Avoiding the cold and windy local patch

The Safari is getting fed up with the grim weather, there just seems to be no respite from it...Noah only had to put up with 40 days and 40 nights of rain, we've had six flamin months of the stuff!!! And the wind...did Noah have to suffer howling gales week in week out? Our wildlife garden is beyond battered and bruised as well as mostly underwater, we really hope it recovers.

When news broke of a Common Scoter on Stanley Park lake it gave us the opportunity to get away from the promenade and the worst of the weather, at least there's a bit of shelter in the park. As it happened we bumped into a couple of our neighbours also walking their dog here to escape the weather. T'mutt and old Paddy had a sniff around while we pointed out the Ring Necked Parakeets and Nuthatches to our friends. At the lake we quickly found the Common Scoter but it was a long way off, against the light and asleep, so perhaps not the best thing to show newby wildlifers, it was just a dot in the distance, although a much bigger dot than we normally see through our scope from the prom, and wouldn't have meant much to them - brighty coloured parakeets and Blue Tits crossed with woodpeckers were much more easily appreciated. We left them to their walk while we went to try to get a closer look, or at least a further look but in slightly better light, from the bridges. Still not the best view and it hadn't woken up as you can see.

Good to see a bonus Common Sandpiper too. It was swimming around whilst sleeping and drifted to the front corner of the island so was a little nearer.

We strolled on anticipating it would have woken up by the time we'd done a circuit of the lake. As we crossed the bridge a pair of Great Tits scolded us loudly, they must have had a nest somewhere close by. The roadside path wasn't producing anything much and as we said in our last missive we're not going to take any more shots of Tufted Ducks unless they're engaged in some unusual behaviour, which they weren't today. We hoped to find the Great Crested Grebes engaged in thir weed ddance display but only one was out on thevwater and that was right in the middle. It did catch a decent sized fish but 'processed' and swallowed it facing away from us so no photo...Rude! Passing Heron Island we saw the wind-felled tree and the nest with two youngsters thankfully OK and doing well after the calamity.

Every day out on safari has a soundtrack and today's was Wrens, they were everywhere blasting out their happy little ditty.

Robins, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps provided the accompaniment although all remained unseen or seen only very briefly. The fallen tree in the top corner of the lake held an acrobatic Moorhen - we do like a Moorhen up a tree they just seem so incongruous and ungainly clambering about in the twiggery.

Not jumping just unbalanced, the twigs are too small for its huge feet!

Nearly down now and at least it can grip this thicker branch.

You've got to ask why? It climbed up from the lake shore to about 10 feet then seemed to get vertigo and clambered down as quick as maybe. But what made it go up in the first place, it definitely wasn't looking for food while it was up there - more concentrating on not falling out of the tree. They must just like to go up from time to time to get a different persperctive on their world. 

Continuing further round the lakeside path we came across another showy Wren, most of them were singing from deep cover.

On the remains of the barrier across the lake separating the Conservation Area from the main lake stood two more Common Sandpipers.

Eventually we made our way round the north lake and saw the Common Scoter again at least now it was awake and in abit better light although back on the far side of the island.

Off we went round to the south bank for, hopefully, a better view. On the way we heard a Nuthatch calling loudly from behind the boathouse and went to investigate. We soon saw one go into a hole in a tree and waited for it to come out.

We waited round for it to return which it did a couple of times before coming back once more with a massive bit of stick which, after a good look around to make sure no -one was watching, it took inside.

As for the Common Scoter, yes it was a bit nearer and yes it was awake but the light was still dire.

The following day we decided to avoid the prom again and with some bright sunshine hoped to get better pics of the Common Scoter. We found it straight away, tucked under the overhanging branches fringing the island fast asleep - no chance of a pic! A Cormorant made a nice silhouette against the early morning sunshine.

And today the Great Crested Grebe was a little easier to get a pic of zthough still not perfect nor doig the dance thingy.

We had another look at the Heron chicks in their water-side nest but waited for a pic of one off the adults stood calmly at the water's edge ignoring photographers, dog walkers, joggers etc passing close by.

