser redpolls, feeding low down on weed-heads just west of Streatley Warren. It was difficult to focus on them with all the surrounding stems and twigs, and I could only get a presentable record shot of one bird. However, I'm pleased with it because these were my first redpolls on the Ridgeway.
This is where we left the Ridgeway to strike out on our northern loop; and we stood for a while looking west towards the Compton Downs. Beyond the line of trees and bushes that marks the disused railway, a tractor was ploughing the grassy slopes next to the gallops. The dark brown patches were speckled with the white of many gulls, and no doubt there were other birds up there, exploiting the freshly turned soil.
Redwings, fieldfares, and large numbers of blackbirds were along the hedgerows where hawthorns and other trees were loaded with berries; and a chiffchaff was seen back at the car park.
Thursday, November 01, 2012
The first thing I did on arriving at the gap in the hedge from which you can view the Eton Wick flood was to flush a green sandpiper. This was embarrassing as a birder was already present, scanning the pool from the wetlands bank (although I'm not sure how you can avoid startling the birds when you approach from the road).
Anyway, I went off and explored the flood on the common and then returned to the stream when the other birder had gone. To my surprise, the sandpiper flew back to the spot it had flown from and foraged there for some time - only flying off when some people passed by talking.
Three grey wagtails were very vocal and active near the weir, two Cetti's warblers were muttering, and at least two water rails were gently squealing along the Jubilee River.
