4th March - Immerse In That One Moment

March has arrived along with spring but the weather continues to refuse to comply, since the start of the month the temperature has dropped and there was even snow on my car in the week.  This morning the skies are a lovely blue with plenty of sunshine, but it is also quite cold.  These conditions look set to last through the weekend and into next week.  "Spring?"  Mother Nature says, "Not yet you have to have your winter!"

The sunshine and lighter mornings though seems to have sparked life into the garden birds, the House Sparrows were very active, males chasing each other around the trees, and looking to find a prominent position to sing from.  The females though were more interested in feeding.

One male seemed to take a liking to the buds on the Acer trees, and was ripping these apart.

Last weekend I saw the first Siskins in the garden since last October, this morning the three birds, a male and two females were present once again, using the sunflower feeders but would approach them very cautiously.

The male was looking quite smart in his green and black plumage.

He sat watching and waiting, wary of the more aggressive Goldfinches and the much larger Greenfinches.

The female does not have the same colour of the male, but is much greyer with more evident streaks on the flanks, while retaining the same light yellow wing bars.

One feature of the Siskin is the bill, while still a finch the bill is very fine, in comparison to the Gold and Greenfinches, there approach to the feeders is to delicately pick out the seed, and of course they are also attracted to the niger seeds.

In the US the American Goldfinch is all yellow, and for me the Siskin is probably closer in comparison to that bird than the Eurasian Goldfinch.

I mentioned that the House Sparrows were showing signs of display and breeding behaviour.  They have been quick to use the House Martin nest on the house opposite, and this male seems to have already laid claim to the nest this year, having visited it it came out and sat above it call vigorously.

A Cherry tree in a garden beyond mine showed signs of movement, and I watched as a beautiful male Bullfinch appeared from the middle of the tree.

The Bullfinch has a strong association with blossom, particularly at this time of the year. The flowers lure bullfinches to feed, though as well as eating blossom they also take its young leaf buds. Alternative names for the bullfinch include ‘bud-bird’ and the name which we now use is a description of the bird’s broad bull-necked appearance. Unfortunately the bullfinch’s habit of taking buds and blossom has earned it a bad reputation with some gardeners and producers of fruit.

I could see this bird pulling apart the both the blossom and the leaves as it moved up the branches.

The bullfinch has had a bad reputation in Britain since the 16th century when it was first regarded as a pest for eating the blossom of apple and pear trees. During Elizabethan times bullfinches literally had a price on their heads with one penny being offered for each dead bird. It seems to have preferences for certain types of apples being less likely to eat the blossom of cooking apples than dessert varieties. In the bullfinch’s defence, it has been shown that a fruit tree can lose a half of its blossom without affecting its overall production of fruit since it will naturally produce a surplus of blossom. The bullfinch can eat a great deal of blossom but only does so in years when its natural food supplies, such as ash keys and dock seed, are in short supply.

In the early morning sun, seen in amongst the blossom surely there is no better looking bird.

Signs of spring are all very welcome, lets just hope the weather plays along as well through March.

As a postscript and just to confirm my earlier comments about spring being here, but winter fighting back, this was the garden four hours later.

Oh well, some way to go yet!

28th February - With a Heart Like The Night

At 5.55 this morning I heard a Song Thrush singing, it was still quite dull, but a clear sign that the morning are getting brighter, and the days are getting longer.

As well as the Song Thrush, a little later on when I finally got up and was making tea I noticed three visitors to the feeders that have not been around much this winter, a male and two female Siskins.  The only camera I had access to was that on my phone hence the very poor quality as I tried to zoom in as much as possible, but please believe me they were Siskins.

It was a cold day, with a fresh easterly wind that really got into you.  I was going to walk around Plain Farm for the first time this year, but first I just wanted to check Old Down Wood.  If the Siskins were visiting the garden then maybe there could be some activity in the wood.

I parked at the pond where the female Mallard was sitting on the jetty, there was no sign of the males though.

On the bank behind the jetty were a pair of Moorhen, but as usual they were of at the slightest sign of me.  I walked into the wood, the cold was obviously having an impact on the birds as there was no song from the robins and the only sound was that of the wind in the trees.  I stood and listened and picked up the jingle of Goldfinches high in the larch trees, and the odd call of a Blue Tit, but that was about it.

I walked around to where I had seen the owl a few weeks ago but couldn't find any sign of it today.  I made my way around the perimeter path, and out of the wood and back to the pond.  As I approached the pond there was the call of a crow, and then a Buzzard broke from the trees being pursued by the owner of the call.

