Oh2Bbirdwatching

Birdwatching my way back to full health

[boomingbittern52]

Otmoor - June

We were pleased to see on the RSPB website that Otmoor was open again.  Our last visit was in March so I was keen to see what changes had taken place on the reserve in the past couple of months.

Upon arrival we heard a Cuckoo calling repeatedly which was amazing for me as I have not heard one for many years.  As we made our way through the reserve we heard the Cuckoo again and were finally treated to views of a pair of Cuckoos’ flying over the field and up into the lower branches of a large tree.  I got a brief look through my binoculars but whilst trying to get the camera set up they flew off, so sadly no photos to record the moment.  Still, what a surprise, I did not expect to see this particular bird.

What was also a surprise was how the water levels had dropped.  I am used to see large areas of water broken up with beds of reeds.  Now nearly all the water has gone and it looks to be just large grass areas with some small shallow areas of water here and there.  The Marsh Harriers were out flying over the reeds, we saw both the male and the female.

No sign of the mixed flock of small seed eaters on the pathways but plenty of bird song from the Cetti’s and Sedge Warblers, with the occasional glimpse of the birds themselves flying from hedgecover.  A Male Reed Bunting took up post on a edge of a reedbank and sung beautifully to proclaim his territory.

The Curlew was calling from the same area of the reserve as we heard him last time but unfortunately we did not see him.  There was a striking pair of Little Egrets which we enjoyed watching through the scope.  

The large number of ducks we saw here in Feb and March were not present but you could just about see a few Gadwell over the very back mixed in with some Canada Geese.  There was nice views of a Greylag Family with the goslings busy grazing whilst the parent birds looked on.

There were two Redshank, which were enjoyable to watch, I liked their body shape and feeding behaviour and I managed to get some great photos of them.  During our walk back to the car we observed two Hobbies swooping for insects, this is the first time we have seen these birds here and a great way to end the morning.

[boomingbittern52]

Greylag Geese in the Horsefield

I got up early today to walk down to the horsefield as I had seen that a flock of Greylag Geese has been grazing there in the mornings.  The Horses seem to take no notice of the Geese and it was a harmonious picture and very enjoyable to watch.

[boomingbittern52]

Magpie and Goldfinch

Like many people I am working from home at the moment.  I took my camera into the garden during my lunch break and although the Blue tit’s and Great Tits did not stick around for their photo to be taken I did see a large Magpie land.  I was struck by how big the bird was - I must have seen more Juveniles than adults in the past or maybe I did not take enough notice of these birds before as they are commonly seen.

Whilst watching the stream of birds flying from tree to feeder late afternoon, I captured a nice picture of one of the Goldfinch’s queuing up waiting for his turn on  Sunflower Hearts.  This was taken with a pocket camera - Canon Ixus 12x zoom.

[boomingbittern52]

Jackdaws nesting.

[boomingbittern52]

Watching Jackdaws Nest

With trips to the RSPB reserves out of the question I plan to put as much effort as possible into Birdwatching locally.  Don’t get me wrong, I do watch the birds everyday as we have some feeders and are lucky enough to get a constant stream of birds visiting them all day.  When I say `Birdwatch’ what I really mean is going out with an intent to find and view the birds through my binoculars, as opposed to just enjoying them in the normal way on our daily dog walks etc.

So when my Husband told me about some Jackdaws that had chosen a hole in a tree in the woods behind our house, I was very excited to go and take a look. As this afternoon was pleasantly sunny it seemed to be the perfect time to spend half an hour or so positioned in an inconspicuous spot.  As we had chosen late afternoon, the sun was quite low and due to bramble and undergrowth I could not get a better position for the light.  However, as we had to wait a while for the birds to show, by the time I did take some photos, the light had improved somewhat and the Nikon P900 did not let me down.  The male very generously posed for a few moments at the front of the nest hole after the female had gone inside.  Got some lovely pics and a video of him, followed by  some charming pics of the female poking her head out of the hole, before making her departure.  We will hopefully get to hear the chicks later on and watch the parents busily feed them.  

Back home to drop off the camera and pick up a pair of binoculars for the dog walk.  We are very lucky to have woods and fields to walk on a daily basis.  I don’t take my binoculars on the dog walks as I like to enjoy the time with the dogs, but my husband usually takes his and we were both on the look out for birds.  Thrushes do very well in our area and we hear the Song Thrush everyday.  On our walk we watched a Song Thrush swoop from one tree to another and we followed the bird with the binoculars as it flew down onto the grass.  On following the Song Thrush we spotted a Mistle Thrush just metres from it and at one time we had views of both birds at the same time through the binoculars.  Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Carrion Crows are usual spots on the walk, along with Woodpigeons.  We saw both the Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker today and hear the Green’s laugh daily.  The highlight for the walk for me was a pair of Black Caps - the male’s song was loud and sweet as he sung his heart out for the female.  I have the idea to bring the camera over the fields and position ourselves opposite to what seemed to be the pair’s favourite tree (maybe she is nesting there!)  I did get to see the Chiffchaff today, we hear it all the time but this is the first time we have spotted the bird which was perched on a telephone wire.

