Monday 28 January 2013

A Quiet January.

Unlike past years I haven't set myself any specific wildlife challenges apart from trying to obtain some better images but the January weather seems to have defeated me, so here is a brief synopsis of where and what I have seen so far this month.
My first patch walk at Epsom Common was on on the 3rd January and the fishing pond (above) was totally devoid of any life. Apart from a pair of Mallard, one Moorhen and a Grey Heron the only other avian activity on the main pond was four Cormorants. Over the past few weeks the woodland has been exceptionally quiet although I have seen a single Marsh Tit and plenty of Goldcrests seeking out food amoungst the snow covered undergrowth. A wander around the horse paddocks within Horton Country Park just two days ago produced over 180 Fieldfare plus a few Redwing and Mistle Thrushes feeding on the recently thawed pastures together with around a dozen Meadow Pipits.
  Cormorant

Grey Heron

A visit to Thursley Common with some friends very early in the month also didn't produce many wildlife sightings but we did have excellent views of a singing Woodlark plus Skylark and Reed Buntings but unfortunately no views of the Great Grey Shrike that has been around for most of the winter. The most unexpected sighting was of at least a dozen Coal Tits flitting and feeding through the stands of birches. The only occupants on the ponds were Mallard, Coot and Tufted Ducks.
Coot

Tufted Ducks

A trip a bit further afield to Wraysbury Lakes on a bitterly cold day paid dividends with reasonable views of at least 2 male Smew, several Goosanders, plus good numbers of Common Goldeneye and a Kingfisher as it flew across the lake. On my way home I also stopped off at Staines Reservoir and located a Black-necked Grebe and a solitary Ruddy Duck (a distinct local rarity since the massive cull a couple of years ago).

 A record (heavily cropped shot) in the late afternoon ..... Ruddy Duck.

On the 17th I spent four hours tramping around Papercourt Marshes with a group of  'Surrey Birders' and eventually logged around 35 species but the highlight was just as the light was fading when someone spotted the distinctive white uppertail coverts of a raptor quartering the marsh which we then identified as a female Hen Harrier (a first for me in Surrey). As dusk descended and the front of another rain storm closed in we were also treated to distant views of perched and hunting Barn Owls. On the 24th I took a stroll at Riverside Country Park and added Egyptian Geese and Water Rail to my January list to bring the total number of sightings up to just 72 species.

Hopefully in a few days as the frozen ponds begin to thaw some of the wildlife might return.    FAB.

17 comments:

  1. love the tufted ducks, and you get great grey heron shots! beautiful reflections here, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Teresa. Fortunately a few of the Grey Herons in the park are very tolerant and allow fairly close encounters.

      Delete
  2. It takes a lot of effort to find that many species in one afternoon. You send me to the bird book to look for more info on some of these birds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Red. It would have been awesome if they had ALL been seen in one day ... the total is for January so far! I hope the reference books were of some help.

      Delete
  3. Those were great pictures of your bird sightings Jean. The only sign of any water birds today were tracks on a thin layer of snow on an icy pond.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ups, sorry Frank, I got a little mixed up with names. That will teach me to try and leave messages when I am half asleep!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Apology gracefully accepted Denise. Thank for yor visit and lovely comments.

      Delete
  5. Lovely images, especially the clouds and reflections of them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lois. The lake and cloud image was just one of those lucky shots.

      Delete
  6. Some really nice photos there, and good to see that you saw that Ruddy Duck. The photo of the reflection on Wraysbury Lakes was a particularly impressive shot :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers Joe. Appreciate your visit and comments.

      Delete
  7. Love those Tufted Ducks Qfrank. I especially like the way their eyes are tucked in around all of that black like buttons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Carol they are a delightful species.

      Delete
  8. I think it has been pretty quiet everywhere Frank! At least you have got a Ruddy Duck on your patch, haven't seen one here for years!
    J
    Follow me at HEDGELAND TALES

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John. I was quite surprised to see the Ruddy bearing in mind the amount of money the authorities spent to get rid of them!

      Delete
  9. These are lovely! the shot of the clouds and sky reflected just takes my breath away!

    ReplyDelete

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

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails