10th - 17th January - Hey Hey, My My

 We moved into week two of the latest lockdown with a very cold day and a hoar frost.  At dawn there was little visible frost around, but as the day moved on the trees and grass started to turn a frosty white.  Cobwebs appeared on the hedges where they hadn't been visible before.

While the grass developed a frosting

The wall in the front garden is covered in moss and the frost appeared here creating some beautiful patterns.

The weather for the start of the week though saw a return to mild and wet conditions, this restricted my daily walks but I did manage to get out towards the end of the week.  A walk at the end of last week to the pond did not produce the hoped for Tufted Duck that had been there at the end of last year.  However a quick visit on Thursday found the drake Tufted Duck out in the long with the Mallard.  It was dull and gloomy, and dark water and a virtually black duck meant these shots were a little grainy.

A drake Tufted Duck will always attract my camera, specially if the water is dark and reflecting, but this Tufted Duck is very special.  Four Marks has little water to attract water birds.  Swelling Hill Pond is the only substantial water and it is only in the last year that Mallard numbers have increased.  Prior to that I was extremely excited about a Coot that stayed for 3 weeks back in April and May of 2015.  So finding another duck species, a diving duck, on Christmas Day was a mega find, the 106th bird on the patch list.  Coupled with that and the fact that I can get close to the duck, I have taken a lot of photographs.

Around the picnic area there was a small clump of Snowdrops.  These managed to take me away from the Tufted Duck.

Saturday saw heavy rain overnight and into the morning.  The threat of snow though did not materialise and by midday the sun had broken through and it and a fresh wind made it good enough to be able to get out.  

I stopped at the junction of Gradwell and Brislands to look for Firecrest, but only managed to find its cousin, the Goldcrest, it did though give some great views.

The Goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird, their average weight is around 5-6 grams, while a Wren averages a whooping 7 to 12 grams

Despite their size they are highly migratory and many of the birds seen locally through out the winter may have traveled from Scandinavia and the near continent to be here.

Walking towards Old Down Wood along Brislands a Buzzard appeared above the distant trees.

Looking to the west there was an interesting cloud formation building.

It was extremely quiet in the wood as it is at this time of year, every so often there would be a burst of Robin, and contact calls would come from the highest branches.  I stopped to watch a pair of Nuthatches evade my camera, while a Treecreeper put in a brief appearance confirmed by this record shot.

Four species of Tit were heard and seen, Great, Blue, Marsh and Coal, a trip to the Tawny Owl's tree of previous years did not find anything, but then it is a little early, it doesn't usually appear until February.

I was taken by the bare trees and the blue sky and white clouds.  It creates a lovely pattern looking up.

I spent some time following a flock of Long-tailed Tits, but this was the best I could get, they were very mobile 

It was then a visit to the pond where on first look there was no sign of the Tufted Duck, so I decided to pay some attention to the Snowdrops.

Moving back to the pond the arrival of a family, intent on feeding the ducks, had pushed all the Mallard and the Tufted Duck away from the reeds and vegetation into the centre of the pond.  The light today was much better so it was fill your boots time.

Tufted ducks are one of the commonest diving ducks in the United Kingdom, feeding on aquatic plants, insects and molluscs, a small fact, the increased distribution of the Tufted Duck at the start of the 20th century was attributed to the introduction of the zebra mollusc.

Yesterday I had seen the duck diving, today it remained on the surface, preening at times as it moved around with the Mallard

On one or two occasions I noticed it spending time with a female Mallard which was much to the annoyance of the drake Mallards.  It would also turn its head to look skywards, maybe this is just a reflex,.

It then started to preen and conduct some leg stretching exercises

You can have too much though and I decided it was time to move on, as I left the pond I paused to capture the whole of the pond.

Back home there have been some changes, the Robins have become more approachable watching as I put out the meal worms and daring to come close.  The tame Robin we called Donald is still about holding territory on the right hand side of the garden, he can be identified by the ridge in his feathers behind the ear coverts.

A addition to the garden is a Wren that has taken a liking to the meal worms, so much so that it seems to look out for me when I top up the trays, appearing almost immediately.  It will also appear even if I don't top them up, coming to inspect the trays.

It usually takes three of four worms depending on whether or not it is disturbed by another bird.  It will take them under the log to kill and then eat.  Quite a substantial meal for a little bird.

The amount of understanding and intelligence in such a little bird is quite impressive.

