Goosander and a mimic?

Earlier this week saw me back up to Milton Keynes and another visit and walk around Caldecotte Lake (the ‘boss’ is still away!). The water was almost back down to it’s normal level although the river was still very full and fast flowing. The bird life seemed to be very sparse up at the normal gathering point on the arm behind the pub, the large flock of Wigeon that are usually there were gone, which left just a few Tufted Ducks, two drake Pochard, three Great Crested Grebe, quite a few squabbling Coot and an elusive female Goosander and that was about it.
Further round and the dam wall was covered from end to end with Black-headed Gulls with the odd Common Gull mixing in. The  rest of the main lake seemed to be devoid of any birds at all, save for a couple of Mute Swans ‘upending’ close to the bank. And then I saw the reason why there were so few birds…in the distance coming from under the road bridge, side by side and, causing a large wake were two boats..a speedboat and the RIB from the yacht club! Not much hope of seeing any birds today then?

As I continued on around a large flock of Graylag Geese came flying noisily in from the meadow by the river where I’d seen them grazing earlier.

I managed to ‘catch’ these two.

Further on around, in the quieter waters by the houses and the bandstand, I spotted a male Goosander. Taking cover behind a tree I was able to get reasonably close, and for once it hadn’t spotted me. I spent a good half an hour taking photos but with the contrast between the Goosanders dark head and white body I was having difficulty with setting the correct exposure on the camera, either getting blocked in darks or blown highlights!

Here’s two of my best efforts…

 



I almost got the green sheen on it’s head in this one!!

Moving on and my attention was drawn to a funny sounding cooing noise coming from the branches above me, almost like a cooing Wood Pigeon but not as clear or as loud, scanning the branches I soon located the culprit…it wasn’t a Wood Pigeon, but a Carrion Crow attempting a very good impression of one. I tried to get some video but as soon as I got the camera to focus through the branches it flew off, it’s always the way!!
Further on and I met a little old lady out walking her dog ‘have you seen the Heron’ she said ..‘no none yet today’ I replied… ‘there’s one there’ she said pointing to a juvenile Heron on the far side of the water and then we both heard a sound…’Woodpecker’ she said…and that’s what it sounded like to me a bit weak but definitely a drumming Woodpecker. Scanning through the branches and no Woodpecker to be found, and then the drumming sound again…almost above our heads this time, an there doing it’s best to be a Woodpecker was…yep!…a Carrion Crow, the same one that was earlier being a Wood Pigeon! The little old lady went off shaking her head and saying ‘ my husband won’t believe me when I tell him about this’. I’m not sure I believed it either, I knew that Crows were intelligent birds but I didn’t know they went in for mimicry? 

Not much to report from the rest of my walk around the lake, a dozen or so Cormorants loafing in the trees on the island and a small raft of gulls out in the middle of the south lake and the odd Mallard and Tufted ducks. And Keith’s ‘pet’ Robin came zooming in for some food, even before I’d got the bag of seed out of my pocket!
And to finish, showing well in the sunshine, a Carrion Crow…no, not ‘the’ Carrion Crow!

CLOSEUP AND PERSONAL

Hi folks, I'm back!(no pun intended!!)

I've not posted for the best part of a month due to various reasons, not least a 'back problem' that just appeared for no good reason ,which in turn aggravated an old work related shoulder injury and together they made it very painful to sit at the computer for more than a couple of minutes at a time, in fact the only comfortable place was laying flat out on the floor!!

I'm glad to say that after about ten days, of doing a good job at doing nothing, the back and shoulder slowly got  back to normal  ( or as good as they for an old wrinkly, I guess!!). the rest of the time has been taken up with catching up on all the jobs that I didn't manage to get around to whilst laying about on the floor!

So, many apologies  for not being able to leave any comments on all of your wonderful blogs, however I did manage to keep reasonably up to date with reading most of them, and as always a grand job is being done by all of you.

I did manage to get out and about on a couple of days (good back days!) and take a few 'snaps'.

So by way of easing myself back into Blogland here are a few old and new portraits.

Moorhen

Coot

Great Crested Grebe

Mandarin Duck (male)

Mandarin Duck (female)

Carrion Crow

Mallard

A WALK IN THE SUN

Thursday the 1st of March started off with a rosy pink sunrise which by 7am had turned to thick fog, which was slightly annoying as I had planned to go for a walk around Caldecotte Lake. The weather forecast did however predict  a pleasant sunny day.

After a leisurely breakfast and attending to a few little jobs that needed doing around the house, I decided that the fog was thinning a little and perhaps I should go anyway, by it was now 10.30am and half the day had already gone.

Arriving at the lake just after 11am I could see that the fog/mist was indeed rising to reveal a bright blue sky and with no wind to speak of the lake was almost flat calm (a change for Caldecotte as it's nearly always windy!!)

                            

First stop was the foot bridge by the car park (were Keith has got the birds well trained!!) and a few handfuls of seed on the handrail soon brought down Reed Buntings, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Chaffinch, a Robin along with Blackbirds, House Sparrows and a couple of shy Greenfinch.

Female Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting

 

On to check out Keith's feeders, which were surprisingly quiet with only a couple of Greenfinch, a Robin and two Long Tailed Tits in attendance.

On around the South lake and the first thing that I noticed was that most of the waterfowl were taking it easy and were just 'loafing' around the edges of the lake. Around by the houses two elderly women were feeding a melee of Mallard, Canada Geese, Mute Swans and Black Headed Gulls.

 Coot

A Black Headed Gull with it's first sandwich of the day!

 

The next thing I came across was rather upsetting, a dead Great Crested Grebe upside down in the water. A length of fishing line could clearly be seen tangled around it's bill!

 Cause of death:- CARELESS BLOODY FISHERMEN!!

