Author: martintayler

It seems to have been raining all week but that’s probably just my perception. I managed a brief trip to Duchess Pond in Stoke Park this afternoon. i’m  glad I wore my wellies as it was certainly very wet underfoot.

The area around the reeds has been dry until now. I saw a snipe here last year and so it was worth a look.

Other than 9 mallards and a couple of moorhens there were only 2 birds of note to photograph – a kestrel and a blackbird. A cormorant and a grey heron flew over but I was too busy trying to take landscapes to capture them with my camera.

Kestrel

Blackbird

Not a bird in sight

 

After a few rainy days I was beginning to get cabin fever and so it was great to get out and dodge the showers for a walk around the local park.

Cabin fever?

A robin seemed to greet us as we walked in to the park.

The water was running high on the weir and no bird was brave enough to take it on.

As we made our way along the River Frome we saw the first of 3 grey herons looking rather forlorn (and comical) sitting in the long jump pit of the adjacent school playing field. The ones on the lake looked more majestic especially with the gold back drop of the reflections on the lake.

However, they didn’t look quite as imperious as the cormorants sitting high above the lake and enjoying the sun which failed to spill down on us..

On the main island we could still see the tawny owl in its box but as it didn’t show its face it wasn’t worth another photo of a fluffy chest.

Pigeons and ducks fought for a pile of seed that someone had provided at the end of the lake.

A moorhen perched on a log alongside the black-headed gulls and another grey heron.

But the best was the male kingfisher which tantalisingly flitted around the lake and then perched close up as if to show off.

A ladybird seemed confused by the flowers on an abandoned glove on a park bench.

A moorhen took to the water and tried dodging the rain drops beneath the beady eye of a grey heron.

Before we left the lake, as I was looking for a customary grey wagtail, a pied wagtail appeared instead.

As we headed for home a great tit came to say goodbye.

Post script

Perhaps not just a fluffy chest – how many tawny owls here?

Click below for gallery of today’s photos.

It’s been another glorious day and really quite warm for November. Following a morning’s game of golf at The Kendleshire Golf Club just north of Bristol, where I saw a grey heron and 2 cormorants, I decided it was too nice to stay in this afternoon so I had a walk around the local park. 

In Eastville Park I saw 2 grey herons, 5 cormorants, a tawny owl, 2 kingfishers, a wren and a grey wagtail.

Gallery of photos from today.

• 

Well the weather really has changed. As we drove to see some friends at Avening in the Cotswolds it began to snow. It didn’t come to anything but it was enough to make us realise the seasons are moving on.  We had a pleasant little walk from Avening through the hamlet of Nag’s Head towards Cherington. As we passed Cherington Lake in the woods we saw a couple of little grebe which prompted me to write this blog. The light was very poor but we could certainly make out the little grebes, one with a fish almost as large as the one I had for my lunch at the excellent Ragged Cot on our way to Minchinhampton  Common.

The first winter look

Holes for the bees in this house in Nag’s Head

Cherington Lake – 2 mute swans and a few mallards in the distance (honest)

2 little grebe take centre stage from the mallards

Little grebe with fish

We needed to find a pub where these would be put to good use on a roaring fire

Click below for gallery of photos from this morning (in very dull light which demonstrated how lucky I have been with the light recently).

 

It was much colder this morning as I walked around our local park. I was soon cheered as the first bird I saw was a dipper (which I hadn’t seen for a while) on the River Frome. It was joined by a grey wagtail which was well camouflaged amongst the leaves on the river.

A little further along the river there was a grey heron and then another on the lake.

Grey heron on the river

Grey heron on the river

Grey heron on the lake

Grey heron on the lake

I was lucky again to catch sight of a kingfisher, although this morning I only managed to see it on the one occasion.

The tawny owl was not in its box but as Andrew (from the Frome Fairies) was clearing the detritus of fishing paraphernalia from on and around the island it wasn’t surprising. I was pleased to spend some time chatting with him when he paddled (very skilfully) across the lake to see me. I also enjoyed spending some time chatting with Nigel and his little dog, both of whom I hadn’t seen for a while. He told me of all his recent sightings of otters and showed me the spot where he had seen them. Luckily the sun came out when I was at the lake and, as well as chatting a lot, I took a few shots of the lake which is still surprisingly colourful.

Click below for a gallery of my photos from this morning:

 

The weather was lovely when we arrived in Stoke Park and a stonechat appeared straightaway.

There wasn’t much else until we got to Eastville Park where we saw the tawny owl, a cormorant and a kingfisher but the weather was very gloomy by this time. We have no reason to complain.

I had so little success looking for birds in Stoke Park that I turned my attention to taking landscape shots and I continued in that vain when I moved on to Eastville Park. And then 3 kingfishers came out to play … and I got over excited and took too many photos.

In Stoke Park I did get a very poor photo of a reed bunting, a cormorant and a moorhen. In Eastville Park I was lucky with a grey wagtail, a tawny owl, a cormorant and a grey heron too.