On Sunday the sun was out the skies were clear.  We walked through Old Down and then down to Andrews Lane.  In the woods Great Tit and Robins called and sang, but in general it was quiet.  Along the lanes there was a Song Thrush singing, Dunnock and Robins as well.  Waling down the paddocks a Meadow Pipit called overhead. 

At the top of Andrews Lane a Raven could be heard and seen distantly on one of the pylons.  We came back on the footpath through the fields to Swelling Hill, which meant there was the chance to drop in on the Tufted Duck once more.  It was hiding again and appeared as I walked around the pond, then spent the time preening.

From the pond we made our way home, a Red Kite the only bird of interest as we reached the crossroads with Lymington Bottom.

The air was still cool, but the lunch time sun was very welcome.  As we walked towards Chalk Close I noticed a bird fly up from the lawn of the house on the corner.  At first I thought it was one of the many Robins around, but then I noticed the tail flicking.  It couldn't be could it?  It was, a Black Redstart.

Then it flew across the road in front of me to perch on the small wall on the other side.

Then as I attempted to get closer it flew up and over the house and away into the garden.  After letting Helen back into the house I returned to try and find it to get some more shots.  This was a brilliant find, I have highlighted in my check list the birds I would have a hope of seeing around the patch, but never considered Black Redstart, however today there seem to be more appearing in the winter on housing estates.

I re-found it on the roof of the house I had last seen it fly over.

It is either a female or immature bird, I would suspect female.  The tail is constantly flicked although this one doesn't have the startling red impact of the male's tail, it still stands out.

The Latin genus name, Phoenicurus, means Red-tailed, while the specific name, Ochruros, means pale yellow, which is more the colour in the female.  

It flew from the roof across the road once again and settled on the roof.

From there it went to the top of the roof where I was able to watch it from the garden, taking the garden list to 64 and the Four Marks patch list to 107.  

I then left it, hoping it would still be about later and the next day, but both proved negative, I have not seen it since which only makes me feel even more lucky that I came up the hill when we did, a great way to start the year.  Is this an even better find than the Waxwings seen in 2010?  That is up for a debate I feel

5th - 9th January - Like A Drifter I Was Born To Walk Alone

 So the New Year, same as the old Year?

On the the evening of the 4th our glorious Prime Minister appeared once again on national television to inform us all that to save our NHS and stay safe we had to lockdown once again,  and once again the ambiguities around the guidelines that provide endless copy for our illustrious media.  Either way my birding will be limited over the coming weeks.

Weather wise the end of the year and into the new year has seen the coldest weather of the winter so far.  Any period of cold weather, I watch the berries on the tree across the road from me.  The big hope of course is for Waxwings, but that is not going to happen this year and remains a distant hope every year.  No, every year the Redwings will come to eat the berries it just depend how much other food is available.  After a couple of frosts into the new year they arrived.

Notoriously difficult birds to see in the trees let alone get close to, this berry laden tree being so close to the house is ideal.  The upstairs bedroom becomes a hide with a bean bag on the windowsill keeping the camera still in the low light conditions.

Over the course of the next few days I was able to capture many shots of this delightful thrush.  The plumage helps them merge into the tree and the way that they keep so still cements their invisible cloak.  Only the need to gorge on the berries belying their presence.

At one time there was up to six birds in the tree and every so often you could hear their contact calls. 

In previous years they would easily be spooked by pedestrians walking underneath the tree, but this year they would just freeze as persons walked by and once gone continue their feeding.

This gives a good example of how they can merge into the branches.

The brown streaked plumage on the breast and the brown upper parts are perfect to hide them, they only give themselves away when you get the flash of orange red on the flank.

Or of course they are holding a ripe red berry!

Two more images to wrap up the Redwing for this year.  There are still plenty of berries on the tree but as the frosts have gone so, too, have the Redwing.

A day later I noticed a flash of pink and white in the tree and a male Bullfinch appeared after feeding on the berries.

While it was cold and frosty it has also been quite misty, many days the fog not lifting and the trees coated with a hoar frost that turned them into a winter wonderland or something maybe from children's television from the sixties like the "Singing, Ring Tree".

Lunch time walks found the resident Red-legged Partridge covey of sixteen birds along Gradwell Lane feeding in the field in the mist.  A case of "Partridges in the mist".

On my walk I would pass Robins watching from the hedgerows, looking for any morsel of food disturbed by the many passing walkers.

