they've all landed

The previous posts were leading up to this I guess. All the migrants have suddenly landed on my patch. Initially the Chifchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrests have been around for a week or two while the Willow Warblers have finally landed. 

Those of a less robust constituition and do not want to see nature in the raw may prefer to leave the room now.

The first brood of Mallards appeared and I would think on what was their first swim. Seven young with mum, but it seems two became separated more or less straight away and were hanging around with five juvenile males. A Grey Heron didn't need a second invitation. While a bit distant these record shots illustrate nature in all it's detail. Then there were six.

I came across four Willow Warblers in the morning and four in the afternoon. Plus possible others as they were fairly mobile. They are seen on exactly the same stretch of habitat and walk I do regularly but only one male chiffchaff is singing. The light is always against me and the scrub quite dense so 'picking' them out can be problematic. Again not necessarily all the same bird and one appears to have a mite investation or a problem with its lower leg/ankle/feet.

Anyhoo... the Willow Warblers have landed and this fine male Blackcap was singing and when I returned a little later, he had company with a female Blackcap in the same location... the very same location I had seen them at last year.

A singing male Blackcap, where do they get their names?

A mixed lot

I may be gone for sometime soon... toys and pram with service provider, in the meantime;

For once I'm glad it's raining, on several counts really, water is so precious and we take it for granted but the fish will be glad of it, as will anything that grows and I can start catching up on all the jobs I have neglected, including posts on this blog. As a regular visitor, you will know sometimes the posts are for my benefit and to some extent I suppose this is, nothing earth-moving I am afraid but a place to post some images and keep a record of things, gives me some clue as I can't remember what I had for breakfast.

The local damselflies have been late this year, perhaps that cold wet spell we had in April, go out at the right time and I can count 18 blackbirds or more, all worming. Blackcaps have been singing but seeing them has proved very tricky but I managed a male out in the open. A Green Veined White and one that isn't! 

There are a large number of breeding Wrens hereabouts and again I caught this one singing out in the open for a split second. The male blackcap and wren were in the same location and while waiting for them this Scorpion fly landed in front of me and it seemed daft not to take a photo (at least I think it's a Scorpion Fly).

Again I am blessed with a number of Song Thrush hereabouts and they did used to nest in next doors garden, but no longer. I was concerned they had been 'disturbed' but in the last few weeks I have come across as many as four at any one time, like the blackbirds, out 'worming'.

There have been the odd sighting of the bullfinch and nothing more than that and an illustration of how difficult they are to see, let alone capture (and so you know I'm not making it up). The Mute Swan simply because I was shocked when processing to see how 'black' the surroundings were and had it not been the vegetation top left it is almost 'artificial'.

A picture of a Chiffchaff which has been singing for a month or more and driving me nuts, you can never see it and similarly a Willow Warbler for comparison, although the scale is not the same, but you can se the longer primary projection on the Willow Warbler.

And a quick snap of a female blackcap as I didn't want to disturb it as I moved on.

Red damselfly, late this year

Blackbird worming

A Green Veined White

and one that isn't

one of the many trogyldytes trogyldytes
(I just love the name)

Male blackcap in the open

Scorpion fly

Song Thrush out worming

Male and Female Bullfinch

a disappearing male bullfinch... one day!

left, Chiffchaff, right Willow Warbler
(note longer primary projection on WW)
not to same scale/proportions, WW is bigger

female blackcap with food

The more observant of you might have notived I began this blog stating it was raining, well it isn't now... how long it has taken me to get this post up here!

Lets get rid...

of some more bits and pieces. 

Another early Comma and another Bee – I know it sounds daft and I have been seeing the willow burst into bud and flower (can you call catkins flowers?) but it never occurred to me that they would be pollinated by insects, especially at this time of the year when it has turned quite chilly again. Look and learn (something new everyday – a message to myself). 

I caught this Blackcap in the tree where I normally find it this time of year (where I have also had a female and a juvenile) – not great and the light against me but I quite liked the light on the leaves anyway. 

On a walk along the Ribble Link (west Preston) I realised there were Moorhens about every 600m (not 400m, too close, 800m too far) and as I normally don't give them a second look, I thought I would while I could – normally secretive and disappearing out of sight. 

The chiffchaff I found in the same tree as last year, but I have been 'chasing' it down for about two weeks – drives me nuts, you can hear it but can't see it; it has been singing in a copse and here it was high, high up in the canopy. 

I was surprised to come across a glade of bluebells, but that's only because I don't get out enough and in the dappled sunlight (albeit a cold wind) I suddenly felt very English – there are too many Spaniards about! 

