Thursday, January 30, 2014
Dorney
The floods are wider than ever, with the Eton Wick one spreading further east along the field, while the common flood has crept across and joined the Roundmoor Ditch in a couple of places. It would be a wet business accessing the Jubilee River from the cattle-grid lay-by at present, although you'd probably cope with wellies.
There are loads of chiffchaffs on site, both along the ditch and along the Jubilee River; at least two were in reeds in the boardwalk area.
At home this morning, looking out in surprise as the sun struggled through the murk (it didn't last!), Greger and I saw a male blackcap on the garage roof.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Oxfordshire
We couldn't get excited at the prospect of a long walk today so we drove to Blewbury and followed the narrow concrete road out to Churn Farm. I wanted to see if there were any floods here, as there were back in April last year. But there was hardly any water lying in the fields at all - which is good for the farmer, of course.
We took the track towards Upper Chance Farm. The scrub on the left held a stonechat.
I thought that would be the birding interest over, but as we walked back along the road to the old bridge, two partridges took off from the verge and flew away over the fields. I'm hopeless at identifying partridges in flight - but, I hadn't seen the bold face markings of a red-legged; and sure enough, just as they landed, one turned and faced us, showing the plainer face and the black belly-spot of a grey partridge. First greys I've seen for a few years. Our walk was six kilometres, so better than nothing.
While I was typing this (just before 4.30 pm), a violent weather front passed through. The wind got up to a roar and the rain started to pelt down. When I looked out into the dusky light the trees were bent over and the rain was almost horizontal. It's calmed down now.
Monday, January 20, 2014
A lesser spotted woodpecker at last!
With limited time and a target bird in mind, I sped up to Dorney Wood and decided to stay around the same small area instead of trying to cover a lot of ground. There were loads of birds in my chosen location (including great spotted woodpecker), but no lesser. Then - as I started to walk back to the car, a small, markedly black-and-white bird flew towards me through the trees just above eye-level, and proceeded to forage fairly low down.
Although constantly bullied by the great spotted woodpecker, she refused to be chased away completely; in fact she seemed more interested in the distant sound of what was probably a second lesser-spotted woodpecker. But I couldn't hang around to find out!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Burnham Beeches
I parked on East Burnham Common and walked back to the more interesting parts of the woods.
Chaffinches drove me mad by constantly streaming up into mature beeches when I inadvertently disturbed them. They were almost impossible to see on the ground, and not much easier in the trees, thanks to the poor light. But I did eventually spot a brambling.
Seven redpolls in Egypt Woods were an improvement on the two I saw near the moat last time. Later on, looking in an old area for them in Burnham Beeches, I found a flock of fifteen. These seven are part of the Beeches flock.
Bullfinches were seen well, and a great spotted woodpecker foraged on the ground. But so far this year I'm not having any lesser-spot luck.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Dorney
A midday visit to the floods brought ten shelduck. There were easily a couple of hundred lapwings, most of them at the far end of the common flood. Then came the magical fluting of golden plover and a large flock appeared high overhead.
I'm afraid my delight at being in the company of these lovely birds was tempered by the knowledge that I could well be preventing them from landing; at one point they came very low and flew past me slowly. I'm almost sure they were checking me out; at any rate, they didn't land.
I took the hint and started to leave - only to be stopped in my tracks by the sight of a water rail foraging along the edge of sunlit reeds in the Roundmoor Ditch.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Greger waited at home this morning for roofers who didn't arrive. Can't blame them - still too wet. I needed to go to Sainsbury's so on the way I took a walk along the Jubo to the floods.
Three green sandpipers were among moorhens and lapwings on the far side - I post this as a 'quantity' record shot.
Something put them all up and after a zip round the field they landed again in much the same place.
Twenty-one waders were up in the air above West Marsh; presumably snipe. I went home a bit more cheerful; I'd had a wader fix.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Three robins were briefly in the garden this morning, all bobbing and bowing because they think it's spring. I happened to have the camera to hand and snapped them through the window.
I took a walk along the Jubilee River between showers and got a record shot of two little grebes (there were at least four) on the Eton Wick flood.
A sparrowhawk flew over putting loads of lapwings up from the common flood and I had brief views of a Cetti's warbler. Best of all, two green sandpipers came dashing and swooping across the Jubo, landing on the far shore of the EW flood. A little while later they were joined by a third individual. Walking back in fading light I saw one gently squeaking water rail in the boardwalk area and a second bird closer to the car park; while another Cetti's sang from the plantation near the small footbridge.
In Burnham Beeches yesterday I found the best birds near the moat: at least two redpolls were feeding high in silver birches - the first I've seen in the woods this winter. A large, scattered flock of chaffinches feeding on the ground included at least one brambling, one redwing and one coal tit.
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Dorney and Cookham
We went in different directions for our walks today, but it didn't make any difference; it was flood and mud everywhere!
At Dorney, several shovelers were feeding busily on the Eton Wick side. The Roundmoor Ditch was almost brimful, and the common flood had crept nearer to the bank. Thank goodness we've had no rain for a while.
Looking across the Jubilee River from the south bank I could see water lying in the cattle field on the sewage farm. A few days ago I walked right round and flushed a green sandpiper from this flood.
And - hey presto! There was one there today. This must be the most distant photo of a green sandpiper I've ever attempted - but at least there was no risk of disturbing it!
The only other bird I snapped was this buzzard, looking rather eagle-like in the flooded field wedged between Wood Lane, the Jubo and the motorway.
Greger meanwhile set off on his roundabout walk to Maidenhead to do some shopping. Past Boulter's Lock on the A4094 he found the road closed to traffic. Walking on a bit further he came to this scene; the gate on the left is the one he usually walks through, crossing Widbrook Common and then following various paths to get into Maidenhead from the north. No go today, though. He had to turn round and go "through the houses".
Greger said the water was pouring onto the road from the left-hand side, although the River Thames is over the fields to the right. This then is the White Brook itself overflowing (presumably). He didn't think the water was particularly deep on the road, but it could be quite a long flood and if drivers get stuck it could cause problems.
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
Dorney's wet lands
I think both floods this morning were the biggest I've seen them. Here, a line of gulls defines a watery arm reaching out towards the road.
It was still possible to walk between the common flood and the Roundmoor Ditch - just.
When the wetlands first opened, to reach the kissing gate you had to cross this marshy offshoot of the stream as best you could in rainy weather - on bits of wood, old bicycle wheels, etc; I presume it was the Environment Agency who built up the "bridge" which we now take for granted. Thanks, EA.
A chiffchaff was in song near the gate. Staring into the plantation I spotted a chiffchaff - and then found myself face-to-face with what looked like a willow warbler. The bird slipped away out of sight immediately and was almost certainly another chiffchaff.
Downstream of the mesmerising weir, the Eton Wick flood had reached the near fence of the field.
Once again I located a single redpoll in the alders, but could see no siskins.
It was a lovely walk from Lake End Road in bright, windy conditions - quite a surprise after a grim morning at home, where we had a prolonged cloudburst with heavy rain that turned eventually into hail.
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Bright weather beckoned me out of doors after the awfulness of yesterday. I went first to the woods in hopes of seeing a lesser-spot but in this I failed. Brambling, treecreeper, goldcrest, and nuthatch were the best of the sightings.
Next I went to the Jubilee River. The male shelduck and the teal were on the Eton Wick flood.
I scanned all the birches and alders for siskins and redpolls but could see only a couple of goldfinches.
