Tuesday, March 26, 2013
I think this was my first visit to Dorney Lake since last spring (when I saw two little ringed plovers quite well with just bins).
This evening, (with just bins) I managed only a distant wheatear. It's not much good coming to this site without a scope so I'll have to get fit and strong again so I can carry it. That causeway is blooming long.
As I was driving away I glanced across to where I've seen a little owl in the past - and bingo!
I braked, reversed, and snapped it from the car. My first little owl of the year, so worth the visit.
As I reached the crossroads on the wetlands, a mass of snipe went up from West Marsh. There were at least forty birds, perhaps fifty or even more. If I'd scanned them through the bins I might well have got my Jack snipe at last; but I went for the camera instead, and ended up with a poor shot of only 18 birds. And they're all common snipe.
I took a carrier bag (Sainsbury's this time) and filled it with rubbish. When I saw a woman put her dog's poo in a plastic bag and leave it by a tree guard, I asked her what the point of doing that was. She replied that she would pick it up on the way back.
There go those flying pigs again......
Monday, March 25, 2013
I had time for a quick walk this afternoon, and as there were no birds I whipped a Waitrose carrier bag out of my pocket and picked up some rubbish.
This was the oddest thing. Someone feeding their cat? Later: probably bait. They use a tin of fish to catch other fish. Very intelligent.
I should think the selection of beer cans represented more makes than even Greger knows. As most of them were in the thick of the hawthorns I couldn't reach them. I fished one glass jar out of the water, but otherwise I concentrated on plastic, as that can be harmful to wildlife. You have to watch it though because a bit of brightly coloured plastic may be a bag containing dog poo - several of these had been ranged round the picnic tables, while some had been thoughtfully placed at the foot of the information boards. These people really are charmers!
There is a large rubbish bin at the entrance to the car park. Yet people drive in, stuff their faces and then throw the trash into the bushes - or just drop it out of their car window. I really can't grasp what is going on in their tiny little minds.
Here's my pathetic effort. The bin when I opened it was full of large black bin-liners containing goodness knows what. I'm pretty sure they weren't full of stuff from the Jubo since the place is still filthy. It probably gets used as a convenient mini-tip.
I did this today because of what Greger saw yesterday. Walking into Maidenhead, he was crossing the Mill Lane field when he encountered a couple of families picking up litter on the banks of the Jubo, and on the long straight footpath that runs past the gas-holder. I decided to stop moaning and follow their example. (Mind you, I'm still going to moan.)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
My heart sank when I looked out this morning and saw snow. I really wasn't looking forward to a day spent indoors. But with the temperature around zero it was already melting, so I was able to drive down to Lake End Road.
Two redshanks were on East Marsh where the three small islands had, with dropping water levels, again become one. As I scanned hopefully for plovers my bins caught a familiar movement - a run low to the ground then an abrupt stop and an upright stance. My first wheatear of the year!
Poor little blighter. Why didn't you stay in Africa? I would.
I seem to be getting good at flushing birds unfortunately, and the wheatear flew south right over me but perhaps went down again on the monument hill. It's possible it was flushed from there in the first place by the incredible number of dogs on site. The record shot is timed at 13.18, and there's just a chance that this is the first Dorney wheatear to be seen this spring.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
I got down to the wetlands early to check for last night's waders. Two redshanks and a common sandpiper were on East Marsh. There was no sign of the dunlin, but a plover was again on one of the islands. I still couldn't see a yellow eye ring or any white above the black forehead; but it seemed to have the build and the jizz of a little ringed plover.
Then I spotted another small plover. I got just one shot of the second bird, which was more wary than the first and flew off downstream. This was a definite little ringed plover as it showed no wing bars.
Unfortunately, I probably flushed the plover(s) off-site. I had already spent half an hour breaking my back using the unflooded hide/screen to watch and photograph the original bird; but in the end I gave up, walked further downstream and went out onto the grassy bank, keeping as close to the hawthorns as I could.
A green sandpiper was on the Eton Wick flood. It was a lovely morning, but we have work on at the moment so I had to tear myself away.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
I set off late afternoon to walk to the flood, but I never got there. Eighteen snipe feeding together on East Marsh were worth a long look (the islands have been shorn of undergrowth, and I think the EA have tidied them up a bit as well).
