Local Patch Wildlife.

It has been another week of some sunshine and plenty of showers and the pattern is set to continue well into this week. Certainly not a pleasant situation for much of our wildlife.

Once again my woodland butterfly transect walk on Saturday produced very few sightings despite the warm, humid temperature. Just a few Speckled Wood (see above) plus Green-veined White and Brimstone. I'm guessing it might be a couple of weeks before any new species such as the Skippers, Meadow Brown and Ringlet start to emerge due to all the wet weather.

A few moths and flies were on the wing but only this Scorpion Fly perched for a photo-call.

One species that definitely caught my attention was an immature female White-legged Damselfly hiding amongst the grasses close to a small pond in the woodland. From memory this is the first season that I have recorded them in this spot so I'll need to keep an eye open for any male activity over the next few weeks.

Returning through the woodland close to the car park I heard the very distinctive incessant begging calls of young Great Spotted Woodpecker (below) and fairly easily located the nest hole in a Birch. I had to wait for quite some time to see the adults returning with food but my view was hampered by the increased greenery of other trees so only managed one shot of a youngster peeking out. 

Nesting Update (14/6):

I checked the above nest site again this morning and all was very quiet indicating that the youngsters have now fledged.

Whilst I have recorded the tiny Lesser Spotted  in the same area some years ago the other common resident species is the Green Woodpecker (above) but I haven't yet found evidence of any breeding activity.

One species that only occasionally turns up, usually in the winter months, is the Greylag Goose but this individual was actually paired up with a Canada Goose (see below) just over a week ago but I don't think they have stayed around to breed another hybrid!

Linking to:

Nature Notes

Wild Bird Wednesday

New Life.

A brief session with a couple of the Canada goslings, now just a few weeks old,  as they explored their new surroundings.

Some Spring Migrants on Thursley Common.

Just over a week ago, taking a well earned break from the decorating,  I paid another early morning visit to Thursley Common to see what other Spring migrants might have turned up on this special lowland heath habitat with its acidic bog and woodland.

Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus)

Looking across the open landscape the first bird of the day was a resident male Stonechat perched high on the remnants of an old tree. I also listened and scanned for any sign of any of the four Curlew that had recently been reported (at least one pair turn up most years in early spring) but didn't find one. Maybe I'd be lucky on my return route.

As I walked through Pine Island I heard and the caught sight of several twittering Goldfinch with a Chiffchaff singing nearby.

Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)

As I headed up over Shrike Hill a Woodlark flew overhead and a singing Skylark ascended high into the blue sky. 

Descending the southern slope I heard the distinctive song of a Tree Pipit but initially couldn't find it until I spotted a likely candidate fly up from the heather and land in one of the lonesome conifers. A cropped record shot was the best I could achieve before this migrant moved onto another song perch much further away.

Most of the Gorse is now in full flower and some of the larger stands are good spots to find a Dartford Warbler .. I saw one fly but it promptly disappeared into the dense greenery. 

Close to one of the large sandy tracks I thought my ears had deceived me when I heard the croaking call of a Nightingale and on being joined by another birder, who has carried out the BTO bird surveys here for at least the last 20 years, we joyfully listened to not one but two Nightingales singing. I was told that this is the second Spring that a this species has been recorded at this particular spot on the common. 

On the other side of the track a returning Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) whistled softly.

In the nearby wooded area, at a similar spot to my previous visit, a male [Common] Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) made a welcome brief appearance. After their initial arrival from Africa in April they tend to disperse across the common to separate territories within the various wooded areas.

As I walked through the field I heard the repeated call of a Cuckoo and immediately quickened my steps in the hope of locating another migrant visitor that has successfully returned from overwintering in Africa.

Since 2011 we’ve been satellite-tracking Cuckoos to find out why - See more at: http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking#sthash.gPHwnzWS.dpuf

Since 2011 we’ve been satellite-tracking Cuckoos to find out why - See more at: http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking#sthash.gPHwnzWS.dpuf

Since 2011 the BTO has been satellite-tracking this 'Red Status' species to try and find out why half the numbers in the UK have been lost over the past 20 years.

So following the calls I finally caught up with this iconic species but kept a substantial distance away so as not to disturb him as he changed position from time to time.

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

 

On my return route with a pair of Common Buzzard wheeling overhead I also added Linnet and Common Whitethroat to my photo list as well as seeing Blackcap, Blackbird, Wren, Crow, Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tit, Song Thrush and Reed Bunting.

While snapping a reflective shot of one of a dozen or so Canada Geese present on the pools, as I returned to the boardwalk, I heard the distinctive call of a Curlew but was a little slow to react as a single bird flew high overhead only to drop down and disappear amongst the damp grasses. Well at least I was finally able to add it to my 2015 County year list!

And the grand finale. as I trod the boardwalk, was a brief visit by a Hobby (Falco subbuteo), another returning migrant, but only allowing just another distant record image. FAB.

Linking to Nature Notes and Wild Bird Wednesday.

Garden and Patch Update.

With the garden starting to wake up with the warmer temperatures I felt it was time to get my hands dirty so I visited to a local Garden Centre at the beginning of the week to purchase some more compost. Typically I couldn't resist perusing the fresh stock of plants on offer and also came away with a mixture of herbaceous and wild flowers including Helenium, Phlox, Veronica, Knautia plus Black Knapweed and Ragged Robin. Later in the week I also succumbed to buying more Lilly bulbs.

