April – Wildlife around Bishop’s Waltham

Posted on 21st April 2020 by Richard

Lockdown kicks in – the wildlife love it

Less traffic and less pollution seems to be bringing much benefit to humans and wildlife alike, but of course, we’d rather not be in the middle of a pandemic.
In some ways I guess it’s easier for us senior citizens, we don’t need to worry about losing our jobs or not getting our full income like many who’ve been furloughed.

I’m walking on average about 25k a week and getting much solace through scenery and just listening to the birdsong everyday.

Hedgehogs under the bird feeders

Two Hedgehogs have appeared in the Garden, so hopefully both will survive and presuming they’re male and female will produce some young ones.
There’s no mistaking the noise when they arrive, loud grunts and the scraping of any leaves on the ground !

Mistle Thrush – Red Damsel Fly – Orange Tip Butterfly

Butterflies are starting to appear again with the usual Orange Tips and Brimstones. I’ve also seen a few Speckled Woods and Peacocks.
Around the Garden here, some Starlings are busy looking after their eggs in the guttering above my Flat, right racket !

Grass Snake

Bee Fly

Life plods on and it’s not easy for many but it is very nice to see people walking in the countryside. I’ve spoken to quite a few and all say it’s so nice to have some time to explore their surrounding and quite keen to learn bird species and just watch what’s going on.

They say that from something bad, good will come. I haven’t a crystal ball to see where all this is going to end but it has been a wakening to what’s good outside our door and awareness of the need to preserve it.

Mid August bubbling with Wildlife

Posted on 16th August 2017 by Richard

In the Garden

I thought I’d spoken about the Grass Snake, but looking back it appears not, so here’s a photo of it sitting under one of the Rubber Mats I have in the long grass

Grass Snake

I thought most birds around and about here had now all fledged, but upon hearing a few quiet tweets from the Laurel Bush was pleased to see what appears to be a juvenile Chiffchaff. I say ‘appears to be’ because, apart from the dark legs, has the characteristics and colour of a Willow Warbler !

Young Chiffchaff

Between the Lane and the Great Stour

Although there is a very apparent lack of birds at present (they’re all in my Garden I think) Dragon Flies and Damselflies are plentiful

Migrant Hawker

Conningbrook

I’ve only been able to make it to the Eco and Northern Lake but it’s been well worth the walk.
The Herons nesting on the Eco Lake have sprung a nice young one to the surroundings and seem to be mixing OK with the Little Egrets.

Four Spotted Chaser – Leveret

Two Herons ready to roost and Young Heron in Fields

The walk from Blackwell Farm to the Great Stour produced a Leveret hurrying around the path and into the overgrowth whilst above, the Swallows are still very active almost skimming the corn tops as they hurry about looking for an evening meal.

Great Stour between Conningbrook and Wye

With the forecast looking reasonably good for a few days to come and me being a fairweather birder, I hope to get back to the North Kent Coast shortly, probably Oare Marshes, always a great spot for Waders and more.
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Spotted Flycatchers nesting down the Lane

Posted on 22nd July 2017 by Richard

After a seven day break visiting family in Southampton I returned to some information from the 7 year old over the Lane there were Spotted Flycatchers nesting on the side wall of their house adjacent to the Lane.

Spotted Flycatcher with food for it' s young

Upon inspection and without disturbing anything he war right. Their nest has been carefully semi concealed about 8 feet off the ground in amongst thick Ivy.
In fact, I could see two young heads sticking out. My slight intervention though upset the Parents who were busy collecting food from around and about, so I stepped back to take a photo of the parent.

So nice to see them down the Lane, I think the first in the 17 years I’ve been here, certainly in the last 4 years since I started more of an interest in Wildlife.

Slow Worms

The situation under the Rubber Mats has got even better, there are now 6 plus under the them and as you see on the photo, it would appear we may be expecting some young ones come August time.
The Bumble Bees which were all nesting there a couple of months ago have now dispersed and no more signs of the Grass Snake which I took a photo of a few weeks back.

