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 !

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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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.

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 !

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Hobby, Dragon Flies and more at Dungeness

Posted on 27th May 2016 by Richard

26th. May 2016

Todays outing RSPB Dungeness and the Beach there produced some great sights, even if they were all quite common such as Hobbies, Buntings, Gulls and Dragon Flies.

I noticed quite a few Birders around and it came to light that a Laughing Gull had been seen to the west of the Power Station. I looked at the walk it entailed and to be honest, although a chance to get a rarer bird, decided I’d already walked far enough.
As it happened I was told it flew away about half an hour before I found out, so it saved me a route march!

The Hobby

There were two reasons for going today; 1. A Hobby and 2. A Bittern, I didn’t see or hear the latter.
As always with searches for something you want, it wasn’t until I’d walked around for about an hour before I spotted it and what a sight that it, about the size of a Kestrel but seemingly more agile in it’s flight.
It didn’t perch but I managed a passing Shot.

Side view of the Hobby – Male Reed Bunting – Dungeness Old Lighthouse

Red Hot Poker – Whitethroat – Tree Sparrow

A male and a female Reed Bunting gave me a pretty good pose along by Denge Marsh plus a Whitethroat kindly took off just as I clicked.

The Stream from Denge back to Boulderwall Farm was littered with Marsh Frogs but as hard as I tried all I got was that plop noise as they heard me and dived for cover!
I did see a nice Four Spotted Chaser though and this shone quite well in the midday sun.

At Boulderwall Farm the Tree Sparrows were in full song and busying themselves around the Bird Feeders in the front Garden. Not many about now, so good to see they’re well looked after there.

After a cup of Coffee in the back of the Van at the ARC Car Park I popped along the Beach. Nothing much about but saw a rather splendid wild Red Hot Poker growing all on it’s own halfway down the Beach.

A pleasant day

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

On the fields in late April

Posted on 29th April 2016 by Richard

A blowy and overcast late April day but nice to walk around the fields at the end of the Lane.
In just half a mile I have a stream, fields and a River to play around in, so it’s quite rare not to spot something flying about or creeping through the undergrowth.

Today produced a Mistle Thrush scurrying around on the footpath and looking at me with a rather satisfying but cautious look! We don’t seem to get Song Thrushes here and it’s not every day I see a Mistle Thrush. All’s the pity, lovely Songbird.

Just to the other side of the field there’s a rather scruffy hedgerow. When I say scruffy I mean it’s supposed to be, the Farmer is associated to the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and the required 15 meter wild buffers around his fields together with strict guidelines on hedge maintenance, gives a green light for many birds to visit.
Prides of place at present are Yellowhammers and Linnets, fine beautiful birds.

The Rapeseed (thank heavens I don’t suffer with it) seems to be attracting many Whitethroats and are often seen sitting on the top of a Plant blowing around in the wind.
From a distance it’s hard to determine them from the Skylarks which rule the fields down here.

Plenty of song but little actually seen.

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

Conningbrook Lakes – 27th. April

Posted on 27th April 2016 by Richard

Conningbrook Lakes are now a part of Ashford Country Park, made up of four lakes they stretch out over a distance of about one mile.
The main lake is to be used more for leisure purposes but ‘the Eco Lake’ is being kept very much more on the lines of a Nature Reserve with much Reed and surrounding woodland.

A trip down there this morning, cold as it was, produced a beautiful Whitethroat darting in and out of the tall shrubs. It appeared there was only one, but it was the first one I’d seen this year.
Beside the usual Gulls and around 40 / 50 Swans there wasn’t much about, but plodding on as one does I was given a lovely hovering display by a Kestrel on the prowl no doubt for a mid morning snack of Field Mouse!

A walk along the bank of the Great Stour which flows alongside the Park afforded much noise, but no birds to be seen, not even the usual Heron or Little Egret.
Recent rainy weather has raised the water level up a lot of late and the pity is that a mile up stream lays Ashford Town Centre where some lazy layabouts, or just plain ignorant people throw away all sorts of things into the River. This morning, together with the countless number of empty drinks bottles I noticed a Bus Stop sign.

What a shame it always lays upon Volunteers to do all the clearing up. Maybe Community Service would cover this job, especially for those who are guilty of more social offences.

However, a pleasant couple of hours and home in time for Lunch!

Main Web Site article for Conningbrook Lakes

Kent Wildlife Trust Web Site

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: Whitethroat

Small Birds – Hook with Warsash in June

Out and about again more

Garden Birds Midsummer Day

Garden Bird Visitors in Waltham Chase

End of May down the Lane

More birds inland Pembrokeshire

Swallows

Hobby, Dragon Flies and more at Dungeness

On the fields in late April

Conningbrook Lakes – 27th. April