OTMOOR/FARMOOR

The final day of the school holidays and warm sunshine, so I headed out to Oxfordshire this morning.

My first stop was to RSPB Otmooor where on the advice of  Jon Mercer, I took a path through a field next the the rifle range to look for redstarts. A length of red brick wall, stands in the open just before groups of bushes, and makes a good place to view from.  In about an hour, I managed four sightings of a  redstart ( probably the same one) as well as other warblers so I was happy with that, although disappointed that I could not capture any  on camera due to the time it took me to locate the bird in the viewfinder once I had laid down the binoculars, as it had usually moved off by then!! 

the wall which provided a good viewing screen

I returned home via Farmoor reservoir where there is a group of shags which have stopped off there. Someone kindly pointed out an individual quite close to the sailing club, which I could photograph; then I walked the 2.4 miles circuit of F2, seeing little grebes, great crested grebes, numerous coots, pied wagtails, egyptian geese, canada geese, greylag geese, cormorant,more shags, little egret, mallards, tufted duck, black headed gulls.  The ruddy duck which has been seen regularly wasn't there, but may have moved to F! although I could not find it in my binoculars. 

a peaceful scene at Farmoor reservoir

egyptian duck

shag

COATE WATER

I've not visited Coate water bird hides for a while now, so I paid a visit over lunchtime today. 
The first hide was empty of people, so I enjoyed watching the birds on and around the feeders. These included nuthatch, great tits, long tailed tits, blue tits, robin, wren, tree creeper, chaffinch, dunnock, There was also a visiting rat.

long tailed tit

blue tit

great tit

nuthatch

wren

tree creeper

I then went on to see what was about at hide 2; in contrast this was full of people all anxious to take shots of kingfishers which had been seen recently. Although they had all been waiting hours, I think only one had been seen, and although I sat in the hide for a short time, nothing else of particular interest was about.

LANDROVER SAFARI

It turned out to be a beautiful summer's day for my second trip to Slimbridge this week. This time I was able to book a place onto the morning's Landrover trip into the reserve. 

I spent the first hour around the hides at Rushy Pen and along the Holden Walkway. The wood sandpiper wasn't around, but there were several green sandpipers,little ringed plover, a redshank, lapwing, grey and pied wagtail  as well as blacktailed godwit, and a few species of ducks and geese. 

green sandpiper

grey wagtail

lapwing

little ringed plover

redshank

At 11.30 we went out in the trailer behind the land rover. Although about 16 people can attend, there were only eight of us; a family of five, two ladies and myself. We had a driver as well as a guide on the trailer to keep us informed.  We drove through a couple of fields which are kept as grass on which wintering geese feed, and then up on to the sea wall ( a grassy bank).  Looking over the top we could see that it was high tide, thus our chances of seeing a variety of waders was reduced. However we picked out herons and little egret, shelduck, a group of over 100 curlew, several kestrels and a hobby and a roe deer with two calves. 

large group of curlew

high tide on the estuary

looking back from the trailer

We then drove through the reed beds and stopped, overlooking a lagoon, which   gave us sightings of little grebe, parent and young common tern, and cormorants. Throughout the trip our guides  had kindly lent binoculars to those without and set up a telescope for any one that wanted closer views when we stopped.  A bit further on we all got off and set about looking under some pieces of corrugated iron which were placed at intervals along the route. We found four grass snakes in total, which quickly slithered away before we had a chance to take any photos!  Apparently water shrews have been sometimes seen underneath them too but not today!

common tern and juv (below duck)

going to look for snakes!

We learnt about the origins of the Slimbridge WWT and also some ambitious plans for the next three years. 

Although not a great number of wildlife species seen today, it was nevertheless an enjoyable hour and a half, and costing only a fiver, is one I would  repeat.

WOOD SANDPIPER

I had an enjoyable visit to Slimbridge today.  I had delayed my visit until now in order to make the best of a summer land-rover safari, but  also hoping that the wood sandpiper seen over recent days from the Robbie Garnett hide would still be around. 

However, on making enquiries on arrival, I found that the land-rovers wouldn't be operating today on the reserve due to it being too wet! 

Nevertheless I decided to wander around the reserve as usual, visiting all the different hides. Only common and green sandpipers were initially seen from the Robbie Garnett hide. I was about to photograph one of the green sandpipers when there was a bit of a commotion which turned out to be a sparrow hawk, which appeared from nowhere and grabbed it!  However I was assured that the wood sandpiper was still around and relieved that the sparrow hawk hadn't chose it for its prey instead!

I left the hide and returned a bit later on, and was delighted to see the wood sandpiper had made its appearance and gave me a chance for some photos. 

wood sandpiper

wood sandpiper

wood sandpiper

green sandpiper

green sandpiper

Other birds seen today included:

snipe, heron, coot, moorhen, mallard, teal, gadwall, wigeon, pied wagtail, little ringed plover, blackheaded gull, herring gull, cormorant, mute swan, greylag goose, canada goose, barnacle goose, sparrow hawk,   crow,  jackdaw, blackcap, chiffchaff, white throat, goldfinch, woodpigeon, redshank, lapwing, black tailed godwit, crane,

blacktailed godwit

heron

snipe

snipe

snipe

FINAL BUTTERFLY SPECIES OF 2017?