Leafcutter Bees

I’m unsure if it’s a little early but I notice one of the holes in my Bee / Bug Hotel has had a Bee busy planting leaf inside.

Last year the Hotel attracted about seven, so I’m hoping, along with another one I’ve placed on the other side of the Garden, we may get quite a few.

Dragons and Damselflies

Not only for Butterflies, it’s a bumper Summer for Dragons and Damselflies down the Lane.
This week saw the first Migrant Hawker, some 4 or 5 seem to be liking along the side of the Stream as well.

Finally, what a bumper year it seems to be for Blackberries, everywhere I go I see them and they also appear bigger a lot earlier than normal.
There again, with news of the first Night Herons breeding in south west England, it does all rather point to yet more effects of climate change.
Try telling that to a certain President !!!
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More Butterflies and Dragons in the Garden

Posted on 9th July 2017 by Richard

Being not quite yet my usual finely tuned Olympic Triathlon self (!!) once again I’m pretty much confined to the Garden and the 100 meters or so down to the fields.
There’s always something to see though and again, the beauty of Nature’s Wildlife comes to you if you allow it and sit patiently enough of course.

A young male Green Woodpecker
Once more the Butterlies are the stars of the Lane with countless numbers flying around the Nettles and Thistles on the wasteland at the back of my Garden.

Large White – Gatekeeper – Common Blue
One thing that is worrying me, I shall do a very unusual rare thing of mine and talk politics !
With the United Kingdom leaving the EU in two years or whenever, all Policies will be taken on by our Government.
In itself that sounds good, but the small print is saying they are and will change anything after the take over has taken place.

Wide Bodied Chaser
With all extra spending in other areas I fear the environmental budget will be cut to pay for what is seen as more important things.
Will the Stewardship Scheme go? At presnt Farmers have the choice of joining the Scheme which in it’s basic terms is being substidized for leaving a 12 meter buffer around their fields, restrictions on when hedgerows are cut and in some cases more such as leaving gaps in Crops for Skylarks etc.

Common Chaser
When Michael Gove was appointed as Environmental Minister in June, the Guardian an announced it was like ‘putting a Fox in charge of a hen house’.
I hope they are proved wrong, but…………………??
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End of May down the Lane

Posted on 31st May 2017 by Richard

The second part of May continued to be good for wildlife down the Lane and the fields below; the House Sparrows nesting above the back door fledged and no sooner had they and a second lot started !
Also fledged were the Blue Tits in the Box at the top of the Garden and all around young Wrens and more were appearing.

The fields were just as busy; Yellowhammers, Reed Warblers and Whitethroats numbering more than anything else

Young Jay – Just fledged Blue Tit – Ladybirds in Spring!

Female Reed Bunting – Female Yellowhammer – WhitethroatA trip to Dungeness proved very good to see the Damselflies and Dragon Flies coming to life.
The Scrapes were pretty quiet though, just many Common Terns, Avocets and the usual. Two pairs of Egyptian Geese gave birth on the Islands, nice to see but some avid Dungeness Birders not too happy about the invasion. All Gods creatures !

Four Spotted Chaser – Blue Damselfly – Green Damselfly

Avocet Dungeness – Trout in Stream down the Lane – House Sparrow approaching nest above back doorOur passing Hedgehog found a friend and from the noise was successful in it’s mission. However, soon after this we didn’t see them again. Good news is they seem to have taken up home in the Mill House opposite.
I miss them but they’re still around and will hopefully produce young shortly.

Whitethroat with a pretty good Breakfast I’d say !With 5 days in Pembrokeshire and the weather being quite good since, wildlife and nature is rolling along nicely.

Wildlife Diary

Recording wild life through the year around Hampshire, Kent and elsewhere

Tag Archives: Dragon and Damselflies