more chaff's

All been happening on my local patch just recently, you know the score...

I was surprised by the probable Noctule Bat as it was flying and feeding at lunchtime and as it was flying away from me at distance, it at first looked like it might be a swallow... clearly not. THANKS to www.lalows.blogspot.co.uk/ for the id. Goldcrests have been evident with several sightings, inlcuding three together at once, and this chiffchaff was fairly accommodating even though it took quite some time to allow me anywhere near... it was not going to sing though!

it will be ruining my apple crop next... but a fair swap 

waz zat camera shutter noise?

best I could manage in deep scrub

flying at lunchtime!

Chiffchaff

Chffchaff

Chiffchaff

It's a chaff

or is it, I'm not so sure.

A couple of images for my reference and what I thought was a chiffchaff ... not necessarily all the same bird...

female wigeon landing

my garden visitors

my local resident(s)

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff, thought the dogwood was a bit different

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!

Here comes summer ...not on your nellie!

As a break from the three subject matter of recent posts (more to follow!) here is a bit of a change.

Juvenile Chiffchaff. (see below)

It must be summer, juvenile swallow 

Juvenile Swallow

the problem I had getting that yellow oil seed rape in the background...

Juvenile Swallows

I assume all the same family

Who were still begging for food from the adults

NOT on your nellie mate! This poor Sand Martin juvenile is unwelcome!

There was a bit of commotion in the trees outside the house as a flock of long-tailed tits accompanied by a family of blue tits were passing through. Amongst them was a juvenile Chiffchaff and I grabbed a photo through the double glazing, so not great.

Meanwhile on a visit to Newton Marsh a number of hirundines as usual and I came across what looked like a family of juvenile roosting up and waiting to be fed by passing adults – although I didn't see any feeding, perhaps because I was close by. The last photo seems to capture a certain vehemence from one juvenile of a species to another... I don't think the Sand Martin juvenile was welcome do you?

I wanted to check on that first photo, I had it as Chiffchaff but thought their was the possibility of Willow Warbler. You may want to see the dialogue at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=204178

Bits, Pieces and Damselflies, Weird Chiffchaff

Looks like damselfly and lacewing were on the menu

and possibly caterpillars (unlikely) or green bodied lacewing or... any idea?

Green veined white

Large Red Damselfly (male)

Large Red Damselfly (male)

Large Red Damselfly, male

Large Red Damselfly, female

Large Red Damselfly, female

Azure Blue? 

Blue Tailed Damselfly (male?)

Blue Tailed Damselfly (male?)

Large Red Damselfly, male

Blue Tailed Damselfy (viola) female (Ischnura elegans f violacea) 

Chiffchaff that doesn't sing like a chiffchaff!

Chiffchaff....

Right then, where were we?

The cats appear to have disturbed the blackbird nest in the back garden, and the magpies appear to be guilty of robbing the blackbird nest under my bedroom window of at least four eggs as both nests are now deserted. The back garden bird has however nested again in the garden honeysuckle arch but my fear is the magpies will again be drawn to the location in time.

The Long-Tailed Tit nest was never completed and I saw the cats up adjoining trees.

A pair of robins were obvioulsy feeding young in the local park and I managed these two quick shots but again no further sightings were made but it was on a dog walking route... as indeed a local moorhen has nested adjacent to a public footpath. The first moorhen nest I have seen in over ten years. The Moorhen kept getting up and leaving the nest as people passed but is now settled on at least six eggs. Most people walk past in blissful ignorance thankfully. I will be intrigued to see if this is successful.

Already the number of mallard hatchlings have been reduced.

Meanwhile I have been engaged in trying to photograph the damselflies hereabouts on my doorstep... but my ignornace is close on 100% as I know very little, but pick up a bit here and there. Consequently identification of the damselflies is very likely incorrect so please I would appreciate any correction in ID's.The Large Reds Damselflies are slightly unusual as they do not always close their wings at rest, like the other damselflies and the wings can be seen slightly open.

I have seen two male Banded Blue Demoiselle so far but blown away on the wind, I am looking forward to 'capturing' them if possible again this year.

And finally last years 'chiffchaff' has returned, it just doesn't sing like a chiffchaff and photographing it is paricularly tiresome and attached are two brief images taken high in the canopy. I think this may be subject to a separate post if I can record the singing again this year. So far my attempts have been obstructed by too much background noise. There never much good anyway.