Sounds of the Dawn Chorus.

It is 3am and I am already heading out in the dark to join an annual event, the 'Dawn Chorus' walk at Bookham Common.

With a few street lights glowing in the dark it is likely that I'll hear Blackbird and Robin on my journey BUT what other species might I hear before the dawn light appears? Possibly a Tawny Owl calling and maybe a Nightingale singing.

If you check back later on Sunday I will add a list of the species both heard and seen.  FAB. 


UPDATE:

The walk commenced under a windless, clear, star spangled sky with the temperature hovering just above freezing point and didn't get much warmer over the ensuing three hours! Strangely the first species I heard was Canada Geese some 20 minutes before the walk started.

38 Species recorded by me in memory order. [H = Heard only; F/O = Fly over]

Canada Geese, Blackbird, Robin, Song Thrush, Wren, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Common Buzzard, Stock Dove, Carrion Crow, Pheasant [H], Bullfinch [H], Common Whitethroat[H], Herring Gull (F/O), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Coal Tit [H], Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Grey Heron (F/O and on nest), Cormorant (F/O), Jay, Kestrel, Nuthatch, Skylark [H], Sparrowhawk, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Ring-necked Parakeet, Jackdaw, Mistle Thrush.

The cold temperature definitely reduced the volume of the chorus that I have previously experienced at this location and this also probably accounted for several expected species failing to get on the list e.g. Tawny Owl, Treecreeper and Nightingale although one was heard by the leader a few days ago. I will endeavour to revisit on a much warmer day and compare the outcome. FAB.

Friday Flutters.

My butterfly forays this week started on Monday with good views of a single male Silver-washed Fritillary during a transect walk on Ashtead Common.

During this walk I recorded 9 different species with Meadow Brown (see left) producing the highest count of 58 separate individuals. The other species were Small Skipper (3), Small/Essex Skipper (4), Large Skipper (9), White Admiral (1), Red Admiral (1), Speckled Wood (6) and Ringlet (13).

Record shot (above) of a resting Ringlet.

On Thursday I joined a Butterfly Conservation walk at Bookham Common and after a very quiet start with total cloud cover and a sprinkling of rain the group eventually logged 18 species including a brief high flying view of a Purple Emperor plus good numbers of White Admiral and plenty Silver-washed Fritillary.

At our lunch stop I saw my first Gatekeeper of the year, a very fresh male (above) and a slight detour from our planned route enabled me to also add Comma (below) to the day list.

Today I undertook another recording session on Ashtead Common in much higher temperatures and again logged nine separate species which included the usual Skippers (17), Large White (1), Purple Hairstreak (1), Peacock (1), Silver-washed Fritillary (1) plus White Admiral (7) and larger counts of Meadow Brown (61) together with Ringlets (37).
Best recording day so far this year with a total of 126 individual butterflies logged .... I wonder how many I missed!

As expected the White Admirals were fairly active; flying in the shade close to Honeysuckle, their host plant; so I only had a brief opportunity for a record shot when one individual perched for a moment or two in not a particularly ideal location.

  

I was slightly surprised not to find more Silver-washed Fritillary but I'll end this post with another image of the individual I located earlier this week. FAB.

Linking to Saturday's Critters and Andyslens: 'Weekend Butterfly #04'

Birding between the Bridges.

On another very recent early morning, just as the dawn sunshine was slowly burning off the mist, I was crossing this stile on the edge of Bookham Common.

So if you are happy to continue then why not join me as I go birding between the bridges that straddle the various small streams that meander their way across the common.




The first species to greet me is a male Blackbird giving me a quizzical look as if to say "Why are you here this early?".

As I cross the first bridge, which has recently been restored to cater for vehicle, horse and foot traffic, I hear the hoarse alarm call of a Pheasant from deep within the dense understory vegetation. Way off in the distance there is the repeated call of a Cuckoo while I listen out for other recently returned migrant songsters.

A silent male Blackcap (above) passes by probably on the look out for an early morning snack.

