Trip to Arne Day 3

Posted on 18th October 2017 by Richard

White Deers and Cliff Top scenes

Waking up to a cold, damp and misty morning wasn’t easy so rather than heading off over the Heathland to Arne I thought I’d take a trip over to Durdle Door.
I’d been there before, about 15 ‘pre Camera’ years before and remembered seeing Kestrels hovering along the cliffs below, so this encouraged me to try and get an overhead shot of one.

No such luck, not a Kestrel to be seen, just a few regular Gulls and one Rock Pipit which was too quick for me, but a nice walk down to the Beach and a somewhat struggling walk back up again.
Rather than post a picture of Durdle Door which must be one of the most photographed parts of the Dorset coastline, I settled for the view looking west with a brave Artist wearing shorts. I had five layers on, freezing !

After that it was back to Arne to see what was about. Other than loads of Goldfinches there were no Spoonbills, Dartford Warblers. I did briefly catch a glimpse of two Seals though. Again, they suddenly vanished before I could take a shot.

It was then I noticed something white quite a distance away and spotted the White Deer. Speaking to one of the Wardens, these are not Albinos, just genetical ‘errors’, there’s about six of them scattered about apparently.

Even so, made for another day finding something different.

Speaking of different, I couldn’t be staying at a Campsite close to Corfe without going to see the Norden to Swanage Steam Train, so stopped off to duly take a few photos and Video !
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Trip to Arne Day 2

Posted on 17th October 2017 by Richard

Dartford Warblers

Day 2 was a special day, I’d photographed a Dartford Warbler from a distance at Minsmere last year but wanting a closer view of one I made it my days quest to find one here at Arne.

Dartford Warbler. Bad light so excuse the pixels

One of the volunteer RSPB Wardens told me of the best areas, so of I went. I asked a few locals if they’d seen any today and all replies came back as “haven’t seen one for a few weeks”.
After waiting and watching in the known favourite spot, I gave up and started walking back to the Car Park. I saw one ‘last chance saloon’ in the form of a small footpath going up through the Gorse, walked about 10 meters and two suddenly popped up!

Not being sure if they would stay long enough to get a shot of them both, I made about three quick clicks before thay upped and went !

Parasol Fungi – Birch Fungi

More Fungi and a Stag

The walk from the Hide to Shipstal Beach takes you through a nice mixture of Woodland, wetland and damp overgrowth, ideal for Fungi and through the summer, Snakes and other Reptiles.

At this time of the year, the Fungi is showing well and there aren’t many trees or rotting branches which haven’t something growing on or around them.

Me disturbing the Wildlife as usual !!

Taking the route back from Shipstral to the RSPB Centre you go through more Woodland with a massive amount of large Chestnut Trees, thus Squirrels are very popular as are occasional human foragers!
Then it’s back on to the fields where Stags and Deer are pretty prominant, some more shy than others! If you don’t see one, being rutting time, you certainly hear them now and again.

Except for the bad light, it was a good day, back to the Campsite via Sainsbury’s where I noticed a Raven sitting right next to the Van. As always, I didn’t have the Camera to hand !

I think that’s the best tip for Arne and the surrounding areas, always have a camera ready.

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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’.
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Razorbills, Choughs and Seabirds on Skomer

Posted on 11th May 2017 by Richard

Beside going to Skomer to see the birds and other wildlife, visiting at this time of the year affords you a glorious array of Bluebells. Those who may have thought these flowers are for woodland only – you are mistaken, a huge carpet covers much of the Island.

The one thing that often surpises us is where birds decide to nest and on Skomer, as soon as you get off the boat, the path takes you to within about 5 meters of a Razorbills nest ! Having only seen them from afar before, the sharpness and clarity of their pattern is unique..

The nice thing about seeing Choughs, for me the first time, is they only reside on the west coats of Wales, lower western Scotland and Ireland, plus the fact there are only some 300 odd pairs in the Country, a bonus.
I saw five following each other around on the northern part of Skomer. At first sight they can obviously be mistaken for Vlackbirds or Crows from afar, but getting closer to them you catch the glimpse of their distinctive red beaks and feet.
Black birds are always a problem to photograph, but I managed a few all be it not the best!

