Sunday Mini Safari.

We gladly accepted an invitation to visit our friends Tony and Jean on Sunday for mid morning coffee and a walk expecting just to stroll around the fields behind their house  but they decided we should head somewhere else for a change.  

Tony drove us over to Papercourt and we commenced our mini safari which led us down to the River Wey Navigation where many weekenders where walking, cycling or just pottering about on their barges. We headed upstream with views of the waterway often obliterated by the high waterside growth. In one garden we spotted that the remains of a tree trunk had been converted into a carving of a Owl...very appropriate as this is apparently a good location to see Barn Owls quartering the meadows but not at midday!   

Mallards were the main occupants on the water.

The pathside vegetation held lots of butterflies including Comma, Gatekeepers and Speckled Wood.

A very tatty Red Admiral soaking up the sun.

Bird sightings included Linnets, Common Whitethroat, Reed Warbler (heard only), Chaffinch, Woodpigeons, Swallows, House Martins plus Blue and Great Tits.

We saw quite a few Brown Hawkers and Common Blue Damsels and eventually caught this male Beautiful Damselfy taking a rest on a nettle. Returning via Papercourt Sailing Pit we added Mute Swans, Coots, Egyptian Geese, Robin, Green Woodpecker and a pair of Bullfinches to our sighting list.

The rest of the day was spent in our friends garden still showing lots of colour (above is a pot of Coleus) despite the lack of much needed rain enjoying their company and a very tasty B-b-Q...............FAB.

Not all black and white!

For many of my readers this 'reflective' view will be familiar, but yesterday in it's winter colours, this was again the start of my walk along the Wey Navigation and onwards into Riverside Park to hunt down the additional species mentioned in my previous post.

My usual route was was under water and I didn't feel brave enough to try even though my feet were suitably protected. So onwards along the desperately quiet riverside towpath.

Pollared trees along the towpath which will provide suitable nesting sites very soon.

Nothing on the river to disturb this tree's reflection.

After a lengthy detour I eventually made it to the lake, mostly frozen, and located one or two water loving species who were confiding enough to be photographed by today's stealthy intruder.

Canada Geese, not quite all black and white.

I spent some time waiting for this Coot to come close enough while changing the settings in an attemt to get a decent shot.

The calm waters provided an excellent mirror image.

Mute Swan, nearly all white!

Male and female 'Tufties'. (Female is the brown one.)

I'm not sure why this guy was carrying a feather....a courtship token perhaps!

Tufted male in full adult plumage, mostly black and white with its blue-grey bill tipped black and long drooping crest.

Now I did see species carrying other colours but they never stopped nor came close enough and on one or two occasions I was either too slow to react or they just didn't want to be photographed!   FAB.