A female chaffinch, must be nesting somewhere nearby, was with a male in and out and about of the same location. I came across this detail of a horses head (the Godfather) on a paddock fence and thought – 'nice one', somebody has gone to that trouble (too much money!). 

And finally out of the wind this Peacock was warming itself in the rays... I shared the same enjoyment. (sad!).

...not quite finally

Now in my last post, or one of them, I made reference to 'Attenborough does Africa' when referencing Collared/Ring-necked Doves (whatever you want to call them) and driving across the Fylde as you do, I thought perhaps this may have appeared derogatory – far from it, it is all his fault and I am great admirer... so much so dear reader I feel I should bore you with; 

a long long time ago, in a dim, dark and distant past there was a thing called 'a book' – long before computers and I was fortunate to be given one and read it as a young innocent boy (nothing changed then)... it had lots of pages and lots of words and a few black and white photographs and no pictures to colour-in! It was called 'Zoo Quest for a Dragon' and was David Attenborough's first book (not that I knew that at the time) and his first venture collecting animals (!) for London Zoo (I may have the zoo wrong). 

This trip, collecting animals was focused on a trip to Bali and accompanying islands to find the infamous (then), Komodo Dragon. Hence the title! ... 1956! 

I read it many years later !!! but long before Dickie, as he likes me to call him (which is a bit strange as that's the name of his brother, darling), became the famous presenter of today. He did of course present the same as a TV series for the BBC (See http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/attenborough/) in 1956 but of course nobody had a TV in them days anyway, so it didn't have a big audience. See the benefits of a book! (TV, TV... Garlic bread, GARLIC BREAD!)

The book, 'Zoo Quest for a Dragon' entranced me as a child and created three elements (two to go) in me, an endearing relationship with my good friend Dickie, a fascination for wildlife and including Bali in my 'top three places to visit before I die' – but that was when I was young, before Bali became Australia's Benidorm, the population of the planet is half it is now and it took three weeks to get there – an adventure in itself. Frightening to think I could leave home now and be there in twenty four hours! Or less! I might do Bali yet. So 'Zoo Quest for a Dragon', recommended reading.

And while I am on the subject, the other great book to have on your bookshelf is Gerald Durrell's 'My Family and Other Animals' – in fact I must get another copy, read so many times I split the spine and it fell apart (paperback version). Inspired me to visit Corfu and I have been three times – again in quieter times, not long after the country was still run by the Army (complete with CIA interference!). Stories perhaps for another day... or buy me a pint sometime. Mind you I went to Lesvos a long time ago too,  before anyone had heard of it... nearly stayed but what a great place that is for birding in spring.... two beers!

Blackcap conundrum – your thoughts?

Once upon a time many moons ago, a small sapling was growing in the gravel in the drive at the front of the house. I recognised it as a prunus and decided I'd do my bit for the environment and grow a tree – it is now in my back garden and as high as the house. It never occurred to me that I might get fruit, I thought you needed certain species, male and female and all, I just thought 'grow a tree' (I do have others). This year it had a terrific crop of cherries, the best year by far; I had a few off the lower branches and wondered if I should collect the rest. The forecast for the weekend in question was good and I thought another two days on the tree in the sun would just 'finish them off nicely', so I decided to leave them a bit longer. On the Sunday I popped out and harruummmpphh, they had all but disappeared! Not a happy chappie. In two days the birds had cleared me out! I couldn't believe it  there were so many of them and now all gone. I'll know next year... if I get any cherries then.

A day or so later I had a glimpse of a 'grey' bird in the foliage of said cherry tree. I couldn't quite make it out and didn't see it again. Too grey for a juvenile starling, not big enough for a blackbird (a grey blackbird???). The visiting house sparrows are grey underneath, but I didn't think it a sparrow either.

Two days later, I saw another glimpse, grabbed the camera and raced upstairs, carefully opening a bedroom window I managed to capture one of the culprits... a blackcap. At first I thought it was a juvenile, then decided it was a female – now I can't make up my mind. The legs look a little pale and there is some feather growth going on at the forehead. Juvenile female? Female in moult? I am just pleased it visited the garden. Those that have visited the blog over time will know I had a male blackcap in the garden through the winter so it is pleasing they are still local... apart from my lost cehrries.  Any thought as to gender or age? (date 7 July 2011).

As time goes by...

We've all been there... harruummphhh

M55 in t'fog 

err a dead tree

around the fylde

and all for two Shelduck thorugh the fog at Knott End

He's back again... and the SUN is OUT!

'tis a male, Great Spotted Woodpecker

Told you it was  a male... (red at the back of the head)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, 'cos I like it

as always... gone in a flash