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For this week's editions of Nature Notes and Wild Bird Wednesday you will need to switch over to my photo blog FABirding where I am featuring images of five local species from the Tit family. 

Please feel free to browse through some of my other work on FABirding and let me know what you think of my efforts. (Recent posts are also shown in the link on my sidebar). FAB.

Birding through a clear eye.

Today I made my first outdoor sortie for a wander around Horton Country Park following the cataract surgery to my left eye on Tuesday. The Surgeon has dramatically improved my distance vision so it was quite an experience to be birding without wearing any spectacles. 

Pied Wagtail

A Pied Wagtail in one of the paddocks who couldn't decide whether to sit in the sun or the shade from the fence!

Still good numbers of overwintering Redwing moving between their woodland roosts and feeding spots in the horse paddocks.

Great Tit

I watched any number of Goldcrest flitting through the vegetation in Pond Wood without any chance of a photo but at least this Great Tit was far more obliging.

Every now and then the bird song died away as this Kestrel made a few forays along the woodland edge.

I'm linking to GOOD FENCES with this final image of a Blue Tit perched on one of the dilapidated woven hazel fences.

Great Tit (Parus major).

The Great Tit (Parus major) is a regular garden visitor but getting a decent image as they flit around is always a challenge particularly on a dull winter day.

Identifying the sexes is relatively straight forward as the male (see below) has a more distinctive wide black belly-band.

So during a recent to Warnham L.N.R. where there are plenty of feeders I was finally able to get a couple of closer images (see below) as one female; identified by the broken up black belly-band; removed a single seed before flying off to a hidden perch to consume it.  FAB.

Warnham LNR Revisited.

After a gap of around 20 years and prompted by images posted on Mike's blog I recently decided it was time I made a return visit to Warnham Local Nature Reserve  situated on the outskirts of Horsham in West Sussex. (You can click these links for more information and of course view Mike's superb wildlife images.)

Dunnock  (Prunella modularis)

By way of background this 92 acre site, comprises a 17 acre millpond (which was originally created as part of the Sussex iron working industry), marshland, reedbeds, grassland and mixed woodland so an abundance of flora and fauna can be seen throughout the seasons. There are 3 hides, plus boardwalks through the wetland areas leading to the woodland walks with various 'birdie' signs to indicate good photo or wildlife watching points around the site.

I started by spending a while in the Tern Hide watching the distant Grey Herons and a small variety of ducks, Greylag and Canada Geese while an obliging Dunnock perched outside.

Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret)

As many of my readers will know most of my birding is carried out in locations that do not have bird hides so it was a different experience for me to sit and wait to see what might come in range of my small lens.


The Woodpecker Hide overlooks an area littered with various feeding stations and perches so I waited in anticipation and it wasn't long before a Lesser Redpoll perched briefly on a distant feeder but it was to get much better ......

A closer view of a male Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).

 Then two for the price of one ... a Goldfinch and the Lesser Redpoll.

Chaffinch  (Fringilla coelebs)

This next shot of a male Chaffinch revealed that this individual had warty growths on both legs and feet.


These growths may vary in size from small nodules to larger warts that engulf the whole leg. The warty growths  (Fringilla papillomavirus) aparently develop slowly over a long period and affected individuals, like this one, may otherwise appear quite healthy. Some individuals, of course, may become lame or lose the affected digits.

Finally, two common garden species that I don't often get the opportunity to get such close up views ...............

Great Tit  (Parus major)

Blue Tit  (Cyanites caeruleus)

I'm not sure who this tiny fellow had its eyes on .... could it be me?

Of course these weren't the only species seen so I have saved a few more images for a follow up post.   FAB.

For more images from around the globe ... check out WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY. 

Patch Update

As is often the case the first bird I usually encounter during my local patch walks at Epsom Common is the 'Bottle' Tit. It rarely perches in one place for long so it always pays to have the camera ready .... how many times have I missed a decent shot because I haven't immediately taken the gear out of the bag!

