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Brian

It was another glorious afternoon so we drove to the RSPB reserve at Garston Wood on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, and had a long walk in the woods and fields each side of the county boundary. There was a fantastic display of Bluebells, with the added bonus of Primroses, Stitchwort, Wood Anemones, and the first Ramsons, Yellow Archangel and Early Purple Orchids.

We didn’t see or hear many birds, but there was some good stuff among them, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Greater-spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Jay, two Ravens, Yellowhammer, a Wheatear and although we heard a Tree Pipit singing in a tree above us, we couldn’t see it.

Butchers Broom

Early Purple Orchid

Bluebell Wood

Yellow Archangel

White Dead Nettle

Ramsons

On a really hot afternoon we walked on some North Hampshire downland in the hope of seeing some butterflies. We weren’t disappointed, as we saw good numbers of Brimstones and Peacocks, and half a dozen or so of Orange Tips and Grizzled Skippers.

There were some birds as well, Yellowhammer, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Kestrel, Lapwing, and a Wheatear, but best of all was two groups of Pasque Flower, OK we knew they was there, but they were still good to see.

North Hampshire Downland

Pasque Flower

Grizzled Skipper

With the promise of a fine evening, after work we drove to Lymington. From the Bath Road Car Park we walked the sea wall as far as Eight Acre Pond, returning along the lanes. Unfortunately the weather didn’t live up to its promise, and it was misty and quite gloomy.

There are still some winter visitors around, Brent Geese, Red-breasted Mergansers, Teal and Pintails; other waders included Black-tailed Godwit most of them in their red plumage, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone, some coming in to summer plumage, Greenshank, and Ringed Plover. We couldn’t decide if two of the Godwits were having a dust up or an amorous interlude.

Two summer plumaged Mediterranean Gulls flew over, and there was a Little Tern on a shingle island, and returning along the lanes Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were singing.

Black-tailed Godwits

Dandelion Clock

Alongside The Wood

Cows

Wild Arum

Oilseed Rape

Blue Sky, Yellow Field

Not wanting to mix it with the Bank Holiday traffic, on Easter Sunday afternoon we had a long walk from home up over the fields, and the following day we had a walk in the Chase Woods on the Wiltshire/Dorset border. The weather was glorious, and the spring flowers were looking very good. The Celandines and Primroses are still going strong, the Wood Anemones are putting on a good show, and the Bluebells and Cowslips are just starting. Up in The Wood we found what we think is a False Oxlip, a cross between a Primrose and a Cowslip rather than a true Oxlip.

The butterflies were out in force as well; Peacocks, Commas, Small Tortoiseshells, Speckled Woods and Holly Blues.

Bluebell

Primrose

Wood Anemone

Wood Violet

Speckled Wood

Comma

False Oxlip

Cowslip

The glorious weather over the Bank Holiday weekend meant that we spent a lot of time in the garden. The birds are still taking lots of sunflower hearts from the feeders, and there are still good numbers of Greenfinches, Chaffinches and House Sparrows around. The two pairs of Great Tits can’t make their mind up which of the nest boxes to use, but the Robins must be nesting close by.

A mouse, we think it’s a House Mouse was picking up morsels from under the fat ball feeder, two Frogs are in our small pond, and we got off to a very modest start with the moth trap. The fruit trees are now in full blossom, we’re crossing our fingers that the frost keeps away.

House Mouse

Plum Blossom

Hebrew Character

Angle Shades

Early Grey

Frog

After a weekend of not very good weather - it was very windy – not many birds and some pretty lousy photographs; we had today off and went to the Shapwick Nature Reserve on the Somerset levels. It was a gloriously sunny and warm day, but still breezy.

We were never out of earshot of singing Cettis Warblers and Chiffchaffs, and Sand Martins were over the lakes and a single Swallow flew through. Water Rails squealed from the reeds, a flock of Fieldfare flew over and a Merlin dashed over Noahs Lake.

Water birds included Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Teal, Pochard, Little and Great-crested Grebes, and Goldeneye.

There were good numbers of Brimstone, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and two Orange Tips. Basking in the sun alongside the main track was an Adder.

View over one of the lakes

Basking Adder

One eye on the camera

Small Tortoiseshell

Brimstone

Peacock

This weekend was spent in and around the New Forest; the weather was generally grey and cold with a brisk northerly wind. The only photographs were obtained using a ridiculously high ISO setting and the results were a tad grainy.

We had Friday afternoon off and went to Keyhaven, where from the car park opposite the Gun Inn we walked the inland path as far as Pennington, returning along the sea wall. Firstly we had a look over the Avon floods where we failed to see the Garganey which had been reported there. There were good numbers of Brent Geese, Wigeon, Teal, and Pintail; other birds there included Little Egret, Lapwing, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits.

Among other birds we saw on the walk were Cettis Warbler, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Tufted Duck, Eider, a Slavonian Grebe off Oxey, Snipe, Grey Plover and Dunlin. Nearly home, thirty or so Golden Plover wheeled over the fields at Collingwood Corner.

In an attempt to escape the wind, on Saturday afternoon we walked in Highland Water and Puckpits Inclosures in the New Forest. It was quiet bird wise, but we did see or hear Siskins, Goldcrest, Blue, Great, Coal, Marsh and Long-tailed Tits, our first Bramblings of the year, Green Woodpecker and Stock Dove. On the way home we added Mandarins on Eyeworth Pond, and Corn Buntings on wires along the Salisbury Road at South Down. Somewhere today we had excellent views of a Firecrest, although the photo wasn't up to much.

