Garden Wildlife early June

Posted on 11th June 2017 by Richard

I’m unsure how much wildlife and nature watching I’ll be doing in June. On the 13th (hopefully not unlucky) I’m in Hospital for an operation and by what I hear, June will be a month where I’m confined to Barracks.
However, a good opportunity to really watch what’s what around the Garden, so all is not lost.

Painted LadyAt present it’s the time of new birth; Sparrows, Tits, Wrens and Blackbirds, the Garden is heaving with youngsters getting to know the ropes of survival, busying themselves fetching food with the occasional punch up on the way!

Fledged Wren – Young Blue Tit – Young Long Tailed TitHighlights thus far have been finding a Grass Snake under one of the rubber mats I put down plus an enormous Painted Lady which sat and posed rather nicely for me.
Last year I only saw one Painted Lady, that being at Samphire Hoe, so I’m hoping for more. Magical Butterflies and a wonder they fly from North Africa to here.

Parent and young Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Parent and recently fledged Greater Spotted WoodpeckersOur Fox is still visiting daily and has had four Cubs. Regretably she hasn’t brought them up to show us yet, but they have been observed playing on the field below early mornings.
Being she has had a dodgy rear leg for quite some time we’re still feeding her. The Jam Sandwiches and Cat Food seem to be the winners for her, she’ll pick up a few and march off to give to her young, returning some minutes later for some more.
Interestingly, she feeds them first.

Speckled Wood – Ladybird Larvae – SparrowhawkA bit worrying when I was just outside the door and a huge pannicky rustle came from the nearby Laurel Bush, a Sparrowhawk.
Always a pity when a small bird gets snatched but it’s the old ‘I know an old lady who swallowed a fly’ scenario. Every creature has to live and all part of the chain.

The only other slightly worrying thing is the Invasive Ladybird and there’s quite a few Larvae in amongst the Stinging Nettles. The only good thing I suppose is they may eat any Aphids around my Vegetable Plants !

[fblike]

Egyptian Goose at Conningbrook

Posted on 21st February 2017 by Richard

Another nice surprise

Conningbrook Lakes is definitely coming up with a few surprises at present, in the last few weeks I’ve seen a Goldcrest close up, a Bittern and now Egyptian Geese.

Fair enough they’re not endangered, not are they ‘official’ but the fact remains that up to a few years ago they were only seen in Norfolk, but now for whatever reason they’re being spotted more and more in the Home Counties.

Once again it had been a walk over the fields and eagerly anticipating something on the Eco and main Lakes, it wasn’t until I got back to the Northern Lake did I get today’s nice surprise.

I was actually standing quite still with eyes peeled to see if I could catch the Bittern in full view when I heard the sounds of heavy wings flying overhead.
I knew what they were straight away as someone else had spotted them on the nearby fields some weeks ago. There were three of them.

As always, a rear view shot, but in some ways better because it shows their feathers and assortment of colours up quite well.

Other than that it as all quiet on the western front. A couple of Stonechats were resting on the telegraph cables next to the railway line and a Wren was doing a Monty Python silly walk along the barbed wire barrier fence.

Every day produces something.
[fblike]

Winter kicks in at Conningbrook Lakes

Posted on 26th January 2017 by Richard

After a relatively mild December and early January Winter finally kicked in and has given us to date more than a week where temperatures have only just got above freezing during the day and downwards to Minus 7c at night !

Conningbrook Lake

Luckily I got a lift to the main entrance which enabled me a one way walk home around the Lakes and over the fields.
The lakes were 90% frozen over with just a little area of open water on the east side where a congregation of Swans, Canada Geese, some Shovelers, Gadwalls, Tufted Ducks and Mallards took shelter. Oh., plus the countless number of Coots needless to say!

Goldcrest

Keeping an eye on me !

The trees around the Lake, especially between the main lake and Eco Lake were well occupied by Goldfinches, Long Tailed Tits and Chaffinches busying themselves in a short spell of misty sunlight.
The Eco Lake was bare with not even a mandatory Little Egret or Heron to be seen. Apparently the Great White Egret was about but the fog over most of the area didn’t give a view of more than 50 meters or so.