Today's soundtrack was Blackcaps but they refused to be photographed as we walked along the lakeside to go and have another look at the Nuthatch nest. We stood there for the best part of 20 minutes but not a sniff of a Nuthatch today. The best thing we noticed was a Horse Chestnut sapling growing out of a hole on the truck of a neighbouring Plane tree. We wonder how that's going to turn out in the future.

Wandering on past the boating jetty we noticed a couple of Cormorants enjoying a bit of sunbathing, and why not - the sun has been a rare commodity in recent weeks if not months.

We love the green eye and scaly patern on these prehistoric looking beasts.

Especially when they get a bit closer.

And are very striking in their full breeding attire, the white head feathers we usued to think of as representing the continental subspecies 'sinensis' but this one is difinately 'just' a 'regular' north Atlantic 'carbo'.

As for the Common Scoter? It didn't come out from under the foliage.

With the weather being so bad we've spent quite a bit of time garden watching and had a few unusual sightings to report. First up a Blue Tit on our feeders is a real rarity, no doubt an inordinately common sight in many of our readers' gardens but here not so. Last year we only had 39 sightings of Blue Tits in the garden, that's less than one a week, and normally they're too afraid of the three dozen rumbustuous House Sparrows to go anywhere near the feeders.

An unknown neighbour feeds the local Grey Squirrels a mixture of Hazel nuts, Walnuts and monkey nuts. These get eaten or more often than not stached for later. We've got a couple of Hazel seedlings growing in our borders and one near neighbour has them growing among her pot plants. We regularly get craters dug in the lawn where a Walnut has been buried. We like seeing the squirrels carrying these around - a nut as big as their head!

Over our back fence ther's a pair of Blackbirds nesting and they regularly visit our lawn to forage...too many local lawns are made of lifeless plastic and totally useless to the Blackbirds or indeed anything else. If you're on X (formerly Twitter) have a follow of @ShitLawns. The Blackbirds find worms and sonmetimes what look like leatherjackets (Cranefly larvae) from our lawn but this time the male has found a large slug and spent several minutes wiping across the grass to deslime it, fascinating to watch.

Those three pics were taken through salt-encrusted double glazing so apologies for the lack of quality.

Yesterday we joined the volunteers at Marton Mere again. They were getting a pond ready for a pond dipping event coming up soon so we had our wellies on ready for work.We got stuck in forking pulled reeds and rushes into the wheelbarrow for disposal...it felt like being a teenager on the farm shoveling horse do-doos again...until our back had a little ping and we knew it's been a very long time since we were a teenager! With a big excting safari coming up soon we had to stop work, can't rick a bad back for that. Instead we had a gentle stroll around the reserve to see what we could see and then meet up with the group of volunteers working further on. At first we didn't see much but our ears heard plenty. Our first Reed Warblers of the year, a singing Reed Bunting trying to make itself heard against the strong wind, soundtrack of the day were the numerous Cetti's Warblers and best of all a Grasshopper Warbler which we caught a couple of brief snatches of in the distance when we were sheltered from the wind. In a more sheltered and sunny spot wec saw our second butterfly of the year, a Peacock.

From the scrub came the songs of Chaffinch, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. A single Greenfinch sang too.

No Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats or Lesser Whitethroats yet though. Passing the Paddock, looking good after a bit of winter management, we saw our second butterfly of the day another Peacock and then our third, a Small Tortoiseshell. It's great what a bit of warm sunshine can do, but sadly we didn't see many bees or hoverflies on the multitude of Dandelions. 

The gulls began a commotion, but it was 'only' a Buzzard upsetting them not the hoped for Osprey. After having a chat with the other volunteers we continued on our way and out of the reserve and back towards the car. A pair of Linnets by the reserve gate were good to see. Then another species of butterfly, a Speckled Wood which wouldn't settle for a pic. Not far beyond that we heard a Bullfinch call close by and looked up to see a female high in a Willow tree joined by a male a minute later.

The female left while the male flitted about among the twigs but never really showed himself to best advantage.

Ah if only he'd faced the front!

