Small Birds – Hook with Warsash in June

Posted on 25th June 2020 by Richard

Out and about again more

It’s good to get out more now, it’s summertime, no clogged up muddy boots and plenty to look for.

Hook with Warsash has been one of my favourite places since moving down this way from Kent. Situated at the mouth of the River Hamble you get the best of both worlds; coast, reed beds, fields and woods to boot.
Plus a chance to spot the Dartford Warblers amongst the bracken !

Young Dartford Warbler

Not being an early riser like a few years ago when I’d be up at ‘silly hour’ to fetch the wood in, light the Rayburn, feed the chickens and down about 3 cups of Coffee in the process, I usually arrive there around late morning armed with Sandwiches, a Thermos Flask and of course, the Camera.
Not many people about, just dog walkers and a few Birders. Luckily the Scrapes and most of the wildness is fenced off which keeps the dogs at bay and gives you a chance to rest the heavy lens on a fence post awaiting you very own spot of the day.

Linnet – Treecreeper – Whitethroat

Well, that certainly happened when two young Dartford Warblers gave a 10 second showing for a photo. These birds are the highlight at Hook with Warsash, beside the occasional rarity it’s these who birders and public alike always want to see. They’re elusive, but it’s the old right place right time scenario.

Greenfinch

All in all a good day and another day where you may see nothing for hours upon end, but something always pops up for you to rush home and upload your pictures to the PC !

Autumn arrives down the Lane

Posted on 13th September 2017 by Richard

The Virginia Creeper

An old boy gave me two Virginia Creeper cuttings about 12 years ago.
I’m not exactly the best with Flowers and Plants (if I can’t eat it, I’m useless!!), so I just popped them into the ground and every year since, come September, they give me an enormous array of red.

A trip to Rye Harbour

Have to say I chose the right day, beautiful weather with a mild breeze, a joy to walk along the River, on the beach, around the Reserve ending with a nice meal in the William the Conquerer Pub. Perfect!

Little Grebe

One of several Little Egrets

After reading a few ‘recent sightings’ I thought I may see a lot more than I did, but it’s quality not quantity and a few species popped up to say hello.

Rye Harbour never has a shortage of Turnstones and Plovers though and it’s always enjoyable to watch them busying themselves along the side of the River

Like Oare, the Starlings are grouping together rather nicely.

Stoat escaping from something!- Juvenile Linnet – Turnstone

Linnets and Wheatears are the two smaller birds seen a lot there at this time of the year as are numbers of Martins and Swallows stocking up for their long distance journeys for their Winter sun.

Looking from Rye Harbour to Pett Level & Fairlight

The biggest problem still is hearing but not seeing many birds, as hard as you try to locate whereabouts they are exactly in a bush or tree is quite an art. Invariably they’re on the other side or wedged deep into the branches.
But that’s the beauty of it I guess.

Walking down the fields with the crops harvested and leaves beginning to fall just makes me think ‘not long before the Fieldfares arrive’.
[fblike]

More birds inland Pembrokeshire

Posted on 10th May 2017 by Richard

Swallows

I was lucky enough to find a campsite just a mile from the coast, space for 80 Campers and Caravans, but I was only one of four people staying there.
In true anti-social fashion I found a spot the furthest away from anyone else and enjoyable the peace and smell of the Farm no end.

Fist to show up were a gulp of Swallows, a fair number of them flying at speed past my Camper just some three feet above the ground. Luckily photo wise some settled now and again so I was able to get a few half decent close up shots of them.

Swallow
Although seeing much the same amount of birds as I would back in Kent, it’s always nice to see them in another setting, so a good showing of Wheatears, Sedge Warblers,Reed Buntings Greenfinches, Linnets and more

Wheatear – Sedge Warbler – Linnet

Greenfinch – Reed Bunting – Whitethroat
There’s no doubt the fact this is a great area to visit. You have the Pembrokeshire Coast Path which goes through the places I visited; Marloes Sands, Martins Haven and up to St. Davids.

The nearest larger town with well known Supermarkets is Haverfordwest, about 6 miles inland but most of the Villages along the Coast have some smaller Stores and / or decent Public Houses !

[fblike]

April Wildlife starts with a bang !

Posted on 5th April 2017 by Richard

April certainly is the start of the summer wildlife season and it’s very apparent around the Lane and surrounding fields.

Butterflies

The most noticeable change is seeing the Butterflies re-appear; thus far a Comma, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Brimstone and Whites, the latter two have not sat long enough for me to get a photo yet !
It’s nice to get pictures of them early on, as the season progress’s into Summer, their wings tend to get a bit damaged, so now is good !

