Saturday 28 December 2013

Bright and sunny both weather and birds

Saturday 28 December 2013

The cress beds supplied Water Rail and Kingfisher and the garden a couple of male Blackcaps - oh for a Linnet on the nature reserve! OK - I know the pics leave something to be desired but I think I'm improving.






Thursday 26 December 2013

Boxing day Battle farm survey

Thursday 26 december 2013

303 birds of 31 species counted. Highlights included Grey Partridge (10), Moorhen (3) - first of the year, Stock Dove (9), Meadow Pipit (12), Pied Wagtail (32) - these and the Pipits around puddles in the various fields, Redwing and Fieldfare (a few of each), Linnet (26), Chiffchaff (1). Surprisingly NO Long-tailed Tits or Goldfinches.

Blackcap in the garden.

Tuesday 24 December 2013

More of the same but one addition.

Tuesday 24 December 2013

Kingfisher, Water Rail mand Grey Wagtails at Ewelme and a male Blackcap in the garden at lunch time feeding on a fatball.

Sunday 22 December 2013

Headless bather

Sunday 22 December 2013

Still searching for that elusive Linnet for my Ewelme Cress Beds list for this year. Water rail, Kingfisher and a couple of grey Wagtails were about the best on offer today.


Thursday 19 December 2013

Noisy and quiet

Thursday 19 december 2013

The choppers and flying lawnmowers supplied the noise and the birds the quiet. All the usual culprits including Water Rail and Grey Wagtail/s. Little to point camera at so resorted to a bunny and a Kite.


Tuesday 17 December 2013

Dorchester

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Monthly WeBS count at Dorchester. 1552 birds of 22 species. Best was a pair of Pintail and 8 Egyptian Geese, the latter in pairs and very noisy.  Probably would have been more birds but hardly anything on the Sailing Club Pit where a dredger was busy deepening the water round the islands. Not sure what that will do for the wildlife but doubt it will help.


Monday 16 December 2013

Hogs still

Monday 16 December 2013

Still entertaining two Hedgehogs in the garden at night plus the usual cat but they don't appear interested in one another. Sorry film is rubbish - it was raining but much better before uploading.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Bitten of more than he/she could chew

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Watched his Water Rail for about 10 minutes struggling to eat the bullhead (millars thumb,codger - whatever). At one stage it dropped it and proceded to stab it repeatably.


Monday 9 December 2013

How fast?

Monday 9 December 2014

Chased a Kingfisher back from Ewelme towards Benson. I was doing just under 30mph (honest officer) and it seemed to be leaving me! Female Blackcap on the beds after a couple of weeks absence. Fieldfare glowing in the sunshine.

Sunday 8 December 2013

Sparrows

Sunday 8 December 2014

Water Rail, Grey Heron, Lots of Fieldfares decimating the Hawthorn berries and double figure House Sparrows decimating the seeds in the feeders.

Friday 6 December 2013

Still the search goes on

Friday 6 December 2013

Just can't find a Linnet anywhere at the Ewelme site and there's not many days left this year. A few "iffy" pics just because I can.


Thursday 5 December 2013

Two ---- probably

Thursday 5 December 2013

There were either:

2 Water Rails at Ewelme this morning
or
1 extremely secretive and fast running individual.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

What month is it?

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Even though you would know by the temperature there is still a hedgehog visiting my garden each night and, at Ewelme today, a pair of Mallards mating.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Fish

Thursday 28 November 2013

Caught this beautiful Brown Trout whilst riverfly surveying on Ewelme Brook today. Also 3 Miller's Thumbs (codgers).


Tuesday 26 November 2013

1st Snipe of the winter

Tuesday 26 November 2013

On the beds hidden amongst the watercress until disturbed. Also Kingfisher and Water Rail calling.

Monday 25 November 2013

Eating me out of house & home

Monday 25 November 2013

What with trying to feed up a couple of smallish hedghogs at home and this greedy thing pinching my home made fat balls at Ewelme I might need a second morgage! Three hogs still visiting each night. Trouble is a cat is as well and I think that is eating the bulk of the cat food I am supplying for the hogs. Ideas anyone?


Saturday 23 November 2013

Friday 22 November 2013

All quiet at Ewelme

Friday 22 November 2013

Not a great deal to report and I am still searching for a Linnet to add to my anual list. A few photos to fill the page.
Always amuses me to see Mallards waiting for the next seed to drop. They favour Greenfinches as they seem to be the "messiest" eaters but they are in very short supply at Ewelme at the moment.