[boomingbittern52]

Otmoor - March

We spent Sunday morning at Otmoor.  Arriving a little before 9.00am, the reserve was quiet, the weather bright and with a light breeze.

Upon arrival we noticed the Skylarks singing, and as we started up the pathway we could hear the sound of a Curlew off to the right hand side of us. The first bird we saw that morning was a Willow warbler, the second of these which we have seen this year, as we spotted one the previous day in our local woodland.  As soon as a break in the hedge allowed we started looking for the Curlew that had been calling so distinctively. No sign of it, but we were treated to our first view of a Redshank in winter plumage.

Lots of Geese grazing at the front of the reserve, including one Barnacle Goose.  More Skylark song and we  managed to see 3 skylarks flying low over the grass area and I watched 2 birds land on the pathway. We are lucky enough to have skylarks in our area so I do hear the birds in local fields, but this was the best views I have had of the actual birds themselves.

There were a pair of Great Crested Grebes visible from the first screen area.  A Bittern was heard by some other visitors at this same screen but did not make an appearance.

We were aware that there seemed to be much more birdsong this month. The trees were alive with activity, we heard the Cetti Warbler but did not see the bird itself. One tree was full of Linnets, all singing. I struggled to find them among the branches with my binoculars but my husband managed to show me clear views through the scope. The hide was closed but that did not stop us watching the mixed flocks of small birds, feeding from the grass pathway. On my last 2 visits I did not get to see the Yellowhammers that had been reported by other visitors but my luck was in this time and I finally got to see them.

No sign of the Golden plover that were here in February. Still some Lapwing and plenty of Wigeon, Shovelers,Teal and smaller numbers of Tufted duck.  I really enjoyed seeing the pair of Oystercatchers that were in the wetland area at the rear of the reserve.  The bright orange beak really stood out against the black and white plumage.

Despite hearing the Curlew many times during our visit, we only managed to see one in flight, we its call and then looked up to see it flying off in a hurry.  Hopefully we will get a better look at this bird during our next visit.  On the way out we paused by the seed feeders and whilst sitting on the bench we heard a knocking sound.  I looked around to find the source and spotted a Song thrush banging a snail on a wooden stump.  This is the first time I have seen this since I was a child so felt extremely lucky that we happened to be there.  

[boomingbittern52]

Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve

We spent the morning at Brandon Marsh today.  Our first time at this reserve, I did not go there hoping to see any particular species, just looking forward to having a look around on what was a dry but chilly day.

Not long after arrival we came across a pool of water which had some Tufted ducks, Canada Geese and Swans.  Whilst looking at these birds I heard some bird sounds to the left of me that I had not heard before.  In the trees next to the pool were three Siskins, feeding on small seed cones.  I could see the birds as they were close to us but failed miserably to get a lock on them with my binoculars, and as the birds did not hang about I missed the opportunity to get good views of their beautiful colours.  But nevermind, there will be more chances in the future, definitely something to look forward to.

We made our way around to the Wright Hide and looked out onto the largest pool of water.  A large white bird rested infront of the reedbed - it was a Great White Egret.  There were also Comorant drying off on a platform.  I got good views through the binoculars and my new camera - Nikon P900 did not let me down for photos from our position in the hide.

Amongst the Tufted Ducks were a male and female Golden eye.  These were a real pleasure to see and we watched them for some time.  I gave up trying to get a good photo as the morning light and their position on the lake did not make for good photography.  The plan was to come back to the hide a little later on but by the time we doubled back they had moved on.

Overall a good morning.  The reserve was a pleasure to walk around, well maintained with a nice tea room and visitor centre on the way out.  My cup of tea and slice of Cappachino cake was the perfect end to the visit.

[boomingbittern52]

Otmoor - February Visit

Friday morning was spent at Otmoor in Oxfordshire.  I was looking forward to seeing if we could see the Marsh Harriers again, and I was not disappointed.

The Lapwing were still here, along with the various Ducks that were in the same water area with all the Geese on our last visit.  We got much better views of the Pintail Ducks on this visit.  

We were told about the screens last time but did not make it round to them.   So we made sure that we sought them out on this visit and was pleased that we did.  The screens overlooked a calm area of water surrounded by reeds.  There were Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Ducks and Common Pochard, but one duck  stood out, the shape of a Pochard but with a Yellow Head.  I checked the birdbook and there was no such duck in there.  Luckily another Birdwatcher come along who advised that this was a Leucistic Male Pochard who has been at Otmoor for the last 2 years.   The same chap told us to look out for the two cranes that had arrived and were at the front of the reserve.  We missed them on this visit but fingers crossed for next time.