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

During the past few months the most obvious call has been the rich repertoire of the Great Tit including its seesawing ditty 'ti-ta .. ti-ta .. ti-ta' or 'ti-ti-ta .. ti-ti-ta .. ti-ti-ta' ( often described as sounding like 'teacher .. teacher .. teacher') but now that Spring is here my ears have to listen out for a somewhat similar song from a returning migrant .......

Great Tit (Parus major)

.... AND it wasn't long before I located a Chiffchaff who had just returned from its southern wintering home in Africa although, of course, many now overwinter in the south of England and southern Europe. This individual was constantly moving from perch to perch high in the canopy while calling out its name (most field guides describe its forceful monosyllabic song as 'silt sult sult sult silt silt sult sult sult silt etc') with frequent pauses when it reverted to its softly whistled 'hweet' call. 

(Common) Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

A little later I caught up with another singing Chiffy in a more open location ..... but he didn't always want to show me his best profile. I'm sure Dave (Birds from Behind) will appreciate the bottom two shots!

During my early years of birding my mentors would often remind me to listen out for the scolding calls of Corvids when walking through woodland as this could often lead to finding them harassing an Owl or a much larger predator. Well last week this method paid off as I followed the ever increasing sounds of Magpies and Carrion Crows obviously unhappy at the presence of something within their woodland territory and I just caught a glimpse of a large raptor lazily flying through the trees to escape this noisy tirade. I hurried along the  pathways and just managed a single shot of a perched juvenile Common Buzzard (blotched streaked markings on  the breast) before it decided to move on to find a more camouflaged and peaceful location to rest.

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

With sightings of Teal, Yellowhammer and Linnet in the last two days this years patch total is now up to 54 species.

Wherever you are .... have an enjoyable wildlife watching weekend.     FAB.

Winter Ducks.

On Monday I drove over the county boundary to Wraysbury Gravel Pits in the hope of seeking out a few of the migrant species that often frequent the various large lakes formed after the extraction of gravel to build the M25 motorway.

As I climbed over the style to access the footpath that would take me alongside the New Hythe Pit I was initially greeted with a flurry of activity as various species including Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch,  Blackbird and Redwing dived for cover while overhead I could hear the distinctive chattering 'shack-shack-shack' calls from a number of Fieldfare. Both the Redwing and Fieldfare are winter visiting Thrushes and typically vary wary of any intruders so I had to wait patiently for them to settle high above me in order to snap a cropped record shot of both in the frame together.

Moving on I scanned the open water only to find that most of the ducks were typically too far away for the lens on the farthest side of he pit but I was delighted to spot that my quarry including 3 drake Smew and 8 Goosanders plus a number of Goldeneye were in fact on site together with the usual Mallard, Coot, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Grey Heron, Cormorants, Mute Swans, and Great Crested Grebes.  

I eventually managed to capture a male Goosander (Mergus merganser) which had been drifting close to the bank but out of my sight and promptly decided to swim away to join its distant companions. The next two species, Goldeneye and Pochard were fortunately a little more obliging.

Male Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

Male Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)

A few other species kept me company during my stroll including a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits (constantly uttering their scolding call as I walked by) and the very noisy Rose-ringed Parakeets whose piercing screams nearly drowned out the constant background sounds from the nearby motorway!

My final quarry was the extremely shy and one of the smallest sawbills, the Smew. The males are often referred to as the 'White Nun' due to their distinctive white and black streaked plumage.

Male Smew (Mergellus albellus).

Every winter this dainty species migrates southwards from its northern boreal breeding grounds in Finland, Sweden and Russia. Small numbers can usually be found at regular overwintering sites from December until March throughout the southern counties of the UK. Unfortunately I couldn't get any decent views so had to dig out an image taken during a visit to this site from just a year ago.  FAB.