Orange Tip

Peacock – Small Tortoiseshell

Comma

Birds around the Hedgerows

The Long Tailed Tits have now finished building their nests, so good news to come there I hope.
In the rear Hedgerow, Yellowhammers are also very busy, great news is there appear to be more than last year!

Male Yellowhammer

Beside the above, other than the more ‘normal’ birds, we have good numbers of Linnets and by the look of the Pelets I found earlier, a Barn Owl popping past!

Owl Pellets and a Linnet sitting on Cables above rear hedgerow

All in all, it’s going well, the weather seems to be attracting more and more flies, so I’m hoping for a good year.

Finally, a Blackcap which I saw at Church Norton on the Selsey Peninsula last week.
[fblike]

A trip to Weymouth and Arne

Posted on 4th September 2016 by Richard

After missing my Scotland trip due to ill health back in June I’d been waiting a chance to get away for a few days.
With the weather looking reasonable I decided upon 4 nights on a Campsite overlooking Chesil Beach, Weymouth in Dorset.

There were three places I wanted to visit; 1. Portland 2. RSPB Radipole Lakes and 3. RSPB Lodmoor.

Wheatear

Not knowing the best places to go on Portland and around the Bill I popped into the Portland Bird Observatory to ask the question. I have to be honest and say the welcome I received was not one I would have expected. “Sea to the front and Fields behind” was more or less the response.
I said thank you and just walked around in my own time.

Although mid September there was not much to be seen, a Redwing was spotted on the west side of the Island. Regret I was on the east side at the time !

Even so, an enjoyable walk along the rugged coastline, the Quarries and bush.

Lapwing alongside a Redshank – Little Stint – Black Tailed Godwit

Juvenile Linnet – Kingfisher – Cormorants

Distant osprey – View of Arne – Another Little Stint

RSPB Radipole Lakes. I’d heard a lot about the Lakes and how bountiful they are with birds but maybe due to the time of the year I didn’t see much, the Reeds were very high and the viewpoints didn’t come up with anything.

RSPB Lodmoor on the other hand was most enjoyable and I met quite a few Birders who were really nice, showed me points of interest and all good for a banter amongst themselves.
Basically the place is split into two, the main part is about one mile square and you walk around the perimeter paths. Some parts are also Public Footpaths.

On my way home from Weymouth I called into RSPB Arne for a couple of hours and I have to say the scenery and flora there are quite splendid.
Again, not many birds to be seen and being quite cloudy, Dragon Flies and Butterflies were quite minimal.

Sunset from Sea Barn View Campsite, Chesil Beach, Dorset

However, although very distant, I did see an Osprey. RSPB have erected some tall telegraph poles around and about, screwing a flat platform on top in hope that next year they may breed there.

A good few days away and even if it was a case of seeing birds I have already seen, you’re seeing them in another location with different surroundings.

Linnets, Yellowhammers and more 11th.May

Posted on 10th May 2016 by Richard

Just 60 or so meters down the Lane, the Lane runs out and a footpath takes you through to the fields, from there you can walk three miles to Wye without coming within half a mile of a house. It’s rural and nice to be on your doorstep.

Male Linnet

Over the first field there’s a small hedgerow no more than 50 meters long and 8 feet high. Stuck virtually in the middle of nowhere you wouldn’t think this would be a haven for so many Birds.
A walk down there earlier produced a feast of Birds including two of my favourites.

First was the Yellowhammer. If you sit there for long enough (no more than five minutes usually, two will skim across the adjoining field and start their little jog along the length of Hedge.
Some may say they’re too pretty to be a wild bird, especially the male who really is yellow, the female being slightly more dull in appearance.

Male Yellowhammer

Shortly after that two Linnets turned up, birds which I’d been trying to get a photo of for quite some time.
Well, lucky me, for the first time in loads of tries, one sat right in the open long enough for me to get a half decent shot, all be it the sun as always was in the wrong position, but pleased I was!

Both Yellowhammers and Linnets are on the RSPB Red List.

The baby Robin in the Lupin Bush

Upon returning home I noticed an adult Robin going in and out of the Lupins. I guessed there was something there so quietly walked around a bit only to look down and see a baby popping his or her head out wondering I have no doubt where Mum had got to.

Although much harder to see birds with the leaf growing on trees, it’s real enjoyment and a learning curve to watch nature takes it’s path, the courting, the nest building, feeding and protection cannot be beaten.

Over 60 pages of Garden Wildlife on the main Web Site here Nature on our Doorstep

Wildlife Diary

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

Tag Archives: Linnet