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| colourful bracken on the Gorse Boundary |
It was only 3 degrees Centigrade when I arrived at the Reserve on Tuesday morning! But sunny intervals were forecast with a "high" of 7 degrees. It was just about that by the time I left, but I periodically stood on the boardwalk with my back to the sun to warm up ! Here are my records:
Birds:
SC208694 female & male Blackbirds seen separately; Robin; Wren.
SC208695 ( on and near feeders) Robin; Blue Tit; Great Tit; 7 x Chaffinch; 2 x Greenfinch; Goldfinch; Dunnock.
SC208695 ( elsewhere) Magpie; Buzzard flying over; 4 x Rook flying over; Robin; Goldfinch; male Blackbird x 2.
SC209694 ( hide) Moorhen; Great Tit; female/juvenile Blackbird; Robin; Raven flew over croaking.
SC209694 (elsewhere) Blackbird seen in 2 locations; Blue Tit; Robin; Goldfinch.
SC210694 Jackdaw x 2 on roof of Old School House.
SC209695 male Blackbird.
Other:
SC208694 Rabbit seen from boardwalk twice near stream ( I even saw it leap the stream!)
SC208694 Rabbit seen under willows.
SC208695 1 adult Longtail with 4 youngsters seen under bird feeders foraging.
SC208694 Milkcap fungus under willows.
SC209693 fresh leaves appearing on Hemlock Water Dropwort
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| female or juvenile Blackbird |
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| Blue Tit |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| Dunnock |
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| female Chaffinch |
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| Robin |
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| Moorhen |
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| Great Tit |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| Great Tit |
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| Chaffinch on left, Greenfinch on right |
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| two Greenfinches |
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| Greenfinch again |
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| Goldfinch |
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| an inevitable scavenger, I'm afraid |
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| two of them! |
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| no! three! |
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| a fourth came down from a tree branch above |
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| in fact, there were four youngsters and a parent |
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| they seemed unfazed by my presence |
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| a Milk Cap fungus under the willows |
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| you can see the "milk" oozing from where I touched it |
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| sign of spring?!! fresh leaves on Hemlock Water Dropwort already |
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| I love to see the sun shining through Birch bark |
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| usual views of the dragonfly pond |
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| no dragonflies till next year now |
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| usual view of the hide |
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| and the view from the access ramp |
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| I believe a Water Rail has been seen out on the new muddy area |
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| meadow |
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| usual view towards the boardwalk - sunshine at last |
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| view across the reserve to the hills from the boardwalk |
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| and looking back across the meadow |
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| I saw a rabbit twice at the point where the stream disappears from view |
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| still some autumn oak leaves |
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| a wintry bench - too chilly to sit today |
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| looking back to that same oak tree |
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| the reeds continue to take on their winter colour |
An enjoyable winter visit, though somewhat chilly!
please click on photos to enlarge them
