Yellow on Blue.

I carried out this week's butterfly transect on Ashtead Common North around midday on Tuesday but with the temperature hovering just above 12 deg C I logged just five species; Speckled Wood (3), Small White (1), Large White (1), Peacock (1) and a solitary Brimstone nectaring on a Bluebell.

With more wild flowers appearing and the temperature expected to improve I will hopefully come across some different flutters during my wanderings over the coming days. FAB.

Linking to: 
Floral Friday Fotos
Today's Flowers  

Castle Hill LNR.

Just a 20 minute walk from home is Castle Hill LNR. Castle Hill has been designated as an Ancient Monument and is thought to be the site of a medieval moated farmstead dating from the 13th century known as Brettgrave. The area is now dominated by mature deciduous woodland but over the past few years active management by coppicing is helping to keep the under-story open thereby encouraging more wildlife.

At this time of year, apart from the typical woodland bird life, the main attraction is the swathes of our native Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) competing with a green carpet of Cleavers (Bedstraw) beneath an open canopy that is very slowly greening up.

A Song Thrush perches high overhead taking a rest from proclaiming its territory with its characteristic repetitive song.

The reserve boundary is dominated by an old iron fence that in many places is showing the test of time!

Other 'regulars' during my early morning stroll were Robin (above) and the tiny [Winter] Wren (below) with the big voice.

And finally a collage showing a few of the wild flowers that have appeared during the past couple of weeks including the invasive Three-cornered Garlic growing amongst the Bluebells, Red Dead-nettle, Greater Stitchwort, Green Alkanet and Bedstraw.

Linking to:

Good Fences

Butterfly Transect Update.

Following up on a post last August entitled 'A New Transect for 2015' I am pleased to say that my offer to carry out a new butterfly recording transect on Ashtead Common National Nature Reserve, managed by the City of London Corporation, has now been confirmed. This involves a weekly stroll over a fixed route from April to September, a total of 26 weeks, in suitable weather between 10.45 and 15.45 to record the variety and numbers of species seen throughout each of the 8 dedicated sections.

Whilst I have carried out three surveys so far the weather hasn't been particularly brilliant with gusty winds on most days between 8-20 mph combined with temperatures barely acceptable for the flutters so it is perhaps not surprising that I have only recorded 7 species; Brimstone (6), Large White (3), Small White (3), Green-veined White (1), Orange Tip (6), Peacock (2) and Speckled Wood (6).

Speckled Wood

Peacock

Throughout the 500 acres (200 hectares) of Ashtead Common there are over 2,300 ancient oak pollards, many over 400 years old, which play host to a surprising variety of wildlife. Continual management is required to maintain the health of these veteran Oaks by reducing their crowns, clearing away the understory growth and where appropriate allowing younger trees to thrive so they can eventually take over from their forefathers.

In the open wooded pasture glades many old trees remain standing, weathered by the passage of time with shattered and torn limbs but continuing to play their part in the landscape as hideaways for numerous tiny creatures and nesting cavities for the birds and mammals.

During my most recent survey I noticed this sign stating that three weeks ago there had been six fires within the wooded pasture areas on the common all thought to have been deliberately lit. Fortunately through prompt action of the public and the Fire Brigade the overall damage was minimised.

I had previously seen evidence of a similar situation on my nearby birding patch at Epsom Common and have to wonder at the mentality of the idiots that  think this behaviour is acceptable.

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Throughout the transect there are numerous patches of our native Bluebells and as soon as more wild flowers come into flower I'm sure other species of butterfly will be seen. One very majestic veteran that I walk pass is the King Oak which at the moment is still to come into leaf.

The King Oak

One species I was hoping to record along the transect is the Holly Blue but although I eventually found one resting it was seen elsewhere and therefore hasn't yet figured in the statistics.

Holly Blue

Linking to Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen.

Patchwalk - Horton CP.

Horton Country Park is very close to my home and forms part of my 5k x 5k local recording area. It extends over 400 acres with a mixture of habitats; Golf Course, an Equestrian Centre, numerous horse paddocks, grass meadows, mixed woodland and is very popular with dog walkers and cyclists.

Just about a week ago I took a stroll late morning to see what was around with fortunately not too many other visitors who might disturb the wildlife.

A Chiffchaff flitted about the trees bordering the track around the paddocks occasionally issuing its 'hweet' call.

A male Blackbird enjoying a paddle and drink from one of the track side puddles left from the winter rains.

As I turned into one of the mixed woodland areas a male Blackcap stopped singing and popped out to see who was entering its territory. Blue and Great Tits, Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird, Nuthatch and Jay were also present in the woods where the Bluebells were in full flower (much earlier than last year).

