OODLES OF OUZELS

Last week there were reports all over the local birding blogs of up to 13 Ring Ouzels (turdus torquatus) being spotted on Ivinghoe Beacon. The Beacon is a well known feeding and 'resting up' point  for the birds  during their Spring migration from their winter home in the Mediterranean  region back to their breeding sites in the remote highlands of the North of England, Scotland and Scandinavia.

So, on Saturday I made a phone call to Keith and we arranged to meet at the Beacon car park at 6 o'clock the next (Sunday) morning. Keith had already been to the Beacon on the Saturday morning but readily agreed to another visit!! (see his blog here)

Sunday morning dawned cold and frosty (-3 degrees C  overnight) but  a clear sky was heralding the prospect of a sunny day. After meeting  at the appointed hour and a quick cup of coffee (thanks Keith!) we started to walk down the path to the Beacon. In the silence of the early morning we heard a sound... "what was that", said  Keith," did you hear it?.. sounds like elephants! "  Then we heard it again..." no !" I said, "I reckon it sounds like lions roaring"....then the penny dropped what we could hear were the lions roaring from Whipsnade (London) zoo, about  two and a half miles away across the valley, we were on our own little safari !!

Whipsnade chalk Lion with the zoo and Hippo house in the background

 

After noting Chiffchaff, a Nuthatch and Linnets we soon arrived at the area where the Ring Ouzels, about ten, were already showing well in the early morning sun. Unfortunately the sun was behind the birds, not in the perfect position for photography! 

 

Also showing well were about eight to ten Wheatears.

Occasionally little skirmishes would break out.

                            

Keith feeling all penned in...or was he on the lookout for Lions?

                           

 

Skylarks 'performing' in the clear blue sky and Meadow Pipits posing on prominent perches also added interest to the scene.

 

Have you ever had one of those moments when your mind starts to drift off and you start to 'see' things that are not really there?  well, I had one of those moments and saw Snoopy flying through the sky!!...what do you think?

 

So after around five and a half hours of excellent 'Ouzel watching it was time to call it a day and make our way  back to the cars and home, via a brief visit to a nearby Bluebell wood (see Keith's excellent image here).

 

I enjoyed the day so much that I decided to go back for another visit on the Monday morning!

Again the birds were showing well. Unfortunately the day was spoilt by a few mindless people - idiots - and mostly photographers I'm ashamed to say, who decided it was good practice to stalk and chase the birds across the entire hillside.

 Don't these people realise that the birds need  to rest and feed up to be able to continue on their long migration journey, and if they just pick a spot, stand quietly and wait, most birds will eventually 'come' to them?   Rant over!

 

On the way back to the car this Chiffchaff was singing his heart out from his lofty perch.

 

I did take some video, not very good I'm afraid ...but anyway, here it is!!

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.