Beside that, where do you start. Beside the more common smaller birds there’s much more on show; Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Shags, Fulmers and many Predators..

Raven – Fulmer – Barrel Jelly Fish (real whopper!)

Skomer is owned and run by the Pembrokeshire Wildlife Trust. You can buy a limited amount of Snacks and Drinks at the Shop there, but if visiting for the full five hours or so, I suggest taking a packed lunch. For more details go to their Website

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Waders, Geese, Ducks & more at Warsash

Posted on 29th January 2017 by Richard

If you enjoy watching or photographing Waders, Geese and most other Birds then Warsash / Hook-In-Warsash are certainly two great places to visit.
Being only a short drive from my daughter’s house in Netley, I always find time to pop over there for a few hours, never disappoints.

Black Tailed Godwit

If the tide is out or halfway between you’re virtually certain to see Redshanks, Curlews, Black Tailed Godwits, Turnstones, Sandpipers.
Duck wise there’s never a shortage of Wigeon, Shovelers, Teal, Gadwalls, Pochards. In Winter I’ve not yet been let down by strong attendance of Brent Geese.

Brent Goose – Turnstone – Wigeon

With only one day of my five there forecasted to be dry and even then only for the morning I drove to Warsash Car Park and walked about three quarters of a mile northwards toward Swanwick. On one side of the River Hamble you have an assembly of parked Yachts and on the east side just a footpath running alongside the water and some 50 meters or do of marsh and reed, ideal for a great variety of our feathered friends.
In fact, this was the first time I didn’t see one of the Kingfishers which sit on the fence posts or the steep mud banks 200 meters from the Car Park.

After an hour I moved on to Hook-In-Warsash, just a mile drive southward and closer to where the River meets Southampton Water.
My first patrol was to the water’s edge, usually I’ll see quite a few smaller birds but today, beside Blackbirds and Robins, was an exception.

From there it was further south to where the road ends. A walk along a Private Lane / Walkers Right of Way with fields both sides and nice hedgerows produced a Green Woodpecker resting, a Curlew in the river side field along with some wild Deer.
I was hoping I may see the Little Owl which I saw last year but it seems he or she has found a new daytime resting place.

Curlew waiting for the tide to go out

As I returned to the Campervan, it started to spit with rain. Perfectly timed and a very nice three or so hours indeed.
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Minsmere Trip – Munjacs and Otters

Posted on 26th October 2016 by Richard

October afforded me a few days to spare so I decided to make a 3 day trip up to Minsmere staying at a campsite next door to now renowned RSPB Reserve.

A delightful time occasionally interrupted with the odd shower and strong winds.

Like most keen wildlife enthusiasts I was after a few ‘firsts’ and was duly rewarded.
Spending a bit of time in the Island Mere Hide I was rewarded with a pretty good view of two Otters swimming in a pool amongst the reeds about 30 meters away.

I was looking for Bearded Tits really (see next post) so the Otter came as a nice surprise.

On my way back to the Restaurant there (good price and great food) I happened upon three Munjacs. I’d caught eye on some earlier in the day but they were quick to get away. Probably fed up with cameras being pointed at them.

I’d never seen them before and could only explain them as short dumpy Deer and looking like a somewhat oversized Dog!

Going through more grassland I was hoping to get a view of any late Adders, but none to be seen.

The nice thing about Minsmere is the ever changing habitats; you have woodland, marshland, grass, fields and the beach of course.
A little on the busy side, thanks to Springwatch, but well worth the visit.

A mixed weekend down the Lane and Conningbrook

Posted on 23rd August 2016 by Richard

The weekend started with meeting up with the very knowledgeable birder Neil Burt (See Neil’s Twitter Page) at Conningbrook Lakes.
Regret to say that whenever you arrange to meet someone the weather’s bad, but the rain eased at 7.45pm and we had a look at the Little Egrets coming in to roost on the Eco Lake – 10 came.
Unfortunately the light was not good enough to take photos but it was a most enjoyable evening and I gained much knowledge from Neil.

