A beautiful Spring morning today, with still a bit of a cold wind, but lovely in the shelter of the wood.
Male Blackcap sometimes known as the Northern Nightingale singing away in the local wood today.
A Comma Butterfly sunbathing. The sun had a bit of warmth in it today bringing out the insects, and as well as the Comma Butterfly, there was Brimstone, Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies on the wing.
We are thinking this might be some sort of Hoverfly.
First Chiff Chaff of the Spring in our local wood.
We decided to take a trip out to Grafham water as we had not been for a long time. More muddy paths ! The wind was a bit keen and the rain showers were short and sharp, but the hides were open so we were able to birdwatch over the reservoir in the dry. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the White Tailed Eagle that had been around for a few weeks but as is our luck, it had moved on. It was identified as one of the Juveniles that had been released in the re-wilding programme on the Isle of Wight. Well, it seems as though it did not like the IOW.
We watched a Fox hunt up and down on the far bank.
Some of the many little flocks of Goldeneye out on the water.
Song Thrush
Well, fishing had to come into the day somehow. We arrived back at the fishing lodge just as they were re stocking with 2500 Rainbow Trout which pleased Mr Dobson, and also this Cormorant. They have to restock as Trout cannot breed in reservoirs , they have to have running water.
A great Crested Grebe was also keeping an eye on the proceedings.
And, as usual, a Robin was singing near the car.
Canada Geese pairing up.
Well, thats that then……..
Today I managed to get Pete away from the river and we took a trip out to the RSPB at Sandy. A great walk and it felt good to stretch the old legs a bit. The reserve was very quiet when it came to the wildlife, but we did manage to get an image of this very large Carrion Crow having a bit of a spruce up.
Carrion Crow
We are now in meteorological spring but still walking the woods through the mud, although its not quite as bad as it was. Just longing for a bit of warm sunshine. Nature is definitely starting to wake up now after the winter. Primroses are starting to flower, that’s a plant we are lucky to have in abundance in the wood, and the Bluebells are starting to show their greenery.
Primroses
Rooks have been nest building for a couple of weeks now and they are so noisy. If you stand and watch them they can be quite entertaining as they try and steal twigs from a neighbours nest, causing loud shouting which everyone then starts to join in.
I caught a flash of red out of the corner of my eye and spied a beautiful male Bullfinch warily watching me.
Always seen in pairs, I knew the misses would be near by.
A touch of Spring.
A lovely little Wren keeping an eye on me.
Lots of Goldcrests flitting through the wood today, and the Ladybirds were showing but not really awake yet.
Fen Drayton Lakes are used gravel pits and are now managed by the RSPB , they are well within our local lockdown restrictions. I wasn’t sure what to expect today as much of the area had been under water recently, but most of it had dried out making rambling along a pleasure and it was such a warm day I left my coat in the car.
A walk down to The River Ouse found the river still flowing fast and looking very muddy with just a few hybrid Ducks and a pair of Mute Swans braving the water.
On one of the sheltered lakes hundreds of Shoveller Ducks were feeding and Three Great White Egrets were taking off and landing on the other side of the Reed Beds.
Mute Swan on the River Ouse
Red Kite overhead
Robin (again)
Sunshine and Birdsong a real tonic and food for the soul.
After all the cold wet weather of the past week today turned out to be mild and just calling out for walking. The mud had put me off walking but I just needed to get out today. As well as the images below I spotted today, a Jay, a pair of Bullfinches, Redwings and the Rooks have started housekeeping in the Rookery.
Trees are starting to bud.
A handsome and large male Muntjac was intent on grazing and I think I made him jump.
I spotted a Brimstone Butterfly on the wing but she was struggling to fly in the wind. I followed her to where she eventually found shelter in a bramble bush.
Primroses are starting to show.
Always a Robin around.
The weather is still very cold, but the bonus is that it brings a variety of birds to the garden looking for food. A little Female Blackcap on the feeders is a pleasant surprise.