The Wetlands watch Bird hide, gave us the opportunity to watch the Reed Buntings, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets and Dunnocks picking over the  grass area where seed is scattered in the mornings.  I saw blurs of green fly up from the hedgerow when one of the windows was opened, so good chances are these were Greenfinches, but despite my patience they did not come back so I could not confirm.

We had seen some beautiful birds during our visit but the stars of the show for me that day were the Golden Plover.  There seemed to be thousands of them, providing spectacular displays of shimmering clouds.  They moved in waves in the sky in front of us, or they would fly overhead and I stood motionless, looking up, listening to the sounds of wings beating and soft calls.    Watching them was truly breath taking.  My husband urged me to try to capture it on video, but I knew that for me personally, in that moment, the view was not supposed to be watched via my phone screen or through a view finder.  I felt that I was supposed to experience the moment, to be touched by it spiritually or emotionally.  A feeling as powerful as that did not need to be recorded, it would not be forgotten.

[boomingbittern52]

A new pair of binoculars and exploring further afield

My new hobby was now firmly established but it was clear that in order to properly see the birds I would need some new binoculars.  The little pair that I had received as a free gift last year were 8x21 great for the garden but not much good when trying to see birds on a lake at some distance.

Not wanting to spend a fortune so soon after Christmas, we settled on a less expensive angled spotting scope (20-60x60 for around £40) and some HD Binoculars - Avalon 10x42 Pro for under £180.  

Armed with the new kit we decided a test run at our local Lake was in order in preparation for my first trip out planned for later that week.  The Lake was full of something new - Red Crested Pochard.  I could not stop looking at them, I loved the big rounded head plumage.  They were swimming around amongst the Tufted ducks, another stunning bird.  This was also the day that I was to see my first Shoveler, swimming in circular movements, head down in the water.  

Swans and Canadian Geese had taken over some of the pathway.  The Canadian Geese grazing on the grass and two of the Swans were showing signs of courtship, facing each other and lifting there heads to communicate.

RSPB The Lodge, Bedfordshire  - we arrived mid morning and after watching a male Chaffinch near the car park area, we set off to explore some of the walks.  We headed into a heathland area but there was not much about.  We did spot a male pheasant with a clear crisp white collar.  Turning back we started out on the Woodpecker trail.  A flock of Redwings flew up from the undergrowth in the wooded area as we walked by, we caught glimpses of brown birds but could not find them in the trees to confirm or see them more clearly.  The highlight for me was the easy views from one of the birds hides, this one positioned opposite their bird feeders.  Members of the Tit family flew busily from tree to feeder and then back again, some grey squirrels were also present. We saw a Jay, spotted over the back field sitting in one of the trees who decided to come closer to take a look.  The Jay flew to the small tree beside the feeders which gave me ample time to get a close look.  The bird eventually did fly down to scoop up some food, not seeming to take much notice of the squirrels.  The surprise last minute sighting was the Red Legged Partridge who was picking over spills from the bird table behind the visitors centre.

The following week we headed to RSPB Otmoor in Oxfordshire.  This was my first time visiting a large reedbed environment.  The landscape was so peaceful with banks of feathery seed heads illuminated in the light of the sun.   I immediately knew I had come to somewhere very special.   We spotted Lapwing almost upon arrival at the first piece of wetland, I marveled at how exotic the birds looked.  We got chatting to a chap who visits regularly and he told us to look out for Marsh Harriers, usually spotted above the Church towards the back of the reserve.  I kept an eye to the sky as we walked up the main pathway and at last caught site of a large bird soaring over the tree line and up into the sky exactly where the local chap had advised.  But too far away for my binoculars.  We moved on and made our way into the `Wetlands Watch` hide.  To one side of the hide was a grass path lined with shrubs which was full of Reed Buntings, Chaffinches and there was at least one Linnet.  They flitted backwards and forwards from path to branch so we had plenty of chance to enjoy them.  Other people had spotted Yellowhammers among them but we were not fortunate enough on that occasion.  

Coming out of the hide we turned our attention back to the wetland side.  It was then that I spotted two large Hawks flying above us.  This time we were close enough to get amazing views and after a quick check of the guide we realised we were looking at two female Marsh Harriers, with cream heads and rich brown bodies.  I was glued to the spot, watching these birds through my binoculars I suddenly felt all emotional, almost moved to tears.  Not sure why these particular birds had this impact on me, I suppose it was the graceful movements and the complete shock that we had been lucky enough to see these wonders.