Thursday 7 November 2013

Insects but no birds

Thursday 7 November 2013

Perhaps the lack of birds was down to a large female Sparrowhawk patrolling the reserve. Plenty of unidentified insects over the warm spring water and a Red Admiral apparently searching buildings for somewhere to spend the winter.


Wednesday 6 November 2013

Pigs and Blackcap still

Wednesday 6 November 2014

The night camera revealed 2 Hedgehogs still visiting the Garden - I have stitched to bits together to show the size difference.


A bird count round the Watercress Beds was most noteworthy by a male Blackcap a a small group, at least 3, of Grey Partridges.


Wednesday 30 October 2013

Quiet at Ewelme

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Not a great deal to report from the cress beds. Red Admiral and Peacock still about and a party of 7 distant Grey Partridge on the way back is about as good as it got.







Sunday 27 October 2013

No Tits!

Sunday 27 October 2013

Wonder if that title will get past the censors? My monthly Battle Farm survey - 217 individuals of 25 species. Most noteworthy was the total lack of any Tits whatsoever - guess they were keeping their heads down in the strong wind. Just one new year bird for the site - a Redwing, though how I missed them at the start of the year I have no idea.

Saturday 26 October 2013

S Devon Day 6

Thursday 24 October 2013

Last day and it failed to go out with a bang. Spent several hours searching the lane up from Pig's Nose valley for either the recently seen Yellow Browed Warbler or the Red-breasted Flycatcher. I think I was fairly close to the RB Fly at one time as it had been watched until disturbed by a tractor chasing about a million sheep! These delayed my arrival!


Wednesday 23 October 2013

S Devon Day 5

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Strong SW wind and showers, some heavy. Searched Pig's Nose valley in the vain hope of finding the YBW last seen on 19th but if it was there I couln't find it - several Chiffchaffs was about as good as it got. Sea had calmed down so not much chance of seeing anything there. Nice meal at the Church Inn, Stokenham compensated somewhat as did a Clouded Yellow on the way back. Other butterflies - Red Admirals everywhere, single Small White and Painted Lady.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

S Devon Day 4

Tuesday 22 October 2014

Wind still strong and lots of showers, some heavy in the morning though mostly sunshine in afternoon. Best birds of the day a Garganey at Charleton Marsh, Peregrine and Black Redstart at Torcross - unfortunately none of the above photographable. Instead the best i could manage:-

Gadwall


Herring Gull

 
and Black-headed Gull

Monday 21 October 2013

S Devon Day 3

Monday 21 October 2013

Bit of a non day with strong wind and very frequent rain showers. Didn't even take the camera out. Only half decent dird was a Common Sandpiper on the R Dart.

Sunday 20 October 2013

S Devon Day 2

Sunday 20 October 2013


Strong wind but good sunny afternoon. I think the birds were sheltering out of the wind as there wasn't much on show. Spent an hour admiring the flying skills of a couple of Ravens who appeared to be playing in the updraft in front of the cliff.

 
 
This Grey Heron seems to have strayed into the territory of a couple of Herring Gulls who soon saw it off.



Late afternoon at least 3 Swallows who seemed in no hurry to migrate and were happily hunting insects outside the window.


Saturday 19 October 2013

S Devon day 1

Saturday 19 October 2013

Birds not special but amazing weather for the time of year - could there be some connection? Highlight probably the Cirl Bunting, but hardly even noteworthy down here!


In the same bush a female Reed Bunting



Also of note - a couple of Swallows fighting their way south against the wind and Red Admirals a plenty and a few Commas and Speckled Woods with a single Painted Lady.


Thursday 17 October 2013

New Ewelme tick

Thursday 17 October 2013

Highlight of todays visit - come to think of it probably highlight of 2013 was this Wigeon. In 11 years of recording birds on the Watercress beds this is the firs Wigeon I have seen.






Supporting cast was a showey Water Rail, until it spotted me.




And also on show a Comma, a Small White butterfly and a pair of Common Darters busy egg laying in the pond.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Lions Roar

Tuesday 15 October 2013

The title refers to the quarterly publication of RAF Benson where Ewelme Watercress Beds and the efforts of some of the young airmen from the camp helping the volunteers is featured. This dates back to 10 July.

Wallingford Green Gym on hand today to clear the cut material from the Millbrook Mead site and, in addition chicken wire was fixed to entrance bridge to improve grip.


Sunday 6 October 2013

Ewelme guided walk

Sunday 6 October 2013

Only 5 visitors for todays guided walk at Ewelme but some late summer sightings including those pictured below as well as still some warblers (Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs).