EASTER SATURDAY IN THE FOREST OF DEAN

Easter Saturday was a free day for me so I headed east into the Forest of Dean to take advantage of the better weather there. I left at  730 am and duly arrived just after 830 in the Speech House Woodland carpark where there were already a few cars parked. I followed the signs for Woorgreens Nature Reserve as I knew that would take me out on to the heathland where I was going to look for the great grey shrike which is still being recorded there. It was dry but quite chilly as I walked and few people were about as I scanned the area for the bird with no success. I did see my first stonechat of the year though. 

stonechat (m)

path to Crabtree hill looking for Great grey shrike

I stopped to speak to a couple who were approaching me on the path, and as we were discussing the shrike, we suddenly saw a grey and white shape fly across from our right and land in a willow. Using binoculars we were able to confirm the bird was in fact the great grey shrike, but it was much too distant for any photos. I headed  down to the path below. where I would get closer, but though I could hear it calling, it was obscured from view and I didn't want to go past the tree in case I disturbed it.  However, it subsequently flew from the tree across the heathland where I couldn't see it any longer. Although disappointed at not getting any photos, I was pleased that I had managed to see the bird again this year. 

After returning to my car I then travelled the short distance to RSPB Nagshead reserve. The visitor centre and hides were closed but nevertheless the trails were open. As it was still only 1030 am  I decided to do the longer trail which would take an hour and then have my picnic lunch in the car before heading down to the Lower Hide. Although a pleasant walk, through woodland and heathland, the only new birds I saw on the long trail were a couple of stock doves.  On my return I decided to call into the Campbell Hide area; although the hide itself was not open, it was possible to have the same view by standing next to it and on my arrival I found a small herd of roe deer in good view.  No other birds of note apart from a quick fly past from a grey wagtail which made up for yesterday's lack of sighting!. 

roe deer

stock dove

However, the Lower hIde proved more productive with some good though distant views of a pied flycatcher ( my first for over 40 years!). It  was flitting between a holly bush and a small island on the pond. Again very distant but nevertheless easy to spot with its striking black and white plumage. On the pond there was also a pair of mandarin ducks. 

the hide is on the right of the picture, so it was possible to get similar views by standing right next to it

the flycatcher was flitting between the holly bush on the left and the bushes on the island to the right

pair of mandarin ducks on the pond

pied flycatcher

A SUNNY AFTERNOON BY THE RIVER FROME

 

With cold weather forecast on Monday, I decided to make the most of a sunny afternoon to take a gentle stroll by the  River Frome, five minutes away from Stroud town centre. It's a place I visit once a year as there is a very good chance of seeing a dipper or two along the stretch of river which forms the Frome banks nature reserve. Occasionally a grey wagtail is present and there are also reports of kingfishers although I've never seen one there myself. 

After parking in the pay and display car park, I crossed over the road and took the path to the canal towpath  which I followed for a short distance until it met the footpath which followed the river bank.

Sheltered between two steep banks and with the sun shining through the leaves and branches above me, the afternoon felt very pleasant. It was a peaceful walk alongside the fast flowing stream; only a few other walkers and a couple of people who were picnicking on the table provided half way along. 

I walked the relatively short length of the reserve without seeing any water birds, but I did have a good view of a couple of jays. However, returning along the same path, something caught my eye at the edge of the bank across the other side of the water.  It was somewhat of a surprise to find it was a male mandarin duck lurking in the shadows! I watched it for a while, wondering what it was doing there and  thinking at least there was something to record following my visit as this would be a first for the year. Suddenly there was a bit of splashing a few metres away and out into the open sailed a female mandarin!! The colourful drake  swam quickly towards her and they began to mate. |Afterwards I enjoyed watching them as they swam to and fro  and fed under the overhanging banks and vegetation.

I continued  to make my way slowly back to where I had begun my riverside walk, looking out for movements of a dipper as I went.  Nearing the start and about to give up,  I  suddenly noticed a patch of white against some rocks and a closer inspection revealed a motionless shape of a dipper.  If appeared to be asleep, standing on one leg,  and every so often it would blink its eyes.  Pleased to have found  a dipper after all, I decided to wait until it roused, which it did eventually, and after a bit of preening and some bobbing up and down it flew upstream. I walked back to the area where I thought it had stopped but  it had disappeared from view. Although I looked both up and downstream, I still couldn't see it so decided to finish my visit there as I was close to the start  of the path anyway. 