On the edge of the wood I heard two Woodies territory drumming against each other and then one male Great Spotted Woodpecker decided to change location so I just managed a couple of pics before it flew off to directly challenge the other intruder deep within the wood.

Other species seen or heard included Song Thrush, Magpie, Starling, Crow, Jackdaw, Pheasant, Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit and Pied Wagtail plus Brimstone, Comma, Orange Tip and Peacock butterflies. All in all not a bad list for the time of day.  FAB.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Hatchlands Park Walk.

In a month's time I'll be leading a Dawn Chorus walk again for the National Trust at Hatchlands Park so as the park has just reopened to visitors from 10am I took the opportunity yesterday to carry out a reconnoitre by following 'The Long Walk'. 

The sign says 'allow 1.5 hours and stout, waterproof shoes are essential' ... certainly NOT after our long dry spell. At the Ice House I noticed the first small patch of Bluebells coming into bloom. Despite the lack of overhead foliage most of the birding was done by ear. As I passed The Centenary Plantation Chiffchaff and Blackcap were both singing prominently. While seeking out a Mistle Thrush belting out its calls from a very high perch a Common Buzzard appeared high over the treetops and quickly disappeared from view. 

Views across the parkland from the highest point on my walk.

As I entered Little Wix Wood another Blackcap was heard singing from its usual patch of dense shrubbery while Blue and Great Tits flitted about with a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming.

It won't be long before the whole area is carpeted in blue .... so if you live in the south-east UK and want to see Bluebells I wouldn't leave it too long .... like last year the best displays are going to be early unless a really heavy cold snap holds them back.

A brief rest at the Old Barn Information Centre (which is sorely in need of revamping the posters etc.) where I was fortunate to catch a couple of cropped images of a soaring Common Buzzard.

Heading towards the most northernmost boundary the wild flowers provided an alternative medium to photograph (Primroses, Violets and Wood Anemone) while a number of Nuthatches stridently called as they  moved through the trees. I also added Pheasant, Dunnock, Green Woodpecker (heard laughing), Long-tailed Tit plus the usual corvids, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Jay and a distant squawk from a Parakeet. Several more Chiffchaffs where located plus a record shot only (see collage below) of a male Blackcap.

Mahonia in full flower certainly brightened up the tree lined pathway before I headed  back into the open to check out the inhabitants of Sheepwash Lake (really only a pond) ... Canada Geese, Mallard, Moorhen and Coot. As I returned towards the car park droplets of water started to fall .... the first rain for such a long, long time but regretfully it didn't amount to much ... hardly dampened the soils surface.    FAB. 

Bluebells at Hatchlands Park.

If you want to see Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) don't delay a trip out to your favourite woodland location because here in the south-east (UK) they have flowered about two weeks earlier than last year as a result of the warmer, drier weather. 

These shots were taken today at Hatchlands Park N.T. and the display is now at its best. The perfumed fragrance as I entered the wood mid morning during part of my bird walk was absolutely wonderful.  FAB.

 

Gentle Reminder: For anyone wishing to join me on the Dawn Chorus Walk (5am on 1st May) at Hatchlands Park please make sure that you have booked your place by phoning  01483 222482.

Kent Marshes (Northwood Hill)

After dropping off the camping trailer at 8.15 a.m. in Northfleet we headed to Northwood Hill RSPB Reserve somewhere we had never visited before. The reserve is situated on a ridge overlooking the Thames Marshes and our first port of call was the woodland which was full of birdsong; Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Blackbirds, Chaffinch, Whitethroats and Chiffchaff but most individuals were hidden from us by the lush dense foliage.

With fierce sun overhead it was great to be walking in dappled shade with Red Campion and Bluebells lining the pathways.

A view outside the woodland over the adjoining farmland.

Our route eventually led us to the edge of the ridge with this expansive view over the marshes. The building on the left was used for communicating with the U.S.A. during World War 2.

While Anita rested her feet, listening to the intermitent calls of Cetti's Warbler, Nightingale, a distant Cuckoo and the constant sounds from various corvids I headed downhill to check out the reed fringed small waterways and listened to the rythmic song of a Reed Warbler and the scratchy sounds from a Sedge Warbler.

Our return route to the car was an uphill slog but interupted with views of this docile 'bunny' and a very noisy laughing Green Woodpecker.

We then drove to the main car park at Bromhey Farm where a large party of school children were also enjoying the various wildlife delights of butterflies, bugs and of course the birds under the guidance of RSPB staff.

Clockwise L to R...ARB, Cuckoo, Chaffinch and Whitethroat.