To avoid any early morning dog walkers I move away from the main track where the underfoot conditions are somewhat sticky after the recent rainfall and head for my second bridge crossing.

The tall vegetation nearby provides excellent song and lookout perches for several species including this Chiffchaff with its dark legs .....

and then a very similar looking LBJ, the Willow Warbler (below) with its pale legs.

As I head towards the next crossing point I hear the Cuckoo call again and then catch sight of it flying into the nearby woodland but I wasn't quick enough to grab an in-flight shot. Maybe next time I'll be lucky.

During the last 7-10 days the numbers of Common Whitethroat seeking nesting territories has increased but none of them appear in the open long enough for a photo-call.

Another strident but repetitive songster seen and heard all around the common is the Song Thrush.

At usually one of the wettest areas close to the boundary with the railway line I'm pleased to see that the ditch has been cleaned out so I won't be carrying an extra few pounds of mud home on my walking boots!

A detour into the woods leads me to a recently created 'Play Area' but I'm not in the mood for climbing so I just sit awhile and listen to Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and Nuthatch calling plus bursts of song from several Wrens.

  Last but not least one of many Robins in full voice and proclaiming its territorial rights. 

I hope you managed to keep up and enjoyed my early morning wander around the common.  FAB.

Linking to Good Fences hosted by TexWisGirl.

Dawn at Bookham Common.

My day started early on Wednesday morning with my alarm clock ringing at 4.30 a.m. which enabled me to drive and arrive at Bookham Common well before sunrise to listen to the Dawn Chorus.

With a thin slice of the moon suspended just above the dark silhouette of the woodland boundary I was greeted by a cacophony of sounds. Whilst difficult to unravel all the component parts of this orchestral delight the main voices were typically the Blackbirds, Song and Mistle Thrushes, Dunnocks, Wrens and Robins. At this early hour my sound receptors failed to pick out a returning migrant Nightingale so I strode purposefully to the far side of the common. 

With the sun just beginning the shine through the tree tops a thin blanket of mist hovering at ground level obscured part of my view over the field at Banks Common and enabled two Roe Deer to quickly hide from the lens. Behind me a hidden Blackcap sang out and a Common Buzzard called from a nearby wood.

With the lightening sky the bird song diminished drastically so before retracing my steps I took a few shots of the boundary fences. Linking to Good Fences hosted by Theresa.

A male Pheasant stands guard over his partner hidden in the grass in one of the many horse paddocks erected around Chasemore Farm.

After crossing one of the many bridges that span the various streams I finally heard the briefest of songs of a Nightingale while photographing a very obliging Dunnock in full voice. 

I was also pleased to find three Willow Warblers and captured a few images of other songsters which I'll share in a forthcoming post. FAB.

Boots still walking.

Exactly four years ago I published a post entitled 'Boots are made for ....' and reported on the wildlife I encountered on a particular walk so I thought it would be interesting to repeat the walk, which I did today, and review any changes. Well, of course, the boots have changed ... the others wore out some time ago but my shadow is still the same! However the introduction to the original post (see below) is still relevant today.

"These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do".

The repeated lyrics of the well known song by Nancy Sinatra released in 1966, when I was somewhat younger, and subsequently covered by many other artists including Jessica Simpson's own rewritten version. The rest of the original lyrics bear no relationship to my daily life but without boots I wouldn't have got anywhere. As a youngster I explored the local common and woodlands; as a teenager I hill-walked (often with my father in places such as the Brecon Beacons), hiked, rock scrambled and even climbed a bit with a close friend (Snowdonia, North Wales in the depths of a snow and ice filled winter was fun); I cycled a lot (even owned a tandem for a few years which won the heart of one young lady ... for a short time!) and also canoed along various rivers and canals; then car ownership enabled me to explore other parts of the UK testing the boots over mountains,  moorlands, valley floors, clifftops and beaches. In more recent times the boots now usually carry me over less treacherous terrain as I stroll here and there often stopping to watch our native wildlife or to just soak up my surroundings at a much more leisurely pace.

