Window to Wildlife

I took my daily exercise in Wrabness today with target birds nightingale and turtle dove in mind. I have found Wrabness to be the most reliable location for finding turtle doves in Essex and although you are more likely to see nightingales at Fingringhoe there are usually a few at Wrabness. It took about ten minutes before I heard a nightingale singing from cover and I then patiently waited for it to reveal itself which happened after twenty minutes although within two seconds it had moved back into the thicket. It was now time to look for turtle doves but again it was not easy as a couple of times I could hear the purring sound nearby but could not locate the bird. As I was walking around the reserve I noticed that there were a large number of sand martins flying overhead and then as I walked along a path by the river I saw a sandy cliff which seemed to be where most activity was taking place. As I approached I saw that there were numerous holes in the cliff and birds were co...

This morning we headed out to Bramber Brooks. This is a fairly new nature reserve that is being developed locally. It is very damp in the winter and we have seen Snipe there previously as well as flushing a single Jack Snipe.The plan is to create some scrapes to attract waders and work is due to begin in August. Long term, it is hoped this will link with other areas to create a much larger wildlife corridor. In the meantime a series of grassy paths have been mown through the wet grassland and some wooden bridges have been constructed over the wettest parts. Some young saplings have been planted and there are numerous areas of bramble and scrub. A fence and gate have been erected and dogs are not permitted in the reserve. Last year our local birdwatching group, SDOS, put an own box up on the reserve which was initially used by a Barn Owl. However when we visited earlier this year, the box appeared to have been taken over by Jackdaws. On our last visit we had some brilliant views of a ...

With travel restrictions lifted I thought it would be a good time to make the annual trip to Ashdown Forest in the hope of seeing the three species which I do not usually see at any other location i.e. common redstart, tree pipit and woodlark. I arrived at just before 8 o'clock and as I drove into the Old Lodge car park I was surprised to see Jenny and Tim Holter who had obviously decided to visit the forest on the same day and were just preparing to set off on their walk around the reserve. Greetings were exchanged and as they left the car park I gathered my photographic equipment and binoculars to begin my walk. Initially it was quite difficult to identify a number of birds which were at the tops of trees since the poor light conditions made it almost impossible to distinguish any colours.  Any photos taken at this point only resulted in silhouettes. After drawing a blank at the part of the reserve where in the past I have often seen tree pipits or woodlarks, I finally had so...

Today, with lockdown rules loosened for outdoor activities, we travelled by car to Pagham Harbour for a walk and some birdwatching. We arrived before 8am at Ferry Pool and parked in the lay-by, as the RSPB car park and centre were closed. There were lots of summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits feeding quite close to the road and a pair of Redshank, getting rather friendly at the edge of the pool. Towards the back, at some distance, there were a number of Avocets looking stunning and elegant in the bright morning sunlight, while scurrying busily along the muddy margins were a pair of yellow-eyed Little Ringed Plover (also getting rather friendly!) - our first of the year,  due to being curtailed in our travels by the lockdown and having no suitable habitat in our local area. Digiscoped Avocets  Digiscoped Little Ringed Plover On the duck front, there were good numbers of Shelduck, a few Gadwall and of course, the inevitable Mallard. Next we continued roun...

Way back during the early stages of lockdown (4th April) as I was in the garden hanging out some clothes, down came a Blue Tit... with a mouthful of moss. It disappeared out of sight behind the shed, where our nest box and camera are located. And lo...when I came indoors and checked the camera on TV, the base of the nest box was covered in moss. Over several weeks we watched the nest building activity. Mrs Blue Tit, who is solely responsible for nest building, did  not necessarily have the most productive way of working - she frequently brought a piece of moss inside, only to take it back out again and would regularly bury her head into the moss and spread her wings to rearrange things. Then she progressed to lining the nest with feathers - the soft furnishings - again very fussy and constantly tweaking and making adjustments! According to the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) nest building can be done in a single day but usually takes 1-2 weeks. Egg laying appears to have star...

With fears of an imminent lockdown looming, and following our ‘farewell’ visits to see the grandchildren, we made the most of our last chance to birdwatch away from home with a trip to Pagham North Wall on Monday 23rd March. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day and had an enjoyable walk along North Wall and the fields beyond. The highlight was a group of beautiful Garganey seen initially at the fringes of Breach Pool, typically elusive and obscured amongst the reeds before reappearing at the edge of the open expanse of the main pool. Apparently this was once known as the Cricket Teal, due to the unusual call made in Spring - the Collins guidebook likens it to a Fingernail being run along a comb. Unlike most seasonal wildfowl this is a summer rather than winter visitor. It spends the winter in Africa. The male is highly attractive with a striking white crescent contrasting with a chocolate face and bold patterning on its back. Drake Garganey at Breach Pool, Pagham North Wa...

It is now six weeks since ‘lockdown’ began, curtailing our usual birdwatching excursions and limiting us to either viewing from the garden or daily exercise walks from home. Fortunately, we are located in a prime area, with access on foot to a variety of habitats including coast, river, farmland and downland. The lockdown also coincided with the start of the spring migration season, so despite constraints we have been able to add to our annual bird list and maintain this additional interest on our local walks. Week 1 Lockdown began on Tuesday 24/3 and in the garden I spotted my first Blackcap  of the year - two grey males in the rose bush at the front of the house. On Thursday 26/3 we ventured across to the beach, hoping for Wheatears. No luck there, but as we returned, feeling somewhat disappointed, I put the bins up to a ‘little brown job’ flying into a bush in front of a block of flats. Imagine the jubilation when this turned out to be a newly arrived Black Redstart . Resu...