I walked around the pond, and found a pair of Mallard in the small pond, and they flew off.  I was interested to see if there was any sign of the Toads arriving but I couldn't see any, the water level was very high, as high as I have seen it for some time.

I set off for Plain Farm driving along Lye Way.  In the field to the north a Buzzard was sat on a post and being rocked by the wind.

When I parked at the bottom of the hill I was told that there was a drag hunt coming through a little later on, hopefully it would not get in my way.  I walked up the hill towards the estate in the bushes on my left there was a small party of Long-tailed Tits making their way through the bramble.  I stopped and waited to see if there was any sign of Firecrests around the yew tree, but there was nothing calling let alone a Firecrest.

I walked up to the pond, and found a drake Mallard sitting in the sun, he stood out amongst the ivy on the bank.  A little to the right of the drake was a t first a brown patch, then I realised it was its mate the duck, showing how effective the brown plumage is at hiding her when it is necessary.

I walked down past the quarry where there were a pair of Bullfinches calling but doing a very good job of being hidden.  As I crossed the road I disturbed a Red-legged Partridge from one of the seed dispensers.  I walked up the hill past the grain dryers where House Sparrows chirped away from the middle of the hedge.

A little further on as I came out into the fields I noticed a small bird fly across the path from the bramble and settle on the fence wire.  I thought at first it was a Meadow Pipit but a closer look revealed a white patch in the wing, I couldn't see the head but thought it could be a Stonechat.  Then from the same patch the bird had come from another flew up on to the overhead wire and I could see immediately that this was a male Stonechat.  It then flew to the fence to join the other bird that I could now see was a female Stonechat.

I must assume these are the same pair that were here late last year and have over wintered here.  Both birds then flew off as I walked up the path and headed into the field where both birds perched on a small sprig of grass, the male being closer than the female.

A Buzzard was flying low along the top of the hedge at the back of the field, then it drifted away only to be mobbed by a pair of Lapwing.  It was nice to catch up with Lapwing early in the year, last year I didn't find one until November.  The buzzard headed away and then one of the Lapwing went into the aerobatic display flight that they perform at this time of year.

A Skylark was singing above the fields, and at the cottages a male Chaffinch was singing from the overhead wires.

I walked on checking both fields for a possible Grey Partridge or Brown Hare, but neither were about.  At the end of the lane by the cottages a Kestrel was hunting.

I walked to the end of the footpath in almost silence, everything concentrating today on keeping warm, not something they have had to do this winter.

As I headed towards Charlwood I noticed this dandelion flower with a small Hover Fly sitting on.  The fly was alive, but only just

A tractor was topping the hedges along Charlwood, it seems such a brutal way to do it, and I wonder if it helps the hedges or is just something to do this time of year.  As I reached the bridleway turn off I saw a Red Kite drifting across the field heading north.

I watched it fly away, and then continued along the road.  As I approached the paddocks I noticed two dark shapes at the back of the field in the distance.  I thought at first they could be Brown Hare, but when I looked closely I could see that they were in fact a Buzzard that was eating something, and Red Kite that seemed very interested in what the Buzzard was eating.

The Kite then walked around the Buzzard, and found something that it could eat.

If I walked around the bridleway I could get closer so I ran back to see if I could get a better view, I did check first to make sure no one else was about!

When I arrived at the best point I used the hedge as cover, and looked across the field, both birds were gone though, and there was no sign of any possible food on the ground.  

Then the Red Kite appeared and drifted past me, what a beautiful bird they are, the rich reddish brown standing out with the dark streaks on the breast and the lovely grey of the head.

It drifted away again with that lazy unhurried style keeping just above the hedge.

Then it was gone, so I decided against continuing along the bridleway, there were deep water filled ruts and a lot of mud, the 4x4's that use this small track have really messed it up this winter.  I went back the way I came, and then back on the road and around to Lye Way.

As I walked towards the car the fields on the left hand side were being ploughed and this was attracting an awful lot of Gulls, once again the dominant bird was the Common Gull, but there were a few Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls.  As you can see here there were also Buzzards looking to pick up an easy meal.

The gulls then suddenly disappeared, but the Buzzards remained, there were four circling around the field, one coming low and hovering holding its legs down to help with keeping it stationary in the wind.

A Mistle Thrush called from the trees, and then two flew across in front of me, strangely a first for the year, usually these are seen all the time during the winter.

As I made my way down the hill I could see riders heading up towards the estate, the drag hunt was making its way through the area.  As I reached the car they had all gone though.  