The rest of meander back to the car was uneventful apart from a minor detour to have a look at a couple of ponds - big mistake...t'mutt was in and now stinks of foul pond bottom! 

Another sunny morning saw us back at Stanley park where we bumped into FB who, like us, was on the fingers crossed hunt for Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers and all things migratory and scarce. He hadn't had any joy. He hadn't seen the Common Scoter since yesterday morning either. We aimed for the bridges anyway and thence the roadside of the lake where we hoped the Great Crested Grebes might be performing. At the bridges a couple of Moorhens were squaring up to each other tails aloft and we got thee impression it was going to excalate. We scurried across the bridge hoping to get down the bank where the light would be over our shoulder and the birds more eye-level with us but they couldn't care a jot about our photographic wishes and kicked off big style before we'd crossed the bridge.

Far more serene were the pair of Gadwall at the top end of the lake.

The Great Crested Grebe was out again, right out in the middle of the lake as usual, and the Heron chicks were tucked up deep in the cover on their water level nest so no pics of either of those.

For once we got up close and personal with one of the many Robins. Most camera wielding visitors to the park get excellent Robin shots but for some reason the seem to shy away from us.

We'd not seen any of the Red Eared Terrapins this year until today when we found four. A bigish one, two medium sized ones and this one a real monster about the size of a dinner plate!

With nothing happening at the Nuthatch nest again it was time to head back to base camp and a well earned cuppa.

That's all folks...sure we've heard that somewhere before

 

Where to next? We've got a more distant safari coming up soon.

In the meantime let us know who's doing all the kicking off in your outback.

Will this winter ever end?

The Safari is desperate to go and look for scaly and slithery things but despite it being mid April and six weeks into 'spring' it's still very much winter here. Outside the window right now it's blowing a 40+ mph (65 kph) hooley and only 8C (46F), that's the average daily maximum for February! We need some warm sunshine and soon. Last week we did get a bit of a break in the weather although still windy enough to drive us inland away from our local patch. We headed for the relative shelter of Stanley Park where we soon came across several recently arrived Blackcaps singing their heads off. They proved elusive until one eventually broke cover. #131 for our Challenge and on the move again after our hiatus last week.

Also singing were several Willow Warblers, again recent arrivals - bet they wished they'd stayed in Africa another week or so. Like the Blackcaps they too were mostly elusive until just one showed itself long enough to be captured by the camera. #132

What other goodies might there be??? A Dunnock popped up right in front of us and began to sing, totally unphased by our presence just a few feet away and gave us what's probably our best ever pic of this species.

Not so subtley hued, one of the many Ring Necked Parakeets that had been flying around noisily all mornning dropped in for a photo shoot.

Just a few slow paces further on we came acrosss a Blue Tit checking out a potential nest hole.

All around us we could hear Robins, Wrens and Nuthatches singing but failed to get the camera on any of their number.

After wanding through the wooded area of the park we had a walk down the lakeside path to see if we could see the pair of Great Crested Grebes that had been displaying recently as we'd seen on the good ole social media. No sign of them but the Herons were very active around their nests flying in and out with more sticks or food for hungry nestlings, lots of bill clattering going on suggested the nestlings were anxious to be fed.

Some adults fished the margins of the lake while others went further afield into the adjacent countryside ponds and ditches.

After circumnavigating the lake we headed back to the car but were waylaid by a Great Spotted Woodpecker investigating a dead snag in rather heavy shade.

It rattled and tattled, bored and battered the stump for several minutes and then flew off high into a top of a nearby Poplar tree where we briefly lost sight of it until it moved trees again and landed a little more in the open.

We managed to get a few passing dog walkers on to it. We reckon the woodpeckers are the dog walkers second favourite bird after those darned parakeets which are well down our list of favourites. 

Back to base Camp for a bit of breakfast and a warming brew we went; not a bad morning in the park, definitely less windy than the prom and we got two Challenge pics to boot.

