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

Boardwalk Wildlife.

During the past few weeks I have enjoyed several visits to Thursley Common under both sunny and cloudy skies. So here are a few images taken while I have been  treading the boardwalks and tracks in search of the local wildlife. 

More often than not the first bird I usually encounter is a male Stonechat singing from atop a young Birch.

The main boardwalk allows access across the wettest part of the site towards 'Pine Island' where there is often something sitting atop the tallest branches ... on this visit it was a Kestrel. In a few weeks time photographers will line the boardwalk hoping to get that special shot of a Hobby hawking prey over the main pool.

The shorter section of boardwalk below leads towards 'Shrike Hill' and it is here that I look for a dark, long-tailed warbler with a red eye ....

while also listening out for its very distinctive scratchy, mechanical song.

Occasionally I get a brief glimpse of a Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) one of the special residents of this lowland heathland habitat. This species is dependent on mature dry heath with gorse in good condition in order to survive cold, harsh winters. The UK population crashed to a few pairs in the 1960's but it has fortunately bounced back although several fires on the common and very wet, cold winters in recent years have not helped but it is very pleasing now to see decent numbers in various locations around this site.

 

Certainly not a bird that is easy to get close to without an extremely long lens, hence this cropped shot!

Despite the chilly weather there were one or two hardy Common Lizard sunbathing on the boardwalk and well camouflaged amongst the dried grasses nearby a female Mallard was resting.

Heading out onto the tracks across the open heath provided views of Woodlark, more Stonechats and a brief encounter with one of the two Great Grey Shrikes that have been overwintering here. Their tendency to roam widely for food means they can turn up anywhere on the common although the aptly named 'Shrike Hill' is generally the best place to find them.

A detour to a patch of deciduous woodland rewards me with sightings of a recently arrived male Common Redstart (above) plus views of Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and hear my first Cuckoo of the year before I trudge up onto the gorse covered ridge, accompanied by the twittering of Linnets, for uninterrupted distant views over the extensive heathland before descending back via the sandy tracks to the boardwalk.

Linking to:
Nature Notes
Wild Bird Wednesday

Ducklings.

Another very windy day so I took a short stroll around Heron Pond in Bushy Park and spent a while watching the youngsters on the water with their mothers. First up was Mrs Mallard and her two ducklings.

Then my attention was drawn towards the two very young Tufted ducklings tagging on behind their mother.

This one decided to play peek-a-boo behind mum while its sibling (below) was slightly more adventurous.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Mallard on Ice.

Following on from a recent post entitled 'Walking on Water'  my offering for this week's editions of Saturday's Critters and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin' are some images taken during the same session of a female Mallard getting to grips with walking on a frozen lake.

Unlike the sure-footed Coot and Moorhen the foot placement by the Mallard is much more tentative.

Gently does it!  FAB.

Recent Patch Birds.

Another damp and dreary week so very limited opportunities for photos during my local patch walks around Epsom Common Pond but here are a few of the recent visitors and residents.

A single Greylag Goose. A fairly infrequent visitor on the patch who decided to keep its distance.

I have counted up to six Northern Shoveler on the pond this last week. The males were in various plumage's but often hidden away while feeding in the waterside vegetation. Occasional forays across the water always seem to be a long way away from my viewing point hence this cropped record shot.  

One of the resident Mallard flying over in the hope of not missing out on a hand-out!

Kestrel taking a well earned rest from its hunting activities.

A 1st winter Mistle Thrush, perched in the open, showing off its distinctive rounded black breast spots and the paler outer coverts.

One of the many Ring-necked Parakeets inspecting a possible roosting hole. This is now a common resident breeding species but more often seen and heard when flying over the woodland.

Back at home there has been far more activity around the feeders including Blue Tit (above image shot through the window), Great Tits, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrows, Starling, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird and Ring-necked Parakeets making sure I keep the larder well stocked.  FAB.

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

Flying Around.

A very windy walk around Heron Pond in Bushy Park today. Certainly not ideal conditions for capturing birds in flight but the camera rose to the challenge.

Mallard preparing for splashdown.

The pond is home to a large number of Black-headed Gulls of various ages now sporting their winter plumage. Above is a 1st-winter still carrying some of its juvenile wing colours and black tail band.

By way of comparison above is an adult BHG in full winter garb.

Occasionally something much larger drops in. I often have difficulty identifying the juvenile larger gulls so this could be a Great Black-backed based on the features shown in the next image BUT I'll wait to hear what the experts say. 

 And finally a fly past by a Mute Swan.

Wishing everyone a wonderful wildlife watching weekend, wherever you are.  FAB.

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

Preening (Part 1)

Second only to feeding, preening is a common bird behavior easily observed in a backyard or out in the field.

Little Egret making sure its flight feathers are in alignment.

Birds can have up to 25,000 feathers so regular grooming that may take up to several hours each day is very important to keep them in tip top condition for various reasons; efficient flight, waterproofing and insulation, removal of parasites and lice that may carry disease, removing tough sheaths from newly moulted feathers and improving their overall appearance to attract a mate.

Black-headed Gull in winter plumage.

Egyptian Goose reaching those difficult to access areas.

Even youngsters like this Juvenile Blue Tit have to learn this tricky and important art very quickly in order to survive.

And finally Mrs. Mallard.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Wildlife in the Park.

Bushy Park is the second largest Royal Park in London covering an area of around 1,099 acres and there is an incredible range of wildlife and habitats within its walls. It has a distinctive landscape, shaped in part by its history as a royal hunting ground,  but also by its many ponds and streams. I often take a stroll around its largest expanse of water and here is just a sample of what I usually encounter at this time of the year.  FAB.

For the time being this female Pigeon is ignoring the attention of a broody male.

A juvenile Grey Heron chilling out.

Mute Swan creating waves.

Mr Mallard keeping an eye on everything.

A Fallow Buck looking for a snack.

Magpie, a little damp after the rain.

Jackdaw drinking some recent rainfall.

Red-crested Pochard trying to sleep.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.