Treading more Boards.

Another boardwalk trail that I like to wander is located at the Riverside Country Park just over a 30 minute drive from home. The start of my leisurely stroll takes me a short distance alongside the River Wey Navigation where I watched a Common Buzzard being harried by Crows before stepping onto the first stretch of boards leading over stagnant water in a small woodland.

Depending on the time of day and the wind direction the road noise from the adjacent A3 can be quite overpowering so the ears have to work a bit harder to pick out the calls of the resident birds.

On this occasion it was the usual suspects; Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Song Thrush plus the intermittent song of a Blackcap. 

As I walked towards the main lake I saw a number of male Orange Tip butterflies patrolling the grassland but non of them stopped for a photo call!

The main lake didn't hold much of interest just Coot, Canada Geese, Mallard and Moorhen so I turned onto the main boardwalk that crosses the marsh and immediately picked up the scratchy sounds of a Sedge Warbler, typically hidden from view, and parked myself on one of the highly carved seats.

A little time here enabled a few distant shots of a male Reed Bunting (below) singing while endeavouring to maintain its balance on a flimsy perch in the gusty breeze.

One arm of the boardwalk leads into the damp woodland where there is a curved screen with portholes overlooking a small area of open water. Unsurprisingly parts of the hide screen have already been vandalised plus there was recent evidence of a fire on the floor!
You can view an article in The Guildford Dragon News which has images of the original boardwalk and hide construction completed in May 2013 at at exorbitant cost of £210,000 but at least it means you don't have to wear waders to cross the marsh!

A Mute Swan (above) drifted in and then out of view followed shortly after by Mrs Mallard with seven youngsters in tow who spent some minutes paddling in and out of the shadows beneath the boardwalk.

Following the boardwalk again past clumps of Marsh Marigold towards the Wey Navigation I logged a lot more very active Orange Tips, plus one Peacock butterfly before crossing the bridge to sit awhile at Stoke Lock and watch the peacefully slow activity on the waterway.  

A Grey Wagtail was extremely busy catching and carrying insects to a nearby nest. Retracing my steps I listened to Chiffchaff and Common Whitethroat while being serenaded by a Robin.

Linking to:
Good Fences
Saturday's Critters

ECP Patch Roundup.

There has been very little visible avian activity on my local patch walks around Epsom Common Pond during the past week with most of the breeding birds staying hidden so I thought I would include some other residents as well as a few of the regular bird species.

A Chiffchaff regularly uses the same perch  and often gives me a quick burst of song as I climb the steps up to the Great Pond.

One chance sighting was finding a juvenile Grey Wagtail hiding in the branches close to the water but one press of the camera button and it flew away! My previous patch sighting of this species was back in 2010 so nice to see one around again, albeit briefly.

The Great and Stew Pond regulars include breeding Mallard, Canada Geese, Coot, Moorhen and Mandarin Duck plus the visiting Grey Herons. With such high water levels I haven't seen any evidence of a wader dropping in for a visit so far this year.

Mrs. Mallard taking a rest from her parenting duties.

There have been a number of male Tufted Duck and one female on the Great Pond since mid April but I haven't noticed any evidence of breeding so far this year.

Very few Odonata species logged this week include Large Red, Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies. 

Large Red Damselflies in tandem.

It's a well known fact that Grey Squirrels tend to scramble around a tree to hide from possible predators on the opposite side but this individual obviously didn't know the 'watcher' was behind it!

Whilst Canada Geese are regular breeders Greylag Geese sightings are very infrequent on the patch and I recently only just got a glimpse as one flew away calling for its friends.

During my wanderings I am often aware of the movement of Deer feeding throughout the woodland and sometimes a Roe Doe will appear from behind the lush vegetation, stop and stare at the 'watcher' who copies her action until she feels confident that I'm not a threat and slowly ambles onward.

 

Alongside the hedgerow close to the car park is the best spot to do a bit of Rabbit watching. They rarely let me get within 20 yards before disappearing into deep cover.

Butterflies recorded included Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper.
At two other sites I captured images of Marbled White and White Admiral which you can view on FABirding.    FAB.

Linking to Nature Notes and Our World Tuesday.

Waterside Wander.

 

A mid morning stroll at Riverside Country Park on another very breezy day started with a scan across the water meadows but apart from Grey Herons, Canada and Egyptian Geese feeding in the distance there appeared to be very little other avian activity apart from a Grey Wagtail calling on the other side of the weir.

   A male Mallard emerged from the waterside vegetation and decided to swim away! 

A little further along the towpath a Cormorant rested high above the water. I then took the pathway towards the main lake and noted that a pair of Common Terns had recently returned to the raft and will hopefully breed unmolested by the Canada Geese. A Reed Warbler was perched deep within a willow, constantly emitting its rhythmic song with nearby Blackcap, Wren and Chiffchaff also calling from their hiding places.

Two families of Canada Geese had obviously been out of the water, feeding alongside the path, but the bank-side low retaining fence was a barrier to their route back onto the lake. Fortunately one of the adults realised that there was a gap (out of view in this picture) and they all eventually made it to the other side.

 

 A nearby Coot also watched all the antics but was obviously unimpressed.

