30th January..... Finches Again.

Visited Liberty's field mid-morning once the over night snow had chance to melt & things to warm up now than the sun was out. This site regularly held mixed flocks of Finches several hundred strong a few years back, but nowadays when I visit all is quiet.
Gave Stewart a quick call, decided to revisit the HS2 site again, we weren't disappointed, the numbers were basically the same as before, weather being brighter this visit instead dull with a biting wind, it made for better photography, & after Lee had spotted 2 Corn Buntings on his visit we were pleased to double that score to 4, as the birds spent at least 10 minutes perched in a small Elm tree before dropping down into the grass. Also 60 Jackdaws & 2 Raven flew up the valley 'kronkin'
Having had a call about Waxwings in Berkhamsted,we tried for them in the afternoon without any joy.
Don.

Corn Buntings.

Linnets.

Skylarks.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

29th January..... Nuthach.

Nice to see the nuthatch and woodpecker sharing the sunflowers hearts this morning. A short walk in the afternoon came across a small flock of black headed and common gulls of various ages and stages of moult.
Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

22 Redwings feeding in the field behind the house at dusk, Tawny Owl very vocal at 5-00pm calling 'kewick' & the soft warbling (trill) call.
Don.

27th January..... Big Garden Birdwatch & Finches.

Every year over this weekend the RSPB organises the Big Garden Birdwatch.
This year for the first time Stewart & myself joined in with the following results:
8-15 - 9-15am.
Song Thrush, Chaffinch (4), Dunnock (2), Blackbird (3), Blue Tit (3), Goldfinch (3), Robin (2), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch (pair), Wood Pigeon (2), Great Tit (2), Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Red Kite (over), Magpie, Carrion Crow.
As if to signal time up the dog went & sat out in the middle of the lawn bang on 60 minutes.
Don.

First time I've seen a Bullfinch feeding on peanuts.












                                                      In the same time slot Stewart recorded the following:

Greenfinch, Goldfinch (7), Chaffinch (3), Bullfinch, Blackbird (4), Robin (3), Dunnock (3), Marsh Tit, Blue Tit (6), Coal Tit, Great Tit (3), Long Tailed Tit (4), Carrion Crow (3), Wood Pigeon (2), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Moorhen, Pheasant (3). 

Mid morning we both went & checked on the flock of Yellowhammers Stewart found on 23rd Jan. As we made our way through a nearby horse paddock, we put up a flock of c120 Starlings & 15 Meadow Pipits. On arriving at the uncut weedy cereal field were the HS2 tunnel is due to emerge I was struck by what seemed like miles of Amphibian fencing/traps, no expense spared here on the environmental works. In fact the Finch flock is only here due to the fact that HS2 own the land & it has been left to do it's own thing & it's acting as a magnet drawing in good numbers of feeding Finches with at least 80 Linnets, 100 Yellowhammers & 80 Skylarks present, along with 5 Roe Deer.
Don.

The following day Lee found 2 Corn Buntings in with the Finches, an extremely rare bird in this area nowadays, due to modern farming practices. Also plenty of Jackdaws as can be seen in Stewart's image, which he took on a return visit.

                                                                                                       
Linnets.                                                           

Jackdaws.

Images Copyright : Don Stone/Stewart Dennis.

26th January..... Broadwater Lake.

Stewart & Myself visited Broadwater Lake & the River Colne just over the county border in Middlesex. Proved an interesting couple of hours at this nature reserve where nature seems to have been left alone to do it's own thing, fallen trees have just been left where they fell, there are no man made paths, plenty of decaying timber & strangely as it's on the edge of London, in two hours we only met the warden. All is tranquill, but that will soon be shattered as HS2 will speed through this SSSI on a 3.4KM long viaduct. So best enjoy it while we can, like many other places in this green & pleasant land.

The first small lake near the entrance held 5 pairs of Shoveller, 23 Tufted Ducks & 4 Great Crested Grebes, a Grey Wagtail just kept a safe distance between us & itself as it worked it's way along the puddles in the track.