A plover walking over the island from the other side made me concentrate hard. It was difficult to see it well with just bins and in dreadful light; I thought little ringed plover when I first saw it, then ringed plover because I couldn't make out a yellow eye ring. But I think the orangey bill and legs of a RP would stand out more than the yellow eye ring of LRP which is often difficult to see unless you have a scope. Looking again at this picture, I think the eye ring can just be made out. Maybe!
A ringing "tee-heu-heu" heralded the arrival of a redshank, and this was closely followed by a common sandpiper flying upstream and also landing nearby.
Finally, two small waders (which I identified as dunlin) were spotted feeding vigorously among the snipe, although here they can be seen (just!) with a lapwing and the redshank. The lapwing, usually so bossy, seemed a bit perplexed, as if he didn't know quite how to deal with this small influx of strangers.
As I continued to watch and the light continued to worsen, I began to think I was imagining things. The island the birds were on seemed to have got a lot smaller. Had the birds (and I) switched to another island? Then I realised that it was the river itself, rising imperceptibly as I stood there. Spooky. They must have opened the sluices; and by the time I left the island was almost completely submerged.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Having spent the morning shopping and making soup, I awarded myself a walk along the Jubilee River this afternoon.
This is one of two redshanks present, which were sharing one of the few islands left above water with about ten snipe, some gulls and a moorhen.
I didn't think it had rained so much recently, then recalled that Oxfordshire had snow at the weekend. So the floodwater is probably melted snow that's run off into the Thames. And it's still horribly cold!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
I couldn't make up my mind what to do this morning; then I saw that a Mediterranean gull had been reported by a Bucks birder in Taplow. Should I twitch? Well, it would save getting the car out as I could walk to it.
The rain started to fall as I approached the big waterlogged field and it was hard work scanning with bins over the hedge. Some gulls had flown onto the rugby pitch so I crossed the soggy dog-walking hollow to scan those as well.
Walking back up into the village I decided to take the footpaths that bring you out near the pub. Glad I did. Because way down the horse field near the gate there were more gulls feeding, and among them was a very distinctive gull with a substantial, velvety black hood. Even at that distance it stood out.
Something put the gulls up, but most just circled and went down again.
However the Med gull, with a few commons and black-headeds, flew up to my end of the field. As the rain began to drizzle down again I got a slightly better shot and then went home.
A Taplow tick and indeed a life tick; and an enjoyable twitch because it wasn't too easy. I had to work for it. This handsome gull was still in the horse field west of Boundary Road when I left.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
A common sandpiper was still on East Marsh at Dorney Wetlands.
The kite was on the edge of Dorney Common. It was plucking feathers from something small and dark; I couldn't see what it was at the time but there seems to be a bill pointing out to the right.
It's the second time I've seen a kite with a small bird as prey, except that the first time the raptor did actually catch the bird in mid-air, with the help of a second kite which then forced the grabber to drop it. On this occasion, there's something a little lacklustre about the prey item, so maybe the kite scavenged an already dead bird.
Along the hedgerow near the willows, a green sandpiper was feeding. The robin provided a size comparison, reminding me how small these waders are.
On East Marsh as I walked back were four lesser black-backed gulls, sleek and stunning in breeding plumage.
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Met Office warned that temperatures around freezing today would feel more like minus seven degrees Celsius with the wind chill.
I walked down to the floods from Lake End Road and the northeast wind was certainly biting. I'm relieved to say I saw no summer migrants; I'm not sure they can survive such a bitter spell after their long journeys, especially if it's a prolonged one. (Pleeeese not!)
Two waxwings were still near the junction of paths, but I could see no sign of the common sandpiper. Driving home, I was coming up Boundary Road into the village when a branch fell across the road. A woman coming towards me was closer to it but managed to brake. I got out and helped her to pull the branch into the side of the road, but we had to leave it lying there because it was too awkward and heavy to lift up onto the bank. A few cars had built up behind us both, but no one got out to help. I s'pose they thought it was our problem.
