Flora and Fauna

What was the weather going to do today. Well it started bright and sunny and not too hot, so off I headed to London Wetland Centre Barnes. I didn't expect to see much but thought I might bump into a few familiar faces - which I did!!

Saw 4 Little Ringed Plovers, one of which may have been sitting on a nest. The usual culprits other than that with the exception of those pictured below! Pleasant morning then around lunchtime the rain clouds gathered and shed their watery load - so time to stop for a bit to eat and a drink. Wasn't that hungry (and the prices are a tad steep in my view) so I had a refreshing and healthy home-made Museli with bio-yoghurt and raspberry compoet with a Latte - very nice!

As I started my trip around the reserve I'd heard the alarm call of the Wren and then managed to find it! I don't know why it kept calling but....


Walking near the "Lagoon" I came across the family of Great Crested Grebes. The four young had now been reduced to two in number - one of the parents was fishing and feeding the young. The other parent was not to be seen - although I understand it had been around earlier and each parent had one of the youngsters.

This one was fishing to feed the family..

and when you're young you have to learn to do things for yourself..

but parents can give a helping hand (or beak) when needed..

What the meal was who knows?? It looks more crablike than anything else!

Dinner over the two young swam about on their own. What I then witnessed was very odd (IMHO); one of the youngsters started pecking its sibling on the head. This is did about 6 times and throughout all of the this, the victim kept its head tucked down and to one side, as the following pictures shows!


And then onward and from one of the hides, a Black-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage. So far away for the camera but through the binocs, the plumage was wonderful!
(Record shot only!)

Several 6-spot Burnet moths had just emerged..



This is horribly over-exposed as far as the grass is concerned, but I quite like the effect.

I don't know what these flowers were, but like them - as did the bee!

Honey bees abounded..

as did the Bumbles


This insect - a beautiful irridescent green, was on the convolvulus - don't know what the insect is however!

Lilies bloomed colourfully


and far out a Ruddy Duck was lazily swimming around

This crazy coot has to learn that it can't balance on a thin edge - this particular thin edge belonging to one of the sculptures. Photographically this was a nightmare, as the sculpture was very shiny metal and the sun was out!




And so home with a quick stop at Tescos for something to eat for supper!

A few wild moments..

I haven't had much time for getting out in the wild over the last week but I did manage a very brief trip to Bushy Park last Saturday and then again for about half-an-hour today.

Last week was warm but pleasantly so and although quiet in terms of birds, the deer were about and evident.

This Red Deer stag was looking very elegant albeit a little haughty!

But the attraction of water was too much to resist..

The Fallow Deer are getting a bit too tame now. They are going up to people with bread and literally taking it out of their hands!

But, when it's warm and you need a drink - just get in the water!



I was surprised to see this little one who was one of three Egyptian Geese Goslings - very young ones

In the warmth the insects were having a field day, but this Red Crested Pochard was seeminly unfazed by them all..



And jumping forward - last night we had a major thunder storm at 2.30 a.m. - very dramatic and noisy with torrential rain for some minutes.

I awoke this morning to very grey and dull skies and the humidity level almost unbearable. However, this one of three young Robins was working out how to use one of the feeders


After a very domestic day (groan!!) I had a quick trip to Bushy Park late in the afternoon. Last week when I visited I was saddened to see one of the eight Mute Swan cygnets in some distress. It had been in the same place for about half-an-hour and although it was having the occasional preen of the same wing, there was very little movement.

One of the fishermen was going to notify the Park Warden and ask for assistance for the Cygnet. The wee thing didn't look at all good and despite taking a picture, I couldn't post it!

So today I was keen to see the others - and yes, sadly only seven were there. But they were "doing very nicely thank you" and losing their "cute" very young look - now looking more like young teenagers!

As usual, bread was being thrown into the water and they weren't hesitating to eat it


Dad had a neck stretch..

A few Black-headed gulls were around - very little else (apart from Coots and Mallards) was!


The three young Egyptian Geese were dozing with a parent in the late afternoon sun.

As I was leaving, this young Jackdaw started begging and crying for food..

despite moving very much closer, it's parent was not going to feed it. Perhaps now is the time to learn how to find your own meal....


And the sun is now shining in the early evening, the air is fresher and the temperature - thank goodness and all deities - is much lower - life goes on as normal.

(And I'm starving so must get some dinner!)

(Oh - and Britain's hope for getting to the semi-final (let alone the final) of Wimbledon - has now been dashed. Never mind - there's always next year!)

Beside the seaside, beside the sea....tra la!

