Staying very local...

I have a young man staying with me at present and he will be with me until the end of term. As a result I've not wanted to wander too far from home to ensure that I can be at school at the right time to meet him. Unfortunately for J, the walk from school to me is not the nicest so we have to be unfriendly to the environment and use the car. (Don't talk about the buses in this area please - the answer can only be "What buses?")

In addition for the entire of this week has been the Hampton Court Flower show (under 2 miles from me) - which jams up the local roads with impunity! Nice! You begin to feel a prisoner in your own home and any journeys out need planning well in advance and leaving some considerable minutes earlier than one would normally. OK - bit of a rant, but over now!

So I went in the opposite direction and headed off for Black Pond on Esher Common to hunt for Dragons! But, the sun (which had shone brilliantly from early morning) decided to be shy and hid behind a cloud. No damsels or dragons for me today.

I wandered down the road a bit and went to (National Trust) Claremont Gardens for a wander. I was also feeling very hungry so had a sandwich (expensive!!!) and a drink in their cafe.

Claremont has a large lake and today a company specializing in Wetland maintanence was clearing vast amounts of blanket week! The smell assailed the nostrils - not particularly pleasant. Claremont has a mixture of captive water fowl and wild ones. Just a selection from today - the sun? Well it peeped out occasionally but that's the best that can be said!

Other than the captive birds, and a some wild ones (including large amounts of Canada Geese and Greylags), it was very quiet - well that's about right for this time of the year. Very few flutters and one dragon right out in the middle of the lake.

An interestingly coloured female Mallard

The resident Emperor Geese

A very late brood of Mallards..

I then came across three Shelducks - this one having a preen

I'm sure this must be a youngster

and the final one of the trio - no doubt Mum Dad and Junior!

A Greylag Goose demonstrating how easy it is to sleep balanced on one leg!

(Don't try this at home!)

Two (of six) very young Mallards

from a very blonde Mum!

The Greylag gosling is beginning to look like its parents

Whilst this male Mallard is going into eclipse and losing its brilliant emerald green head feathers.

and finally - a picture taken from above the grass Amphitheatre of a beautiful cedar - which is enormous!

So finally off home via the supermarket and then to school.

A pleasant wander albeit under grey skies!

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.

A bit further away and views along the beach..

and then look right..

Come back up onto the promenade for different views


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!