The nuthatch, seemingly in pensive mood, was snapped through Greger's office window.
Looking from our bedroom window across the Thames Valley, I thought I could see more detail than usual in the misty distance; then I realised that it was snow, defining the fields on otherwise wooded hills. I've been studying the OS map but although I can get the general direction it's impossible to say how far away this is. Probably not as far as I think; they could be the fields and woods of Runnymede.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Having dropped Greger at the railway station I sped off to Dorney on a bright morning with the sun already putting paid to a slight frost.
Between the car park and the weir I heard four or five (I lost count) Cetti's warblers singing, and saw six male reed buntings, four of them singing.
A small wader landing on the tip of an island on East Marsh turned out to be a common sandpiper.
A nice bright meadow pipit was worth a look.
The water rail was foraging in the undergrowth; I don't know that I don't prefer seeing them like that, rather than in the open.
The Cetti's was his usual bustling self, bursting into song frequently but always when I'd just given up and turned the camera off.
I heard three Cetti's singing in various branches of the Roundmoor Ditch (one to the west of the bend in the stream, among the willows in the damp boundary hedgerow), so there are at least seven on site. At least ten snipe were on East Marsh and a pair of shoveler was present.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
This was yet another attempt to see a lesser spotted woodpecker in one of the three woods. The red-legged partridges were on the road and I snapped them through the car window.
I parked the car, made a quick decision about which direction to take, and set off along the road. Walking into the trees I saw a green woodpecker and a jay; and thinking I could hear other birds I diverted from my intended route. I was glad I did because six siskins were spotted, feeding high in a silver birch, with long-tailed and blue tits buzzing around them.
Then I heard the very welcome sneezing "pitchou" of a marsh tit (in fact there were two). This is another species I hadn't encountered on the site for a long time.
When I also saw a couple of treecreepers making their way up a birch trunk I began to have a good feeling, and decided to spend some time here rather than stride off on a longer walk. This eventually paid off. Several trees away and very high up, a familiar profile was seen hammering at a beech branch; and I got the bins onto a male lesser.
The lesser-spot, probably tiring of my attentions, flew off. I didn't try to follow. I was just elated that one was still around! I gave up on a longer walk (I've done enough of them this winter) and drove home.
About 3 pm, a large dark cloud rolled away leaving clear blue sky. The cloud showed a rather straight trailing edge which the sun, hidden behind it at first, lit into a white rim. It was quite spectacular. As I drove down to Dorney in bright sunshine, the retreating cloud mass was like a great dark wall to the south and west. (I've quickly changed that last sentence as it contained a dangling participle!)
Although then breaking up, it was still in view when I reached the floods.
A vocal kingfisher sped up and down the stream, and I counted thirteen snipe on the EW flood. A shelduck was on the Jubilee River and a skylark was in song high above the wetlands. I feel a bit guilty about my nice day because Greger has carried out some pretty nifty DIY at home, despite being grounded with a cold. But he was also pleased about the lesser-spot!
Friday, March 01, 2013
Burnham Beeches
Blimey, no wonder there are no Mandarin ducks in the now-full moat or any of the puddles that have sprung up across the Beeches, which might reasonably be expected this time of year. This Far-eastern lady, swathed in a large coat and sitting behind a tree, was scattering handfuls of food on the far bank of Upper Pond and then photographing the ducks (17 drakes, fewer females) as they made a rush for it. There was even a moorhen pecking about nearby.
The pond provides a good opportunity to get close to Mandarins (are they really feathers?!) but it's never so thrilling seeing them here as it is elsewhere in the woods, where they feel "wilder".
This is one of the chiffchaffs on the Roundmoor Ditch at Eton Wick. It might be the Siberian one - or it might not be. Either way it's a sweet little bird. It was taken yesterday; the white-fronted geese were still present and there were three shelducks, sometimes in Berks and sometimes in Bucks.
This snap caught two chiffchaffs by chance; but are they "specials"? Not sure.
As for today, it was another futile attempt to see a lesser spotted woodpecker. I couldn't check the entire area, of course; nobody could. So I'll just hope that one or two are still around, somewhere.