We found a convenient seat to eat out packed lunch while watching Whitethroats, Linnets, a Yellowhammer, Chaffinch with the constant calls from a Cuckoo who eventual alighted on a very distant tree. Other sightings included Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Greylag Geese, Shelduck and Tufted Duck plus we also saw a few butterflies but I'll leave these for a later post as this one is already too long! Just after lunch the mobile rang and we returned to pick  up the trailer, now in full working order...next job is to repack all our gear so it is ready for an outing somewhere next month.   FAB.

New Patch Sightings.

A few days ago a friendly neighbour reminded me that a Nightingale had once again returned to a area of damp scrubland on the edge of a paddock just about half a mile from home. I can recall him mentioning this to me in a previous year but (perhaps stupidly) I discounted it thinking that the location was somewhat unlikely. Yesterday morning I headed south to the appointed spot and listened....there was Song Thrush, Blackbird, Blackcap, and Wren singing, then from some 80 yards away the unmistakable 'chuir..chuir..chuir' followed by the liquid warble of yes, a Nightingale. So a new patch tick. My intended onward journey was thwarted by a sign that said "Pathway Closed due to ditch maintenance" and large machinery blocking the way ahead so I had to backtrack and take another  route into Horton Country Park.

As you can see the hedgerows are now in full leaf enabling the residents to hide from view and they did just that although several Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps made brief appearances but not for any photocall. However other beauties awaited me inside the woodlands.....carpets of scented Bluebells.

Also beneath my feet or at eye level were many other natural wonders to give the camera something to do in the absence of any avian opportunities.

The image below shows the seat overlooking a small 'dipping' pond were I regularly take the weight of my feet before heading for home. During a chance search of a small area of blue sky  I located around 30 Swifts hawking insects and then a few moments later the much larger 'boomerang' shape of my first Hobby for this year who was diving and chasing a Sparrowhawk as it continued it's journey following the Swifts in a north-

easterly direction. I searched the paddocks and fences but no other obvious migrants moving through.

Today (Thursday) we are transporting the folding camper to be serviced in North Kent so I'm hoping we may may get a little time to find somewhere for a stroll. Fingers crossed that all goes well and that I don't need to bend the 'plastic' too heavily.   FAB.

An Orchestral Dawn and then?

Saturday 2nd May and the alarm awakens the ‘Early Birder’ just before 4am. With sunrise due at 5.20 I head out to 100 Pound Bridge at Bookham Common and with the car window open Blackbirds and Robins constantly serenade me during my 30 minute journey.
A low mist hangs over the fields and the wood is just a blurred shape as I arrive at my destination. A slight chill in the air and the sky is getting lighter as the sun climbs ever nearer beyond the horizon but around me the dawn orchestra is already in full voice. The leaders are definitely the Song Thrushes, pumping out their repetitive phrases.

Song Thrush - Leader of the Orchestra

A lone Blackbird, perched high on a dead tree, silhouetted by the rising light, clearly signifies his dominance with his slow tempo, rich melodic, mellow tune. Next is the Blackcap, its scratchy, hesitant beginning switches to its fluty warble and is quickly joined by the slow, measured series of clear but forceful notes, constantly repeating [chiff, chiff, chaff...chiff, chaff] from a Chiffchaff. Next there is the scratchy, jerky and jolty rhythm from a Common Whitethroat; a Great Tit utters one of its many varied sounds; the rattling trill of a Lesser Whitethroat; a Wren repeatedly explodes with a rapid succession of 70 plus notes in a matter of seconds; there is the cooing calls of Wood Pigeons and Doves in the background and from afar a Cockerel announces that dawn has begun. As I walk into the clearing my senses heightened and bombarded by sounds all around me I pick out the repeated cher, cher, cher, followed by the powerful and truly melodic phrases incorporating trilling sounds, fluted whistles and gurgling notes from the quintessential songster, the NIGHTINGALE.

The scientific name Luscinia means, roughly, a ‘singer of lamentations’, and Nightingale itself means ‘night singer’. The bird is synonymous with its song, but contrary to popular belief it doesn’t only sing at night when the purpose for the unpaired males is to attract overflying females. Check out this link for research by Petite Camargue Alsacienne for more information.

Males often sing during the day when their motivation is more territorial, directed towards their rivals and the bird shifts perches more often. Each male, I understand, has a repertoire of some 100 up to 300 different phrases or song types, delivered in regular cyclic succession and up to 400 times per hour. You have to marvel at its sheer effort and persistence. This songster is not often seen, although I do have some exceptional memories of watching individuals in the open and in full song for up to 20 minutes, but as usual it vocalised from deep within the entangled brambles and low dark bushes within a few feet of where I was standing. When sighted the bird is to many very disappointing to look at as it’s just like a big brown Robin but for me its contribution as the impresario during this ‘orchestral dawn’ was most enjoyable. During the next 30 minutes I locate a second territory singer as the sky brightens and takes on a bluer hue and the rays of the rising sun pierce through the tree canopy lighting up patches beneath my feet.