Cold birds stick together ! – The Song Thrush foraging the field

However, the area around the North Lake was quite bright. In the trees next to the Great Stour I thought I saw a Wren flitting about the branches. Upon a closer look I realised it was a Goldcrest acrobatically digging whatever he or she could from the bark of various branches.
I have to say I find these birds a real delight, the smallest European bird and weighing just under the weight of a 10p coin.

Back over the Fields

The walk back over the fields didn’t produce much although I disturbed two Common Snipe who needless to say rushed out and flew off with great speed not allowing me to get a photograph.

It was only when I got near to home a few birds appeared; a Song Thrush in the field, a Wren on the Stream bank and a few Lapwings in the field.
It seemed the greatest number of birds about were actually in my Garden!

I’m off to Southampton at the end of the week so will try to take a few hours out and visit two of my favourite spots at Warsash and Hook, both where the Hamble River enters Southampton Water. Maybe an Owl, you never know !

Juvenile Garden Birds on a sunny Summers day

Posted on 6th August 2016 by Richard

With the temperature at over 25 degrees this morning I thought it good to get Camera, sit in the shade and watch the juvenile Garden Birds at work, rest and play.
At present Blackbirds seem to be the main event, all day long they’re either noisily scurrying through the dead leaves under the Laurel Tree and occasionally taking a stroll across the Lawn in search of Worms. I have to say they’re pretty good at it!

Highlight was probably the Wren who seemed to not notice my slight movements and came to within 6 feet away from me. Having only my telescopic lens on, I had to wait for quite a few minutes before it was at a good enough distance to focus.

Blackbird – Dunnock – Great Tit

The seed on the Bird Table wasn’t attracting much, which I thought to be good, they were all searching through Grass or fluttering around in the overgrown Bramble and Rose Bushes.
Certainly the baby Chaffinches were, never stood still for more than a few seconds!

Male Chaffinch – Coal Tit – Lapwings

The Robin pictured seemed to either be airing himself or had slipped through the Bench Seat Slats! Whatever, he remained quite still for a good two minutes.
It’s the first year we seem to have Coal Tits in the Garden so it’s a pleasure to see a number of young ones about.
The Dunnocks however are always here in numbers. Their behaviour reminds me of keeping ex-Battery Hens, they’re full of cred and on the look out for the first piece of food that becomes available.

All in all a great two hours just spent observing and learning. The only overhead birds I saw were about 20 Lapwings doing a fairly low fly pass. Last Winter they spent their time on the field just below my house. Maybe it’s a sign of the forthcoming end to Summer and they’re seeking lower land or possibly, as a few day, migrating south.

Birds all action down the Lane!

Posted on 11th July 2016 by Richard

There was much happening with the birds down the Lane this morning, it seems that many are now on their second hatching’s of the Summer, loud high note tweets coming from everywhere!

The young Wren takes a break on the Greenhouse roof

Luckily I was in the Garden when I heard something hit the Kitchen window and upon searching around the bush below I found a stranded and somewhat dazed young Blue Tit.

First reaction is not to touch it until you’re pretty sure it’s not just going to adjust itself and fly away, handling them at a very young age can lead to them being unwanted by the parents making life much more of a struggle for them. This one however looked pretty much out of it and if you leave them, they’ll often just give up.
After holding it for a few minutes it climbed on to my fingers and perched there for a good 15 minutes before flying off into a nearby bush where it took another 15 minute rest before flying off down the Lane. Success!

Meanwhile in the back Garden there were some horrendous panic / warning cries from some Wrens who had obviously caught sight of my Ginger Cat lurking around. They didn’t know it, but Ginger takes no notice of Birds, he’ll sit there and just watch them stroll by, saw him being chased by a Magpie once!

It helps to wear a hat when you leave the door though!!

One nice thing about stepping out of the back door is that it’s right below a House Sparrows nest and this again is a noisy place to be at present. From the tone and pitch of them I’d say they’re not far off fledging, so my Camera awaits.

Until then it’s quite a joy watching the Parents flying in and out with food goodies for them. Also nice is the fact they have built the nest well into the eaves so this should stop the Crows and Jays from getting them whilst still there.

Beside that, mostly quiet but still getting visits from the young Rabbits who, thankfully, don’t seem to be after my Vegetables.
There are definitely more about this year compared to last, but last year we had ‘Big Ron’ the cat, who at i stone 4lbs would demolish 2 or 3 Rabbits a week.
Sadly he passed away in early Spring.

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: Wrens