Saturday 16 July 2011

Waterside Wander.

 Last week saw me taking a late morning stroll along the Wey Navigation towpath beside Stoke Meadows.

During a similar stroll during May I was fortunate to see a few juvenile Wagtails including a Grey Wagtail being fed by its parents amongst the overhanging vegetation on the far bank but two months later  ....

 ... it is July and things are much quieter with very little activity around the lock. Wren and Blackcap called from within the woodland fringes and I had brief views of the vibrant coloured Demoiselles flitting over the waterside vegetation but they all failed to stop for a photo call.

A Black-headed Gull balances in the breeze before continuing its circuit around the main lake.

One of the Common Terns that has been using the raft on the lake will now be busily feeding up before commencing its long journey southwards to somewhere in Africa for the winter and hopefully return next year.



Other wildlife seen included Mallard, Egyptian Goose, Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Robin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and an overflying Grey Heron while the bees collected pollen from the brambles.

A few butterflies were seen including Brimstone, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet and Comma .... I have kept back a few pics for a future post.

As I made my way back to the car a barge puttered by .... the pilot totally ignorant of my presence!   FAB.

13 comments:

  1. looks like a nice quiet place. hoping your dad(s) are doing well...

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  2. Ah, another lovely outing with you. I especially like the gull on the post. Thanks for taking us along.

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  3. ...looks like a lovely walk, Frank. I love all the photos, but the shot of the Common Tern is especially beautiful. I love the house too...

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  4. Hi Frank,

    The last image is lovely. I think it belongs in some holiday brochure, it captures the very essence of boating on the river.

    Glad you saw some butterflies, they see to be in short supply here at the moment. Will you do the butterfly count for Butterfly Conservation??

    Lovely to see the young wagtail, long may he remain......


    Hope the rain has stopped.....we have sunshine at the moment.

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  5. Lovely walk Frank and the images are superb, I agree thing on the Avian front are very quiet down here.

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  6. Lovely waterside wander Frank.
    The barge looks very tempting. :-)

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  7. Lovely place & amazing shoots!
    Ur post is the best photo-inspiration for my Sunday :)

    Best wishes, Juliana
    [http://pjhappies.blogspot.com/]

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  8. You did have a great birding outing. Love all the birds and the scenery shots. The young wagtail begging is a cute shot. Wonderful post and photos.

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  9. A lovely tour Frank beautiful countryside and your images really do it justice.

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  10. You had a terrific walk, Frank. My favorites are the Gull, the Tern, and the Bee on the beautiful flower. Very nice camera work!

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  11. Hi Theresa. Probably the quietest month of the year! Both our fathers are doing ok.

    Thanks Lois.

    Hi Kelly. The Lock House is a good spot to watch all the comings and goings on the waterway.

    Hi Cheryl. If I can find 15 mins in the sunshine I'll certainly do the count although there are very few flutters visiting the garden so far this year.

    Cheers Monty. Thank goodness there are a few other things flying in front of the lens for us.

    Thanks Keith. A great way to travel and watch the wildlife.

    Hi Juliana. So glad you are inspired.

    Thanks Eileen.

    Cheers Andrew.

    Thanks Mona.

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  12. Charming images of the British landscapes, Frank!
    I've enjoyed a lot travelling though your picture to that lovely countryside.

    Thanks a million for sharing these wonders!

    Warmest greetings from Spain.

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  13. Hi Enrique. Delighted you could join me alongside the waterway.

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

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