Well - it seems a long time since I last posted!!

Several trips up and down to W.Sussex have now taken place and I had another today. I delivered further household effects to my daughter this morning and then visited my mother afterwards. Phew - only been home a short while and I'm roasting already!

When I arrived on the south coast at about 10.00 (later than planned!! oh I do love rush hour traffic!!) the sun was warm and the air cool. Lovely :D

Decided to take a few pics of what life will be like in my daughter's part of the world.

Looking down the road all you can see is sky and sea!


Walk a little further to the end of the road and look left..

and then look right..

Come back up onto the promenade and look right from the beach gardens

turn slowly to the left and look at the view..

now bring your eyes to the front and the view is...... well, endless.....

another view of the sea and gardens


Oh I would love to be there permanently. Today is so hot in suburbia - hot and sticky. On the coast its so much cooler - and, (according to SPD) there was a sea fog this afternoon. It's another way of life altogether :D

Oh - just to drop in a little wildlife as I'm getting withdrawal symptons, this Comma graced me with its presence yesterday!


Another trip at the weekend (J is coming home with me as he still has to see out the term at his school up my way - needless to say he's thrilled about that) - but it's meant to be cooler by then..

That's it for the mo!

Visitors to my garden

I've been fairly heavily occupied these last couple of days helping my daughter prepare for, and, move. And there's more tomorrow! Needless to say, this has left little time for blogging.

However, if there's been anything of interest in the garden over the last couple of days, and the light's been good enough, I've taken a few pics.

I've moved a couple of the feeders out into a less shaded area - it seems to have worked!

This fox is a frequent visitor but wouldn't turn around to pose for the camera


The Ring-necked Parakeets are driving me mad at the moment. It's always the same every June/July when the young are begging for food - at about 5.00 a.m. onwards in the Eucalyptus tree in the garden. Then again, the same things happens from early evening until they go off to roost.

Now - talking of roosts - I've noticed large flocks of them (largest was about 50) flying west over the house; they may be invaders but it's quite a spectacular sight!) This is the direction of Esher Rugby Club where the roost used to be until it broke up in Autumn last year. Many of the Poplar Trees were felled (Health & Safety don't yer know) and the roost disbanded. I shall have to go and have a look at dusk one evening to see if they're back on the remaining trees.

Youngster being fed

Having a preen..

The Grey Squirrel numbers have dropped this year and the most I've had is three. Here's one eyeing out the feeding potential..

And another having a drink

The bird bath is popular and this Magpie had just had a bath before preening up in the Eucalyptus..

In the garden pond, one of the frogs had come up for air. It wasn't until I processed these pictures that I noticed the tiny tiny froglet on the pond lining. It can only have just stopped being a tadpole!


And as I type this in the early evening of Saturday, the thunder clouds have gathered and it's tipping it down.

My daughter is still packing up and loading the van for the last trip of the day - she then has to bring the van back tonight and return southwards!!!!!!! Fortunately she has some help......and the final journey she will be driven rather than having to do the driving! Good luck SPD - thinking of you.

And I'm off back down again to the south coast tomorrow - complete with my Marigolds :)

I'm now going to expire in the heat and humidity.....that's all for the moment folks......

Another one!

Regular readers may recall that a week ago I was wishing my Grandson (J) a Happy Birthday. Well today, it is the turn of his Mum - my daughter - (SPD), as today is HER birthday so

Happy Birthday Daughter dear! :D

At the weekend SPD and J are moving house and going to be living in one of the small coastal village down in W.Sussex; and they'll be able to see the sea when standing outside their flat. My Mother, Aunt, Brother and nephew already live in the area and now two more members of my family will be joining them. I wonder if there's a message hidden in there somewhere...

We had a good day today. We met up this afternoon and went out for an ice cream - ooooh Loseley Strawberries and Cream variety; this all because I needed some more bird food. We met J from school and then went our separate ways.

Then this evening, we all met up as I was taking us all out for a meal to celebrate birthdays, moving house, starting new job and new school etc. etc.

Within walking distance of SPD's current abode is a good pub/restaurant, with the added bonus that it is literally on the banks of the River Thames overlooking (on the other side of the river) Hampton Court Palace gardens!

The tables outside were all occupied so we kept with our booked table in the restaurant! And on the menu as a starter were Scallops - which I normally find irresistible. But, I forwent those as I knew my appetite wasn't that large in the heat of today.