 

Next up a dead fish, a Pike, about 12 to18 inches long, in the shallows just past the boathouse.

 

Onwards and around past the first bird hide were I fed Keith's tame Robin and saw something I'd not seen before, a Dunnock seemed to bury itself down in the leaf litter a proceeded to 'bathe' in just the same way as it would were it having a dust bath, I guess!  I would have had some video only the 'wally effect' took over and I forgot to press the record button!!  ( It looked good in the viewfinder though, best video ever!)

By now the temperature had risen to a balmy 15*C (59*F) and time was getting on and as I still wanted to go around the South lake I made a quick walk to the road bridge stopping to take this picture across the lake showing the houses (oh to have lots of money!) With Keith's favourite place, the boathouse, in the foreground.

 And these of a Mute swan taking to the air...

And this of a cruising Herring Gull (2nd winter....I think?) 

The North lake seemed to be very sparse in regard to waterfowl and the reason soon became apparent as I could hear the noise of  chain saws and shredding machines in the distance, sure enough just around the corner the 'butchers' (landscapers) will busily hacking down all the bushes. (I won't say any more as it will just turn into a rant!!).

A brisk walk around to the dam and I spotted two Mute Swans having what looked like a fight, although I guess it was just a show of strength as they didn't appear to be inflicting to much damage to each other. The 'fight' went on for the best part of thirty minutes until another male Swan, who had swam the whole width of the lake, just quietly nudged into them whereupon they stopped 'fighting' and swam off in different directions just like two naughty schoolboys that had been told off for fighting in the playground!

 I did manage to get most of the action on video apart from the ending when again the 'wally effect' once more prevented me from pressing the record button!!

The only other sightings of note on my walk back to the car were a group of Wigeon in the bay by the houses and the 'resident' Crow with the  white wing feathers.

 

The 'Fight' video.....

A VIDEO FOR THE WEEKEND

This video is a selection of clips I've taken whilst out and about, since getting the camera a few weeks ago, of various birds and their behaviour.

Now, I've got to admit that it's not the  best video in the world as I'm still trying to get to grips with the workings of said camera while also getting my head around the editing program on the computer.  It's  a steep learning curve for a little brain!

Anyway here's my best effort (so far)!!

BIRDS BEHAVING....WELL,....AS BIRDS DO!

 

A Jackdaw eating sheep!

A Cormorant hanging it all out to dry!

Starlings aerating my lawn.

House Sparrows getting a little piece of the sun.

Mr and Mrs Shoveler. Looking for the soap?

A Pied Wagtail having a stretch.

A Carrion Crow.  Looking for one of Keith's apple cores?

Note:- The house Sparrow clip was taken through my kitchen window and the ticking you can hear is from the clock on the wall. Strange thing is I can be in and out of the kitchen many times a day and never hear the clock but the camera 'heard' it perfectly!

 

All the best and enjoy your weekend, whatever you're doing.

Ivinghoe Beacon Walk

21 March 2011

It was a sunny warm morning as I left the car park to start my walk through the meadows and arable fields that lie behind the slopes of Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.

A panoramic shot of the area walked. Ivinghoe Beacon or Beacon Hill, as it is sometime called, is the high point to the left hand side of the picture.

There were lots of new lambs and proud mums taking it easy in the sunshine.

Skylarks and Meadow Pipits were trying to out sing each other as they rose into the air before dramatically falling back to earth.

 In the distance I could see the chalk lion carved into the hillside below (London) Whipsnade Zoo. The smaller building of the two in the picture is a cafe and the other larger one is the Rhino house.

All the time I was walking I could hear lots of noise from Jackdaws and Crows but couldn’t see where it was coming from but eventually from the high ground further along I could see an animal water trough that was being used as a communal bath and drinking fountain by lots of very noisy bickering Jackdaws, Crows and Rooks. I sat in the sunshine for about three quarters of an hour, or so, just watching the comings and goings with all of the disagreements and noise. It’s not every day you can have your lunch whilst sitting on a sunny hillside and watch a very interesting, if rather noisy cabaret!

I also spied in the grass by my feet a bright red bug moving over some sheep droppings. It was less than 5mm long but because of its colour it stood out in the green grass. Later research at home showed it to be a Velvet Mite (eutrombidium rostratus) and is apparently quite common and a beneficial little predator in the garden.

By the time I had reached the top of Beacon Hill, 233m (757ft.) above sea level, it had clouded over and a chilly wind was blowing (as it often does up here). From here you get a magnificent view over most of the Vale of Aylesbury. 

The castle like building shining in the distance is Mentmore Towers which was build for the Baron Mayer de Rothschild in 1852-1854. In 1997 after passing through numerous owners including George Harrison of Beatles fame it was sold to a private company with a view to turning it into a hotel, as is the way of these things the new owners promptly went bankrupt and the property has fallen into disrepair and is now on the English Heritage at risk register. It continues however to be used regularly as a film and TV ‘prop’.

On the way back to the car park I came across a flock of 12 to 15 Meadow Pipits busily foraging in the grassy hillside. 

I also spooked 5 or 6 Yellowhammers from a bush beside the path (alas no photo!)

And finally back at the car I could see in the valley below and close to the Ashridge Estate woods a small herd of Fallow Deer quietly grazing. 

Wildlife sightings along the way :-

Brown Hare

Fallow Deer

Blue Tit 

Great Tit

Blackbird 

Magpie

Meadow Pipit

Skylark 

Carrion Crow

Rook

Jackdaw

Buzzard 

Red Kite

Siskin

Yellowhammer

Common Gull

Woodpigeon

And heard:- 

Woodpecker "drumming"

Green Woodpecker "yaffeling"

Pheasant

All in all a very enjoyable few hours.