Had a chat with the warden, turns out that he appeared regularly along with countryman Fred J Taylor on television back in the day. A wintering Chiffchaff flitted through the lower branches down by the river, as c20 Siskins fed in the tops of the Allders. a couple of pairs of Teal were also on the river, which is where we later saw a Kingfisher on our return back to the car. Noisy Ring-necked Parakeets could be heard, but rarely seen.



The large Lake had Cetti's Warblers calling from two seperate reed beds, 98 Tufted Ducks, 8 Wigeon, 11 Pochard, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Gadwall, Water Rail feeding on the shoreline of one of the islands, Egyptian Goose & 2 Little Egrets. 32 different species seen.
Don.

Images Copyright : Don Stone.

24th January..... Yellowhammers.

Pheasant numbers up to 14 hens today all scratching around in the snow, even walking down the garden path. Nice to see but hope they return to the fields soon and leave the garden alone. A walk in afternoon heard a buzzard continually calling high in a tree not far from a tree buzzards have nested in for many years. Must be puzzled by all the HS2 works going on underneath it. Later 42 and possibly more yellowhammers and maybe 50 meadow pipits busy feeding in an field of oats that was not harvested and now flattened by the snow. Friday morning only 1 hen pheasant and a cock bird which was displaying to the hen, continually circling the hen and showing off all his colours.

Stewart.

Image copyright : Stewart Dennis.

23rd January..... Day after the Snow Fall.

The snow on Tuesday afternoon brought a few more birds into the garden during Wednesday morning, mainly hen pheasants, 9 at one time and a cock bird. A nuthatch appeared also, first I’ve noticed in the garden this year. Good to see all the regular birds busy at the feeders.

A quiet walk in the afternoon and only really came across some very friendly sheep and a hare which I accidently flushed in the woods, it left at full speed and as low as possible with its long ears held flat along its back.

Counted 42 yellowhammers in one small tree in the hedgerow, but more around and meadow pipits also on the ground. When I went back later the yellowhammers were all gone and at around 4.30 50/60 meadow pipits flew off to roost. Will go back for another look tomorrow.

Stewart.

Images Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Everyone moans when it snows, journeys which usually take fifteen minutes end up taking two hours, schools are closed, trains cancelled etc etc, but you have to admit there's something special about the white stuff cloaking the landscape, giving it a calm beauty, a stillness, cleanness, covering up all the rubbish & detritus littering the roadside verges.
On a clear day the light is even, reflecting back into shadow areas, perfect for getting out with the camera.
Don.

 

Images Copyright : Don Stone.

22nd January..... Jack Snipe; Delight.

Another nice crisp, clear day; found a small flock of winter Thrushes feeding on the far side of the field behind the house, a tight bunch of 17 Starlings which seem to be constantly on the move, flying a few yards to new feeding spots every few moments, where as the 4 Fieldfares & 3 Redwings were happy to slowly walk, very rarely taking flight by comparison & the 2 Mistle Thrushes spent much of the time just standing around.

It seemed such a nice day that I decided to make a quick visit to College Lake to see if the Jack Snipe was about, having never seen one before. As I sat in Graham's Hide Stewart turned up, as a chorus of whistling Wigeon & calling Lapwings filled the air we spotted good numbers of the former, plus Teal, Shoveller, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Heron, Snipe & another birder spotted a Song Thrush out on one of the islands.

Moving on to the Octagon hide a raft of 21 Pochard were on the big lake, with 6 more Snipe on the islands, bringing the total to 11. Eventually found the Jack Snipe blending in perfectly with the stones on the small island, if it didn't move it was practically invisible.

One subject, two photographers. Jack Snipe on the left, Snipe on the right.

Jack Snipe in the fore ground in front of the Lapwing along with a pair of Wigeon.

The head on the Jack Snipe looks like a piece of art work, with the pale lines extending down onto the bill, amazing.

As the sky clouded over it was noticeable that the Wigeon & Lapwings turned off the back ground chorus, & with the weather prophet predicting snow it was time to leave, arriving home just as the snow set in.

Don.

All images copyright : Don Stone/Stewart Dennis.