Garden Birds Midsummer Day

Posted on 23rd June 2020 by Richard

Garden Bird Visitors in Waltham Chase

Now living in a Flat, it was great to be asked to feed an acquaintances Garden Birds for a week. Knowing they have a high number of birds turning up daily I obviously took my Camera along. Highlight was this nicely posed Bullfinch, the best photo I have yet of this magnificent bird.

Another more unusual visitor turning up were a pair of Nuthatches toing and froing from the trees in the fields behind and the Feeders in their characteristic acrobatic style.

The Nuthatch jumping from tree to feeder

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker – Whitethroat

The longest day of the year but the shortest time I’ve ever had to wait for a Bullfinch to appear !

One thing the worry of Coronavirus has given us is the situation to explore what’s around us and to soak in the beauty of nature and wildlife.
On my way home I passed quite a few walkers out and about walking to the fields, the woods and maybe beyond.

It was a good day.

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Redpolls and Siskins in the New Forest

Posted on 11th March 2019 by Richard

A typical Garden in the National Park

A great new venue for watching wildlife has been achieved by my Sister moving to Burley Village in the New Forest and in late February, early March visits I was entertained by Redpolls and Siskins greedily setting about her Bird Feeders.

First to arrive were the Siskins who happily shared the feeders with Goldfinches, Sparrows with the usual Blackbirds picking up the scraps and crumbs from underneath only to be disturbed by the occasional visitor to the front garden in the form of Rufus, my Sister’s black Labrador.
Overall, the gardens have a wealth of daily bird visitors; in the back there are Sparrows, Blue and Great Tits with the Long Tailed Tits flitting around from bush to bush and tree to tree. Around and about, Nuthatches were out in numbers, Yellowhammers, Common Buzzards. In the woods and edges of the heathland Green Woodpeckers were heard plus the odd sight of a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Fishlake Meadows

A few days later I went to Fishlake Meadows, a large Reserve just north side of Romsey.
This was quite some day, no sooner had I started my walk I saw Treecreepers, Chiffchaffs, solo Greenfinch and Chaffinches. Upon going along to the viewing area, a Great White Egret was slowly walking alongside the Reed Beds, two Pintails appeared.

Great White Egret – Pintails – Nuthatch

Seeing so many bird species in the last two or three weeks has given me some optimism for a good Spring and Summer of bird breeding and hopefully successful fledging.

Not long now !

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Wildlife highlights January

Posted on 4th February 2019 by Richard

Mid winter sent me, as well as my usual two wildlife patches around Bishop’s Waltham just to Titchfield Haven, Totten and the New Forest.

Around the Patch included 100’s of Redwing. Not unusual at this time of the year but maybe unusual in the fact I didn’t see any Fieldfare. Of special interest to them were the Football Pitches, medium height and quite soggy most of the time.

It’s surprising how many wild Deer you get around here. They keep you on your toes because you never seem to know where they’re going to spring out from. When they do make a run, it’s a hopeful grab of the camera. On the rare occasion, this works quite well !

Redwing – Song Thrush – Waxwing

Waxwings don’t often appear in this part of the Country. Suddenly quite a large flock turned up at Totten where they stripped the trees in the Asda Car Park dry. Shoppers were quite bemused by some 30 Birders a day turning up, they even attracted BBC South who gave them good coverage !

Black Tailed Godwits

Titchfield Haven sported the usual Waders including quite a few Black Tailed Godwits and Avocets.
The Turnstones which congregate along the beach opposite the Visitor Centre and Restaurant attract many visitors and they integrate with the passers by in a very tame manner.

All in all it was a pretty much normal January here in South Hampshire although a number of Ospreys were spotted around the coast and a good number of Goshawks within the New Forest.

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A move to Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire

Posted on 19th April 2018 by Richard

After nearly 18 years down the Lane I have upsticked and moved to Bishop’s Waltham in Hampshire; closer to the family, turned 70 with parts of my body not doing what they’re supposed to be doing so well out in the Garden etc!!
A comfortable Flat and very close to two Reserves and a short drive to the River Hamble Estuary, Titchfield and the New Forest.

Young Mallards on the march

Yesterday was my first day having a couple of good walks around and about.
First, a walk takes me 200 meters down the Road to a footpath which was once the railway line. This carries on for about 500 meters then footpaths through Farmland, fields, woodland and finishing up on the Playing Fields behind me.
There’s also a couple of nice streams running along nicely shaded glens.

Sparrowhawk – Nuthatch – Speckled Wood

The second walk is at Claylands Reserve, about a 400 meter walk away. This one’s a bit hilly but gives a nice vista, a few fields and a boggy base.

Certainly a lot to look forward to.

