Thursday 23rd January 2013

 

 

 Before I go any further, today proved that you never know just what is going to turn up. While looking over Doulton's Claypit, where the only thing moving were magpies, a sudden glint of white in the sky caught my attention. Flying eastwards was a great BIG patch first. A little egret, which left me with a great big silly smile on my face!

 

Weather :- what a difference a couple of weeks can make. Snow still on the ground, cloudy but sun trying to peek out.

 

 

Reservoir :- 2 cormorants now present and a male and female tufted ducks have arrived. Otherwise 119 black-headed gulls, 22 coots, 23 mallards and 3 mute swans.

 

Woods :- Amongst all the usual suspects was a male blackcap, nuthatch, male bullfinch and 3 redwings.

 

 

And thanks to Netherton colts, who has given me good directions, I finally found the dragon.

 

Oak leaf galls



 

 



Tuesday 1st January 2013

 

Not the best day, still suffering with the flu but determined to keep up my New Year's tradition of hitting the patch. Only managed a quick hour, then had to give up. Missed more birds then spotted - so never go birding with a dodgy head!

 

Weather :- Clear blue skies, sunny and warm.

 

Reservoir :- showed 1 moorhen, 25 coots, 3 canada geese, 70 black-headed gulls, 1 lesser black-backed gull and 3 mallards. The highlight being the winter cormorant had appeared - but never stays for long.

 

Woods :- 2 grey squirrels put in brief appearences. Otherwise usually suspects - magpies, crows, blue tits, great tits, chaffinch, bullfinches heard, wren, greater spotted woodpecker, blackbirds, woodpigeons, dunnock and the robins had turned shy and kept disappearing.

 

Still unable to find the dragon sculpture, beginning to think it doesn't exsist.

Tuesday 18 December 2012

 

 

Weather :- Cloudy blue sky, light breeze and mild.

 

Stayed in the woods today, mainly following the sculpture trail, but did check out the reservior.

 

 

Reservior showed 28 coots, 63 black-headed gulls and 2 lesser black-backed gulls.

 

Woods:- The usually suspects around. Blue/great/long and coal tits, both nuthatches showing well, woodpigeons, magpies, crows, jay, blackbirds, robins being cheeky as usually and chaffimch heard.

 

The big surprise was when I was looking for a bullfinch I could hear, briefly saw as a male, but also found this lost fellow.

 

Yellow crowned amazon parrot - well think it is anyway. Anyone lost one??

 

Found 2 more of the new sculptures.

 

Dragonfly

 

Owl

 

And not forgetting this greater spotted woodpecker.

 

 

Most of the berries and fruits have now been stripped, but the ivy berries are growing well.

 

 

 

 



Thursday 23rd August 2012

 

 

Weather :- Cloudy with sunny spells and a light wind.

 

 

Finally found a bit of spare time to hit the local patch, covered the woods, reservior, canal and Netherton hill. Hardly any bird activity. Grey heron in the grass, at the bottom of Netherton hill. Young blackbird spotted in  the woods, 39 herring gulls on the reservior and 20 female mallards on the canal. Male bullfinch put on a brief viewing by the canal. Buzzard soaring high over Netherton hill.

 

 

 

Lots of insect activity seen :- Over 20 gatekeeper butterflies on Netherton hill, few more spotted in the woods. Also burnet moths on Netherton hill and small skipper and small copper butterflies.

 

Blackberries and rowen berries are ripening. Flowers include herb robert, spear thistle and tansy.

 

Sheathed woodtuft

 

There are also new sculptures around the sculpture trail. As I didn't do all of the this trail, only found 2 today.

 

 

 





Tuesday 29th May 2012

Weather :- Started dull and overcast, but brightened up.

Woods :- Noisy but not much in the way of birds actually seen. Chiffchaff singing in his normal place on tabletop, mistle thrush nest found with adult on nest. Great tits have fledged and adults still feeding young. Lots of young grey squirrels around.

Reservoir :- herring gulls, lesser black-blacked gulls, mallards, coots, great-created grebes and a mute swan.

Canal :- More mallards and coots and the moorhen family have hatched their young - 4 in total all looking well.

Netherton Hill :- Linnets, male blackbird singing happily away, 2 buzzards soaring over. Whitethroat finally spotted. 

Insects include :- ladybirds, carder and white-tailed bees.

Flowers :- Red champion, red valerian, oxeye daises, columbine, bush vetch, speedwell.

Thursday 10th May 2012

Weather :- dull and overcast with few sunny spells and windy.

Only a quick, short walk around the woods, due to bad back and wrist. Great fun birding and trying to keep your back straight, but going crazy being stuck inside!

Woods :- Pretty quiet, great tit nest found and male feeding young, 2 buzzard soaring with one displaying. Three chiffchaff singing, with one at the entrance of woods. Goldcrest, mistle thrush, treecreeper and nuthatch gave brief views. Otherwise all the usual suspects - blue tits, jays, magpies, carrion crows, etc. First swift and 3 house martins of the year seen, flying around by Doultan Clay Pit.

Reservior :- 6 coots, (3 fighting), 2 great-crested grebes asleep and and 2nd year mute swans.

Insects :- orange tip butterfly, lots of 7 spot ladybirds and a 22 spot seen. Red-tailed and buff-tailed bumblebees. Also longhorn moth - Adela reaumurella.

Flowers :- dead white nettle, last of the yellow archangel flowering, wood anemone, ramsons, herb robert and lots and lots of bluebells. Showing why it's one of the best bluebell woods in the borough.





21st April 2012

Weather :- cloudy with sunny spells, but 3 hours later - hail.

Woods :- The usual suspects around, blue/great tits, woodpigeons, wrens, etc. Bullfinches and greater spotted woodpecker heard. 2 chiffchaffs singing away. With added sighting of a male and female blackcap.

Reservoir :- quite again, but sailing club was out today. Mallard, coots and that was it.

Canal :- mallards, coots, moorhens. Chiffchaff heard, and then really good views of one in the reedbeds. Male and female chaffinches seen and greenfinch heard.

Netherton hill :- 2 buzzards, another 2 chiffchaff singing, male swallow and 2 linnets.

Lots of insects around including :- first orange tip, speckled wood and green-veined butterflies of the year, red-tailed and common carder bees.

Mammels :- grey squirrels and a brown rat.

Flowers :- Ramson, yellow archangel, garlic mustard, wood anemone and bluebells.