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| "The Ash Grove" |
I arrived at the Reserve yesterday at 2.45. The sunshine came and went intermittently and it was still quite windy, although nothing like the gales we have experienced very recently. I stayed for two hours and was lucky enough to see the Red Kite no less than 4 times during that period - sometimes quite distant and sometimes very close, always fleeting. Its wing tags suggest it has come over from Northern Ireland. Local corvids constantly give it a really hard time and I found myself reflecting that a Red Kite's life is not an easy one; never a moment's peace! Here is the full list:
Birds:
SC209694 / SC208695/ SC208694 Red Kite mobbed by corvids
SC209694 Blue Tit; Great Tit;
SC208694 2 x Blue Tit feeding from Pussy Willow buds; Goldfinches heard but not seen; Chaffinch heard but not seen. Pheasant heard but not seen; Robin; male Blackbird; Great Tit; Goldcrest on compost heap.
SC208695 Rook; 3 x Jackdaw; 2 x Chaffinch;
SC209695 male Blackbird; 2 x Blue Tit ( 1 investigating bird box) male Chaffinch; Hooded Crow flying over; Grey Heron flying over.
SC209694 ( from hide) 3 x Mallard ( 2 drakes, 1 duck); 4 x Blue Tit together; 2 x Goldcrest chasing flies above Phalaris reeds;
SC210694 female Blackbird
Other:
SC210694 Cultivated snowdrops in bloom by gate beneath brambles; cultivated Snowflakes in full bloom; wild Lesser Celandines nearby.
SC208694 large unidentified Queen Bumblebee on Blackthorn blossom
Still no frogspawn that I could see.
We were unable to hold our work party last Saturday because ground conditions were too wet, although the threatened sleet showers " heavy and prolonged" never actually materialised. Pushing heavy barrows of wood chip along the paths repeatedly would simply have churned them up even more. Hopefully a week of drying winds and less rainfall will improve matters and we can get the chip down in the muddiest areas to improve conditions underfoot. Meanwhile, be sure to wear your wellies!
March has come in like a lion so hopefully will go out like a lamb, according to the old adage. Some warm March sunshine without the wind chill factor could see the emergence of our first Butterflies and Ladybirds of the season. How I am looking forward to that moment!
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| A Queen bumble bee enjoying the Blackthorn blossom |
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| Hawthorn berry among the fresh leaves |
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| Spot the Blue Tit |
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| Blue Tits love the pussy willow flowers |
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| Red Kite being mobbed by 7 corvids |
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| just record shots, but gives an indication of size |
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| 3 Mallards enjoying the sunshine |
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| the path to the compost heap |
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| fixed point photo to see how things change through the seasons |
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| a lovely bright splash of yellow gorse |
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| Lesser Celandines |
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| Snowdrops by the gate |
Visit the manxbirdlife website for excellent photos of the Red Kite.