While Dunnocks would flick their wings and tails on the top of the hedges.

A regular sight and sound has been the Mistle Thrush that has taken residence in the Holly tree along Brislands.  The tree is laden with berries and clear is a major asset.  The Mistle Thrush can be heard calling with a rattling sound from within the tree and also seen chasing off the Blackbirds and Redwing.  Comparable in size with a Fieldfare and slightly larger than a Blackbird it is quite a striking bird when seen from the front.  Unfortunately this one refused to turn around.

A longer walk to Swelling Hill Pond found even more Mallard on a partially frozen pond.  A count of 42 is the highest I have had in winter, the autumn being typically the time when the duck congregate.

There was no sign of the Tufted Duck seen on Christmas Day, still the Mallard is a very striking duck when you break away its common status.

Back home the garden has been relatively quiet with not the huge numbers of Goldfinch we have seen over the last few winters.  A reason for this could be that there is plenty of natural food around.  I was surprised to see these Goldfinch feeding at the top of a Leylandii tree, I am not sure what they had found there.

Starling numbers have increased significantly with a flock of well over 100 seen from my office window.  They are lat risers and will often appear in the tree outside my window around 9:00AM to take in the morning sunshine or to preen after a morning dip in the bird bath.

The regulars are still with me though, the Blackbird pair and the Robins.  The Robins are very shy and if two are about there is an immediate scrap.  They will both come to the take the meal worms which I put in trays either side of the garden

An addition to the garden birds feeding on the meal worms is a Wren.  It creeps along the wall and like to hide in amongst the old logs I have around the garden.  It uses these as cover as it nips out to take the meal worms from the dish.  If not disturbed by the blackbirds it will take up to 5 worms which must be a considerable meal for such a small bird.  As of yet I haven't been able to get any photographs but I will try over the next few weeks.

That leaves the Blackbirds themselves.  This is the eighth year we have been feeding the male Blackbird.  It was a long moult this year after and four brood breeding season at the which of it he was in a very bedraggled state, at time we could see his skin.  Now with superb feathers he is showing another identification feature to the twisted bill, a pale brown patch of upper wing covert feathers.

He has remained with the female through the winter and in fact they appeared to moult together, both appearing on the shed after emerging from the conifer bush, to eat meal worms we put out every day.  Occasionally they will have a little tussle but bot will feed from their own dish on the lawn and both will chase off any other Blackbird that would dare to come too close.

So the first week of the new year lockdown comes to an end.  I have a feeling I will be spending a little more time around the patch over the next few weeks.

25th December - All Wrapped Up In Christmas Feeling

With the children all now left home and the impact of the Covid-19 restrictions Helen and I found ourselves on our own once again on Christmas Day.  It was always our intention to go for a walk to get some air before the meal and compulsory drinking, however when the weather forecast said it was going to be clear and frosty we decided to get out early and as a result we found ourselves walking Brislands Lane just after sunrise, the winter sunshine providing a golden glow across the frost tinged hedges.

We walked through Old Down Wood, the muddy paths frozen in places.  A check of the tree where Morris the Owl has been for the last ten years came up with a blank, maybe he has yet to start breeding, it won't be long though.

Walking through the woods the early morning silence was pierced by the laughing call of a Green Woodpecker and as we reached the Old Down Cottage entrance Redwing burst from the hawthorn and holly bushes, their "seeping" calls audible as they melted into the surrounding trees.

On Christmas Eve I had walked past the pond and counted 31 Mallard a high count for this time of year.  As we approached the pond this morning I wondered how many there would be present.  I could see the Mallard all in the middle of the pond due to a family walking around the pond.  But what caught my eye more than the Mallard was a single drake Tufted Duck, a patch tick and a very welcome Christmas Present, my first new bird around the patch for two years.

Now the annoying thing was I had decided not to take my camera so I had to make do with the phone.  However it is clearly a Tufted Duck, even if I can't get the exposure right o have the best reflection in the water!

Chuffed to bits with the Tufted Duck we walked on.  Along Gradwell Lane sixteen Red-legged Partridges fed in the field.  Here one at eye level.

And then it was down Brislands and back along Lymington Bottom to home for a Christmas Breakfast and to enjoy the rest of our day

Everyone didn't have the Christmas they expected this year, but one thing for certain is the world roles on.  That afternoon there was a beautiful reminder of the wonder of the world outside, a spectacular sunset over the village.

Happy New Year and please stay safe everybody!