Blogging; One year later....

Today is the anniversary of when I started blogging. And my first post was about Bushey Park - a place that has figured highly during the history of my tales.

A year ago today, I was walking with my daughter and her dog - Boo. Today, my daughter is working but I collected my grandson from school. Later on his Dad and Boo (who's decided she'd like a change of address and is now living with my grandson's dad!) arrived, so December 19 still seems to be a family day of sorts.

Boo - I miss our walks!


In some ways, it seems far longer than 12 months since I first started sharing my thoughts, words and deeds with the world at large. I've stretched my memory far back in the annuls of time (well - over the last year at least) and I can't remember what started me blogging in the first place. However, it has served as a very useful diary tool and looking back at some randomly selected posts, it's good to be reminded of some of the good things that have happened along the way.

A undisputed benefit as far as I'm concerned, is the number of blogging friends I've made along the way. There's a wonderful community of like-minded people out there in the big wide world, of which I'm delighted to be a part. So to all my new blogger friends - thank you for the pleasure your blogs have brought me and, I'm sure will continue, to bring over the next year!

So an anniversary stroll in Bushey Park - the sun had disappeared by the time I got out this afternoon but no matter - just a very few pics to commemorate the day (and an excuse to put the camera through its paces).

Magpie (Pica pica) - a common species in the UK

Black-headed gull - Again!! (Larus ridibundus) found commonly in the UK


Female Red-crested Pochard
(These are mainly descended from escapees and not native UK birds although there are now breeding populations. Most likely to be seen in South and East England )


My thanks to all those who have the patience and stamina to have read my tales for all, or part of, the last twelve months.

Just a small aside - the male Blackcap was back in the garden again today... whey hey!

That's it for today folks - wonder where I'll be a year from now and what I'll be doing then??

A quick walk

This morning for a change, dawned clear and bright and at about 7.45 a.m. the moon was very evident.

The male Blackcap made a return visit to the garden, which was great, especially as he was being vocal
(record shot only)


I had a walk with my daughter today through Esher Woods then some essential food shopping.





At Tesco's supermarket, the usual opportunistic Starlings were guarding the trolleys!

A quick nip up the road to experiment...

I'd like to say that I awoke to brilliant sparkling sunshine on a crisp winter's day - but we don't always get what we would like. In fact, I woke to a grey, damp and very misty day!!

About mid afternoon I decided I would nip up the road to my local National Trust gardens - Claremont. I had a reason.

I was interested to see what birds were about. Well, nothing out of the ordinary except there are now two Emperor Geese. I'm assuming they are collection birds.

However, just a few pictures .... with a difference?
Greylag


I hadn't had time to adjust the camera or take the lens back before capturing this "stretch"

A rather snooty Greylag Goose

Emperor Goose

Red crested Pochard



One of a pair of Black Swans that have been residents for some time. According to a lady feeding the birds (who seemed to be a regular), its mate had recently been predated and a younger bird had been brought in.

The photogenic Mandarin Duck

Carrion Crow enjoying some of the scattered bread

and finally, but topically, - one of the many White Doves that have been around now for many years


I know these aren't the most exciting subjects and I've included them in previous posts, but I wanted to try out my new camera that arrived yesterday! The light was appalling, but I couldn't wait any longer.

What I am impressed with is the amount of detail that the camera has captured - none of the pictures have been sharpened; some have been cropped and some have been adjusted for lighting and contrast.

Just would like some sun and different subjects now to put the new acquisition through it's paces (when I've read the instruction manual too :D)

I escaped to my local patch!! - a follow on.

Having covered the birds I saw in Bushey Park yesterday, just a few more pictures to illustrate my walk.

More of the park's wildlife -
A Grey Squirrel enjoying a snack

Wonderful antlers of a Red Deer Stag

Hind with young

I'm not sure if this is a Roe Deer (in the foreground of the picture). To me it looks very like one but, I was under the impression that they weren't to be found in Bushey Park)
If anyone knows differently however.........

One of the lighter coloured Fallow Bucks

whereas this Buck has the darker and more usual colouring


Trees and growing things...

This tree had already been populated with very young mistletoe plants and were growing only about 1.5 metres from the ground


I came across this dead tree - and rather liked it's shape against the backdrop of the large conifer


On entering the smaller of the two Woodland Gardens, the Gunnera has now died down for the winter, and its enormous leaves now cover the frost-vulnerable centre of the plant.


It's neighbour is a Swamp Cypress . This being a deciduous tree, drops its pine needles after they have turned a beautiful bronze in colour.

The "knees" produced by the tree (more info can be found in the above link)


Just inside the entrance to the woodland gardens, much fungi was evident.



Now into the second and larger of the gardens
A bridge across one of the many streams


and a totem pole which is in the Canadian Glade

The House of Windsor.
During the First World War (WWI), areas of land in the Park were turned over to the plough to 'Dig for Victory'. King George V gave his permission to use Upper Lodge as a home for Canadian Convalescents. Queen Mary visited the troops and made sure entertainment was provided with the help of local people. This Canadian tie with the Park is commemorated by the Totem Pole and the Canadian Glade in the Waterhouse Woodland Gardens.

with this on the top


The end of a walk having blown the cobwebs away :D

I escaped to my local patch!!

I had a fairly sleepless night last night and although I woke around 6ish as usual, I then "drifted" off to sleep again and consequently overslept so was a little late getting out of bed!!

After the traumas of yesterday and the really awful weather I knew that, unless I was going to be totally stir crazy, grumpy and bad tempered with no evidence of my normal jolly disposition (those who know me might argue with this rash statement) I had to get out today. So mid morning off I trotted to - yes you've guessed - Bushey Park.

I decided to start with the Woodland Gardens and give the regular pond a miss!

My first birds on arrival in the first garden were a pair of preening Egyptian Geese







A little further along the stream were two pairs of Mandarin Ducks


A female mallard was having a lazy swim


and this Carrion Crow (Carin & Yoke please note!) had its beady eye on me.

I then met a lady and gentleman who had their binoculars trained on something across the other side of the pond - Kingfisher!! whey hey. By now the light was incredibly murky so I didn't even bother focusing the camera. In addition, there were quite a large flock of siskins very high up in the trees.

We followed the moving flock and eventually some of them came down on the ground but you'll have to take my word for it that there were about 5 at the time I took this.


I then said goodbye to my new companions with thanks for sharing the Kingfisher and Siskins with me and I went on my way. Just as I was moving off, the flock of siskins wheeled up - there must have been at least 40 of them - great sight!

A little further along in the middle of the woodland, you come to a house. Just by the bridge that crossed the stream, was a Grey Heron keeping it's beady eye on the water for a possible meal.




I then crossed over to enter the second of the two woodland gardens and here I fell into conversation with a very nice gentlemen who brought me up-to-date on the restoration of the Upper Lodge Water Gardens and many other areas of the park. It is his understanding that a hide is also going to be part of the redevelopment of the area - fingers crossed!

Having entered the gardens, the only bird I managed a picture of was this rather obliging Jay.



I then gradually made my way back passing a large herd of Red Deer and a smaller one of Fallow Deer - pictures of these I will probably post tomorrow, but this is one of the very light coloured Fallow deer.
Aw - cutie...


I made my way back to the car where this Black-headed Gull was getting darker colouring around its eye.


Not a bad day for wildlife, and also having met three very nice folk, not a bad day for human life either :D