Bullfinch

Spring has Sprung

After the cold weather with much rain of late, it’s suddenly got silly. From single figures last week, it’s now in the low 20’s.
This certainly seems to have woken things up a bit with many Summer birds turning up and loads of Butterflies darting around all over the place.
As well as the two photos show, I saw Orange Tips, Large / Small Whites, Peacocks and a plentiful number of large Brimstones.

Comma

Next plan of action is to have a good look round ground level for any Owl Pellets and Hedgehog poos.
It certainly seems good countryside for predators and I’ve already seen Sparrowhawks, Common Buzzards plus I understand that Red Kites pay regular visits.

The future is bright as they say!

Winter’s day birdwatching at Godmersham

Posted on 19th January 2018 by Richard

As I said in my previous post, the small village of Godmersham is only two miles from my place and I seldom go there bird watching.
I’ve certainly, up to the last week, missed out this winter, beside the wonderful appearance of Hawfinches, there’s an array of small birds about with a constant chorus of song.

Goldcrest

The busiest day this week was Wednesday, no sooner had I got out of the Van did I see three Goldcrests jumping between a Yew Tree and the Graveyard wall, then looking upwards, a Grey Wagtail sitting on the roof of the Church.

Goldfinch – Long Tailed Tit – Grey Wagtail

Mistle Thrush – Treecreeper – Greenfinch

Walking along the Lane I encounted two Nuthatches and 4 Treecreepers which although not rare, not often seen so much in the open, if seen at all !

Long Tailed Tits and Goldcrests were most in number, never seen so many in one area.
Add to that 4 Greenfinches and two Mistle Thrushes, you just couldn’t find anything negative on a beautifully sunny Winter’s day.
One Lady arrived from further down the Lane and said she was watching a Blackbird foraging when a Sparrowhawk came down and took it away in one foul swoop.

Nuthatch

One thing which did surprise me was a few of the Birders remarking on Coal Tits. I never knew they are maybe one of the lesser seen birds. Without sounding too much of a show off I told them I have about a dozen in my Garden every day!

Male Chaffinch

Little Egret in River next to Church

All in all, a special morning out and with the Hawfinches as well has to go down as one of the best days as well.
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Woodland at Hook with Warsash

Posted on 14th March 2017 by Richard

Just a mile on from Warsash and where the River Hamble finally flows into Southampton Water, is Hook with Warsash.
There are a number of walks around and about, one to the water’s edge going through semi Woodland and Reeds, another into Woodland and finally open field and heath.

Chiffchaff in early Spring noisy mode!

I usually do a little of them all and for those who think miles, it’s not, the three areas can be done by walking probably just a mile and a half and all walks have their own character and tundra.

Goldfinch

Again you will be subject to the passing dog or Cyclist but the area is large enough for you to find your own little corners and angles.
On this walk I went for the Woodland section and was surprised at how many birds I saw.

Greenfinch – Goldcrest

I didn’t have to look far to see Nuthatches and Goldcrests, two fo the not so easy to spot birds.
There were many Green Woodpeckers in the long grass of the open land, but too quick for me this time, pity.

Nuthatch

The other nice thing about this area is that it can be quite windy along the water, but most of the Woodland and Heath is protected from any cold breezes which may be apparent.
Other things to look out for are the occasional Weasel and Curlews feeding in the Fields when the tide is in, also a place where 100’s of Geese can take a rest.

I always enjoy it there. Even if I see few birds, the scenery is splendid and the tall trees give the Woodland areas quite an ancient feel.
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Foxes & Nuthatches around the Garden

Posted on 9th January 2017 by Richard

Fox mating time

It’s the time of the year for Foxes to get together for mating and this seems to be happening with our daily visiting Fox down the Lane.

Daphne, as we call her, has been coming here since early Summer. I started to feed her as at that time she seemed quite poorly.
Needless to say, she got wind of this and it became a daily procedure of sitting alongside the Garden in the large drive waiting for food to be suitably served.
This could be any time from 2pm !

Over the last week or so much barking has been heard in the early hours of the morning, mainly in the front Garden. It would seem that young ones will not be far away in late March or April!

Birds around the Garden

Yesterday I did an experiment as to how many varieties of birds I could see in a 10 minute watch of the Feeders – Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robins, House Sparrows, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Collared Doves, Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Nuthatch (quite rare here).

Don’t forget the 2017 RSPB National Birdwatch – 28th to 30th. January. Information on the RSPB Web Site here

Thorn twigs around the base of the Bird Table to prevent Rats and Mice climbing !!

All n all pretty pleasing, especially the House Sparrows for which we have probably a dozen nesting in the Ivy at the back of the house during the night.
With such a decline of these once extremely common Birds, it’s a joy.

With some snow on the way it will give me a good opportunity of strolling around both the Garden and Fields to see what footprints I can find. For some time I’ve been wondering if Badgers are present on the perimeter of the nearby woods. If they are there, an added bonus and I can set up my Trail Camera accordingly.