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| the damp meadow on a damp day |
Well! What a contrast! Wall to wall sunshine for my visit last week and a steady downpour for most of my visit on Monday, ( which had seemed my best option for a visit this week, given other commitments and a worsening weather forecast.) " I can always sit in the hide and count the ducklings" |I said as I set off mid morning. There had been sharp showers earlier so I didn't arrive until nearly eleven but by then it was only spitting and spotting and I even glimpsed the sun!
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| Sun! |
Here is my report:
Birds:
SC209694 Willow Warbler heard not seen; Great Tit; Pheasant heard not seen; Woodpigeon; Magpie; Goldfinch; Chiffchaff heard not seen.
SC209693 Chaffinch heard not seen.
SC208694 Willow Warbler heard not seen; ; Pheasant heard not seen; Wren; Long Tailed Tit; Chiffchaff; Goldfinch; male & female Chaffinch; Robin; Blue Tit.
SC208695 (on or near feeders) 5 x Goldfinch; 2 x Great Tit; male & female Chaffinch; Blue Tit; Robin.
SC208695 (elsewhere) Pheasant heard not seen; Great Tit.
I think the reason so many birds were only heard and not seen was that they were sheltering from the rain in the heart of the vegetation
Other:
SC10694 Garden escapes in flower: Yellow Archangel; Spanish Bluebells; Grape Hyacinth; cultivated Daffodils.
SC208694 Primroses in flower by stream.
SC208694 Ladysmock in flower by Boardwalk.
SC209694 Water Cricket near stream inlet pipe.
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| Robin trying to keep dry in the heart of the tree |
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| this one was one of the few still singing from the tree tops |
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| Goldfinch |
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| female Chaffinch |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| it seems strange to see song birds walking amongst the reeds |
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| the Woodpigeon came down to drink |
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| Wren, though possibly not from the most flattering angle |
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| mother Duck escaping down the stream - she had been sitting on the bank |
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| she appeared with her family at the main pond much later |
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| only three ducklings this week😢 |
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| they were busy feeding |
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| increasingly independent of their Mum |
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| lovely weather for ducks! |
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| Water Cricket - I could only see one |
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| a mini botanical garden near the gate |
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| Marsh Marigolds are native wild flowers |
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| Flowering Currant |
I believe the Flowering Current bushes were originally planted for the honey bees which used to be kept on site
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| Ladysmock - food plant for Orange Tip Butterflies |
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| Primroses near the stream |
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| a large clump of Stitchwort |
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| Oak leaves unfurling |
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| Rowan flowers in bud |
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| Sycamore opening |
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| looking towards the boardwalk |
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| view from boardwalk - no blue sky today |
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| new information slate near the boardwalk |
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| dragonfly pond |
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| the blue rubber duck had flown! |
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| the gorse boundary - no butterflies or ladybirds today |
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| usual view of the hide - but in the rain! |
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| I sought dry refuge in the hide |
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| from where I bird watched for quite some time |
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| can you see the raindrops on the water? |
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| there are a few new, green reeds showing through now |
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| usual shot of "the reedy bend" |
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| near the path junction |
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| and what I now call "the new glade" |
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| another sturdy nest box made by the scouts |
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| and some useful information |
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| perhaps the sun will be back next week? |
Feeling damp and chilly, I headed home for hot soup!
please click on photos to enlarge them
