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| a rare sunny interval on Wednesday |
Wednesday was a cold, windy day with only an occasional sunny interval but it seemed like my best opportunity to visit the Reserve. Recent heavy rain had done nothing for the paths and I was glad of my wellies as I made my way through the mud! I arrived at 10.15 and left about 12.30, looking forward to hot tea and a bowl of steaming soup! Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC209694 ( from hide) Magpie flying over; 2 x Redwings flying over alighted briefly in Churchyard trees; Blue Tit x 2; circa 20 Goldfinch feeding and flying; Woodpigeon; Greenfinch x 2; Great Tit x 2; Mallard x 3 ( 1 Drake, 2 Duck); Water Rail heard briefly.
SC209694 Great tit; Blackbird heard not seen; male Chaffinch.
SC208694 Buzzard flew up from behind fir trees and away over Reserve; Robin.
SC208695 Blackbird heard but not seen; 2 x Great Tit;
SC209695 male Blackbird.
Other:
SC208694 Rabbit running through Willows.
SC209694 Celandines in flower.
SC209695 gorse and small Hogweed in flower near the Bowman bench.
SC209694 unidentified single toadstool.
SC210694 unidentified single toadstool.
SC208694 Hairy Curtain Crust still on boardwalk timber + new unidentified species.
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| part of a charm of Goldfinches - can you spot the odd one out? |
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| there were 20 or more in the charm |
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| some were taking the Loosestrife seed |
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| others preferred Blackberry seed |
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| they were not alone! |
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| a Greenfinch joined them |
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| Great tit |
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| a very distant shot of the Buzzard |
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| one of two Blue Tits seen together |
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| the Mallard ducks were very camouflaged in the vegetation |
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| the Drake was easier to spot |
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| you can see why the boardwalk needs to be elevated |
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| the stream in full flow |
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| the "damp" meadow! |
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| regular view from boardwalk - sun had vanished |
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| Hairy Curtain Crust fungus has been joined by something new |
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| unidentified fungi, again on the oak sleepers |
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| unidentified toadstool near the gate |
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| and another near the hide |
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| incriminating evidence! someone is ignoring the no dogs rule |
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| the ditch is full of water |
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| regular view of the new pond |
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| the water looked muddy |
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| a distant view of the main pond |
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| flooding under the willows |
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| this water is ankle deep! |
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| more flooding near the gate |
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| usual fixed point view of hide |
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| this view is invisible during the summer |
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| another short-lived sunbeam |
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| through the shutters |
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| and looking the other direction |
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| usual view from the ramp |
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| stinking iris seeds have mostly fallen now |
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| the Lesser Spearwort has spread well |
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| garden escape Snowflakes starting to flower |
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| several Celandines now in flower on the Reserve |
It was lovely to see the early flowers - a reminder that Spring is not so far away now. Thirteen species of bird either seen or heard was also something of a treat on such a windy day. I enjoyed my visit which had certainly blown away the cobwebs!
please click on photos to enlarge them
