Birds & Dragons

Here's some pics from the weekend of birds on the feeders and dragonflies visiting the pond.

Blue Tit

Coal & Blue Tits

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Southern Hawker

Male Common Darter (picture by Josh)

Weekend Highlights

Pett Pools, near Rye on the coast in East Sussex, viewed from the road, yielded 2 Little Stints, Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Little Egrets, Avocet, 13 Dunlin and 10 Redshank. In the distance I could hear a Cetti's Warbler singing and I picked out 2 Willow/Chiffs in the bushes whilst a Sparrowhawk cruised through and a steady stream of Swallows passed over. On the sea wall I found a Wheatear amongst the many Meadow Pipits and a Whinchat showed briefly on the roadside scrub. On the beach there were many Oystercatchers, Curlews and Turnstones.

In the garden over the weekend 2 Coal Tits, 2 Blue Tits and Great Tit visited the feeders and flyover Canada Geese (heard not seen) were new for the garden list (number 43).

The pond attracted a Southern Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies and a small frog was found.

I'm noticing a lot of Jays around at the moment as I journey into work (saw 7 today) probably busy gathering and burying acorns. Also saw a Ring-necked Parakeet fly over the A3.

Lunchtime in Wimbledon Park was pretty quiet with the usual waterfowl on the lake and a few Tufted Duck and Great-crested Grebes. Whilst in the woods I rustled up a few Long-tailed Tits and that was about it. A possible Common Darter dragonfly was hunting around the trees.

At home in the garden there's some interesting fungi growing on the lawn - I'll have to get some pics.

Puncture

Picked up my 2nd puncture in almost 4 and a half years the other day with this gate latch embedded in the tyre - Nasty!

New Pond Visitors

Southern Hawker

Common Darter (female)

Chiffchaff

The pond's only 3 weeks old and already it's attracting wildlife. A Grey Wagtail visited briefly before being chased off by the cats and was seen to fly over the garden later in the day. This was a new bird for the garden and hopefully will return.

On both Saturday and Sunday, in the warm sunshine, a Southern Hawker spent 15 minutes or so hunting over the pond and a managed to get some flight shots as it seemed reluctant to use the pearches I had provided. Also a Common Darter put in a brief appearance. I'm hoping these dragonflies will eventually breed in the pond when there is more plant cover.

In the pond itself we saw our first Ramshorn Snail, probably introduced through the addition of plants.

Elsewhere in the garden, I put up 5 bird feeders with nuts and seeds and birds seen were Coal Tit, 10+ Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin and Wren although none were actually using the feeders yet.

Also Timmy the Fox had a wander around in broad daylight whilst we were actually in the garden - he seems to be getting bolder by the day.

Berry Munchers

Woodpigeon eyeing up some more berries

The elderberries are systematically being stripped by Woodpigeons at the moment, whilst the squirrels have had most of the hazel nuts. If one year we do Elderflower wine or hazel nut flan, we're going to have to harvest promptly before the creatures get their fill.

Garden Spider

There are some really impressive Garden Orb Spiders about at the moment, some are large and beautifully marked. Have a look at this individual that Josh found.

Garden Spider