Early afternoon news broke of a Ring Ouzel down the coast at Fairhaven Lake, we were in the middle of household duties but thankfully more positive news followed a little later and we loaded up camera and dog and set off. The traffic was a nightmare, what should have been a 25 minute drive took 45. We arrived on site to find a birder peering through the fence into the water board compound where the bird had been seen. He told us it had been out on the grass five minutes earlier but was now sheltering under the expance of solar panels. Nothing for it but to wait...and hope it wasn't too long a wait. More birders arrived and the chatting began until one of our number gave the shout that it was out.

It didn't come out far and soon went back under again, but happy days, a species we didn't see at all last year. #133. More chattering went on as waited to see if it would come out again and maybe onto the grass to give a more aesthetically pleasing pic but it didn't. However, EJ told us he'd seen a Common Sandpiper around the lake a couple of minutes walk away and as t'mutt was getting bored hanging around off we went for a look see. We looked on the seaward side of the island but saw nothing but Canada Geese and Mallards, then retraced our steps and had a look at the landward side but again just the same and a few Tufted Ducks and Grey Lag Geese, where was it, hopefully not flown right down to the far end of the lake. We decided to have another check of the seaward side of the island as EJ had said it was with the Canada Geese ands most of them were round that side. As we walked on we heard one call from close by and then saw it fly from right under the bank we were walking along - yes it had been unseen right under our nose five minutes ago. As it flew, we do like their stuttery lowing winged flight, a second flew off the island to join it. Unfortunately they didn't land on our side but back on the island which was a bit distant.

Bit of a rubbish pic for #134 but all in all a good day with four new additions to our tally.

A couple of wild and windy days later news broke of a really good bird at Marton Mere, a Red Rumped Swallow - we'd missed the previous one there some 20 years ago. Again positive news followed so we gave CR a shout and arranged to pick him up. We parked up grabbed the gear and set off at a brisk pace. We were almost at the reserve gate when our phone told us it had left to the west, must have gone over our heads and we didn't see it, to be honest we hadn't seen or heard much as a) our heads were down as we made haste along the path and b) there weren't many birds showing otr calling in the cold stiff breeze. We arrived on site were a small gathering of birders had gathered only to be regaled with tales of you should have been here five minutes ago, it must have gone right over your heads to the park, and such like. But we hung around looking at the Sand Martins flying around with a couple of Swallows, the former a new species for our normal year list. PE turned up and within nore more than a couple of minutes had relocated it, the lovely little thing had swung round and come back. Getting a pic was double tricky we could hardly see it in the view finder as it jinked and turned all over the place. We thought we might have got it when we focused on a Grey Lag Goose that seemed to be on a bit of a flight path for the hirundines but only managed to get a coupel of out of focus Sand Martins in any of the frames we took. #135

The Red Rumped Swallow did a couple more passes then flew high off to the west as it had done earlier and like then returned but only for a brief moment when, as the weaher lifted and the sun began to shine, it headed off high to the south never tro be seen again. An opportunity lost for the Challenge, if we're to reach or even, fingers crossed, surpass our target we'll probably need to get a few odd-ball unexpected species in the next few weeks assuming spring ever starts.

Our next safari was also determined by the weather, we had hoped to go north but the forecast suggested south would be a drier and less windy option so south we went, to Pennington Flash where we hoped there might be some Kingfishers to keep us occupied. 

The first hide gave us some nice Tufted Duck reflections

A Coot travelling back and forth collecting nest materials

We missed the Mute Swan mating action and had to settle for a preening shot but even then missed the best, feather being manipulated in beak, shot.

And then watched  Blue Tit working its way around some old Typha seedheads, at first we thought it was collecting fluffy nest material but it hopped from one to another without anything in its bill so it must have been hunting for either seeds or small invertebrates.

Everything else here was distant and with a self-pact not to take any more shots of Tufted Duck or Grey Lag Geese and with no Kingfishers on offer we moved on to the Feeding Station hide. Here there was no food, either it had all been eaten by the hordes of Grey Squirrels and Mallards or none had been put out as it's alledgedly now spring, or the feeding team couldn't access the feeders cos the ground was badly flooded. A pair of Bullfinches came briefly to the almost empty table, Stock Doves and Moorhens searched the available dry ground for anything remaining but it was mostly quiet.

