A New Project.

Views over the fields where I have recently agreed to carry out a series of farmland bird surveys over the next few years as part of a small team of BTO volunteers covering a number of farms forming part of a large estate in Surrey. The survey results will assist the tenant farmer and the land owners to monitor and evaluate their ongoing efforts to improve the farmed environment for wild pollinators, farmland birds and other wildlife under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. 

The first of two fields forming my survey area is already showing signs of its flower rich status.

During my first early am visit this week I recorded 19 bird species mostly seen, heard or flying around the field boundaries; including Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Stock Dove, Common Whitethroat and Woodpigeon that constitute five of the 19 target species included in the scheme aims. It will be interesting to see what other species are noted during future visits throughout the year.

  Above are Common Whitethroat, Magpie, Chiffchaff and Song Thrush.

Looking into a piece of woodland bordering the lower field there was still a decent show of Bluebells and some Early Purple Orchids.

The inhabitants of an adjoining field were typically curious about the unexpected wanderer on the other side of the hedgerow as was the Robin below.

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters

Castle Hill LNR.

Just a 20 minute walk from home is Castle Hill LNR. Castle Hill has been designated as an Ancient Monument and is thought to be the site of a medieval moated farmstead dating from the 13th century known as Brettgrave. The area is now dominated by mature deciduous woodland but over the past few years active management by coppicing is helping to keep the under-story open thereby encouraging more wildlife.

At this time of year, apart from the typical woodland bird life, the main attraction is the swathes of our native Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) competing with a green carpet of Cleavers (Bedstraw) beneath an open canopy that is very slowly greening up.

A Song Thrush perches high overhead taking a rest from proclaiming its territory with its characteristic repetitive song.

The reserve boundary is dominated by an old iron fence that in many places is showing the test of time!

Other 'regulars' during my early morning stroll were Robin (above) and the tiny [Winter] Wren (below) with the big voice.

And finally a collage showing a few of the wild flowers that have appeared during the past couple of weeks including the invasive Three-cornered Garlic growing amongst the Bluebells, Red Dead-nettle, Greater Stitchwort, Green Alkanet and Bedstraw.

Linking to:

Good Fences

Fuzzy Focus.

Blue Tit hanging around.

Above is a prime example of not being ready with the right camera settings when the action happens AND this is also the fuzzy, out of focus, image that I have been seeing through my left eye for some time ... actually it is much worse than this!

I am booked in for cataract surgery early on Monday Tuesday morning so if all goes well without any unforeseen complications I am hopeful that my clarity of view with both eyes will soon be nearly as good as my camera's auto-focus.

March has arrived with a few more sunny but cold days interspersed  between the continuing blustery showers but this week I have not ventured very far from home. So here are just some of the birds that have come within range of the lens.

My first sighting of a Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) this year during a wander in Bushy Park on Thursday. Another species whose conservation status in the UK has been upgraded from Amber to RED! 

Close by its slightly smaller cousin the Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) was joyfully singing.

As usual any opportunity to spend time with a Grey Heron (below) will always grab my attention and I have a few other images to share in a future post.

During a late morning walk on Friday around Horton Country Park I finally added another species to my local patch and current year lists, the Siskin (Carduelis spinus), one of our smallest finches. This was definitely a case of identifying them initially by the colour and pattern of their under bellies before spotting the single adult male with his black cap. They certainly tested my patience and focusing skills while acrobatically moving around the top of an Alder some 50 or so feet above my head seeking out the ripe seed heads. 

I logged a much smaller number of the overwintering Redwing (Turdus iliacus) feeding in the horse paddocks and only one individual (below) came close enough for a quick snapshot. Surprisingly this winter I have seen very few Fieldfare and only located one individual amongst the Redwing flocks on Friday.

Linking to:
Saturday's Critters
I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'
Nature Notes 

Birding between the Bridges.

On another very recent early morning, just as the dawn sunshine was slowly burning off the mist, I was crossing this stile on the edge of Bookham Common.

So if you are happy to continue then why not join me as I go birding between the bridges that straddle the various small streams that meander their way across the common.




The first species to greet me is a male Blackbird giving me a quizzical look as if to say "Why are you here this early?".

As I cross the first bridge, which has recently been restored to cater for vehicle, horse and foot traffic, I hear the hoarse alarm call of a Pheasant from deep within the dense understory vegetation. Way off in the distance there is the repeated call of a Cuckoo while I listen out for other recently returned migrant songsters.

A silent male Blackcap (above) passes by probably on the look out for an early morning snack.

To avoid any early morning dog walkers I move away from the main track where the underfoot conditions are somewhat sticky after the recent rainfall and head for my second bridge crossing.

The tall vegetation nearby provides excellent song and lookout perches for several species including this Chiffchaff with its dark legs .....

and then a very similar looking LBJ, the Willow Warbler (below) with its pale legs.

