Recent events have been rather more birdy and wildlife filled than of late.
A while back the farmer came and cut the oil seed in the field behind the cottage. This meant we could see the lake again and we spotted a Common Sandpiper (No. 60 on the list) on the only patch of mud we can see from the cottage, later in the day there were two of them.
Not long after that the number of pigeons on the field started to grow as they came and gleaned for seeds. A number of Feral Pigeons came, many of them white or with varying amounts of white in them and then one day, in among the Wood Pigeons was a single Stock Dove (61). This stayed for one afternoon and the following morning but has not been seen since.
A couple of days ago the farmer ploughed the field and I stated that I thought this might bring in some Lapwings. The next morning I was proven right as three fed down near the lake (62).
Mammal wise we saw some young foxes gambolling, a Muntjac crossed the field and a Hare was seen in the long grass the other side of the stream that brings the mammal total to 8.
Then there were couple of amphibians. A Common Toad that was found in the flower bed...
... and a Smooth Newt that was found under a paving slab that I lifted.
Last night we twitched the Pectoral Sandpiper at Manor Farm, finally seeing one of the good waders that have visited there, by the time we got there it was getting dark and the distance meant no usable photographs were possible,
As if that wasn't all exciting enough, the last couple of days a Great Egret has been staying on the lakes. But we could not see it from the cottage. Tonight, after a suggestion form local birder Rob Norris that it might be roosting at Linford (HESC) and therefore would fly past our cottage, we kept vigil.
A Little Egret got us going, as did a silhouette of a Grey Heron. Elis went downstairs to get some wine (seriously stressful this birding from the bedroom window) and when she did the bird appeared. It was low over the willows. I called to her turning my head away as I did so and when I returned my gaze I could no longer see the bird! A tantalising wait to see if it would appear from behind the willows became an agonising wait and still nothing.
Then Elis spotted a heron/egret flying high. It was our bird, it must have flown almost directly upwards from where I saw it to get that high. We watched it fly over the motorway and then begin to drop down towards HESC as Rob had suggested. What a garden tick! (63).
I like living here!
A while back the farmer came and cut the oil seed in the field behind the cottage. This meant we could see the lake again and we spotted a Common Sandpiper (No. 60 on the list) on the only patch of mud we can see from the cottage, later in the day there were two of them.
Not long after that the number of pigeons on the field started to grow as they came and gleaned for seeds. A number of Feral Pigeons came, many of them white or with varying amounts of white in them and then one day, in among the Wood Pigeons was a single Stock Dove (61). This stayed for one afternoon and the following morning but has not been seen since.
 |
| Stock Dove with Wood Pigeons on recently cut field. |
A couple of days ago the farmer ploughed the field and I stated that I thought this might bring in some Lapwings. The next morning I was proven right as three fed down near the lake (62).
Mammal wise we saw some young foxes gambolling, a Muntjac crossed the field and a Hare was seen in the long grass the other side of the stream that brings the mammal total to 8.
 |
| Red Fox |
 |
| Muntjac Deer |
Then there were couple of amphibians. A Common Toad that was found in the flower bed...
 |
| Common Toad. |
... and a Smooth Newt that was found under a paving slab that I lifted.
 |
| This is my pet newt. I called her Tiny. Why? Because she was my newt!!! My newt... minute... geddit? LOL ROFL etc. Oh never mind. |
Last night we twitched the Pectoral Sandpiper at Manor Farm, finally seeing one of the good waders that have visited there, by the time we got there it was getting dark and the distance meant no usable photographs were possible,
As if that wasn't all exciting enough, the last couple of days a Great Egret has been staying on the lakes. But we could not see it from the cottage. Tonight, after a suggestion form local birder Rob Norris that it might be roosting at Linford (HESC) and therefore would fly past our cottage, we kept vigil.
A Little Egret got us going, as did a silhouette of a Grey Heron. Elis went downstairs to get some wine (seriously stressful this birding from the bedroom window) and when she did the bird appeared. It was low over the willows. I called to her turning my head away as I did so and when I returned my gaze I could no longer see the bird! A tantalising wait to see if it would appear from behind the willows became an agonising wait and still nothing.
 |
| Not the greatest shot of a Great Egret, but good enough, what a 'garden' tick. Not sure why it flew with its beak open most of the time. |
Then Elis spotted a heron/egret flying high. It was our bird, it must have flown almost directly upwards from where I saw it to get that high. We watched it fly over the motorway and then begin to drop down towards HESC as Rob had suggested. What a garden tick! (63).
I like living here!
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