Not a bad day, two good birds for the patch in Stonechat and Lapwing, and some new Red Kite behaviour.  In two days time the meteorological spring starts, as I mentioned at the start the days are getting longer, it just needs now to warm up, and then hopefully the migrants, insects and flowers will arrive.

21st February - It's Getting Away From Me

We have been away all week, up on the Isle of Skye in the north west Highlands of Scotland.  There are the first details on the "away blog".  This morning though with it overcast and quite mild we decided to get some air, and to stretch the legs after what was a long journey home yesterday.

As we walked along Brislands there were Robins singing on either side of the lane, and my first singing Chaffinch of the year.  A little further on I picked out a Firecrest singing in a different location to where I have seen them before.  As seems to be the case lately it was difficult to pick the bird out, but we could see it moving through a Holly tree.  Then with one final flourish of sing it flew out of the tree and away from the camera.

A little further on I was again frustrated by a group of Redwing that managed to evade my attempts to get a photograph.  As it was the first photograph I managed to take was of the Lesser Celendines that were now flowering well along the road side.

We carried on down the lane, I could hear in the distance a singing Skylark but was not able to see it.  At Manor Farms sheds there were a few House Sparrows but no sign of either a Pied or Grey Wagtail.

It was extremely quiet, perhaps as quiet as I have known it around here for some time.  Spring is just around the corner, and it can't come quickly enough for me.  It wasn't until we turned up Gilbert Street that we noticed something different, the sky was full of Common Gulls.

It was difficult to count them as they drifted above us, but I estimate it must have been close to 200.  They were gathering in a distant field, then were spooked and came over the lane heading north to the paddocks.

As we started up Swelling Hill there was a constant stream of water coming down the hill.  As we walked on we found the source, the water was coming up out of the ground by the side of the road, this was a good indication of how high the water table is currently around here.

A little further on in a familiar site was a lovely show of Snowdrops in amongst the yellow celandines.

Reaching the top of the hill I noticed a large bird off in the distance, and the day was brightened by the sight of a Red Kite floating over the field in that relaxed motion that is so characteristic of the bird's flight.

At the pond two Moorhen burst from the side of the bank in their normal panic, and on the far side to drake Mallards and a single duck cruised along side the reeds.

We made our way down past the school then turned up Gradwell Lane, again nothing much about, a singing Song Thrush and a couple of Wrens brought us to a wait, but they managed to hide successfully from us.  A singing Robin was too  much of a temptation, and I couldn't resist it.

As we headed along Brislands a couple walking towards us suddenly pointed into the field where a Roe Deer sprinted away from us, and sadly as we passed the village hall, on the other side of the road was a dead Badger, probably killed last night from the condition of the corpse, always a sad sight.

Well we managed to get the needed air, and the chance to stretch our legs but that was about all.  Although Red Kite and Firecrest is not a bad couple of sightings

12th February - I've Got Nothing To Say, But It's Ok

The last few days have been dry with some very welcome sunshine, the temperature though has dropped and as a result the garden saw an increase in visitors to the feeders.  The colder air though doesn't seem to have deterred the Starlings from laying claim to territory, and this bird seems to be having a chat with one of the local Woodpigeon, maybe good morning, good morning.

The mild weather though has had an influence on the local birds, Blackbirds are now singing and I have seen male and female birds tolerating each other in the garden which is a good sign that they may have turned their thoughts to love as we head towards St Valentine's Day.

The male House Sparrows, too. are busy chirping away from the gutters.  The partially leucistic bird seems to have taken up residence on one of the corners of a neighbour's house, I watched it singing at first.

Then it turned and went inside under the tiles, a sure sign that it is thinking about nesting.

Clearly its different plumage colouring is not handicapping it at all.

In the garden the feeders were busy with Goldfinches, but it was also pleasing to see that there were also several Greenfinches turning up, the male birds looking very impressive with their green and yellow plumage.

Slightly larger than the Goldfinches they are prepared to fight off the smaller birds, and other Greenfinches.  Opening beaks and flapping wings as they square up to each, it shows the contrast between the green and the yellow wing bars and outer tail feathers.

The sunshine during the morning did not last that long and soon the dark clouds rolled in and the first rain showers hit the windows at the back of the house.  With the rain the birds seemed to all leave the garden, a Robin hung about picking up the fallen seed, and a large Woodpigeon finished off the seed on the table.

The forecast fro the coming week is for colder weather, and over the weekend the possibility of snow, I doubt it will come to much though.  It always seems to be the way hat the weather turns colder once we start to approach spring, the cold air blocking the advance of the early migrants.