That maybe why there was hardly any food on offer, although the hanging feeders there's no way a Mallard could ever access were empty too. We didn't stay long pushing on to the 'Goosander Island' hide only to find the Goosander island was underwater. There was only one Goosander present and she was miles away on the far side of the lake. With little on offer we were ruduced to taking pics of a Black Headed Gull on a post - why???

A Little Grebe sailed into view so we had a go at that. At least it was a bit nearer than those we saw last time we were here.

Again we didn't stop long pushing on round the trail. We'd heard a few Cetti's Warblers on our travels this morning but as ever none had played ball and shown themselves until IH spotted one flitting around the former tree-top twigs and branches of a fallen tree. It was distant across two horribly boggy areas and a stream but at least it was showing and more importantly hanging around...we fired off hundreds of shots as it continued to sing and do some dispaying in the hope that at least one would be in focus.

They're not the best but job done #136, we can ignore them now...lol. Apart from a flitty Goldcrest and an evasive Blackcap the rest of our wander round was very uneventful. The promised sunny spells were warm enough to bring out a butterfly or two but the wind still had a bit of nip about it and we didn't see any. IH also spotted us a jay but it flew before we could lift the camera, getting two of our Challenge bogey birds within ten minutes of each other would have been an incredible feat but it wasn't to be. We tried to track it down along the muddiest path the site has to offer but never saw it again.

Lunch beckoned and as we devoured pies n stuff it was decided to bunk off to somewher more productive...anywher would do...IH had heard our talkes of fairly close Cattle Egrets at Martin Mere and decided he'd like a look at those. We wouldn't mind another look too, especially if they a bit closer than last week.

45 minutes later we were in and off for a look at some Cattle Egrets, but this time the cattle were on the main mere and a long way off. Our best count of white dots that were probably Cattle Egrets was only six compared to last week's 15. Herons on the other hand were doing well, our morning at pennington Flash had only given us one Little Egret but several Herons so for our usual Herons v Egrets safari score herons for a welcome change were well out in front. With six Cattle Egrets egrets were on a roll and catching up. But we managed to find a couple more Herons to maintain their lead. At the Ron Barker Hide a snazzy well plumed Little Egret put on a show.

As did a flock of Black Tailed Godwits feeding on the soggy fielfd where the cattle had been on our previous visit.

Most of the wintering duck have left and the water levels too high after all the rain for most of the waders so there wasn't much to see apart from the snazzy Little Egret.

Back we went to the Discovery Hide to have a look at the nice and close Black Tailed Godwits, we'd made another pact...take no more Black Tailed Godwit pics unless they're engaged in some unusual behaviour - we've got more than enough 'portrait' shots to last a lifetime. IH wondereed how long it would take us to find the Mediterranean Gulls...about 30 seconds! To be fair they hadn't moved more than a few inches since last week. We couldn't find the second pair that are here though. Our regular two were still defending their patch of island against all comers.

Strangely most of the Black Tailed Godwits (no pics!) were still in their grey winter garb while those we'd photographed on the pasture earlier were much more coloured up, wonder why??? There was little in the way of interactions or other behaviour going on so we moved ogff to the feeding station. 

Not a great lot happening here apart from yet more Grey Squirrels, the management should really get behind the local Red Squirrel prottection project and do some (= a lot) of out of hours culling. After having a giggle at the Mallard on the table this morning we had anther giggle when a Moorhen flew up on to this one.

Not much else about until a fine male Reed Bunting appeared.

Wandering on we passed a female Tawny Mining Bee sat on a tree stump trying to warm up....will it ever warm up?

From our next vantage point there wasn't much to see and we digressed into our herons v egrets game again. Honours ended up almost even, we can't remember who pipped who but there was almost definitely some measure of double counting going on for both teams.

 

So ended a rather quieter than anticipated safari, you can't have it all all the time, that's just being greedy. And there's always tomorrow...

Where to next? We've got some more local safari's lined up for you.

In the meantime let us know who needs warming up in your outback