  

A voice said "Where are you going to plant all those?". Never fear I'll find room was my response and a few hours later, under the watchful eye of Mr Blackbird, relevant spaces were found, everything planted and most of the bare soil satisfyingly mulched with organic compost.

While I wait for the small specie Tulips and Narcissus to bloom I can currently enjoy these little treasures (below) ... tiny clumps of Scilla siberica spreading freely beneath the Birch at the bottom of the garden.

I have undertaken a couple of patch walks this week at Epsom Common. Still relatively quiet  although a couple of pairs of noisy Canada Geese have taken up residence plus the Teal and Tufted Ducks are still around but preferring to hide in the marginal vegetation. Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been drumming constantly in response to other males as they stake out their respective territories.

In addition to the permanent well weathered Dragonfly; a sculpture erected many year ago on the fringes of the Great Pond; it was good to see the Salix buds bursting open. Five Greylag Geese also made a brief appearance and my first sighting for this year of Chiffchaff (2) singing from their lofty perches. Hopefully it won't be long before I'm listening to the songs of other returning migrants such as Blackcap, Whitethroat and Garden Warbler.  FAB. 

Wildlife around Heron Pond.

A very mixed week weather wise so here is a small selection of the wildlife seen during my visits to Heron Pond in Bushy Park.

As usual one of the very approachable Grey Heron was waiting near the car park.

Black-headed Gulls, in various stages of their winter plumage, waiting for a handout.

Ducks on the water included the bright eyed Tufted, Gadwall with its finely vermiculated grey body and a single (Northern) Shoveler all slowly changing into their full breeding plumage.

A surprising find this week was a juvenile Herring Gull in its mottled plumage resting on the remains of a floating nest.

 The pond also supports a small but healthy population of Red-crested Pochard.

Large numbers of Jackdaw frequent the park. They are fairly friendly and always willing to pose.

The local residents also include these two introduced species, Canada and Egyptian Geese. 

At this time of year one is never far away from a Red Stag wandering through the bracken on the lookout for hinds or protecting his existing harem often resting and hidden deep in the vegetation.

During the rut the general advice is to keep at least 50 metres from any of the deer, especially the stags but sometimes they just appear and let everyone know their intentions!

And then he sauntered away to be camouflaged once again by the autumnal hues of the ferny landscape.

All these three images are cropped so I wasn't that close and always respect the boundaries when photographing any wildlife. FAB.

Linking to Camera Critters, Saturday's Critters and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.

A Grey Day.

After the pre-match euphoria emanating from the immediate neighbourhood yesterday evening everyone appeared  to be deathly quiet this morning including the garden birds ... I wonder why!

With a grey overcast sky I headed over to to the Stew Pond at Epsom Common where the only activity was a number of fishermen patiently waiting for something to nibble their baited hooks and the family of Canada Geese heading for an empty spot on the far bank. I scanned the Great Pond and only seeing one Grey Heron and two male Tufted Ducks I strolled through the woodland adding Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wren, Great Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker to the morning list.

In a small glade where some grey light filtered through the canopy I spied a tatty Speckled Wood while unsuccessfully trying to locate the exact location of a nearby singing Blackcap.

As the sky darkened I heard the call of a Grey Heron and just managed to focus (heavily cropped) on one of two individuals as they noisily departed from the Great Pond to head elsewhere. A wander around the scrub beyond the ponds produced a singing Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Common Whitethroat plus several Green Woodpeckers, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow and a single Goldfinch.

With the hint of rain in the air I picked up the distant sound of a Yellowhammer and after scanning around I found the songster typically perched on the bare topmost branches of one of the highest trees so only another cropped image. At least its colours brightened up the grey sky.

My peripheral vision picked up the flight of a Meadow Brown at ground level just before it disappeared into the vegetation so I had to crouch low down to only be rewarded with a closed wing shot.

On my return towards the car park the Canada family were out of the water with all but one of the goslings taking a late morning nap.

Back at home their was a brief flurry of activity with both adult and juvenile Blue Tits, Robin and a colourful Goldfinch on the seed feeder.   FAB.

P.S. Some readers may notice that I have changed the title of this blog from 'The Early Birder' to 'Wildlife Watching with FAB' but still accessible at the existing web address: http://fabearlybirder.blogspot.com/.
The decision was not taken lightly but as I have for some time been taking a more relaxed approach to my varied wildlife watching excursions this change now seemed appropriate PLUS it will hopefully prevent confusion with another UK blog operated under the same title.

Patch Birds.

A few images of some of the recent regulars seen on my local patch just to keep things ticking over.

Coot out for a stroll.

  Mallards on the move.

Grey Heron.

Female Linnet (Shame about the background)

Willow Warbler.

Male Blackcap.

 Common Whitethroat high amongst the blossom

Starling checking out a possible threat from overhead!

 A Roe Buck watching the 'watcher'.

Carrion Crow just strutting around.

 

Canada Geese enjoying a feed around the 8th green at Horton G.C.

 Speckled Wood alighted in the garden.

And finally (through the window) a Starling eying up the freshly filled suet feeder.

N.B. This is a scheduled post and I should be back live sometime over the weekend.