Slow Worm at Conningbrook. A Warden reckoned this is about one year old

On Sunday I thought I’d try to walk over to the Lakes via the fields and footpaths down the Lane. A slightly crafty short cut enabled me to walk at good pace in just 20 minutes, a total of 1.2 miles to the Eco Lake rather than 1.42 from the Car Park.
Although a pleasant afternoon the only sound of smaller birds was from within the heavy leaved trees, but I did come across a Slow Worm and enjoyed just sitting in peace for half an hour by the northern lake.

Common Blue – Greater Spotted Woodpecker – Spotted Flycatcher

On my way back I went more the proper route. The footpath overgrown in many places did exhibit lots of Butterflies and Damselflies.

The rest of the afternoon was spent pottering around the Garden with Camera at the ready should anything arise. This worked well as a Juvenile Blackbird sat on the Garden Shed roof and devoured a couple of Blackberries all be it he or she needs to get her technique right and follow our Mum’s demands of ‘eat smaller pieces or you’ll choke’ ! All part of the learning process.

Tench joins the Chub down the Lane

Posted on 14th August 2016 by Richard

A hundred years ago there were three Mills down the Lane here in Kennington Kent 1. Windmill 2. Steam Mill and 3. Water Mill.
All three Mills closed quite a while ago and when that happened, the MillPond was shut of and the Stream which flows from Eastwell Lake to The Great Stour was diverted around the Mill House taking in two waterfalls on the way.

For years there have been Chub ‘locked in’ a stretch of Stream of about 100 meters, some parts sheltered, some parts deep, lots of crevices and covered partly by an underground section below the house and two bridges.
I wouldn’t know how many generations the Chub have been through, every year you see babies but more often than not a Heron will predate them.

Just a week ago a Tench has turned up, obviously swept down stream from the Lake, it can’t go further to the River and can’t return to the Lake due to the Waterfalls.

Eastwell Lake from where the Tench came from – bit of a difference!

What is surprising, I don’t know anything about fish, is how they are all living so socially together.
Luckily my brother is A1 on fish and informs me that this can only be good for the Chub. Tench are also known as ‘Doctor Fish’ and other fish will rub up against them for medicinal purposes.

The shame is of course, the Tench hasn’t a Mate to progress it’s family, so maybe just a passing visitor but much liked by the Chub and indeed the four neighbours down the Lane who love going to watch them.

Dungeness – Stoat poses for a picture

Posted on 11th August 2016 by Richard

The night before I visit Dungeness, either RSPB, the Reserve or Beach I will always look at other peoples Blogs to see what they’ve seen and often giving me a good guide as to where to Search.
For quite some time I’ve read of a Stoat being spotted, even a family seen and photographed along the Road leading to the British Trust for Ornithology.

Yesterday I found references of that day for various Gulls and other lesser seen birds, so I went off in pursuit of a few good first time spots.

Needless to say, as is the case so often, I found none of them although it was good to watch the Common Terns feeding their young from the Denge Hide – albeit, extremely noisy!
After a two hour walk round and finding some Golden Plovers sitting in amidst the Lapwings at the ARC, I decided to make my way back to the Camper and head home slowly via the Romney Marshes taking in Fairfield and Appledore.

Then, just as I started back from ‘The Pines’ I saw the Stoat darting accross in front of me. Experience has it that when you are sprung a surprise, after you’ve taken aim with your Camera, whatever it is, shoots off in great speed.

But this big one didn’t, just popped over the rough path to the edge of the woods, stopped and found fascination by just looking at me.
A minute later and it was gone in their usual roller coaster type action.

Never a dull day, never a disappointing one, wherever and when you go, something pops up !!

Wildlife Diary

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

Tag Archives: Misc.Wildlife