Click here to link to WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY for more images from around the globe.

Nothing New.

Despite carrying out a circuit of the paddocks at Horton Country Park mid morning and another visit to the Stew Pond (Epsom Common) this afternoon I didn't log anything new. However many of the local residents including Wren, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Parakeet, Jackdaw and Green Woodpecker plus numerous Chiffchaffs and a few skulking Blackcaps were very vocal.

 Chiffchaff always perching where a clear cut view is impossible.

 Mrs. Canada was more interested in a juicy grass snack and totally ignored my plea for a passport photo!

 Cormorant once again defeating the speed setting on the camera!

In a grassy patch within the woodland I spotted Mr. and Mrs. Mandarin out for a quiet stroll together.

 Once again the Long-tailed Tit only provided a side on view.

Great Tit blasting out its usual song.

Just before reaching the car park I noticed that the pair of Mandarin Ducks were not too keen on the presence of another male. There was a bit of posturing before the interloper decided to waddle away into the undergrowth and I returned home without any new sightings. Maybe something will turn up somewhere later this week.   FAB.

Todays Stroll in the Park.

A return visit to Richmond Park today. No new sightings but a chance to capture some images for future posts .... so here is an 'ad hoc' selection for now.

Robin (Erithicus rubecula)

 Great Tit (Parus major)

 Various signs new growth - Rhododendrons in bud and a few in flower plus the fragrant Viburnum 'Dawn'

 Camelia.

 Double Egyptian (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

 Feral Pigeon (Columba livia [domest.])

Mr and Mrs Mallard in sync.

The Lookout (Red Deer Stag).

Scenes from a damp and lonely walk.

Well I honoured my part of the bargain by driving to the coast and arrived at the meeting point in good time to be greeted by a grey overcast sky, a strong westerly wind with the promise of fleeting showers moving through followed by heavier rain! While I waited I watched a few birds around the feeders outside the Information Centre.

This Great Tit decided not to take the seed through the wire but to dive straight into the hole. 

I waited and waited but as nobody appeared to join me for the SBC walk (can only presume that the weather put everyone off!) I decided that I would go it alone despite the weather conditions. (I will apologise now for the poor quality of the photos but trying to capture something while attempting to keep myself and all the gear dry was not easy.)

A few Shelduck on the Ferry Pool.

A sleeping, one legged Avocet.

The head of the estuary with the usual Redshanks calling as they feed on the muddy margins.

The harbour at low tide - looking south-east.

I heard Cetti's Warbler again today and added Reed Bunting to the list. In a month or so this area will be full of the chattering sounds of Reed and Sedge Warblers with Swifts, Swallows and Martins flying around.

I could hear the constant ringing whistle of Teal hidden amoungst the reeds and then a pair floated past just as the first rain shower commenced. The walk to Church Norton was fairly quiet apart from the song of Skylarks and a few Meadow Pipits zipped past in the wind. 

No sign of any Firecrests in the churchyard (probably moved on) but a Mistle Thrush dashed past me.

As another rain shower reduced visibility I dived into the hide and this was the view through the window. Still a lot of exposed mud with the usual mixture of waders. Today I was pleased to find a few Black-tailed Godwits with some already starting to come into their striking rufous breeding plumage. 

Leaving the hide I headed for the beach. The sea looked pretty angry so I spent very little time searching the waves. However I did eventually catch up with a pair of newly arrived Northern Wheatear as they moved up and down the shingle beach but always one step ahead of me.  

I did manage one shot of a confiding Common Ringed Plover before it was time to pack the camera away from the next damp shower.

High tide at Church Norton with a flock of waders in the air way in the distance. The return walk was made in constant rain with little to see but empty water.

High tide at the head of the estuary where my damp, lonely walk ended. I added 10 species to my list for the two visits to Pagham this week making a grand total of 64. Hopefully next time the weather will be kinder and far more migrants will have arrived.  FAB.