Do my ears deceive me, or was that a Cuckoo calling in the far distance? The call is not repeated but I’m patient and hopeful that I will catch up with this species sometime during the next 6 hours! Over the next hour or so I strolled around various parts of the common and caught up with Willow Warbler, a male Bullfinch, a pair of Mute Swans, Canada Goose, 2 Little Grebes, a female Mallard acting nursemaid to 8 chicks, Coot, Moorhen, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Magpie, Crow, Jackdaws, Starling, House Sparrow, Kestrel searching for breakfast, Cormorant flying overhead, Grey Heron quietly searching the pond margins for a snack, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch and a Nuthatch calling.

Before returning to the car for a warm beverage and snack I spent some time walking around a nearby bluebell wood where my nostrils were full of their gorgeous early morning fragrance. The sun had not penetrated the overhead leaf canopy but a few photos were taken. On the road towards Downside I stopped briefly to enjoy the ‘little bit of bread and no cheeeeese’ calls of Yellowhammers’ plus the tinkling song of Goldfinches as they busily searched for their breakfast cereal and not least the song of the Skylarks .

From 9am I joined a Surrey Bird Club walk around Bookham Common very ably led by Alan Prowse. AP has a vast knowledge of this, his local patch, and the walk predominately centres on locating both the resident and migrant songsters while AP identifies and explains their calls and songs plus information on nesting and breeding throughout the common and woodlands. We locate most, if not all the species I had already seen or heard, but welcome additions were at least 5 singing Garden Warblers (they had obviously arrived in the last 24/48 hours), House Martin, 3 Swallows, Green Woodpecker, Stock Dove and a calling Pheasant.

Whilst I am not a fan of using recordings indiscriminately to attract specific species, when we heard the Cuckoo some distance away, AP played a very brief snippet of the ‘bubbling call’ of a female Cuckoo and with a matter of moments the male flew into sight and perched. Over the next five minutes or so this individual constantly called out from various song posts as he made an aerial circuit around us but never perching clearly or long enough in sight for a photo! Sky watching produced a total of 5 Common Buzzards, 3 Sparrowhawks (a local pair probably chasing an interloper off their patch) and then the sighting of a lone raptor, high and moving north-west. My first thought was another Sparrowhawk but the size and chunkier shape plus the very prominent white under-tail coverts clearly seen as it twisted and turned led AP and FAB to confirm GOSHAWK. That’s another year tick for me. We also stopped at another Nightingale territory and without using a recording AP whistled and the owner duly responded and sang for everyone to enjoy. Our last port of call was to listen to juvenile Herons calling from their nests high in the woodland.

Goldfinch

Well was it worth being the “Early Birder” – I’d say so.

Weekend Walks 18/04/09

On Saturday we decided to visit Frensham Little Pond. A dip into the wooded area adjoining the car park produced Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps (2 males & 1 female), Wren and Great Tits plus Great Woodpecker calling and Green Woodpecker ‘yaffaling’ some distance away.

Male Blackcap

At the water’s edge several dog owners were allowing their beasts to enter the water despite signs around the pond banning this activity to protect the wildlife. (The owners obviously all need an eye sight test!)

On the water were Great-crested Grebe (2), Coot, Mallard, Mute Swan and a Canada Goose.
We listened to the rhythmic song of several Reed Warblers and the scratchy sounds from a Sedge Warbler but only one very brief sighting of the former dashing across the top of the reeds.

Below is my 2nd pair of eyes scanning the reed beds for any sign of life.

Willow Warblers were singing from their high perches. Quite a few Blue Tits and this individual posed long enough for its portrait.

Out on the heathland, where the Gorse is in full flower we listened in vain for either Dartford Warbler or a Tree Pipit. (Another day perhaps). A female Stonechat hopped from perch to perch ahead of us and a Kestrel was hovering over King’s Ridge. We walked up onto the ridge to scan over towards the Great Pond and picked up 2 Common Buzzards high in the distance. During a brief rest stop we watched three SWALLOWS pass by.

On the way home we stopped off at Bookham Common and were rewarded with a brief glimpse of a LESSER WHITETHROAT confirmed by its distinctive alarm call and then singing from within low scrub. Again Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Chaffinches were everywhere.
Butterflies seen today were Peacock, Comma, Green Veined White and plenty of Orange Tips, including this female.

We made a diversion via very muddy paths to check out a Bluebell wood nearby.

A few stems are already in flower, but the area above will be a sea of blue in a week or so. Anita spotted this mossy 'beast' lying on the ground - Any suggestions as to what it might be?