01.07.08
spotted at the Pyghtle feeders, a new visitor,
a young nuthatch, seen the previous day as well.
-have yet to catch sight of the adult birds at the Mere,
so keep looking!
in an attempt to confuse me,
trying to look and act like a nuthatch,
a great tit . . isn’t birding wonderful?
20.05.08
a clutch of moorhen chicks are being raised near the aquifer,
east of the main bridge across The Mere.
Safety seems assured by the nearby straw rolls
and the netting that holds them together.
However, the herons are after them.
I counted four chicks and witnessed two heron attacks.
All survived, but for how long I wonder?
on the prowl
look carefully and you may just count all four chicks
feeding time
11.05.08
a female blackbird “anting”.
This behaviour is part of many a bird species cleaning regime.
An ants nest is upset, the ants attack the perpetrator
with formic acid, this kills mites etc.
A dust bath or wash then finishes the job.
14.05.08
a young heron, something of a regular in the last few weeks.
There is something primeval and fascinating about these birds . . .
08.04.08
it’s interesting to see the alternative uses made of the information signs by animals on the site.
Some wild, some less so.
A resident wren often perches on one post in particular,
by the main bridge, meanwhile, two more residents use them as lookout points.
a jay, busy gathering nest material.
Pippin, just one of four cats spotted this day.
an elusive, but noisy chiffchaff on the railway emankment.
No post needed, just leafy cover.
07.04.08
on the reserve today, poking about on the margins of the main lagoon, occasionally taking flight to go to the opposite bank.
Slowly he got nearer and nearer, with me crossing the bridge to perhaps sneak a closer shot.
a dull, wet day -however, the reserve is busy
the cute siskin are quite happy, until another species drops in for a snack that is.
They then turn in quite a performance, flapping and squawking to deter unwanted visitors.
jays, while big, noisy and colourful, are actually very shy.
This one was caught in the millisecond he realised I was watching him from the hide.
Sunday 30.03.08
a fox near the river.
a male blackcap near the bog area.
the reed buntings.
an industrious working party.
coffee and cake.
plus
the “resident” sparrowhawk patrols the skies over the reserve.
-always inducing panic alarm calls around the site when it’s abroad.
a perky robin
an even perkier wren
Last Saturday I was watching the kingfisher from the bridge with Sheila and Howard. I thought I would get a bit closer and use my new 20 x binoculars. So I stood by the bench and got a good view. Then I thought I was seeing things but to my amazement, there was another kingfisher virtually hidden behind the male, sitting quietly on the branch but further into the bush. The male did usual things like catching a fish and bashing its head on the branch, while the female stayed put quietly, not doing anything much. Sheila and Howard also came and saw the female – it was magic!
25.03.08
following on from the other day,
I can report two reed buntings on the site.
Fantastic!
I assume it’s a breeding pair, but must admit that the variety of plumages leaves me a bit unsure.
Let’s assume a pair, it’s Springtime after all!
here is a group of images which I just had to show,
as this is a first -let’s enjoy it!
here in numbers at the moment, siskin.
Like redwing, from Scandinavia, though the siskin seem to be present all year round,
but in reduced numbers.
just one of a 20 strong redwing flock in and around the reserve over the past few weeks.
Quite nervous birds to approach, hence the distant shot.
wrens show best at this time of year.