So are you ready boots? Start walkin'! An anti-clockwise circuit of Banks Common (connected to Bookham Common which has featured in numerous posts). The first thing I notice is that the vegetation is a lot thicker and higher than July 2010 as a Great-spotted Woodpecker repeatedly utters its distinctive 'kick .. kick' call and a male Blackcap flies across my path while a Goldfinch converses with its companions beyond my immediate view. The PowerShot SX50 HS focuses on the first of numerous Gatekeepers nectaring on Lesser Burdock. 

As I head towards the bridge a passing dog walker advises me that the path ahead is very overgrown and muddy underfoot .. I'm not deterred, I'm wearing boots! I am however conscious of the ever present danger of being stung by the overhanging large nettles as a tiny insect takes a nip somewhere above my bare ankle. As in the past the hedgerows were full of Bindweed, their white trumpets glowing like light bulbs amongst the dark green foliage where a 2nd brooded Small White Butterfly was resting. Natures colour palette of  greens, blues, purples, yellows and reddish-browns was provided by Teasels, Bittersweet, Tufted Vetch, Agrimony, Tansy, Grasses, Thistles, Ragwort, Honeysuckle and Common Sorrel just to name but a few.

Silver-washed Fritillary where thin on the ground with only two individuals seen during my whole walk. With the relatively high temperature I was glad of the shaded areas throughout my walk but they afforded little in the way of wildlife activity. However as soon as the view opened up that changed dramatically

On the opposite side of the meadow a single Common Buzzard drifted above the tree line constantly issuing its mewing 'piiyay..piiyay' call while Large Skippers, Meadow Browns and Common Damselflies rested nearby. The fence post is still standing but the moss has invaded its crown.

The view over the style hasn't changed but in the opposite direction the hay field has long since been converted into horse paddocks for expensive bloodstock. At this point I heard the calls of both a Chiffchaff and a distant Nuthatch as a number of Blue Tits flitted through the hedgerow. I also noticed that a Dragonfly had landed 15 feet high up on a bare branch but totally inaccessible for a photo. Using my bins I ascertained it was a Common Hawker and then a Ladybird landed and without a 'by your leave' hitched a ride on my arm for a while.

There were one or two fresh Brimstone getting a nectar fix.

Surprisingly I didn't come across any horse riders during this leisurely stroll but I did watch a Kestrel hunting on the far side of the meadow for over 15 minutes, constantly dropping into the long grass and then rising up again to hover while looking for a tasty meal. I think it was eventually sucessful as it flew to its regular tree and didn't reappear. 

During the walk I saw several male Darters frantically chasing one another during their territorial battles and towards the end of my circuit I found one male Ruddy Dater taking a well earned rest.

As I returned to my vehicle the final wildlife colours were provided by a beautiful Peacock showing off its brilliant upper wing patterns and its cryptic under wing camouflage.

In conclusion, a few changes to the landscape, a lack of sightings of any White Admiral butterflies (a typical scenario on most of my recent forays) and certainly fewer birds seen or heard with the notable absence of any colourful Yellowhammers. 

However one thing doesn't change ... on my exit route the traffic on the 'magic roundabout' (M25) was at a standstill but the trains were still running!  

I make no apologies for the length of this post but do hope you will join me again sometime when the boots go walkin'. FAB.

Linking to Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen.

Behind the Stile.

This old and weathered  ivy covered stile now joined to a relatively new fence marks the boundary between two totally different worlds.

Beyond the stile is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its diverse habitats and important role in the conservation of plants, breeding birds and invertebrates.
  




These images taken just two years ago show the landscape leading up to the stile as open, unfenced pasture with in some years a crop of wheat or barley with the odd stray poppy appearing.
The land usage has now drastically altered following a change of ownership with fences erected over hundreds of acres and the grass cut to within inches. I noticed last week that electric wires had now been added to the top of all the fences obviously to protect the valuable breeding bloodstock. 

