Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Yesterday
The Eton Wick flood has grown again. A green sandpiper flew in and stood preening on the far shore. A pied wagtail buzzed it and it rushed around quite madly, wading into deeper water and swimming, before calming down and proceeding to feed.
The flood on the common has appeared again.
Two grey wagtails zoomed around calling and a Cetti's warbler made wren-like noises (only louder) from the undergrowth. A chiffchaff with plenty of yellow in its plumage was glimpsed in brambles. A tree has fallen on the bank of the Roundmoor Ditch near the houses.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
On a windy walk at Dorney Wetlands this morning, the air was full of lovely whistles as flighty wigeon zoomed around in the sunshine.
Yesterday, Greger assured me that it would be dry until evening (thank you, Met Office) and suggested going to Swinley Forest. It began to drizzle soon after we left the car park and would keep it up for most of the day!
This was a coffee break near the reservoir on Surrey Hill, where there is a useful log-bench.
The only notable sightings were a large flock of fieldfare and redwings on Bagshot Heath, while a Dartie called unseen from the heather. There were loads of chestnuts down, many being crushed under foot and wheel. I brought a handful home.
On Friday, it was quiet at the wetlands and this gate on the north bank had been left unpadlocked; so I slipped through, walked the planks, and found myself standing on East Marsh.
It felt odd but a bit exhilarating to be in a place I had looked down on so often. I had a very brief wander around, and flushed no birds. A small adventure.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
A Taplow garden
A couple of days ago this wasp settled quietly in front of me, seeming fairly docile and laid-back. It looked slightly different from the wasps I've seen all summer, with a longer abdomen and longer antennae. Could it be a German or Saxon Wasp? But after lots of research I'll settle for Common Wasp male, which looks less harassed than the female workers as all he has to do is mate with the queen.
Another noticeable individual taking the sun on the beauty bush leaves was a Bog Hoverfly - new for the garden list.
And a smaller hoverfly on the wall is a Sunfly (Helophilus pendulus). The stripe in the centre of the face is diagnostic (from Wikipedia and other sites).
This was interesting because back in June I snapped this similar hoverfly. I can't tell from the photos whether it has a black stripe on the face, but the larger size and more lemony yellow point to it being Helophilus trivittatus (naturespot.org.uk and other sites). It doesn't seem to have a common name.
It's nice to get three new hoverflies in my last summer here, and I've had plenty of time to research them thanks to flu. We left it too late to get our flu jabs and I became ill on the second day into our Scottish trip. By the time we got home again, Greger had caught it. I just hope to goodness I haven't left a trail of flu-smitten people behind me north of the border.
We did no walking. From the chalet I saw goosanders and a little grebe in Loch Canaird, both Ardmair ticks, while a robin strutted and postured one morning in front of a newly landed wheatear. Three rock pipits flew onto the roof of the neighbouring chalet. And on the beach at Poolewe was a single Brent goose. There were plenty of stonechats everywhere, and a foraging dipper kept us entertained at the bone caves car park.
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Taplow
Too busy today to go out walking/birding. A moth which was in the hall last night was, this morning, on Greger's pyjamas on the ironing board. I nudged it into a plastic cup which I placed on its side out the back, but the moth didn't fly off. I've identified it as a Large Ranunculus (moths have such gorgeous names).
The wind rolled the cup hither thither and yon, but the moth stayed put. A little later I noticed a nuthatch on the patio, and realised that the moth was on the ground in front of it. Quick as a flash the nuthatch grabbed the moth and scarpered. Sad end to the story, but that's life.