A noisy flock of Geese flew overhead, they were loud due to the sheer number of birds.  We watched their descent down to the waters ahead and took off in that direction.  On route we watch flocks of Lapwing (possibly mixed in with Golden Plovers) move seemlessly in the sky.  It reminded me of how flocks of Starlings move.  We came to a large expanse of water surround by grass verge and tree line.  There was a huge number of mixed ducks and geese all congregated together in this one place.  We spent the remainder of the visit just enjoying these birds, all busy swimming and feeding together in complete harmony.  There were Eurasian Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Shovelers, Gadwell, Mallard and a pair of Pintail.  Greylag and Candian Geese grazed all around the waters edge.

On our way back to the car park we stopped to look at the bird feeders as there was Pheasants feeding beneath them.  A Sparrowhawk made two flybys whilst we watched so maybe he had been luck enough to catch one of the small birds on a previous occasion.  Back in the car we ate our sandwichs and talked over the highlights of the day.  I’m looking forward to  second visit!

[boomingbittern52]

[boomingbittern52]

Late afternoon at the Lake

We decided to make use of the last hour or so of daylight down at Rickmansworth Aquadrome.  This is the same place that my new hobby was born when I caught sight of the Kingfisher.  We were hoping to see the Winter Migrants that we had spotted here on our second visit (watch out for the next post for the recap).  There were a large number of Red Crested Pochard at that time (mid January) but only a few pairs remain now.  Still plenty of Tufted Duck and a few Common Pochard.  There are actually three lakes here at this site, the main walk is around Bury Lake.  Today this Lake was overtaken with Coot, the most we have seen here.  There was also Grebe and the Single Carolina Duck that is always here.  The Comorant were swimming around this evening which was nice for me as other times I have only seen them basking with their wings spread out.  There was also the single pair of Gadwell and a Great Crested Grebe.

We looked at the second Lake which is called Batchworth Lake.  There did not seem to be much at first but then we looked right over the back of the lake towards the tree line on the far side and was shocked to see about 30 Shovelers all swimming backwards and forwards busily with the heads down in the water, presumably feeding.  It was a sight to see, they are such a colorful duck and in a large group it was spectacular.

Heading back past Bury Lake (the park was almost empty of people now) I heard a splash and my Husband spotted the movement; it was the Kingfisher, just caught a fish.  After swallowing her meal she very generously stay seated on a low perch, so I managed to get some pictures of her.  I just held my phone to the spotting scope as I did not bring the camera attachment but was pleased with the pics I managed to get.  Some passers by had a quick look at her through the scope was well, which was lovely.

The light was really dropping now so we did not expect to get good views at the last of the three lakes (Stocker’s Lake).  But I’m glad we had a quick look, I managed to get some video of a Heron and there was what we believe to be a Hybrid Goose over the back of the Lake, it seemed to be paired with a Canada Goose as they were staying close together.  It looks like a Greylag/Canada Goose cross.  If it is not and someone knows what type of goose it is, please let me know.

In summary, it was a worthwhile trip, short and sweet.

[boomingbittern52]

Beginning something new to deal with something bad

Towards the end of last year I had an unwelcome diagnosis of Breast Cancer.  Upon investigating a single lump which everyone including me thought was going to be just a cyst I received the bad news.   Over the following weeks and after multiple scans and appointments it turned out that I actually had multiple cancerous lumps in both breasts and that I had “probably had cancer for the last 2 years”.  3 surgeries later I am now well on the way to recovering from my ordeal and am currently waiting for radiotherapy to start.

My physical recovery has involved daily arm exercises and walking.  My emotional recovery has required something more and this is where I decided to incorporate birdwatching into my love of the outdoors.  Being outside, enjoying nature has always had a direct impact on my happiness and has helped me  manage my stress levels for many years.  But after the big C became part of the  equation I felt I needed a superboost and was encouraged by my wonderful husband to take a pair of binoculars down to our local aquadrome to see if we could spot any winter migrants.  I went along with it, happy to be going for a walk if nothing more and that is when the magic happened.

Armed with our binoculars (mine were a small pair which I had received as a free gift) we started to enjoy the sights.  Swans a plenty, along with comorant basking on floating buoys, lots of seagulls, coot and a mixture of ducks.  The main walk is a circular one around the lake and whilst walking and stopping to observe we spotted a flash of colour, flying very low over the water from one side of the lake to an overhanging tree on the left.  My husband thought it was a Kingfisher and a few minutes later we saw the bird make the return flight back to the opposite side.  Wow, I thought what a surprise, having always wanted to see a Kingfisher, I did not expect to see one that day.  We walked around the lake further and found a quiet shallow area with trees overhanging lit up by the afternoon sun.  This is the sort of place you might see one advised my husband and low and behold there was one, facing with its back to us which allowed for a few special moments to enjoy the brilliant blue feathers of the bird...it was magical, exciting and I left the park soon after with the knowledge that I would like to give birdwatching a proper go and above all how wonderful it is to be alive.