Reed bunting in Stoke Park

Cormorant in Stoke Park

Moorhen in Stoke Park

All the birds below were in Eastville Park:

My favourite landscapes of Stoke Park were:

… and my favourite landscapes of Eastville Park:

Click below for a gallery of my photos from today:

Having played golf this morning and not wanting to pick up leaves in the garden this afternoon a late walk in Eastville Park seemed the best option.

It was a lovely bright morning for golf but it was surprising that, on such a beautiful wooded course, I saw very few birds and certainly didn’t get a sniff of a birdie.

We were well rewarded  because, as well as seeing our two old friends the kingfisher and the grey heron, we caught a glimpse of one of the the tawny owls we had heard reports of.

The first bird to greet us in the park was a grey heron

The lake is still very colourful

The tawny owl was just visible now that the leaves have fallen

The lake also looks remarkably colourful in my photos for this time of the year and for that time of the day but I don’t remember it looking that bright on our walk (oh the joys of Japanese technology and American software). However, with the treat of a tawny owl our smiles were certainly very bright.

Click below for gallery of all my photos from this afternoon:

On our way to WWT Slimbridge we had the privilege to share an act of remembrance with the local community of Slimbridge on the centenary of the Armistice at their local parish church where there was an incredible installation “Wire Soldiers” by the local artist Jackie Lantelli. The wire soldiers stand at the foot of each grave where a soldier, sailor or airman of either WWI or WWII is either buried or commemorated. See my photo album – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…

At WWT Slimbridge we didn’t linger long but had plenty of opportunity to see at close quarters pintail, wigeon, teal, tufted duck, shoveler, lapwing, Brent, Canada and greylag geese, Bewick swans and a little further away cranes, mute swans and large flocks of golden plover.

Click below for gallery of photos from WWT Slimbridge:

 

Greenbank Cemetery in Bristol, close to where we live, is a wonderful place to view wildlife and nature. We thought, as we approach the centenary of the Armistice. it would be a good place to visit today in the rain. Although the trees were magnificent and,  in spite of the fact that there were many birds to observe, our thoughts (and my camera) were drawn to the large number of war graves that there are in this cemetery. There are 339 graves of men and women of many nationalities who were casualties of the First and second World War. Details of these men and women can be viewed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s website

 

Click below for a gallery of my photos from this morning:

As we didn’t get out at all the day before, due to the wet weather, we decided to have a trip down to Somerset. It was a murky start to the day but quite mild for November.

We started at WWT Steart Marshes and went in search of spoonbills which had been reported. The tide on the River Parrett was very low which didn’t push lots of interesting waders up on to the marshes but we were able to walk along the banks of the river and saw plenty of grey herons, little egrets, gulls and a few redshank. It was very grey but quite atmospheric.

The River Parrett looking towards the sea.

The River Parrett looking towards Bridgwater.

From along this path we could see the pool behind the Quantock Hide. There were three spoonbills but they were not being very cooperative and were hiding their spoon bills.

Spoonbills

Throughout the reserve their were large flocks of birds such as wood pigeon, linnets, goldfinch, starling, and lapwings but with the poor light they were not easy to photograph.

However, every now and again it was a little brighter and I did manage some shots of individual birds (and other animals).

Pied wagtail
 Linnets

Chaffinch

Reed bunting

Goldfinch

Goldfinch

Pied wagtail

Pintail

Grey heron with shipwreck

Lapwing on the River Parrett

On the way home we called in at Westhay Moor Nature Reserve in the hope of seeing bearded tit but we had no luck and the best we saw was a great white egret and great-crested grebe.

Gadwall

From the hides we did get lovely views of the Somerset Levels/

In the fields all around we saw lots of little egret, grey heron, buzzards and masses of starlings.

Little egret

Grey heron

Grey heron

Buzzard

Buzzard

And starlings everywhere

It probably would have been a great evening to see murmurations of starlings but by this time we had had enough and were glad to make our way home.

Click below for gallery of today’s photos:

I was so encouraged by my kingfisher photos from two days before (taken with a bridge camera) that I decided to return with more serious equipment, lugging a tripod too. The kingfisher was very compliant and presented itself in lots of different poses in the best possible light. I was very excited with the results and showed lots of passers-by in the park. However, when I got home disaster struck as the memory card became corrupt as I tried downloading the photos to my computer. I tried all sorts of ruses to convince my computer to recognise the card but not even the camera would recognise it; I had no option but to re-format the card.

I even tried returning to the park to take fresh photos but I never saw the kingfisher again. I had to content myself with taking photos of cormorants, a grey heron and a swan in odd light.

Cormorants

Grey. heron

The resident mute swan

Initially I was devastated but I am old and wise enough to realise that much worse things happen in life; and even if I had got the “perfect”shot I would be back again to try and take more kingfisher photos. I imagine it’s a bit like fishing really.