RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch, Weekend and Rain

A grey wet day so I knew there wasn't going to be much point in taking my camera for a walk. Instead I'd arranged with my daughter to go into Kingston to do some shopping.

I had a couple of things on my list, one of which was a replacement mobile phone. This I now have - and I'm about to take the degree course in finding my way around it. I'm reasonably technology literate but this phone's menus and functionalities are completely different from previous makes. But we'll get there. I suppose I'm just lazy and want to know everything immediately!

Knowing the weather was going to be inclement today, I did my RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch yesterday. In the past, the birds visiting the garden have known the date in advance and have been anywhere other than my garden. However, 2009 seems to be the exception and I was really pleased with the tally - here goes:

78 birds and 17 species observed between 08.15 and 09.15
35 x Goldfinches
1 x Blackcap (male)
8 x Greenfinches
2 x Magpies
9 x Feral Pigeons
3 x Chaffinches
2 x Blue Tits
2 x Bramblings (male)
3 x Starlings
5 x Ring-necked Parakeets
1 x Great Tit
1 x Wood Pigeon
1 x Coal Tit
1 x Robin
2 x Long-tailed Tits
1 x Jay
1 x Collared Dove

A quick trip to Barnes

Today we had a very frosty start with the pond and bird baths being covered in a layer of ice. I nipped out first thing to fill up the feeders and break up the ice - oh boy! was it cold!! This done and back in the warm it wasn't long before the water had iced over again.

The forecast promised better weather today than tomorrow, so off I headed for the London Wetland Centre at Barnes.

Not a great deal of excitement; the bittern had been seen where I was looking for it and two water voles had been seen in the usual spot. Did I see Bittern or Water Vole - of course not!!

A brief look at what I did see - which wasn't a great deal and mostly record shots due to - yep you guessed it - bad light for photography!!

Stonechat

Snipe - if you enlarge the picture (by clicking on it) you might find the cunningly hidden Snipe!!

Lapwing

Cormorant

Robin

Grey Heron


Moorhen - several Moorhens displaying and males fighting today


Collection birds:
American Wood Duck

Cranes - a new addition




I then got a telephone call from someone I'd promised a lift to so - Tricia's Taxi Service was galvanised into action!!

Rain, Sun and Sea

Today the rain lashed down. Some of us were quite bedraggled:


I set off for Sussex - and the roads were flooded in many places. In fact, there were lakes where I'd never seen lakes before.

But, by lunchtime - the rain stopped - the clouds parted - the sun came out - the tide started to go out. Errands run and chauffeuring duties undertaken, lunch at a favourite spot... and the sea sparkled.

The tide went out...and gulls everywhere!

Birds and Flutters at RHS Wisley

I've got quite a busy week but today, as the sun was shining and this is not going to be likely for the next few days (!), I decided to juggle my diary and visit RHS Wisley to see the butterflies and, hopefully, get some pictures. This, in principle, was a great idea!

So, I got there for about 10 o'clock (when Wisley opens) thinking I could get to the Glasshouse before everyone else. WRONG!! Apparently (accordingly to an overheard conversation) the press were being given a tour and, as a result, the Glasshouse wasn't open to the public until 11.00 a.m. (FACT)!!

So I used my time to have a wander and visit the bird feeders. With reasonable success in terms of pictures.

Then off to the Glasshouse - with everyone else within a day's travelling of Wisley - it was PACKED!!! Which is great for Wisley but horrid for photographs.

The level of humidity was very high in the Glasshouse and it took 50 minutes for my camera lens to acclimatise. I believe that those with compacts or lenses that were smaller in diameter probably didn't have to wait for so long. Whilst waiting I was getting hotter and hotter!

Another disadvantage of the humidity was the effect it had on me - tropical steamy heat and me, dressed for winter temperatures. WOW - talk about a Turkish bath!!

So having finally left the Glasshouse I had a quick bite eat (Sausage in a roll with onion relish and a Mocha - oooh, that was nice) and a further wander before heading off home for the school run!

Photographically - it was a very challenging day. Outside the light was bright and harsh, (especially for photographing snowdrops); in the glasshouse the camera couldn't focus properly because of the constant misting up of the lens.

Anyway, herewith the results of today's efforts.....

Robin perched high singing his wonderful song..


Male Chaffinch lit by the sun

Nuthatch

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Flutters..







The eyes of this butterfly are amazingly colourful!


A bit of floral colour

Snowdrops in the gardens - my first this year..


Reflections..




A lovely visit, but, if you're wanting to photograph the flutters... get there early and allow plenty of time for your camera to acclimatise.

Life after the Night Heron

So over the weekend, I added nicely to my life list (Goosander and Night Heron) and my year list. When I got back on Sunday the feeders were nearly empty so my first job was the fill them up. And this I did.

Today it dawned - yep - wet and grey again. So armed with a cup of caffeine to kick start the day, I settled down with binocs to do my usual morning bird count. And was I well rewarded??? Indeed I was!!

At about 8.15, following the early arrival of blackbirds, the garden became alive with feathery friends. In the first half-hour whilst it was getting lighter this was my count.

25 Goldfinches
3 Blue Tits
5 Blackbirds (some of the males have black beaks, legs and no yellow eye - so I'm presuming they're foreign visitors?)
5 Greenfinches
2 Starlings
5 Ring-necked Parakeets
1 Blackcap (Male) - yep he's still around
1 Robin
then..... I was starting to count Chaffinches 1, 2, 3 hey - no it is....
1 Chaffinch AND
2 Bramblings (male) YIPPEE!!
and they were in the same place (the apple tree) as last January. Fingers crossed they'll stay around.

And all this within half-an-hour's observations.

After I got home yesterday and sorted myself out after the weekend away, I decided that the sun was too good to miss so I headed off for a quick wander around Bushey Park. Just as I was driving into the car park I got a text from Jackie saying she and Phil were there - so we met by the pond. Jackie had been watching out for parakeets and we were rewarded with a male and female sitting in a tree not far from us. So......

For Jackie - Ring-necked Parakeets
(Male on the left - note the strong black and red neck markings)

The male moved to a closer tree - but hid!

Egyptian Goose - was this what you were looking at Jackie?



Moorhen perched

This young Red Deer found a branch very interesting

whilst this adult -
"What me? Eat the grass? Never!"

The sky was blue


The water calm and reflective.