As I head towards the next crossing point I hear the Cuckoo call again and then catch sight of it flying into the nearby woodland but I wasn't quick enough to grab an in-flight shot. Maybe next time I'll be lucky.

During the last 7-10 days the numbers of Common Whitethroat seeking nesting territories has increased but none of them appear in the open long enough for a photo-call.

Another strident but repetitive songster seen and heard all around the common is the Song Thrush.

At usually one of the wettest areas close to the boundary with the railway line I'm pleased to see that the ditch has been cleaned out so I won't be carrying an extra few pounds of mud home on my walking boots!

A detour into the woods leads me to a recently created 'Play Area' but I'm not in the mood for climbing so I just sit awhile and listen to Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and Nuthatch calling plus bursts of song from several Wrens.

  Last but not least one of many Robins in full voice and proclaiming its territorial rights. 

I hope you managed to keep up and enjoyed my early morning wander around the common.  FAB.

Linking to Good Fences hosted by TexWisGirl.

Early Morning Bird Song.

A week ago I set my alarm with the intention of catching the 'Dawn Chorus' but overslept by half an hour by which time the sun was just beginning to lighten the sky at Bookham Common and the bird song was not as vocal as I'd expected. However in the first 20 minutes I heard two Nightingales plus 2 Lesser Whitethroat singing deep within the scrub and a distant calling Cuckoo to add to my year list.
Click here to hear the delightful song of a Nightingale.

The first photo call was a Blackbird in full voice, silhouetted against the western sky. 
Click here for a song recording.

 

Slowly the cloudless sky lightened and I headed in the direction of the calling Cuckoo but failed to find its perch within the wooded area but added Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pheasant and Stock Dove to the list.
 
Returning to the open 'plain' I snapped a perched Kestrel just before it flew away. 

 

The next obvious chorister was a Song Thrush, initially just enjoying the early morning rays on its high perch and then it promptly turned away to utter its repetitive song.

Click here for a song recording.

 

As expected I saw and listened to numerous Robins as they all confirmed their presence from their lofty song posts.

I also saw and heard Willow Warbler , several Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, and Dunnock.  

With the warmer weather the green clothing on the trees and bushes continues to intensify day by day so very soon many species will become more difficult to find. Above are a female Blackcap and a male Bullfinch taking a rest.

A cropped view of a silent Chiffchaff perched amongst the blossom.

Birds flying over the common included Jackdaws, a lonesome Greylag Goose and a Common Buzzard slowly soaring upwards. Others not photographed were Mallard, Collared Dove, Crow, Magpie, Canada Geese, Ring-necked Parakeets, Sparrowhawk, Grey Heron, Starling and a single Swallow which passed over the common heading northwards.

Wrens were also very vocal during my walk but failed to perch long enough (or I failed to operate the camera quick enough!) for a decent picture. 

I saw several species collecting nesting material including this obliging Robin.

As I returned to my starting point around 9am (some three hours later) the male Blackbird was in the same place and still belting out his territorial song. The final tally for my morning stroll was 34 species.  FAB.

Bookham Common Sights and Sounds.

Over the last two days I have made two visits to Bookham Common. The first on Friday was to meet up with two ex RHS colleagues and give them a guided birding tour around the various habitats which produced a tally of 35 species although many were heard but not seen. Yesterday Anita and I joined a Surrey Bird Club (SBC) field trip led by Alan Prowse whose knowledge of the common, its resident and migrant species is second to none.  

During both visits the most conspicuous specie was the Common Whitethroat singing from their perches and during their brief display flights. We also caught up with the rattling 'tell-tell-tell-tell-tell' song of the Lesser Whitethroat and were fortunate to get some glimpses but not sufficient for the camera.

 Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) singing its repeated phrases.

Yesterday two male Cuckoos were seen in flight and we were able to confirm that they were indeed separate individuals from the different length of the second part of their calls. At one moment in time we were watching a Cuckoo while one of three Nightingales provided a background soundtrack with both Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Whitethroat also singing close by. As someone else commented "That experience has definitely gladdened my heart". Other songsters included Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Wren, Blackbird, Goldfinch and Greenfinch. Overhead we logged Cormorant, Grey Heron, Buzzard and Kestrel plus the usual corvids.

 Cardinal Beetle.

The overnight rain certainly made everything look fresh and a few species of Butterflies found themselves in front of the lens.

 Green-veined Whites lining up for mating.

 Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

 The distinctive under wing pattern.

The ponds which have undergone a major clearance programme are slowly producing more sightings. Ours included Mute Swan, Canada Geese, Little Grebe, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and a pair of Tufted Ducks.I have no doubt that one day a passing wader will drop in.

 One of a number of young Coot asking to be fed.

 Just a few of the Mallard ducklings totally ignoring their parents.

Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa).

As the months go by the pond margins should produce a decent list of Dragons and Damsels. Our sightings on the second visit also included Swallow, House Martin and the first arrival of Swifts to give me a total of 42 species which has also helped to bump up my year list.  FAB.