        I crossed the bridge before descending down to the towpath beside the cana

jay

mandarin (m)

mandarin pair

footpath alongside the River Frome

Spot the dipper!

sleeping dipper

A DAPPER DUCK

 

After a couple of fine, warm days, this morning started rather cloudy and a good bit cooler than recently. It was the first day of my Easter break so I decided to have a day out before the Bank Holiday weekend started and more people were about. I chose to go to some birding places I'd not visited before but first I stopped off at another site to locate a rare duck. 

Before Christmas I had two failed attempts at finding a pair of ring necked ducks at Radley lakes near Abingdon. They were initially very mobile and sometimes hard to find, but more recently they have settled on a small water filled  pit, a couple of hundred yards down a gravel path away from the main Thrupp lake.  I therefore knew exactly where I was making for when I arrived and today they were easy to spot amongst the few tufted ducks.  They are similar  to tufted ducks but with slight variation in colouring and a distinct bill pattern. In fact the male appears a very smart duck indeed. Although I was quickly able to spot the male duck, it decided to go to sleep before I had a chance to get my camera out and remained so for a little while. A noisy jay flew across the lake and the duck stirred but not for long enough to get  a photo. I knew I would have to wait a bit longer. Eventually, a bit of commotion amongst some coots set all the ducks in a bit of a panic so I was able to get a couple of photos while it looked up and swam around. 

lake where the ring necked ducks were

My next stop was at Aston Tirrold where I planned to park  before taking a walk to Lollingdon Hill, a popular birdwatching area. The hill itself, is not particularly high and is privately owned but there is access to a path which circles the hill. 

From reading a blog ahead of my visit, I learned that opposite the Recreation ground where the walk starts, lives a certain British tennis star, Tim Henman. His house was easy to view form the  track and I could make out a grass tennis court through the hedge!  I followed the bridlepath alongside some fields for a mile or so, noticing the blackthorn beginning to blossom along the path. Chiffchaffs could be heard, and I think I also heard the song of a blackcap though couldn't locate it. 

I eventually came across what seemed to be a path to the hill and asked some approaching walkers if that was the right place. On finding it was the right track, I followed them up an incline to the south side of the hill which had some extensive views. Here they turned off, but told me that the path would  take me round the circumference  of the hill and back to where I met them. As I turned away from them I spotted my first wheatear of the year at the edge of the field. I just had time for a quick photo before it flew off  further into the field where it was hard to spot. The sun had come out at this point, and I decided to stop for my lunch which I'd brought with me. It had become warmer too and it was a pleasant walk around the rest of the hill, though I didn't see any more birds of note.

Tim Henman's house

Start of walk, with Tim Henman's house on the left behind the wall

approach to the hill

Wheatear (f)

My last visit of the day was to Cholsey Marsh, ten minutes away, which is a Wildlife Trust owned nature reserve alongside the river Thames. You can park right up close to the edge of the river, provided there is room, and today there were only a couple of cars. Judging by a sign on the gate, it had been rather busier during lockdown.  It certainly would be a lovely spot for a walk on a summer's day. I wanted to find where this reserve was, as there is a particular dragonfly I'd like to look for in May which is found here.  I didn't walk that far along the Thames today but  I did spot a kingfisher and also a Red Kite which was calling from its perch in a tree. 

Alongside the River Thames

A COUPLE OF GARDEN VISITORS

 

During the past couple of weeks there have been some less common visitors to my garden feeding station. 

A great spotted woodpecker was a pleasing sight, although seen from time to time, these are not exactly regular so it is always nice to see them. This particular individual spent some time feeding from the sunflower hearts before trying out the suet block feeder. 

A week later  a glance out of the window gave me a surprise when I noticed a smart male pheasant pecking about under the feeders. It made a couple of tours of the garden amongst the spring daffodils before returning to the feeders and the flying up onto the roof of the neighbour's shed and then down into their garden - I hope they enjoyed watching it as much as I did!