On Sunday afternoon we went to Blashford Lakes once again, where we walked a circuit of Ivy Lake. Yesterday’s Garganey had gone, but among the birds of the walk were Greater-spotted and Green Woodpeckers, four or five singing Chiffchaffs, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Jay, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal, Great-crested Grebe, Pochard, and on the woodland feeders, Siskins and Goldfinches.

Crow

Firecrest

Goldfinch

Red-breasted Merganser

Siskins and Goldfinch

Siskins

As a present for a ‘Milestone’ birthday, our elder daughter took Ann for a long weekend in New York. They managed a couple of hours birding in the snow in Central Park, and among the birds they saw were Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Robins, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Sparrow, another Sparrow species which they’re still trying to identify, Starling, and a Pintail among the Mallards.

On a boat trip around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island they saw Greater Black-backed, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls and Brants.

Brants

Northern Cardinal

Ring Billed Gull

American Robins

It was another glorious day, so we were out and about in the New Forest again this morning. This time we parked at Milkham Inclosure and walked through Milkham and Roe Inclosures, out across Bratley Plain to the top of Slufters Inclosure, returning left handed to Milkham.

The woods were full of bird song, nothing rare mainly Chaffinches and Wrens, but we also heard or saw Goldcrest, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, Green Woodpecker, and Treecreeper. On the open heath we added Stonechats, Lapwings, Meadow Pipits and Dartford Warblers. We also saw a Peacock butterfly.

After lunch, on the way home, we called in at Blashford Lakes, where Chiffchaffs were singing, Greater-spotted and Green Woodpeckers were calling, a Grey Heron flew over, and on Ivy Lake there were Tufted Ducks, Gadwall, Canada Geese and Great-crested Grebes. A Kingfisher flew through the trees above Dockens Water, and in Ivy Lane a Red Campion was in flower.

A quick look over Ibsley Water added a Peregrine on a gravel spit, Goldeneye, Little Grebe, and Wigeon plus other distant species, but we were telescope-less today. On the drive home we added Jay, Little Egret, red-legged Partridge and Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls.

Dartford Warbler

Fallow Deer

Grey Heron

Red Campion

After lunch we drove to the New Forest and parked at the Bolderwood car park and walked a clockwise circuit through Bolderwood Grounds, Mark Ash Wood and North Oakley Inclosure.

The highlights of the walk were four singing Firecrests, one of which showed really well, and a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker. Unfortunately neither offered a photo opportunity. Other birds of the walk included Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Siskins, Treecreeper, Marsh, Coal and Long-tailed Tits, and Green Woodpecker. We also saw three Red Admiral butterflies.

Later in the afternoon we drove on down to Calshot, where on a high tide we saw Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Curlew, Wigeon and Brent Geese which were feeding close to the shore.

There are still Holly berries in the Forest

Red Admiral

Black-headed Gull

Pied Wagtail

A Song Thrush has been singing at first light every day, with a Robin joining in a little later. The House Sparrow flock which has been constant at about 30 all winter has become very vocal, and Greenfinch numbers which was decimated by the infection late last year has built up to a much more healthy 15 or so. Up to 10 Chaffinches, mostly males feed on seed falling from the feeders in the Plum tree. Smaller numbers of Great and Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Goldfinches, Wren, Collared Doves and Wood Pigeons also visit.

Two, maybe three female Blackcaps have taken up residence, but pride of place must go to the cock Pheasant which arrived in the garden as soon as the shooting season started and commutes between our garden and the back field.

Greenfinch & Goldfinch

Great Tit

The Pheasant

The Pheasant

It was a lovely morning, so we headed for a regular birding haunt of ours, the Blashford Lakes Reserve.

We started by looking over Ibsley Water where the water level was high after recent rain. There were still good numbers of duck, such as Pochard, Tufted and Ruddy Duck, Shoveler, Wigeon, Pintail, Goldeneye, Teal, Gadwall, and of course Mallard. Other birds included Great-crested and Little Grebes, Greylag and Canada Geese, and an Oystercatcher.

We then walked a circuit of the reserve “proper” around Ivy Lake. There were many signs of spring; drifts of wild daffodils, Hazel and Alder catkins, Primroses and Celandines, but above all birdsong. We were greeted by a singing Chiffchaff near the car park, two Mistle Thrushes picked over the grass, a Green Woodpecker yaffled and a Greater-spotted Woodpecker flew over. Other woodland birds were represented by Nuthatch, Siskin, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit, Jay, and Bullfinch, and a large and vocal Redwing flock was a reminder of winter.

Goldfinches and Siskins fed on nyger seed at the feeding station near the reserve centre, where a Goldcrest flitted around our heads.

Blackthorn

Hazel Catkins

Wild Daffodils

Goldcrest

Goldfinch & Siskin

The weather forecast for once was spot on today, a frost early, then sunny, clouding over in the morning, with rain from lunch time. So with this in mind we went to Weymouth and postponed the shopping until lunch time.

We walked around RSPB Radipole Lake, where the feature of the morning was the number of singing Cettis Warblers, as usual they were elusive, but one eventually gave us good but very brief views. Water Rails were squealing from the reed beds and two Reed Buntings showed well, singing from the tops of small trees. Long-tailed Tits busied themselves through the Hawthorns and overhead a circling Sparrowhawk gained the attention of three concerned Greenfinches.

Water birds included Little and Great-crested Grebes, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted and Ruddy Ducks, Shoveler Wigeon and Pochard, and the Gulls were represented by Black-headed, Lesser and Greater Black-backed, Herring, and Common. Luckily we were back in the car when right on cue the rain started.

Lesser Celandine

Dunnock

Lichen

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Mallard

Mute Swans

Dog Violet