Nesting Magpies

A pair of Magpies have built a nest in the ivy overlooking the patio and are very agressively seeing off other birds and squirrels. It was fun to see their antics in breaking off twigs and collecting moss from the lawn.

Magpie's nesting

Hoots Mon

At 2230hrs last night Josh alerted me to a Tawny Owl hooting loudly from the wood in the back garden. Only the 2nd record for the garden, the last being in November 2008.

Winter Wonderland

An early morning drive down to Dungeness saw -10C registering on the car thermometer.
First stop was Northpoint GPs where the small patch of unfrozen water was largely occupied by Mute Swans and a few wildfowl but a lone Barnacle Goose was also picked out.

At the Dungeness RSPB Reserve, Burrow's Pit had huge numbers of wildfowl in unfrozen patches with 30+ Pintail and a Goldeneye.

The New Excavations sported a showy Slavonian Grebe which caught a frog and swallowed it whole, 2 female Red-crested Pochards and 4 Little Grebes.

The Christmas Dell Hide turned up Black-necked Grebe and a redhead Smew and the nature trail around to Hooker's Pit yielded a Water Rail swimming in an unfrozen ditch and a superb Woodcock flushed up and did 3 circuits around our heads as the sunshine came out.

New Diggings had 2 areas of unfrozen and amongst the wildfowl were 4 Goosanders, several Smew (incl a drake), several Goldeneye and a lone Ruddy Duck.Other highlights were 3 Stonechats, 3 Marsh Harriers, 2 Foxes (one walking around on the ice) and 20+ Little Grebe from Dengemarsh Hide.

The Swan herd at Lydd revealed one Whooper Swan amongst 40+ Bewick's whilst at Scotney GPs a drake Red-crested Pochard and 6 Scaup were found on the Kent side.

On the way home at Jurys Gap the tide was in, sea was calm and we picked out at least one distant Red-throated Diver.

Leaving the area at 1pm the temperature had crept up to -0.5C which felt positively balmy.

Wierton Waxwings

The six Waxwings were soon located in the small orchard at Wierton Hill feeding on apples amongst the large numbers of Fieldfares, Blackbirds and a couple of Redwings. These Scandanavian winter visitors were my first for 4 years and with patience I got some satisfying pictures in the afternoon sunshine as they fed in the orchard and sat in the trees. When disturbed they would raise their crests before flying with a pleasant trilling call.

Waxwings

New Year's Day at Bough Beech

Got the year off to a start with a trip to Bough Beech Reservoir and was pleased to connect with the female Bearded Tit which had been present from 5th Nov last year. I managed to get some pictures of this smart individual which represented my 128th species for the reservoir.

Bearded Tit (female)

On the feeders I saw one each of Brambling, Marsh Tit and Coal Tit and on the reservoir itself 6 Goosanders, a Ruddy Duck (only my 2nd ever at this site) and a pair of Mandarins checked in but the reported Great Northern Diver failed to show.

Goosanders

Brambling

Mallard on Ice

Goosanders

Robin

Shoveler

Goosander

After finishing early at work I was able to check into Bough Beech Reservoir on the way home and was soon watching 3 drakes and 1 redhead Goosander as they drifted out of the bushes. The off-white underparts of the drakes were very obvious in the gloom and I was able to get a few shots before they flew off.
Unfortunately the Great Northern Diver failed to materialise and the reported Bearded Tit fialed to show by the Oast house. Also although the feeders were active with plenty of birds there was no sign of any Bramblings. Just before leaving, I was pleased to see a small group of Shovelers and get some flight shots as I failed to see any of these on my visit at the weekend.

A Bird in the Hand

Woodpigeon

This Woodpigeon was rescued from Jaz but unfortunately died overnight. There was a flock of 7 foraging on the lawn the other day and make a tempting target for the prowling feline.

Tawny Owl

A Tawny Owl was heard hooting in the copse next to the garden at 0045hrs on Saturday night - new species for the garden.

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

In Wimbledon Park at lunchtime I was pleased to eventually get a decent pic of the regular Grey Wagtail seen on the stream.

New Garden Bird

Helen saw a Kingfisher fly up from the pond on Sunday morning - there isn't anything for it to catch so I may have to put some small fish in if we want regular sightings. Once again I dip on a garden Kingfisher - Helen saw the only one in our last garden years ago.

Autumn Robins

Autumn Leaves

Robin

The garden Robins are more prominant now setting up their territories for the Spring - their rusty breasts in the low sunlight match the autumn leaf colours.

Meanwhile, Helen saw a Heron in the trees eyeing up the pond (5th record for the garden). Also Purrgeot catch his 3rd mouse last night and unfortunately brought it in dead.

Orange, Gold and Redwings

Orange Ladybird

Goldfinch (not stopping)

Goldcrest (not showing)

Two Redwings flew over the garden at the weekend - the first for the winter. Also, I got my first pictures of a flyover Goldfinch (they never seem to stop) and a elusive Goldcrest skulking around in the conifer. It is a constant challange to get some decent pictures of both these species. An Orange Ladybird (first for the garden) was more obliging and is a beautiful ladybird when seen really close up.

Chiffchaffing

As we move into October and the temperature gets colder I'm suprised to hear Chiffchaffs still singing in the garden. Wren and Robins also heard and a couple of Jackdaws flew over this morning.

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)

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.

Weekend Wildlife

Timmy the Fox wandered around the patio as bold as brass the other day even though he could see us at the window. Also I've added a Coal Tit picture taken last week.

"Timmy" Fox

Coal Tit

The pond is started to take shape with more plants being added. The 2 joists on the left are for some decking. Wildlife seen this weekend were: Two sizes of diving beetle, back-swimmer Whirly-gig Beetle (again just the one) and brief visits from dragonflies - most likely Common Darter and Southern Hawker. Also a male frog was rescued from the cats and put in the pond.

Bird visitors were Chiffchaff (sang briefly), Coal Tits, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit & Blue Tit and a flyover Swallow.

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

News broke yesterday of a Grey Phalarope at Bough Beech Reservoir showing well from the road on the North Lake. Needless to say I dipped in after work and managed to see this grey and white sprite from the North.
Although, it was my 8th Grey Phalarope, it was my first at Bough Beech (127th species) and very welcome. I managed to get a few pics before the light faded. Also present were 4+ Little Egrets a Green Sandpiper, a few Common Terns and a number of Swallows were flying through.

Coal Tit

I finally managed to get a picture of a Coal Tit in the garden. One or two are ocassionally seen, usually announcing their presence with loud stridant calls but were difficult to photograph as they move off quickly through the tree canopies.

I'm keen to eventually get a picture of every species that visits the garden and some are harder than others e.g. the only Goldfinches I see are flyovers and so still have evaded my camera.

Picture to follow.

Sproghawk

On the way home last night I saw a flock of 50 or so Starlings wheeling over the houses - what attracted me to them was the fact that they had formed such a tight dense flock. Scanning round I saw a Sparrowhawk soaring close by and it was obvious that the Starlings had tightened up their flock in the presence of the hawk a bit like the cowboys grouping the coaches tighter together when the indians appeared on the horizon.

Bough Beech at Dusk

Little Egret
A half hour visit to Bough Beech Reservoir on the way home in the evening revealed 6 Little Egrets on North Lake (this equals the biggest number I have ever seen at BB) also present were 3 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, juvenile Little Ringed Plover and several Common Terns.