So - we had:
SPD - Lamb rump cooked pink with sauted potatoes and veg.
J - a very beefy beef burger with pomme frites and veg
Me - Rainbow trout with spicy sauted potatoes and green beans

Whilst we were eating, House Martins were skimming across and dipping down into the river. The restaurant is next to a Skiff and Punting Club and therefore rowers were skudding up and down practising their skills. Over on the far side, a man was propelling a punt along the riverbank - in fact he kept going backwards and forwards - we still don't understand why!

Swifts shrilled overhead and then a mute swan flew upstream.

We ordered pudding and whilst waiting watched Mallards preening on the boardwalk before tucking their heads under their wings.

Pudding arrived: Apple and Strawberry crumble for SPD; Warm Chocolate Brownie with chocolate ice cream for J and for me - Double Chocolate Marquis with double cream and chocolate sauce. (Tomorrow a long walk should be on the agenda)

It was a lovely meal in excellent company and a good way to celebrate a multitude of happenings!!

Thank you SPD and J - and, although you're not going that far, I'm gonna miss you both being "just around the corner"!

And - oh - I do feel full..... think I need to stroll around the garden for a bit....




(Or I could just have a glimpse at house prices in a particular area of West Sussex........; it's a lovely county and I also have a very very good friend who lives in East Sussex................)

Travelling south for a particular bird.......

Over the next three to four weeks, I'm going to be more curtailed and have a more rigorous timetable to adhere to - but more of that another day. So today I decided I wanted to use the full day to travel further afield than "just local". I'd been wanting to see the Common Terns at the WWT Arundel so off I headed. Needless to say, I was hoping to get some decent pictures as well. :D

As I left the visitors centre on arrival, a family of Pheasants greeted me.



As I walked on a bee was gathering nectar from a plant..

Around another corner, and this female Chaffinch

was kept company by a male..

both were observed by a Great Tit

The sun was getting very warm as this Mallard family had a doze

After a sandwich, a cuppa coffee and a rather tasty piece of coffee cake... (well, I'm sure I walked the calories off in the afternoon heat) I came across this Shelduck have a wash and brush up

then deciding enough was enough so balanced on one leg for a bit of a change..

A Banded Demoiselle sat in the heat..

whilst another family of Mallards - very young ones this time - could not keep their eyes open..

Whilst back by the visitor centre and watching some other birds, this female Tufted Duck and her brood approached below me..

and the little ones came "ashore"

But the bird that I'd come to see was very much in evidence. The Tern raft was immediately in front of the visitor centre but only visible through double glazed glass windows!!

I gather there are 3 young ones but I only saw two in the time I was watching.

Moving away from the visitor centre, I walked along the path and found the terns fishing!!


Back "at the ranch" one of the little ones was coming out to play, whilst its sibling stayed under cover in the "tunnel"


A little while later and much further out in the pond, one of the adult terns chose to land on a post next to a Black-headed Gull

They both registered their displeasure at seeing the other one in "their" space, but finally settled down in mutual tolerance!


I'd also enjoyed one of the boat rides around the reed beds in one of the electric boats. Voles were visible but mostly well hidden amongst the very noisy reeds - it was rather windy!

Dragonflies flitted about tantalisingly near but the boat's movement wasn't conducive for pictures of them!

As we disembarked, high above on top of the tree line at the top of the hill, two Common Buzzards performed their aerial acrobatic display.

OK time to move on and as there was a bit of time to spare I popped in to the Warnham Nature Reserve. Walking through to the first hide, I saw a Tree Creeper. Other than that it was very quiet. There are two tern rafts and both have a pair of terns - but no young in evidence.

They are very far out (as I've mentioned in a previous post) but I managed a shot of one on its usual perch!


A good day out in the sunshine!

Beetling about

Last night I was sitting quietly and chatting to a friend on the phone, when I was aware of a dark body flying towards the patio doors - one of which was open. In true form, the flying body crashed into the window and landed on the ground.

At this time of the year, the Stag Beetles start flying around the garden. Many years ago when I moved to this house, the bottom of the garden was lined with Laurel bushes. Now, I detest with a passion, Laurel!!! So I had them taken back to ground level and have, over the years, completed replanted that area.

The stumps of the trees I deliberately left to rot as I know that some wildlife species like rotten wood - particularly beetles. Confirmation that I was in for some as usual this year, evidenced itself as a very large and white beetle grub which I'd encountered when weeding earlier on in the year.

And yesterday the proof was visibly flying about. The said Beetle recovered after a while and "staggered off" (oh the pun!) as only beetles can, with their haphazard flight path off into the twilight.

And of course, not being one to miss a photo opportunity.....