The next part of my route took me away from the lake across the adjoining wet marsh onto the new boardwalk which was erected over the winter months by the local Council. I am told that the original estimate was £60 - £80,000 but actually the final cost was three times this figure! A number of local residents and wildlife watchers that I met questioned the validity of the eventual cost and whether it needed to be so elaborate ..... only time will tell.

It has taken just over three years for the old 'simple' boardwalk to be replaced and now includes a number of seating areas and a viewing screen overlooking a small pool within the damp wooded area. 

Whilst this hide or viewing screen has been expertly constructed with seating and murals depicting the local wildlife ... the portholes, from my point of view, are not very friendly, being far too small and provide a very restricted view. Having said this on the three occasions I have visited recently there hasn't been any wildlife to watch on the other side of this barrier!

I have mentioned this before in recent post but one certain reason for the apparent lack of avian activity is, in my opinion, down to the lack of insects due to the lower temperatures. 

My footsteps onwards across the snaking boardwalk eventually led me to the Wey Navigation Lock where I sat in front of the house watching a female Blackcap and Chaffinch imitating a flycatcher's method of catching  flies over the water surface with a few Swifts circling overhead. Below the lock and close to the water outflow I spotted a couple of juvenile Grey Wagtails patiently waiting for the parents to bring them food. They were well hidden by the leafy overhanging branches so I waited hoping that an adult might appear and eventually one stopped reasonably close by.

 Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

As I had been out for over two hours and a visitor was expected it was time to head for home via the towpath serenaded by numerous Blackcaps singing from their hidden perches. FAB.

Linking to WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Stroll Alongside the River Mole.

Last week having picked up reports that both Goosander and Little Egret had been seen on the River Mole at Leatherhead I decided to take a stroll and see what was still around. Soon after leaving the car a Kestrel zipped past me and disappeared into the woodland and it took a while before I heard the sounds of any other avian species.

Very occasionally the sun broke through the cloudy sky and the riverside vegetation took on a warmer looking hue but I was glad to be well wrapped up against the cold north-westerly breeze. At Thorneycroft Bridge I finally logged Canada Geese in a nearby field, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits plus Robin, Wren and Chaffinch but no sign of any Kingfishers.

A little further downstream couple of Mute Swan cygnets drifted over to check out the interloper. While high overhead there was the constant twittering from a small flock of Goldfinches hunting for the odd seed or newly emerged bud amongst the bare branches.

 

A Grey Wagtail perched briefly before continuing its journey upstream. After passing over Town Bridge and then under the railway bridges my route took me onto Common Meadow where my boots slowly got heavier and heavier from the accumulation of mud. Black-head Gulls twisted and turned overhead while the piercing screams from the local Rose-ringed Parakeets interrupted the silence but no sightings of any Goosanders anywhere on the river. I did however eventually get views of a distant Little Egret feeding but it decided to move on across private land before I could get close enough for any photos.

These two fellows provided an excuse to rest a while before I commenced my return journey and added Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Jay, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling and Grey Heron to my day list.

When I arrived back at Thorneycroft Bridge the unmistakable short, sharp whistled 'zii' call of a Kingfisher got me searching every likely perching location .....
 

.... and I finally managed to focus on this very colourful fisherman as it patiently sat, partially hidden, amongst the Alders on the far side of the water. One day it will provide with an uninterrupted closer view .... until then this (heavily cropped) shot will have to do.

Have a good wildlife watching week .....  FAB.

Needing a breath of fresh air!

On Wednesday my employer (RHS) informed all the staff that it has to cut costs and this could result in the loss of 100 permanent jobs throughout the Society. The proposed restructuring and advice of whose job is ‘at risk’ within The Plant Centre will not be communicated for another two weeks, at which time I will be travelling to Jersey (Channel Islands) for a family holiday!

In order to clear the brain of all negative thoughts I took a stroll before work on Thursday morning at Ripley. Leaving the car there was a Pied Wagtail perched on a rooftop; both Carrion Crows, Starlings and Jackdaws were calling as they flew overhead; Wren, Robin and Chaffinch singing from within the hedgerows. I headed towards Walsham Lock on the River Wey Navigation and the path took me past fields of yellow. Tranquil views around Walsham (lock) Gates. This is the last remaining 'turf sided' lock (built in 1653) on the Wey Navigation.

At the sluice walkway I spied a Grey Wagtail perched on a rope and captured his double in the water.

I heard the ‘kik’ ‘kik’ call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker as it emerged from a nearby tree and then disappeared downstream. The trees around the lock house were alive with young Blue and Great Tits actively feeding and talking to one another. A Common Whitethroat was very vocal on the other side of the water with its scratchy song but eluded my camera.

Further along the towpath was a male Blackcap heartily singing but flew further away as I approached his perch. A barge passed by and I acknowledged the occupants with a wave. Next up was mother Mallard with seven ducklings in tow. (Click to enlarge)On reaching my position she back paddled to maintain station and kept an eye on her charges and the “Early Birder” who was obviously no threat!

All along the towpath were lots of Banded Demoiselles, a single Speckled Wood butterfly

and this slightly tatty Painted Lady.

Back at Walsham Gates I had another view of a Grey Wagtail feeding and a distant view of a Mute Swan. A quiet and uninterrupted return walk to the car via the grassland area popular with dog walkers covered with masses yellow Spearwort.

My brain suitably refreshed again by the natural world I made my way into work for another 'fun' day!