Today's visit wasn't to see any new species for the year, (although I did add swift) but to see the new life emerging at Slimbridge as resident waterbirds show off their broods. Goslings of all sizes were all around the reserve, plus cygnets and ducklings and young coots and moorhens. An extra bonus was a couple of bittern flights though both times it caught me by surprise and flew away from me so I was unable to record on my camera. A few of the cutest are below.
I had slight misgivings as to whether to venture over to Pewsey Downs NR this morning. Although sunny at first, temperatures weren't particularly high, and although predicted to rise later this afternoon, cloud was expected.
However, with a few days of overcast or damp weather forecast over the next few days, I felt it was worth a try; one enthusiast had noted good numbers of butterflies at this site a few days ago and I was keen to tick off Marsh Fritillary.
I arrived quite early for butterflies, at 9.45.am, the morning cloud was only just clearing and it was still rather cool but, reaching a sheltered area to the east of the hill, I did spot a common blue and dingy skipper almost straight away. The common blue vanished out of sight and I never saw it again though! As the morning progressed it became slightly warmer and sunnier for a while before clouding over again. Nearly all the butterflies I saw were in this sheltered spot, though in small numbers, but included green hairstreak, grizzled and dingy skippers, small heath, wall, small copper, and marsh fritillaries.
Today's trip didn't deliver the redstarts and spotted flycatchers I'd hoped for but instead I was treated to some good views of a pied flycatcher singing and exploring a nest box. I'd been down to the Lower Hide and spent some there, but saw none of target birds, surprisingly , as I have often be quite successful there. I heard a redstart briefly but was able to locate it, though some other observers did spot it from outside the hide apparently. The pied flycatcher was a short way along the woodland trail, singing in the trees close to the nest box.
At Cannop Stone works a pair of grey wagtails were busy collecting food for their young, evidently in a nest within a small stone building by the weir.
With fine weather this week, I've been trying to catch up on some of the early Spring Butterflies. Having heard Pearl Bordered fritillaries were already flying, I headed over to Siccaridge wood where they can be seen fluttering about either side of the path, strewn with bluebells, lily of the valley and bugle flowers. With only space for one car in the gateway, I usually have to park in a layby at the bottom of a fairly steep hill and walk up to the woodland entrance. The layby was almost full but I decided to check out the gateway just in case - I could always return to the bottom and park. However, the gateway was free so I parked and started to walk down through the woodland. It wasn't that long before I saw my first pearl bordered butterfly of the afternoon, a small orange butterfly flying over the carpet of blue. I saw probably a dozen or more of these pretty little butterflies although few stopped for long in the sunshine.
I don't think anyone could call a nightingale beautiful, in fact one can easily dismiss it as a LBJ (Little Brown Job) as birders would say. However the male's song is incredibly loud and varied, and much admired for its trills, bubbles and whistles.
Last year I discovered that West Berkshire was quite a hot spot for these birds as they set up breeding territories on their migratory return from Africa. So this morning, I left early enough to reach Hosehill Lake by 6.45.am allowing me a couple of hours to (hopefully) both see and hear a nightingale before I was needed for babysitting at my daughter's house only a few miles away.
I'd done enough research to know a favoured spot and sure enough my Merlin app picked up a nightingale singing straightaway but I but couldn't see it until it flew out of a nearby tree to some brambles across the path and disappeared. Whilst waiting for it to hopefully reappear, someone came past and in conversation told me that this particular bird often sang in a particular tree nearby which he pointed out, also that there were probably another four nightingales singing around the lake. I decided to continue my walk but reaching halfway point without hearing any further singing, decided that perhaps I would just return to my first spot and wait.
The nightingale was singing again, from the same area as I'd first heard it but stopped and I had to wait another ten minutes for it to restart and then I just managed to spot it on the other side of a tree facing away from me, and partially hidden. I knew if I attempted to move closer to get a clearer view if would disappear again so I just waited, I could see its body pulsating as it poured out its song but then it stopped and flew across to the area of brambles but just below its favourite tree. Would it come out and sing from that tree as I had been told, I wondered?
There was only one way to find out.....
Whilst waiting I sat on a bench overlooking the lake where geese and ducks were going about their usual business, from time time turning to watch a blackcaps, long tailed tits and blue tits now pairing up ready to raise a family. All the while, I listened out for the nightingale to start singing again. Twenty minutes passed, and then into the tree it flew, and as I raised my camera the singing started. In perfect view the nightingale sang its heart out, its flutey song interspersed with repeated phrases including 'chook, chook chook' and 'pioo, pioo'.
I sat alone with my camera poised, enjoying the song of this normally secretive little bird until it had had its fill and flew off into the bushes behind.
Fantastic! I said aloud, and left.
An enjoyable morning at Otmoor in the sunshine today gave me several new year ticks. The air was full of song, although many birds remained hidden. It was nice to see a whimbrel, pointed out to me by another birder as I've not seen one for several years. I was also delighted to find a small tortoiseshell butterfly, somewhat of a rarity these days.
Today's visit wasn't to see any new species for the year, (although I did add swift) but to see the new life emerging at Slimbridge...
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