SHORNECOTE REED BED

 Another beautiful afternoon in this exceptionally warm  winter sunshine  for  an afternoon visit to Shorncote reed bed in the Water parks today. The highlight of the afternoon was perhaps the great white egret which paid a brief visit but otherwise it was fairly quiet really. The usual ducks on the lakes; gadwall, mallard, teal, tufted and shoveler, and a few reed buntings along with blue tits and great tits. Also heron and little egret seen. On the way back to the car, I was surprised to see some yellow hammers in the trees. 

Another   first butterfly for the year was a small tortoiseshell which stopped to soak up the sun on the path. 

BIRDING IN THE FOREST

I've been looking for a chance to visit the Forest of Dean and today seemed ideal;, fine and mild and no school due to an  inset day!

I left home once the rush hour traffic had subsided and reached Parkend by 10am. There were a number of places I wanted to visit, all in close proximity and Parkend church was my first stop. I'd not been there before but there have been reports all winter of good sightings of crossbills which come to drink from the puddles in the turning/parking circle by the church gates. The church is reached by what seems like a forest track which opens out at the top. I parked and immediately noticed someone had put out some bird seed, which was being taken by great tits, blue tits, robins, nuthatches and chaffinches... but disappointingly no crossbills or hawfinches. So after a wait of half an hour, I left for my next stop, the RSPB reserve Nagshead.  

It was still cold enough to keep my coat on although the sun was shining and the sky was clear. Visits  to the two hides and a walk around part of the reserve, found me plenty of blue tits, great tits and coal tits, four or five jays, and my highlight of the morning.. a lesser spotted woodpecker!  Other people I spoke to were also searching for this small woodpecker, but had not heard or seen it. I decided to take a path leading off to the longer trail and shortly afterwards heard a intermittent tapping noise, after looking around I eventually found that it was coming from a tree close by,  and I could make out the small size and black and white barring of a lesser spotted woodpecker.Iit did not come into full view long enough  to take a record shot, but  I felt very smug, especially when others said they had not managed to find it!  I also  recorded my first Comma butterfly of the year here. 

After a return visit to Parkend church to eat my lunch ( still no crossbills!) I drove over to New Fancy View where there is a short steep climb from the carpark to a view point, where goshawks and other birds of prey can often be seen.  It was getting warm now, and after a wait, a shout 'goshawk!' went up and indeed a bird came into view flying at first into the distance then returning slightly closer as it flew past. I enjoyed viewing it through my binoculars as I knew I wouldn't be close enough for a photo.  Three buzzards were also circling around and 'mewing'. 

My final call was at Cannop ponds, where I was pretty well guaranteed to find mandarin ducks and indeed there were half a  dozen or so, the males looking fabulous in their colourful plumage. Someone had put out some food so they were initially out on the bank before returning to the water.

Parkend church

puddles for crossbills

nuthatch

view from hide at Nagshead RSPB

Nagshead woodland

comma

jay

Cannop ponds...

...and mandarins

View across Cannop ponds

SLIMBRIDGE WWT

I visited Slimbridge WWT centre again today, for possibly the last time while the Bewick swans remain there. The forecast was for a sunny day, once early fog had cleared but it was still foggy   12.15 pm when I left work. However, I decided to trust the forecast, and by 12.30 I was travelling under a clear blue sky!

Slimbridge was busy with birders, but I was able to enjoy the views from the various hides. The Bewick swans were all out feeding in the fields or on the estuary but started to return in time for the tea time feed at 4 pm.  I didn't see the water rail today, possibly mild enough for it to remain hidden. However, a number of avocets had returned to South Lake ready for the breeding season. I also had nice views of common snipe, but not the jack snipe today.  I stayed until nearly feeding to watch the influx of birds flying in for their tea. 

pair of pintails

Canada geese coming into land

avocet

shoveler

common snipe

dunlin

mostly lapwings

snipe

pintail

Canada geese returning for feed

pintails in flight

Bewick swan and tufted duck

flying swans

greylag

waiting for tea!

a rather ungainly looking greylag!

COTSWOLD SNOWDROPS

Usually this blog confines itself to records of birds  and butterflies but earlier this week I visited Cotswold Farm near Cirencester having seen an advertisement for its display of snowdrops. 

I have to say I wasn't exactly 'wowed' by the flowers, but I paid my £5 willingly as it was in aid of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. Nevertheless, everything was well signed, including warnings for slippery Cotswold slabs and pointers to refreshments and it was easy to find somewhere to park. There were many varieties of snowdrops - 83 in all, apparently - though I didn't count them and it was nice to see a good display of aconites, a few crocus flowers as well as snowdrops in the short 'woodland walk'.