9th February - Don't Think You Knew You Were In This Song

After the battering that Storm Imogen gave us yesterday, and the continuing rain this morning it was pleasant to see that the the skies cleared mid morning, and then the sun came out.

With the recent appalling weather I haven't been into the woods since the start of the year.  It is at this time of year the Tawny Owls are starting to nest, as I mentioned on Sunday there has been a male calling close to the house for sometime now.  The one consistent bird for the four years that I have been writing this blog has been a Tawny Owl that Helen and I found, courtesy of a Jay, in February 2012, since then probably the same bird has been present in the same tree from February to June, I suspect that it is a male,and that it had a mate and a nest close by, but I have never been able to confirm this.  

It was with the hope of finding this Tawny Owl for its fifth year that I set out late afternoon to walk through the woods.  As I turned into Brislands a flock of Long-tailed Tits called from the large conifer on the corner.

I decided to walk into the wood through the Gradwell entrance.  The walk into the wood was very difficult as the ground was very muddy and in places flooded, and to make matters worse, two small dogs constantly barked at me from the paddocks, they were extremely aggressive rushing the fence, not sure if they would have been so brave had the fence not been there.

As I entered the wood the sun was dropping below the trees and casting a lovely golden glow across the tops of the larches and through the bracken.

I made my way to the area the owl would normally use, and checked the tree it has favoured for the last four years.  The tree though seems to have lost a few large branches, and the area where the owl would normally sit has become a lot more open.  As a result it wasn't there, and there was no sign of any droppings that would normally be about if the owl was using the tree to roost in.

I started to think where it would likely go should it still be with us.  There are several high Spruce and Pine trees and I scanned through them to see if there was anything.  Then for some reason I picked up on a strange colour, and a shape high in one of the Spruces.  This is what I saw.

Zooming in I had found my owl.

I couldn't believe it!  Finding it was like the proverbial needle in a haystack, I have no idea what attracted me to the shape, but I am glad something did.  The colour and patterns on the  wing look very much like Morris, and I was thrilled to find him once again.  Five years and going strong, it was a really good find.

I tried very hard to see if I could get a better view, stumbling through the bracken and bramble.  Every place I tried could not get a clearer view so in the end I had to be satisfied with the one I had managed to take.  There is no doubt what it was, and I hope he and his mate have a successful breeding season.

My next quarry was to find the Roe Deer.  I haven't seen one since November, I knew they were around as I had seen the footprints, and this evening was going to be one of the better chances I have had recently.

I headed to the main path, and stood around listening to the birds calling.  Unfortunately all I could hear were Robins, Wrens and a few Blue and Great Tits.  There was no sign of any birds high in the Larch trees, but I did find a small group of Goldfinches in the evening sunshine.

I made my way around the perimeter path, and looking out to the west, Helen and my favourite view looked splendid with the setting winter sun.

I came off the perimeter path, and headed to the West End of the wood.  There is a group of very mature Beech trees close to the path, and under them wild Daffodils flower in the spring.  The Daffodils were almost in flower, they seem to be about three weeks ahead of where they were last year, they usually flower in the second week of March.  You can also see the advanced shoots of Bluebells as well.

As I approached the field on the edge of the wood a group of twelve Great Tits were calling and moving through the trees.

Dark clouds were gathering away to the north west, but I discounted the thought of rain.  I turned back on to the perimeter path, then headed in towards the middle of the wood.  As I did so two Roe Deer ran across the path in front of me, and then away out of sight.

I walked on a little further, stopping to watch and listen to a group of Goldcrests.  Then a little further on some movement in the bracken revealed a group of four Roe Deer including one buck with antlers covered in velvet.  At last I could get a picture.

Nice to see them after quite a long absence.  They then decided to move away, running and jumping through the bramble.

I carried on, heading back to the perimeter path, and then along a slightly muddy path.  Away to the west the sun was still up, but dropping fast through the clouds casting an orange glow in the sky.  Away in the distance the bare trees on the top of a distant hill broke up the horizon.

Just before I left the wood the sun appeared below the clouds casting yet another duffernat landscape.

As I walked along Brislands towards home the rain did come, although it didn't seem it mount to much, it is as if a day can't go by with out the wet stuff.

My walk home was accompanied by a singing Song Thrush, and as I reached the end of Brislands I could see it in the gloom perched in a small bush.

The spark is back in Four Marks, spring seems a little closer.  It was great to find the Tawny Owl, great that my hunch came off, and great that Morris has now been there for five years.  I would love to find his young owlets this year.