Sunday 24 April 2011

A Day with Friends.

Today we met up with Tony and Jean early this morning for a stroll around Bookham Common.

Initially the most prominent songsters as we wandered through the wooded areas were numerous male Blackcaps while we also spied nesting Jackdaw and Song Thrush plus Mallard on the pond. The most prolific wild flower was Ramsons plus one of the largest bracket fungi (Pycnoporus sp.) I have seen in a while at the base of a very old mossy tree stump..

Out onto 'The Plains' we spotted a pair of Bullfinch, the male looked just like a bright red ball hidden in the shrubbery while overhead a few Long-tailed Tits flitted silently through the branches.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker tried to be inconspicuous as it perched in a tangle of Blackthorn. 

A distant calling Cuckoo was heard as we listened to Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, lots of Common Whitethroats and then picked up our first Nightingale singing strongly from within its dense nesting territory. A little later on at 'Nightingale Corner ( see the sign someone had scratched on a log slice in the top collage) we heard our second Nightingale although somewhat less vocal than the first. Jay, Wren, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Grey Heron, Blue and Great Tits and a single Willow Warbler were also logged.

After a relaxing alfresco light lunch in our friend's garden we took a mid afternoon stroll around their local fields. Unfortunately very little bird life but plenty of other things to admire. A very large Oak Gall, seed from Goat Willow being dispersed by the very welcome afternoon breeze, bird cherry blossom in the hedgerow and Yellow archangel flowering a bit earlier than usual. Quite a few flutters rapidly flew past us including the following:

 Orange Tip.

 Speckled Wood.

Peacock.

Tomorrow we are heading south-eastwards into Kent to meet up with some other friends so I guess I had better turn in a little earlier than usual and remember to set the alarm!   FAB.

14 comments:

  1. wow. the peacock butterfly was a very nice ending for this post! beautiful! and that fungus was beatiful too!

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  2. A lovely stroll Frank with lots to see.

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  3. Looks like a great day. Love the birds and the butterflies are awesome. The fungi is huge, cool sightings.

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  4. All beautiful, wonderful sightings. How wonderful to experience them with friends. Bookham Common looks like a great place!

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  5. Hi Frank...lovely post...especially like the photo with the Woodpecker and that adorable yellow and white butterfly !!
    Thanks for sharing!!

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  6. Great photos and collages! That peacoock is outstanding.

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  7. What a wonderful day you had! My favorite photo is that white butterfly with the yellow-dipped wings. Gorgeous!

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  8. Isn't it great what's all around us on a spring day. Love your "compositions"!

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  9. What a nice day you had! A very nice varied post too with lovely photos Frank and it sounds like you will be enjoying another very pleasant day today :)

    How lovely that you had not just one but two Nightingales treating you all to their lovely song :)

    By the way, I have just caught up with your last few posts and loved the Heron on the last one and the beautiful picture of the Blue Jay which you won!

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  10. Thats a very enjoyable walk you had Frank, with plenty to keep the lens busy. the flutters are great.

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  11. Always enjoy your mosaic arrangement of your photos! And that peacock butterfly was my favorite! Wish he'd come visit me...

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  12. Lovely collages Frank, what a fruitful wander, Linda

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  13. Frank, what a superb outing you all had, looks like a day that anyone would enjoy. The images are each just wonderful as always, love the shares~

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  14. Hi texwisgirl. Saved the most colourful until the last.

    Thanks Roy.

    Hi Eileen. Yeah, you could lay out a decent meal on that fugus plate!

    Hi Debbie. Like a lot of locations it is fairly quiet in winter but everything appears in Spring plus plenty of flutters yet to come.

    Thanks Grammie.

    Cheers Dawn. The Peacock is a stunner.

    Hi Mona. It also has an interesting underwing ... must try to get a decent pic.

    Hi dreamfalcon. Fabulous time of the year with so much to watch.

    Hi Jan. Just posted the following days trip ... with even more Nightingales singing.
    Owning the Blue Jay sketch has definitely put a smile on my face.

    Cheers Monty. Can't wait for more flutters to emerge in front of the lens.

    Hi Shelley. Thank you. Maybe you should come and visit here instead?

    Thanks Linda. An very enjoyable stroll.

    Thank you Mary. Always fun to be outside in good company.

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I hope you enjoyed your visit and I always appreciate your comments and feedback.

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