Probably the last opportunity to add a species to my butterfly year list was to find a Grayling.  I checked the butterfly conservation sightings list for the Upper Thames branch and noticed that good numbers had been seen in a conifer plantation on the Berks/Hampshire border, at a place called Mortimer... a few minutes car ride from my daughter's house.  After spending some time looking at Google maps and examining satellite pictures I managed to work out where to enter the plantation and which path to take to a gravel/grassy area next to a restore quarry pit where the highest numbers had been seen.  

It so happened that I was heading that way today so I stopped off by the entrance bariier at the side of the road and amazingly, after a short walk, managed to find the spot I was looking for, and sure enough there were graylings there. I knew they were graylings as as soon as they landed they seemed to disappear from view... their camouflage is so effective! 

grayling

grayling

the path through the plantation

the restored gravel pit

the area of gravel and sparse grass where graylings were found

So that makes species number 46, I doubt I can increase that unless I come across a clouded yellow...

ANOTHER VISIT TO THE CANAL

I was passing Junction 16 of the M4 so decided to stop off and revisit the canal at Royal Wootton Bassett to check out the water voles again as it seems that you are almost sure of seeing them each visit. 

There was a canal clearance working party around so I thought perhaps they would be disturbed today, but apparently they carry on their lives oblivious to what it going on, so  I headed for the area I saw them last week.  After waiting around and seeing nothing, I walked on  under the bridge for a while, and then turning back I suddenly noticed this little brown head sticking out of the water... it looked like a juvenile vole...

 but it sat happily munching leaves for at least five minutes as I watched from the opposite side of the bank, before swimming back under the reeds at  the edge. Nice to have the opportunity for some different photos though, as it seems most people seem to only get them whilst swimming. 

BROWN HAIRSTREAKS AT OTMOOR

My purpose in visiting Otmoor reserve was to claim the 45th species of the year for me, hopefully a brown hairstreak. Two years ago I had some great views of them low down on thistles, but last year  I only saw one flying high up around the ash trees.

On arrival the car park was busy, but I managed to get a place just as someone was leaving. Turning left out of the car park I started to walk down the old Roman road, which is where the hairstreaks are usually found, and soon noticed a cluster of people with binoculars and cameras. It wasn't hard to guess that they were on the same mission as I was!  On questioning them I learned that a few had been seen high up but none had come low enough for a decent photograph. So I had to be content with craning my neck to see them. In total we found about five or six, I managed to get a record shot but that was all. 

After taking a short walk around part of the reserve, I returned to find that someone had just managed some good shots of a brown hairstreak that had landed down on some nettles but had then flown off. I saw a few more brown hairstreaks and some purple hairstreaks too, but decided to call it a day. Still, the forty fifth species was achieved! 

brimstone 

a hard to spot brown hairstreak high up in an ash tree

common blue

WATER VOLES ALONG THE CANAL

I've never visited the restored section of the Wilts and Berks canal at Royal Wootton Bassett so with reports of water voles being regularly seen, I thought it was time I did! 

Not knowing where to even locate the canal, I googled it and found that there was an easily accessible car park not far from the town centre. I also printed out a leaflet with map and details of a walk along it. 

From the car park I followed the track leading to the slipway  and then proceeded along the towpath.

In the sunshine, it was a peaceful sight with the canal having  groups of  water  plants  with mallards and moorhens swimming casually around.

mallards

moorhen and chick

moorhen chick walking among water lilies

 I met someone with a camera and enquired if they had seen any water voles; they hadn't but had heard some 'plops' as they went into the water. However, she did tell me the likeliest places where they might be seen which wasn't that far along the towpath from where I was, next to a bridge where there was a seat.

Reaching the bridge I sat and waited for a while, and then noticed something on the other side of the bank, which seemed   like something climbing out onto the bank, but then it disappeared. Maybe it my first sighting of a water vole!

Nothing more was seen so I continued as far  along the tow path as I could before the  canal is filled in,  then retraced my steps,

Seeing someone else with a camera I asked them about water voles and she told me one was frequently appearing near a mud bank on the opposite side to an area of concrete on the path.  I found the concrete area and stood and waited, and sure enough after a few minutes a water vole appeared down the mud bank and swam right across to an area of weeds right next to me! It then disappeared. 

Another couple came along and stood watching and spotted a vole (the same one?) a few yards further away on the far bank and it started going to and fro collecting water lily type leaves and then taking them back up the bank. We must have seen it do this about half a dozen times, Each time, however ,it only ventured a couple of feet from the far bank before turning and going back. 

Time was getting on, but I must make a return trip some time in the hope of getting some better photos.