Well I know which side of the stile I would rather be! Behind the stile the varied landscape of Bookham Common is a mixture of deciduous woodland, including many ancient oaks, wet low lying grassland meadows, scrub and twelve ponds. The five largest ponds were man made in the 17th century for fish production.

Just beyond the stile is one of the smaller ponds surrounded by trees and vegetation containing an abundance of wild plants plus a small area of reed much favoured by Azure and Common Blue Damselflies plus Common and Ruddy Darters later in the summer.

Azure Damselflies [mating wheel] (Coenagrion puella).

At one of the other larger ponds a small hide was constructed a couple of years ago with natural woven fencing to screen the watchers from the wildlife. The inhabitants include Mallard, Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe plus regular visits from Grey Heron that nest in the nearby woodland.

 

Different areas of the common are fenced or with barriers in place to restrict access by horse riders to protect certain habitats.

As a dedicated conservation area the landscape is actively managed by the National Trust. 

It is one of my favourite places in the spring for warblers and the very tuneful Nightingale and from June onwards the range of butterfly species including the elusive Purple Emperor and various Odonata take centre stage. 

Just a few of the species I regularly encounter at this time of the year .. Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff and Jay. Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Common Buzzards are also resident species.

Above a Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) soaking up some sunshine in one of the woodland glades this week and close by (below) there was a Black-tailed Skimmer, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Emperor and Common Blue Damselflies.

Despite all the recent sunshine in some places the conditions underfoot are still very muddy but at least that means from time to time I get to enjoy natures wonders all for myself including (below) a Longhorn Beetle (Strangalia maculata) looking for some pollen for a mid morning feed.

With so much to interest the 'Wildlife Watcher' who worries about getting their feet wet!  FAB.

Linking to Our World Tuesday, Nature Notes and Good Fences.

Early Morning Bird Song.

A week ago I set my alarm with the intention of catching the 'Dawn Chorus' but overslept by half an hour by which time the sun was just beginning to lighten the sky at Bookham Common and the bird song was not as vocal as I'd expected. However in the first 20 minutes I heard two Nightingales plus 2 Lesser Whitethroat singing deep within the scrub and a distant calling Cuckoo to add to my year list.
Click here to hear the delightful song of a Nightingale.

The first photo call was a Blackbird in full voice, silhouetted against the western sky. 
Click here for a song recording.

 

Slowly the cloudless sky lightened and I headed in the direction of the calling Cuckoo but failed to find its perch within the wooded area but added Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pheasant and Stock Dove to the list.
 
Returning to the open 'plain' I snapped a perched Kestrel just before it flew away. 

 

The next obvious chorister was a Song Thrush, initially just enjoying the early morning rays on its high perch and then it promptly turned away to utter its repetitive song.

Click here for a song recording.

 

As expected I saw and listened to numerous Robins as they all confirmed their presence from their lofty song posts.

I also saw and heard Willow Warbler , several Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, and Dunnock.  

With the warmer weather the green clothing on the trees and bushes continues to intensify day by day so very soon many species will become more difficult to find. Above are a female Blackcap and a male Bullfinch taking a rest.

A cropped view of a silent Chiffchaff perched amongst the blossom.

Birds flying over the common included Jackdaws, a lonesome Greylag Goose and a Common Buzzard slowly soaring upwards. Others not photographed were Mallard, Collared Dove, Crow, Magpie, Canada Geese, Ring-necked Parakeets, Sparrowhawk, Grey Heron, Starling and a single Swallow which passed over the common heading northwards.

Wrens were also very vocal during my walk but failed to perch long enough (or I failed to operate the camera quick enough!) for a decent picture. 

I saw several species collecting nesting material including this obliging Robin.

As I returned to my starting point around 9am (some three hours later) the male Blackbird was in the same place and still belting out his territorial song. The final tally for my morning stroll was 34 species.  FAB.