Blackcaps that are seen in UK gardens in the winter are not the same ones that are here in the summer. Winter Blackcaps migrate from Scandinavia and Germany for the winter, our summer Blackcaps have long gone migrating to North Africa.
As usual the Robin was waiting to welcome me into the wood. It was a relief to step out of the biting wind and into the shelter of the trees.
Ladybirds Sunbathing
Mum Muntjac (top image) and fawn above.
Today was a lovely cold bright day. A touch of frost made the ground hard and easier to walk on rather than trailing through mud, and the sky was the brightest blue.
Some sort of Fungi in a vivid burnt orange colour. I have not been able to identify it yet .
I came across a pair of pretty Stock Doves hanging out with the Wood Pigeons. The name comes from the old English word “Stocc” which means stump or tree trunk. So Stock Dove roughly means “a dove that lives in a hollow tree”.
Meadow Pipits can be identified by their long back claw.
Today saw another walk in the wet wood
Muntjac or Reeves Muntjac playing hide and seek today
Some sort of fungi that obviously likes the wet wood
Found the Tree Creepers again
Russel (as the local dog walkers have named him) enjoying a spot of rare sunshine. You would not like to be on the receiving end of that beak
Catkins showing that spring is not far away
As we are still in lockdown and can only exercise locally Jan decided to brave the local swamp, (sorry, we mean wood), its hard to believe that in just a few weeks this will all change and the primroses and bluebells will be in their full glory.
Unfortunately at the moment it is so muddy she nearly lost her wellies a couple of times, but still managed to stay on her feet. It was all worth it to spot a pair of Goldcrests and and a pair of Tree Creepers searching for food.
This is one of the pair of Goldcrests that were flitting around the trees with a group of Blue Tits
A Tree Creeper also known as a Tree Mouse because of the way it climbs up the tree
Tree Creepers always climb up the tree and never down. When they get to the top they fly to bottom of the next tree and start again.
On returning from the walk, Jan caught this female Blackbird in the garden . . . Not many berries left now.
Coming back from a Covid injection via Graveley Jan and I saw Red Kites after carrion, and Grey Partridges foraging for food in the fields. Also Fieldfares stripping the hedges of rose-hips. We managed to stop and take a few photographs..
Both Jan and I had to laugh as we had travelled to Norfolk a number of times to try and get the elusive Grey Partridge and here they were virtually on our doorstep. It really was great to see.
One of many Fieldfares in the roadside hedgerow.
Red Kites gathering round the carrion
He decided not to share
Grey Partridges feeling the cold
Keeping an eye on the Red Kites
Its alright dear they have gone
A stunning morning dawned after the overnight snow and a walk through the woods and the fields with the cameras was a must.
We think the pictures speak for themselves.
The weather had been wet and miserable and very muddy under foot, so we had an afternoon garden bird watching and keeping to lockdown rules.
Lovely surprise visitor to the garden today was this little Marsh Tit . . . A rare treat
Resident Blackbird stripping the Pyracantha berries
. . . This is why we planted it
The garden came alive with 15+ Long Tailed Tits all jostling to get on the fat balls
Just love these birds and this one decided to wait until the rush was over
Blue Tit investigating the old nest box, is this a sign of things to come . . Fingers crossed
A nice clear morning, no clouds, and a blue sky for our walk round the Papworth Bypass this morning.
We spotted various birds, and a fox. There was also a Buzzard being mobbed by Crows as it rested on a lamp post by the Shilpa roundabout.
A Blue Tit busy doing his morning pull ups
We only saw fleeting glimpses of this Red Wing while it fed on the berries
The Blackbird singing and sunning itself in the winter sunshine
The Buzzard resting on a lamp post maybe waiting for his Shilpa take-away
His take-away is ready for collection
Canada Geese always seem to find lakes and ponds to inhabit including this pond by the bypass.. First introduced from Canada to St James park they are now very common and are classed as a pest in some municipal parks.